Montenegro, 2025

And now, the Assembly will hear an address of His Excellency Jakob Mitovich, President of Montenegro. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Mr. Speaker, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me to convey my warmest congratulations to Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock on her election as the President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly. This election is both historic and inspiring, as she is only the fifth woman entrusted with this very high responsibility. We recall Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit from India, who spoke with the voice of a liberated Asia. Angie Brooks, a Liberian diplomat and a judge who championed the rights of small states and women in Africa. Haya Rashid Al Khalifa from Bahrain, who brought a message of dialogue and international law from the heart of the Middle East. And Maria Fernanda Espinoza from Ecuador, who raised her voice for climate action and indigenous peoples of Latin America. And each of them left a mark of their time, so this election gives Europe the opportunity to embody the principles of the unwavering defence of human rights and multilateralism. Dear colleagues, This year, as we commemorate 80 years since the founding of the United Nations, we reflect on the remarkable journey of this great organisation that was created as a mission of global peace. Born from the ashes of the Second World War, the United Nations emerged as a beacon of hope for humanity. Dear colleagues, Imagine the devastated cities throughout the world back in 1945. Warsaw reduced to ashes. Saint Petersburg shattered after the years of the siege. Berlin in ruins. Hiroshima and Nagasaki struck by the unimaginable horror. And my hometown and the current capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, was also in the bombings virtually razed to the ground. And imagine at the same time the world leaders gathered, who despite their wounds looked to the future. And at that very moment, when the trenches between nations still existed, and the graves of the loved ones were still fresh, the organisation of the United Nations was born. The idea that light could emerge from darkness, and that solidarity could triumph over despair. Despite the unprecedented destruction, the idea of peace and unity triumphed over division and hostility. The leaders of that time understood the urgent need for a strong global organisation capable of preventing all future wars and fostering cooperation among nations. As part of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro was among the founding nations of the United Nations. We have so far established an international system that promotes peace, upholds rules-based global order, safeguards human rights, and fosters sustainable development. Dear colleagues, without the United Nations, much of our collective progress would have remained just a distant dream. In fact, even after eight decades, we must also acknowledge a sobering truth. The absence of the world war has not always meant the presence of genuine peace and prosperity in the world. Today, multilateralism is being tested like never before, and our world is confronted with devastating conflicts, rising polarisation, grave human rights violations, deep economic inequalities and the corrosive spread of disinformation. Those challenges remind us of one essential fact. We cannot afford the marginalisation of the United Nations, nor the silencing of international law. Dear colleagues, now more than ever, we need to renew our commitment to the founding principles of the UN Charter. And despite its imperfections, the United Nations remains the only global organisation where every nation has a seat and a voice, and where international law remains the basis for international legitimacy. And that makes the United Nations indispensable. Ladies and gentlemen, since regaining our independence back in 2006, Montenegro worked hand in hand with the United Nations to advance reforms in sustainable development, human rights and good governance, and in line with our European Union membership aspirations. Next year, we will proudly mark two decades of regaining our independence, as well as two decades of our UN membership. So over the past 20 years, Montenegro has evolved into a modern democracy. This transformation is also reflected in our economy, which has grown steadily, driven by key sectors such as tourism and energy. Our resilience has been tested by many global crises. Yet, Montenegro remains firmly committed to building a knowledge-based economy that fosters sustainable development and contributes to regional stability and regional prosperity. Montenegro's commitment to the United Nations and multilateralism remains a cornerstone of our foreign policy, fully in harmony with our European and Euro-Atlantic parts, and our dedication to good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation. With NATO membership as the pillar of our security, our strategic focus is now on joining the European Union by 2028. It's an ambitious goal, dear colleagues, yet one that is now firmly within our reach. And as the most advanced EU candidate country, Montenegro remains steadfast in implementing structural reforms and fully aligned with the European Union's common foreign and security policy. We are convinced that the EU integration is a catalyst for lasting progress, stability and ultimately security of the European continent. And in this process, Montenegro is not only a beneficiary, but also a contributor, demonstrating that enlargement strengthens the European Union as much as it strengthens the candidate countries. Your Excellencies, to strengthen multilateralism, we also must confront its weaknesses. The Security Council is increasingly paralysed and unable to fulfil its mandate as the primary guardian of peace and security. The latest