Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, said that the UN has endured because it belongs to all its Member States.  “It is up to all of us to bring new strength to the UN’s enduring mission, to renew our commitment to the principle that peace is both our common cause and our collective responsibility.”  The international rules-based order owes much to the leadership of the United States, but everyone has a role to play to ensure that the system — which has enabled the rise of new powers — safeguards the rights and aspirations of every nation, big and small.  “The more we can do to reinforce the architecture of peace and prosperity, the more we remind nations of everything they stand to lose,” he said.

Drawing attention to Australia’s candidacy for a Security Council seat in 2029-2030, he said the UN is a platform for middle powers and small nations to express and achieve their aspirations, and not just an arena for great powers to veto each other.  Long gone are the days when conflict and turmoil in another part of the world cannot be felt in Australia, he added, recalling that his country’s security services had linked Iran to the firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne and a Jewish restaurant in Sydney.

Australia champions the benefits of free and fair trade and it works to strengthen it, he said, including by supporting the implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, including in the South China Sea.  He underscored his country’s efforts to honour its Paris Agreement commitments, reduce emissions and embrace clean energy, which can enable fast-growing economies in the Indo-Pacific region to grow their industries and reduce carbon emissions at the same time.  “Clean energy can carry the world beyond the false choice between economic growth and environmental responsibility,” he said.

Nations are stronger when they draw on the talents of all their citizens, including women, he said, recalling that an Australian, Jessie Street, one of only eight women delegates at the founding of the UN in San Francisco in 1945, insisted that the Charter specifically mention sexual discrimination.  Australia stands with the people of Ukraine in their struggle against the Russian Federation’s illegal and immoral invasion, he continued, adding that in the Middle East, his country — which this week recognized the State of Palestine — is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of hostages, humanitarian aid for those in desperate need and no future role of the terrorists of Hamas.  Where can the Charter’s pledge “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” apply if they cannot apply to the Middle East, he wondered.