ROBERT ABELA, Prime Minister of Malta, said the United Nations can and must be a counsel of hope.  Recalling that his country gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined the UN, he said:  “Over those six decades, my country has developed beyond the wildest dreams of the pioneers who saw us to statehood.”  He went on to say that the world needs the United Nations now more than ever and Malta values the United Nations now more than ever.  “We will remain steadfast in our support for steps to build and maintain peace in every region of conflict,” he stressed, describing the role of Malta as an ‘honest broker’ — the approach it brought to its membership of the Security Council.  Underscoring that the failure of many countries to comply with international rules poses a great threat to many innocent citizens, he urged all Member States to play their part by remitting the resources to ensure the hard-working front-line UN staff can play their part in bringing relief and hope where it is desperately needed.

As Malta concludes its current term on the Security Council, he recalled that amidst the tragedy of events in Israel and Gaza, his country worked with others to prioritize the relief of humanitarian suffering.  “We are proud that this led to the release of 105 hostages during the negotiated seven‑day pause,” he said, spotlighting a dangerous and deeply worrying escalation in Lebanon.  Reminding about the current wars in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, he turned to another country in conflict, Libya, which is Malta’s neighbour.  “Helping the Libyan people achieve a genuine and lasting resolution to the institutional crisis — for which they have paid too high a price for too long — is a key priority for Malta,” he emphasized, calling for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces, fighters and mercenaries from Libya.

Speaking about equality across gender, race, religion, age, disability and sexuality, he stressed that it is imperative in finding lasting solutions to so many of the challenges that face all.  “We are one of the few countries that has already implemented an anti-racism strategy,” he said.  Emphasizing that without women there can be no peace, he urged to ensure the voice of women and girls is heard at the top tables and on the ground.  “South Sudan, Nigeria, Mali, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Iraq and Somalia — that list is a sad testament to the magnitude and gravity of the repeated violations against children in crisis zones,” he continued.

Quoting a saying in Maltese, “The sea is wealthy,” he stressed that for Malta, the wealth of the sea equates to the wealth of its people.  “We, small island nations, are amongst the lowest emitters of greenhouse gases but we are literally the front line of the climate emergency,” he said, adding that the ‘Islands for Islands’ initiative is central to Malta’s foreign policy, providing practical assistance to small island developing States.  Promoting Malta’s new ‘Shore-to-Ship’ initiative, he explained that its capital Valletta is a magnet for cruise ships which, while docked, produce serious amounts of pollution if relying on their engines, so his country is installing an onshore power supply to such ships which can switch off their engines and reduce pollution by around 90 per cent.  Besides, Malta championed the creation of a unified database of all vessels involved in illicit activity related to migration, but that can only happen if ship owners know that trying to break sanctions brings consequences, he said.