Iceland, 2013

Once again, we have

witnessed outrageous acts of terrorism against innocent

people, most recently in Kenya, Iraq and Pakistan.

Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.

It is the primary responsibility of all Governments

to protect their citizens. A few weeks ago, the world

witnessed the use of chemical weapons in Syria. It

is hard to find words strong enough to express our

condemnation. International law has been violated, war

crimes committed and globally shared values have been

shattered. Those responsible must be held accountable

and should answer to the International Criminal Court.

The devastation inflicted on the Syrian people

must end. A country is in ruins. Innocent lives are lost

every day, more than 6 million people are displaced

and stability in the region is threatened. The Syrian

Government has not lived up to its responsibility

towards its own citizens. It has retaliated with

unabated violence instead of choosing a path of reform,

reconciliation and improved rights for its people. The

crisis calls for firm action to be taken by the international

community. Syria must comply with its international

obligations, and all parties to the conflict must respect

humanitarian and human rights law. We welcome the

adoption of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) and

call on the Council to ensure that Syria fully meets its

commitments. The Geneva communiqué (S/2012/522,

annex) must also be honoured and a “Geneva II”

conference convened urgently. The tragedy in Syria has

once again underscored the fundamental importance of

international law and order.

Some of the greatest achievements of the United

Nations are in the field of international law. Within these

walls, the history of international relations continues to

be written and brave new steps to be taken. The latest

accomplishment is the adoption of the Arms Trade

Treaty. Iceland is proud to have been the first State to

ratify this landmark treaty. We call on all States — in

particular arms exporters — to do so as well, so that it

enters into force without delay.

In the year 2000, world leaders gathered in this city

and made a historic decision by adopting the Millennium

Declaration. Since then, the Millennium Development

Goals have served us well. For almost 15 years, they

have influenced and guided the development priorities

of nations and organizations. They have increased

awareness of heartbreaking poverty and inspired new

policymaking. The Millennium Development Goals

are indeed central to Iceland’s development policy, and

my Government is firmly committed to shouldering

our responsibility in a globalized world. As new goals

are defined, the focus should remain on eliminating

poverty, achieving gender equality, improving health

and providing education for girls and boys.

The pressure on our ecosystem calls for urgent

action to combat pollution and land degradation, as

well as a balanced consideration of conservation and

the utilization of natural resources. It is a challenge to

ensure food security when land and water resources are

threatened. Our duty is to share experiences and know-

how to restore land and improve land management — to

change deserts into blooming fields.

Furthermore, climate change and disasters such as

the one in Fukushima have taught us that a real energy

transformation is needed. Safe, clean and renewable

energy is the way of the future. Iceland has undergone

a true energy revolution. Today, almost all of our

electricity and heating needs are met with renewable

energy. That success story is a source of a productive

partnership between Iceland and the United Nations,

and now also the World Bank.

Our world is wealthy. That wealth is not only

preserved in the minerals of the Earth, the power of the

rivers and the rich living marine resources. Our greatest

wealth is people — the knowledge, the experiences, the

constant journey of the human mind to explore and

invent new solutions.

Iceland makes use of those assets in its development

cooperation. We are proud to offer the world our

expertise where it can make a real difference — for

the development of geothermal energy, sustainable

fisheries management, the restoration of fertile land

and the promotion of gender equality. More than 2,500

experts from all parts of the world have benefited from

the activities of the four United Nations university

training programmes in Iceland since the first one was

established 35 years ago. Iceland will focus on those

same four topics in the post-2015 process. Let me

emphasize that the process must be conducted in a true

democratic spirit. It must be inclusive and allow for all

Member States to participate.

As I glance around the Assembly Hall, I am

inspired by the history and success of the Organization,

which represents the immense diversity and talent of

humankind, and inspired by the potential for future

positive action that the rich fabric of representatives

from all Member States represents. But success should

not blind our vision or cloud our judgement. The flaws

of the Security Council have been sadly exposed in the

case of Syria. Furthermore, the lack of organizational

reform undermines the credibility of the United Nations.

Much work remains undone in many areas. As

long as people are mistreated for their views, race

or religion, or even cast as outlaws for their sexual

orientation or gender identity, human rights obligations

are not honoured. We are alarmed that recent legislation

in some countries is violating the fundamental

principles of equality and the freedom of expression.

