Malta, 2008

I would like to join other

delegations in congratulating you, Sir, on your

unanimous election to preside over the sixty-third

session of the General Assembly. I am sure that with

your experience and diplomatic skills you will chart a

successful outcome of this session.

I also take this opportunity to express my

appreciation to Mr. Kerim, President of the Assembly

at its sixty-second session, for his leadership and

dedication in guiding us diligently throughout his

tenure.

Human security and the dignity of every man and

woman require us to continue the discussion in order to

build consensus on the principle of the responsibility to

protect, particularly in relation to genocide, war

crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,

as agreed by the 2005 World Summit. While we realize

the sensitivity of the issue, Malta agrees with the

Secretary-General that we need to move from

declarations of commitment to practice and

implementation.

Likewise, the fight against terrorism must remain

high on our agenda. We should not lower our guard.

We must always be vigilant and ready to take

collective and practical action on a daunting, complex

and politically sensitive issue. Terrorism has no

boundaries, and the unspeakable acts of terrorism can

strike anywhere, at any time, in poor and rich

countries, with innocent victims paying for these

vicious terror attacks, such as that perpetrated in

Pakistan last week, attacks which undermine the

human rights and fundamental freedoms of the

individual and of society itself.

Malta, as a State party to the International

Criminal Court, believes that the work carried out so

far by the Court is commendable and merits our

continued cooperation and commitment towards the

maintenance of international peace and security.

Malta feels that the continuing recruitment and

use of children in armed conflict and other grave

offences against children merit our full condemnation.

In this regard, we welcome the sustained activity of the

Security Council Working Group on Children and

Armed Conflict as well as the sterling work being

carried out by the Secretary-General’s Special

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Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,

Ms. Coomaraswamy.

The protection of the human being brings with it

the responsibility to protect the environment. One of

the issues which have been described as the defining

challenge of our times, and also a matter described as

the flagship issue of the debate at the sixty-second

session, is climate change.

Next December we shall commemorate the

twentieth anniversary of the Assembly’s adoption, on

the proposal of Malta, of resolution 43/53, entitled

“Protection of global climate for present and future

generations of mankind”, in paragraph 1 of which the

Assembly recognized that “climate change is a

common concern of mankind”. Malta is proud that the

seminal proposal launched in 1988 found universal

support, which eventually led to the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change and the

Kyoto Protocol.

The fact that the Assembly met earlier this year,

after high-level panel discussions, for a thematic

debate on “Addressing Climate Change: the United

Nations and the World at Work” continues to give

credibility and authority to the will of the

overwhelming majority of States to respond urgently to

climate change.

The process initiated at the Bali Conference last

year established a clear road map with a view to

agreeing on a new multilateral, comprehensive,

coherent and effective post-2012 agreement, which we

hope will be reached by 2009, in order to avoid any

implementation gap.

Malta reiterates its conviction that we have a

common obligation and responsibility to support

ambitious and urgent action, at the national, regional

and international levels, within the United Nations

Framework Convention so as to stop and overturn in

these coming years the accumulation of greenhouse

gases, which are causing detrimental climate change.

The vulnerability of small island States like my

country to the negative impacts of climate change

needs to be underlined.

For obvious reasons, Malta continues to direct its

efforts towards making the Mediterranean a region of

peace and cooperation.

We welcome and recognize the important

developments on the Cyprus question; the renewed

vigour in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; the indirect

negotiations between Israel and Syria, with Turkish

mediation; the formation of a national unity

Government in Lebanon; and the improved relations

between Lebanon and Syria.

Since we met here last year important

developments have taken place on the negotiations for

a permanent settlement of the Palestinian question. The

Annapolis Conference, held in November 2007,

renewed hope when there was otherwise a bleak future

with regard to the resolution of this question. Malta

feels that all United Nations Member States, without

exception, should continue to support the Secretary-

General in his quest, together with the Quartet, to

resolve the issue of Palestine refugees and that of the

permanent status of Jerusalem, as well as the other

important issues of settlements, borders, water and

security.

The Paris International Donors Conference for

the Palestinian State, the formal start of Israeli-

Palestinian negotiations and the series of meetings

between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas

have given a most welcome meaning to the efforts

being made to resolve all outstanding issues, including

all core issues without exception.

