Miroslav Lajcak

The negotiations on the future of the U.K. and the E.U. must be led... in the interest of our citizens.

I have absolutely no doubts that the best for the U.K. is to stay in the European Union.

When my country was born, many people were sceptical about the chances for us to exist, let alone prosper.

The U.N. was created for people.

We will continue our work on the Global Compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration.

We need to address significant funding gaps when it comes to implementing the SDGs.

What keeps me awake at night is the issue of relevance of the United Nations.

I really don't want to live in a world where the U.N. will not be relevant, will not be seen as the enterprise we turn to when we have a problem.

People are saying that the next war will be about water. Let's make sure there will be no next war, and let's make sure that we treat water the way it deserves.

The United Nations is here to provide global guidance and also to help with global frameworks and to set the policies right. But then, it's the member states who have to implement those policies.

If we want the next generation to be born into a better world, we only have one option. And that is strong multilateralism, with the U.N. System at its core.

The United Nations should serve as a forum to address our common challenges. And it must also be a space to generate solutions for mutual benefit. This is the very essence of what the United Nations is about. We must position the multilateral system to better serve our people and deliver on their aspirations.

The U.K. should be treated with respect because it deserves respect.

If there is one thing we need to avoid, it is competition between E.U. institutions.

Membership of the E.U. is not about cherry picking. It brings a lot of advantages and, of course, it requires a lot of responsibilities.

Sustaining Peace is happening. But it is the exception - not the norm.

If we hand over a planet with an uncertain future, history will not forgive us.

Mediation is one of the most effective tools of non-violence. It can turn parties away from conflict, towards compromise.

The longer it takes to respond to a major development or crisis, the higher the chance of violence being seen as the only answer.

As our world gets more interconnected, no one country or region can meet development challenges on its own.

We all have to acknowledge a simple fact: Africa is growing.

I'm certainly not a hard liner, that's clear.

We need to address issues our people think about and talk about. Because there is a feeling that Europe elites are addressing different issues. Not the ones that people care about.

The Commission is extremely important. The E.U. without the Commission would not be the European Union.

It's the right and also the responsibility of member states to express their views. And my role as the present of the General Assembly is not to comment on this. I'm here to protect and respect the rules.

Climate change is not a theoretical question for the people of the Caribbean.

We must recognize that Small Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters, and external shocks.

The U.N. must have adequate resources and the right capabilities to fully engage in global peacekeeping.

The United Nations has an irreplaceable role in dealing with global issues. While other international bodies play important roles, the U.N. is the only truly global arena where we can achieve results for the global good.

Engagement is always better then disengagement. If we don't talk, somebody else will.

I want to use but not misuse my position as President of the General Assembly.

South Sudan has faced numerous challenges, which include professionalising the security sector, establishing ministries and parliamentary structures with the appropriate capacity for policy making and oversight, as well as improving community safety and access to justice.

My own country, Slovakia, has been there for South Sudan and its people. We made South Sudan a priority country of our official development assistance and humanitarian aid.

Real political will for change is achieved when the risks associated with the necessary political and structural changes are articulated at the planning stages, the key stakeholders acknowledge and accept those changes, and all stakeholders participate in the relevant processes.

By unwillingly robbing post-conflict nations of their most talented people, we in Europe are improving the odds these states fail, and feed the vicious circle of future conflicts.

The E.U. should pay more attention to the plight of African nations hosting large numbers of refugees themselves - at times for decades.

Better governance helps realize the full potential of the many young Africans who are currently giving their families' savings to criminal networks and risking their lives in the vast expanses of the Sahara or Mediterranean instead of starting their own businesses and using their lives to benefit their families and communities.

'Peace' means rules respected by everyone - big or small, rich or poor - means cooperation. It means respect for human rights and dignity.

Coming from a smaller nation in Central Europe, I have learned pretty soon how important are agreed rules, cooperation, respect for partners and, most of all, willingness to listen and find common solutions.

The U.N. has brought peace and order to many places around the world. However, terrorism, violent extremism, violations of human rights, natural disasters caused by climate change - they all threaten the lives of people today. Add migration, insufficient health care, lack of education, and the picture gets even bleaker.

We cannot prevent hurricanes or earthquakes, floods or volcanic eruptions. But we can ensure that both people and communities are better prepared and more resilient.

Everyone who has ever asked for asylum in Slovakia was granted asylum if that person met the conditions. There was never any discrimination based on religion.

People are afraid of what they don't know.

Our people have not been exposed to Muslims, and they are frightened. It's a new phenomenon for them... Hundreds of Muslims mean nothing in Belgium or London, but it does mean something in Slovakia.

It is far easier and more effective - and not just in terms of cost - to prevent conventional conflicts than to intervene after an eruption of violence.

Human rights represent absolute and universal values. They should be protected by all means we have at our disposal.

U.N. employees, including senior leadership, should be selected based on merit and competence while continuing endeavors to achieve gender parity and geographical balance.

I wish to pay attention to what we can do better to prevent conflict. Because by avoiding conflict, we save human lives, and we also save money.

The General Assembly is a unique organ. It's the most representative organ of the United Nations, where all 193 Member States are present. Each has one vote regardless of its size, power, or wealth. That gives the body a huge authority.

I'm a career diplomat. I spent 30 years as a diplomat, out of which seven years as foreign minister. I've always believed in the United Nations as a centre of multilateralism and multilateral diplomacy.