Madam President, excellence,
it is a real honour to address the Security Council today. I thank the Slovenian Presidency for this opportunity.
It is quite clear that no country can secure world peace by its own efforts alone. To provide our citizens with security and the conditions for development in peace, the world needs two things:
First, multilateral institutions that must be operational and functional. Secondly, their members must accept their responsibilities.
On the first point, it is imperative that the United Nations Security Council be comprehensively reformed to make it more effective, more inclusive and more reflective of current realities. To do this, the voice of the under-represented regions, especially Africa, but not only Africa, needs to be strengthened.
Without such structural and procedural changes, the Council's performance and legitimacy will inevitably decline.
In the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, it is now more than obvious that reform of the Security Council is long overdue.
Membership of the United Nations Security Council should not only be a privilege but, above all, a responsibility to defend world peace and security, which has been entrusted to the members of the Council on behalf of all of us.
On my second point: global security depends on the efforts and willingness of Council members to shoulder their responsibility. But what Russia is doing is the opposite. With its war in Ukraine, it is shaking the foundations of our collective security.
The implications of Russia's stated goal of subjugating Ukraine by force reach far beyond the region. The global consequences of the conflict include disruption of nuclear security, reduced food and energy security, as well as a dangerous attempt to dismantle the rules-based international order.
Given that the war is now in its third year, it is obvious that Russia could never manage something like this on its own.
I would like to take this opportunity to also appeal to China's responsibility as a global actor and permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to pursue peace and stability.
China is aiding today's greatest security threat by continuing to supply Russia with the resources needed to bolster the military capabilities Russia is using against Ukraine and its people.
China should behave according to the role it aspires to. Being a major world player brings not only advantages but also great responsibility for world peace and security.
I therefore call on China to use its exceptionally close relations with Russia to end the bloodshed in Ukraine and all related threats to world security!
Ladies and gentlemen,
Leadership is about responsibility, but it is also a commitment to peacekeeping. "Leadership for Peace" is our goal and our duty.
Thank you for your attention.
Petr Pavel, President of the Republic, UN Security Council, 25 September 2024
Madam President, Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
it is a great honor to speak before you.
Much to my disappointment, the world has not become a safer place since we last met last year. On the contrary!
First of all, I would like to recall that the UN was created to protect humanity from war and destruction and to promote peace, justice and a better quality of life. Together, we have succeeded in building a global system of rules and cooperation to promote security and human rights instead of conflict and suffering, and to promote economic development instead of ignoring widespread damage. United around the UN Charter, we have pledged not to repeat the mistakes and horrors of the past. Unfortunately, we are still making them.
The world needs and deserves a functioning United Nations - one that can respond quickly when needed and that better delivers on our shared global commitments. Without a functioning multilateral system, alternative and narrowly focused structures would lead to greater fragmentation and less predictability. As national and global leaders, we have an obligation to find common solutions to the most pressing problems before they spiral out of control. Finding compromise is never easy. It takes time and patience. Only when we realise that we can achieve far more together than when we are divided can we make our nations - and the United Nations - truly united behind our common purpose.
It is long overdue for a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to make it more effective, inclusive, accountable and reflective of current realities by strengthening the voice of under-represented regions. In the face of Russia's unjust and unprovoked war against Ukraine, we must realise that membership of the Security Council is not a blank cheque. No one has the right to abuse their power and intimidate other members of the international community without penalty. Together, we must put more pressure on Russia to end this unjust and brutal war.
The peace summit in Switzerland clearly confirmed that peace in Ukraine must be based on international law and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia's cynical attitude and its lack of interest in substantive peace talks have global consequences. These include the erosion of nuclear security, the reduction of food and energy security and the dismantling of the rules-based international order. The Czech Republic calls on those who have not yet supported our joint efforts to consider signing the joint declaration negotiated at the Peace Summit in Switzerland.
Too many countries that aspire to become respected regional or global players have remained silent. But respect cannot be forced, it must be earned. Let us not forget that hesitation only adds to the aggressor's power. If injustice and aggression are passed over in silence, there will soon be others who will want to see how far they can go in bending international rules.
Some of you may think that what Russia is doing in Ukraine is just another regional conflict and that the two sides must meet halfway. But there is no such thing as 'another regional conflict'. Conflicts on one side of the world cause food insecurity and refugee waves on the other.
As globalisation progresses, our security and prosperity are closely linked to developments far beyond our borders. With this in mind, the Czech Republic is striving for security not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East and Africa and other regions.
I appreciate that many nations, including those in Africa, are making great efforts to ensure and maintain peace and security in their regions and far beyond their borders. The Czech Republic will continue to work with African countries and listen carefully to their views and needs. I believe that, despite our differences, we can together create mutually beneficial partnerships - based on the principle of equality, mutual respect, unencumbered by any historical burden or future demands for resources. Africa is a continent with vast economic potential just waiting to be tapped. We want Africa to thrive, to develop its skills and to create opportunities and jobs for its young people.
The last topics I would like to mention are cybersecurity and the role of technology. As the digital transformation progresses and we become more dependent on advanced technologies, the severity and scale of cyber threats are increasing. They recognise no boundaries. Cyber espionage and attacks on hospitals, media, infrastructure, national institutions and businesses aim to destabilise our democratic systems and undermine the principles on which our societies are based.
Just as in the offline world, we must not allow cyberspace to become a space without rules. In our efforts to make the online world safer, we should be guided by an agreed framework for responsible behaviour of states in cyberspace.
The security of cyberspace will depend on the capabilities and efforts of all responsible states. The Czech Republic takes its commitment to protecting the global security of cyberspace very seriously.
We will continue to provide support to partners in Africa, Asia and South America so that together we can increase our resilience and better protect our citizens.
Foreign interference and disinformation continue to pose a challenge with serious implications for democracy, security and the rule-based international order.
Given the rapid development of new technologies, the protection and promotion of human rights remains crucial. New technologies will have an undeniable impact on the nature of future conflicts, but also on life in times of peace.
It is our duty to ensure that innovation - including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, biotechnology and quantum technologies - fully meets our ethical and human rights standards.
Last year, the Czech Republic, along with Mexico, the Maldives, the Netherlands and South Africa, submitted a resolution on human rights in the context of digital technologies.
In addition, last month I met with senior executives from global technology companies at the Prague GeoTech Summit as part of the Globsec Forum conference. I was pleased to see that they are fully aware of their responsibilities and fully committed to contributing to strengthening the resilience of our democracies.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen,
The challenges we face today are global. We can only succeed if we tackle them together.
The quality of our governance will be judged by our actions and whether we leave this world in a better state for future generations.
I would like to thank everyone who works tirelessly to make our planet a safer place for everyone.
That's what really matters!
Thank you all for your attention.
Petr Pavel, President of the Republic, UN General Assembly, New York, 25 September 2024
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