Latvia, 2014

As we enter a crucial session

of the General Assembly, we will define our post-2015

direction. Our way ahead must be based on the triangle

of security, development and human rights. If one of

those elements is not present, the other two will fail.

This year, we commemorated the grim anniversaries

of the First and Second World Wars. Both wars began

in Europe, but quickly spread throughout the world,

destroying the lives of countless millions. The League

of Nations and the United Nations were built on the

ashes of those wars.

Today again, global security and peace are

challenged by forces willing to rewrite the history

and rules of the international order. The aggression of

Russia against Ukraine has defied the basic principles

of the United Nations, uprooting the very foundation

of the international system. It has grabbed part of a

sovereign European country, using previously unseen

tactics of warfare and immense propaganda against

its neighbour. It enabled the tragic shooting down of

a civilian airplane. It has shown that agreements and

commitments do not matter, and it wantonly ignores

and manipulates international opinion. Those actions

cannot be qualified otherwise than as a threat to global

peace and security. The world, including the General

Assembly, has supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

The illegal annexation of Crimea and Sebastopol by

Russia has been condemned and will not be recognized

by the international community.

Russia has a vital role to play in security and stability

in Europe and should be part of the solution — not part

of the problem. Latvia hopes that the ceasefire agreed

to on 5 September will be implemented in a sustainable

manner. Latvia therefore calls on Russia to immediately

withdraw its armed forces from Ukrainian territory and

stop sending weapons and mercenaries to the terrorist

groups. We call upon Russia to return to respecting its

international commitments and upholding international

law.

Seventy-five years ago, the decay of the

international system proved fatal to the Baltic States.

Two totalitarian regimes — one under Hitler and the

other under Stalin — divided Europe, and we lost our

freedom for 50 long years. Twenty-five years ago, more

than 2 million people joined hands and formed a human

chain across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic

way clearly illustrated the people’s demand for freedom

and restoration of their statehood. The Baltic people

made their choice. The Ukrainian people have the same

right to choose their own democratic path, human rights

and fundamental freedoms.

Latvia supports the complementarity of efforts

among international organizations at both the global and

regional levels to use all instruments at their disposal to

prevent the emergence of a frozen conflict in the eastern

region of Ukraine; to help and support Ukraine; to

uphold agreements and commitments and demand their

fulfilment by all parties, including Russia; to maintain

unity and reject attempts to divide Ukraine by reviving

spheres of influence and establishing hidden support to

terrorists as part of the new norms of Europe.

There is no alternative to an international order

based on the rule of law, democracy and respect

for human rights and providing the foundation for

long-term peace and security. The resolution of the

protracted conflicts in Transnistria, Abkhazia, South

Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh should remain high on

the international agenda.

In addition, the security situation in the wider

Middle East is very fragile. A solution to the Israeli-

Palestinian conflict is paramount in order to establish

lasting stability in the region. Following the escalation of

violence in recent months, the international community,

including Latvia, has helped to address the emergency

humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza. We hope

that the current ceasefire will be fully respected by

both sides. However, only an agreement on a two-State

solution, achieved through direct negotiations, will

accomplish those goals.

We welcome the elimination of Syria’s chemical

weapons and related materials. While easing the

continuing human suffering of Syrians is the immediate

goal, the international community must continue

political efforts to find a solution to that horrific

conflict. Those responsible for war crimes and crimes

against humanity in Syria must be held accountable by

the International Criminal Court.

The limited ability of the Security Council to

address the urgent situations in Syria and Ukraine in

a timely manner underlines the need to move forward

with reform of the Council. Latvia supports the

expansion of the Security Council in both categories

of membership. At the same time, the French initiative,

aimed at restricting the use of the veto, merits our joint

attention.

The completion of the International Security

Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan this year

will be an important step towards assumption by the

people of full responsibility for peace and stability

in the country. Despite all the challenges, the legacy

of the mission is clear. Peace and security have been

strengthened, including greater respect for human

rights and greater opportunities for the Afghan people

than ever before.

The recent presidential elections clearly showed

the will of the Afghan people to live in a peaceful and

democratic society. The people of Afghanistan will

not be abandoned after 2014. International support

to Afghanistan, including security protection, will

be continued. I am convinced that cooperation and

confidence-building between Afghanistan and its

neighbours, including in Central Asia, will be key to

long-term security solutions in the region.

The growing negative impact of violent extremist

ideologies in Syria, Iraq and other countries is

alarming. Militant fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq

and the Sham (ISIS) have exploited instability in those

countries and now pose a threat to ethnic and religious

communities. In that context, Latvia joined the United

States in coordinated efforts by the international

community to counter ISIS. We strongly welcome the

adoption of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) on

foreign fighters. Latvia has already begun to prepare

measures to prevent the recruitment of and support to

foreign fighters.

Latvia is concerned about the safety of journalists

during political unrest and conflict. All imprisoned

journalists must be released. Freedom of the media

and free access to information, including online, are

essential components of any democracy.

Armed conflicts in Africa have an impact upon

stability and the sustainable development of the people.

Latvia takes part in peace and security operations

in Mali and the Central African Republic in order to

contribute to conflict settlement and to improve the

security situation in those regions. Latvia is ready to

commit itself to strengthening United Nations global

peacekeeping.

Latvia welcomes the ongoing dialogue between

the E3+3 countries and Iran, which aims to negotiate a

comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.

The parties involved, in particular Iran, must make

every effort to use the extended time frame to find a

solution. We must work towards revitalizing the global

disarmament and non-proliferation agenda. The success

of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

depends on re-establishing trust and a common purpose

among the States parties. Latvia was one of the first

States to sign and to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty. We

urge all United Nations Members to do the same.

Peace and security are both enablers of sustainable

development and objectives in their own right. Without

peaceful societies, we cannot achieve sustainable

development. Each country has its own responsibility

for achieving that goal. Our societies need honest

and accountable Governments that protect them from

violence and crime and ensure fundamental freedoms

and sustainable economic growth.

Fourteen years ago, we, the States Members of

the United Nations, made a historic commitment to

eradicating extreme poverty and to improving the health

and welfare of the world’s people within 15 years. The

new development agenda should go further. We must

address global challenges, such as conflicts, terrorism,

inequalities, the absence of the rule of law, climate

change and natural disasters. The social, economic and

environmental dimensions of sustainability should be

addressed in a balanced way.

I thank the Secretary-General for his personal

engagement in bringing together representatives of

Governments, business, industry, finance and civil

society to discuss climate change this week. Latvia

supports the initiatives of the Secretary-General. The

post-2015 agenda must be consistent with all human

rights and be underpinned by the rule of law. It should

address inequalities and discrimination, including

by means of the advancement of information and

communications technology. Those are key enablers

for all spheres of development. Gender equality is

essential to shaping respectful and equal relationships

in society. Those values are important for Latvia. As

an aspiring member of the Human Rights Council for

the term 2015-2017, we will continue to promote such

values globally. Last but not least, the post-2015 agenda

should be built on strong accountability mechanisms

and a strengthened global partnership. That requires

the active engagement of Governments, civil society,

the private sector and the United Nation system.

In the first half of 2015, Latvia will assume the

presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Europe needs the world as much as the world needs

Europe. That is why the Latvian presidency will focus

on strengthening the European Union’s involvement

globally. We will actively work to promote Europe’s

cooperation with its neighbours and with the countries

of Central Asia. I affirm my country’s commitment

to actively engaging in efforts to shape our common

future.