At the outset, we would like to congratulate five incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council: India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway. Your work will be crucial to maintaining international peace and security. We also thank Tunisia, the Presidency of the Security Council in January, for organizing this timely debate.
Since we last convened in this chamber to discuss the maintenance of international peace and security at the beginning of the last year, disconcerting events have unraveled all around us, which have exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and created new, unprecedented challenges. We have made some progress since the horrors of World War II, when the UN Charter was written. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to alleviate strains created by security threats, political instability, socioeconomic inequalities, poverty, discrimination, social exclusion, violence by armed groups, terrorism, violent extremism, environmental distress and climate change, many of which are now secondary impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and main drivers of the fragility. We attach particular importance to combating misinformation, disinformation and hate speech online and offline, which can be catalysts for destabilization and conflicts.
The pandemic has brought about many long-term ramifications and negatively affected the trajectories of many conflicts across the globe. We are deeply concerned about the security situation in the Sahel, the Great Lakes region, as well as Ethiopia and its potential effects on the stability of the Horn of Africa as a whole. A strengthened link between security and development is key in this context. Only by improving bilateral and international coordination and cooperation, we will be able to overcome challenges in the areas of terrorism, migration, economic development and climate change in sub-Saharan Africa.
The spread of COVID-19 continues to aggravate the persisting conflict in Yemen across multiple frontlines, which is fueling the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and many gross human rights violations. The risk of famine and the overall humanitarian situation remain critical, which can only be brought to an end through an inclusive political solution. Consequently, it is essential to continue the UN-led efforts to broker a nationwide ceasefire and resume the peace process.
The civil war in Syria has been ongoing for a decade, only to deepen the suffering of civilians. Also here, the UN led peace process is the means to reaching lasting and credible peace in line with UNSCR 2254 and the 2012 Geneva Communique, while holding accountable those responsible under international law for crimes and gross human rights violations and ensuring a safe soil for a dignified and voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons.
Although we are witnessing certain positive steps in Libya recently, much remains to be done to reach a sustainable political solution that enables us to embark upon the path of recovery and reconstruction in the country.
The long standing political, economic, and social crisis in Venezuela continues fueling migration, incessant human rights violations and suppression of the political opposition. The non-democratic elections of National Assembly on 6 December 2020 is another step closer by the regime to the total collapse of democracy in Venezuela. These events have had a gruesome impact on the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and region. Beginning of a Venezuelan-led transition process and restoration of the democracy is crucial to avoid further deterioration of the situation.
Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian Crimea and Sevastopol, and its covert and overt aggressive actions in Eastern Ukraine clearly violate the UN Charter`s fundamental principles of territorial integrity and prohibition of the use of force. Consequently, the maintenance of international peace and security is further aggravated. In this regard, we call on Russia to fully comply with its commitments under the Minsk agreements and to restore Ukraine`s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We are concerned by the ongoing provocations by the Russian Federation and the breakaway regions of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the continued borderization activities along the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary line (ABL) that have continued unabated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Such actions are completely unacceptable. We reiterate our strong support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
So called frozen conflicts intensify fragile context. Situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Transnistria, Nagorno-Karabakh should be resolved by peaceful means and based on generally recognized principles of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Disregard for human rights and basic democratic freedoms in Belarus, including the violence against peaceful demonstrations, is troubling and not acceptable. We are confident that the will of the Belarussian people should be respected, since they are the only ones who are allowed to decide the future of their own country.
While the aforementioned negative trends shine a light on the growing gap between sustained fragility and sustainable peace, we believe it is our responsibility, including that of the Security Council, to employ all the tools at our disposal to close it. In this regard, smaller countries come with their own set of tools and experience that can substantively contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and work of the Security Council. For instance, in the situation where the world was impatiently waiting for the Security Council’s resolution to address the pandemic and to help bridge the gaps in a fragile context to no avail, smaller countries took the leadership to achieve this. They contribute to improve transparency and working methods of the Council itself, while providing unique perspectives that help address fragility.
The pandemic has taught us the value of cooperation, because no country has been left untouched by its repercussions or been able to overcome them alone, irrespective of hitherto military and economic prowess. Latvia is a long-standing champion of strong multilateralism and a rules-based international order. We are convinced that now more than ever, it is the only viable path towards lasting global peace and security. Therefore, it is essential to halt further escalations and create space for diplomacy to address the root causes of fragility and achieve lasting peace while upholding international law and the role of the UN in the process. An active inclusion of women, who often suffer from the effects of fragility and conflicts, should be at the forefront of peacemaking and peacebuilding. We are committed to strengthening gender equality, empowering girls and women, protecting the rights of women and children, and eliminating gender-based violence to break the vicious circle of conflict and violence.
To conclude, we need to create and allow for a space for addressing fragile contexts and their root causes. Indispensable principles of international cooperation, peaceful settlement of disputes, human rights, the rule of law and prevention of conflicts must remain a guiding light of the United Nations - the “gate-keeper” of the international peace and security. We should not stop striving for universal respect for these principles, as they are essential for maintaining international peace and security against a backdrop of serious threats and growing turmoil in many regions.