Latvia, 2012

I commend the Secretary-

General for his immense efforts in leading the United Nations and its Secretariat to fulfil its mission and

implement the tasks with which the Organization is

charged. The theme of this session is very timely. The

United Nations plays a leading role in the settlement of

disputes by peaceful means. It possesses the legal and

institutional framework to do so.

States Members of the United Nations have

committed themselves to the principles contained in the

Charter. The peaceful settlement of disputes therefore

primarily depends on the determination of the national

and international leaders. Only if they are determined

can the United Nations and other international

organizations and institutions arrive at decisions and

take action.

Let me speak about some concrete challenges

that require strong will and decisive action by the

international community. The conflict in Syria threatens

security and stability in the whole region and beyond.

Latvia urges all members of the Security Council to

find the political will to unite and resolve that crisis.

The lives of innocent people must be protected.

The risk of the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction is one of the most serious global threats.

The international community should be united in its

commitment to prevent it. Latvia is seriously concerned

about the potential use of Syria’s stockpiles of chemical

weapons.

We deplore the lack of progress in dialogue with

Iran on the nature of its nuclear programme. We believe

that its full cooperation to clarify all outstanding

questions is needed.

We call for strengthening the efforts to reach the

goals of the the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons and its action plan. In that regard,

we applaud the steps taken by the United States and

Russia towards global disarmament and transparency.

We hope that they will trigger further efforts to reduce

the reliance on nuclear weapons.

Latvia also welcomes the consensus outcome of

the second Review Conference on Small Arms and

Light Weapons. We should redouble our efforts to find

solutions on the Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible.

Latvia welcomes the increasingly active role

played by regional organizations such as the African

Union and the League of Arab States in the peaceful

settlement of conflicts.

European regional organizations have also been

actively working towards the resolution of protracted

conflicts in the wider Europe. We see a positive

trend towards a political settlement in Transnistria,

Republic of Moldova. However, only with progress on

the withdrawal of foreign troops will any settlement

be sustainable. A multinational peacekeeping mission

with an international mandate could be a rational way

forward.

The consequences of the conflict in Georgia in

2008 will have a long-lasting effect on the security

situation in the region. The European Union Monitoring

Mission in Georgia is presently the only international

player that monitors the implementation of the sixpoint

agreement. Gaining actual access to the occupied

territories would contribute to lasting progress. In

addition, the restoration of a meaningful presence of

the United Nations in Georgia is needed.

We remain concerned about the increasing number

of incidents at the contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The conflicting sides should abstain from hostile public

rhetoric and should concentrate on confidence-building

measures. The conduct of major military exercises in

that volatile region should be avoided.

Afghanistan has been at the centre of the world’s

attention for much more than a decade. We believe

that the international community is fully committed to

assisting the Afghan Government in strengthening its

public administration and the National Security Forces.

Latvia will continue its involvement in the European

Union (EU) and NATO missions in Afghanistan. We

also intend to participate in the missions after 2014. In

addition, Latvia will provide a financial contribution to

the international fund in support of the Afghan National

Security Forces.

The future of Afghanistan is closely linked to

economic development and regional cooperation.

We encourage the full engagement of the Central

Asian countries in discussions on the region’s future.

Afghanistan has the potential to become a regional hub

for transportation and transit. Using our experience as

an entry point to the Northern Distribution Network,

Latvia is already engaged in training Afghan experts

in the areas of transportation and anti-drug trafficking.

The global economic and financial crisis has

focused leaders’ attention on immediate measures to

overcome it, often diverting their attention from long-term global challenges. The world economy remains

fragile, even if some positive trends can be observed.

Latvia welcomes all efforts to stabilize the situation in

the eurozone and supports recent steps in that regard.

We are working hard to be part of the solution and to

become a net contributor to global economic stability.

Latvia’s own gross national product grew more

than 5.5 per cent in 2011. That positive trend is set to

continue in 2012. Over the past decade, we have achieved

significant progress with respect to both income and

structural convergence. The quality of governance and

economic structures in Latvia is comparable to that

of the member countries of the Office of Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD). Looking to

the OECD’s expected enlargement, Latvia is ready to

offer its experience with transition and with the kind of

decisive reforms that are leading us to recovery from

the recent crisis.

Overall, Latvia has emerged from the downturn

stronger and more competitive, with a balanced

economy and a positive business environment that

positions us well for the next growth cycle. Above all,

the sustainability of economic health must go hand

in hand with the process of incorporation into the

eurozone. Latvia believes that the challenges can be

overcome and aims to introduce the euro in 2014.

International peace and security are closely linked

with two other pillars of the United Nations, namely,

development and human rights. Latvia welcomes the

establishment of the high-level panel on the post-2015

development agenda. We are pleased that the EU’s

Commissioner for Development, Mr. Andris Piebalgs

of Latvia, will contribute to the panel’s work.

The current framework of the Millennium

Development Goals has revitalized global action on

development and improved its effectiveness. Latvia’s EU

presidency in 2015 will evaluate the progress achieved

and contribute actively to the agreement on post-2015

framework, which should remain people-centred,

focused, time-bound and simple.

In recent years we have witnessed a growing number

of people in many countries demanding freedom and

justice. The international community must support

their aspirations. We must help build stable democratic

institutions and establish the rule of law. We believe

that respect for human rights, good governance and

inclusive economic development will help to prevent

future conflicts.

Latvia participates in capacity-building in several

conflict and post-conflict countries. We actively support

nations in transition in their efforts to strengthen the

rule of law. We welcome the fact that those issues are

now part of the Secretary-General’s five-year Action

Agenda and we are committed to their implementation.

Latvia believes that economic and social

development will benefit from the introduction of the

principles of open Government. Civil society in Latvia

actively participates in the decision-making process at

all stages and levels.

Latvia fully supports the work of a strong and

effective Human Rights Council. We have put forward

our candidacy for the elections to the Council in 2014.

In order to keep pace with the modern world, the

United Nations needs to change. The time has come

to start real negotiations on reforming the Security

Council. We support the enlargement of the Council in

both the permanent and the non-permanent membership

categories. Any enlargement of the Council should

include at least one new non-permanent seat for the

Eastern European Group.

The world is going through a period of turbulence,

as shown by recent violent events in the Middle East.

We strongly condemn the attacks on diplomatic

missions in several countries as unacceptable. Latvia

fully supports the freedom of association and the right

to demonstrate peacefully. We deplore any attempts to

use religion to fuel extremism and violence. Tolerance

and respect for our differences are the key to preventing

conflicts and violence, both in our communities and

internationally.

Finally, Latvia looks forward to a fruitful sixtyseventh

session of the General Assembly. Let us address

the challenges with true political will.