The responsibility to change that and to ensure the

protection and promotion of human rights rests with us

politicians. By speaking from this rostrum, each and

every one of us pledges to uphold those common values

of the United Nations.

The promotion of gender equality and the

empowerment of women is another urgent task. In

2015, we will celebrate the twentieth anniversary

of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in

Beijing. We call on all Member States to renew efforts

to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for

Action. Iceland has been advocating for celebrating the

anniversary through a 12-month campaign, focusing

on each of the 12 themes of Beijing. We note that

UN Women is planning its strategy along those lines.

A prominent element in the Beijing Declaration is

the importance of the active engagement of women for

democratic development. The women of the Arab world

have given that objective a powerful new meaning in

the past three years. Women assumed their rightful

place and have called on their leaders to show real

leadership. They call for respect for human rights and

the equal treatment of women and men. They call for

the freedom to express their views and to determine

their own future through democratic processes.

It is regrettable that developments in the region have

been overshadowed by political discord and continued

violence. We deplore the loss of lives and condemn all

violence. We also call on the Governments in the region

to demonstrate their commitment to democracy with

concrete actions.

The developments in the Middle East cannot be

separated from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As

United States President Obama said, the Palestinian

people have a right to live with security and dignity

in their own sovereign State. Israel’s security depends

upon the realization of a Palestinian State, and stability

will be served only through a two-State solution and

a secure Israel. We welcome the renewed peace talks

between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine

and applaud United States Secretary Kerry for his

commitment in that regard. We must respect the right

of the Palestinian people to self-determination as well

as Israel’s right to exist in peace with its neighbours.

But time is running out.

The continuing settlement activities, in violation

of international law, threaten to make the two-State

solution impossible. Therefore, the Government of

Israel must end all settlements in the West Bank,

including East Jerusalem. We denounce the oppressive

policies of Hamas and condemn the indiscriminate

rocket fire from Gaza. We also call upon Israel to end

the blockade of the territory.

Respect for international law is fundamental

for relations between States. If differences arise, we

should always seek agreements through consultations,

negotiations or other means for peaceful resolution.

The principle of the rule of law, which is among the

founding principles of the United Nations, is vital to us

all — big nations and small.

One international agreement that Iceland holds in

high regard is the United Nations Convention on the

Law of the Sea. It was a great achievement when that

important Convention was adopted 30 years ago, and

it has proved its relevance by the test of time. The

Law of the Sea Convention demonstrates how the

international order can best work and prescribes how

differences should be settled through peaceful means.

The Convention provides a basis for sound resource

management. However, meeting that objective is

difficult for many States. The international community

should do much more to support developing countries

to better conserve and utilize their resources and reform

their management policies. As a steadfast advocate

of the Convention, Iceland is firmly committed to its

provisions. We protest in the strongest terms when

stakeholders resort to threats of coercive measures

when differences arise.

Icelanders know better than anyone that the health

of the ocean and its resources must be preserved. It

is fundamental for our existence and livelihood. The

conservation, sound management and sustainable use of

natural resources are principles that we follow strictly

in our policies. We are sincere and serious in living

up to the responsibility that comes with safeguarding

the riches of the Earth. For the same reason, the eight

Arctic States have developed productive regional

cooperation. As the world witnesses the rapid changes

in the Arctic, we who live in that corner of the world

know how urgent it is to act and plan for the future.

The delicate environment must be protected, economic

opportunities developed and the needs of the people

who live in the Arctic respected.

As caretakers of the Arctic, we take our global

duty very seriously. It was therefore a great pleasure

and an honour for me to host the Secretary-General in

Iceland last summer. During his visit, I demonstrated to

him how the global impact of climate change melts the

glaciers in the north. Following our trip to the central

highlands, the Secretary-General observed that we had

not only seen the ice disappear, we had also heard the

most powerful sound of ice melting away.

During his stay, the Secretary-General gave us

Icelanders an insight into the work of the United

Nations — how, every single day, the United Nations

is making a difference in the lives of countless

people around the world, helping refugees, providing

humanitarian assistance and saving the lives of

children. The United Nations is a force for good in the

world. Together we can make a real difference; united

we protect the environment, preserve peace and save

lives. The more united we are, the better the world will

become.