The Balkans will only become a permanently stable region when all the countries that comprised the former Yugoslavia are accepted as members of the European Union, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly today.
The President of Cyprus told the General Assembly today that his administration remains committed to a mutually-agreed reunification of the Mediterranean island and ending what he described as the “occupation and illegal colonization of settlers by Turkey” in parts of Cyprus.
From addressing climate change and helping the poor to defending human rights and preventing conflicts, the United Nations plays a vital role in responding to today’s global challenges, several European leaders stressed.
South-Eastern Europe can become a safer and more developed region, but only if there is justice for the victims of serious crimes and an end to impunity for the perpetrators, Croatia’s President told the General Assembly’s annual general debate today.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked today’s start of a European environmental conference by welcoming the efforts of the region’s countries to implement green policies and measures to boost sustainable development.
Leaders from Europe and Africa used the opening day of the General Assembly’s annual session today to stress the important role that mediation can play in resolving conflicts before they become intractable.
The principle known as ‘responsibility to protect’ – safeguarding populations from genocide and war crimes – must be turned into practical steps to ensure that societies are no longer devastated by such atrocities, Estonia’s President told the General Assembly today.
The President of Ukraine today told the General Assembly that the world should move towards gradual and irreversible nuclear disarmament and called for legally binding international security assurances to protect non-nuclear States.
The United Nations needs to adapt quickly to new global realities so it can better serve the world’s peoples, starting with the “long overdue” reform of the Security Council, Latvia’s President Andris Berzinš said today.
United Nations human rights officials today called on Belarus to immediately release all political opponents not involved in violence, voicing concern at a pattern of rights violations involving freedom of speech and assembly and “serious allegations” of torture after last year’s elections.
