Izetbegović addresses UN General Assembly

NEW YORK, (Patria) - Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegović spoke at the general debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

We present Izetbegović's speech in its entirety.

- Madam President,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Fellow delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honor to address you for the fourth and final time as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his successful presidency of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. Together with UN Secretary-General Guterres, he has worked tirelessly to make this Organization more effective. I am pleased that this year's session agenda will maintain its focus on these efforts.

I also congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election. The fact that she is only the fourth woman in this position since 1946 is a reminder that gender equality and the empowerment of women must continue to be one of our main priorities. She can count on the full support of Bosnia and Herzegovina in ensuring productive work of the UN General Assembly, which will have a full impact on the ground.

Madam President,

Two years ago, I spoke here about ways to make our world fairer and more prosperous for all. Unfortunately, there is little we can celebrate in terms of the progress we have made.

Challenges continue to multiply uncontrollably. Old conflicts have worsened, new ones have been created. Compared to the situation in the last three decades, more countries are now in crises that are increasingly violent, more devastating for development, and resulting in greater divisions. Modern crises and conflicts are rarely confined to the places where they originally emerged. They shake entire regions and increasingly spread into the transnational arena.

A record number of civilians are victims of indiscriminate, and even deliberate, armed attacks. Many more are subjected to persecution, discrimination, marginalization, and severe violations of fundamental human rights. Many others are victims of natural disasters. The number of refugees, displaced persons, and those in urgent need of humanitarian aid is constantly increasing. Peace, security, and prosperity remain only a distant hope for many human beings around the world.

It is precisely from this perspective that I wish to speak about three issues that are key to resolving global problems: multilateralism, international law, and the international order based on accepted rules. Because I believe that commitment to multilateralism, respect for international law, and a shared commitment to a rules-based global order are our only hope and the only way to resolve the complex challenges we face.

Whether it concerns conflict prevention and resolution, security, development, climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, migration, or human rights – none of these issues can be resolved by one, three, or five countries alone. Each of these issues has a transnational dimension. Therefore, their resolution also requires a transnational, multilateral response, based on dialogue and cooperation among all states. Effective responses require adherence to agreed international norms and standards, common strategies, strong coalitions based on mutual trust, and a progressive, inclusive, and democratic vision and leadership that embrace a new understanding of state sovereignty.

Today, however, we are witnessing serious attacks on the international order, attacks on the purpose, principles, and norms of international law. These attacks pose a serious threat to international peace and security. There are many examples in our recent past that show what disrespect for international law and the international order can bring. These dark chapters of our history are a direct result of the international community's failure to defend the principles and norms on which the world order is based, at the time when those rules and norms were threatened.

Madam President,

Our citizens want to live in a world where peace prevails, where their dignity is respected, and where their fundamental rights and freedoms are protected. This is the main reason for the existence of this Organization. And its purpose. And that purpose extends far beyond state borders or interests. No government can focus solely on ensuring stability and prosperity only for its citizens, while ignoring what is happening outside its state borders, in its immediate neighborhood, and around the world. To paraphrase Franklin Roosevelt: The structure for resolving any of the numerous challenges we face, including building and maintaining world peace, cannot be the work of one man, one nation, large or small, but the common effort of the whole world. These words of Roosevelt carry the same weight today as they did more than seven decades ago.

The joint efforts of states were crucial in eradicating smallpox, in the preventive vaccination of a record number of newborns against preventable diseases, and in overcoming the risks of HIV/AIDS. Decisive efforts and cooperation of all states are also needed today to mitigate the risk of nuclear conflict and successfully address global issues such as gender equality, climate change, or the prosecution of war criminals at the international level. The spirit and principles of multilateralism are key to ensuring and maintaining peace, security, and development in the world.

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who always strongly advocated for multilateralism in his long career on the international stage, once said: “More than ever in human history, we share a common destiny. We can only be its masters if we face it together. And that is why we have the United Nations.”

We must reaffirm that the United Nations is the true embodiment of multilateralism. It is the only forum that brings together 193 states in finding solutions to global problems that affect us all. It is the only forum that has the capacity and commitment to solve these problems. And it is the only forum where the voices of both large and small states can be heard equally – even if those voices are not always equally respected and accepted.

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains strongly committed to preserving and strengthening this Organization, its values and principles, its mandate and mission, its unity, credibility, and relevance. To this end and for this purpose, we welcome and support the reform of this Organization, so that the voices of all its member states become equally represented and respected in its work and actions.

