A high level meeting was held on September 21 this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. So the year 2020 marks a special anniversary for the United Nations: 75 years from the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco.
In 1945, soon after the end of the Second World War, nations worldwide decided to change the course of history and took the commitment to work together for peace. And this is the same path that the European Union chose to follow only a few years later.
“While the international community has been able to prevent military conflagrations of the magnitude witnessed during last century, on this 75th anniversary of the United Nations, all its member States are facing a new and invisible enemy of global proportions,” said Albania’s President Ilir Meta in his contribution in the video Summit which has appeared on the presidential webpage.
Many state and government leaders addressed the Summit having as main the strengthening of multilateralism at these hard times the world is passing through having the UN as its core.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into a tough health and economic crisis, the likes of which has not been seen in nearly a century,” said Meta in the speech whose full text follows:
Born from the ashes of the Second World War, the United Nations was established to save successive generations from the scourge of war, which twice, in the first half of the 20th century, brought untold sorrow to humankind.
While the international community has been able to prevent military conflagrations of the magnitude witnessed during last century, on this 75th anniversary of the United Nations, all its member States are facing a new and invisible enemy of global proportions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into a tough health and economic crisis, the likes of which has not been seen in nearly a century.
However, differently from the World Wars’ experiences, this time we are all at one front, all against the global pandemic of COVID-19.
With a good professional and political guidance, with a great solidarity, better coordination and wise management we can, and, altogether, will succeed!
We will succeed, as we possess the multilateral instruments and mechanisms, embodied in the United Nations and its specialized agencies, which do have today a 75 years’ experience.
We firmly believe that the United Nations, even 75 years after its founding, still remains the cornerstone of multilateral rule-based cooperation, from which benefits the global community as a whole.
The consensus achieved on the Political Declaration on the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations is a clear sign of our good will and ability to work together to rebuild a stronger, more responsive, efficient and resilient multilateral architecture.
Albania embraced, since the very beginning, this outstanding worldwide organization and became part of it in 1955.
It embraced and implemented its principles, which due to its founding Charter, committed to maintain and enforce international peace and security, to promote cooperation in solving international, social and economic problems and to work for equality and promotion of human rights.
Albania is a country that has supported and continues to support any international effort in favor of global peace and security.
In addition, our country develops a constructive regional policy, based on the principles of good neighborly relations and the respect for minority rights.
My country fully shares the vision for a safer region, with a clear European perspective and with comprehensive and sustainable mechanisms to counter also the emerging security threats.
Albania’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat to the Security Council for the period 2022-2023, is a pledge to engage in all efforts to maintain international peace and security, to support the development of democracy and protect human rights.
We strongly believe that effective multilateralism and inclusive approach is the only way to challenge immensely complex questions related to maintaining the peace and security of the international community.
In this regard, we strongly support the vision and the ambitious reform agenda of the Secretary General to reform the three pillars of the UN System.
We are confident that a reformed UN will deliver a more integrated and system-wide approach to achieve the 2030 Agenda and make sure no one is left behind.
Last, but not least, let me emphasize that conflicts will not be resolved, and sustainable development will not occur, without the equal and active participation of women and youth at all levels.
Moreover, human rights can never be fully upheld unless they are also enjoyed by all the strata of our societies.
By way of concluding, Mr. President, I would like, in this important anniversary, to express gratitude to all women and men that have served under the UN flag and pay tribute and respect to those who have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.
