“It is precisely at this time of uncertainty that we must read the signs of our time clearly to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” King Don Felipe VI of Spain stated, emphasizing that “the United Nations is not only useful, it is indispensable and irreplaceable”.  Believing in the United Nations means believing in the universality of the principles and values enshrined in its Charter and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  “The dignity of the human being is non-negotiable,” he added.  He described a rules-based world as “the best defence against the law of the strongest”, warning that “a world without rules is unchartered territory”.

Turning to conflicts that have plagued too many regions, he underscored that “peace in Europe will not be possible without justice and accountability”.  Pointing to the devastation, bombings, famine, starvation and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza, he asked:  “To what end?”  His country is pained by the actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza, he said, stressing:  “We, therefore, cry out, we implore, we demand:  stop this massacre now.  No more deaths.”  While unequivocally condemning the heinous terrorism of Hamas and the brutal massacre of 7 October 2023, he demanded that “the Israeli Government fully uphold international humanitarian law throughout Gaza and the West Bank”.

Addressing global challenges, he pointed to the $4 trillion annual shortfall in financing for sustainable development, adding that Spain has increased its contributions to international development.  Human rights, gender equality and the environmental transition are central elements of Spain’s foreign policy, he said, pledging to promote these values through its membership in the Human Rights Council.  On immigration, he said that when properly managed, it can become “a vector of mutual development for countries of origin transit and host countries”.  On climate, he called for “consensus and ambition ahead of COP30 [thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] in Brazil”, urging a tripling of renewable energy and doubling of energy efficiency.

Underscoring that the European Union is “one of the greatest achievements of concord and a model for multilateralism”, he spotlighted the June political agreement regarding the key aspects of the future accord between the European Union and the United Kingdom that respects Spain’s position on sovereignty and jurisdiction over Gibraltar, which will bring “confidence, legal certainty and stability”.