6 December 2024 – UN Headquarters, NY
Good evening to all.
It feels good to be back in this place.
Thank you, Ravi for the very kind introduction.
Thank you to Diwali Foundation for making me part of this exceptional moment. You have earned your place among us, with the spirit of Diwali, the embodiment of victory of light over darkness; of knowledge over ignorance; of hope over despair and powerlessness.
Ravi, Ranju and other members of the board, I am grateful for this distinction and this honor, which of course, I share with many colleagues who have worked with me and have been part of what we did and managed to modestly achieve.
I have served twice in this organization.
Both times, despite representing a small country with realistic and reasonable ambitions, I have appreciated the exceptional privilege of being at the heart of multilateral dynamics and efforts, at the place where geopolitics evolve in their many different ways; they converge but also diverge, where ideas and thoughts come together but also simply fall apart, where we know how to join our efforts or expose our divisions, in a word, the everyday life of the UN.
Off all successes – and they are many – or the divisions and failures – and there have been more than a few – there is one feature that stands out when speaking about this big international family: it never stops working; it never stops trying; it never stops seeking for solutions.
Like some of us, I have had the supreme privilege to serve in the Security Council, the body that has and will continue to represent the hopes and dreams of people for justice, fairness, help and protection, for life and a better future.
After two long and busy years, besides the pride of serving there, I took home with me the frustration made out of that inexplicable mixture of the immense power invested in that body and its increased inability to deliver.
A divided council, reflecting a divided world, erodes trust, dashes hope, fails to reign on violence and conflict, leaves people behind, it simply fails to its core tasks. It is unfortunately more and more the case nowadays.
We know only too well: every time the world has come together working for the common good, hope has run high, lives have been saved, many dreams have become reality, and humanity has projected itself forward with force and determination. The opposite needs no description. Delivery must be the norm, not the exception.
This is why, despite the blues of our troubled times, this place must remain an engine for the future, never stopping to work for peace, sustanable development; to uphold human rights and the universal values of the UN Charter, the rule of law, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all States.
It must lead in finding the best solutions to old and new challenges, incluidng those related to the mind blowing fast digital technology. As highlighted recently by the SG, we must not let the worst impulses of humanity drag us backwards with consequences no one needs to describe.
In the past, promises have not always been kept and the world continues to suffer the consequences. Just a few months ago, the UN – probably the only one where the entire world meets – adopted the Pact for the Future, another major promise.
We must continue to do what we know best: work, build bridges through dialogue, empathy, and the courage to see beyond differences.
Albania will continue to do its part, here and everywhere, including where I work now, in Brussels/EU, which is the most important powerhouse for development, progress, human rights, equality and prosperity in the world.
Last October, Albania opened accession negotiations on the first 5 chapters. We look forward to opening two more before the end of this year, and all of them before the end of 2025. Our ambition, which is supported by the European Commission, is to conclude the accession negotiations by 2027.
We will do our utmost to make it happen.
It is our way to keeping the promise of sustainable goals and doing our share of the Pact for the Future.
Thank you.