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Member States have come together to kick off this years’ session of the Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly. H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Drobnjak of Croatia and the newly appointed Co-chair, Ambassador Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates opened the debate by stressing the need to consolidating but also to go beyond the significant achievements of the past resolutions.

H.E. Ambassador Katalin Bogyay permanent representative of Hungary in her statement condemned the transparency and accountability strengthening measures put in place by the Working Group concerning the selection of the SG, as well as the Office of the PGA. She encouraged the Working Group to explore the lessons learnt from adoption of the resolution demanding an immediate end to all hostilities in Syria and on the establishment of a mechanism to assist in the investigation of and prosecution for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Syria. Ambassador Bogyay also mentioned that the Working Group should focus more on the improvement of working methods of the Main Committees and on making sure that adequate regional representation and gender balance continue to be the guiding principles while appointing new executive heads at the UN.

During the debate Member States noted that the creation of the more transparent selection process of the Secretary General contributed to strengthening the United Nations’ credibility in the world and in the eyes of its people. Reform at the UN is possible, this has been proved by the landmark resolutions 69/321 and 70/305. The Working Group should make sure now that the results are consolidated and the resolutions are fully implemented. Hungary remains committed to further strengthening the role and authority of the General Assembly, and supports the Secretary-General in his reform aspirations.

Hungary supported the statements of the European Union, the ACT Group as well as that of the Group of Friends for Gender Parity. After the general comments made by the representatives of Member States the Co-Chairs are planning to help four thematic meetings on each cluster of the GA revitalization process, such as the role and authority of the GA; Selection and appointment of the Secretary-General; Working Methods, and Strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly. Hungary will continue to actively engage in the discussions. Please find on the right the statement made by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay.

To read the full statement of the Ambassador, please click here.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the mandate on children and armed conflict, the General Assembly held an informal meeting in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, focused on reviewing achievements of the children and armed conflict mandate over the past 20 years.
Organizing this informal meeting, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, the President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly, gave the UN membership an opportunity to be heard on this important topic.

In his introductory statement, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, called for a concerted effort to protect children in armed conflict as part of the international community’s commitments to peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.

Speakers also included Maria Luiza Ribeira Viotti, Chef de Cabinet to UNSecretary-General António Guterres; Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Mr. Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF; Mr. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs; Mr. El Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Special guest speaker Ms. Ilwad Elman, Director at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia shared her inspiring first-hand experience in fighting for the reintegration of child soldiers into the society.

Presentations by the panelists were followed by interventions from Member States. Hungary joined the statement made by the Group of Friends of Children in Armed Conflict as well as that of the European Union, and also prepared a national statement, welcoming the work of the Special Representative and recalling the remaining challenges in the field.

On 21 February, at the bilateral meeting held with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, H.E. Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that Hungary decided to offer a voluntary contribution of 50.000 Euro for the establishment of International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011.

As it is recalled, on 21 December 2016, the General Assembly – on the initiative of Liechtenstein – adopted resolution 71/248 and agreed to set up the aforementioned Mechanism to assist in ensuring criminal accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict in Syria.

Hungary recognizes the leadership efforts by Liechtenstein that were indispensable for the success of this initiative and commends the Secretary-General for the excellent terms of reference of the Mechanism developed by him with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Hungary uses this opportunity to encourage other member states of the United Nations to follow the example of the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Qatar and now Hungary that have already offered voluntary contributions for the establishment of the Mechanism.

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Katalin Bogyay Permanent Representative on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, 21 February 2017.

Excellencies, distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 21st of February 2017 marks the 17th anniversary of the International Mother Language Day, declared by the 30th General Conference of UNESCO in November 1999.

I would like to express my appreciation for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for their efforts in raising awareness regarding the role of mother language in education, fostering linguistic diversity, cultural pluralism and understanding.

As Nelson Mandela said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart".

Indeed, mother tongue plays a pivotal role in all aspects of life, be it social and cultural activities, family and social life, work or leisure activities. Language shapes culture, preserves and transmits information.

I am going to illustrate this by highlighting three key areas: education, self-expression and exchange.

Let me start with education.

This year, UNESCO’s Mother Language Day focuses on theme of "Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education." This theme builds upon UNESCO's 2016 Global Monitoring Report on Education, entitled “Education for People and the Planet: Creating Sustainable Futures for All".

Multilingual education, and the availability of mother tongue education is a key in successfully implementing SDG4 on inclusive and equitable quality education.

The benefits of mother tongue education in early schooling is emphasized by numerous studies and reports, including the annual UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report. According to the findings, mother tongue instruction is a pre-requisite for inclusive and efficient learning processes, because it creates an enabling environment for learning, and builds confidence in students. This way, the use of mother tongue facilitates the achievement of literacy and numeracy; a target set out in SDG 4.6; access to education for all, and contributes to ensuring that no-one is left behind. The inclusive nature of education is especially relevant in the case of groups speaking minority and indigenous languages.

And here I turn to the importance of self-expression.

The use of one’s mother tongue is pivotal in ensuring the preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity. The 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions recalls that linguistic diversity is a fundamental element of cultural diversity, and defends the diversity of languages as the main creative “fabric” of cultures and cultural diversity.

This is even more relevant for minorities. I come from a country, which has 13 national and ethnic minorities within its borders, and there are about 5 million Hungarians living outside the borders of Hungary and around the world. The Hungarian Government is making constant efforts in implementing policies and measures to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of the national minorities within our country, and, at the same time, support mother tongue education and self-expression of Hungarians living outside the borders of Hungary.

Finally, I will talk about exchange.

Multilingualism, including the preservation of and providing education on the mother tongue of communities and local languages play an essential role in preserving and developing our tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Access to this valuable heritage oftentimes depends on the knowledge of rare languages, spoken in secluded communities, which are threatened by extinction due to exposure to other languages or cultural integration. However, these languages are often the only channels for safeguarding and sharing local cultures and knowledge, with special reference to indigenous culture, which constitute vast reservoirs of wisdom. Being able to exchange with these communities, therefore, are the prerequisites for having access to these invaluable sources of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

In conclusion, mother language is essential in education, self-expression and exchange. The use of mother tongue in schools ensures access to inclusive and quality education. The preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity is impossible without providing the opportunity for communities for self-expression on their mother-tongue. And lastly, the preservation of cultural heritage can only be ensured through intercultural exchange.

All these factors contribute to the successful implementation of Agenda 2030.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Rumi, the Persian poet I have much respect for, left an advice for us: „Speak a new language, so that the world will be a new world.”

I cannot agree more with these words. The preservation of languages bolsters multilingualism, and multilingualism promotes not only tolerance, but mutual respect for the linguistic and cultural diversity of humankind, and this way, fosters the development of peaceful and inclusive societies. And this is exactly for what we, here in the UN, are striving for.

Thank you for your attention.

Meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and also with Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on 21 February 2017, H.E. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary announced that the Government of Hungary has decided to make a voluntary contribution of $50.000 in support of the work of the UN Department of Political Affairs in the fields of conflict prevention and mediation.

During his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s firm commitment to the role of preventive diplomacy and mediation in today’s complex peace and security contexts, and underlined the Government’s strong support to the reinvigorated efforts of the new UN leadership in this field. In this regard, Hungary is prepared to provide financial and expert assistance to the endeavors of the Secretary-General.

The present contribution of $50.000 to Trust Fund in support of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) follows last year’s Hungarian contribution to DPA’s 2016-2017 Multi-Year Appeal in the same amount.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade H.E. Mr. Péter Szijjártó was the first to speak as non-Council member in the Chamber about the question of European peace and stability, expressing the hope that the new US administration and Russia will put emphasis on engaging in a dialogue in order to facilitate the resolution of conflicts in the region.

Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed his deepest condolences on the passing away of Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.

In his statement, H.E. Mr. Péter Szijjártó highlighted that recent European security challenges have global components, global reasons, and need global efforts to be resolved. The only chance to overcome these, he said, was to have a realistic change in the Russian-American relationship towards pragmatism that should be achieved through mutual trust and respect towards international law. Otherwise root causes of these challenges could not be tackled.

Regarding Hungary’s neighborhood, full implementation of the Minsk Agreement is considered as the only way to overcome the conflict in Ukraine. Talking about the Western Balkans, Hungary supports the European integration path and hopes that this will be accelerated in the near future.

On the margins of the open debate, the Minister held bilateral talks with Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman and Secretary General António Guterres. He told the head of the global organisation that Hungary strongly supports the Secretary-General’s preventive diplomacy. Mr. Szijjártó said that last year we contributed fifty thousand euros to support preventive diplomacy activities, and we are prepared to make a similar contribution this year. In addition, we fully support the UN Secretary-General’s goals in the fight against terrorism, his plan to strenghen the UN's counter terrorism architecture and the establishement of an office of counter terrorism in particular.

Please find the Foreign Minister's full speech here.

Keynote speech by H.E. Ms Katalin Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN at the Second European Blue Sky Conference: Global Transformations: Consequences and Alternatives, in Budapest on 29 October 2015.

Professor Miklós Réthelyi:

President of Hungarian National Commission of UNESCO

Former Minister of Human Resources

Professor Ferenc Miszlivetz:

Member of UNESCO Most (Management of Social Transformation) Intergovernmental Council since 2013;  Chair of  UNESCO Hungarian National Committee of Social sciences since 2012; Unesco Chair of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainability of Corvinus- ISES in Kőszeg since 2011.

Your Excellency Mr Zoltán Cséfalvay, Permanent Delegate of Hungary to UNESCO and Permanent Representative of Hungary to OECD

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The UN celebrates its seventieth anniversary.

This year we commemorate a key moment in the history of international relations in the post-World War II era – the creation of the United Nations. The world has made extraordinary progress since 1945 in global cooperation – peace, security, freedom of nations, human rights, development, fight diseases, advance education, health, women’s and children’s rights, and technology are among the areas that have made a quantum leap in history of Humankind.