Madam President,

We must remind ourselves again and again of the fundamental values and principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations, which embody the core of the international order. These principles and values are as relevant today as they were in 1945. The primary responsibility of this Organization and all its member states is to support and protect these values and principles from modern challenges that profoundly question them.

Protecting the international order and the rule of law are key to preventing and resolving crises and conflicts, and to maintaining peace. Strong leadership and engagement by the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, in accordance with the norms of international law, are indispensable in situations like those in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, or Libya, as well as in other crisis areas.

Unfortunately, our response to modern crises and conflicts is marked by disregard for international law, deviation from multilateralism, disrespect for the international order, and a lack of adequate reaction and indifference to human suffering and human rights violations.

Let's take the Middle East as an example. The conflict in Syria has entered its eighth year, and its resolution is nowhere in sight. Some of the most severe and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law in modern times, including the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, continue unabated. Civilian casualties are constantly increasing. The humanitarian situation is constantly deteriorating.

The same applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been ongoing for more than half a century and has caused immense human suffering. It is unacceptable to hold an entire region hostage to individual state interests that jeopardize the interests of civilians caught in endless cycles of violence. The national interests of any state must not be pursued at the expense of the basic conditions and livelihoods of a large part of the population.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to support multilateral efforts in finding solutions that will ensure lasting peace for the Syrian people; solutions that will fulfill the legitimate expectations of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to have two democratic states coexisting within secure and recognized borders in accordance with international law. As much as finding these solutions is a political issue, it is also a matter of our common humanity.

Madam President,

Our common ambition to leave no one behind is seriously threatened by the increasing risks of radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism. This modern scourge draws strength for its sustenance not only from armed conflicts but also from social and political injustice, discrimination, marginalization and exclusion, poverty, and economic barriers. Violent extremism and terrorism know no physical or virtual borders. Extremists and terrorists are determined in their intentions to create divisions within and between societies, hindering our efforts to maintain peace and security, protect human rights, and promote sustainable development. They are constantly changing tactics and finding new means and ways to further spread their devastating influence. Our response, therefore, must be decisive, coherent, comprehensive, and based on the international framework we have created to combat terrorism.

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains strongly committed to global efforts to combat terrorism and eradicate this modern threat in all its forms and manifestations. This is a true challenge of our time that we must confront at every step and with all available means.

Madam President,

Nuclear weapons and their proliferation pose a serious threat to our civilization. The scale of this threat overshadows all others combined. The stakes have never been higher. Preventing nuclear proliferation and eliminating weapons of mass destruction is a matter of human survival.

Madam President,

The United Nations peacebuilding architecture is more important than ever for addressing all the challenges we face on the path to sustainable peace worldwide. Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the value of activating UN peacebuilding efforts at an early stage, in parallel with peacekeeping operations. We support Secretary-General Guterres' vision and efforts to include conflict prevention and peacebuilding among the UN's priorities.

As part of a comprehensive response, UN peacekeeping missions have proven to be an effective instrument for assisting countries on their path from conflict to peace. Bosnia and Herzegovina is proud of its contribution to these goals, through our participation in UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Congo, and Mali. We have also joined over 130 other countries and organizations in supporting the Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations, presented by the UN Secretary-General. We support his efforts to reform UN peacekeeping missions to make them more effective.

Madam President,

The 2030 Agenda is one of the strongest links between the various directions of the United Nations' work. Its implementation is the path to global peace, security, and prosperity. It will enable countries and societies to establish resilient institutions capable of absorbing tensions, eliminating the causes of conflict and preventing their recurrence, and creating conditions for inclusive and sustainable development by reducing poverty, inequality, and discrimination, ensuring respect for human rights, and combating environmental degradation. The 2030 Agenda is a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive development based on respect for economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights. It is the best way to prevent conflict and instability.

Madam President,

Strong global and regional cooperation in preventing and resolving conflicts, combating terrorism, and implementing the 2030 Agenda is key to the success of all these efforts. Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly values the cooperation we have established within our region, the Western Balkans. We remain committed to advancing this cooperation, including cooperation on our common path towards European Union membership.

Bosnia and Herzegovina strives to protect and promote values and principles that are common to all states. We believe that the ideals, values, and principles contained in the UN Charter, as well as the norms and standards of international law, must never be violated or neglected. We believe that it is the obligation of all states, large and small, less and more powerful, to protect the noble values and principles on which this Organization is founded. If any of us lacks the will to protect these values and principles, then all our efforts will be less valuable and less successful.

Therefore, I conclude with the words of a great man, Nelson Mandela, on the centenary of his birth: “What counts is not the mere fact that we lived. It is the difference we made in the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we led.”