It is my honour and
pleasure to welcome the election of Mr. Miguel
d’Escoto Brockmann as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-third session. I wish him great
success in carrying out that complex, responsible and
challenging task. I would also like to express my
sincere gratitude and great respect to Mr. Srgjan
Kerim, President at the sixty-second session, for
successfully leading the Assembly during his tenure. In
addition, I would like to pay tribute to the Secretary-
General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and to emphasize our full
support for his efforts to strengthen the position of the
United Nations as a valuable factor in resolving the
issues on the ever-expanding international agenda.
Now, if the Assembly will permit me, I should
like to continue in my native language.
(spoke in Montenegrin; interpretation provided by the
delegation)
As the youngest United Nations Member,
Montenegro has left its mark on the international
scene. It gained its statehood centuries ago and
democratically restored it in 2006. For us, statehood
represents political freedom, but also political
responsibility. Both are qualities that we look for and
find in the United Nations: in the spirit of its Charter,
and in the promotion of mutual respect and equality
among nations and peoples.
Multilateralism lies at the core of the
international system and inspires strong motivation and
commitment. That is why the United Nations provides
a reliable framework for maintaining international
peace and security, strengthening democracy,
protecting human rights and freedoms, respecting
international law and fostering the economic and social
development of all States.
Today, the world Organization is going through a
process of necessary reform prompted by great
achievements, but also by some setbacks, and even
failures. Montenegro supports a process of pragmatic
reform at the United Nations. As a small State, we are
particularly interested in strengthening the authority of
the General Assembly and other main United Nations
bodies.
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The Security Council lies at the heart of the
overall reform process and needs to be transformed
taking into account equitable regional representation,
transparency and improvement in its working methods.
Montenegro supports intergovernmental negotiations.
We are undoubtedly faced with a very challenging and
complex process, but one to which Montenegro will
strive to contribute.
Respect for human rights and freedoms,
improvement of minority and faith-based rights and the
strengthening of good-neighbourly relations will
continue to be the foundation of our national stability,
as well of regional stability. Our engagement at
national, regional and international levels is therefore
focused on the rule of law and the fight against
corruption and organized crime.
This year we mark the sixtieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The
Declaration is still vital and applicable. We are fully
dedicated to its implementation and determined to
uphold its values and principles. In support of that,
Montenegro has presented its candidature for
membership of the Human Rights Council for the
period 2012-2015.
As the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals represents one of the key
objectives of United Nations policy, it is only natural
that small and developing States, such as Montenegro,
should be resolved to make a concerted effort towards
those goals. Aware of all the challenges in
implementing that agenda, Montenegro shares the
Secretary-General’s opinion that yesterday’s high-level
event contributed positively to the increased
commitment to realize the goals that have been set.
Challenges that we are facing today, including
political problems, hotspots, blatant violations of
human rights and freedoms, proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction, terrorism, environmental
degradation and climate change, require an adequate
response and decisive action. We believe that no
effective or lasting response is possible without joint
action by the entire international community.
Countries in transition, such as our own, have
relevant experience and are strongly motivated to offer
continuous support to the implementation of the
Monterrey Consensus, in the light of the forthcoming
International Conference on Financing for
Development, to be held in Doha. Economic challenges
faced by countries in transition affect the dynamics and
quality of the way we tackle other issues, thus making
the implementation of the Millennium Declaration
imperative. Therefore, the development needs and
priorities of the African countries, discussed at length
during the 22 September high-level meeting, require
urgent global solidarity and support.
Montenegro fully supports United Nations efforts
to resolve the problems caused by the energy crisis,
especially rising food prices worldwide. We also fully
support the intention of the Secretary-General and of
the United Nations to focus the attention of the
international community on vital issues such as food
prices and food security, in addition to the issues of
climate change and the MDGs. The reason behind this
is obvious: everyone is affected and is hence
committed to solving those problems.
In the light of that, we agree with the proposed
United Nations action in the multilateral framework.
We commend the recent adoption of the Rome
Declaration on World Food Security, and strongly
believe that integrated international action is the best
response.
As an ecologically concerned State, Montenegro
cherishes an interactive relationship between the
environmental aspects of the protection of natural
resources, on the one hand, and the production and
distribution of organic food on the other hand.
Furthermore, Montenegro encourages the creation of
an international trade environment that favours small-
scale producers and developing countries. Public-
private partnerships on specific projects, as one form
of cooperation between my Government and United
Nations agencies in the field of energy efficiency, are
also of special importance for us.
Montenegro has many reasons to be satisfied with
the dynamics and results of its ongoing reform
processes. Promotion of democracy, equality and
tolerance among States and peoples has been and will
continue to be our political doctrine. We are motivated
by a desire for stability and economic and cultural
development, and we demonstrate this in practice in
our relationships with neighbours and regional
partners. It is also a basis for Montenegro’s progress in
European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Our European Union (EU) and NATO agenda is
based on the principles of democracy, a functional
market economy, efficient institutions and the rule of
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law. In the process of integration, special emphasis is
placed on the dynamics and time frame in which our
progress is being achieved — in all areas, including
political, legislative, economic and public administration
reform.
This year, Montenegro joined the Union for the
Mediterranean. We appreciate the support offered by
our EU partners and other members of that significant
initiative. Montenegro stands ready to make its
contribution and to take an active part in the
revitalization of the projects within that initiative.
Montenegro is taking a step forward in its
security policy, centred on multilateral cooperation,
with the aim of creating a legislative framework for the
deployment of our police, military and civilian
personnel to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
Montenegro contributed to similar missions more than
100 years ago, in the nineteenth century, and we are
now preparing to implement our commitment again in
order to meet the current needs for fostering peace and
democracy.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the
commitment of Montenegro to contribute to the
strengthening and promotion of the United Nations in
our common effort to identify adequate responses to
multifaceted challenges the world faces today.