Address by President Donald Tusk at the 70th
UN General Assembly debate
By : Mohamed
Adel
I am here
today to reassure you that Europe is as committed to its values and objectives
now, as it has ever been: Europe will stay the course, even though it is now
confronting challenges unseen and unheard of since for decades. Wars are raging
both to the South and to the East of our borders. European leaders are tackling
the consequences of borders being changed on our continent by force, like in
Ukraine, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations. We are also dealing
with the refugee crisis, with terrorist attacks inside Europe and with economic
difficulties in some Member States. As difficult as the situation is, I am sure
that we will cope with it, and most importantly, we will, at the same time,
remain dedicated to helping make the whole world a better place.
Everyone who
wishes to contribute to eradicating poverty, supporting peace keeping missions,
solving the migration crisis, as well as to handling the causes and effects of
climate change, can still count on us. For Europe, isolationism has never been,
and will not be, an option.
We are always
ready to listen to the good and sound advice of our friends, also on the
unprecedented refugee and migrant crisis that we face today.
The myth
prevails that Europe is the only rich place on Earth. This is not true; there
are other places comparable to us in terms of wealth. But for some reason,
refugees and migrants are not flowing there. This is because wealth is not the
only element that determines where people choose the future for their children;
such values like tolerance, openness, respect for diversity, freedom, human
rights and the Geneva Convention are also a magnet attracting them to us.
And we refuse
to change in these respects. If in Europe we are engaged in animated
discussions on relocation quotas, it is because we care. It is because we seek
to be as effective and as inclusive as possible. But quotas are just a fraction
of what Europe is already doing to help those who flee wars and persecution. By
contrast, many countries represented here deal with this problem in a much more
simple way; namely by not allowing migrants and refugees to enter their
territories at all. This is why suggesting that Europe is an example of poor
treatment or indifference towards asylum-seekers is sheer hypocrisy.
In fact, the
opposite is true, as we can see from the direction of their travel. No-one
seems to be escaping from Europe, while people from all over Eurasia and Africa
are coming to Europe. The crisis we are talking about has global dimensions and
demands a global solution. First of all, it demands global solidarity. Everyone
can offer help to the refugees. And those who do not want to, at least
shouldn't hide their indifference by criticiszing Europe for doing too little.
It is no
coincidence that the UN General Assembly debate this year focuses mainly on the
situation in the Middle East, especially in Syria. Let us have no illusions.
Syria's crisis will not be solved unless a common denominator of interests is
found among the regional players. But a peace plan must not only be only a
formula for defining a new division into spheres of influence. Here, in the
United Nations, we should speak not only about the interests of the regional
powers but above all about the interests of millions of Syrians, including
those internally displaced and the refugees.
The fight
against terrorism is no doubt important in this context; that is why we welcome
the fact that this aim is gaining the support of new and quite unexpected
allies. But we cannot overlook the fact that many refugees are fleeing state
terrorism, of which Syria is a dramatic proof.
Europe, which
everyday witnesses the tragedies of millions of Syrian refugees, must be their
advocate. We all want to see stable states in the region; stabilisation is a
value beyond any dispute. But stability cannot be won with barrel bombs and
chemical weapons used against civilians.
Today the
circle of proponents of the idea that Bashar al-Assad should be part of Syria's
transition is growing. Yet we cannot forget that millions of people have fled
his horrific methods of trying to secure stability in Syria. During my trips to
the region, I was told that Assad's victory would only lead to another exodus.
The only goal and intention of a peace plan for Syria must be to make it
possible for the people to again start leading normal lives in the region.
This, and
this message alone, will be consistent with the values of the international
community, of the European Union, and with the values that the United Nations
has held dear for more than seventy years.
This year
will also be crucial in the global efforts to fight the causes and consequences
of climate change. In the last days and weeks we have listened with great hope
and satisfaction to the pledged of leaders, committed to fighting global
warming. Europe is determined that the Paris Summit be a breakthrough,
symbolising our readiness to undertake unified action in the face of this
global problem.
With a pledge
to reduce CO2 by 40%, as compared to 1990, Europe remains in the lead of this
process. But fighting global warming is not a sports competition. Victory is
possible when everybody moves in the same direction and at a similar pace. This
is why we invite all of you to take part in this common endeavour. Without a
global agreement, Europe's isolated efforts will be impractical. What matters
for Europe is practical effects, not ideological fervour.
Global
challenges must be dealt with multilaterally, or they will not be dealt with at
all. There is a duty on all of us to make the words "international community" actually
mean something real. We are facing multiple global emergencies. Let them pave
the way to forming our strong global community. Thank you.
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