Serbia, 2014

I congratulate Mr. Sam

Kutesa on his assumption of the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I am convinced that

his international prestige and experience will make an

important contribution to the crafting of sustainable

political solutions to the new global challenges that

lie ahead of us. I would also like to convey Serbia’s

readiness to address and provide unequivocal support

to the resolution of priorities relative to climate change,

an integrated global economy, international security

issues and all other topics included in the agenda that

we will actively pursue.

I should like to express my special thanks to

outgoing President, Mr. John Ashe, for his efforts and

successful work during the sixty-eighth session of the

General Assembly, which laid down the foundations for

the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, as well

as for his endeavours to strengthen the purposes and

principles of the United Nations.

The sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly

is being held at a time when we mark an important

anniversary, 100 years having elapsed since the

outbreak of the Great War, a war which shaped the

twentieth century. The anniversary was commemorated

at different places, but, regrettably, no common

ceremony at the highest level was organized in the

spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Serbia strongly supports the General Assembly

agenda for the sixty-ninth session and sees itself as an

active partner and participant in the implementation

of United Nations development goals. The world is

faced with new security, climate and socioeconomic

challenges. We need to do much work together to ensure

humankind’s progress in the twenty-first century.

Serbia offers its experiences and ideas for global

management, so that we can ensure a better future for

new generations all over the world.

Allow me to consider three of today’s most

pressing global challenges that concern not just Serbia

but all of us — climate change, global security and

deadly infectious diseases of vast proportions. I believe

that, if not addressed wisely and systematically, those

challenges could put the survival of future generations

in jeopardy.

Socioeconomic interrelatedness accounts for the

disappearance of the old division into “us” and “them”.

All of us, all States Members of the United Nations,

share the same destiny and shoulder equal responsibility

for the problems that directly face humankind. One of

the urgent global challenges that we are confronting

is climate change. At the Climate Summit 2014, in

which I participated with great interest, we discussed

the historic chance that we shall have at the upcoming

United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris

in 2015. Consensus among scientists indicates that the

global temperatures in the twenty-first century will

rise dramatically. Extreme weather conditions will

increase, with a frequency that depends on the intensity

of global warming. Inexorably, the effects of natural

disasters aggravate the fragile economic situation in

Serbia and the region of South-East Europe and make

the struggle against poverty ever more difficult. That

struggle remains the quintessential challenge facing the

world today.

Activities aimed at alleviating the consequences

of climate change are the imperative of our age. In

determining binding measures, surely we should

take account of the development needs of poor and

underdeveloped countries. I am convinced that the

Assembly shares my opinion that there is a need to act,

as soon as possible, to improve adaptation systems and

to establish mechanisms for lowering the risks posed

by natural disasters. I therefore view this year as an

opportunity to kick off intensive activities in devising

climate policy and encouraging countries to commit to

reducing carbon emissions. We have a historic chance to

devise an energy policy that is sustainable and provides

for substantive global action on climate change policy. I

am convinced that we all share the view that it is urgent

and obligatory to improve the adaptation system and

set up mechanisms for reducing the enormous risks of

natural disasters. Serbia wishes to contribute to reaching

a legally binding, general consent on climate for all the

peoples of the world. I believe that the Green Climate

Fund should play an important role in the process of

implementing the agreed principles. By 2020, it should

achieve its ambitious goal and fulfil the commitments

we have made for the sake of humankind.

This year, I witnessed, and my country was a

victim of, extreme weather conditions in Europe.

Unfortunately, Serbia and its neighbours in the region

were subjected to natural disasters as a consequence

of climate change. Serbia was and is vulnerable these

days, all over again, to floods of biblical proportions.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to

the United Nations for its extensive and efficient

engagement and cooperation with the Government of

Serbia in the aftermath of the floods. In particular, I

would like to thank French President François Hollande

for heeding my call to convene a donors conference to

help Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. I would also

like to thank the European Commission, the members

of the European Union, the Russian Federation, China,

Japan, Belarus, African countries and the countries of

the region for their assistance and engagement. Without

their generous bilateral assistance, we would not have

been able to help everyone in dire need. Short of the

selfless assistance of Member States, we would not

have been able to help the affected people, many of

whom lost everything they had acquired during their

lifetime.

The national priority of Serbia is to achieve a

sustainable political solution on the question of Kosovo

and Metohija. For Serbia, the only acceptable, fair and

just solution is to reject secessionism and preserve the

territorial integrity of every country, including Serbia.

Serbia therefore is clearly committed to the quest for

a sustainable political solution through dialogue with

representatives of the Provisional Institutions of Self-

Government in Pristina. The political solution that

Serbia advocates comprehends the interests of the

Serbian, Albanian and other populations. It will be

a durable political solution that is satisfactory to all

parties, and we can reach it only through constructive

dialogue.

