Europe presents to you a message of
cooperation, support and partnership. I congratulate the
new President of the General Assembly, Ambassador
Al-Nasser, of Qatar. We fully share, Mr. President, in
your commitment to mediation as the best way to
achieve the peaceful settlement of conflicts. Your very
first predecessor was Paul-Henri Spaak, a man who, in
the years after the war, played a decisive role in the
creation of a new and unique forum for cooperation
among European States. At the very beginning, we
were six Western European nations. Today, we form a
union of 27 member States spanning an entire
continent with 500 million inhabitants, and
partnerships throughout the world.
I am not the first President of the European
Council to address the General Assembly to share the
experiences and vision of Europe. However, I am the
first to discharge this duty who is not, at the same time,
the head of State or Government of his country; the
first whose full-time position is to work for unity
among our 27 countries. That institutional innovation
gives our union greater continuity and coherence,
including with respect to others leaders worldwide. I
therefore wish to thank the Assembly for recognizing
this innovation, by giving me an opportunity to speak.
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In the year since the previous session of the
General Assembly gathered here, the world has
changed. In some fields, it has changed for the better.
That is why I would like to speak, first of all, about our
hope; secondly, about some of our worries; and thirdly
and finally, about Europe’s responsibility in the world.
First, there is hope: Hope for the millions of men
and women who recently climbed out of poverty — in
Asia, in Latin America and fortunately more often in
Africa too. Emerging economies are becoming
emerged societies. There is hope for the newest
member of this Assembly, the Republic of South
Sudan, since its transition to independence. Although
concerns about the fighting remain, we applaud the end
to decades of civil war.
There is now a new hope that is, for the most
part, due to the will of the peoples in northern Africa
and the Middle East to take the road of democracy.
Even if the fighting is not over, we have seen the defeat
of repression and of terrorism, and the victory of
forward-looking change.
For Europe, the Arab Spring is one of the most
momentous political developments since the end of the
cold war. We, Europeans, are linked closely with the
Arab world by the bonds of history and geography, and
we wish for this Spring to blossom. And that is why we
support all steps towards democratic transformation
and economic reform that benefit the people. We
support those steps with financial resources, access to
our markets, mobility among our countries and with
assistance for state- and nation-building. Our aim is for
the young men and women in our southern
neighbourhood to feel that they can build a future in
their own countries; it is a hope for a better life.
We have done more than that. When, earlier this
year, there was a risk of bloodbath in Benghazi,
European leaders, together with others, acted with
swiftness and determination, diplomatically — here in
New York — and militarily. We could not allow the
Libyan regime to take the lives of its own people. The
principle of “responsibility to protect” was put into
action — with perseverance and success. Now there is
a responsibility to assist the new Libya with the
political transition, reconciliation and reconstruction of
a united country. The Transitional National Council,
today in the Libya seat, is ready for that task. Europe
was, is, and will remain on the side of the Libyans.
In my view, the Arab Spring has provided two
important lessons. The first one is this: 10 years ago,
almost to the day, when the horrific terrorist attacks of
9/11 were committed in this very city, many feared the
start of an era of religious hatred. That has not
happened. The people in the streets of Tunis, Cairo,
Benghazi and across the Arab world aspire to dignity,
jobs, equal opportunities, social justice and democracy.
We witnessed neither extremism, nor the so-called
clash of civilizations, but an episode in the fight for
freedom and justice. And those should remain the
overriding objectives of the future.
The second lesson is that a political system that
does not allow for peaceful change will remain weak at
heart. We praise, therefore, the leaders who are taking
courageous steps towards positive change.
But alongside the hope, there is reason for worry,
too — and that is my second point — about the brutal
and ongoing repression by the Syrian regime against its
own citizens. Europe is keeping the pressure on the
regime with sanctions, and we urge others to join us.
Of course, there are other worries too: worry
about the famine in Somalia, where thousands of
children have died and many more are at risk, and
where we must act decisively; worry about ongoing
wars and conflicts; worry about the safety of nuclear
reactors; worry about nuclear proliferation and the
behaviour of the Iranian and North Korean leadership;
and worry about climate change. In each case, we have
to ask ourselves, as the international community,
whether we are doing what we should be doing, both in
the short term — protecting human lives — and in the
longer term — preserving life for humankind.
Faced with these realities of hope and worry in
the world, the European Union takes up its
responsibility, and that is my third point. We act,
supporting the forces of hope and fighting the causes of
worry, and very concretely so.
We fight the causes of worry with means and
money. The European Union is the world’s largest
donor of development aid and a major donor of climate
finance for the poorest nations.
