Switzerland, 2010

It is a

great honour for me to address, on behalf of

Switzerland, the General Assembly, which this year is

presided over by my compatriot, Mr. Joseph Deiss. I

would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the

President on his election. His election is a great honour

for Switzerland and is not only a personal recognition

of President Deiss and his work but also of our

country’s commitment to the United Nations as a

member of the Organization and a defender of

multilateralism.

We find ourselves today in a building that is

undergoing renovations. The architectural makeover of

the United Nations prompts me to ask: what kind of

United Nations are we building for the next 10, 20 or

30 years? We need a United Nations that can face the

challenges of the future for the good of all. We need a

United Nations that will contribute effectively to

solving the world’s problems. We need Member States

that are ready to take full responsibility for building a

better world.

The future of the United Nations must reflect the

world of tomorrow. Today, nearly one billion people

are still malnourished. There will be many more people

sharing this planet in the future, and no doubt we will

have to make do with fewer resources. Thanks to new

developments in technology and information, our

citizens participate more directly in the challenges

facing our societies. They are increasingly better

informed and feel that at least some of the legitimacy

of this universal Organization depends on its ability to

respond effectively to those challenges. They demand

accountability.

In a more globalized world, we must treasure and

defend the principles of the United Nations Charter. We

must take care to ensure the proper functioning of this

common structure in a spirit of solidarity, respect and

responsibility.

A strong international community requires

solidarity. That means more than providing assistance

to countries when they are unable to help their own

citizens. It also means reminding States of the

responsibilities they have towards their own people in

areas such as security, the rule of law, human rights

and democracy, and all that in respect for the United

Nations Charter. Every woman, every man, every

citizen must make his and her contribution to the

structure we are building together. At the same time

every Member State must be able to place its national

interests second to the common good. That is the only

way we will be able to find solutions that are in

everyone’s interest.

Every day we are reminded of the growing and

increasingly complex global challenges confronting us:

the economic and financial crisis, climate change,

energy and food security, development and poverty,

and peace and security. The search for sustainable

solutions to those challenges calls for real governance,

governance, moreover, that must reflect the new

realities in the world. The new-found prosperity of

some must go hand in hand with new responsibilities.

States whose economic success enables them to play a

more active role in the governance of the world must

accept the new responsibilities that go with that active

role.

The United Nations enjoys a unique legitimacy

because of its universal membership. Its legitimacy

also derives from the issues it addresses, which

concern us all. This week’s agenda is the best possible

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proof. But the legitimacy of an organization also

depends on its performance and its ability to respond to

the expectations placed on it.

By that standard the United Nations sometimes

delivers mixed results. At times it seems ill-equipped

and hesitant to act. The power derived from universal

membership becomes a burden when we Member

States are divided. Our debates should not be limited to

the lowest common denominator. They must lead to

action and to results in the interest of the common

good of humanity.

If the United Nations fails to act, other groups

representing only a fraction of the countries of the

world will step in, zealous for effective action, and

play a central role in global governance. As far as

Switzerland is concerned, such groups lack legitimacy

by virtue of their limited composition. It is therefore

crucial for the United Nations and its principal organs

to remain at the centre of world governance. That is

why we must take care to ensure that the legitimacy of

this universal body does not suffer from a lack of

efficiency. To make progress in building a better world,

it is our collective responsibility to meet a global

challenge with a global response. Switzerland wants to

contribute to this joint effort.

Concerted global action is required in the

following areas.

The Millennium Development Goals must be

implemented rapidly and fully. We know that dropping

a sack of rice from a helicopter is not enough. We must

instead teach people how to grow rice. Still today,

1.4 billion people around the world are living in

extreme poverty. Every day too many mothers and

children die of malnutrition and lack of care. We know

that huge financial means are needed after a disaster.

Money flows in emergency situations, but who is still

concerned three years later? Who is involved in the

reconstruction?

Binding objectives must be defined as quickly as

possible for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Nowadays, we have knowledge and we have clean and

green technology. We must take action, each nation

with measures aimed at its own targets. Waiting for the

industrialized countries to invest in the South will not

lead anywhere. Here too, all must fulfil their own

responsibilities. This year in Mexico we still have an

opportunity to make progress. The recent natural

disasters are unmistakable signs. Switzerland will

reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by

the year 2020.

Thirty years after the Cold War, the proliferation

of weapons of mass destruction remains a grave threat

to peace and security. But for civilian populations, the

real devastation is caused by small arms and light

weapons. Terrorists benefit from that situation by

easily supplying themselves in the arms market.

Switzerland, together with other countries, is

supporting the full implementation of the United

Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. That

initiative provides for the involvement of specialists in

humanitarian aid and education.

Gender equality must at last become a reality.

Access to education and health for women and girls

has been restricted for decades. More than others, they

have been victims of poverty. They have also been the

targets of systematic violence in armed conflicts. It is

high time to make full use of their potential in

mediation and reconstruction in countries affected by

conflict. In that context, Switzerland welcomes the

creation of the United Nations Entity for Gender

Equality and the Empowerment of Women — UN

Women — which brings us closer to the fulfilment of

this vision.

We must avoid making the United Nations an

immutable historic monument, but rather turn it into a

dynamic organization. The United Nations is the only

organization in the world with the legitimacy to

represent all nations and all peoples. It is the only

legitimate organization in the world capable of

narrowing differences and restoring a balance between

regions.

For that to happen, however, every Member State

must accept its responsibilities and start with the task

of putting its own house in order. Discussion and

preparing reports are not enough, however; we need to

act. Each Member State must commit itself clearly

within the Organization to respond to the urgent

questions facing the world of today and of tomorrow.

Such commitments will strengthen confidence in the

United Nations and its credibility.

Switzerland remains firmly convinced of the

aptness of a multilateral approach, with the United

Nations at its centre. With the contributions of

everyone in this Hall today we will be able to create a

more just, peaceful and prosperous world. I thank all

who are gathered here for their collective commitment.