Bulgaria, 2014

Let me congratulate Mr. Sam

Kutesa of Uganda on his assumption of the presidency

of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I

also extend my warmest gratitude to Mr. John Ashe for

his work as President of the sixty-eighth session.

Over the past few months, Bulgaria and the Balkans

have suffered unprecedented floods. Thousands of

people lost their homes, crops were ruined and many

innocent people died. The heavy storms were no

longer news but a part of daily life. Nature once again

reminded us that today, political statements alone were

not sufficient. For the sake of our children and our

planet, it is time to act. As a wise man once said, we did

not inherit the Earth from our fathers; we borrowed it

from our children. Climate change needs to be urgently

addressed. I would like to thank Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon for having organized the Climate Summit.

Bulgaria will actively support the completion of the

negotiations on the new, universal and legally binding

climate agreement in 2015.

Bulgaria contributed to the implementation of the

Millennium Development Goals and the development

of the post-2015 development agenda through its

successful participation in the Open Working Group

on Sustainable Development Goals. The Group has

fulfilled its mandate. The Group’s report, together

with the report of High-level Panel of Eminent Persons

on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (A/67/890,

annex), will be the leading documents for our future

discussions as we enter the critical phase of the debate

on the post-2015 development agenda. It is crucial

that all sides stay engaged and committed to the final

goal — an ambitious and forward-looking framework.

No real transformative post-2015 development agenda

will be possible unless we address the loopholes of the

current Millennium Development Goals and build upon

the lessons learned. The new framework should be

founded on the principles of respect for human rights,

inclusiveness, good governance and the rule of law.

Youth-specific targets in the areas of education, health

care and employment are of paramount importance as

well.

Development is unthinkable without peace and

security. The illegal annexation of Crimea by the

Russian Federation and the conflict in eastern Ukraine

have become one of the most serious threats to peace

and security in Europe since the Second World War. The

security environment in the Black Sea region has been

seriously affected. The illegal annexation of Crimea

undermines the international order. After the Second

World War, we built our world on the clear principles

embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. They

were shattered to pieces in a matter of weeks. Bulgaria

strongly supports the sovereignty, unity and territorial

integrity of Ukraine. My country does not recognize

the illegal referendum in Crimea and condemns the

annexation by Russia as a violation of international law.

Bulgaria joined the numerous sponsors of resolution

68/262 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

My country welcomes the ceasefire agreement and

is looking forward to the implementation of the peace

plan. Bulgaria commends all international efforts for

the peaceful resolution of the conflict. We welcome the

strong engagement of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

and the initiatives of the European Union and the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,

as well as the efforts of the trilateral contact group.

Russia should stop arming and supporting separatists

in Ukraine.

In a few days, Ukrainians will vote for a new

parliament. They have every right to choose their

own future. I sincerely hope that those elections will

be a major step forward in building a democratic and

prosperous Ukraine. The signing and ratification of the

European Union Association Agreements of Ukraine,

Moldova and Georgia represent an important milestone

in the process of the European integration of those

countries. The positive change witnessed today in

the Balkans would not have been possible without the

engine of the European integration.

The escalation of violence and the humanitarian

situation in Syria continue to be a source of grave

concern. Millions of refugees have fled their homeland

in pursuit of peace in the neighbouring countries.

Hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. More than

10,000 refugees have sought asylum in Bulgaria. A

lasting solution to the conflict in Syria can be achieved

only through an inclusive political process. We call on

the Security Council to unite. The unity of the Security

Council is crucial in order for the conflict to be resolved.

The Syrian crisis, along with the outbreak of

violence and sectarian tensions in Iraq, has exacerbated

the security and humanitarian situation in the entire

Middle East region. Bulgaria strongly condemns the

armed attacks and killings perpetrated by the Islamic

State terrorist organization against religious and ethnic

minorities and denounces the brutal execution of

innocent people. Bulgaria is an integral part of the broad

international coalition against terrorism. A member of

the European Union and of NATO, my country lends its

political support, as well as humanitarian and material

aid, within the scope of its possibilities. We welcome

the adoption of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014)

on foreign terrorist fighters.

