Malta, 2012

I extend my warmest

congratulations to Mr. Jeremić on his election to preside

over the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session.

The demanding agenda of this Assembly makes that

no easy task, but I assure him of Malta’s support and

friendship.

Over a year ago, the protagonists of the Arab Spring

proclaimed that their time had come. They shed their

blood for freedom, calling for an end to the status quo

of oppression and injustice. Unfortunately, extremists

persist in their efforts to derail that call. United States Ambassador Christopher Stevens was, sadly, one of

their victims. One cannot stress strongly enough the

importance of protecting the inviolability of diplomatic

premises and personnel, and reiterate our collective

condemnation of the deplorable acts perpetrated

recently in various capitals of our neighbourhood.

Many doubted the success of the Arab Spring;

many feared its call for change. Yet change did come.

We are now witnessing the first seeds of democracy

blossoming in places where that would previously have

been unthinkable. And more change is yet to come.

People around the world are calling for it. Theirs is a

call that pits us against conventional thinking, pushing

us out of our comfort zone and into the unfamiliar — a

call for humankind to go beyond the borders of human

difference and indifference. We have the choice to heed

that call or to ignore it, but make no mistake — we do

have a choice.

Malta knows all too well what the call for change

is about. It experiences it first hand as it receives those

f leeing war, hunger and persecution, arriving on its

shores after a perilous journey in search of a better

life. Malta recognizes that we need to give those people

safe refuge, and we do so with a sense of solidarity and

a strong belief that every human life is worth saving.

We are committed to giving assistance, and we remain

steadfast in our belief that Malta will continue its

historical role of welcoming those who are bereft of

human rights and dignity.

It is in that spirit that Malta calls upon the

international community to give those people genuine

alternatives, and to no longer accept that it is a problem

in someone else’s backyard. We want to ensure that

the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals

does not become a simple check-marking exercise, but

instead underscores a truly global effort that will lift

millions out of situations of deprivation, disease and

discrimination. Those goals must be sustained long

after the media has gone and the speeches are over, and

we urge the Assembly to spare no effort in seeing that

it is done.

The choice of freedom has seen Malta’s neighbour

to the south hold its first free and fully democratic

elections in 60 years. We salute Libya on its recent

successes. For many, the act of voting was a success in

itself. The Libyan people voted for their policy-makers.

They did not vote for ideology, but for visionaries who

will breathe life into their aspirations. It is a time of celebration for our neighbours, and Malta joins others

in recognizing their achievements, as well as the

achievements of the other countries of the Arab Spring.

Yet as we bear witness to the wave of democratic

reform drifting across the southern Mediterranean

shores, we must also recall that others are still struggling

for freedom. The situation in Syria cannot but trouble

us. Oppression and violence are never the solution.

They only stif le the inevitable for a short while, for

the human spirit can never be defeated. And it is our

duty, as the international community, to respond. It is

not a question of resolutions and syntax. It is our moral

obligation to ensure that the people of Syria are not

abandoned to a tragic fate.

The time to sit on the fence and live with prejudices

and division is over. Malta firmly believes that now

can be the right time for a new era — not just for the

southern littoral shores of the Mediterranean Sea, but

for the whole basin. The Mediterranean region has

known too many wars, too many divisions and far too

many prejudices. As the heart of the Mediterranean,

Malta understands well the nuances of the basin, and

it is this understanding that pushes us to reaffirm our

commitment to the promotion of prosperity and peace

across the whole Mediterranean region and beyond.

Malta’s initiative to convene a European Union-League

of Arab States ministerial meeting in Malta in 2008

was specifically aimed at attaining that. We salute the

decision for the “Malta II” meeting to take place in

Cairo next November.

Our efforts did not stop there. In a few days’ time,

Malta will host the 5+5 Heads of State and Government

Meeting of the Western Mediterranean Forum. That

grouping should offer an excellent opportunity to

discuss such issues. The summit meeting coincides

with the dramatic changes taking place in the political

landscape in North Africa. The expectation for

the implementation of concrete action in the Euro-

Mediterranean region, transcending ineffective

declarations, statements and conclusions, is important.

I hope that the Malta Summit will meet the aspirations

of the peoples of the northern and southern basin of the

Mediterranean. We cannot fail in that regard. We owe

it to our peoples.

However, if we want to truly embrace the changes

that are taking place around us, we must take them

further. The call to rise above stalemate and stagnation

is nowhere more evident than in the Middle East peace process, where the fear of change is holding all

those involved back. The parties concerned must face

some uncomfortable truths in order to overcome the

stumbling blocks. Bickering over who does what when

is not the way forward. Forging common ground does

not equate with giving in.

Malta believes that the international community

must redouble its efforts in that process and that there

can be no rest until the world welcomes a truly stable

and secure Middle East. We owe it to the Palestinians

and the Israelis. We owe it to the wider Mediterranean

region, which has now been deadlocked for far too

long in the grips of that struggle. There really is no

other option than that, for the alternative is further

entrenchment of the positions held and more extremism

and instability. Malta reaffirms its commitment to the

efforts of the United Nations and the European Union,

in particular towards the attainment of the goal of two

viable States living side by side in harmony. However,

that solution is possible only if it is feasible on the

ground. That means no unilateral action, which would

make it an unattainable reality.

A year from now, we should no longer be talking

of a Middle East peace process but of a Middle East

in peace, and that is that. The sceptics among us will

note that that is what was said last year and, of course,

even the year before. For over 60 years, we have been

making that call but we must not let the opportunity

slip away once again. The Arab Spring shows us that

we need to answer the call of history now. It can be

different this time.

The events happening around us highlight not only

our sense of duty to promote and protect human rights

worldwide but also our sense of responsibility, for the

actions that we take or fail to take today will have a

bearing on future generations. Malta drew the attention

to that belief with its call for a universal declaration on

human responsibilities, made in this very Hall during

the sixty-fourth session of the Assembly in 2009.

We know that we are not alone in the endeavour.

We share with other Member States a commitment to

solidarity, cohesive ideas and a harmonious discourse

in favour of the sustainability of the planet and the

stewardship of its peoples. That conviction encourages

us to push forward with our efforts for we are certain

that history will be on our side.

In conclusion, our destiny is what we perceive

our future to be. We are convinced that the United Nations stands for the betterment of humanity. We

remain committed to living up to the expectations and

aspirations to which we adhere under its Charter. Most

of all, we need to embrace change. The future begins

with the choices that we make today.