Montenegro, 2009

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.