Monaco, 2011

Allow

me at the outset to warmly congratulate Mr. Al-Nasser

on his election as President of the General Assembly

and to assure him of the support of my delegation

throughout the sixty-sixth session of the Assembly.

The Secretary-General, whom I heartily

congratulate on his unanimous reappointment,

introduced, at the opening of the general debate, the

priorities that he intends to implement during his

second term in office. His vision, which will guide our

endeavours and our deliberations during this period of

instability and uncertainty, sets forth the parameters for

a new form of global governance that will need to, on

the one hand, respond to the challenges that we face

and to the aspirations of our peoples and, on the other,

take into consideration the new realities of our time.

Among these new imperatives of the twenty-first

century, sustainable development and the building of a

safer world require a more responsible approach on the

part of all our Governments and the renewal of our

unwavering support for the Organization, whose

crucial role in the prevention of conflicts, human rights

violations and natural disasters needs to be

strengthened and supported.

It was Mr. Al-Nasser’s clear-sighted initiative to

make the role of mediation in the settlement of disputes

by peaceful means the theme of the general debate. Our

community now has a new Member — the Republic of

South Sudan — following a peace process that was

welcomed by all. Since the beginning of the year, we

have seen a great impetus towards freedom and

democracy among thousands of women and men across

the Arab world. The Arab Spring has highlighted once

again the universal nature of the norms and values of

the Organization. Justice, democracy, human dignity,

equality and freedom have led to renewed hope among

peoples for too long repressed. Today we face a great

challenge: not to disappoint them.

The Government of the Principality reiterates its

support for and its solidarity with all who fight for

respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,

and in that regard is hopeful that a just, lasting and

comprehensive settlement will enable the State of

Israel and a viable, sovereign and democratic

Palestinian State to live side by side in peace and

security.

The past year has been rich in challenges for our

Organization. We have had to face great natural and

humanitarian disasters, emergency situations caused by

people and the fallout of the economic crisis. Each

time we turn to this Organization to safeguard

humanity’s shared assets, such as the environment,

health and peace.

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We also turn to the United Nations to protect our

collective security. The deadly attack a few weeks ago

on the United Nations offices in Abuja, the capital of

Nigeria, cruelly reminded us of the innumerable risks

faced by United Nations personnel across the world —

in Côte d’Ivoire, Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, the Sudan,

everywhere where the United Nations has saved lives

or upheld rights. They sometimes pay the ultimate

price.

But our Organization has limited resources and

cannot always deal with the multiplication of conflicts.

We must therefore focus above all on the prevention of

conflicts. What is a better prevention measure than

development? Last year from this same rostrum His

Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco reiterated

the Principality’s commitment to achieving the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (see

A/65/PV.4). Monaco seeks to be a responsible, reliable

and supportive partner, and its priorities continue to be

improving the quality of life of the most vulnerable

people.

I wish to underscore the essential role of women

in the prevention and settlement of conflicts and in

peacebuilding. Women and girls must be at the centre

of our development strategies. It is now an established

fact that a society that guarantees equality between

women and men and promotes the economic

independence of women is a more prosperous society.

If we wish women to be able to realize their potential

in the economic sector, we need to get rid of obstacles

such as discriminatory regulations. We need to ensure

that women have equal access to economic resources,

particularly to land, credit, science and technology,

vocational training, information, communication and

markets.

In this regard, the Principality of Monaco wishes

to reiterate its support for UN-Women and its

Executive Director, Ms. Michelle Bachelet.

It is our shared responsibility to show our

commitment in the crucial gathering of 2012 — the

twentieth anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit — and

to create a solid basis for the comprehensive

development of a green economy.

We are seeking to develop sources of renewable

energy, more environmentally friendly and healthy. But

in the short term, we are not in a position to abandon

nuclear energy or oil. As we have learned so painfully

through the Fukushima accident, we do not know

whether one day it will be possible to fully control all

the risks involved in nuclear energy. We thus continue

to burn hydrocarbons, sending their emissions into the

atmosphere. These pitfalls pose a great danger to our

collective security.

It is time to put an end to the ideological debates

and the divides that separate us and that delay our

efforts to implement a green economy.

The Secretary-General proposed that we establish

a new generation of development objectives to succeed

the MDGs after 2015. The Principality of Monaco

supports that initiative, which aims to encourage the

international community to set ambitious goals and to

provide the wherewithal to achieve them.

As part of its contribution to that endeavour,

Prince Albert II wanted Monaco to contribute actively

to the preparatory work for the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development by organizing

in the Principality, from 28 to 30 November 2011, a

meeting of high-level experts on the sustainable

management of oceans. His Serene Highness would

like to see the international community place the seas

and oceans at the top of the political agenda at the

forthcoming Earth Summit.

In spite of the development of a legal framework

to govern activities in the oceans, the negative impacts

of human activities on oceans and seas are becoming

increasingly visible. Marine pollution and

unsustainable practices in the exploitation of marine

resources are continuing to endanger marine

ecosystems, to the detriment of future generations.

Climate change has had a significant impact on oceans,

leading to the phenomena of acidification, rising sea

levels and coral bleaching. Sustainable management of

the oceans is an essential pillar of the green economy.

Stronger prevention measures, at the service of

all Member States, both developed and developing,

will enable the Organization to carry out its role with

greater efficiency and flexibility. That requires the

strengthening of its institutions, taking greater account

of the role of the General Assembly, balanced reform

of the Security Council, increasing cooperation with

regional organizations, enhanced interaction with civil

society and private sector partnerships.

I wish to hail the leadership and political courage

of His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the

General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, who

13 11-51390

endeavoured to impose the moral force of the United

Nations before the eyes of the entire world.

The Principality of Monaco will not fail to work

for the improvement of global governance that our

community hopes and prays for. We share the

conviction regarding the immense importance of the

universal values upheld and defended by the

Organization, values to which future Members must

adhere, as we have done.