France, 2014

The

Assembly will understand that I am speaking today

with particular emotion, because one of my compatriots

has just been the subject of a cowardly assassination in

Algeria by a terrorist group linked to Daesh. His name

was Hervé Gourdel. He was a man full of enthusiasm

who loved mountains and thought that he would be able

to pursue his passion by going to the Djurdjura area in

Algeria. He was captured, and he was decapitated. That

is what terrorism does. And it does not do that only to

France. Several days ago it was American and British

individuals subjected to the same barbarity.

That group — Daesh — does not strike only those

who think differently from themselves; they also strike

Muslims, they strike civilian populations, and they

strike minorities. They rape, they kill. That is why

the battle that the international community must wage

against terrorism knows no borders. The same flag must

be carried, that of the United Nations, that of the values

for which this Organization was founded — human

dignity, freedom, the vision we must have of a world of

tomorrow, a world of justice.

France is fully engaged in this battle. That was

the case in Africa when it was called to Mali, where,

fortunately, it was joined by many African and European

countries and now by the United Nations. France has

been engaged whenever there is a risk. But today it is

in Iraq and Syria where that threat exists. But it does

not concern that region alone, because the Daesh group

has decided not only to conquer territory, imagining

that it will found a State; it threatens the entire world

by provoking attacks, organizing kidnappings and

recruiting fighters from around the world to train them

and show them the barbarity of which the group is

capable, so they may reproduce that horrific terrorist

movement in our own countries.

It is because this threat exists not only for the

region but for the world that France responded to the

Iraqi authorities’ appeal to provide them first with

military aid through the delivery of weapons this past

August and also with aerial support to keep the Daesh

group from being able to continue its advance. We want

to weaken it. We want to quash it.

But we also know that as long as there is no

settlement of the Syrian crisis, all our efforts risk being

undermined. So the challenge is not only to act against

Daesh, but also to achieve a political solution. We in

France support the democratic Syrian opposition. We

consider it the sole legitimate representative of the

Syrian people. In that case, too, we will not back down;

we will not compromise because of threats. The Bashar

Al-Assad regime deserves to be condemned because

they are complicit in what has been going on for the

past three years in Syria — 200,000 deaths and so

many displaced persons.

This is a sad time for France, with the death — the

murder — of one of our citizens, but France will never

give in to blackmail, pressure or barbarous acts. On the

contrary, France knows what is expected of it. France

knows that it upholds values, France knows it has a role

to play and will never abandon that role, and that the

fight against terrorism will be continued and expanded

as much as necessary within respect for the rule of law

and the sovereignty of States, for we make no mistake

when we act. We will always act with respect for the

principles of the United Nations.

I also wanted to talk to about other things, but

it must be understood that a great question is being

asked of my country and also of the Assembly. When

faced with barbarism, with terrorism, will we remain

spectators, or will we be actors together in what should

be a just international order? The question, if we do

not respond to it, or if we respond too weakly, then

terrorists will continue their business of recruitment

and indoctrination. It is not weakness that will be the

response to terrorism; it is force — the force of law,

the force of the United Nations. At a certain point also,

it will be the force of military action when it becomes

necessary.

I also wanted to talk about other regions of the

world that are facing threats that also affect our own

security. I want to talk to the Assembly about the Ebola

epidemic, because I know just how much it is affecting

our African friends. But again, let us look beyond those

who are affected. Who can imagine that the epidemic

will remain confined to just a few countries if we do

not intervene? It is also a global threat. Again, the

response must be a global. Therefore, France, Europe

and the world must provide to the countries affected by

the epidemic the necessary medical care, indispensable

protection and economic assistance that is expected.

Because again, if there is the slightest weakness, the

slightest failure to show solidarity, all of our countries

will be affected.

I have also come here before the General Assembly

to speak about what is happening in Europe and next to

Europe, to speak about what occurred in Ukraine and

the failures there to uphold principles of international

law. But what is at stake today, even in Europe, is peace

and ensuring that the ceasefire that was agreed can be

transformed into a lasting solution to the conflict.

No continent has been spared from any threat.

Everything is fragile, everything is precarious,

everything is vulnerable. We have to have the same

awareness of the risks, the dangers and the perils that

we had right after the Second World War. We must not

think that all we have to do is remember; we have to

think of the future, of the world we want. The world

that we want is the final subject I wish to address here.

The world that we want has to be one of profound

change. The present disorder also threatens not only

our generation but naturally those that will follow

us. It threatens our very security, as there are more

displaced persons resulting from climate imbalance

than from wars, which are sadly so intense and deadly

on our planet. France has lived up to its responsibilities

in that area too. We decided to organize the climate

conference in December 2015. I am pleased that thanks

to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there was a summit

here that mobilized awareness, States, financial

institutions, businesses and civil society. Many events

took place. We have to succeed at the Paris conference,

not because it will take place in Paris, but because it is

the world’s appointment with itself.

There are periods in history when we have the

power to decide, and decide not just for ourselves but

for humankind. This is one of those moments. Therefore

in Paris, we have to do everything can be done to reach

a comprehensive, binding agreement that differentiates

according to levels of development, everything so that

there can be that Green Climate Fund, to which France

has contributed $1 billion for the coming years. I hope

that other countries follow our example, because we

need that Green Fund to allow less developed countries

to grow and to succeed in their energy transition at the

same time.

This is a sad moment that I am living today on

behalf of France, that the French are experiencing, but

it is also a moment of awakening and responsibility. For

the world, for the planet, we must fight terrorism, we

must act in favour of peace, we must reduce inequalities,

we must also do our duty for future generations. We

must ensure that the Paris conference is successful

for the sake of the climate. We must make certain that

the United Nations can remain faithful to the mandate

given to it after a war — a terrible war. We are still

facing challenges, but we are certain to meet them if we

are united and come together to claim victory.