This resolution represents a profoundly moral and civilizational act by the UN General Assembly. The adopted resolution is equally important for the UN and for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is particularly dangerous that the leadership of the Republic of Serbia glorifies the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic. The monster Ratko Mladic is not a hero, but a convicted war criminal. The institutional glorification of this war criminal is an anti-civilizational and unacceptable act. It amounts to identifying Serbia's state leadership with one of the worst butchers in European history. It is an indication that Serbia has not abandoned the ideology and policies that lead to aggression and genocide. It is a direct assault on the values of the United Nations, whose court delivered a final judgment against this war criminal. Let me remind you that Serbia is the only state in the world that has been found by a UN court to have violated the UN convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. I call on the United Nations and the European Union and other international actors to clearly condemn this conduct and take concrete measures against those who institutionally glorify convicted war criminals. Unfortunately, the ideology and policies that led to genocide against Bosniaks continue to threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina. From the podium of the UN General Assembly, I wish to publicly warn the international public that the current leadership of the Bosnian entity, Republika Srpska, continues to threaten the peace and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. We must stop this destructive policy together.

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Allow me to begin my speech by quoting the sentences that I delivered 14 years ago on this rostrum on behalf of Slovenia and also on behalf of vast number of current and former heads of states at that time who signed our declaration for. And allow me to quote This was 14 years ago, this year's theme of the United Nations Assembly is peaceful resolution of disputes. Last year, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the entry into force of the convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The convention was the fruit of the tireless effort of the Polish jurist of Jewish descent, Raphael Lemkin. I would like to remind you that since the end of the Second World War alone, there have been more than 80 countries witnessing mass atrocities. At least 53 million innocent people lost their lives. And behind these numbers are concrete men and women as well as children. They had a future, but they were not allowed to live that future. For this reason, I call on the member states of the United Nations, regional organizations and the United Nations system to develop a new approach and a strategy for the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities. In addition, an intergovernmental forum of like minded states should be established in order to propose a United Nations resolution that would give a clear mandate for preparation and adoption of an appropriate legal mechanism, legal mechanism that would give the concept of the responsibility to protect a new tool, a legal mechanism that will enforce the prevention of crime, a mechanism that will enable a faster and more effective response to acts of genocide and other mass atrocities. I would like to inform you that this initiative also comes from international civil society. The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy has gathered thousands of supporters at international non-governmental organizations among lawyers, students, journalists and others. As early as 1946 Raphael Lemkin declared our heritage is the result of the contribution of all nations, all nations, as well as the United Nations as a whole, have great responsibility, as well as an enormous opportunity to prevent atrocities in the future. We cannot escape history, but we can learn something from it. I firmly believe that the mistakes we made yesterday, we do not want to repeat tomorrow. We took responsibility for this world from our fathers, and we have a great responsibility to make it better for our children. I call on you to improve it by joining all our efforts for a world free from genocide and other mass atrocities.

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Impunity cannot become normal. San Marino, therefore, reaffirmed its commitment to the Geneva Convention, the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute, and we reiterate our unwavering support for the International Criminal Court. The court exists because the gravest crimes cannot go unanswered genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Accountability is not an obstacle to peace. It is a part of a lasting peace. The fight against impunity is also an essential element of the responsibility to protect, which must remain a shared responsibility of the international community. Recent political pressure and coercive measures against the court, its officials and those who cooperate within it are deeply concerning. State parties to the Rome Statute must defend the independence and integrity of the court. San Marino also reaffirmed its historic commitment to the abolition of the death penalty, which it abolished in 1865. This reflects our enduring conviction that human dignity must be protected even in the face of the gravest crime. Justice cannot depend on political power. Mr. president, five years ago, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

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The power fuelling climate chaos and the war on nature. And the power unleashed by artificial intelligence. Excellencies, The first great power test in the 21st century is peace and security. Peace is far more than the absence of conflict. It is the presence of restraint of power by law. It is the recognition, as enshrined in the UN Charter, that force cannot be the final arbiter of whose lives, rights and future matter. Today that principle is under profound strain. Across the Middle East, conflicts are cascading. So-called ceasefires have amounted to little more than “lesser fires” – with civilians continuing to pay the price. Enough is enough. I appeal to the leaders in this Chamber to maximize this High-Level week for de- escalation and dialogue. Together, let's send a clear message from this Hall: The fighting must stop. Humanitarian aid must flow. And navigational rights and freedoms must be fully restored in accordance with international law. Amid the turmoil engulfing the region, we must not lose sight of the devastating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It is nearly three years since the abhorrent terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October. What followed was an onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza, with a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I have witnessed in all my years as Secretary-General. The International Court of Justice has issued legally binding provisional measures in the case entitled: “Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.” In an advisory opinion last year, the Court was clear that the United Nations needs to be allowed to perform our mandates in Gaza – and for our staff and humanitarian personnel to be protected. All parties must comply with international law and the Court’s orders. Meanwhile violence, displacement and settlement expansion by Israel in the Occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising the spectre of ethnic cleansing. We cannot allow the two-State solution to disappear before our eyes. In Ukraine, Russia’s full-scale invasion has subjected a sovereign country to a brutal war in blatant violation of the Charter. Civilians continue to be killed far from the frontlines. Mainly in Ukraine, but also more recently in parts of Russia – homes, energy and water systems, and transport have come under repeated attack, threatening food and energy supply chains globally. In Sudan, a war for raw power fed by outside actors has become a war on civilians: Millions displaced. Hunger spreading. Drones striking hospitals and homes. Sexual violence and ethnically driven attacks escalating. And a country being torn apart as the world looks away. And in Myanmar, another crisis is at risk of slipping from global attention with: escalating violence; mass displacement; and expanding transnational crime. Excellencies, These and so many other conflicts show what happens when power gets out of control, force outpaces diplomacy, military budgets soar, and accountability goes out the window. The test before us is whether power will be exercised with the law – or beyond it. We must pass that test: We must defend the Charter without double standards. Protect civilians without exception. Ensure humanitarian access without obstruction. Shield humanitarian personnel without fail.

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