Slovakia, 2013

To address

the General Assembly on behalf of Slovak citizens is

a great responsibility. It is a great responsibility for all

of us who have been entrusted with such a mandate by

our citizens. They rightly expect that this unique global

Organization will seek and find effective solutions

to bring greater peace, stability and prosperity to

humankind.

I believe that with President Ashe’s experience we

will succeed in that task. I wish to thank his predecessor,

Mr. Vuk Jeremi., for the vigour with which he presided

over the General Assembly at its last session. I convey

my deepest respect to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,

whose foresight and impartial service epitomize the

values of the Organization.

We have been going through a period of controversial

changes and unperceived opportunities, as well as

unprecedented challenges. The one thing that remains

unchanged, however, is the power of our joint efforts

and cooperation. Thrown off balance, the world expects

that we will assume responsibility for taking resolute

action together and on behalf of humanity, not governed

solely by our narrow national or corporate interests.

The time has come to learn to respect our diversity

and become in truth the United Nations. Achieving the

two primary goals of this Organization — peace and

prosperity for all — remains our greatest challenge and

our primary responsibility. Effective multilateralism is

therefore in the national interest of us all.

Our resolve and ability to respond effectively are

being tested by the current Syrian crisis. The conflict

threatens the entire region. It is frightening not only

because of the number of casualties and refugees; what

is equally alarming is the inability of the Security

Council to take any effective action. Thoughtful

reflection on all the possible consequences of a military

intervention in Syria makes it clear that there is only

one good solution to this conflict, the diplomatic one.

We must not be afraid to choose compromise solutions

that could serve as a basis for positive resolution of the

problem in the future.

The United Nations plays a key role in ensuring that

civilians have access to humanitarian aid, and that those

who commit crimes against humanity are punished and,

above all, in enforcing a truce and launching talks on

stable post-conflict arrangements under the “Geneva

II” initiative. Slovakia condemns the use of chemical

weapons on principle as a crime against humanity

and requests urgently that the perpetrators be brought

before the International Criminal Court. Continued

engagement on the part of the United Nations is

essential, since there is no functioning alternative to

its role.

Our recent experience in addressing international

and national crises and conflicts in various regions of the

world, including the so-called Arab spring, encourages

us to be extremely cautious when considering action

by the international community. The analysis of the

consequences of such action must be at least as detailed

and elaborate as that of how to conduct a potential

intervention.

Slovakia’s involvement in international crisis

management and in building and maintaining

peace, stability and prosperity has long focused on

Afghanistan, where the Slovak Republic has provided

military as well as civilian and humanitarian aid. We

greatly appreciate the work done by the United Nations

Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and its challenging

role in assisting the Afghan Government with its

security, political and economic transition.

Indeed, security, economic development, good

governance, the protection of human rights for all and,

last but not least, the preparation and organization of

free elections, must be the founding pillars in building

a new Afghan State. The upcoming presidential

election will be a milestone in Afghanistan’s history.

The key to success of all these processes, even beyond

2014, is national reconciliation, based on the principles

of constitutionality and respect for human rights.

Afghanistan needs consistent, predictable and targeted

support and assistance both from its neighbours and

the entire international community. We consider

cooperation between the United Nations and regional

organizations pivotal in that regard.

Africa remains a vulnerable continent with a high

concentration of conflicts. We believe that it will be

able to make progress towards stability, prosperity and

greater cooperation in a sustainable manner, with help

from the United Nations and regional organizations

such as the African Union. The 50 years of the African

Union’s existence have contributed to increased

cooperation and development throughout the continent,

and I believe it will stay on that path. Preventing

conflicts and resolving their primary causes are long

and complex processes. Africa still needs attention and

assistance from the international community, with a

focus on preventive diplomacy and national ownership

of all processes. The Slovak Republic supports more

intensive cooperation between the United Nations and

the African Union, as well as closer relations between

the African Union and the European Union.

We continue to pay close attention to the security

situation in the Middle East. We are glad to see some

positive signals among the worrying news from this

part of the world. Slovakia welcomes and supports

the renewal of talks between Israel and Palestine. It

seems, however, that talks are not enough. A number of

binding agreements and resolutions have been agreed

on to date in order to resolve numerous issues, but they

have not been sufficiently complied with. We therefore

expect more in the way of implementation of agreed

solutions. That is vital to peace, security, stability and

further development in the entire region.

Terrorism remains one of the most serious threats to

peace and security. It plays a key role in many conflicts

and most of its victims are civilians. We should keep

our resolve to do everything to reach an agreement on

a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

We will find a solution only through joint efforts under

the auspices of the United Nations.

We cannot have a secure, safe and stable environment

without effective arms control and disarmament

procedures in place as the basic instrument for conflict

prevention. The signing of the Arms Trade Treaty has

shown that the United Nations has the potential to

make history and contribute substantively to greater

security in the world through its shared commitment

to a responsible approach to arms trading. Slovakia

believes that the collective efforts of the international

community can ensure that the Treaty will soon enter

into force, and we are prepared to do whatever is

necessary to promote that. With regard to eliminating

nuclear threats and their secondary consequences for

health and the environment, Slovakia actively supports

the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-

Ban Treaty, which we consider to be an important pillar

of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

I wish to particularly stress — and I repeat this

at every meeting here at the United Nations — that

security sector reform is a key component of post-

conflict development and effective reinforcement

of the rule of law. In the context of the consolidation

process, we therefore consider it an inseparable part of

the security/rule of law/development structure. If we

cannot give people security, safety, education and jobs,

they will be quick to draw guns again in desperation.