At the time of the inception of the United Nations the scale and spread of violence, destruction and devastation prompted the international community to pledge to free succeeding generation from the scourges of war. However, in the subsequent seven decades there have been numerous failings to live up to this pledge. Efforts of prevention of war crimes, crimes against humanity and the genocide, including early warning and early action remain as important as ever.

The membership of the United Nations expanded from the original 51 to the present 193 with two observer states of the Holy Sea and Palestine. This stands proof of the proliferation of the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic social and cultural development.

Today, no country stays isolated from the increasingly globalized world. Countries - big or small, developed or least developed, landlocked or islands - have experienced growing difficulties in protecting themselves from the imbalances that transcend national boundaries and regions. Working together has become more and more important. We believe the United Nations remains the world's only plausible setting where all voices can be heard. UN became an indispensable instrument for addressing the challenges we face.

A lot has been done, but a lot more needs to be achieved in reflection of ever-changing reality around us. Every year, every day, even every hour we face new challenges. We have to cope with new dangers.  Simultaneously we have to strive for making the United Nations more transparent, more inclusive, and more efficient.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Two high level weeks introduced the 70th session of the General Assembly this year.

Between 25-27th of September world leaders gathered for the Sustainable Development Summit and have expressed their firm support for the 2030 Agenda and their strong commitment to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

And on the week of the 28th of September world leaders shared their vision about the most pressing problems of their countries, the world and the UN.

So, the circus came to town twice. The life in New York during the high level week, this time weeks, is unbearable. Convoys, traffic jams, 1000 secret agents, not to mention police in cars, on horses, motorbikes and even on bikes, and UN security personnel made our life miserable. We, the UN Ambassadors were running and sweating, picking up delegations on different airports thousand times, having head ache and heart failure because of the new and new obstacles and wishes of our leaders and harsh security measures. We acted as magicians and waited, as we say, for the smell of the aerosol, the departure time.

And yes, this year everybody came from the world. Royals, celebrities, Heads of States, Heads of Governments, Foreign Ministers. And even The Holy Father, Pope Francis, who actually set the tone of this world gathering:

“The history of this organized community of States - as he said - is one of important common achievements over a period of unusually fast-paced changes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of international law, the establishment of international norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of peace-keeping and reconciliation, and any number of other accomplishments in every area of international activity and endeavour.”

The Pope spoke out against partisan interests, “the culture of waste”, selfishness, inequality and exclusion that are the root causes for the biggest global problems. He spoke strongly in favour of observing ethical norms and practical considerations in order to safeguard the environment and thereby, ensure the future of mankind.

Sustainable Development Summit

It is most welcome that on the first week at the Sustainable Development Summit Heads of State and Government have expressed their firm support for the Agenda and their strong commitment to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. At the agenda’s core lie the 17 interrelated SDG-s and the 169 targets that ensure the interplay between the economic, social and environmental pillars in each and every goal.

If we truly want to secure our common future, end poverty and hunger by 2030 and ensure prosperity for all, now is the time to start turning words into action by mobilizing all stakeholders, governments, private sector, international and regional organizations, NGOs, academia, both the North and the South to take responsibility and contribute their fair share to the implementation. Only through the establishment of this true Global Partnership can our aspirations be met.

The agenda is the result of a common understanding that current economic, social and environmental trends, if they continue unchallenged and unchanged, will doom our planet. For the first time Member States agree that only sustainable development is development, for development that is unsustainable, is nothing else but temporary improvement. The agenda represents the paradigm of change of the 21st Century: The world’s overall prosperity and States’ own interests are interdependent, therefore, cannot be achieved at the cost of the other.

The 2030 development plan concentrates on ending poverty and hunger, ensuring healthy lives and inclusive education. On gender equality and providing water and sanitation for all. On access to energy for all and productive employment. On reducing inequality within and among countries and fostering innovation. The plan talks about what makes a city sustainable, how to ensure sustainable consumption and take urgent action to combat climate change, how to conserve oceans, protect our ecosystem. It promotes peaceful and inclusive societies. Of course it is an abstract and beautiful vision. Hopefully in the coming 15 years the vision turns into action. But we know that vision and action can be understood differently.

For example, since the agreement on the 2030 Agenda, just adopted by all of us by consensus, we have clear pathways under SDG 10. To deal with the phenomena of migration. The agenda, first and foremost, provides comprehensive approaches, addressing the root causes, so migration does not have to occur. The agenda aims to end poverty and to provide sustainable economic, environmental, social circumstances, so that people can strive in their own countries.

The Agenda acknowledges the role of migration in development. In order to turn the current challenge into opportunity the agenda calls for “ orderly, safe, regulated and responsible migration“.

So, the very agenda received resounding support and was adopted by acclamation by all the world leaders, but the global solution for the recent mass migration is very far away from the agreed vision under SDG 10. “…Facilitate responsible mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

But I always say: “ Be a dreamer, be an optimist and be an activist!”  - If you want to work in the United Nations.

UN: a reflection of human development

Yes, this is the question. Is the UN a real reflection of the world?

It is actually, I believe. The UN deals with peace and security, human rights and development. We should never forget that the strengths and accomplishments, just like the weaknesses and failures of the Organization are our common responsibility. In other words, the capacity of the UN to act, or not to act is nothing but the reflection of the will and determination of its member states.

Is the UN fit for purpose?

There is a growing need for a strong and unified Security Council.

As also expressed by almost all of the heads of state and government at the recent General Debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, we are living in an age of global turmoil. Large-scale conflicts have tripled since 2008. More than 60 million people have been forcibly displaced, the most since the Second World War.

The conflicts in the Middle Eastern and North African region, the chronic instability of fragile states and regions (as for example in Sudan and South Sudan or Somalia) dominate the discussions in the area of peace and security. Regionalization, intra-state conflicts, emergence of non-state actors, the spread of radicalism and violent extremism, international terrorism, foreign terrorist fighters, international organized crime, make it even more difficult to face today’s challenges.

The general observation of the UN membership is that the UN still has (and should have) a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security. During its 70 years of existence, the organization has prevented many conflicts from escalation and ended or alleviated human suffering. The role played by the UN in Timor Leste is often cited as one of its best examples of successfully assisting a country through the cycle of peace making, peacekeeping and peace building. 

But, as I said, without political will nothing can happen.

And listening carefully to world leaders - as we all do during the GA - you realize it is a real miracle to find common solutions to world problems.

Let us take migration and the chaos of the Middle East!

And let me quote a few key actors!

President of Brazil, Dilma Roussef:

“The reason for the large-scale refugee crisis is the spread of regional conflicts and terrorism. Some countries have destroyed state institutions through military action contrary to international law, thus allowing space for terrorism.”

US President, Barack Obama:

“According to some, and contrary to the US position, the goals of the UN Charter are unattainable and out-dated in today’s context, international relations are a zero-sum game and therefore international order can only be maintained through the use of force.

In contrast, the US rejects violence-based politics and the settlement of the Syrian conflict according to the Russian agenda. Cooperating with Assad does not solve the problem; he is part of the problem. The US is ready to cooperate with Russia and Iran since results can only be attained through concerted efforts.”

President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping:

“In the spirit of multilateralism, countries must seek a global partnership.

The world must create a security system based on justice, common contributions and shared benefits.”

Russian President, Vladimir Putin:

“Many criticize the UN and the Security Council for not being effective enough and for failing to agree on basic questions but such differences have always existed. Every member has used the veto.

You have to accept that each country follows its own path of development, and dissemination of ideals preferred by some lead to the destruction of national institutions. The resulting power vacuum has caused anarchy in several Middle Eastern and North African countries.”

President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma:

“The migrant crisis was caused by arming of the civil insurgents.”

President of Poland, Andrzej Duda:

“The increasingly frequent attacks against Christian minorities in the Middle East are concerning.”

President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani:

“The nuclear agreement opened a new chapter in the relations between Iran and other countries, and could bring us closer to stabilization of the region. Iran is ready to contribute to the democratization of Syria and Yemen.”

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu:

„Despite the restrictions in the Iran nuclear agreement, Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear state, once the agreement expires in 10-15 years. Israel will not allow this. The agreement is bad, even if the world is celebrating the new business opportunities that it opened up.

In contrast to President Abbas, I am ready to begin immediately and unconditionally direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. I remain committed to the two-state solution, under which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes Israel as the state of the Jews.”

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas:

„ I call on Israel to stop attacks against Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Maintenance of the status quo is unacceptable. All state supporters of a two-state solution must recognize Palestine's statehood.”

Ahmet Davutoglu, Prime Minister of Turkey:

„It is unacceptable that Assad can be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis. Turkey fights against the PKK, DAESH and all forms of terrorism.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Adel al-Jubeir:

„Saudi Arabia will be the first to support the Syrian people and the country's reconstruction following Assad’s departure.”

Failures and successes from the everyday work of the Security Council

According to the UN Charter, the Security Council is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. Through its constant meetings, closed consultations, open briefings by members of the UN Secretariat, debates open to all the UN membership to participate to, the work of its different subsidiary bodies, such as the various sanctions committees, etc. This is what it is admittedly doing every day, all year round.

As the Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, I deem it important to have Hungary - even though currently not a member of the Security Council - participate to the meetings of the Security Council when possible. This is important for the transparency of the world body and gives us a chance to have our viewpoints heard by the members of the body. I have thus delivered numerous statements at the open debates of the Security Council in the past months in the area of protection of civilians, women, peace and security, protection of ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East, among others.

It is a common view among Member States, that the UN has major problems with responding to current conflicts. Despite the robust efforts, the demand for peacekeeping has grown in the recent years, with 87 per cent of UN peacekeepers deployed in Africa. The revival of major power competition and proxy wars in trouble spots (Eastern Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, to site just a few examples) and the inability of the Security Council to often fulfil its responsibilities are found by many to be truly worrisome.

Fortunately, there are cases where the Security Council can still find a unified voice. This is how the resolutions on the use of chemical weapons and on the humanitarian track in Syria, counter-terrorism, fight against foreign terrorist fighters or on the fight against illicit migration in the Mediterranean were adopted. We should also mention the united stance taken (under strong US leadership) by the world body to eradicate the Ebola epidemic in West Africa here.

