Andorra

**Mr President,** **Mr Secretary-General,** **Excellencies,** **Ladies and Gentlemen,** Allow me first to offer my congratulations to His Excellency Mr Philémon Yang on his election as President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. I thank you, Mr President, for choosing as the theme: *“Unity in diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development and human dignity everywhere and for all.”* Andorra could not agree more with this goal, which it wholeheartedly supports, for my country is living, tangible proof that human beings can coexist peacefully for nearly 800 years. Thanks to the mutual understanding and respect demonstrated by its inhabitants, this territory has never known war and has never had an army. Andorra has been an oasis of peace, tolerance, and coexistence—even during the most troubled times in the history of the Old Continent. I would also like to especially thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his perseverance, his consistent preference for conciliation, and his strong message in support of international law and the fight against climate change. I also wish to highlight the momentum he has given to the **Summit of the Future**, from which derives the *Pact for the Future*, to which my country is a signatory. Its aim is to strengthen the multilateral system, adopt concrete measures to address emerging challenges, and draft a roadmap for responding to existential risks threatening humanity, civilisation, and life on Earth for most species. The classical authors—on whom Western culture is founded—state (and I use the present tense deliberately, for classical authors never truly die) that *“speech without effect is nothing but a vain and useless sound.”* What matters are the deeds and actions carried out over a lifetime. All civilisations are born under specific circumstances and often enter history through their conquests. But what is the conquest of this civilisation? What is its vocation? And what legacy will it leave behind? Or rather: **What conquest, what vocation, and what legacy do we want this civilisation to leave to posterity?** --- **Ladies and Gentlemen,** Today, in the West, we often forget that democracy is more than simply placing a ballot in a box every four or five years. The essence of democracy lies in the values it embodies—dignity, tolerance, equality, liberty, and respect for individuals and nations. These values are human rights. Rights that this General Assembly committed to protect seventy-six years ago with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet the spirit in which that Declaration was forged—a symbol of peace and dignity after two devastating world wars—seems to be gradually fading. The rise of extremist political ideologies is a reaction to an order perceived as under threat. The feeling that a not-so-distant past was better than the present haunts today’s generations and is fuelled by fears that climate change will worsen living conditions, that globalisation and migration dilute and depersonalise our societies, and that today’s children and youth will live worse lives than their parents. We stand at a pivotal moment. We can no longer veil the real debate with rhetoric to avoid addressing this situation. Soon we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, and this organisation must continue to serve as the keystone of our world—a body in which member states move in the same direction, toward the shared objective of responding effectively to the major challenges of our time, so that we may leave future generations with a legacy of hope. --- **Ladies and Gentlemen,** Never have we had so many tools at our disposal for cooperation and dialogue. In the face of a highly complex reality—and guided by the principle of equality among nations—we must uphold the United Nations Charter and strengthen its pillars, especially the defence of human rights and international humanitarian law, which alone must govern relations between states. The grave situations in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, and other regions mired in protracted conflict—especially in the Sahel—must not leave us indifferent. We must urgently mobilise to achieve one of the noblest aims of politics: peace. We must unite and find solutions to conflicts without violence or military force. We therefore call on all parties to work for peace, to respect international humanitarian law, and to submit to it. Nothing can justify attacks on civilians. Nothing can justify attacks on hospitals and schools. Nothing can justify the use of famine as a weapon of war. Nothing can justify such irrationality—one whose principal victims are children. Children and adolescents hold a central place in Andorra’s international agenda, for we firmly believe they are both the present and the future of humanity. Every action in their favour is therefore a strategic act of national development—regardless of the country. For this reason, we have supported, from its inception, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and more recently, the study on the **impact of climate change on children in armed conflict**. At the start of my address, I asked what conquest, vocation, and legacy we wish to leave behind. There can be no doubt: **a peaceful world for our children and adolescents—a world of opportunity for each one of them.** This is our great responsibility: to ensure that future generations live not worse, but better lives than ours. That they fully participate in progress, as we agreed just days ago at the Summit of the Future. --- **Excellencies,** Andorra joined the United Nations in 1993. The international context then was one of hope: the reunification of Europe after the Cold War. We chose to become a UN member as an open society wishing to share opportunities and challenges with the international community. We saw—and still see—the world’s problems as our own, and it is for this reason that we sought and continue to seek active participation in solving them. Three decades have passed, and although the spectres of the Cold War re-emerge, though the conflict in the Middle East is generating unprecedented tension, and though the rise of extremism is troubling, **Andorra maintains firm belief in the concert of nations, in international commitments, and in multilateralism as the best—and only—means of resolving the current crisis.** At the same time, Andorra places great value on regional cooperation, especially that pursued with the European Union, with which we are negotiating an **Association Agreement**. This will enable us to progressively and structurally access the EU internal market, diversify our economy, and contribute to shaping a shared geographic, economic, and political space—**the European Union**—with the privileged status of an associated state. Whether through UN membership or international treaties, **Andorra honours its obligations in full awareness.