Mr President, Mr Secretary-General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I'm grateful to be able to speak to such an esteemed audience. I would like to thank the Secretary-General and his team for launching one of the most important processes of our time to revive multilateralism.
The 2030 Agenda is our common goal and roadmap for sustainable development. We now have a unique opportunity to accelerate its implementation.
The Pact for the Future lays a solid foundation for a better and more effective multilateral system. We stand ready to work with other delegations to successfully continue the efforts launched at this Summit.
In order to find the right way forward, we must first name the challenges that threaten our future.
I would like to stress that Russia's aggression against sovereign Ukraine, an aggression caused by a country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is an extraordinary challenge that shakes the foundations of the international system and the basic principles of the United Nations.
While we are now addressing this critical challenge, we cannot diminish the urgency of addressing the others. We see the suffering caused by wars and conflicts, the fatal disasters compounded by climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss, the slow progress towards sustainable development, and the widespread human rights violations.
All these questions are interrelated. No country is immune to them and no country can face them alone.
I would like to highlight two specific things here.
Firstly, I very much welcome the adoption of the Global Digital Compact.
It presents a shared vision for realistic international cooperation in the field of digital technologies on a global scale and offers an opportunity to clarify some basic principles together. The Czech Republic will play an active role here.
For digital transformation to be beneficial for all of us, it must be human-centred and human rights-oriented. Otherwise, we will not be able to face the challenges ahead.
Emerging technologies, artificial intelligence or biotechnology have enormous potential. They will certainly help us find solutions to many of today's problems. At the same time, however, greater technological dependence makes us more vulnerable.
That is why I was involved in the creation of the Prague GeoTech Summit; an initiative that will be held annually as part of the Globsec Forum conference. Its aim is to develop a dialogue between the business community, academia and government institutions and together find a way to safely handle technology in everyday life or to protect ourselves from its misuse by hostile actors. Whether individuals, groups or states.
My second point is climate change.
It is imperative that we address the current climate crisis and its far-reaching consequences in a comprehensive and integrated manner within the framework of effective multilateralism.
The recent floods in Central Europe, probably the worst in decades, are clear evidence of the growing threat of weather changes caused by climate change.
The Czech Republic will continue to push for a more robust global solution. Tackling climate change is not just one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It is a factor that can exacerbate some of the most serious challenges facing humanity today, such as poverty, hunger and health. We stand ready to work with all international partners to ensure a successful outcome of the UN climate conference in Baku in November.
Through our bilateral and multilateral development assistance, we implement a range of climate projects to help partner countries mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The outcomes of the Future Summit will only be meaningful if they are put into practice in full. But we must start with ourselves.
The Czech experience of the transition from an authoritarian to a democratic state, from a centrally planned economy to a market economy, has taught us a lot. Since then, we have reaped the benefits of joint democratic decision-making, especially the involvement of young people, respect for the rule of law and accountable institutions. These are the main tools for ensuring a sustainable future for all. But we need to keep working on them.
In conclusion, I would like to confirm that the Czech Republic joins other partners in calling for effective reform of the UN system. The Czech Republic will continue to pay its regular contributions to the UN budget on time and in full and encourage others to meet their financial obligations as well.
Petr Pavel, President of the Republic, Future Summit, United Nations, New York, 23 September 2024
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