At the outset, please allow me to
congratulate Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki on his election
as President of the United Nations General Assembly at
its sixty-fourth session. We wish him success in his
work and assure him of Montenegro’s unwavering
support.
I would also like to thank the former President,
Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, for his endeavours and
personal contribution in discharging this challenging
post.
At the same time I would like to pay my tribute to
the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his
outstanding efforts in leading the Organization in these
trying times.
As we have heard from the statements of previous
distinguished speakers, given the impact of the world
economic and financial crisis and related food and
energy crises, climate change and the flu pandemic on
the economic and social growth and development,
politics and global relations, including achievement of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other
internationally agreed development goals, only a
coordinated and a concerted global effort can yield
positive results.
Response to current challenges requires,
therefore, that we pool all capacities and resources, as
well as a strong political will from us all. In this, the
key role belongs to the United Nations, the world’s
most important multilateral forum.
Montenegro, as a country that advocates the
equality of peoples and nations in international
relations, is fully committed to active participation in
efforts to work out a global response to present-day
challenges. Preserving peace and security through
activities aimed at creating positive political,
economic, social and cultural environments for the
implementation and respect of international law, the
rule of law and the protection and promotion of
fundamental human rights and freedoms are the main
principles and bases of the Montenegrin foreign policy
priorities.
In that regard, Montenegro remains strongly
committed to the fundamental principles and purposes
of the United Nations Charter, which imply peaceful
resolution of disputes and non-interference in the
internal affairs of States.
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Strong cooperation with neighbouring countries
and regional stability are the underlying principles of
the foreign policy of Montenegro and a precondition
for progress in its broader integration processes. Since
the previous General Assembly session, we have
moved to a new and more demanding phase of
European and Euro-Atlantic integration. We feel
particularly encouraged by the dynamic progress
Montenegro has made towards membership in the
European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO). We expect that in the near future
the European Commission will issue an opinion on
Montenegro’s preparedness for EU membership, and
we also expect an invitation to join in the NATO
Membership Action Plan, which will open additional
opportunities for those two integration processes to
gain momentum.
Taking into consideration the strong impact of the
world economic and financial crisis on overall socio-
economic development, the most recent reports from
the global financial markets are encouraging,
indicating an end to the global crisis even earlier than
expected. However, in order to ensure sustained
economic development, increased aid and
implementation of trade agreements and the
achievement of international solidarity is imperative in
addressing the needs of the world’s poorest and most
vulnerable.
Given that the recovery is going to be long and
gradual, all countries, led by the United Nations,
should be committed to the implementation of policies
and measures initiated in the various international
forums, including the United Nations Conference on
the world economic and financial crisis and its impact
on development, the G-20, World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund.
Bearing in mind the nature of the Montenegrin
economy as a small and open system, we have not been
able to remain immune to the turbulent global
developments. In that regard, the Government of
Montenegro has adopted a package of economic policy
measures aimed at maintaining macroeconomic
stability, improving productivity and preserving a
favourable economic environment.
The harmful consequences of climate change,
increasing energy consumption and growing
dependence on imported fossil fuels, along with their
negative impacts on the environment and standards of
living, are issues causing profound concern among us
all. The Summit on Climate Change held on the eve of
the general debate is, in our view, a significant step
forward in Member States’ political support for the
process of the implementation of the MDGs in this
field.
We believe that both the character and the effects
of climate change call for a comprehensive
international response based on the principles of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), which would facilitate sustainable
economic development of society in accordance with
the guidelines of the 2007 Bali Action Plan.
I would like to take this opportunity to express
Montenegro’s strong support for the negotiation
process on a new post-2012 climate framework and for
calls to “seal the deal” in Copenhagen in December.
We believe that further efforts need to be made to
promote a green recovery and to build up national
capacities for adaptation and mitigation of the impact
of climate change, while simultaneously stimulating
innovation and economic growth, contributing to
poverty reduction and ensuring access to sustainable
energy sources.
In that regard, we underline the importance of
regional cooperation, which enables us to implement
adaptation and mitigation measures in a regional
context, which promotes political dialogue and leads to
more effective action by States in the talks within the
UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol frameworks.
In order to contribute to the efforts being
undertaken at the national and international levels in
addressing the impact of climate change on the
environment and economic development and in
reaching a successful deal in Copenhagen, Montenegro
will organize a regional conference on climate change
and sustainable development for the Mediterranean and
South-East European countries in Budva, on 16 and
17 October.
The Millennium Development Goals require each
and every one of us to redouble our efforts to reduce
poverty, improve health and education, promote peace
and human rights, and achieve sustainable
development. We are aware that it is the primary
responsibility of States to take measures aimed at
improving the social security of the poor and
vulnerable segments of society and alleviating the most
35 09-52470
severe consequences of poverty. In this context we
strongly welcome the convening of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) review summit in 2010.
