General Assembly: 59th plenary meeting, 79th session General Assembly Date: 4 March 2025 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/ga/79/59 Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- GA · PGA [0:00]: The 59th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly is called to order. As announced in my letter dated January 23rd, 2025, This meeting is convened to hear an address by His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the General Assembly Hall stands as a testament to multilateralism. Here, all Member States, diverse in size and circumstance, gather as equals, upholding the principle of sovereign equality. It is a space where every nation has a voice. It has long been the practice of the General Assembly to welcome addresses from visiting Heads of State. I was therefore pleased to facilitate the request from the Permanent Mission of Poland for the President to address the Assembly today. Your Excellencies, Your Excellency President Andrzej Duda, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this hall. Your Excellencies, on 26 June this year, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations. While Poland was not present at the San Francisco Conference in 1945, Poland signed and ratified the Charter later that year. and is therefore recognized as one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations. Indeed, Poland experienced firsthand the scourge of war that the United Nations was explicitly established to prevent. Unfortunately, that scourge persists today in conflicts that continue to devastate lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Gaza, in Haiti, in Myanmar, in Sudan, in Ukraine, and elsewhere. These conflicts bring death, destruction, and immense suffering. This is what the Charter's preamble describes has untold sorrow. We must do much better. In the Pact for the Future, which was adopted by consensus at the start of this session, world leaders pledged a renewed commitment to multilateralism firmly rooted in the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter. As we commemorate the Charter's 80th anniversary, Member States must rededicate themselves to its foundational principles, and above all, to the pursuit of peace. This is not merely an obligation; it is our shared responsibility and the only path toward a future defined not by conflict, but by cooperation and hope. We must all work for a peaceful future. Thank you. The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland. I request protocol to escort His Excellency And invite him to address the assembly. Poland · President · Andrzej Duda [4:41]: Thank you, Mr. President. Distinguished Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this is my last speech before the United Nations General Assembly as President of the Republic of Poland, and I wish to take this opportunity and share with you my reflections after almost a decade of service to my homeland, Poland, a founding member of the United Nations. I recall my previous interventions, the main message of which was always the primacy of the international law over naked force. Peace through law was the slogan that accompanied me during my speeches before the UN General Assembly and at the UN Security Council during our non-permanent membership in 2018 and 2019. Every time I left Poland to travel to the United Nations Headquarters, I kept in mind that this organization should care for and guarantee respect for the law in order to maintain peace and security across the world. Unfortunately, the experiences gathered in recent years demonstrate how fragile both peace and security are. I followed a number of crises and conflicts which broke out far away from the borders of my homeland, in the Middle East, in Africa, or Asia. But I also saw a steadily growing threat in our closest neighborhood. I could see the resurging Russian imperialism which aims to shatter all universal values. Peace, respect for sovereignty and integrity of states. I vividly remember 2008 and the Russian aggression against independent Georgia. I also recall the message of the late President Lech Kaczynski from that time, who, when Russian tanks were heading for Tbilisi, sat in front of the Georgian Parliament. Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, and the day after tomorrow the Baltic States. And later, maybe it will be time for my country, Poland. Well, those prophetic words came true in the following years. And when I was elected President of the Republic of Poland in 2015, I knew that the attack on Ukraine, which had been carried out by Russia since 2014, marked just the beginning of an effort to violently destroy the international order based on international law. And it was precisely the concern for maintaining the primacy of law, the concern for keeping security and peace that accompanied me during almost a decade of my presidency. Ladies and gentlemen, regrettably, my assessments and predictions, especially the ones on the imperial policy of the Russian Federation and the security situation in Europe, materialized. Today, I look back with satisfaction, but also with relief, on all the initiatives to strengthen the security of Poland and Europe. If it was not for them, the Kremlin could have conquered Kyiv long ago and get ready to further expansion towards Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga, or Tallinn. And this is exactly why, since I came into office, the main priority of my policy has been to boost the security of Poland and Europe thanks to closer cooperation, both bilateral one with our key Allies, as well as multilateral one as part