ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのH.E. Ambassador Katalin Annamária Bogyay、Hungary

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,
Seventy-five years ago, delegates in San Francisco signed the Charter of the United Nations without the presence of Hungary. At the outbreak of the revolution of 1956, Hungary was still a novice in the organization, joining it just one year earlier. When the Security Council was paralyzed on the issue, the General Assembly took the lead and with the tireless efforts of Danish diplomat and UN official Povl Bang-Jensen, the UN Special Committee on the Problem of Hungary was established, and the case and fate of the Hungarian revolution stayed on its agenda long after the revolution got defeated. The United Nations showed us, that although it’s not omnipotent, but it truly is persistent, responsible and sensitive to suffering. These are among the driving values of the UN of our times, too.
Multilateral diplomacy is similar to gardening, as American economist George Schultz put it - you plant, you wait, you sow the seeds, wait, trim, then harvest at some point. In multilateralism, you invest into networking, relationships, trust and you build a base you can rely on. You need patience with international institutions, gardening takes longer that bargaining quick business deals. Based on national sovereignty, member states will always be the first responders in any crisis. While occurring problems get faster and more specific answers at a national level, in times of global challenges, when people turn to their own governments for help, this governmental help needs to be supported by the UN or other international organizations. And since its foundation, the UN has always been a cornerstone of our world order.
75 years later, it is still our duty to preserve and fight for these achievements. We should also support the UN to adapt to new challenges, evolve and improve. Hungary shares the view that the transformational changes of this Organization support its capability to deliver its mandates and thus, contribute to the enhancement of multilateralism.
Hungary is a proud supporter of multilateralism, by playing an active role in the UN bodies, and by hosting an increasing number of UN offices (UNHCR, FAO, ILO, IOM, WHO, IMF, UNICEF, IFRC, UNOCT). Hungary strives to ensure that Budapest becomes a growing regional hub in Europe.
In our work within the United Nations we put a particular emphasis also on preventive diplomacy, human rights (with special attention to the protection of religious and ethnic minorities), women’s empowerment, supporting counter-terrorism and fighting violent-extremism, ensuring accountability (also as member of the ACT Group), promoting disarmament and non-proliferation, and the maintenance of peace and security. Hungary is determined to take its share of responsibility in delivering on our common transformative commitments enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (with SDG6 especially close to our heart) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
The UN as a framework needs reforms, but the framework itself is secondary to the principles, the intention and the political will of the member states. We need to be pro-active, demonstrate our mutual values and our trust in each other, ensure our willingness to reform and sharing the burden. We need global cooperation, united response, and the ability to galvanize international consciousness and collective responsibility not only to fight this pandemic, but also to emerge stronger in the post-COVID era.
United Nations, Happy Birthday!
Thank you