On Wednesday, 20 September 2023, President Čaputová spoke during the general debate of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York.

At the beginning of her speech, she emphasized that the challenges we face have one common denominator. They are created by people and it is up to people to offer solutions. According to her, the time for talk, discussion and promises is over. "This assembly must start from the primary purpose for which the United Nations was established, and that is to restore peace."

The President noted that last year there were more conflict-related deaths in the world than in any previous year since 1994, a statistic to which the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, Slovakia's immediate neighbour, contributed significantly.

"For more than 570 days, Russian troops have been killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, kidnapping children and destroying cities. They bomb infrastructure and ports that export Ukrainian grain to those who need it in Bangladesh or Egypt. Moscow must allow grain to leave Ukrainian ports again. Here at the General Assembly and the UN Security Council, we cannot claim to be for peace or global food security while turning a blind eye to those who undermine it.”

In the next part of the speech, the president addressed the climate crisis. “When it comes to our planet, our time for concrete solutions is running out. Our cities are getting hotter, our oceans more acidic and our land drier. It is a result of human-caused climate change. This summer has shown us once again what awaits us if we sit back."

According to the president, we can still prevent the worst-case scenario. "This is our responsibility, not the responsibility of the governments that will come after us. Let's turn this ambition into our joint and global commitment. Feasible, effective and low-cost options for mitigating the effects of climate change already exist. They can accelerate our green transition."

She added that Slovakia was already taking concrete steps in this direction and would continue to fulfil its obligations as part of the global pledge to finance climate change mitigation. “My final point on climate change is simple. We need to wake up. We are not fighting an external threat. This is not a meteorite headed for Earth. This is an existential crisis that we created ourselves - and we must solve it."

The President emphasized that these crises hit hardest those who are least responsible for their occurrence - the most vulnerable population groups, women and children, the poorest people. "If they continue to be excluded from decision-making, we will never achieve peace and prosperity. We have been saying for decades that women's rights are human rights. It's time to turn words into action. Our collective wealth enables us today to ensure decent living conditions for everyone on this planet."

The President also talked about the rapid growth of social media platforms and the related flood of misinformation and hate speech. "Social platforms have broken down barriers around the world and are connecting people like never before. But they have also destroyed the barriers that protected the rights and integrity of others. Every technology must be used to preserve and protect the dignity and rights of every individual. If we do not address this issue, social media, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technology will become "steroids" for all the crises we are already facing today. Therefore, it is important not to delay their democratic regulation."

According to the president, misinformation undermines our efforts to reach consensus and a common vision. "If humanity continues to construct alternative truths and distrust each other, we will never be able to take the steps necessary to address these universal challenges."

On Wednesday, she also spoke at the Climate Ambitions Summit. "I am proud that, out of all the countries in the world, Slovakia was chosen among the 34 that had the opportunity to participate in the Summit of Climate Ambitions. It is an appreciation of the steps we are taking as a country to protect the climate and reduce emissions. I presented many of them today and I also pointed out that the green transformation is also an opportunity. I am pleased that there is global interest in Slovak companies and entities operating in this area, as shown by many partners here in New York as well."