Luxembourg is very pleased that the President of the
European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, was able for
the first time to address this Assembly on behalf of the
European Union (see ), and I align myself
fully with his statement.
Never before has the United Nations been so
indispensable; never before have expectations of it
been so great. We are going through a period of great
turbulence; a period, as the Secretary-General has said,
burdened by great difficulties, but also rich in
opportunity for the progress of humankind. It is our
duty to respond to the expectations placed on us by all
those across the world who seek peace, security and
dignity.
On 9 July 2011 a new State was born before the
eyes of the entire world. In January, during their
referendum on independence, the people of South
Sudan spoke loudly and clearly. More than 98 per cent
of the electorate voted for the independence to which
the southern part of Africa’s largest country had
aspired for so long. Luxembourg is proud to have
recognized South Sudan on 9 July, even before the
historic moment of its admission to the United Nations.
The independence of South Sudan is a testament
to the willingness of the two parties in the long
Sudanese conflict to implement the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement. It is now up to both parties to show
the same willingness to implement new agreements to
address the issues of good-neighbourly relations
between the Sudan and South Sudan. The two Sudans,
and their peoples first of all, will benefit if the
relationship finally becomes a constructive one,
allowing for socio-economic development on a new
basis.
The international community stands ready to
support both countries. The development of the Sudan
and support of the new State of South Sudan on its path
to viability, stability and prosperity are tasks that we
must all tackle together and cooperatively. The
European Union is actively engaged. Luxembourg fully
supports its efforts and is also committed bilaterally,
particularly regarding demining activities to help
remove the vestiges of a war that was so long that it
has marked several generations of Sudanese.
A few days ago, in recognizing the full powers of
Libya’s National Transitional Council, the Assembly
blessed, in a way, the end of Colonel Al-Qadhafi’s
dictatorial regime, one that suffocated the whole of
Libyan society for 42 years and did not hesitate to use
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heavy weapons against its own population without
discrimination, trampling on its people’s aspirations for
freedom.
The international community had to react, to
assume its responsibility to protect Libyan men,
women and children who were under fire — and who,
unfortunately, are still under fire in Sirte and Bani
Walid. We did not want to reproach ourselves yet again
for having hesitated too long, for having neglected our
responsibility to protect those unable to defend
themselves against the cruelty of their own authorities.
We did not want once again to be the powerless
witnesses of large-scale violence.
Our Organization was able to react and
demonstrate its capacity to act in a decisive, timely and
just manner. The General Assembly suspended Libya
from the Human Rights Council. Acting within the
remit of Chapter VII of the Charter, the Security
Council authorized all measures necessary to protect
the population and civilian areas under threat of attack.
The Council was able to act so decisively because the
international community, and the region in particular,
supported its action. The Arab League played a very
important role in this regard, which I heartily
commend.
Today, thanks to their courage and the resolute
support of the international community, the Libyan
people are free to choose their future. Together with
our European Union partners, we stand ready to
support Libya on its path to democracy and to help the
National Transitional Council in its immense task of
establishing a new State, in which human rights are
respected and every element of society can find a
place. As Mr. Jean Ping, who was President of the
General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session, put it so
well in Paris on 1 September, Africa will benefit
enormously from the emergence of a democratic Libya,
at peace with itself and with its neighbours. We will all
benefit from it.
In Tunisia and in Egypt, the people have also
prevailed in their quests for liberty and the rewriting of
the social contract, in the face of the supporters of their
former regimes. In other countries in the region, people
must, alas, continue to struggle to achieve respect for
their fundamental freedoms.
In Syria, the regime continues to conduct a brutal
campaign against its own population. Every appeal,
including that of the Secretary-General, to end the
violence and repression has so far remained
unanswered. As the Human Rights Council on
23 August decided, commendably, to send urgently an
independent international commission of inquiry to
Syria, the Security Council should also assume its
responsibility in the matter. The credibility of the
United Nations as a moral force, one that protects
civilian populations and their rights, is at stake.
Equally at stake is the capacity of the United Nations
to be present in crises, revolts and disasters that assault
peoples’ dignity and threaten their very existence.
Peace, security, dignity — these are also key
words when we talk about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict: the right of two peoples to live in peace,
security and dignity.
A solution to this conflict, which has lasted too
long and has poisoned the entire region, must
necessarily be reached through the recognition of the
right of both parties — not just one of them — to live
in a sovereign and viable State. This is unfortunately
not yet the case, despite the hope inspired by the
courageous words of President Obama at this very
rostrum last year (see A/65/PV.11). On the contrary, we
have seen neither a halt to the illegal construction of
settlements, nor a significant lifting of the embargo on
the Gaza strip. The revival of direct peace talks was
short-lived.
We all heard Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas’s vibrant appeal yesterday, his call for
recognition of the his people’s legitimate right to a
State and for acceptance of the aspirations of Palestine
to have a seat in the Assembly and to fully assume its
place among the nations of the world. I can only hope
that his appeal will be heard. Israel’s legitimate desire
to live for the long term in security depends on the
realization of the right of the Palestinians to live in
dignity in their sovereign State.