** And however small my country may appear to the great powers, this does not prevent us from pursuing ambitious and essential goals—**multilateralism, climate urgency, gender equality, digital transition, and cultural diversity**. On that final point, Andorra is proud once again this year to have co-facilitated, with Guatemala, the resolution on **multilingualism** at the United Nations. --- **Ladies and Gentlemen,** Climate change is undeniably a global threat, but it impacts certain territories more severely. This is the case for coastal regions—due to rising sea levels—and mountain regions, whose ecosystems are more vulnerable. This is thus the case for **Andorra**. Climate change threatens to alter our way of life and even our national economy. That is why we have made the fight against climate change one of our primary objectives—both internationally and domestically. Since ratifying the **UN Framework Convention on Climate Change** in 2011, Andorra has met its communication obligations, adhering to the principles of transparency, consistency, comparability, completeness, and accuracy—and even anticipating the Convention’s requirements. In 2015, Andorra was one of the first Parties to the Convention to submit its **Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)** and subsequently updated it in 2020 and 2022 to raise its medium-term ambitions and reach **climate neutrality by 2050**. In 2023, Andorra became the first state to submit the **Biennial Transparency Report (BTR)**, again demonstrating our commitment to climate action. Domestically, we have also made significant efforts—implementing a new energy policy, gradually increasing renewable energy production, and replacing heating systems with less polluting alternatives. This energy transition is being led by the public sector through ambitious legislation and significant support schemes and action plans. But let me ask: **Do you know that all these efforts will be in vain if other countries do not do the same? If we do not all move in the same direction?** Because **the fight against climate change is the most urgent, wide-ranging global challenge**, requiring the highest levels of cooperation, collaboration, generosity, and mutual respect. --- **Ladies and Gentlemen,** We have reached the halfway point toward the **2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development**, and we are about to begin the final stretch. The assessment is already disappointing—bearing in mind that behind these figures are **millions of people** who bear the consequences. The SDGs are undoubtedly ambitious. But if we implement them with **persistence, creativity, and innovation**, we can achieve real change: by adopting inclusion as a guiding principle, making **gender equality** a reality, making **sustainability** a standard, ensuring **child protection** as a non-negotiable principle, and closing social divides for good. The French poet and novelist Louis Aragon once wrote: *“The future of man is woman.”* That was in 1963, on the eve of full legal equality between women and men. A true declaration of love and admiration for his wife, his muse. In parts of the world, we still have a long way to go to make it heard and understood that it is in **everyone’s best interest** for women to have the same opportunities to learn, flourish, express themselves, work, and earn a living as men. In Andorra, **equality, non-discrimination, and inclusion** are core components of public policy. We have adopted legislation to fulfil our commitments and fully achieve these goals. This is a natural consequence in a society where women play a very active role in public affairs. But beyond public policy, the key to social transformation is **education**. Teaching gender equality is not just about instructing boys and girls to respect each other—it is also about equipping them to challenge the social norms that perpetuate inequality and to build a society where every individual can realise their full potential, regardless of gender. Today, **gender parity** is respected in Andorra’s decision-making institutions, and for the first time, **an Andorran expert serves on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).** But achieving gender equality requires **determination and perseverance** from each of us. As representatives of our countries, we have a moral and political obligation to advance this transformation. We must ensure that gender equality is no longer a distant aspiration, but a concrete reality in our societies. It is the only way to guarantee a better future for generations to come. --- **Excellencies,** Access to information is reshaping the paradigms of growth and socio-economic development. As public and private services move into the digital realm, the **divide between those who are digitally connected and those who are not** is becoming increasingly pernicious. The **Global Digital Compact** adopted at the **Summit of the Future** includes measures for digital literacy, aiming to ensure a digital future that is inclusive, open, safe, and secure. In this field, **multilateralism has a crucial role to play**: creating opportunities while ensuring accessibility and safety in this new virtual space of globalisation. For **small states** like Andorra, digital technologies have the potential to bring exponentially valuable resources. Aware of this, and of our pressing need for economic diversification, Andorra has made significant progress. Today, **96% of Andorran households have internet access**. We have implemented a **National Digital Transition Strategy**, focusing particularly on **digital rights**, in line with SDGs 9, 16, and 17. We have established an **ethical and legal framework** that protects privacy and data security, and guarantees open access to digital information—because we want **every citizen to participate in the digital world**, preventing new inequalities. --- **Ladies and Gentlemen,** The Principality of Andorra committed itself to this **organisation of the peoples, for the peoples**, over thirty years ago—with the hope that a better world is possible, and that even a small country like ours can set an example. We presented ourselves to the world as an ancient country, finally taking its place in the international community—a country open to the world, constructive in spirit, and peaceful in attitude, advocating for understanding and harmony among peoples. These values continue to guide us both nationally and internationally. All peoples must promote a new **culture of peace**, based on the abolition of war and the commitment to resolve conflicts through peaceful agreement. Development must reach every corner of the planet. Fundamental rights must be upheld. And the new digital universe must be founded on **knowledge**. I began my address by citing the classics. If I may, I shall end with them too. There is a work that stands at the origin of Greek literature—one that has left a profound mark on Western culture and is hard to forget. It speaks of **conquest and destruction**, **greed, hatred and compassion**, **love and death**. **Homer’s Iliad** is, in a way, a mirror of the human condition. Even as it reveals that life is not always fair and is often subject to the will of the gods, it also shows that **human relationships, if we so choose, can be profoundly human**. And I believe we must embrace that message: It is important to believe in humanity—and to work together to build peace in the world, and a just, inclusive, and united world for all. **I thank you.**