On 22-27 September, President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič attended the 67th United Nations General Assembly held in New York. In addition to participation in the official part of the General Assembly, the President’s agenda included discussions with top UN representatives, several bilateral meetings at the level of Heads of State, and meetings with the Slovak community and Slovak entrepreneurs living in the U. S.

During the general debate at the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Ivan Gašparovič held a speech on Tuesday, 25 September. As the Head of State pointed out, Slovakia is ready to cooperate intensively in streamlining the functioning of the UN to the maximum in the economic, social as well as environmental area.

As the Slovak President further said, global economy requires the strongest economies to be stable and to acknowledge their responsibility for world development and for the sustainability of worldwide social stability. “This is not only a matter of applying the social solidarity principle. It is about the self-preservation of mankind. Therefore, we have to find a common target: to change the UN into an effective organisation with the pivotal role in a new international environment,” Ivan Gašparovič said. He also noted that the organisation’s adaptation to the global needs of the 21st Century hinges on the political will of all of its members, as well as a clear vision.

Ivan Gašparovič further said in the debate that Slovakia takes its moral obligation to help developing countries and countries in need seriously. “Despite a tight budget, it increases the total contribution to foreign development assistance every year.” In this area, the Slovak Republic wishes to increase assistance also for Afghanistan, which remains one of the three priority beneficiaries of Slovak official development assistance. “Afghanistan remains the top military foreign operational priority.  Our forces will remain in the country for as long as necessary,” the President added. He also expressed sorrow for the thousands of victims of the Syria conflict. In this context, Slovakia joined an initiative requiring that the gravest crimes under international law committed in Syria be investigated by the International Criminal Court.

The President deems a secure and stable environment fostering development impossible without the effective control of arms and general disarmament. Slovakia advocates a comprehensive, universal and legally binding arms trade treaty. “Our goal is to prevent irresponsible trading in arms and their transfer into the hands of terrorists, criminals and other illegal groups. I regret that the long years of effort on the part of states and the civil society were not crowned by success at the conference in July. I trust that further negotiations will lead to agreement upon an effective treaty,” said our Head of State, adding that a world free of nuclear weapons is one of the long-standing priorities of the international community.