Nevertheless, the real output of the Security Council ultimately depends on the political will of the parties involved to commit to peace. Without such a political will, there will be no peace to keep and the Security Council will only be managing and not resolving crises.

Ultimately, the Security Council will have to break the deadlock and come up quick political solutions to the imminent crises, including Iraq, Syria and Libya. There is no military solution to these conflicts and therefore, the transatlantic community and Russia have to cooperate, instead of pursuing unilateral military actions.

World leaders agree that the spread of terrorism and violent extremism is a common threat that should be tackled by united efforts. These seem to be areas, where members of the Security Council are also looking for ways to cooperate. Previously adopted resolutions in the area demonstrate that this is possible. Despite current disputes over Syria, a real international cooperation against Daesh may prove unavoidable.

The Iran Deal has also shown that sometimes, when the Security Council is at a deadlock, solutions can be negotiated outside the UN. This should not be necessarily regarded as a negative development, but more a pragmatic adaptation to “realpolitik”.

Prevention is key to creating a safer world

Despite the efforts, the work of the UN is still mostly reactive in the field of peace and security instead of being proactive. Much more focus should be put on prevention, mediation, horizon scanning as only these methods can prevent conflict and atrocities.

An excellent opportunity to address these issues is through the various on-going reform processes of the UN peace operations, the UN peace building mechanism and the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security agenda. To achieve maximum effectiveness, Hungary calls for synchronizing these processes with each other.

The historic adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in September underscores a long-standing truth: there will be no peace without development, no development without peace, and neither without respect for human rights.

Therefore, Member States and the Security Council must leave behind the silo mentality and build stronger interdependence between the Council’s work and the related activities of the UN system, from Responsibility to Protect to peace building, and sustainable development.

Partnerships with regional actors and organizations should also further strengthened. The African Union, the League of Arab States and the European Union can all compliment the work of the UN.

Understanding that there is also a mutually reinforcing correlation between peace, security and accountability, Hungary has requested Member States to ensure criminal justice for atrocity crimes committed in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere. We are particularly concerned by the crimes committed against religious and ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups, as well as the destruction of cultural heritage in these regions. We continuously voice these concerned, including at the relevant open debates of the Security Council.

There is no peace without justice. Impunity not only prevents meaningful reconciliation, but also encourages actors to turn to the tool of mass atrocities to reach their goals. We encourage the Security Council to create its own accountability strategy to bring perpetrators to justice, and make it the cornerstone of its peace-making (and at the same time preventive) efforts.

There are positive results though for example in the development of human rights for a start!

The UN Charter made the promotion and protection of human rights a key purpose and a guiding principle of the world organization. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 and set out, for the first time in history, the fundamental rights and freedoms that all human beings should enjoy. The UDHR remains the landmark document for international human rights and a “standard” to which all nations should aspire.

Over the last seven decades, UN has placed human rights at the centre of its activities. Let me give you some examples of the major achievements of the UN in the protection of human rights:

Since 1945, a series of international human rights treaties have been adopted under the auspices of the UN, including on civil and political rights, the prohibition of torture, and the elimination of racism. The adoption of these treaties played a ground-breaking role in empowering the voiceless segments of society: children, women, youth, ethnic and racial minorities and persons with disabilities.

By imposing strict measures, including an arms embargo, the United Nations was also a major factor in bringing about the downfall of the apartheid system in South Africa.

Thanks to the work of the UN Commission on Status of Women, and the creation of UN Women, women’s rights are today acknowledged as fundamental human rights.

Recent UN conferences put violence against women at the forefront of the international community’s attention, shedding light at a “global epidemic” that was not long ago considered a private issue. Most importantly, sexual violence in conflict is recognized as a tactic of war and constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity.

The Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC), adopted in 1989, changed the way children are treated and became the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. It inspired changes in laws and practice that have improved the lives of millions of children. As a result, sexual exploitation of children is now strictly penalized in most countries, as is the recruitment of children in armed conflict.

Despite these achievements, the UN human rights system faces significant challenges and has even, at times, failed miserably to protect people from mass atrocities and other serious human rights violations. The massacres in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina took place under the watch of the international community and the UN. In the last stages of the Sri Lankan war, the UN’s efforts were characterized as a “systemic failure”.

The success of UN peace operations is increasingly measured by their ability to protect civilian populations from grave human rights violations. As a result of the “Children Not Soldiers” campaign, Chad has been taken off the UN Secretary-General’s list of child recruiters and over 400 children were released from the army in Myanmar.

After the massacres of the 1990s, the International Criminal Court was created to bring perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity to justice. In 2012, the first sentence of the ICC sentenced a Congolese warlord to 14 years in prison for using child soldiers in his rebel army.

In 2013, the UN Secretary-General launched the ‘Human Rights Up Front’ Initiative. Its main goal is to ensure that the UN takes early and effective action to prevent or respond to serious violations of human rights.

In the Human Rights Council, UN Member States have agreed to submit themselves to international scrutiny and to periodically report on their human rights record through the so-called “Universal Periodic Review” (UPR). This would have been unimaginable even a few decades ago.

These and other achievements are gradually transforming the way the UN responds to serious human rights challenges. As Martin Luther King Jr. put it “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Opening speech by H.E. Ambassador Katalin Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, New York, Aria Hotel, Budapest, 28 October 2015.

Mr Henry Kallan, Mr Alexande Rovt, Mr Robert Izsak,

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Guests,

Let me first express my immense pleasure to be here with all of you tonight and celebrate a new creation of three New Yorkers in Budapest.

Myself  also just arrived from the Big Apple, as Budapest in the coming few weeks is hosting some very prestigious international conferences and gatherings.

- The Blue Sky conference about Global Transformation and the Change in the world, held in the Castle district in the Institute of Musicology, the former Erdody - Hatvani Palace, built in 1750.

- The Budapest World Science Forum in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences opened in 1865.

- The Budapest Human Rights Forum in the 1oo years old historic building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Three influential international events, in three Historic buildings, in the coming three weeks in the stunning city of Budapest, bringing together thinkers, scientists, opinion makers, philosophers of the world.

So, it is just the most appropriate to celebrate a new meeting point for people coming from different walks of life, from different countries to the city of music, literature, architecture, opera, education, gastronomy, clubbing, fine art, festivals, rich history, and never boring people.

Budapest is a city of unsuspected jewels.

There are fine places in big cities.

And now, I would say, here we are in a new FINE PLACE.

First of all let me recall that Mr Henry Kallan and my dear Friend Nora Vasony, invited me to visit this wonderful venue in August. I was amazed. Not because I have found another very pretty boutique hotel in the world, but because of my UNESCO background, I am very sensitive towards the protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

I have found a new jewel in the city where the highest quality meets inspiration, beauty, originality in a very well preserved traditional Hungarian, I would say Central- European surrounding.

I see here the love and appreciation of music and traditions, and a strong commitment to connect peoples, cultures, thoughts, ideas through beauty and joie de vivre, meanwhile safeguarding and celebrating the diversity of cultural heritage.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Diversity, I always say, is not a burden but a source of inspiration.

This idea is represented in the United Nations but also by artist. Just remember what Béla Bartók, born in Budapest and died in New York said:

“My guiding philosophy has always been the ideal of different nations uniting into brotherhood, in spite of all the wars and hostility. I have tried to serve the aims of this idea as best as I can, in my music, so for that reason, I do not shrink away from any influence, be in Slokal, Romanian, Arab or any other source...”

Mr Kallan, Mr Rovt, Mr Izsak,

I congratulate for your vision, determination, and strong will.

My credo while working in the UN family has long been:
“ Be a dreamer, be an optimist, be an activist!”

You definitely needed optimism and activism to fulfill your dream in Budapest!

I am most grateful to the investors believing in the future of this very city, which is built on its rich tangible and intangible heritage.

And I believe we all have to feel responsible to the cultural heritage of humanity, no matter of any political turmoil or conflict we are facing with. Remember, there are vicious people today, destroying consciously cultural heritage! This we call: cultural cleansing!

That is exactly why it is most joyful to see preserved heritage dressed into contemporary flair.

A fine place, where peoples, cultures, thoughts connect through beauty, music and joie de vivre.

I thank you!

Intervention by H.E. Ambassador Katalin Bogyay Permanent Representative at the Official Launch of the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, as elaborated by the ACT-group, on 23 October 2015.

Madame Chair,

Your Excellencies,

Distinguished Panellists, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I congratulate to Liechtenstein, to You, Madame Chair and Ambassador Wenaweser for the success of this initiative. Brilliant, hardworking team, coordinated action, well organized negotiations in the ACT subgroup.

Hungary was very committed to participate in this work and to support this very vision. We were there at the discussions of the Code right from the beginning, suggested already in January 2015 to open the Code of Conduct to the whole UN membership, thus allowing not only serving Council members, but also any other Member State that may, at some point in the future, become a member of the Council to sign up to the Code, and continued to play our part during the lobbying efforts of the previous weeks.

Madame Chair,

The success of this initiative confirms our belief that the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, the 10th anniversary of the R2P principle, as well as the 21st and 20th anniversaries of the Rwanda and Srebrenica genocides all create the momentum for the launch of such a Code of Conduct.

The world has seen too often the devastating consequences of the lack of timely and decisive action.

Dear Colleagues,

We – Hungarians – have our own story to tell about what it means when the Security Council is unable to act.

Exactly today, the 23rd of October is our national day when we remember the outbreak of 1956 revolution against oppression and dictatorship which was quickly crushed by foreign power.

The Hungarian people have sacrificed their blood to show the world their devotion to freedom and truth and asked the world powers to demonstrate the force of the principles embodied in the United Nations Charter. We appealed to the major powers and the United Nations to help. Despite the powerful plea, the UN was unable to take timely and decisive action that would have been necessary to ensure our country’s freedom. The Security Council was unable to act.

