The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has claimed this Tuesday before the General Assembly of the UN in New York "not to yield to fatalism," in an intervention in which he has asserted the validity of the United Nations Charter as a framework for different States and peoples to "coexist."
The tenant of the Élysée has appealed to "maintain determination, an optimistic action," a principle that, he has recalled, he has been advocating since he took office in 2017.
"Let us not yield to fatalism, to defeat. It is now fashionable to say that here at the UN we only come to deliver speeches but nothing more is done, but (...) this is not true and even less so today than before so let us not yield to five things," he has stated, before posing the dilemma of "Do we want to live in this state of nature with a return to the law of the jungle or in a civilized international society?"
Among those five points, he has highlighted the need for a real commitment to achieve "concrete solutions" to conflicts. He has emphasized that "International Law has never tried to describe reality, it indicates the limits that sovereigns impose on themselves and so that force is not the only element in case of confrontation (...) Those who forget this commit a moral error," warning of a "new era of barbarism" in current wars.
Macron has also demanded "not to accept a new order of impunity that some want to establish," and has guaranteed that France "continues to provide political and also operational support to the international justice mechanism," with explicit mention of the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose judges have been subject to sanctions by the United States.
The leader has also warned against the temptation to "yield to the division of the world, to this fracture that many describe and some use between the north and the south (...) If we allow this division to take root, it feeds the double standards that some exercise. But we must reconcile the north and the south to respond to the challenges, whether it be climate, health, or development," he has maintained, advocating for multilateralism.
On climate issues, he has reiterated the need to "not yield to fatalism regarding climate issues," and has highlighted "how much we have achieved since the Paris agreements eleven years ago, whose principles remain valid, from which we have not deviated."
The French leader has expanded this call to artificial intelligence, asking not to yield "an iota in the face of the state of the world that is emerging regarding" this technology, and has extended it to the protection of childhood and youth, while admitting the health risks associated particularly with the use of social networks.
What is happening in Gaza is "a shameful spectacle"
Before the United Nations plenary, Macron denounced that the Gaza Strip has transformed into a "spectacle (that) embarrasses" and reiterated his request for recognition of the Palestinian state, recalling that France and other countries made that decision almost a year ago, coinciding with the 80th session of the General Assembly.
"What credibility do we have if we continue to act without addressing what is happening in Gaza? There are those who boast of a supposed peace in Palestine (...) but that peace has not reopened humanitarian channels. This spectacle embarrasses us all!", he exclaimed before the delegates.
"Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where violations occur every day, but in the name of what?", he asked, eliciting applause from those present.
Macron urged to "build every day the project that is the respect for the right of the Palestinian people to exist," insisting at the same time that it is essential to address the conditions for peace and security guarantees for Israel.
In any case, he warned "those who say that Israel's security means violating the rights of its neighbors" that by acting this way, what they do is "weaken" Israel's own security.
Ukraine: proposal for a "double moratorium" on energy infrastructures
In relation to the war in Ukraine, the French president has defended a "double moratorium" on attacks against energy facilities both in Ukrainian and Russian territory, with the aim of forcing the Kremlin to "face its own statements."
"We support the initiative for a double moratorium, a moratorium on energy and civil infrastructures on both sides," he stated, before proposing "a moratorium in the Black Sea that allows the release of grains and addresses the issue of food security, so crucial for many emerging and developing countries."
Macron has emphasized, lastly, that his Government "will not spare efforts to ensure that constructive negotiations" between Kiev and Moscow begin as soon as possible, and he made a call to support the Ukrainian population in the face of the imminent arrival of winter, which will leave the country in a particularly delicate situation due to the harsh temperatures.