Unfortunately, experience offers proof of that. Slovakia

closely cooperates with the United Nations in building

the effective and adequate capacity essential to

security sector reform and emphasizing national and

local ownership of all processes. The United Nations

is a guarantor of an impartial system of support to its

members in that area.

Enduring peace requires respect for freedom,

democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The

culture of impunity has no place in today’s world.

The role of the International Criminal Court in the

multilateral system is irreplaceable in that regard, as

it focuses on preventing the perpetrators of the most

serious crimes from going unpunished. But its decisions

must be unquestionable. The Slovak Republic welcomed

the adoption of amendments to the Rome Statute of the

International Criminal Court in June 2010. Therefore,

we call on all United Nations Members that have not yet

done so to ratify the Rome Statute and its amendments.

This year, we celebrate the twentieth anniversary

of the World Conference on Human Rights and the

adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme

of Action. Those historic documents are still relevant

and represent a priority objective that the activities

of the international community should pursue. They

confirm that the universal nature of all human rights

and fundamental freedoms is beyond question. At the

same time, they emphasize the interconnection between

peace and security, economic and social development,

and respect for human rights.

There can be no peace without economic stability

and prosperity. Ensuring sustainable development and

social stability is beyond doubt the most effective way

to prevent conflicts. That is an agenda in which the

United Nations has enormous potential; however, it is

one of the most fragmented within the United Nations

system. We appreciate that this issue is among the key

priorities of the current session.

Its relevance is also evident in a series of important

side events that focus on meeting the Millennium

Development Goals and the development agenda in

general. We particularly appreciate the initiative of

the General Assembly in organizing the High-level

Meeting on Disability and Development with the aim

of ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities

in the development agenda beyond 2015. There are

some 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide,

many of them living in poverty, who are still excluded

from equitable access to education, health care, jobs,

and social and legal support systems. This dialogue

is another step forward towards the empowerment

of people with disabilities. We want to stress the

importance of including this issue in the development

agenda beyond 2015. We are also paying increased

attention to ensuring access to energy supply, water and

safe food for all.

Slovakia wants to actively participate in the

preparation of the development goals beyond 2015

and is getting ready for a new stage in development

cooperation. We have only recently become a

member of the Development Assistance Council of

the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development, reflecting our commitment to becoming

a full-fledged member of the international community

of donor countries. Slovakia has thoroughly studied

the report of the High-Level Panel on the Post-

2015 Development Agenda, which sets out a global

framework for development cooperation goals. The

goals and measures must be coherent with and integrate

development, social and environmental aspects in line

with the outcome of the United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development in Rio.

The new goals must ensure effective and measurable

results. The crucial task will be identifying resources

to meet the new sustainable development goals. Our

efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals

have been hindered by the ongoing lack of public funds

and resources. The economic and financial crisis has

helped to reveal a number of systemic deficiencies in

the distribution and control of resources, in particular

public ones, as well as the need to draw on innovative

resources, including private ones, in the process.

Slovakia wants to contribute to the discussion through

its work in the Committee of Experts on Sustainable

Development Financing.

Until recently, Slovakia was a recipient of

development assistance. Naturally, it now wants to give

back by supporting countries dependent on assistance

from the international community. This year, we

celebrate the tenth anniversary of the establishment of

a national system for official development assistance.

The focus of the development assistance provided by

Slovakia reflects the needs of countries that rely on such

assistance and responds to the global challenges within

the international community. Slovakia has experience

in political and economic transition and integration

into European and trans-Atlantic structures. Slovakia

now primarily shares the lessons it has learned from

building civil society and public governance reforms

with the countries of the Eastern Partnership and the

Western Balkans, as well as others, including Kenya

and Afghanistan. Slovakia concentrates on poverty

eradication by facilitating access to health care and

education and by enhancing the status of women and

young people in those countries.

We are going through turbulent times. The United

Nations has the potential to be a global leader in ensuring

peace and prosperity for all. But if its effectiveness is

not enhanced, the Organization’s relevance will be

at risk. In order to perform all its tasks, the United

Nations must be strong, inclusive and open. Global

links require strengthening existing partnerships with

regional organizations, partners from the private sector

and, last but not least, civil society. We understand

that the United Nations needs sufficient financial and

human resources to effectively fulfil its mandates, but

we call for their more efficient use.

This year, Slovakia celebrates the twentieth

anniversary of its sovereign existence. It was only

natural that the first steps of Slovakia as a sovereign

State led to the United Nations. The principles and

objectives of the United Nations represent the firm

cornerstone of Slovak foreign policy, based on the

values of effective multilateralism. Over these 20 years,

Slovakia’s cooperation with the United Nations has

strengthened and intensified as Slovakia has grown

and as its position as a stable democratic country and a

reliable, proactive partner at the international level has

been strengthened. Thanks to that development, in June

I was able to host a summit of 20 Eastern and Central

European presidents in Bratislava, where we discussed

ways to address the current financial and economic

crisis and on good regional cooperation.

Slovakia has been contributing to a wide range

of United Nations activities through its work in the

Organization’s main bodies and its direct involvement

in more than 17 peacekeeping operations, as well as by

implementing over 400 humanitarian and development

projects in more than 20 countries worldwide. Having

won the trust of its partners, Slovakia has been elected

to all relevant United Nations bodies, enabling it to

promote and enforce even more effectively the values

of the United Nations in all three main pillars of its

work. I can assure the General Assembly that Slovakia

will continue its tireless efforts to serve and assist in

meeting the United Nations goals as a reliable partner.