We felt that by actively participating in the elaboration of this Code, we would also honour the victims of the 1956 revolution.

Madame Chair, Your Excellencies,

This afternoon we are going to reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations.

While the Charter confers the primary responsibility for international peace and security upon the Security Council, we cannot forget that it is eventually us – current and future members of this organ – who need to make sure that the Council lives up to the expectations of the founding fathers and mothers of the UN.

The Code of Conduct offers Member States an opportunity to renew and enhance their enduring commitment to protect populations from genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Madame Chair,

Hungary continues to encourage Member States which haven’t done it yet, to express their support to this Code, which represents a unique chance to preserve the Council’s legitimacy as the guardian of international peace and security.

I thank you. 

Speech by H.E. Ambassador Katalin Bogyay Permanent Representative on the occasion of the commemoration of the 23 October 1956 revolution, on 20 October 2015.

Your Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

In the music of Egmont overture, Op. 84. Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of mankind expressed his own political concerns through the exaltation of the heroic sacrifice of a man condemned to death for having taken a valiant stand against oppression. It was composed during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, at a time when the French Empire had extended its domination over most of Europe.

The subject of the music and dramatic narrative is the life and heroism of a 16th-century Dutch nobleman, the Count of Egmont.

The Overture became an unofficial anthem of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.

The Secretary-General of NATO, that time, called the Hungarian revolt "the collective suicide of a whole people".

This is what we remember on our national day exactly on the 23d of October.

Sándor Márai, world renowned Hungarian novelist and playwright, who fled Hungary because of disagreeing with the oppression of both the fascist and communist regimes, committed suicide  in 1989  here in the US, just before we became finally free.

After the crush of the revolution at Christmas time of 1956 he wrote a poem titled Herald Angel. Let me just quote only two stanza of it!

“The world speaks of a wonder, true,
the clerics clack of courage too.
Statesmen mention these words, finessing,
His Holiness too, gives his blessing,
and all sorts of people try to guess
what was the purpose of this mess?
Why did those men have to disobey?
Why didn’t they simply pass away?
Why was the sky suddenly rent?
A nation spoke up: “This is the end!”
The people just gaze there, mystified.
What drives this ocean’s almighty tide?
Why has the cosmos run a-riot?
A nation rose. Then all was quiet.
But people ask: What was it we saw?
Whose flesh and bones have changed there the law?
People born free in their native land
falter because they can’t understand
the fact that we will always recall:
Freedom is the greatest gift of all.”

/Extract form Sándor Márai: Harald Angel
translation by Peter Zolmann, August 2006/

Excellences, dear Friends,

Thank you for sharing our remembrance on our national day.

In 1956 it was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against communist dictatorship, the government of the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting only from 23 October until 10 November 1956.

Despite the failure of the uprising, it was highly influential in changing the world order of the cold war years.

 It is a less known that the other historic event we celebrate on the 23rd of October is the very day of 1989, the eventual completion of the goals and dreams of the 1956 Revolution. In 1989 on 23rd of October, 26 years ago, the new Republic of Hungary was proclaimed.

Excellences, Dear Guests,

Our 1956 revolution has a very special relationship with the United Nations, which Hungary entered 60 years ago.

On the 4th of November 1956, when it became clear that the revolution will be crushed by the Soviet military forces , the renowned Hungarian lawyer and political theorist, István Bibó, then Minister of State in the revolutionary Government of Imre Nagy, decided to stay in the Parliament building “as the only representative of the existing legal Hungarian government”. He wrote a proclamation entitled “For Freedom and Truth”, in which he turned to the UN and the international community for assistance.

Let me quote of few of Bibó’s sentences:

 “The Hungarian people have already sacrificed enough of their blood to show the world their devotion to freedom and truth. Now it is up to the world powers to demonstrate the force of the principles embodied in the United Nations Charter and the strength of the world’s freedom-loving peoples. I appeal to the major powers and the United Nations to make a wise and courageous decision to protect the freedom of our subjugated Nation.”

As you probably all know, despite Bibó’s powerful plea for help, the UN was unable to take timely and decisive action that would have been necessary to ensure our country’s freedom.

While the Security Council was unable to act, the General Assembly adopted a number of resolutions in 1956, which unfortunately had no real effect on the actual course of events.

Nevertheless, it was precisely the relentless disregard for the resolutions that finally induced the General Assembly to establish a Special Committee to study the Hungarian problem.

The Committee, with representatives from Australia, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Denmark, Tunisia, and Uruguay, conducted hearings in New York, Geneva, Rome, Vienna, and London.

Over 100 refugees were interviewed including ministers, military commanders and other officials ,workers, revolutionary council members, factory managers and technicians, Communists and non-Communists, students, writers, teachers, medical personnel, and Hungarian soldiers. Documents, newspapers, radio transcripts, photos, film footage, and other records from Hungary were also reviewed, as well as written testimony of about 200 other Hungarians.

The Special Committee established to study the Hungarian problem has operated for several years and produced two impressive reports.

While the first one focused on explaining the causes that had led to the outbreak of the revolution and outlining the events that had actually taken place, the second, complementary report, reviewed the period of retaliation, which followed the crushing of the revolution.

The chairman of the Committee was Alsing Andersen, a Danish politician who entered Denmark's UN delegation in 1948.

The chief secretary of the Committee was Povl Bang-Jensen, a former Danish diplomat, who –refused to share the names of the secret witnesses in order to protect them and their families from any possible retaliation.

For his courageous action Povl Bang-Jensen has been considered in Hungary a real hero. 

Your Excellencies,

The UN still keeps classified documents, which contain relevant mosaics about its activities in relation to the Hungarian revolution of 1956. On the occasion of the upcoming 60th anniversary, next year 2016, we requested the declassification of these files and making them available for scientific research.

It is actually important to know that the killing of political prisoners continued till 1963, when finally a mass amnesty was introduced in Hungary in exchange for the removal of the Hungarian question from the agenda of the UN and the international recognition of the Kádár Government in the UN. 

Your Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,

This year when we mark the 60th anniversary of the membership of Hungary in the UN, we want to stress our commitment to the attempt of the international community in order to achieve peace in every region of the world. 

We can see that despite all of the significant results and robust efforts made by the international community to have peace all over the globe, rising number and dynamics of the conflicts can be seen in several regions of the world. We believe that the UN has a unique, unquestionable role in maintaining peace all over the world.

This year when we mark the 60th anniversary of the membership of Hungary in the UN, Hungary also took over the Chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The goal of the organization is to prevent the re-emergence of genocide through education, remembrance and research, to ensure that present and future generations learn the lessons.

Throughout our year-long Chairmanship, we work actively to increase the visibility of the Alliance through a series of events worldwide, concentrating also on The Roma Holocaust, or “Pharrajimos”, which has for long unfairly faded from our shared memory. This is the exhibition you can see on our walls here in the Béla Bartók Hall.

Béla Bartók was a real UN person even before UN was founded.

He said:

"My guiding philosophy has always been the ideal of different nations uniting into brotherhood, in spite of all the wars and hostility. I have tried to serve the aims of this idea, as best as I can, in my music, so for that reason, I do not shrink away from any influence, be it Slovak, Romanian, Arab or any other source." 

Dear Guests,

I believe that we should take the cultural diversity of the United Nations not as a burden but as a source of inspiration.

Intervention by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on September 1, 2015 at the General Assembly plenary meeting, Action on draft resolution to transmit the outcome document to the Summit for adoption of the 2030 Development Agenda.

Excellences, Honourable Delegates,

Hungary welcomes the Outcome Document and greatly values the consensus in transmitting it to the Summit for adoption of the 2030 Development Agenda.

The ambitious and transformative package in front of us represents the best chance to build a people and planet centered future with hope, including for future generations, of not only survival, but prosperity and general well-being.

Important milestones led to this consensus, such as the formulation of goals and targets in the Open Working Group. Since Hungary has been honoured to guide that process together with Kenya, I now sincerely thank all Member States and all stakeholders for the ideas, contributions, collaboration, and trust that my delegation has enjoyed.

As a result of the successful Conference on Financing for Development in Addis, Ethiopia and the intergovernmental negotiations under the stellar stewardship of Kenya and Ireland, everything is ready for the adoption of the agenda, putting our world on sustainable path.

Mr. President,

Our first and foremost task is to strengthen the authority of this agenda by adopting it with resounding unity, and in its entirety, with a common pledge to jointly turn our words into deeds.

Development is action, not words. Our common future is at stake now.Hungary is determined to take its share of responsibility for ending poverty and hunger, ensuring prosperity for all, freeing the world from fear and want. We believe in creating virtuous cycles by meeting responsibilities and bringing to the common table what we can offer.

Development is partnership. Implementation should be built on a true Global Partnership, involving all stakeholders, governments, private sector, NGOs, academia, all folks of life, the North and the South, with “fit for purpose” United Nations in the center.

First and foremost, development is human development, of the people; by the people; and for the people. Only development, where people are both the drivers and recipients of development, where interests of future generations are safeguarded, can be sustainable.

Governments, Parliaments, national implementation plans may go a long way to chart the path. But accomplishing what has to be done will require true involvement and ownership of people, communities and humanity in general.

For that, as I always say, we need effective communication at all levels, translation of complex goals into programs that people can relate to, and mobilized by. People must believe in this agenda, furthermore, they must believe that it’s them, who can achieve it.

In order to do that, we the UN people, and we the Member States, better start now to translate the abstract vision in an inspiring way in order to mirror the true will and interests of people. At the end we can only achieve the future that people truly believe in.

Thank you for your attention.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on Climate Change at the High-Level Event of the United Nations General Assembly, held on 29 June 2015.

Madam Chair, 
Excellencies, 
Dear Colleagues,

“Crisis” is probably the most frequently heard word in the media, describing the state of economic, social, political and environmental affairs today. And although the history of human civilization is replete with cataclysmic changes, at no point have the challenges that we face today been as global, as complex, and as interconnected as at the current moment.

