Luxembourg is aiming for a second mandate in the United Nations Security Council: after the Grand Duchy was already part of the body in 2013/2014, it aims to renew its membership for 2031/2032. In the context of the 77th general debate at the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel identified the areas of the world map that, from the Luxembourgian point of view, are of security concern. To stay with the image, this required a lot of needles.
Perhaps the world has never been a safe and good place for everyone, but the difficulties and risks currently plaguing residents of the “pale blue spot” (Carl Sagan) may seem almost hopeless. In his nearly 25-minute speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday (September 23), Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel at least attempted to name the most pressing challenges from his point of view – or of course from that of the rather small Grand Duchy. on the other side of the Atlantic, which nevertheless has ways and means, as a mediator or source of ideas, not only to follow in a fatalistic way the course of the tragedies that are emerging today on a global level.
“The United Nations is what we make of it,” he summed up his belief in solutions, alliances and compromises. What at the moment must seem like an optimistic expedient: the declared hope that by next year “the current atrocities in Ukraine will become part of history”.
The situation there, not surprisingly, occupied the first and largest part of Bettel’s speech. The 49-year-old once again clearly defined the conflict as a “clear violation of the United Nations Charter”, ie as a “large-scale war of aggression against a neighboring sovereign country in which Belarus is also involved”. The “unmotivated and unjustified” war “revived the specter of a world war” and Luxembourg “strongly condemned the recent threats and measures announced by Moscow”.
Bettel recalled that in March he was involved in efforts to persuade Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials to negotiate a ceasefire and “return to diplomacy”. He does not regret these attempts, although obviously he is “disappointed” with the results.
While I appreciate Putin’s “directness” he has shown in discussions, he believes starting a war seems to be easy enough these days. But in putting an end to it, the greatness of the political figures is shown. Bettel was openly perplexed at this point. He simply could no longer understand Russia’s actions – and although his previous appeals were unsuccessful, he repeated in New York: “I call you again for a ceasefire and diplomacy!”
Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations
Bettel criticized the referendums that have now taken place. They are not really feasible in wartime anyway, but the fear is nonetheless that they are intended only to serve Putin as a reason for “even more brutal actions” – and what the previous ones did, he had an idea of in loco three months ago. : during his visits to the “cities of martyrs” Borodjanka, Bucha and Irpin. Bettel recalled meeting a mother and her son who went deaf after being bombed.
He assured that Ukraine “continued our full support”. The country defends itself on the basis of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which establishes the right to self-defense in the event that a member state is the target of an armed attack.
Bettel also stressed the civil commitment in Luxembourg. You spoke of the more than 1,000 Ukrainian children and young people who go to school in the Grand Duchy.
At the same time, he expressed respect for the “resilience of the women and men of Ukraine who, after the barbarity in their cities liberated by the aggressor, began to rebuild and revitalize these cities”. This must be honored, including through tireless investigations, such as that of the International Criminal Court, so that “those responsible for war crimes and other crimes committed in Ukraine are identified, prosecuted and punished”. The brave Russian citizens who continue to say “no to war” despite the repression could continue to count on the solidarity of Luxembourg.
“Is it too late to forgive?” suddenly asked Bettel, whom he frequented often renamed deviated “What has happened so far is unforgivable.” However, a ceasefire must now be in place, the killings of innocent people must be stopped.
Russian fiction
Bettel was able to link his intervention’s next goal, food insecurity in many developing countries, with the first: after all, war of aggression aggravates or causes this problem, for example by blocking millions of tons of Ukrainian wheat. It must be clearly stated: “War is the cause of the food crisis. It is not the sanctions that are a consequence of the war. Even if the Russian narrative wants you to believe otherwise, ”he told representatives of the world’s states gathered in New York.
Rising energy prices would also have serious consequences for many Europeans, so it is natural to wish the sanctions to end. “I would like to see the end of the war,” Bettel said, praising initiatives such as special “response groups” within the United Nations that have already had successes such as the reopening of the Black Sea to Ukrainian grain exports. The Grand Duchy continues to support “the vital work of the World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)” with at least 20 percent of the humanitarian budget. Luxembourg, according to Bettel, is proud of its ambitious development cooperation and humanitarian aid policy, for which one percent of gross national income is made available.
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, partnership with Africa is essential: after all, as in the case of Cape Verde, this goes beyond traditional cooperation and also extends to sectors such as renewable energy and the fight against change. climatic.
As a “credible and supportive partner” of developing countries, it is also necessary to respect its commitments in relation to “climate finance”, for which Luxembourg has provided 220 million euros in four years from 2021 to help countries at high risk to adapt to climate change.
Furthermore, Luxembourg is a “European pioneer in the field of sustainable finance”, for example as an actor in the transition to a CO2– neutral economy by 2050.
climate change and human rights
But that’s not enough, Bettel said. Indeed, efforts should be doubled again. Institutions such as the “Citizens Council for Climate Protection” in Germany should help, after all, “the ambitions of our citizens often go beyond those of governments and economic actors”.
The prime minister once again supports the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, to prevent conditions like those currently seen in Pakistan from becoming more frequent. “Some speakers here today have been thinking about how their countries might react at three or four degrees, but there are countries that then just disappear from the map,” Bettel pointed out.
Last but not least, climate change has also threatened to impact human rights and especially children, which were among Luxembourg’s priorities in the Human Rights Council.
But Bettel faced all forms of discrimination in general – and uttered the name of Masha Amini, whose alleged death at the hands of the moral police in Iran is currently causing ongoing protests in the country. Nowhere in the world is it justifiable to have fewer rights because of religion, political opinion, sexual orientation, gender. “But this is a reality in 2022,” Bettel said. That is why it is important to campaign for human rights within the United Nations as well.
Luxembourg wants to live up to the responsibility that the General Assembly gave him when he was appointed a member of the Human Rights Council and do even more:
For this reason, Luxembourg is a candidate for the Security Council for the term of office from 2031 to 2032.
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