Jeg opdagede et blog-indlæg af Denis Fitzgerald, som dækker den islandske udenrigsminister Össur Skarphÿinssons tale til FN's Generalforsamling. Da der ikke har været nogen nyhedsdækning af talen, gengiver jeg den her på bloggen i sin helhed. Det er af mange grunde, som Fitzgerald skriver, en af "de mest kreative taler" der blev givet i FN i år.
Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
First, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Vuk Jeremid on his election as President
of the 67th General Assembly. He can be assured that the Icelandic delegation will assist
him in every way possible.
Mr. President,
Last year I brought you the message that my Government would propose to our
Parliament that Iceland recognizes Palestine as a sovereign and an independent state.
I'm happy to tell you today, that we have fulfilled that promise. What's more, not a
single member of the Icelandic Parliament voted against the recognition of Palestine.
Mr. President,
The United Nations have recently estimated that Gaza will no longer be "livable" by 2020
unless urgent action is taken to improve water supply, power, health and basic
education. The deplorable living conditions described in the UN report demonstrate
only too well that the situation in Palestine is unacceptable to anyone who respects
human dignity.
I have visited Gaza. I met with fishermen who are not allowed to go fishing in the waters
out of Gaza. I met the children of Gaza whose lives are made impossible by poverty,
violence and a blockade that by others than myself has been described as an open door
prison.
I have seen for myself how the human rights of the people of the West bank are violated
every day by a man-made barrier cutting through their roads, their lands, their lives,
When I was in Qalqilya the words of a former statesman we all know rung in my head.
Mr. Netanyahu - tear down this wall!
I also know that the Israeli people are just like the rest of us. They just want to live in
peace, and so they deserve. The best way to ensure that, is a two state solution, that
would not only be to the benefit of the Palestinians, but to the Israeli people as well.
Mr. President,
I listened to Mr. Netanyahu's speech on Thursday, and I have a comment to make on
behalf of the Icelandic people: Don't bomb Iran. Don't start another war in the Middle
East. At the same time I say to President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian leadership: Don't
build a bomb. Let diplomacy work, not rabblerousing or fearmongering. Let's work for
peace together.
Mr. President,
We have seen fundamental changes break forth with the Arab spring as demonstrated
by democratic elections. Democracy matures and only gets better with time, and the
Arab spring is just beginning. In a democracy everyone has a place and a role. As friends
and supporters we urge all of us to ensure the Arab spring will advance the rights of all
people, towards societies of democracy and social justice, where our sisters in the Arab
world are allowed to thrive in the same way as our brothers - and women and men
enjoy equal rights.
Sadly, there is no spring in Syria. Thousands of innocent people, not least innocent
children, are loosing their lives due to an oppressive regime. The international
community must unite to end the violence and we must make a better effort to seek a
political and peaceful solution for the sake of the Syrian people. We must also ensure
that those, on both sides, who commit atrocities, will at the end of the day face their
responsibility in an international court of law.
The Syrian problem is also a wake-up call for the UN with regard to the Security Council.
Syria has demonstrated how arcane the Council is, and how out-of-tune it is with the
needs of the modern world. The truth is that the Security Council has become an
obstacle to international efforts to address and solve situations such as in Syria. We
must reform it, so as to make it a tool, not a hindrance, for progress in situations such as
in Syria this year, or - as we saw last year - concerning the Palestinian application.
Let me add, that we always must oppose violence, and terrorism, and we all should unite
in condemning the ghastly murder of the American Ambassador in Libya recently. Our
embassies, our tools to work for the people, for peace, must always be inviolable.
Mr. President,
Iceland is an open and embracing society, and our foreign policy is based on human
rights - for everyone. From the point of view of human rights it is not acceptable that
anyone is persecuted or mistreated because of her or his sexual orientation or gender
identity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees equal treatment and
non-discrimination to all people, and we, the community of nations, must ensure that
equal treatment in every sense of the word extends as well to sexual orientation and
gender identity. Let's not forget that we all, every human, are sparks from the same sun.
Mr. President,
Small countries can be global pioneers. Iceland demonstrated that by breaking the ice of
recognition for the Baltic countries, by introducing geothermal as an alternative in the
world's quest for clean power, and we have led by example in the fight for gender
equality.
I'm happy to tell you that Iceland is now embarking on a pioneering programme
regarding clean renewable energy for up to 150 million Africans. We have ensured funds
to work with the World Bank to assist 13 countries of the East African Rift Valley to
identify, research and prepare their considerable geothermal resources for utilization.
This will be the greatest and most historic project Iceland ever has cooperated on with
the developing countries, and I'm very proud of it.
Mr. President,
It may sound as a paradox but when we put our expertise in geothermal energy to use in
East-Africa we are at the same time protecting the environment of our neighbourhood,
the Arctic. The ice of the Arctic is melting at a pace far greater than ever anticipated. You
don't need to be a prophet to predict that in the Arctic vast areas will open - sooner than
later - for new transport routes between continents and for production of oil and gas. Of
course, this may bring immense commercial benefits to the people living in, and around,
the Arctic. But we are also acutely aware of the dangers to the fragile Arctic ecosystem
and to the traditional livelihood of the Arctic people. We have to tread very carefully in
the Arctic. It is in the interest of all nations to ensure the Arctic Council becomes strong
enough to provide in future the forum for shaping important decisions on common
interests of all the Arctic peoples.
Mr. President,
Times have been tough in Iceland. In the recession in Europe we were the first country
down, but we were also the first country up. If there is any lesson to be drawn from the
Icelandic recovery it is that austerity doesn't work on it's own. Iceland certainly went
through her share of austerity, but we also raised taxes, especially on the wealthy, and
used the revenue to stimulate growth and ensure the welfare system was intact. Today,
we have some of the lowest unemployment in Europe, and robust economic growth. The
Icelandic model works.
Perhaps the best sign that Iceland is back in business is the fact that whilst the global
recession has sadly led to a decline in international support for the developing countries
Iceland is bucking that trend. We are increasing ours - substantially.
And finally, Mr. President, the first letters of the themes I have broached here today -
Palestine, Energy, the Arctic, Climate Change and the Economy, form the word we should
all hold dearest here in this hall and towards each other, whatever our differences - P-E-A-C-E, Peace.