I refuse to believe in apocalyptic scenarios, and have optimism in the human potential to mend its mistakes and to come up with creative solutions for the survival of the human spirit. History does not predetermine the future, and we need not be submissive to it. We need to learn from it, and continuously try to mold its course towards peaceful and prosperous future. For that we need thinkers with vision and will, and knowledge.

I wish to underscore Hungary’s commitment towards the global effort tackling climate change. In this manner we fully support the French Presidency to organize a successful Conference of Parties in Paris this year, where all Parties will agree on a new global agreement on climate change. We are of the firm belief that the goal of the Framework, which is keeping the rise of the global average temperature under 2 degrees Celsius, can only be reached if all Parties join the efforts.

In this spirit, the President of Hungary is contributing to this effort through joining such leaders as Ban Ki-moon and Al Gore in the initiative “Live Earth” which aims to unite a billion voices to deliver a single message: To take climate action now!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The next great task ahead of us is building bridges between Parties in Bonn at the next UNFCCC sessions before December. To support this, our delegates need clear instructions from their leaders. Therefore, we call for active engagement in the climate negotiations.

Hungary welcomes the active engagement of Parties and their willingness to work during the past two weeks in Bonn towards a successful outcome. However, it must be recognized that progress has been far too slow, and the negotiating text is lagging far behind the political discussion. If we want a deal in December, we must change gears. Our aim is to adopt a single, global and legally binding agreement at COP21 preferably in the form of a new Protocol based on the principles of the Convention applicable to all. It is of pivotal importance that all Parties have legally binding mitigation contributions under the new agreement and maintain them all times.

As a Member of the European Union, Hungary is dedicated to developing international climate finance measures to fulfill the commitment of developed countries to jointly mobilize 100 billion USD per year by 2020 from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources of finance, in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation. Our country is currently exploring the possibilities to include climate finance in our international development aid projects. We are planning to adopt a new national strategy on international climate finance in the course of 2015. We also intend to keep a balance in our future financing based on the needs of our partner countries and the capabilities of Hungary.

Regarding the ratification of the Doha Amendment of the Kyoto Protocol, the national processes in Hungary is already concluded, thus we are able to meet the indicated deadlines. In reference to the Kyoto Protocol, we would also like to announce that Hungary successfully participated at the second session of the Multilateral Assessment at the UNFCCC session in June in Bonn, presenting its greenhouse gas emission reduction achievements under the Kyoto Protocol.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Hungary faced quite similar challenges as the developing countries, namely, how to modernize our economies, how to protect our natural resources and how to reduce emissions in both mitigation and adaptation without significant financial sources. It was an important lesson to learn, and now we see it had yielded its benefits. Hungary only emits 1,4% of the aggregated EU emissions, but our country has successfully reduced its emissions by 36% compared to our international base year level (1985-1987) according to our National Inventory Report. Meanwhile our GDP has almost doubled. To support the activities and measures targeting the reduction of the domestic emission of greenhouse gases, Hungary operates its Green Investment Scheme (GIS). Main focus of the GIS at the time is increasing the energy efficiency of residential buildings.

As part of the energy and climate targets of the Europe 2020 strategy Hungary agreed in 2013 to achieve a 10 per cent overall energy saving. Besides, we have targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2020 as well.

Thank you Madam Chair and I also thank the President of the General Assembly for organizing this meeting.

Intervention by Ambassador Katalin Annamaria Bogyay on "The Role of Media in Building Bridges of Understanding Between Nations" at the Alliance of Civilisations Group of Friends Meeting, held on 4 June 2015.

Your Excellencies,
High Representative, Mr. Al-Nasser,
Under-Secretary-General Cristina Gallach,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a former TV broadcaster and journalist I want to stress, first of all, the responsibility of journalists, media workers, the owners of printed or electronic media.

To make profit is one thing. To sell tabloids about scandals, fabricated stories, is another thing. But to be able to broadcast and produce unbiased, balanced stories is the approach what we are looking for in current affairs, political journalism. 

We just know too well how different political and economic interests try to or influence the work of journalists and broadcasters.

I want to stress the importance of the ethical aspect of media as such consciousness of the journalists. We have to educate journalists; we have to prepare them for their responsible job. And we have to protect them, too.

Because media can create an imaginary world, give hope, and also help us understand the world. But media can poison thin political, cultural, social relations too.

I want us to remember, that media is capable of conveying norms not only for societies, but between societies. In this context, media has an important role in the socialization of the members of the society. Media develops the cohesive force between societies and it tries to encourage their members to actively engage in public live and global issues.

Media has another important role: integration. Media provides opportunity for the members of the society to get to know each other, and builds social cooperation based on shared mutual benefits.

This function relates to the motivation of citizens by building consensus, as media and freedom of expression can contribute to reaching consensus on questions of public interest by disseminating information necessary to make decisions.

Mr President, Excellencies,

Hungary aligns itself with the remarks delivered by the European Union.

The media has an instrumental role in the promotion of dialogue among cultures. Building trust, understanding and dialogue is a basic tool of the media.

Communicating across cultural differences has become an important challenge in today’s interconnected world.

A free and vibrant media is vital to advancing mutual understanding among peoples, cultures and nations.

Hungary shares the view that intercultural dialogue, and the role of media in promoting this dialogue, has become more important than ever before. We share the conviction that the media can play a mediating role in the dialogue among different cultures. Just think about what we see on the screen shapes our vision about other human beings.

The media has a huge potential to fight violent extremism by targeting the youth with messages of tolerance and respect for cultural diversity. By challenging stereotypes and xenophobic attitudes, the media can influence the perceptions and cultural identity of our youth and eliminate the ignorance that breeds extremism and violence. But we have to be able to build up protection against poison!

Terrorist groups, like ISIS, have developed elaborate communication strategies to lure marginalized young people with their propaganda.  The hate speech spread by extremist groups across the world with the help of modern communication technologies poses a serious challenge for the international community.

In our fights against extremists, we must make sure that the freedom of the media is protected and devise strategies that promote and celebrate cultural diversity.

Hungary believes that media workers and journalists should be protected and we have co-sponsored the recent resolution of the Security Council on this topic.

We believe that the Alliance of Civilizations’ annual Plural+ Video Festival, which invites the world’s youth to submit creative videos focusing on diversity, is a good example in this regard and encourage the Alliance to continue to rely on social media in its efforts to spread the messages of tolerance, diversity and inclusion.

I want to congratulate the Alliance of Civilizations, I salute High Representative Al-Nasser and thank Under-Secretary-General Gallach for putting this important topic on our agenda.

The UN, UNESCO and the UN System can help and should help media workers and governments in highlighting the importance of education, clear-cut communication, in order to shape the right understanding about the worlds. The media can and should help celebrating cultural diversity. Because cultural diversity is not a burden, but a real source of inspiration.

Thank you.

Statement delivered by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.72, entitled “World Statistics Day”, held on 3 June 2015.

Mr. President,

I have the honor to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.72, entitled “World Statistics Day” under agenda item 13 (a)

By adopting the resolution, the General Assembly will designate 20 October 2015 as the second World Statistics Day under the general theme “Better data. Better lives”. The resolution calls on Member States, members of UN specialized agencies, the UN system, other international and regional organizations, and all other stakeholders to observe the day in an appropriate manner. The General Assembly will also decide to celebrate World Statistics Day every five years on 20 October.

Achieving consensus after just two rounds of informal consultations, the text builds on GA resolution 64/267 designating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day and follows up on Decision 45/113 of the Statistical Commission. The proposal does not create any additional program budget implications for the United Nations system.

Mr. President,

Hungary’s interest in the issue of statistics, and its decision to actively promote a resolution creating impetus for further dialogue and interaction in the field of statistics, stems from its role as former co-chair of the Open Working Group, and also from its long-standing leadership activities in the UN Statistical Commission.

The role of statistics and reliable data in general, and also in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the future sustainable development agenda have been reconfirmed time and time again. There is a need to advance innovation and analysis, to support national data capacities and a global data partnership. Since statistics are at crossroads, there is no more opportune moment and method to affirm this, than in a GA resolution that brings worldwide focus to the topic.

The World Statistics Day creates a universal platform that enhances visibility, facilitates the organization of events, and the achievement of synergies. The initiative provides a universal framework for, and new focus on, statistical activities. However, its concrete utilization on the national, regional and international levels remains in the hands of the different stakeholders, based on their special circumstances, needs and priorities.

Already the first World Statistics Day in 2010, was an overwhelming success with activities being organized in more than 130 Member States and territories, and by at least 40 international and regional organizations and entities. We have every reason to presume that these results will be surpassed in 2015.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, I thank Member States for their support and constructive participation in the open and transparent consultations. We also appreciate the qualified support of the truly cross-regional group of co-sponsors, reflecting the universal recognition of statistics and its role in creating “Better lives”. In this spirit, Hungary and the cosponsors respectfully call on all Member States to support the draft resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Introductory remarks by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on "Regional representation and size of the future Council" at the Senior Officials meeting on UN Security Council Reform, held on Rome on 21-22 May 2015.

Dear Friends, Excellencies, Colleagues,

It is most appropriate that we have gathered in ROME, the city of eternity to discuss the enlargement and reform of the Security Council. It is the question of ETERNITY of the United Nations.

As you all know, Hungary is a committed and active supporter of the Security Council reform.

I am happy to participate in this event that cannot be more Member State driven. In the same time, I am glad to see that, for the first time in many years, we might have a chance to break out of self-repeating cycles of negotiations.

I believe that collecting the latest opinions of the Member States gave the entire process a new impetus.

Now, it is time to further unpack those proposals, as it also gives the opportunity for us to revisit, clarify or modify ideas.

Also I believe in the power of dialogue, we are equally open to creative new ideas that could achieve a good outcome.

Turning to today’s topic, let us remember, let me add the fact that the only reform of the Security Council took place in 1965, when the number of the non-permanent members was increased from 6 to 10. The reason for increase was to mirror the growth and changes in the membership (115), compared to the 50 members at the time of its foundation.