The normalization of relations between Belgrade

and Pristina is contributing to the process of European

integration. We expect the European Union to continue

to encourage, through its active engagement, an open

dialogue and compliance with agreed-on obligations in

order to strengthen mutual trust. Serbia has complied,

responsibly and on time, with all the obligations it has

undertaken to date regarding the implementation of

the Brussels Agreement. I would like to point out that

Serbia is open to continuing constructive dialogue with

Pristina at every level.

In accordance with Security Council resolution

1244 (1999), the United Nations Interim Administration

Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the guarantor and the

basis for action by all other international missions

in Kosovo and Metohija. For Serbia, a reduction in

UNMIK’s mandate and competencies in Kosovo and

Metohija is unacceptable. In its negotiations with the

Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina,

Serbia proceeds from the premise that all solutions must

be in accordance with the Constitution of Serbia and

resolution 1244 (1999). That concerns questions having

to do with the province’s status, the position of Serbs

and other non-Albanians in the province, and protection

of the Serbian religious and cultural heritage.

Our approach to the search for a sustainable

political solution for Kosovo and Metohija has broader

political implications. I believe we can all agree that the

creation of conditions for the enjoyment of basic human

rights and minority rights would not only promote

the return of the displaced population but would also

provide a model for political dialogue and toleration,

the assumptions of today’s world and the policies of

peace that the United Nations spearheads.

Creating optimal conditions for internally displaced

persons to return to their homes is the key factor in the

process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and

Pristina. I would like to recall that everything began

with the acts of terror committed by the Albanian

minority in Kosovo and Metohija aimed at achieving

their secessionist ambitions. Today, 15 years after the

adoption of resolution 1244 (1999) — by which we ceded

administration of the province of Kosovo and Metohija

to the United Nations — the conditions conducive to

returning internally displaced persons to Kosovo and

Metohija have still not been created, something that

is noted in the Secretary-General’s regular reports

on UNMIK’s work and in the reports of the Office of

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR) and the Special Rapporteur on the human

rights of internally displaced persons.

Serbia has the largest number of internally

displaced persons of any country in Europe, a total of

230,000. They must not remain mere statistics. They

must not be forgotten. There are 58,000 refugees living

in Serbia, 42,000 from Croatia and 16,000 from Bosnia

and Herzegovina. I believe refugees deserve special

attention from the United Nations and UNHCR. The

marginalization of the serious problems that those

vulnerable people face should be condemned rather

than ignored. The issue of basic human rights is a

universal one, respected by every State Member of the

United Nations. Any hasty decision on the issue would

be a mistake, since it could undermine the region’s

reconciliation processes, which are not yet fully

formed, as well as the fundamental right of Serbs to

return to their homes in Kosovo, Croatia, and Bosnia

and Herzegovina.

Serbia has taken a step forward into the future,

and wishes to make an active contribution to global

economic progress, the suppression of crime and

corruption, and the quest for a solution to all matters

of international security. Membership in the European

Union is our foreign policy priority. Like any other form

of international association, the European Union falls

short of achieving ideal solutions and is saddled with its

own challenges and issues relating to its enlargement,

but it is still the best community of European States.

Serbia’s place is with its members so that it can fully

modernize its society and State and further develop

its economic capacities. The clear goal we aspire to is

to build Serbia into a respected member of the family

of European nations, and our progress in membership

negotiations will contribute to that.

Serbia is preparing to assume the chairmanship

of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe (OSCE) next year. That role and task present

my country with complex, multilateral challenges, but

we are ready for them, and we have been preparing

in collaboration with Switzerland in positive and

constructive cooperation. Serbia will use the OSCE

chairmanship to encourage and strengthen mutual

cooperation among the countries in the region. The

Balkan countries have made immense progress in

recent years and have developed substantial and

comprehensive mutual cooperation. Serbia will make

every effort to see that the process of reconciliation and

cooperation and mutual respect is fully implemented

throughout the region. The chairmanship will also be

used to encourage those processes.

We are deeply disturbed and alarmed by the

events in Ukraine and will do everything in our power

to help find a peaceful solution to the problem and

overcome differences peacefully. Our Slav brothers

deserve peace and tranquil development, along with

respect for those universal principles that should be

accorded all countries and peoples and that are clearly

defined in the Charter of the United Nations. Serbia

respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine as a United

Nations Member, and the equitable implementation

of international law. I recall that some countries

denied Serbia that right through their recognition and

promotion of the independence of a part of the territory

of Serbia — Kosovo and Metohija.

The principles of safeguarding peace and security,

the peaceful settlement of disputes and crises and

respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of

Member States are the bases on which the Republic of

Serbia will cooperate in the search for solutions to the

various political and security challenges in the world. At

the global level, therefore, we support all efforts by the

United Nations and its Member States and by regional

organizations to find diplomatic solutions to the world’s

most sensitive security issues. With its broad political

experience and bold leadership, Serbia can contribute,

through dialogue with friends, partners and Member

States, to devising solutions to the disagreements that

threaten to disunite the world all over again.

