Bulgaria, 2013

I am truly honoured to

address this forum. Let me convey my congratulations

to you, Sir, on your election to preside over the General

Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. Bulgaria welcomes

the theme you have selected as timely and relevant and

wishes you every success.

A 16 year-old Bulgarian boy, writing a school report

on the Millennium Development Goals, compared the

world’s development model to a colourful carpet in

which some colours, threads and stitches were missing,

making it look unfinished, patchy and ragged. Indeed,

the implementation of the Millennium Development

Goals resembles an unfinished work. Undoubtedly, a

lot has been achieved in the global fight against poverty

and underdevelopment, but progress has been unsteady

and limited.

Nowadays it is hard to accept that more than

1 billion people still suffer from extreme poverty

and malnutrition and that basic health services for

many women and babies remain a remote luxury.

Disparities in wealth distribution, quality of life and

personal opportunities have become more extreme

across the globe. Climate change and environmental

degradation have reached an alarming level and

require our urgent collective response. The well-being

of future generations is at risk due to the irrational

management of natural resources. Despite our efforts,

wars and armed conflicts continue to rage in different

regions and cause thousands of deaths and are leading

to humanitarian crises and human suffering. We also

continue to witness violations of human rights and

fundamental freedoms.

The situation in Syria continues to be a major cause

of concern and a risk to regional and global security.

Bulgaria strongly condemns the chemical attack on

21 August, which took the lives of thousands of innocent

people, including many children. The use of chemical

weapons in Syria constitutes a blatant violation of

international law, a war crime and a crime against

humanity. There is strong evidence to substantiate the

assertion that the Syrian regime is responsible for those

attacks, as it is the only party that possesses chemical

agents, weapons and the means of their delivery for an

attack of that scale.

There can be no impunity, and the perpetrators of

that heinous attack must be held accountable. Bulgaria,

which is one of the signatory countries of a letter urging

the Security Council to immediately refer the situation

in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal

Court, joins similar calls coming from the Secretary-

General and the United Nations High Commissioner for

Human Rights.

My country welcomes the framework agreement

between the United States and the Russian Federation

to place Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal under

international control with a view to its swift and

secure destruction, and joins them in demanding that

the Syrian regime provide the Organization for the

Prohibition of Chemical Weapons with immediate

access to inspect any and all sites in Syria. We call on

the Security Council to unite and shoulder its relevant

responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations,

including Chapter VII.

The use of chemical weapons should not divert

attention from the persistent gross violations of human

rights and continued human suffering. The momentum

created should be used to move towards a lasting

political solution to the conflict through the resumption

of the Geneva process, with the active involvement of

the United Nations.

The worsening humanitarian crisis requires joint

coordinated action to alleviate the suffering and help

those in need. Bulgaria has provided humanitarian

assistance to ease the plight of refugees in neighbouring

countries. Situated not far from the region, my country

is also affected by the daily influx of refugees from

Syria. Despite its financial constraints, the Government

has adopted an emergency plan and has provided

additional resources in order to guarantee adequate

assistance, accommodation and services to Syrian

refugees. We count on the assistance and help provided

by our partners and the humanitarian bodies of the

United Nations system.

We expect that Iran will demonstrate clear political

will and address the concerns of the international

community by providing credible evidence of the

peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. In that

respect, Iran’s full cooperation with the International

Atomic Energy Agency is of paramount importance. The

Government in Tehran must show greater transparency

in its nuclear activities and should fully comply with all

the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Bulgaria welcomes the successful adoption of the

Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade in

conventional weapons, and looks forward to its prompt

entry into force.

My country is encouraged by the resumption of

the direct peace talks between the Government of

Israel and the Palestinian Authority at the initiative of

Secretary Kerry, the Quartet and the parties concerned.

We expect both sides to demonstrate perseverance and

commitment to a peaceful solution, to respect each

other’s legitimate interests and to refrain from unilateral

actions that could undermine the process. Negotiations

are the best way forward towards the ultimate goal,

namely, a just, comprehensive and lasting solution on

the basis of the two-State formula.

Bulgaria welcomes the appointment of former

Minister for Foreign Affairs Nickolay Mladenov as

Special Representative of the Secretary-General and

the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for

Iraq. His mission in Iraq is an important contribution

to the peacebuilding and restoration process in that

friendly country and to the stability of the region as a

whole.

Bulgaria condemns terrorism as one of the most

horrific crimes and challenging threats to international

peace and security. Terrorism has no face, no name, no

colour and no religion. It strikes unexpectedly and scars

the lives of everyone it touches. Recently, terrorism

struck again in Nairobi. On behalf of Bulgaria, I

convey my deepest condolences to the people and the

Government of Kenya, but also Iraq, Pakistan and other

countries where deadly terrorist attacks have occurred.

On 18 July 2012, a terrorist attack claimed six

innocent lives at a Bulgarian airport. That incident

changed Bulgaria forever and is a reminder that the

fight against terrorism is a common cause, on which

the entire international community must remain united.

We believe that the perpetrator of that horrendous

terrorist act will be brought to justice soon. Bulgaria is

grateful for the moral support, solidarity and practical

assistance of other Member States in the investigation

of that horrific crime. The critical role of international

cooperation in this area once again points to the

necessity of a prompt finalization of the negotiations on

a draft comprehensive convention to combat terrorism.