Fifty years passed, and no further reforms have been undertaken, while the membership has witnessed similar increase, as it now stands at 193. This also means huge changes in the size and configuration of the regional groups. Reform is as warranted as it had been in 1965.

We have a general agreement that the new political, and socio-economic changes should be reflected again in the size and configuration of the Security Council. The creation of a Council that is broadly representative, efficient and transparent is our shared responsibility.

There is no clear guidance yet, with regard to how this goal can be achieved. However, based on the inputs to the Framework Document, now we have a collection of proposals, directly from Member States and groups, in a more uniform and structured manner.

In order to structure our discussions today, let me put on the table three interrelated questions that all have bearings on the issue of size and regional representation.

1./ In which categories do we want to enlarge the Council? There is a convergence of positions around three main suggestions. One is to enlarge in both traditional categories. The other is to create a new interim category with longer periods and immediately renewable mandate as a temporary arrangement, and also to enlarge the non-permanent members. These two options could clearly result is a larger Council with similar numbers. The third main option would be to enlarge in the non-permanent category only, resulting in a smaller Council.

2./ Opinions on the size of the future Security Council are strongly influenced by the answers to the first question. The proposals now range between low twenties (20-23) and mid-twenties 25-26 or even 27, where the number of permanent members range between 7 and 11, and number non-permanent members range between 14 to 16.

To unpack this second issue, I would to propose a discussion on size and effectiveness. Is there, by definition, a negative correlation between size and effectiveness? Can negative effects be mitigated? Can we establish a “cut-off” number, beyond which there is no hope for a working Council? What is that number? Or can we say that size can become of secondary importance; therefore, we should be able to examine all options on their merits, even if resulting in 27 members?

3./ And here we come to the regional representation. Article 23 of the Charter calls for the application of the principle of “equitable geographical distribution” of seats. Unfortunately, there is now a clear dichotomy between the size of regional groups and their representation in the Council. The various proposals, while differing in detail, clearly want to rectify this situation. Some new ideas also emerged, such as securing seats for sub-regional and cross-regional groups, notably the Arab Group, small and medium sized countries, for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), etc.

The guiding questions for this segment could be: Are we ready to observe the principle of equitable geographical distribution in all categories? Can the interim category be adequate answer to the unbalance in the permanent seats? Do we need something else, than this principle to make the Council representative? How can the principle of geographical distribution be reconciled with enlargement based on creating seats for sub-regional or cross-regional groups? Can “regional representation” be interpreted to create seats for regional organizations? We do not think that this latter interpretation is a valid one.

Dear Colleagues,

While the subject is rich in content, let’s see how far we can get in unpacking it. More importantly, let’s use the power of dialogue in order to understand positions better, which, in turn, could give us a chance for moving closer to each other on substance.

All proposals contain acceptable elements and, therefore, can be utilized as basis for further negotiations. The final solution does not necessarily have to be one of the proposals, but rather, a combination of their elements.

Let us exchange opinions, narrow down differences and identify areas of consensus on these issues.

HUNGARIAN POSITION

Hungary supports enlargement in the number of permanent and non-permanent seats.

Should it find consensus, Hungary does not exclude an interim or compromise solution, where a new category of immediately renewable seats is created for longer periods than two years.

Decisions on the enlargement in the permanent or other new proposed intermediate categories shall not jeopardize enlargement in the non-permanent category, which is uniformly supported by the international community.

In order to provide opportunity for more countries to take up responsibilities in the Council, and to ensure adequate balance, enlargement in the non-permanent category shall, at least, match the enlargement in the permanent or any other new category.

Hungary supports a simple and understandable enlargement model that must be based on the UN Charter, that is, equitable regional distribution.

Hungary does not reject, á priori, other supplementary models such as representation of sub-regional and cross-regional groups. However, in that case, allocation of seats to regional groups should be adjusted in order to maintain the balance among them.

As Ambassador of Poland already said: Hungary and many other EEG members request another non-permanent seat for the Eastern European Group. The membership of the EEG has grown from 10 countries in 1965 (when non-permanent membership was expanded to 10) to the current number of 23 Member States. This request stands under any enlargement model to be agreed to by the international community. 

Dear Friends,

We are very close in this glorious city to the Forum Romanum which has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history! The teeming heart of ancient Rome makes me wish to stay here! But now we go back to the new world – New York – and let us continue with the step-by-step approach and try to get to the text based negotiations. For that let me salute my dear friend, the Ambassador of Jamaica for his determination and stamina and wish him good luck with our eternal question.

And thank you again ROME, for this most important Forum Romanum of ours.

Remarks by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay in celebration of the International Day of the Family at the event organized by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, held in New York on 14 May 2015.

Talking in tune has always been my aim throughout my professional life. Talking with dignity to each other even when our differences held sway is my main preoccupation in the turbulent moments. Indeed, differences are at times pronounced in our opinions and visions.  But I would still argue that we should handle our political differences through constant dialogue; through the art of listening, and responding in order to at least try not to misunderstand each other.   

To me, the UN has to act at the highest possible level of dialogue.

So, here we are today to talk about the role of families in sustainable development , and the betterment of the future of our children.

There are globally different approaches towards the notion of family. 

We all know very well, that You are given a family, you can create your own family,  you can choose to live without a family, you can escape your family, you can cherish your family. You can insist on your blood relatives, you can envisage a family in which  persons  are bound not by blood but by love and other attributes. There are many formations of belonging. There are many formations of families. And it is the right of human beings to make a decision in this regard.

I learned a beautiful example of belonging in Africa.

Ubuntu – a philosophy that recognizes the fundamental fact of human existence –that we are what we are because we belong; we participate; we share, it is the gift of Africa to the entire humankind. When we live Ubuntu, we are open and compassionate towards fellow human beings, regardless of our differences, because we are secure and well-grounded in our own culture, aware of our belonging to a greater whole of humanity. Ubuntu makes dialogue possible, where we truly listen to each other.

In my country we tend to think that, as the basic support system of the youth,  families have the power to influence, protect and guide them.  I am talking about families which show  a good example of  fairness, listening, open dialogue, a democratic way of thinking and acting. In which the individuals learn to live with each other on the basic principle of respect .

Today here we gather to celebrate international family day! However we should always remember the threat of misusing   family values, using family structures for oppression and violating  basic human rights. 

 As Mr BanKi Moon says:

“Equitable social and economic development depends on fair legal frameworks and social norms that support the rights of women and children. Discriminatory laws and practices that do not give equal rights to all, and that suppress women’s and children’s rights, have no place in contemporary families, communities, societies and nations. Yet, in too many countries, discrimination against women and disregard for children’s rights remain built into family laws and Government policies, and prevailing social norms often condone and justify many discriminatory practices.”-says the Secretary General.

We can not rest until under the name of family such discriminations do not happen.

Your Eminences,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I would like to thank Archbishop Bernardito Auza for inviting me to speak on this panel.

The UN family works globally for human rights, the rule of law and development. None of these can be achieved without teaching our children at a young age to respect and celebrate the diversity of the human race. Only then will grown-ups respect state sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of international disputes.

However,  people do not seem to remember why UN had to be set up 70 years ago!

Conflicts, bloodshed and human suffering are ongoing.

Our  deliberations on peace and ways to foster it will remain abstract musings if we do not apply them to real life, to real situations and people on the ground, if we do not try to make a real difference.

Understanding the indigenous forces and processes that promote tolerance, mutual acceptance and cooperation is the first step towards learning how to focus on these positive factors.  It is our responsibility  to teach our children  not to view cultural diversity  as a burden but as a source of inspiration.

Eminencies,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

But if we look around what do we see?

Let me start with the pressing pain of losing or not finding one’s identity and looking for one. 

Then, with the basic human aspiration of belonging to somewhere and to someone !

Not to mention the far cry for recognition and the wish to be talked about, never mind the reasons being good or bad!  

The loss and confusion of identities often lead young boys and girls even to terrorist groups.

And all of this is taking place in a time of uncertainty and in a cha-ordic world, in the chaotic order of today.

The time of uncertainty we live in is a great platform for extreme thoughts. 

And here I come to the point , which concerns   the power of learning. Such ideals and values as compassion, conviviality, hospitality, fraternity, and solidarity are, to a large extent, learnt through education and life experiences. Peaceful transformation begins within one’s self, and involves learning about yourself,  and learning about others.

I strongly believe that ensuring access to quality education for children and young people must be a priority in our efforts to combat radicalization . In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we believe that education shall be available and accessible to every child, and shall be directed to the development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values and prepare the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace and tolerance.

We have to teach our children to think  and  act  ethically, and we have to demonstrate to them how to live together peacefully. 

And what about the role of the family in these pressing issues of today?

We, parents, have a critical role to play in shaping the worldviews of our children and in protecting them from violent extremists. I personally believe that we, parents, have to be alert, and protect our children from radicalization, to identify the early signs.

The early socialization that takes place within the family has a major impact on future generations. A positive family atmosphere with inspiring conversations, sharing of ideas, teaching responsibilities, and the respect for different views are decisive in building positive self-esteem and decision-making capabilities. Learning good communication skills leads to openness and acceptance of each other’s opinion. Children with a strong feeling of belonging are more likely to build positive identities and a positive outlook of their own future.

Dear All,

Hungary is strongly committed to supporting and strengthening families

The preamble of the Hungarian Fundamental Law refers to families as follows:

We hold that the family and the nation constitute the principal framework of our coexistence, and that our fundamental cohesive values are fidelity, faith and love. 

For this reason, providing a supportive environment for families has been a priority for my Government through the implementation of wide-ranging policy measures.

When we speak of sustainable development we often tend to primarily think of economic considerations. However, we can never forget that people, human beings should always be at the heart of our policies having major impacts on human lives, on the knowledge, well-being and health of people, on our present and future societies.

Sustainability does have many approaches, many faces. Integral human development is the basis and cornerstone of human future, we think.

Sustainability has many dimensions, and sustainable development can only be successful when all of its dimensions are present and mutually reinforcing.

Thank you for your attention.