example is the war in Ukraine, which has brought unimaginable suffering to the people of Ukraine. And Montenegro welcomes recent democratic efforts of the international community, led by the United States, aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace. And we sincerely hope that these efforts will succeed. At the same time, Montenegro is deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. And we call for an immediate ceasefire. Montenegro also strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and calls for unconditional release of all hostages. Montenegro has consistently supported a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution, in full accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. And this is why we also endorsed the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Dear colleagues, dear delegates, Montenegro fully supports the implementation of the UN Pact for the Future, as well as the Seville Compromise, a renewed global commitment for financing sustainable development, as important steps in strengthening our collective capacity to respond to global challenges. And we also believe that the upcoming second World Summit for Social Development must move decisively beyond reflection and analysis, and deliver concrete, tangible solutions that will improve lives of people across the globe. Ladies and gentlemen, back in 1991, Montenegro proudly became the world's first ecological state, a milestone that proclaimed our commitment to the highest principles of environmental protection, the preservation of nature, and the pursuit of sustainable development. The UN Agenda 2030 remains our guiding light for sustainable development, and Montenegro takes pride in being among the first countries in the world to integrate all the SDGs into its national framework, almost a decade ago. A further important step in advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda was the creation of the SDG Acceleration Fund, a powerful mechanism for financing SDG goals. Ladies and gentlemen, for Montenegro, the priority is clear, which is to create conditions that will enable our young people to build their future at home, offering them equal opportunities to thrive. And by insisting on the value of knowledge, and ensuring equal access to education, we strive to reduce inequalities and empower our citizens to reach their full potential. Ladies and gentlemen, climate change must be tackled globally and urgently. And it is no longer just warnings from the scientists. It is floods that swallow villages and cities, fires that destroy forests, fields, and homes. And delaying a more decisive action on the international scale means gambling with the lives of those who live today, but also of the future generations. Dear colleagues, rapid technological change, and particularly the rise of the artificial intelligence, must be harnessed in a safe, responsible, and inclusive manner. Technology should be an evolutionary gift to humanity, developed, founded, and guided with social responsibility, serving the greater good. Ladies and gentlemen, globally, human rights and fundamental freedoms continue to face serious challenges. And while significant progress has been achieved in advancing women's rights since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, much remains to be done. In this regard, Montenegro is fully committed to gender equality. We have harmonized national policies with the best international standards, strengthened our institutions dedicated to the protection of women's rights, and promoted women's leadership in all spheres of our society. Your Excellencies, as we celebrate today 80 years of shared achievements, our collective task is to reform the United Nations, and prepare it for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Criticism of the UN reflects not just on the organization itself, but on all of us as Member States, for it is we who have created it, who guide it, and who bear responsibility to strengthen it. This is why Montenegro strongly supports the Secretary General's Reform Initiative, UN80. It must not be seen as a mere bureaucratic exercise, but embraced as a solemn commitment that the United Nations of tomorrow will be more agile and more efficient. And at the heart of these efforts must remain the UN's three key pillars – peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights – as the bedrock of all United Nations action. To conclude, dear friends, Montenegro is firm in its conviction that the United Nations must remain the cornerstone of peace, international law must prevail over force, and the rule-based order must be further strengthened. For without these principles there can be no trust among nations, no true security and no hope for a just and lasting peace in the world. And let me at the end quote the most famous writer from our part of the world and the Nobel Prize laureate, Ivo Andrić, who wrote in his masterpiece The Bridge on the River Drina, of everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing is in my eyes better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than temples, for they belong to all and are equal for everyone. Dear colleagues, this timeless truth reminds us that bridges are not only structures of stone but structures of peace. It is a dialogue that builds bridges. And it is only through bridges that nations can walk towards peace. So our task is not to be passive heirs of history but active builders of a better legacy. So let the next 80 years of the United Nations be not years of hesitation but of courage and solidarity. So guided by these values, Montenegro will continue to build bridges, strengthen dialogue and work tirelessly towards a future of stability, future of progress and future of common success, fully aligned with the very spirit and mission of the United Nations. Thank you very much for your attention.