We fight the causes of worry with manpower. We
have not only tens of thousands of development
workers, but also thousands of soldiers, policemen and
judges in missions around the world, peacekeeping in
Africa’s Great Lake region, training police in
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Afghanistan and Iraq, patrolling off the coast of
Somalia.
We fight the causes of worry with a sense of the
global common good. In the issues of global
governance, Europe looks for solutions. We are
constructive in world trade negotiations, ambitious in
climate talks and forthcoming in the reform of the
international financial institutions, recognizing the
shift in global economic power. We simply cannot
accept a stalemate, be it in Durban, Doha, Rio or
Cannes.
We fight the causes of worry with expertise in
mediation. We mediate in conflicts in our
neighbourhood and beyond, drawing from our
experience of overcoming age-old rivalries. In the
Balkans, we bring parties together, and, as a member of
the Quartet, we are fully engaged in finding a solution
in the Middle East peace process.
I would say a word on that issue. The parameters
for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are well
known. The European Union has outlined these on
numerous occasions, including here at the United
Nations. There is no reason to repeat them. Now is the
time for politics, dialogue and negotiations.
Populations have lived in fear and suffering for too
long.
The principle of a two-State solution was
established more than 60 years ago. Only half of it has
been implemented. The European Union’s political
position on the Middle East peace process is well
established; it includes a reference to the 1967 borders,
with territorial swaps acceptable to both parties.
Moreover, the Union is fully supporting financially the
State-building process of the Palestinian Authority.
Now, the resumption of direct talks between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority is the top priority.
The legitimate aspirations of both the Palestinian and
the Israeli peoples for peace, safety and statehood must
be fulfilled with an agreement that will lead to the
existence of two States living side by side in peace and
security, and therefore include Israel’s legitimate
security needs and the Palestinians’ desire to end the
occupation.
That is why I say to the leaders on both sides:
The time to act is now. There are political risks, but
they need to take them, just like some of their
predecessors did, with a view to offering a better and
safer future to their communities. The status quo is no
option. The winds of change across the entire region
should help them to get out of the impasses. I say to
the leaders on both sides: History is a severe judge of
short-sightedness. Over time, it only rewards political
courage and statesmanship. From the European
experience, we can tell them that a lasting compromise
is grounded in mutual sacrifice and trust.
In a few weeks, a woman somewhere will give
birth to a child, the 7-billionth human being on Earth.
The birth of a baby is the strongest sign of hope. But
on what planet will this child live? As things stand, we
cannot be certain of saving the environment. Present
patterns of production and consumption are
unsustainable. Moreover, our actions to combat climate
change are insufficient and below the politically agreed
objectives.
Clearly, more needs to be done to align words and
deeds, starting at the United Nations Climate Change
Conference to be held in Durban. Europe sticks to its
commitments. We are delivering on the emissions
targets, and we invite the rest of the industrialized
countries to join us. At the coming United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development, the world
should show its renewed commitment to sustainable
development. Green growth must become the rallying
cry in countries big and small, rich and poor. And as I
said, Europe is ready to help the most vulnerable
nations.
Europe fulfils its responsibilities in the world and
at home. We are now facing our most serious test in
years — the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone.
European leaders are making decisions, individually
and jointly, to bring this storm to an end. We are acting
with determination and in a spirit of solidarity. It
requires political courage and statesmanship.
The responsibility that I sense around the table
with our 27 Presidents and Prime Ministers is not just
related to the euro’s weakest economies, or to the
eurozone alone. No, we feel a responsibility for the
world economy as such. Looking to the weeks and
months ahead, the Assembly may be assured that we
will continue to do what it takes to safeguard the
financial stability of the eurozone, working on more
governance, more fiscal discipline and more fiscal
integration. It is the defining challenge for my
generation.
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We are aware that people in other economies look
to us, since our problems may affect their jobs,
pensions or savings. We likewise expect the other
major economies to take responsibility for their
internal challenges. Each has to bring its own house in
order, be it by bringing down its public debt,
stimulating domestic demand or aligning exchange
rates to economic fundamentals.
Clearly, our agenda is much broader. Members
may rest assured that Europe will continue to stand
shoulder to shoulder with the United Nations in order
to build a world of peace and security, to promote the
universal values of human rights and democracy, and
to fight famine and poverty. In an increasingly
globalized world, the role of the United Nations is
crucial. Europe’s 500 million citizens reject any
turning inward or splendid isolation. Furthermore, the
world does not belong to any one nation. This world is
our world, and it belongs to us all.