Keynote speech by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay at the Conference on 60 and 70 years of the UN, held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary in Budapest on 7 May 2015.

“Dialogos” is a Greek compound-word widely mistranslated and wrongly understood because of confusion between “duo” and “dia”. It does not mean a conversation between two people or two groups, but an acceptance, by two participants or more, that they will compare and contrast their respective arguments to the very end. Dialogue is accordingly a perilous enterprise, for it implies a risk that either participant may find his or her argument transformed, and thus their very identity put to the test.

To me, the UN has been created for dialogue. To me, the UN has to act on the highest possible level of dialogue.

You will agree with me that we have to renew our commitment to understanding and respecting each other’s cultural background and identity, keeping in our hearts and minds the verses of Jalal al-Din Rumi, the great 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and philosopher:

“Half of me comes from here, half from everywhere.
Half of me comes from the pearls of the sea, half from distant shores.”

We, people of the world, are connected to each other globally, and today our interdependence is greater than ever. So we have to consciously protect our sensitive peace together and we have to act against the evil together for the betterment of the future of our children.

Excellencies, Dear Guests, Dear Friends,

The founding mothers and fathers of the UN and its organs, including the Security Council, wanted to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” but also wanted to achieve more: human rights, rule of law, development. And as Nelson Mandela said, there is no peace without development and no development without peace.

We have seen an amazing evolution of humanity since the end of the Second World War. We should never forget the immense development in the political arena. And we should be proud of that. The UN has undeniably had its success stories. It stabilized the security situation during a bipolar world and in many cases served as the most important, sometimes last hope in the international platform of Member States to overcome their differences.

Only, people do not seem to remember why UN had to be set up 70 years ago!

Only, conflicts, bloodshed and human suffering are ongoing. Religious and ethnic minorities are again threatened, people are beheaded because of their religion, nationality and beliefs.

Excellencies,

The UN is always like we – the Member States- are. It mirrors the world we create.

There is clearly room for improvements. But we should not forget that the UN still offers us a forum where we can meet and interact with each other, where we can work for bettering the world, while also promoting our respective national priorities.

Hungary celebrates its 60 years int he UN.

- The Treaty of Peace signed in Paris, on 10 February 1947, between the Allied powers and Hungary already referred to Hungary’s eventual membership in the United Nations. Although the initial application for membership stating Hungary’s readiness to accept the obligations contained in the Charter was made by the Hungarian Government on 22 April 1947, a number of applications for UN membership, including that of Hungary, were blocked for several years.

- Following a “package deal” made between the two Blocs (only a few months after the admission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the NATO and the creation of the Warsaw Pact), the Security Council and the General Assembly decided to allow 16 countries, including my own, to be admitted as members of the UN on 14 December 1955.

- A few months after Hungary joined the UN, the 1956 Revolution took place and gave loads of work to the UN, too. The “Hungarian problem” was on the agenda of the Security Council and the General Assembly for many years.

Hungary has always been an active actor of the UN family. We gave a President of the General Assembly, sit in the Security Council twice, played an active role in different committees and working groups. And proposed talented candidates for high offices.

Today the Permanent Mission of Hungary aims to act in a spirit of openness, inclusivity and bridge-building, with due respect for others’ positions, in search of long term, principled win-win solutions for the universal issues related to peace, security, social and economic development and human rights.

We support the Security Council reform and revitalization of the work of the General Assembly resulting an organisation that reflects the realities of the 21st century.

We are also an active member of the so-called Accountability, Coherence, Transparency (i.e. ACT) cross-regional group and we believe in the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept.

Hungary supports ensuring criminal justice for atrocity crimes committed in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere. We are particularly concerned by the crimes committed against religious and ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups.

After co-chairing the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals for more 1,5 years, Hungary maintains its active engagement in the recent intergovernmental negotiations aimed at defining a universal and transformative development agenda and creating a supportive international framework, while respecting Member States’ sovereignty in the implementation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I had the priviledge in 2011 in Paris- UNESCO after a year long election campaigne being elected by 193 member states unanimously as the President of the General Conference for 2 years.

I envisaged my Presidency to be truly representative of all Member States. In my acceptance speech I outlined my vision and aspirations ,and highlighted the three major themes of my future work:

- Celebrating cultural diversity through intercultural and inter-faith dialogue;

- Promoting gender equality and raising awareness of the role of women in conflict resolution; and

- Exercising soft power for advancing peace – cultural, scientific, sports diplomacy.

The choice of these three topics has been neither accidental nor new. They have defined my past life as a musician, writer, television broadcaster, film maker, cultural diplomat or high official in the state administration. These three of my long term commitments have been now included into the everyday directions of the Hungarian UN mission in New York, too.

Why? Because the loss and confusion of identities led young boys and girls to terrorist groups. Because the crime perpatrated in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion!

Because we have to build and rebuild trust between people. For that we need to invest more into the art of cultural diplomacy.

Because we are determined to work for women protection, for example fight against modern slavery . You may not have known it, but – according to the global slavery index – an estimated 35.8 million people live in a state of modern slavery today and majority of them are women and girls.

Almost in all of my statements, I underscore the importance of education , the fight against discrimination, inequality and violent extremist ideologies, to assist post-conflict reconstruction, or to facilitate the healing process in a traumatized society.

Hungary in the UN is a strong advocate for human rights, the fight against racism, discrimination, antisemitism. Our peacekeeping troops are protecting the most vulnerable, fighting against terrorists.

Your Excellencies,
In the practice of international relations, it is common to look at the world as divided into the developed and developing, democratic and democratizing, rich and poor, North and South. Putting countries into distinct and simple categories serves as a conceptual tool for academicians and politicians alike. But it also obstructs our vision of the true diversity of humanity, and prevents us from understanding the shared values that make us one human family.

UN after 70 years is still the responsible platform for that.

Thank you for your attention!

Intervention by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly at the Third Thematic Meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group, held on 27 April 2015.

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

I thank you for convening this timely meeting. While fully supporting the statements delivered on behalf of the ACT Group, the EEG and the European Union, allow me to add a few observations in my national capacity on the selection of the Secretary-General.

Recently we have seen a lot of activities, by Member States and NGOs, aimed at creating more transparency, clarity, inclusiveness and more participation in the process.

We see these endeavours not only as improvements enhancing the legitimacy of the process, but also as providing great legitimacy, trust and respect to the next Secretary-General. This is why Hungary has played an active role on this issue as member of the ACT Group.

Hungary believes that great improvements could be achieved with practical steps that can be taken within the existing framework.

Transparency and clarity requires the enumeration of, and timelines for, each step of the process, leading up to the appointment of the next Secretary-General. Hungary strongly supports the establishment of a clear nomination procedure resulting in a list of official candidates, together with their qualifications and programs.

We believe that candidates should be allowed to interact publicly with the Security Council and the wider membership of the United Nations in order to describe their vision.

Hungary acknowledges the relevant Charter provisions and General Assembly resolutions on the appointment process. Hungary agrees with a large number of Countries that advocate for no changes in the existing framework, but call for their actual implementation.

The need for regional and gender balance has been, time and again, repeated in relevant resolutions. In theory, these long standing principles should therefore go hand in hand with any other criteria such as on merit.

Hungary therefore calls for the continued and principled application of the regional criteria, and reiterates its strong wish for the actual implementation of the gender criteria, while selecting the best candidate.

Excellencies,

We would argue for a brilliant diplomat with personal merit, vision, charisma, intelligence, openness and integrity, and at the same time ready to listen, learn, understand and represent all of us who would and could be trusted with the task becoming secretary but also acting as a general of this noble organization. We would support someone with talent, and will, master managerial and communicational skills, who could and would find common grounds, protect the values of the UN Charter and make UN more understandable to the peoples of the world. We would prefer this master diplomat coming from the Eastern European Group and being a woman.

Co-Chairs,

The proposals of ACT, also promulgated by Hungary are not a bit revolutionary. These are common sense steps, best practices that have been time-tested and widely applied, even for the high level appointments of the Executive Heads of the United Nations.

The only element we need is political will and the sense of urgency. Indeed, if we want to see these improvements being applied for the selection process of the next Secretary-General, we have to act now. For any change that comes after the campaign has started, even the ones with the best of intentions, will only confuse the selection process.

Intervention by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on “The Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Peace” at the open debate of the Security Council, held on 23 April 2015.

Your Highness, Mr President,
Honorable members of the Security Council, dear Colleagues,

We should teach our children to celebrate diversity, not to take it as a burden but as a source of inspiration. If we are successful in this, they will feel safer in their own body- envelope.

But instead of that, what is happening today?

Let me start with the pressing pain of losing or not finding one’s identity and looking for one!

Then with the basic human aspiration of belonging to somewhere and to someone!

Not to mention the far cry for recognition and the wish for being talked about never mind the reasons being good or bad!

All of these taking place in the time of uncertainty and in a chaordic world, in a chaotic order....!

Culture is the foundation on which people’s identities grow and mature. It is my deeply held belief, based on my personal experiences, that many of today’s problems are rooted in the crises of identity, which has today become a global issue. Increasing mobility of young people and ideas across international borders, information and communication revolutions, and economic globalization have made identities broader, delocalized and multilayered.

Individuals and groups over the world are finding themselves sharing living spaces with people of different cultural backgrounds, especially in world’s cities. Under the rapid transformation of cultural and social structures, the fears of the unknown and the lack of understanding of different views often provide fertile ground for racism, xenophobia and intolerance, human rights violations, and, sometimes, outright conflict.

It is through culture that we give meaning to our lives and develop a sense of who we are. Culture is a source of identity, belonging, citizenship, equity and participation. It can become a driving force in facilitating social cohesion. And because culture is a source of universal values shared by all, it can only be enjoyed under the conditions of mutual respect and acceptance of diversity.

Fully appreciating one’s own cultural background is possible only after understanding and respecting the diversity of other cultures and celebrating the richness of our common cultural heritage. In other words, we need to learn about each other.