Combating radicalization, supporting State-building

in Iraq and cooperating with regional partners are

essential. We welcome the election of Mr. Haider Al

Abadi as Prime Minister of Iraq. We hope that, under

his leadership, a Government of broad representation

will be established in order to preserve the territorial

integrity and sovereignty of the country.

Bulgaria greatly values the role of the United Nations

in Iraq and appreciates the contribution of Mr. Nickolay

Mladenov, former Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Special

Representative of the Secretary-General and Head

of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.

We stand for a just and lasting settlement of the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-State

solution formula. That is possible only through direct

negotiations with no preconditions and in conformity

with the relevant international obligations. Any durable

ceasefire should address both Israeli security concerns

and Palestinian demands to abolish the Gaza closure

regime.

The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty was a major

achievement of the international community. Just over a

year later, the threshold of 50 ratifications was reached

this morning. I am glad that my country is among

those 50 States that have made the entry into force of

that important legal instrument a reality. The Arms

Trade Treaty fills a serious gap in international law.

It establishes regulations for the trade in conventional

arms at the global level. Now its implementation and

universalization are of the utmost importance.

Twenty-five years ago, the Berlin Wall fell and the

democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe

began. My country Bulgaria chose to become a modern

European democracy. We put our country back on the

path of freedom, independence, the rule of law and

respect for human rights. Our society has proved its

firm commitment to democratic values and principles.

We have witnessed similar political changes across

South-East Europe. The Balkan countries have become

partners, sharing the same values and projects for the

future. We have built bridges of trust, friendship and

mutual respect. We are working together to improve

links and competition in order to increase prosperity

in the Balkans.

Human rights, democracy and the rule of law

are at the heart of my country’s foreign policy.

Bulgaria’s commitment to advancing the human rights

agenda throughout the United Nations system was

further strengthened under the successful Bulgarian

chairmanship of the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural

Committee during the sixty-eighth session of the

General Assembly. Bulgaria is determined to further

contribute to promoting and upholding human rights

internationally as a member of the Human Rights

Council for the period 2019-2021, and will rely on its

partners’ valuable support of its candidature.

My country welcomes the appointment of

Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Husein of Jordan as the

new United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights — an excellent choice by the Secretary-General.

We wish Prince Zeid all success in fulfilling his

mandate.

We support the Secretary-General’s Rights Up

Front Action Plan to safeguard human rights around

the world. Bulgaria commends Deputy Secretary-

General Jan Eliasson for his insightful vision and

global leadership with regard to that initiative and his

valuable contribution to advancing the human rights

agenda throughout the United Nations.

Bulgaria is concerned about the anti-Semitic attacks

that have taken place recently, especially in Europe.

As a country that saved 48,000 Bulgarian Jews from

deportation during the Second World War, Bulgaria

strongly condemns the recurring trend of brutal and

disgusting manifestations of anti-Semitism.

This year, the international community is

celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption

of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which

set a universal standard for the effective promotion of

children’s rights. Bulgaria commends UNICEF for its

enormous contribution during that time to improving

children’s lives and advancing the child agenda around

the world. As a member of the Bureau of the UNICEF

Executive Board this year, my country supports

and actively participates in all efforts aimed at child

protection and achieving results for children.

My country is convinced that the United Nations

reform process should continue in order to enhance

the efficiency, representativeness and transparency of

the entire system, and to make it more adequate and

responsive to the new realities. As a member of the

Eastern European regional group, Bulgaria reiterates its

position in favour of allocating at least one additional

non-permanent seat to the Group in an enlarged Security

Council. Bulgaria aspires to serve as a non-permanent

member of the Security Council for the 2018-2019 term.

At the end of 2016, the second term of office of

the current and highly respected Secretary-General,

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, will come to an end. My country

greatly values his outstanding leadership and

commitment. Bulgaria expects that, when the time

comes, the States Members of the United Nations will

be able to elect a worthy successor. To that end I would

like to recall the relevant General Assembly resolution,

which states that,

“[i]n the course of the identification and

appointment of the best candidate for the post of

Secretary-General, due regard shall continue to be

given to regional rotation and shall also be given

to gender equality” (resolution 51/241, annex, para.

59).

Bulgaria is convinced that the time has finally come

for the East European regional group to be represented

at the helm of the United Nations.