of regional collective security systems and broader the international system created by the United Nations. Ladies and gentlemen, when speaking about security and international cooperation, I am referring in particular to closer relations with the United States, our partners in the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, as well as with the willing and like-minded member countries of the United Nations. Poland's strategic relations with the USA, especially the military ones, have a long history symbolized by the statue of Tadeusz Kościuszko at the US Military Academy West Point. And it is in the spirit of these longstanding friendly relations that I have been trying to build an ever-stronger alliance with our friends from across the Atlantic. We have achieved a lot over the years, and many memories come flooding back with the inauguration of the American Aegis Ashore missile base in Redzikovo at the end of last year— an important symbol, but also another element of the American security umbrella over Europe. Also, recent talks with Donald Trump, who was reelected as U.S. President, offered the— an opportunity to summarize a decade of efforts to bolster the Polish-American alliance. Ladies and gentlemen, right from the beginning of my presidency, I wanted Poland to be perceived not only as a recipient but also as a provider of security. Therefore, during my 2 terms in office, I tried to ensure that Warsaw fulfilled its most important Allied obligations and truly shaped the security policy in Europe and across the world. In accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter, we actively advocate for regional agreements to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security. For 25 years, we have been a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, which has guaranteed peace in the transatlantic era for 75 years. At the same time, we are active in the international collective security system in the UN, where we are committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. Our activity in UN peacekeeping missions is an expression of this aspiration. Poland can boast a long tradition of participating in such activities. That is why I personally decided to deploy once again the Polish military contingent to Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL operation. In addition, we are co-chairing the Peacebuilding Commission and actively participating in the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review. Furthermore, we support the implementation of the UN Secretary-General's Pact for the Future and New Agenda for Peace. Ladies Ladies and gentlemen, Central and Eastern Europe is well aware of the threat to sovereignty posed by the imperial policy of the Russian Federation. That is why I have been so committed to enhancing our security policy. Over the past 10 years, we have succeeded in intensifying defence cooperation with the Bucharest 9 format. Together with the countries in the region, we have prepared to counter the most challenging threats: Russian hybrid attacks on our borders, sabotage on land and at sea, and the worst-case scenario, the full-scale aggression against our neighbour Ukraine. We reacted jointly and as one of the first. To the blatant and brutal violation of international law. From the first day of the war, we have been clear about who is the victim and who is the aggressor. And we have continuously supported Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russia's neo-colonial ambitions. Led by concern for security and the urgently needed development of our region, I initiated in 2015, along with the then President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Three Seas Initiative, the goal of which is to improve the connectivity among 13 countries of Central and Eastern Europe. A decade has passed since the launch of the Three Seas Initiative, And I can see that we have achieved a great deal in terms of modernization of infrastructure connections between the north and south of Eastern Europe. Currently, the Three Seas Initiative is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, with a projected GDP growth of 35% by 2030. It is a gigantic market inhabited by 120 million people. 20 million citizens ready to cooperate and do business together. I know that others also take note of this because every year the interest in cooperation with the initiative increases, as exemplified by the strategic partnerships with the USA and Japan, which recognize the investment potential in our part of Europe. The 10th Three Seas Initiative Summit is approaching. It will take place on April 28th and 29th in Warsaw. Let me use this opportunity and encourage everyone interested in cooperation to invest in our region and participate in the Summit. Ladies Ladies and gentlemen, I'm aware that I represent a state that has a huge advantage in relations with many other countries. What I'm alluding to is the fact that Poland has never imposed its views on anyone. What we did was taking care of and supporting respect for fundamental rights, the rights enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We know perfectly well what it means to fight against a colonizer. Poland has never been a colonial state, and we are proud of that. This has allowed us to build lasting and friendly relationships which I have tried to deepen by travelling and talking to leaders from the Arab world, Africa and Asia. During my visits, I strive to understand the perspective and political conditions of regions distant from Europe and to present our position, always based on mutual respect and partnership. