Dr Gonzi was addressing the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. This was the first time Dr Gonzi has addressed the assembly as Prime Minister. It was also the first time that the Maltese Prime Minister has addressed the assembly following Malta’s accession to the EU.

Dr Gonzi said Malta’s membership of the EU had given the country renewed scope and an added dimension to its commitment towards the United Nations and its role in international affairs.

He mentioned what he described as an important development that had taken place in Malta’s region in the context of disarmament. “Libya’s decision to renounce its programme on weapons of mass destruction has been welcomed by all. As a long-standing friend and close neighbour of Libya, Malta has particular reasons to welcome this development and the increased opportunities it now creates for Libya to play a significant role in the process of Euro-Mediterranean security and cooperation.”

Dr Gonzi continued that “the framework of regional stability and cooperation provided by the Euro-Med process was one contributory factor towards Libya’s decision to renounce its programme. Nevertheless, problems relating to the development of weapons of mass destruction still exist in other regions of the world. The role which initiatives encouraging regional stability and economic and social development can play in the resolution of these problems should not be under-estimated.”

He said it is also necessary to look at the problems raised by the threat of new weapons of mass destruction as part of the wider issue of disarmament in its many aspects.

Dr Gonzi also stressed the importance of bringing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force without further delay. “The continuing commitment to the major multilateral treaties and increased efforts to intensify measures of verification and compliance are of paramount importance in this regard. Equally important is the need to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force without further delay,” he said.

The problem of proliferation of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction, has in our day assumed a new and frightening dimension in its possible linkage with terrorism, he said.

In his speech, the Prime Minister also spoke about the fight against terrorism that, he said, needed to be pursued with firmness and tenacity.

Dr Gonzi said: “The fight against terrorism involves all of us and needs to be pursued with firmness and tenacity. At the same time the struggle must take place on our, not the terrorists’ terms. This struggle must not take place at the expense of the fundamental freedoms and the basic dignity of individuals.

“Neither must we allow the legitimate concern to eradicate terrorism in all its aspects to distract the commitment of the global community in its endeavour towards the economic and social development of the less advantaged regions of the world.

“Our concerns for the safety of our people must be counter-balanced by the assurances that those responsible for these threats will be dealt with by a coherent and effective system of trans-frontier justice that reflects respect for the rule of law. The international community’s endeavours in recent years have found fruition in the establishment of the International Criminal Court, a functioning institution which increases its effectiveness the wider it is subscribed to by the members of all the family of nations.”

Dr Gonzi also spoke about the problem of illegal immigration that is affecting Malta and Gozo, especially during recent months with more and more reaching our shores.

He said one issue of concern is the question of migration from the southern to the northern shores of the Mediterranean. “As in other parts of the world, this issue needs to be tackled from the economic, social and political, as well as the humanitarian perspective. Because of its geographical location and small size, Malta has a special sensitivity to the many problems and complexities of the issue. We are hopeful that the spirit of cooperation and understanding provided by the Euro-Med process can help countries in our region to successfully tackle the challenges involved.”