Serbia is making a concrete contribution to

maintaining international peace by participating in

United Nations and European Union peacekeeping

operations. Thanks to that work and to our cooperation

with allies and partners, the region is more stable than

it was 15 years ago. I would point out that we support

every initiative aimed at modifying and adapting peace

operations to new security challenges. Serbia calls for

strengthening regional cooperation and harmonizing

approaches to the activities of peacekeeping missions.

Serbia’s new policy has fostered sincere and fully

transparent relations in South-Eastern Europe. That was

particularly evident during the disastrous floods that

struck Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The

solidarity and magnanimity shown then set an example

for the entire world. Today our region is teeming with

investment opportunities, and a strong and peaceful

South-Eastern Europe is synonymous with a strong and

stable Europe as a whole.

Serbia has experienced acts of terrorism on

its territory in Kosovo and Metohija. We therefore

understand very well the security problems the

world is facing. We firmly condemn every form of

terrorism. We are ready to discuss any initiative

that can contribute to strengthening the role of the

United Nations in combating that global evil. Serbia

has achieved significant success in the fight against

terrorism, especially at the regional level, and is ready

to lend its experience and knowledge to help strengthen

other States’ counter-terrorism capacities.

Serbia has never supported and will never support

the language of ultimatums. We honour and respect the

political and economic interests of all Member States,

and our approach and actions in protecting our national

and international interests are predicated on those

positions.

Serbia most strongly condemns the crimes committed

by the members of the extremist organization of the

Islamic State, particularly the brutal murders. Such

forms of terrorism pose one of the most serious threats

to international peace and security, and Serbia is

committed more than ever to supporting international

efforts in the fight against terrorism.

The rapid rise of the Islamic State and its ability

to attract fighters from all over the world has caught

the attention of the international community. One of

the main questions facing the world is the problem of

foreign fighters recruited by terrorist organizations

such as the Islamic State and Al-Qaida. According to

research conducted by the International Centre for the

Study of Radicalization and Political Violence, based in

London, the most significant regions outside Western

Europe and the Middle East for the recruitment of

foreign fighters are the Balkans and the countries of

the former Soviet Union. The data on foreign fighters

for the Balkans vary: up to 140 recruits from Albania

and as many as 60 from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The

numbers are somewhat smaller from Macedonia — up

to 20. From Serbia there have been three and from

Bulgaria one, while the number from our province

of Kosovo and Metohija is as high as 150. It must be

stopped.

We face new global challenges that call for

creative responses, global partnership and flexibility.

Serbia is unreservedly committed to the principles

of multilateral cooperation and to strengthening the

principles and system of the United Nations. In that

context, we consider the process of the reform of the

United Nations system a historic chance to demonstrate

our consistent support for the idea of building consensus

among Member States on all key issues. Serbia is

ready for constructive cooperation and respect for all

participants in the dialogue, which will contribute to

the greater efficiency of the United Nations system.

Serbia supports the reform of the Security Council.

Serbia will do its utmost to help bring solutions to

global security problems and sustainable development.

Traditionally, Serbia has supported the multilateral

approach in the field of disarmament and arms control,

proceeding from the conviction that in a world of rising

interdependence and complexity, common challenges

call for common solutions.

It is with great concern that we follow the

developments related to the rapid spread of the Ebola

virus in the countries of Western Africa. We extend our

condolences to the Presidents and peoples of Liberia,

Guinea and Sierra Leone for the great number of

victims. The disease, unprecedented in the extent of

its transmission and its high mortality rate, threatens

to cause one of the biggest humanitarian crises of the

world today and calls for immediate collective action,

since it is a problem that belongs to all of us. It is very

important in this situation that States Members of the

United Nations have recognized the magnitude of the

problem and have supported the Secretary-General’s

proposal to establish the United Nations Mission for

Ebola Emergency Response. Serbia is ready to join in

and contribute to the collective effort with its scientific

and medical capacities and in any other way.

The world has changed, but for the poorest it has

remained the same. The greater instability of developing

countries is a clear indicator that they continue to be

in need of assistance. The international community

must therefore pay appropriate attention to that group

of countries, primarily through financial support, the

development of new technologies and the training of

human resources. Those are measures meant to lead

to the eradication of poverty and the strengthening of

institutions.

For Serbia, the top priority is poverty eradication,

but the goals of inclusive education, health, gender

equality, sustainable energy and, in particular,

sustainable economic growth and employment are just

as important. Jump-starting the economy is the mission

to which we shall devote the greatest attention in the

coming period, although always mindful of the issues

I have mentioned, in order to ensure prosperity for all

our citizens.

We must acknowledge the higher degree of

socioeconomic interlinkage that exists if we are to

come up with fresh ideas. We must design new ways to

overcome the current crises in global management and

study our options for formulating and implementing

political solutions.

Serbia stands united with the leaders of the entire

world in the endeavour aimed at bringing prosperity to

humankind. That is a responsibility that we all share.

Not only can we achieve much by working together, but

we can achieve much more together. That is why the

establishment of a united, global front around the idea

of the common destiny and interests of humankind,

which we all share, should be the first step that we, the

States Members of the United Nations, must make as

we attempt to solve new global challenges.