Malta’s hosting of a United Nations International

Meeting on the Question of Palestine, held in June this

year, followed shortly afterwards by the visit to Malta

of President Mahmoud Abbas in July, came at an

important — indeed, crucial — phase in the ongoing

efforts to implement the Road Map and its

commitments, as well as the obligations for a

permanent two-State solution. We shall continue to

lend our support to all initiatives that would bring

everlasting peace to both the Israeli and Palestinian

people.

We welcome all initiatives which create a bond

between European and Mediterranean countries. A case

in point is the Parliamentary Assembly of the

Mediterranean, with its headquarters in Malta, aiming

to bring together all the littoral States of the

Mediterranean on an equal footing to examine

questions and take decisions on issues of direct interest

to the countries in the region.

An important development in the Euro-Med

partnership was the launching last July, on the

initiative of President Sarkozy of France, of what is

now known as the Union for the Mediterranean within

3 08-52265

the Barcelona Process. Malta believes that this

initiative will be a significant milestone in our common

efforts to promote security and prosperity in the Euro-

Mediterranean region, to the equal benefit of all

European Union member States and Mediterranean

partners. Malta looks forward to working

constructively with other members of the Union to

address some of the problems which the Mediterranean

confronts, including in particular development, food

security and the provision of water and energy.

While referring to these problems, I must

highlight also the unprecedented increase in the influx

of irregular immigrants that have been arriving in

Malta mainly from the African continent. Malta is well

aware of its responsibility in this area. However, as has

been highlighted on numerous occasions, it is

extremely difficult for us to continue to carry such a

burden, which is so acutely disproportionate to the size

of the country and its population.

It is for this reason that Malta has continuously

requested assistance in tackling this problem through

the principles of solidarity and sharing of

responsibilities by Europe and other countries, as well

as the United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees. Malta is grateful to those countries that have

come forward to assist us in coping with this

phenomenon. Nevertheless, much more needs to be

done by us all, including the countries of origin and the

countries of transit.

Africa continues to present us with a formidable

challenge. It is a challenge not only for African

countries themselves, but for the whole of the

international community. While noting with

satisfaction the success stories in the reduction of

poverty, Malta remains very concerned that progress in

Africa is still lagging behind. We have an obligation to

enhance efforts to assist African countries to meet their

legitimate goals of sustainable development.

It has been acknowledged that the Millennium

Development Goals and the protection of human rights

share a number of characteristics which require our

constant attention. Recent phenomena, such as climate

change, rising food prices and international financial

instability, add further obstacles to the attainment of

these Goals. Poverty eradication and the achievement

of all the Millennium Development Goals are to be

priorities of our times which should be addressed in a

multidimensional way, both through the conduct of

political and economic decision-making and through

social and environmental factors related to different

facets, such as culture and gender equality, geography,

climate and energy.

Malta strongly believes that the pledges made at

the Millennium Summit in 2000 on the attainment of

the Millennium Development Goals remain the

overarching objective of our global agenda. Besides

being a signatory to the Call to Action launched by

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Malta is also actively

working to reach its targets for official development

assistance set by the European Union.

The United Nations is passing through exciting

but challenging times. Under the able leadership of the

Secretary-General, the search for a reinvigorated

Organization that will provide the whole membership

with a sound basis to look to the future with vigour and

determination has been endorsed and accepted by

Member States.

During the sixty-second session, Member States

continued to consider a series of critical issues in the

process of reforming our Organization, including

advancing a system-wide coherence, reviewing all

mandates originating from resolutions of the General

Assembly, management practices, the revitalization of

the General Assembly, and giving the Security Council

a more equitable representation.

We all recognize that the transformation of the

United Nations into a stronger Organization requires

from all of us determination and conviction that only a

concerted effort by all Member States can achieve. The

reform of the United Nations is an evolving exercise

which requires on our part not only understanding, but

also solidarity and partnership which we as Member

States must engage to overcome the new and emerging

challenges facing humankind.

In a few weeks, Member States will be

celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sixty

years have passed since that historic day in 1948, six

decades which have witnessed great political,

economic and social upheavals in the lives of our

peoples. Throughout these years, this family of nations

has also increased fourfold, an increase bringing with it

a diverse community, large and small countries, rich

and poor, but with the sole aim of upholding the

fundamental premise of the Universal Declaration that

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“all human beings are born free and equal in dignity

and rights”.

This anniversary on 10 December 2008 will

provide us with the opportunity to rededicate ourselves

to the pledges and commitments we made when we

became Members of this Organization. It is a

recommitment which as Prime Minister of Malta, and

on behalf of the Maltese people, I solemnly make

today.