2022 Speech - Bulgaria
| Session Number | 77 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Country Code | BGR |
| Speech |
We are living in unprecedented times with many challenges — war and insecurity, energy and food crises, climate change and the lingering consequences of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. And that list of challenges is far from complete. The abrupt increase in security risks and the tectonic instabilities that have occurred since the previous session’s general debate are threatening to destroy the rules-based world order — the order that has been built here in this Hall by all of us, by sovereign States and the peoples of the world. That is why a great majority of the speakers during this year’s debate believe our biggest security risk to be the war that the Russian Federation is waging against its neighbour, breaking basic international rules and violating the Charter of the United Nations itself.
This illegal military aggression by a permanent member of the Security Council is not only undermining global security but also putting the international rules-based order in jeopardy. Bulgaria is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of the conflict and the partial mobilization announced by the Russian Federation. We reject the ongoing sham referendums in occupied Ukraine and consider them neither free nor fair and with no binding force. In those unfortunate circumstances, each and every contribution towards achieving more stability and cooperation among States in different regions must be encouraged and welcomed. As a South-East European country, Bulgaria attaches the utmost importance to peace, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans region. We are confident that the transformative power of the European Union integration process and inclusive regional cooperation are both the most powerful tools for achieving a common space of democratic governance, a market economy and political, economic and social sustainability. We will continue to support such countries on their path to the European Union. Bulgaria is concerned by the lack of progress in the efforts to advance the Middle East peace process, as well as the recent escalation of tensions in the Gaza Strip. Enhanced cooperation between international and regional partners is needed to provide a political horizon for the resumption of bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. A negotiated and viable two-State solution that allows both Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders, is essential to the stability of the entire Middle East. Bulgaria is following with concern the critical developments in Afghanistan, including the human rights situation and the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on the rights of women, girls’ access to education and journalists. The war in Europe has global repercussions. The Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused food insecurity and an energy crisis, which have devastating socioeconomic impacts on countries worldwide. Even before, the global food system was already under pressure due to factors such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the crisis has escalated dramatically because of the war, as disruptions in food, energy and financial systems in more than 90 countries around the world have put 1.7 billion people at risk. Bulgaria highly appreciates the United Nations- and Tiirkiye-mediated deal on the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, and we fully share the assessment that that very welcome development has the potential to significantly alleviate the current food crisis. Nevertheless, the situation remains critical, and the need for humanitarian assistance to a number of countries in the global South persists. Some two and a half years ago, we were faced with the first lethal pandemic of the twenty-first century, which changed our lifestyles, the way of doing business and, above all, the way in which we communicate with each other. The COVID-19 pandemic also triggered a revolution in human online activities and interaction through various digital communication platforms. It also caused huge quakes in both societies and economies, deepened the gap between the rich and the poor, applying both to people as well as to entire nations, and wiped out at least a decade of progress made in reaching the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our planet is visibly suffering from the devastating effects of climate change: deforestation, desertification, weather extremes, environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity, affecting in one way or another each and every one of us, no matter where we live. Action is urgently needed. We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian and food crises in Africa, especially in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, which are further exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are an additional burden on post-COVID-19 recovery efforts. In that context, specific and comprehensive responses that address the short-term needs of the countries concerned, as well as strengthening their resilience and sustainability, are needed. We therefore commend the efforts of both the United Nations and the African Union to address those challenges. Dialogue and cooperation with the countries of the Indo-Pacific region are becoming particularly important. Bulgaria supports the strengthening of partnerships with like-minded countries from the region in energy connectivity, digitalization, people-to-people contacts, security of supplies, security and defence, countering disinformation, et cetera. As the country currently holding the presidency of the Economic and Social Council, we attach great importance to the priorities of emerging economies with regard to sustainable development, as well as to the priorities of small island States, taking into account their specific needs, including their existential struggle over the impact of global warming and the constant sea-level rise. I would now like to share another very important and pressing issue. The world finds itself at a watershed moment for human rights, as it faces numerous challenges in that regard. Neither peace nor prosperity can be meaningful concepts without full respect for human rights and human dignity. We are a staunch supporter of the universality and indivisibility of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. As an active member of the Human Rights Council between 2019 and 2021, Bulgaria firmly promoted the rights of the child, women and girls, as well as their empowerment. Gender equality and the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities are also key priorities for my country. Strongly committed to further advancing the human rights agenda worldwide, Bulgaria has presented its candidature for membership of the Human Rights Council for the period from 2024 to 2026. Education is a basic human right, with the transformative power to foster a fairer and more inclusive world. Education is a solid foundation for future peace, tolerance and sustainable development. Over the past couple of years, the COVID-19 pandemic further limited the access of children to education in the developing world. That motivated my country to play an active role in the preparation of the Transforming Education Summit, and we are encouraged by the successful outcome of that event. Let me now briefly turn to United Nations reform in three closely interrelated areas: governance, peace and security and sustainable development. We cannot be complacent about the pace of reform so far, and we must seize the historic wave of opportunity to make strides in the process. Bulgaria therefore supports the acceleration of the reform efforts, in line with the proposals in the Secretary-General’s report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), aimed at reaching a new global consensus on our future and stepping up multilateral cooperation to achieve it. We support the comprehensive reform of the Security Council. We have reached a critical juncture where it is untenable to maintain the status quo. The current situation where that highest organ of the Organization is failing to play its key role under the Charter of the United Nations cannot be tolerated by the international community. That is a duty that we owe to the future generations. Allocating at least one additional non-permanent seat to the Eastern European States in a reformed Security Council remains a priority for my country. During the seventy-seventh session, Bulgaria will remain strongly committed to its financial obligations to the United Nations and is concerned about the persisting liquidity challenges, which undermine the ability of the Organization to implement its mandates and carry out its approved programme of work. We will continue to support the Secretary-General’s policies to improve the financial situation of the United Nations. Bulgaria consistently ranks among the Member States that have contributed on time and in full to both the United Nations regular and peacekeeping budgets. Allow me to conclude by sharing with the Assembly our vision of the way ahead. We will have to navigate uncharted waters. If we build upon the consolidated and unanimous approach of upholding the principles and the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, we may exit the present crisis, but we will have a long way to go to re-establish security and economic stability after the war. The world of tomorrow will be very different from what we expected it to be not too long ago. Whether or not we will be up to the challenge will depend on our unity and ability to act together, as one, to mitigate negative side effects, readjust our lives to the new realities in the world and shore up rules-based multilateralism, with the United Nations at its core. |