The opening of the 79th session of the General Assembly, which traditionally represents a highlight in the UN calendar, was preceded this year by the Future Summit, at which the groundbreaking pact for the future and thus also for reforms within the United Nations was decided last Sunday. The Liechtenstein delegation in New York was led by Prime Minister Daniel Risch before Foreign Minister Dominique Hasler took over the leadership of the General Assembly.
Consensus for the future of the United Nations
The week began with the Summit of the Future, which is at the same time the end point of long-standing reform efforts within the United Nations and the starting point for overcoming global challenges. With the adoption of the “Future Pact”, the delegations literally agreed at the last minute on a reform package to strengthen multilateralism. The focus is particularly on securing peace, promoting sustainability and cooperation in the digital area. A “Global Digital Pact” was negotiated as an appendix specifically for the latter. The pact also includes reform steps in the area of international financial architecture, which particularly meets the demands of developing countries, and a detailed agreement on the next steps to reform the Security Council. In his speech, Prime Minister Risch emphasized the historical significance of the United Nations as a peace organization and the importance of future reforms, especially with regard to the veto in the Security Council. In this context, he also mentioned the veto initiative introduced by Liechtenstein, which strengthens the role of the General Assembly in promoting peace and security. Referring to the United Nations logo above the lectern in the General Assembly, which shows the world surrounded by olive branches as a universal sign of peace, he asked: “What more do we need to understand about the true purpose of the United Nations as a peace organization?” At a time when there are more armed conflicts in the world than ever before, it is regrettable that the United Nations is not achieving its goal today.
Bilateral discussions on Liechtenstein’s priorities
Due to the participation of over 160 heads of state and heads of government as well as foreign ministers, the high-level week offers a unique opportunity to cultivate relationships and exchange views. Prime Minister Risch was received by UN Secretary General Guterres for a discussion about global challenges and Liechtenstein’s priorities. Guterres emphasized Liechtenstein’s large and important commitment to the UN. Risch was also received by the President of the UN General Assembly, Philémon Yang, for an exchange. In an interview, he described the veto initiative introduced by Liechtenstein as a “gift for humanity”. Risch discussed with the President of Estonia and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the ICC Chief Prosecutor and the ICRC President in particular the criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression against Ukraine as well as the grim humanitarian situation in Gaza. He also met with his counterparts from Iceland and Kosovo, where European cooperation was a priority.
Risch took part in various panels, including a meeting on achieving the Paris climate goals and the important role of small states in strengthening multilateralism. He also spoke at the Security Council Open Debate on the role of leadership for peace and particularly emphasized compliance with the UN Charter as the basis for peaceful international cooperation. In his speech, the head of government referred to the well-known quote from the former Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarsjköld, “The United Nations was not created to take us to heaven, but to save us from hell” and that the members of the United Nations will at some point have to explain to the next generation why we haven’t tried harder to make the world a better place.
