Copyright maltatoday
Malta is ready to welcome the world’s warring parties to facilitate a path to peace, Prime Minister Robert Abela told UN delegates on Friday. Addressing the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, he reiterated Malta’s commitment to multilateral engagement and projected the country as “a unique platform for peace”. “I renew my open offer to the warring parties of the world and those working to bridge those divides. Malta stands ready to welcome you, to facilitate, and to support you in finding ways forward,” Abela said before referring to the war in Ukraine and the atrocities in Gaza. ‘Atrocities must stop now’ Abela avoided using the words ‘genocide’ and ‘Israel’ when talking about Gaza but described the forced hunger and widespread killing as “morally wrong” and “inhuman”. “These atrocities must stop now,” he insisted to applause from the assembly, recalling the story of Ibrahim, a Palestinian child brought to Malta for medical treatment after having both legs blown off by a missile fired from a drone. “We cannot allow the further killing of thousands of innocent people, babies, children, youths, the elderly and the frail to continue, and turn our heads the other way because of other improper considerations. We cannot remain silent. Decisive and effective action needs to be taken without any further delay,” Abela said. He called for a viable two-state solution and rejected the idea this was a ‘reward’ for Hamas. “It is the exact opposite. It is the only way to finally banish the evil of Hamas. It is the only solution that can deliver the sustainable and peaceful future that both peoples wish for and deserve,” he said. ‘Slava Ukraini’ On Ukraine, Abela did not shy away from calling out Russia by name, describing its invasion of Ukraine as “unprovoked and illegal”. He called for a “lasting and just peace, that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty”, making it clear that Ukraine must be part of any peace talks and decision-taking. “Malta stands firmly with our fellow EU members in believing that we must keep the strongest possible pressure on the Russian economy to force the Russian government to see sense and engage in genuine dialogue,” Abela said, before saluting Ukrainians with the national salute “slava Ukraini”. UN is indispensable Turning to reform of the United Nations, Abela said it was not perfect but remains indispensable. “I want to reject the idea that the need for the United Nations is any less imperative today than it was eight decades ago,” Abela said. However, he called for change in the way the UN works, warning against “a bunker mentality”. Abela called for a “smarter and fairer” UN, where change begins “at the top”. While paying tribute to Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Abela decried the “big-power horse trading” that has marked every election of a secretary general. “The selection process needs to be transparent, inclusive, and based on merit not political bargaining,” he said, adding the decision must involve all member states and civil society. On the Security Council, the UN’s highest decision-making body, Abela said its composition still reflects the world as it was in 1945. “Malta backs the clamour for expansion, and fairer regional representation,” he said. But he also called for the role of the Security Council to be elevated. “It must serve as a greater counterbalance to the dominance of the larger powers.” UN must deliver value for money He also set his sights on how the UN works, calling for a more efficient organisation that delivers better value for money. “The UN, like any publicly funded organisation, needs to make sure that it ruthlessly focuses not on protecting the way things are done now, but on the way, things can be done differently to deliver better outcomes for the same investment,” Abela said. He warned the big countries from crowding out smaller nations. “It is a self-defeating mistake for the ‘big boys club’ to crowd out the added value that small nations can bring to the table. We bring innovation, credibility, and moral authority to any concerted global action. To exclude the small, is to damage the big. We all lose. Which is why, although Malta may be one of the UN’s smallest members in terms of geography, we have always been determined to be one of the UN’s biggest voices,” he said. Unsustainable migration Abela called for a tough approach to address the causes of irregular migration as migration itself. “Addressing legitimate concerns about migration is not the same as pulling up the drawbridge. Clearly, the current growth of irregular migration is unsustainable. Yet, it will only be truly addressed by a truly global response. A co-ordinated response that is both humane and sustainable,” he said. Since first coming to power in 2020, Abela has presided over a clampdown on irregular migration through cooperation with Libya. Migrants departing from Libya are stopped from leaving or intercepted by the Libyan coastguard before they enter the Maltese search and rescue area. Human rights groups have criticised these actions which they argue go against the principle of not returning migrants to countries where their wellbeing could be threatened. Malta rejects these arguments, insisting it prevents deaths at sea.