Montenegro strongly supports and is committed
to fulfilment of the MDGs and implementation of all
United Nations documents — including the
Millennium Declaration — related to development
issues and the special needs of Africa, as a pre-emptive
action aimed at creating a safer world. As a country
moving towards European integration, we welcome the
European Union-Africa partnership and the efforts
currently under way to find solutions to development
needs and to root out poverty on the African continent.
In this regard, we support the message of the
2008 Yokohama Declaration aimed at giving
momentum to current development issues, including
education, health and sanitary measures within the
framework of the MDGs, the development of
agriculture to improve food security, measures to
tackle climate change, as well as establishing and
maintaining peace as a prerequisite for economic
growth.
We emphasize the crucial importance of the
debate on the concept of the responsibility to protect,
and we fully support the activities of the Secretary-
General and the assessments outlined in his latest
report. We believe that an upsurge of internal conflicts
and serious violations of human rights in the 1990s has
spurred a discussion on the need for the protection of
civilians in armed conflict, which has unquestionably
led to further deliberations on and analyses of the
primary obligation of each State to protect its citizens
from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and
crimes against humanity, as well as to consideration of
the international community’s responsibility in the
event that countries fail to act. In this context, we
underline the importance of reaching an agreement on
an appropriate concept and instruments within the
framework of the United Nations and international law,
based on a broad consensus of all actors.
In supporting peacekeeping missions as efficient
and dynamic instruments for monitoring respect of
human rights and building sustainable institutions in
conflict areas, we have established legal prerequisites
within our security policy in order to be able to
contribute our military and police troops to the United
Nations peacekeeping missions, including missions to
Liberia, Afghanistan and Cyprus and the European
Union peace operation in Somalia.
Given the problems of the Balkan region,
Montenegro attaches particular importance to a policy
that addresses the needs of refugees, asylum-seekers
and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and is
conducting extensive activities aimed at finding lasting
solutions for the refugees and IDPs from the territory
of the former Yugoslavia. As part of those efforts, a
renewed registration procedure supported by the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) is under way for refugees and
IDPs living in Montenegro to resolve their final status,
in accordance with the highest international standards
and international law instruments.
In this regard we highlight the importance of a
comprehensive approach and the need for the
cooperation of all actors, primarily UNHCR, the
European Commission and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Montenegro stresses the importance of the
promotion of and the respect for international law in
the development of international relations today. In this
context, the rule of law and the protection of human
rights have an irreplaceable role in the fight against
international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction and organized crime.
We are firmly convinced that only the
coordinated efforts of the global community can take
on international terrorism. Montenegro supports the
implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy, as well as measures to fight
corruption, organized crime, drug trafficking and
human trafficking, and we further underscore the need
for cooperation among all the bodies of the United
Nations system, in particular the committees of the
Security Council and the Counter-Terrorism
Committee.
Montenegro attaches particular importance to the
fulfilment of the obligations stipulated by the United
Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime and the United Nations Convention against
Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances and it actively participates in projects of
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which
contribute to regional peace and stability, strengthening
of the judiciary and a more efficient fight against all
forms of organized crime.
09-52470 36
In view of all of the above, it is clear that the
responsibility of the United Nations is only increasing.
We therefore welcome the reform process of the world
Organization and hope that it will result in a more
democratic and representative United Nations. We
attach particular importance to strengthening the role
and efficiency of the General Assembly and its main
bodies, and fully support intergovernmental talks on
Security Council reform. These negotiations offer an
opportunity for small States to express their interests,
in addition to providing a vision for an improved and
more transparent functioning of the most important
United Nations organ.
As the Assembly may know, this past June the
United Nations Development Group identified
Montenegro as a country eligible for implementation of
the Delivering as One pilot initiative launched within
the framework of the overall reform process aimed at
improving the efficiency, coherence and coordination
of United Nations development programmes on the
ground. In our view, that decision recognizes
Montenegro’s strong commitment to United Nations
standards and values and provides an endorsement of
the highly successful joint efforts of the United Nations
team and the Montenegrin Government.
Given the myriad of challenges and their negative
effects on the environment, as well as the potential
increase in social, religious and cultural tensions
leading to political instability, only the coordinated and
comprehensive response of all international
stakeholders, including civil society and the private
sector, can create the preconditions for efficiently
addressing the consequences of the ongoing crises. In
this regard, the United Nations has a decisive role to
play in coordinating efforts towards the achievement of
concrete results.
Convinced of the great potential of the United
Nations, if supported by the active participation of
Member States, we reiterate Montenegro’s commitment
to building a responsible international community
ready to meet the needs of all of its members.