Every country in the world is affected by the impacts of climate change. No one country can halt the process. The costs of doing nothing are immense, and new global conflicts would be inevitable. The contributions of every individual state or group of states is thus welcome, she went on. These contributions, however, can only complement but not replace a follow-on agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, under the aegis of the United Nations.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Kugler
On the way to the opening of the UN General Assembly"This UN General Assembly must thus send out a strong signal for the next step, the Climate Change Conference in Bali," demanded Merkel. The environment ministers should agree in Bali on a clear roadmap, so that negotiations can be wound up by 2009.By the middle of the century, global emissions must be slashed by at least fifty percent if we are to avert the disastrous consequences of global warming. The Chancellor had already laid out how this can be done in a speech given the day before at the High Level Event on Climate Change.
>> Merkel: Shared but differing responsibility
Closing ranks to face the future together
For the future of the United Nations, the German Chancellor proposed three basic principles to the General Assembly:
"Firstly, economic performance and social responsibility belong together."
The Chancellor is convinced that we must take as our guiding rule the liberty of the individual to develop, in the way a state deals with its citizens and in world trade.
Liberty for Merkel involves not only fair terms of trade on global markets but also transparency on financial markets, and of course the effective protection of intellectual property rights as well as minimum legal and social standards. "I am convinced that there can be no fair competition without rules of play that apply across the board," she emphasised.
Cohesion and solidarity can only be achieved within a global development partnership, she stated, and once again declared her support for the Millennium Development Goals, which the international community has set itself as a means of reducing poverty. "We stand by these pledges," she affirmed.
A true partnership, however, means that everyone must do their bit. "And that means waging war on corruption, improving governance and better protecting human rights," underlined the Chancellor. And she reminded her audience of the guiding philosophy of the German G8 presidency – growth and responsibility in the global economy.
"Secondly, we must strengthen the ability of the United Nations to take effective action."
The place to find binding joint answers to the global challenges facing us is the United Nations. Of this, Merkel is convinced.
Reform is needed, however, within the organisation, and particularly within its highest body. The Security Council in its current form no longer reflects the world of today. There is thus no way round the need to bring the Security Council into line with political realities. "Germany is ready and willing to take on the additional responsibility that comes with a permanent membership of the Security Council," said Merkel.
Although the urgent crises of the moment vary enormously in nature, they do have one thing in common – a solution can only be found multilaterally, in the opinion of the Chancellor. "The key to success is unity and determination".
This applies in particular in dealings with Iran. "The consequences of Iran possessing an atomic bomb would be disastrous: first and foremost for the existence of Israel, then for the entire region, and finally for Europe and the world," she warned. The international community must stand united in its efforts to prevent this happening. "It is not up to the world to prove to Iran that Iran is building an atomic bomb. Iran must prove to the world that it does not want to build an atomic bomb," Merkel stressed.
Germany's tenaciousness in this context comes from its particular historic responsibility. "It is one of the most fundamental tenets of my country. The security of Israel is for me, in my capacity as German Chancellor, never open to negotiation," stated Merkel unequivocally before the international community. Along with its European partners, the German government is placing its faith in a diplomatic solution. If the Iranian government remains unwilling to compromise, additional and harsher sanctions must be imposed.
The unity and determination of the international community are called for in other areas too. In the fight against international terrorism, for instance, the stabilisation of Afghanistan and in Darfur. We must act decisively too to ensure the peaceful future of Kosovo and to find a solution to the Middle East conflict.
"Thirdly: We must strengthen our shared, unshakable values."
To prevent crises and conflicts becoming wars between cultures, the Chancellor called for tolerance among states. Every country must be allowed to choose its own path, "but it must be a path inside and not outside the community of nations," said Merkel. Massive human rights violations such as those committed in Darfur or Myanmar, or political assassinations such as we have seen in the Lebanon, lead a country away from this path.
"We must find the strength to consistently re-assert our shared values of freedom and democracy. For this we must build on an unshakeable foundation. And we have the foundation we need – the Charter of the United Nations," stressed Merkel. What is at stake is the respect for and the dignity of every individual – and the future of the peoples of the world. Germany will do everything in its power to protect these.
>> Speech by Angela Merkel
