At UN, European Union and member countries spotlight aid for refugees, conflict mediation
Massive displacement across borders has highlighted the power of fear and conflict more clearly than any other challenge, but the European Union’s actions have always been driven by empathy and a readiness to help those in need, its President told the United Nations General Assembly, which also heard several EU member States speak individually.
The Union has always promoted a free world governed by the rule of law and peace, rather than one beset by conflict, mistrust and fear, said the President of the European Council of the European Union, Donald Tusk, during the Assembly’s annual general debate.
Having spent billions of euros in humanitarian assistance, it would spend much more in years to come, he said.
The Union’s main goal has always been peace, he said, whether such peace is being threatened by civil wars in Africa or by nuclear testing in Asia. Peace on Europe’s own borders has been compromised when the “Ukraine [was attacked] by Russia.” Libya, Syria and Afghanistan are also in danger. In a few weeks, the European Union, together with the Afghan Government, will host an international conference on Afghanistan in Brussels, where the world can show support for stability in the country and region as a whole.
Building a global strategy to fight terrorism is key to both preventing attacks and undermining terrorist financing, he said, noting the Union’s efforts in that regard. He urged the international community to make better use of the UN to fight the scourge together. The Union is among the largest donors of development aid that addressed various problems, including insecurity, poverty, climate change and uncontrolled migration. In addition, with a policy in place for four years, the Union is fully committed to fighting climate change.
In his address, Sauli Niinistö, the President of Finland, said that for a number of years, his country and Turkey have taken the lead in efforts to strengthen UN-based mediation.
Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Cia Pak
“There is a need to foster closer cooperation between different actors, such as traditional and religious leaders, and to draw more participation from the civil society,” he said, welcoming the progress made, as evidenced by adoption of the Assembly resolution on mediation two weeks ago.
He noted that this year marked the 60th anniversary of Finland’s participation in UN peacekeeping, to which the Nordic country contributed 50,000 men and women to serve in those operations. Warning against the illicit flow of conventional weapons, he called for universal adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which has already entered into force. “Two tasks remain: it needs to be adopted by all and implemented effectively,” he said.
On the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted a year ago, by 193 UN Member States, he said the true test will implementation. For its part, Finland is focusing on partnerships between government, the private sector, universities and civil society. He said he is personally committed to lowering his carbon footprint by half within a decade by signing up to the “Citizens Climate Pledge” initiative just made global by the UN Climate Change Secretariat.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic called for a predictable, humane, responsible and legally sound system of governing international migration.
Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, President of the Republic of Croatia, addresses the General Assembly. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
“Our immediate focus should be two-fold. We must provide assistance to both countries of origin and receiving countries in order to promote safe, regular and orderly migration management,” she told the Assembly. “We must promote global efforts in countering organized crime networks in human trafficking," she noted.
“This is a global crisis of human mobility and as such requires a global response. We must end the policy of double standards and the hypocritical approach to the tragedy that is unfolding as we speak, we must help those who managed to leave the fields of destruction, but we must also do our utmost to assist those who have stayed behind and are left with no means and strength to escape,” she stated.
In a wide-ranging address Ms. Grabar-Kitarovic also warned that climate change is a powerful weapon of mass destruction that is getting out of control. “We have very little time to reverse this self-destructive course. Climate change is also a risk multiplier of other security challenges, including large scale migrations and regional instabilities born out of hopelessness and desolation,” she stressed.
She called for strengthening the resilience of societies at the grass-root level, particularly the fabric of multicultural and multi-confessional societies, against terrorist propaganda, attempts at violent radicalization and extremism.
On other issues she highlighted the vital importance of education and gender equality and the need to foster full inclusivity and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals that comprise the Agenda 2030.
President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia noted that conflicts, poverty, disasters and climate change have contributed to the sharp rise in refugees and migrants, with 125 million people around the world desperately needing humanitarian aid.
President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
“The current unprecedented migration crisis cannot be addressed by the most affected countries alone. It is a global phenomenon which requires joint efforts and shared responsibility,” he said.
“Sustainable solutions must be found to ensure opportunities for education, employment and business for persons forcibly displaced during protracted crises and conflicts, and to provide support for host communities and countries.”
Mr. Vejonis also denounced Russia’s annexation of Ukraine. “Russia has undermined the foundations of international law by changing borders of sovereign States through the use of force,” he stressed. “Latvia together with the international community will continue to stand for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“The illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation will not be recognized and must end. Any discrimination against the Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea requires a firm UN reaction,” he added calling on the international community to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the eastern Ukraine.
