Sixty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly – Speech by M. Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic
New York, 23 September 2008
I bring you fraternal greetings from Europe, which is conscious of its responsibilities, from Europe which wishes to act, from Europe which is true to its values: democracy and freedom. From Europe, which is loyal to its friends but wishes to speak to all and to serve dialogue and peace.
At a time when the world is in trouble, I have come to tell you, on behalf of Europe, that in the midst of so many difficulties, the international community has a political and moral responsibility which we must assume.
But let’s remember that we are gathered here today because after one of the most terrible tragedies mankind has ever known, women and men of goodwill wanted to ensure that in the future no one in the world could ever say in the face of misfortune: “We can do nothing.” That’s why we are here. Because those who preceded us didn’t want to give up.
Europe thinks that today our duty is to act and to refuse to submit. We can’t wait any longer.
We are beginning to realize the tragic consequences of having already waited too long.
We can’t wait when it comes to achieving peace, ending the tragedy in Darfur. We can’t wait when it comes to fighting terrorism. We can’t wait when it comes to averting the food crisis which condemns so many human beings to die of hunger.
We can’t wait when it comes to preparing the post-oil world, fighting global warming, saving the oceans, putting an end to monetary, social and ecological dumping. We can’t wait when it comes to bringing ethics to financial capitalism.
We have all been resigned to powerlessness for too long. We have retreated too long in the face of the need to give the globalized world institutions that will regulate it.
We can wait no longer.
We can’t govern today’s world, that of the twenty-first century, with the institutions of the twentieth. We are a century behind.
Let today’s major powers and the powers of tomorrow unite to assume together the responsibilities their influence gives them in world affairs! I’m well aware that, among you, some hesitate, but to those who hesitate I want to say that enlarging the Security Council, enlarging the G8 is not just a matter of fairness, it is also one of effectiveness.
We can’t wait any longer to enlarge the Security Council. We can’t wait any longer to transform the G8 into the G14, to bring in China, bring in India, bring in South Africa, Mexico and Brazil. Italy is proposing a major step in this direction at the next summit which she will host. Italy is right!
We need to act so that our international institutions are more representative, because if they are more representative, our institutions will be stronger, more effective and more respected.
A new world is emerging through all the successes, but also all the crises besetting the planet. But we must not sit on our hands, we must build this new world.
Let us learn to manage together the most acute crises that no one, not even the most powerful among us, can resolve alone. I am convinced that it is the duty of heads of State and government of the countries most directly concerned to meet before the end of the year to examine together the lessons of the most serious financial crisis the world has experienced since that of the 1930s. Who could understand the principal economies not taking the time to meet to discuss what we have to do together, the lessons we have to learn from what has happened?
Let us rebuild together a regulated capitalism in which whole swathes of financial activity won’t be left to the sole judgment of market dealers. Let’s rebuild a capitalism in which banks do their job, and the job of the banks is to finance economic development, it isn’t speculation. Let’s rebuild a capitalism in which prudential rules apply to all and serve to avert and cushion crises instead of exacerbating them. Let’s build a capitalism in which the credit agencies are controlled and penalized when necessary. Where transaction transparency replaces opacity. There is so much opacity today, we find it difficult even to understand what is happening. In which modes of remuneration do not drive people to take unreasonable risks and where I shoulder my responsibilities by saying that those who jeopardize the money of savers are punished and at last shoulder their responsibilities. We shall succeed in doing this on one condition: that we work together.
In our globalized world, the fate of each one is linked to that of all the others. The negotiations on climate change, begun in Bali, will conclude in Copenhagen next year. Whatever our particular interests, whatever our differences, we don’t have the right to fail!
Europe will adopt an unprecedented raft of measures on energy and climate in December. Europe does not wish to lecture, Europe wishes to set the example.
Europe wishes to set the example also by acting to bring peace. Europe did so for Georgia. Europe did so with the Union for the Mediterranean. Because Europe has undertaken for over half a century to stop the endless cycle of war, vengeance and hate which periodically took it to the brink.
Europe does not want war.
Europe does not want a war of civilizations.
It does not want a war of religion.
It does not want a Cold War.
Europe wants peace. And it’s because it wants peace that Europe is telling Russia it wants ties of solidarity with her, wants to build a shared future. Europe wants to be Russia’s partner. Why not build a continent-wide common economic area which would unite Russia and Europe? But Europe is telling Russia with the same sincerity that it cannot compromise on the principle of States’ sovereignty and independence, on their territorial integrity, on respect for international law. It tells all States that it cannot accept the use of force to settle a dispute.
Europe is telling Iran that it respects her, that Iran has the right to nuclear energy and that Europe will explore dialogue right to the end. But it tells Iran with the same sincerity that it cannot accept a nuclear-armed Iran which would endanger the peace and stability of an entire region. Nor can Europe tolerate Iran – I say this solemnly – calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.
Europe is telling Israel it is her friend, that it will let no one threaten her existence. Europe tells her it will always be at her side to fight terrorism. But Europe is also telling Israel with the same sincerity that there will be no peace until there is a viable Palestinian State with recognized borders.
Europe is telling Afghanistan that it will continue to be engaged alongside her, that it will not permit the barbarians allied with al-Qaida to again take a whole people hostage and transform an entire country into a terrorist base!
Europe is telling Somalia that it will help her, Secretary-General, with the support of the United Nations, to combat the scourge of piracy off her coasts. Let all world’s States join together to create a marine police force! We can’t allow a few hundred pirates to jeopardize the free movement of ships in the world!
Europe is telling Africa that it is going to be committed at its side to co-development, that it wishes to be your key partner, that it has a common destiny with Africa, a profound solidarity. Europe is telling Africa that it has its place among the permanent members of the Security Council and in the enlarged G8. Europe believes in the African renaissance, which is under way and is first of all in the hands of Africans, particularly the hands of African young people, who are the youth of the world.
Basically, what brings us here together in this forum, where everyone is obliged to listen to the other and thereby show him a form of respect, what brings us together is something more fundamental even than democracy. What brings us together is respect for everyone’s dignity, just as they are, with the diversity of opinions, sensibilities, cultures and beliefs. The dignity of Man is a universal value. What we must promote everywhere is respect for this diversity. This is how we will build peace and human fraternity and combat intolerance, hatred and violence.
This is what Europe wants: peoples united in respect, understanding and the solidarity of the peoples united across the world, working together for the great common cause of safeguarding humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, heads of State and government, time is short. The world can’t wait. Thank you./.