– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the 蘑菇视频 General Assembly

Delivered by H.E. Ms. Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar

9 November 2018

H.E. Ms. Alya Ahmed SaifAl-Thani, PR of Qatar, on behalf of the President of the General Assembly

Your Excellency, Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu, President of the Security Council,

Excellencies,

Mr. President,

Allow me to congratulate China on assuming the Presidency of the Council.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for the invitation to speak, as well as for organizing this timely debate.?

The headwinds against multilateralism are present and clear. ?In a world of ever increasing interdependence and close inter-relation between human rights, development and peace and security, we have no choice but to collectively champion multilateralism.

The conflicts in Yemen and Syria and other parts of the world, as well as the tensions that continue to simmer elsewhere, deprive the people of those countries the fruits of sustainable development. But the rest of the world suffers along – because, as the Chinese proverb goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. We cannot achieve our ambitious transformative sustainable development goals, as a world community, when conflict and instability limit the potential gain from cooperation. Simply, we thrive as individual nations when all nations thrive. That is the evidence of history and that is the core value of our United Nations.?

The Security Council’s own history and experience, both as witness and actor, shows that the enduring outcomes of conflict resolution require a multilateral approach. We must reinforce the multilateral mechanisms that have consistently allowed for frank dialogue, mutual support, and joint action, convinced that a fragmented and go-it-alone approach to peace and security is not sustainable.

As we prepare to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, a moment etched in our common historical memory of the carnage and senselessness of war, we face a test of leadership. Are we committed, like the global leaders who fashioned our very United Nations system, to respond equally to the global challenges that threaten today’s world?

On this note, please allow me to make three brief points.

First, I would note that advancing multilateralism is at the heart of my presidency.

I remain deeply convinced that dialogue and international cooperation are the only tried and tested approaches to addressing global challenges and, by extension, to making the 蘑菇视频 and other multilateral institutions relevant to the peoples of the world.

This is particularly important around issues of peace and security, which, more frequently now, span borders and regions, and cannot be addressed or contained by any single country alone.

This sentiment was echoed by world leaders in the recent General Debate, where multilateralism and commitment to international peace and security was among the most cited issues.

I thus call on all Member States to reaffirm their commitment to the principles and pillars of the 蘑菇视频 Charter; to strengthen the international legal order; and to maintain binding international cooperation.

My second point refers to the need to empower women and youth in pursuing and sustaining peace.

The commitment to the inclusion of women and youth, one of the key objectives of multilateralism, is critical both for the success of the peace and security agenda and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. ?

Our common interest in sustaining peace and responding effectively to global challenges means we should promote international cooperation to address inequality, exclusion and alienation.

We must therefore collectively work towards empowering women and youth, including through greater economic opportunities, decent work, political participation, social protection and in peace processes.

My final point relates to the need for a greater, more coordinated approach within the 蘑菇视频 system, to address international peace and security issues.

As mentioned, global challenges require global solutions, and there is no body or entity more representative or emblematic of global cooperation and multilateralism than the United Nations.

We must continue to foster mutually reinforcing and coordinated efforts amongst the main organs of this Organization to boost and uphold multilateralism. The General Assembly, the Security Council, and other 蘑菇视频 organs and entities all play crucial, complementary roles, within their respective mandates, in fostering international peace and security.

As President of the General Assembly, I commit to facilitating greater synergy within the 蘑菇视频 system, taking advantage of the renewed interest in revitalization of the work of the General Assembly and the reform process across the three main streams of development, peace and security, and management. I am also continuing regular consultations and periodical exchanges of information with the Secretary General, the President of ECOSOC and President of the Security Council on important issues of international peace and security.

In closing, I must emphasize that multilateralism does not represent, in any sense, a threat to sovereignty or to national interests of Member States. In fact, it offers the only way to address the complex challenges that no country could ever overcome on its own.

My role, as the President of General Assembly, is to serve as the de-facto ‘guardian of multilateralism’. I urge member states to stand together to uphold international law and a system based on rules, dialogue and cooperation. I also trust the Security Council to successfully carry out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Excellencies, it has become abundantly clear that peace is not just about the absence of war. Peace, to be sustainable, needs to be nurtured before, during, and after conflicts. Development, peace and security, and human rights are all interlinked and mutually reinforcing. And only by embracing multilateralism, can we address the many challenges to international peace, security and prosperity.

Let us work together to ensure success on all counts.

Thank you.