Liechtenstein Deputy PM Addresses UN General Debate on Peace, Development, and Human Rights

A Woman's Leadership at the UN

• 👑 The Deputy Prime Minister expresses happiness at seeing a woman preside over the assembly, a rare occurrence in UN history.
• 💡 Hopes this signifies progress for the selection of the next Secretary-General, a position never held by a woman.

Liechtenstein's Foreign Policy Pillars

• 🏛️ The United Nations is a cornerstone of Liechtenstein's foreign policy, guided by international law, cooperation, and multilateralism.
• 🤝 Liechtenstein values the UN as a platform for gender equality, advancing human rights, and promoting sustainable development goals.
• 🛡️ The UN Charter is seen as a guarantor of Liechtenstein's sovereignty and a vital window to the world.

Challenges to the United Nations

• ⚠️ The speaker highlights significant challenges to the UN's credibility, citing political paralysis in the Security Council regarding conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.
• 🌍 The very foundations of the UN are being challenged, threatening joint commitments to solve problems based on sovereign equality and enforced international law.
• 📉 The UN80 process is presented as a crucial opportunity to make the organization leaner, more effective, and more productive.

Addressing Global Threats

• 🌡️ Climate change is identified as the biggest global threat, with progress towards solutions lagging.
• 🤖 The rapid, unchecked development of artificial intelligence poses significant risks to the social fabric without agreed-upon rules.
• 💥 The destruction of the European security architecture and the preservation of trade relationships are also noted as critical priorities.

Upholding International Law and Justice

• ⚖️ Liechtenstein strongly supports international courts, particularly the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), as essential for enforcing international law.
• 🌍 The ICJ's advisory opinion on climate change, initiated by the youth movement and adopted by consensus, is highlighted as a significant development.
• 🚫 The ICC's role in prosecuting the most serious international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, aggression) is crucial, and the court needs protection from political attacks.
• 🚨 The erosion of rules governing the use of force and instances of illegal aggression without consequences are seen as a direct attack on the UN Charter.