Thank You!

Honorable President Mojsiu

Excellencies Ambassadors,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations’ Organization. Today, while thanking you for your presence, I have the pleasure and honor to invite you to celebrate together the 60th Anniversary of the accession of Albania to this Organization.

It is also a pleasure for me to welcome today the newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Brian Williams and together with him, to have the honor to host this meeting.

There are 6 decades divided into two eras; in two paths of different directions and pace.

The first period was marked by the logics of the Cold War, barriers and paranoid self-isolation of the communist regime.

Clearly, the Albania of the ‘55s has nothing in common with the one of post- 1990. The changes are epochal and the transformation all-encompassing.

If we were to look for an element or string which ties the 6 decades of our presence in the UN, beyond systems and ideologies, it would be the unchanged position of the Albanian state in favor of peace and security. It’s part of our DNA as a nation, to be in harmony and at peace with others.

Our presence and role in the UN, during the last quarter century, coincides with the tireless efforts for a democratic state-building and our western inclination in highly sensitive topics faced by the Organization.

Our action in the UN is comprehensive and extends in the whole spectrum of the Organization’s activity.
For instance: We have contributed with military troops and police in UN Missions.  We have actively engaged in support of the development aid reform through the implementation of the model “delivering as one”. We are promoters of the protection and respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights; always in cooperation with other states, in a collective attempt for a coherent and effective UN, capable of addressing challenges of a constantly changing world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

However, there’s another side to our history in the UN: that of the UN in Albania. There is no doubt that the economic and social transition of Albania would have been even more complex, without the contribution of the UN agencies in Albania. For this, we will be forever grateful.

The UN projects for development have contributed to the transformation of many policies and public sectors. Together, we are concluding the implementation of the Millenium Development Goals. We are preparing for the next challenge, that of sustainable development, and also the implementation of proper measures with a view to coping with the effects of climate change.

On this occasion, I would like to welcome the historical achievement of the Paris Agreement, at the end of the Climate Change Conference.

The Paris Agreement is both a roadmap for international transition towards a world with clean energy and an outcome of a new approach to multilateral cooperation.

It establishes an international framework which combines national commitments differing from each other, both in ambitions and implementation skills.

I am convinced that beyond issues directly related to climate, this agreement will serve to address other major topics such as food security, public health, fight against poverty and fundamental rights, by providing a direct contribution to peace and security in the world.

 

Distinguished Friends,

Nobel Peace Prize winner Dag Hammarskjold defines the UN as a “not perfect” but “necessary” organization for a fair and secure world order.

The world is changing at a fast pace. At the same pace, voices and demands for the reformation of the UN have increased, for old approaches do not always suffice to solve new crises.

Albania believes in the UN despite the lacks and limited instruments it disposes. The UN remains an irreplaceable platform for crisis resolution, respect of human rights and a common vision of sustainable development for our planet.

Therefore, we support the UN reform, with a view to make it more representative and more effective.

In this context, the debate on the establishment of new and more flexible decision-making mechanisms in the Security Council remains crucial, in order to prevent and resolve international crises.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our 60 years in the UN are part of the 70 year-old history of the Organization. Albania will continue to be a responsible and dynamic actor, a reliable partner, ready to contribute in areas of UN activity.

Albania has demonstrated that it has a lot to offer to a more peaceful, a more secure and a more developed world. We are determined to continue on this path, at first within the country, in the region, and then in our way towards Europe.

Thank you!