Allow
me at the outset to warmly congratulate Mr. Al-Nasser
on his election as President of the General Assembly
and to assure him of the support of my delegation
throughout the sixty-sixth session of the Assembly.
The Secretary-General, whom I heartily
congratulate on his unanimous reappointment,
introduced, at the opening of the general debate, the
priorities that he intends to implement during his
second term in office. His vision, which will guide our
endeavours and our deliberations during this period of
instability and uncertainty, sets forth the parameters for
a new form of global governance that will need to, on
the one hand, respond to the challenges that we face
and to the aspirations of our peoples and, on the other,
take into consideration the new realities of our time.
Among these new imperatives of the twenty-first
century, sustainable development and the building of a
safer world require a more responsible approach on the
part of all our Governments and the renewal of our
unwavering support for the Organization, whose
crucial role in the prevention of conflicts, human rights
violations and natural disasters needs to be
strengthened and supported.
It was Mr. Al-Nasser’s clear-sighted initiative to
make the role of mediation in the settlement of disputes
by peaceful means the theme of the general debate. Our
community now has a new Member — the Republic of
South Sudan — following a peace process that was
welcomed by all. Since the beginning of the year, we
have seen a great impetus towards freedom and
democracy among thousands of women and men across
the Arab world. The Arab Spring has highlighted once
again the universal nature of the norms and values of
the Organization. Justice, democracy, human dignity,
equality and freedom have led to renewed hope among
peoples for too long repressed. Today we face a great
challenge: not to disappoint them.
The Government of the Principality reiterates its
support for and its solidarity with all who fight for
respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,
and in that regard is hopeful that a just, lasting and
comprehensive settlement will enable the State of
Israel and a viable, sovereign and democratic
Palestinian State to live side by side in peace and
security.
The past year has been rich in challenges for our
Organization. We have had to face great natural and
humanitarian disasters, emergency situations caused by
people and the fallout of the economic crisis. Each
time we turn to this Organization to safeguard
humanity’s shared assets, such as the environment,
health and peace.
11-51390 12
We also turn to the United Nations to protect our
collective security. The deadly attack a few weeks ago
on the United Nations offices in Abuja, the capital of
Nigeria, cruelly reminded us of the innumerable risks
faced by United Nations personnel across the world —
in Côte d’Ivoire, Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, the Sudan,
everywhere where the United Nations has saved lives
or upheld rights. They sometimes pay the ultimate
price.
But our Organization has limited resources and
cannot always deal with the multiplication of conflicts.
We must therefore focus above all on the prevention of
conflicts. What is a better prevention measure than
development? Last year from this same rostrum His
Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco reiterated
the Principality’s commitment to achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (see
A/65/PV.4). Monaco seeks to be a responsible, reliable
and supportive partner, and its priorities continue to be
improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable
people.
I wish to underscore the essential role of women
in the prevention and settlement of conflicts and in
peacebuilding. Women and girls must be at the centre
of our development strategies. It is now an established
fact that a society that guarantees equality between
women and men and promotes the economic
independence of women is a more prosperous society.
If we wish women to be able to realize their potential
in the economic sector, we need to get rid of obstacles
such as discriminatory regulations. We need to ensure
that women have equal access to economic resources,
particularly to land, credit, science and technology,
vocational training, information, communication and
markets.
In this regard, the Principality of Monaco wishes
to reiterate its support for UN-Women and its
Executive Director, Ms. Michelle Bachelet.
It is our shared responsibility to show our
commitment in the crucial gathering of 2012 — the
twentieth anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit — and
to create a solid basis for the comprehensive
development of a green economy.
We are seeking to develop sources of renewable
energy, more environmentally friendly and healthy. But
in the short term, we are not in a position to abandon
nuclear energy or oil. As we have learned so painfully
through the Fukushima accident, we do not know
whether one day it will be possible to fully control all
the risks involved in nuclear energy. We thus continue
to burn hydrocarbons, sending their emissions into the
atmosphere. These pitfalls pose a great danger to our
collective security.
It is time to put an end to the ideological debates
and the divides that separate us and that delay our
efforts to implement a green economy.
The Secretary-General proposed that we establish
a new generation of development objectives to succeed
the MDGs after 2015. The Principality of Monaco
supports that initiative, which aims to encourage the
international community to set ambitious goals and to
provide the wherewithal to achieve them.
As part of its contribution to that endeavour,
Prince Albert II wanted Monaco to contribute actively
to the preparatory work for the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development by organizing
in the Principality, from 28 to 30 November 2011, a
meeting of high-level experts on the sustainable
management of oceans. His Serene Highness would
like to see the international community place the seas
and oceans at the top of the political agenda at the
forthcoming Earth Summit.
In spite of the development of a legal framework
to govern activities in the oceans, the negative impacts
of human activities on oceans and seas are becoming
increasingly visible. Marine pollution and
unsustainable practices in the exploitation of marine
resources are continuing to endanger marine
ecosystems, to the detriment of future generations.
Climate change has had a significant impact on oceans,
leading to the phenomena of acidification, rising sea
levels and coral bleaching. Sustainable management of
the oceans is an essential pillar of the green economy.
Stronger prevention measures, at the service of
all Member States, both developed and developing,
will enable the Organization to carry out its role with
greater efficiency and flexibility. That requires the
strengthening of its institutions, taking greater account
of the role of the General Assembly, balanced reform
of the Security Council, increasing cooperation with
regional organizations, enhanced interaction with civil
society and private sector partnerships.
I wish to hail the leadership and political courage
of His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, who
13 11-51390
endeavoured to impose the moral force of the United
Nations before the eyes of the entire world.
The Principality of Monaco will not fail to work
for the improvement of global governance that our
community hopes and prays for. We share the
conviction regarding the immense importance of the
universal values upheld and defended by the
Organization, values to which future Members must
adhere, as we have done.