President Iohannis at the United Nations
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis addressed the UN General Assembly
Roxana Vasile, 21.09.2017, 13:54
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who delivered a speech on Wednesday at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, said that the United Nations needs consolidation and increased effectiveness, in order to cope with the present challenges. People around the globe are suffering the brutal effects of war, poverty, inequity and injustice, and tensions related to cultural identity and religion are affecting even the traditionally open and tolerant societies. Moreover, terror attacks make people feel unsafe, while increasingly destructive natural hazards are reported each season.
Under these circumstances, President Iohannis said, achieving and preserving peace requires not only a quick and adequate reaction of the heads of state and government, but also an understanding of the roots and the causes of conflicts and insecurity, which rarely stem from one source alone. Romania, he said, hails the reform of the UN mechanisms for fighting terrorism and the organizations steps towards making the fight against terror a key element of its prevention agenda. As no country can fight this plague alone, Iohannis went on to say, Romania reaffirms its firm commitment to setting up, alongside Spain, an International Court Against Terrorism.
Talking about the ongoing conflicts in Romanias vicinity, which are a threat to the security of the Black Sea region, Iohannis emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and of confidence building measures. Bucharest expects an enhanced contribution of the UN to the global efforts in the field of international migration.
Also, according to President Iohannis, by focusing on education and ensuring prosperity for their people, world leaders can prevent instability and crises. Although some believe that the UN has not been very good at managing the multitude of new crises that have emerged, it is clear that there is no better way of finding viable solutions to current world challenges than the multilateral approach. With that in mind, the UN needs some vital instruments in order to be effective, while member states need to commit themselves more to the organization.
In this respect, President Iohannis voiced Romanias willingness to contribute substantially to the activity of the UN Security Council, by taking over a new non-permanent member seat in 2020-2021, should its candidacy end successfully.
(translated by: Elena Enache)