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves called for in addressing the causes of migration in finding a sustainable solution to the complex problem. “Yet we also must fulfil our commitments under international conventions on the protection of refugees. These commitments already exist, they are not some vague future goal we pledge to,” he said.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Cia Pak
Noting that migrant children are at the heart of the influx, by far the most vulnerable group facing limited access to justice, social and health services and often suffering horrible abuse, he called for providing education to children in refugee camps.
“Deprivation of education will damage the future prospects of refugee and asylum-seeking children, leave them behind and at the same time increase the risk of the kind of alienation that often leads later to extremism,” he said.
Mr. Ilves also denounced Russian aggression, noting that he warned the Assembly in 2008 not to turn a blind eye to Russia's invasion of Georgia then. “International law had been clearly violated, yet little was done,” he said.
“Six years later, in 2014, we saw a repeat performance in Ukraine. Part of a sovereign state was annexed, part turned into a warzone. For the first time since World War II borders in Europe had been changed through use of force. The prohibition on the use of force to change borders lies at the heart of the UN Charter.
“It was blatantly violated and yet the UN could not make a difference. Russia's aggression in Ukraine continues. Territories of Georgia and Ukraine remain occupied by a foreign military, frozen conflicts remain in Nagorno-Karabakh and Trans-nistria,” he added, calling for global norms and mechanisms to enforce international law.
“Unless the UN starts to do more, it will, over time, lose relevance. When we face a global challenge, the UN should be the first place to come to for a solution, not the last stop when all other options have been exhausted, knowing that nothing will happen anyway.”
President Miloš Zeman of the Czech Republic addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
In his address Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, reminded delegations that in his statement at last year’s general debate he had warned about the spread of international terrorism. “What has happened in just one year? Paris; Brussels; Dhaka; Istanbul; Orlando; Munich; Nice and New York – again,” he said, adding that the number of countries that had been influenced by Islamic terrorism had also grown from just six to 35.
“So, the Islamic State is something like a cancer. But is not only the tumor,” he said, noting the terrorism, like some cancers metastasize, and spread dangerously. “We must ask: how long are we to wait? How long must we only convey condolences? How long are we to only express ‘declarations of solidarity?’” While acknowledging that there had been some limited successes against terrorism and extremism, it was indeed still spreading, and he envisioned the risk of a “new Islamic State-type” group in Afghanistan, especially with the reduction of NATO forces.
He outlined the risk of radicalization, even in societies that were considered to be peaceful and cultured. Providing the example of Germany, he described the complete radicalization of a civilized society that turned into the horrors of national-socialism. That should serve as a reminder to the international community that more had to be done.
“Another risk is posed by our hesitation to [take] decisive action,” he said, noting that the Czech Republic is engaged across the world to combat violence and terrorism in Mali, Afghanistan and elsewhere, despite its small size, he said. Calling for an increased international response from “practically all members of the United Nations” to tackle the scourge, he was concerned that there had thus far been no international platform for concerted action against terrorism.
There needed to be strengthened cooperation between national security agencies and the increased use of drones, he said. It is vital that the “nerve centre” of international terrorism be hit. He expressed hope that the Security Council would adopt a resolution on the fight against terrorism.
Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos of Romania addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. UN Photo/Cia Pak
Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said his country was as an emerging donor and country of resettlement and is working to expand its contribution to the international humanitarian actions by increasing its resettlement capacity and financial assistance.
He also called for addressing the root causes of terrorism. “Terrorist groups cannot be countered only through military action, but also by reducing its attractiveness to its followers, particularly the young persons,” he said.
“Preventing radicalization is key, with action targeted on the underlying socio-economic conditions of persons in most vulnerable communities to radicalization and recruitment. We need more effective communication and education tools.”
Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session.UN Photo/Cia Pak
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili denounced Russian occupation of part of his country, noting that Georgia is an associated country of the EU and is harmonizing its policies, institutions, sectors and market rules with those of the EU.
“We are an aspirant country to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), having the deepest and most comprehensive partnership with the Alliance of any nation,” he added.
“We have been seeking a workable solution with the Russian Federation. We have made some concrete progress in de-escalating tensions, but Georgia's steps forward have not all been reciprocated. The Russian Federation has yet to honour even the EU-mediated ceasefire Agreement of August 2008,” he declared, referring to the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.
“Barbed wire fences installed by the occupiers divide Georgian families and communities. The populations in the occupied regions endure constant ethnic discrimination and gross human rights violations. Their freedom of movement and their property rights are restricted. They are even denied education in their native languages.
“I condemn the recent act of holding elections to the Russian State Duma in Georgia's occupied territories, which is another part of Moscow's annexation policy,” he added. “The ongoing occupation and steps towards annexation remain the greatest existential challenge inherited by our government.”