Video address of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov on behalf of the CSTO member states at the high-level event of the UN General Assembly on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the worldwide Organization, Moscow, September 21, 2020

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.

Today we are celebrating a truly significant event. 75 years ago, the foundation for our common global home - the United Nations was laid. In retrospect, we admire the determination with which the founding fathers of the worldwide Organization strove to build a democratic system of international relations. They joined together in order to save future generations from the scourge of war, to establish faith in human rights, and create conditions for a just world order and social progress.

Years later, some tend to take this great achievement for granted. However, it should be remembered that every step in this direction was a real feat, the main of which, of course, was the Victory over Nazism. The unification of free peoples in the face of a terrible tragedy became the basis for the beginning of the implementation of ideals that were previously considered utopian.

Against this background, attempts to revise history, to belittle the role of peoples who made a decisive contribution to the Victory over fascism look absolutely absurd. The memory of those who perished at that terrible time is sacred. We must all remember the lessons of history, honor the feat of the soldiers-liberators, and ensure the safety of the monuments erected in their glory.

Unfortunately, the “cold war” that came soon after the creation of the UN did not allow this colossal creative potential to be fully revealed. Only 44 years later, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, symbolizing the geopolitical confrontation between two irreconcilable systems, a new hope arose. It was no longer only about preventing military clashes, but also about overcoming mistrust, inequality, curbing neo-colonial ambitions, and establishing constructive cooperation in the name of building a common future.

Today, unfortunately, armed conflicts continue to rage in various regions of the world. And top to it are the serious threats of our time: international terrorism, drug and cybercrime, climate change. This year, this list was supplemented with another formidable challenge — the coronavirus pandemic, which provoked serious crisis phenomena in the socio-economic and other spheres. In this regard, we consider the call of the UN Secretary General for a global ceasefire in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic to be very relevant. The CSTO member states unanimously supported this call.

It is becoming more and more difficult to respond to these and many other global problems from year to year, especially in the context of the growing disunity of the world community. It seems that this situation is largely due to the unwillingness of some countries to reckon with the legitimate interests of other states. They are imposing concepts and standards like a "rules-based world order" in parallel with attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of states, the use of unilateral sanctions in violation of the prerogatives of the UN Security Council, and manifestations of intolerance and hatred.

But the regular march of history cannot be reversed. Today, new centers of economic growth are strengthening in the international arena, the need to settle armed conflicts exclusively by peaceful means is growing, and interdependence is growing. The world is tired of dividing lines, dividing states into "insiders" and "outsiders", the world requires building up all-round mutual assistance and cooperation. In other words, the goals formulated 75 years ago when the UN was created are becoming more and more relevant.

It is all the more important for us today to reaffirm our adherence to the UN Charter and universally recognized norms of international law, to emphasize the lack of alternatives to genuine multilateralism and to intensify efforts to collectively search for solutions to global problems with the UN's central coordinating role.

Dear Mr. Chairman,

The anniversary date is an occasion to outline the contours of the activities of the world Organization for the future.

In modern conditions, the UN should remain an effective structure, conducting well-coordinated work in strict accordance with its Charter. The blurring the mandates of the main bodies of the UN system and duplication of their powers, which will only delay the achievement of the desired goals, must not be allowed. In its practical steps, the UN should take into account the experience of regional organizations, including the CSTO.

The bulk of the UN's achievements is related to its peacekeeping activities. Today more hopes are pinned on peacekeeping operations as never before, because they are called upon to solve urgent problems and promote a long-term settlement.

At the same time, one of the main tasks of the world community should remain the settlement of conflicts exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means, within the framework of internationally recognized negotiation formats, on the basis of international law. Dear Mr. Chairman,

Expanding cooperation in the fight against terrorism and its link with organized crime should remain an unconditional priority. Against the background of the development of information and communication technologies that are actively used for terrorist, criminal and military purposes, ensuring international information security is becoming an important task.

All efforts to weaken arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in order to maintain global stability must be blocked. Special attention is required to counter threats of a cross-border nature, including those associated with the transfer of foreign terrorist fighters to conflict zones, threats of chemical and biological terrorism, as well as ensuring the use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

The Organization's focus must remain on the promotion of development, which is indispensable for the consolidation of peace. It is important to complete the process of decolonization as soon as possible, which is complicated by the desire of the former metropolitan countries to preserve their influence in the new conditions.

Dear Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, I would like to stress that the future of the Organization is in the hands of its member states. We need to once again, as in 1945, put aside differences and unite in the name of solving common problems based on equal dialogue and mutual respect for interests. The UN platform creates all the necessary conditions for this.