For far too long, world leaders have allowed disparities to grow in this world, Prime Minister Robert Abela told the United Nations general assembly on Thursday.
This has happened between the rich and the poor; between those who have access to fundamental rights and needs such as healthcare, water, food, and technology – and those who are deprived of even the most basic of needs, and between those with different sexual orientations.
He said that the people of the world expect peace, equality and prosperity. “Peace, equality, and prosperity are what we, as world leaders, should aspire to deliver to our people, to the world and to future generations. That is, if we truly want to make a positive difference in their lives,” he said.
“Without peace, without security and without stability, we will never be able to focus on the more important challenges we face: to bring about growth, equality, and prosperity.”
Today, peace is threatened by what Secretary General Guterres rightly referred to as the "cauldron of crises" we find ourselves in.
“And unless we come together to work for global order and world peace, we stand no chance. For no single state can do it alone,” he said.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, Abela said that thousands of civilians have been killed and millions are suffering devastating losses. Close to 12.8 million people are estimated to have been displaced in Ukraine, which is a third of the nation’s population.
“The international community cannot afford to lose sight of any of these situations,” he said.
Failure to act will also mean that instability will spill-over to neighbouring regions, with all its negative consequences – mass migration - human trafficking - and terrorism.
Today’s global food supplies and energy markets have been shaken like never before, mostly because of the war in Ukraine.
The knock-on effects will be felt by our people in different ways.
Right now, these effects are taking the shape of constraints in the purchase of grains, fertilizers, agricultural equipment and livestock feed, the shortages of which have inflated the prices of key basic imports.
This has in turn impacted negatively the purchasing power of consumers around the world, Abela said.
This continuous rise in the rate of inflation on food products, and food scarcity, is a major cause for concern and should be at the top of our agenda.
These pressures impact small islands, like my country, harder due to their insularity and other specificities. In Malta’s case, we took calculated strategic decisions to support and stand behind our people all the way in the best possible manner. If we do not support our people until the situation betters, we will have failed them, he said.
Solutions in the 21st century are not found through the use of force and weapons. We can only prevent further deterioration of this situation if we manage to resolve war through dialogue, and meaningful negotiating efforts. The 21st century should not be an era of war, he said.
Only through economic ties and interdependence, through the freedom of movement of people and capital across countries, can we hope for long-lasting world peace, the PM added.
Malta’s priority is to keep its citizens always at the very heart of the government’s policies, and strive to improve their quality of life, at multiple levels, from providing excellent quality services, increasing the number of high-quality jobs, and reducing the digital divide to avoid anyone falling behind on the use of technology, he added.
Digital is the future, and we are committed to it. In parallel to the digital transition, we have to work on the green one. And in both areas, we must continue advocating the need to close the digital gap across nations to ensure a level playing field.
The displacement of people due to climate change, particularly due to droughts and sea level rise leading to loss of territory, is taking place on our watch.
Though no one is safe from climate change, it is those who are the most vulnerable that are impacted the most.
Global challenges require global solutions. Together, we must keep the 1.5-degree target alive; ensure that no one is left behind and continue working towards building decarbonised nations and societies, he said.
Climate change poses a serious threat to us all, but particularly to Small Islands Developing States, and many coastal communities. It threatens state sovereignty, brings loss of territory, and causes damage to states’ critical infrastructure as well as their existing rights under maritime zone boundaries.
He said water scarcity will be one of the biggest impacts of climate change. “Our practices in water management, particularly through the sourcing of water through desalination and recycling of wastewater, can serve as a model for addressing our world’s future needs - especially in view of the increasing recurrence of droughts brought about by climate change,” he said.