Let us take a look at what Europe has achieved in

the past century. From a continent in ruins, torn apart

by wars, we, Europeans, have created an area of peace,

security and prosperity. Enemies have become friends

and allies, united for a better future for their children.

Today, in the European Union, we have harmonized

regulations and share a single market, all underpinned

by our common values.

The past 25 years in the history of the Balkans are

another great example of what can be achieved when

neighbours work together towards a common goal.

Building trust, good neighbourly relations, stability

and security in South-Eastern Europe and in the Black

Sea region is among Bulgaria’s priorities. My country

remains strongly committed and will continue to

support the efforts of our partners from the Western

Balkans to meet the European Union membership

criteria and take their legitimate place in the united

European family.

The European Neighbourhood Policy remains one

of the most efficient instruments of the European Union

to deepen cooperation and ensure peace and stability

in the broader region. Bulgaria attaches particular

importance to the Eastern dimension of the Policy

to enhance relations with countries of the Black Sea

region and members of the Eastern Partnership.

If common borders and geographical proximity

make us neighbours, shared cultural heritage is what

makes us a family. This year we, the Slavic nations,

celebrate together the one thousandth one hundred and

fiftieth anniversary of the mission of the holy brothers

Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Almost

12 centuries ago, they bestowed upon us the invaluable

gift of the first Slavic alphabet. Bulgaria welcomed the

disciples Saint Cyril and Methodius and adopted the

Cyrillic script, which has helped us to preserve our

national identity over the centuries.

This year the international community marks

the twentieth anniversary of the Vienna Declaration

and Programme of Action on human rights. On this

occasion, Bulgaria would like to emphasize its strong

conviction that human rights should remain one of

the foremost priorities for the United Nations. As a

candidate for membership in the Human Rights Council

for the period 2019-2021, Bulgaria will intensify its

efforts in promoting the highest human rights standards

both domestically and internationally.

We welcome the convening of the High-level

Meeting on the Realization of the Millennium

Development Goals and Other Internationally Agreed

Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities. As

a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities and as a member of the bureau of the

Conference of States Parties to the Convention in New

York, my country is strongly engaged in promoting

the comprehensive and consistent implementation of

the Convention at all levels, including by engaging

disabled people’s organizations as an important partner

in disability-inclusive development.

My country is convinced that the course of

reforms of the United Nations should continue in

order to enhance the efficiency, representativeness and

transparency of the entire United Nations system. To

meet the needs of a changing world, the United Nations

should continuously adapt and improve. That includes

a revitalized General Assembly, a strengthened

Economic and Social Council and a Security Council

that reflects contemporary realities. As member of the

Eastern European regional group, Bulgaria continues to

hold its position as to the need for allotting at least one

additional non-permanent seat in an enlarged Security

Council to the group, given the fact that, in the past

20 years, its membership has more than doubled.

Based on our long-standing engagement with the

principles and values of the United Nations, I pledge

that Bulgaria will be a responsible and reliable partner

should it be elected as a Security Council non-permanent

member for the term 2018-2019. We hope that the

Members of the United Nations will entrust Bulgaria

with that responsibility, and we stand ready to shoulder

it in a spirit of partnership.

We are still a long way from the future we

want. The Rio de Janeiro Conference on Sustainable

Development outlined a comprehensive agenda for

further work to be completed in the three dimensions of

sustainable development. The recently published report

of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-

2015 Development Agenda presents key proposals for

transformative shifts and a global, people-centred and

planet-sensitive agenda. Bulgaria is actively engaged

in the negotiation process on the new sustainable

development goals, with a view to achieving a post-2015

framework that is human rights-driven, builds upon the

achievements of the Millennium Development Goals

and integrates poverty eradication and sustainable

development in a single and coherent process.

The new universal and legally binding climate

agreement to be signed in 2015 should reinforce the

overarching post-2015 development agenda and speed

up the international community’s efforts to introduce

new sustainable models for growth.

Culture and education should be accorded their

rightful place in the post-2015 development agenda. In

that regard, UNESCO’s role is of pivotal importance.

Let me take this opportunity to reiterate Bulgaria’s

strong support for the re-election of Ms. Irina Bokova

to a second term as Director-General.

I would like also to express Bulgaria’s admiration

for the work done by UNICEF in the service of the

children of the world. Bulgaria highly values the

partnership and policy advice provided by the UNICEF

Office in Sofia and others worldwide in modernizing

the national child-protection sector and achieving more

equitable and inclusive child care.

Today we are building the world of tomorrow.

Young people should be at the heart of those efforts

as active participants, not as bystanders. For Bulgaria,

young people are key stakeholders in the post-2015

development agenda.

This year Bulgaria commemorates the seventieth

anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews from the

death camps during the Second World War, a unique

achievement of Bulgarian civil society. Unfortunately,

our country was in a situation where it could not do

the same for Jews from northern Greece and parts of

Yugoslavia. We deeply mourn their loss as well as that

of all the victims of the Holocaust.

Recently, citizens from different parts of the world,

Bulgaria included, have engaged actively in public

life, demanding greater transparency, accountability,

decency and integrity from their politicians. We in my

country believe that this renewed energy on the part of

civil society deserves to be encouraged and supported.

I firmly believe that safeguarding human dignity is the

ultimate goal of the United Nations, as, indeed, of any

genuine democracy.