But merely responding to this appeal is not
enough. It is imperative that negotiations between the
two parties start again as soon as possible. Only
negotiations will allow tackling the root causes of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The parameters for a
settlement have been known for a long time. I fully
support the proposal made yesterday by the Quartet for
a strict timetable: one month to agree on the agenda
and modalities of the negotiations, and no more than a
year to reach a comprehensive agreement.
3 11-51378
I appeal to the parties to show proof of their
political will and ability to make the necessary
compromises and sacrifices so that by the end of 2012
peace in the Middle East finally becomes a reality.
From this rostrum, I reiterate firmly that the restart of
negotiations cannot again stumble over cement and
stones, and I dare believe that the Israeli Government
knows that. In their efforts both now and in the future,
the parties can count on the nations of the European
Union, including my country, Luxembourg.
The events over the past year in North Africa, the
Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa remind us of the
importance of a United Nations Organization with solid
means for prevention and mediation, for peacekeeping
and peacebuilding. Conflict prevention is one of the
principal obligations set out in the Charter of the
United Nations. Primary responsibility for that belongs
to Member States, but no State can act alone. Each
must be able to count on the support of the rest.
At the 2005 World Summit, we all committed to
promoting a culture of prevention, and we put in place
important new tools and mechanisms. The
Peacebuilding Commission, by uniting all concerned
actors and formulating integrated strategies, is an
essential element of these.
My country is deeply convinced of the relevance
of a broad and multidimensional approach to
peacebuilding. Luxembourg is proud to be an active
contributor to the work of the Peacebuilding
Commission, notably as Chair of the country-specific
configuration for Guinea established this February. Our
priority is to support the authorities in Conakry in the
areas of national reconciliation, security sector reform
and employment for women and young people. Since
2010 Luxembourg, in its national capacity, has been
supporting mediation conducted by the Community of
Sant’Egidio between the main political and civil
society actors in Guinea.
Both at the bilateral level and in its capacity as a
member of the European Union, Luxembourg sees
conflict prevention and providing support in post-
conflict situations as being at the heart of its activity
abroad, primarily through multilateral instruments,
with the United Nations, naturally, first and foremost
among them. The challenges we face are not limited to
political conflicts but also concern economic, social
and environmental transformation.
Let us remember that the Arab Spring began with
an act of social protest. We therefore agree entirely
with the priority that the President intends to give
during his mandate to sustainable development,
poverty eradication and achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals.
With our European Union partners, we will do
everything in our power to contribute ensuring that the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20), which will take place in Brazil
less than a year from now, in June 2012, is truly
successful. Rio+20 must set a range of ambitious goals
that will ensure that we stay on track with sustainable
development and preserve future generations’ ability to
live on our planet.
Sustainable development, in its three elements —
economic, social and environmental — has long been
at the centre of Luxembourg’s development
cooperation policy. I am happy to say that Luxembourg
has managed to maintain and even increase its efforts
in terms of official development assistance, which in
2010 reached 1.09 per cent of our gross national
product.
We no longer need to prove the close link
between security and development. For Luxembourg,
the links between security and climate change are
equally obvious. As the Secretary-General observed,
climate change must be seen as a threat multiplier.
Luxembourg’s commitment to combating climate
change, including through the Group of Friends created
here in New York for that purpose, is also part of our
strategy for preventing conflicts before climate change
makes them worse. In that context, my country offers
support and technical assistance to small island
developing States, particularly those in the Pacific,
whose existence is threatened by climate change.
Since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997,
Luxembourg, together with its European partners, has
made binding commitments to reduce its carbon
emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Luxembourg is also contributing to the fast start
finance initiative in order to tackle climate change. I
should stress that these resources are new and
additional to our official development assistance.
Among the numerous other challenges that
require a coordinated and collective response, I should
like to mention one in particular: the prevention and
control of non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable
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diseases not only cost 36 million human lives every year;
they also result in significant losses to national revenue
and pull millions of people below the poverty line.
They affect all of us and are having an increasingly
preponderant impact on developing countries. The
response to this challenge of epidemic proportions
must be global and universal.
I therefore commend the initiative on the part of
the Caribbean Community countries to put this subject
on the General Assembly’s agenda and to publicize,
beyond the medical community, the scope and impact
of the crisis in non-communicable diseases, including
in development terms. There is no question that the
debate in the High-level Meeting on the Prevention and
Control of Non-communicable Diseases, the round
tables and the various side events held in the last few
days have allowed us to reach that goal. We should
now fully implement the commitments undertaken in
the Political Declaration (resolution 66/2, annex). I can
assure the Assembly that Luxembourg will continue its
efforts to that end at the national, regional and
international levels.
The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001,
whose tenth anniversary we have just commemorated,
were attacks against not only the United States, the
host country of our Organization, but against all of us,
against our values and principles, our convictions and
beliefs. Our Organization itself has become the target
of cowardly attacks. Such despicable acts must not,
however, lead us to turn inward. On the contrary, they
should encourage us to redouble efforts to continue to
act together in furthering the ideals and values of our
Organization and its Charter, to fight together against
terrorism and for a better and safer future for
generations to come, for development and respect for
human rights, for democracy and the rule of law. That
is our joint responsibility: the responsibility to prevent,
to preserve and to protect.
Luxembourg stands ready to shoulder its
responsibilities and to continue to work for an effective
multilateralism, including — if the Assembly affords
us the opportunity — as a non-permanent member of
the Security Council in 2013-2014.