And here I come to the point, which concerns the power of learning. Such ideals and values as compassion, conviviality, hospitality, fraternity, and solidarity are, to a large extent, learned through education and life experiences. Peaceful transformation begins within one’s self, and involves learning about yourself, and learning about the others.

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind.

We have to learn thinking positively, we have to learn acting ethically, and we have to learn living together peacefully.

But what happens when there is no education, or no one teaches us all these principles, not to mention we do not trust the teacher.

Transformations start from and within an individual. An avalanche of an incredible force accumulates from the movement of particular snowflakes on top of a mountain. Powerful ideas are generated in the minds of individuals and spread with a lightning speed of modern information technologies to transform societies in most fundamental ways.

Mr President,

I wish to thank Jordan and His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah for initiating today’s open debate on the role of youth in countering violent extremism. I also wish to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mr.Peter R. Neumannand Mr. Scott Atran for their informative briefings. Hungary fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.

Over the past year violent extremist groups have increasingly targeted young people and recruited them as child soldiers, terrorists and even suicide attackers. The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee has pointed out last year that the majority of foreign terrorist fighters recruited by the ISIS and Al-Nusrah Front are young. In his 2014 report on children and armed conflict, the Secretary-General also listed several Al-Qaida affiliated groups that recruit children e.g. in Iraq, Mali, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Mr President,

We fully agree that in order to effectively counter the threat of radicalization, we must tackle the socio economic root causes that often leave young people marginalized and susceptible to violent extremists. High levels of youth unemployment, illiteracy and weak family bonds all contribute to creating a fertile ground for radicalization.

It is our responsibility to take effective policy measures that enhance the social and economic inclusion of our youth and prepare them for a productive adulthood. These measures shall range from providing education, competence buildings and skills development, to creating employment opportunities and promoting young entrepreneurs.

Mr President,

I strongly believe that ensuring access to quality education for children and young people must be a priority in our efforts to combat radicalization and promote tolerance. In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we believe that education shall be available and accessible to every child, and shall be directed to the development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values and prepare the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace and tolerance.

Strong and harmonious families contribute to the development of strong identity and cultural values that will make children and young people more resilient in the face of extremism. In this regard, we, parents, have a critical role to play in shaping the worldviews of our children and in protecting them from violent extremists. I personally believe that we, parents have to be alert, and protect our kids from radicalization, to identify early signs of violent extremism.

In the same vein, promoting sports, art and cultural activities for youth are also important to develop culturally sensitive and responsible young adults.

Mr President,

We believe that governments should also facilitate the participation of young people in public life and public discourse. Youth organizations play a constructive role in fostering civic engagement and the Hungarian Government has and will continue to support the activities of youth organizations as an effective tool to build resilient communities.

Mr President,

I cannot express strongly enough the responsibility and role of the media in creating dreams, setting examples, negative or positive ones.

One of the greatest challenges of our time is to create an Internet that is a free and safe environment for our children and youth. We must learn from examples of responsible online activism that effectively engage young people to contribute to inclusive societies and a sustainable future for all.

We also encourage the dissemination of counter-narratives undermining the discourse of violent extremists and promoting tolerance, inter-cultural and inter-faith dialogue in particular through social media and the Internet. In this regard, we believe the local communities are best placed to develop credible and authentic messages, which take into consideration the local context. Civil society organizations could identify young victims, survivors and former violent extremists, who could act as messengers to help counter radicalization.

Young people are not only the target of violent extremist groups, they may also have a role to play in using the media, for instance by engaging in journalism, to counter such ideologies and promote tolerance, diversity and respect towards each other.

Mr President,

Let me conclude my statement by underlining the importance of criminal accountability in ensuring justice to the victims and –in the longer term – in healing the wounds of traumatized societies. In recent months we have heard a lot about the barbaric crimes committed by terrorist organizations like ISIL, Boko Haram, Al-Nusrah Front, and other groups.

As it has been reported most recently by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria and the investigative mission dispatched by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to Iraq, many of the atrocities have been committed against young girls and boys, who often belong to religious or ethnic minorities. We have read about killing, torturing, raping children, subjecting girls to sexual slavery and forced marriage, recruiting child soldiers, and using children as human shields. It is without question that many of these actions amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

While today we are discussing the important role of youth in countering violent extremism, we must not forget about the young victims who deserve justice to be done. Hungary is of the view that there is no peace and reconciliation without accountability, therefore, we must redouble our efforts to find a solution that would honor the victims.

Thank you, Mr President!

Intervention by Ambassador Katalin Bogyay on “Promoting Tolerance and Reconciliation:Fostering Peaceful, Inclusive Societies and Countering Violent Extremism” at the high-level thematic debate on the UN General Assembly, held on 21 April 2015.

Mr President,

Our deliberations on peace and ways to foster it will remain abstract musings if we do not apply them to the real life, to the real situations and people on the ground, if we do not try to make a real difference.

Sometimes we forget that despite the periods of conflicts, people have lived together for ages, mixing with and learning from each other, exchanging views, experiences, adopting various elements of others’ cultures.

The task before us is to identify those cultural phenomena that have historically “glued” the communities of different backgrounds together in harmonious co-existence.

For me, these cultural unifying factors can be found in literature, oral and written traditions, artistic expressions, sites of common cultural heritage, even the examples of gastronomy! Understanding the indigenous forces and processes that promote tolerance, mutual acceptance and cooperation is the first step towards relearning how to focus on these positive factors. This is especially relevant in places where peace had broken down.

And the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind, of course, can only occur when we start to respect, even celebrate, our cultural diversity.

Multi-faith dialogue is an essential path towards the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind. It can reveal the common ground within a multicultural society that enables the free practice of religion for all and the free expression of the plurality of views. Since faith represents a fundamental force behind many people’s lives, multi-faith dialogue allows building relations in spheres that are very close to people, like culture, and religion. This is the reason why the reconciliation efforts are increasingly made through cultural and faith based diplomacy in many parts of the world.

Mr President,

I wish to thank your Excellency, as well as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations for initiating today’s high-level debate on promoting tolerance and reconciliation. Hungary fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.  

Multi-faith dialogue is essential for reconciliation.  In places where conflict has related deep divisions, peace must be based on reconciliation that involves restoration of genuine peaceful relationships between and within societies. By removing the bases for emergence or re-emergence of violence, reconciliation builds personal and social capacity for sustainable peace and contributes to the attainment of important human developmental goals, such as eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality, combating diseases, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Reconciliation depends on societal attitudes that do not change overnight, even if the conflict has been resolved peacefully. These attitudes permeate major channels of communication, dominate public discourse, and eventually find expression in such cultural products as books, plays, and films. Reconciliation is therefore a long and complex process that requires sustained commitment from all stakeholders, including the international community, to enhance the indigenous capacity within a society to manage conflict without violence, as a means to overcome obstacles, solidify the peace process, and achieve human security.  Reconciliation also depends on justice.

But, Mr. President,

Hungary is deeply concerned about the recent rise of violent extremism in many parts of the world.

We respect and acknowledge the importance of religions in creating and preserving values which are vital for the sustainability of the human society. As our constitution, the Fundamental Law of Hungary formulates it: „We value the various religious traditions of our country”.  We are proud of our tradition of religious tolerance. It was the National Assembly of the Hungarian Transylvanian Principality that adopted a law on religious tolerance for the first time in the history of Europe, in 1568.  The Torda Edict on Religious Tolerance, almost 450 years ago, declared, that „no one should be forced to choose a preacher (…) but every community may keep a kind of preacher whose teaching they like. And for this (…) no preacher should be hurt, and nobody should be blamed for the religion, as faith is a gift of God”. In the spirit of this noble tradition Hungary is deeply committed to the values of freedom of religion and belief.    

Also in modern times, we must build on the inner potential of the respective religions to promote healing and reconciliation. Recognizing the importance of this matter for the global security, Hungary for example organized a high-level conference on interreligious dialogue in 2011 with the participation of Christian, Jewish, Muslim scholars as well as decision-makers.

Hungary traditionally attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Minorities are presented in the political decision-making on both the local and national levels. The representation of national and ethnic minorities is guaranteed in the local governments and in the Parliament as well, which ensures their effective participation in the design and implementation of policies and programs.

Mr President,

It has to be admitted that religious conflicts or interethnic conflicts with religious aspects have caused much pain and suffering over the centuries and in many parts of our world. These pains are preserved in the collective memory of the communities and they often contribute to tensions of today. Ignoring these aspects of present-day conflicts is no solution: we must face them and our generation is obliged to do its best to heal them, for the sake of a peaceful future.

As part of the efforts to promote dialogue and combat Antisemitism, the Government has set up the so-called Jewish Community Roundtable, which provides a platform for continuous dialogue with Jewish communities in Hungary.

In line with our commitments to never forget the darkest times of Hungary, Hungary assumed the Chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) as of March this year. We will dedicate our Chairmanship to three main goals: the fight against Antisemitism, the promotion of Holocaust education and awareness-raising about the Roma genocide.

Mr President,

We are particularly concerned about the recent rise of barbaric attacks committed by terrorist groups against religious minorities, including Christians and minorities of other faiths. We cannot let this happen in the 21st century! We have to remind ourselves that Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights obliges us, the international community, to act concertedly and effectively in order to stop violence against religious communities.

Hungary is ready to play its part in this regard and we encourage other States to do the same. The Hungarian Government has offered financial support aimed at providing humanitarian assistance to displaced minorities in Northern Iraq, persecuted by ISIS. We also offered direct support to Egyptian Coptic families, whose family members were brutally killed by the same group in Libya.

As part of these efforts, Hungary has recently informed the Iraqi authorities that we stand ready to participate in any international effort to save and restore ancient cultural heritage destroyed in Iraq in the most barbaric fashion by ISIL.

Since there is no peace without justice, Hungary has repeatedly called for holding the perpetrators of these barbaric crimes committed against religious and other vulnerable groups accountable primarily through national or, if they are unavailable, through international accountability mechanisms.

Thank You, Mr President!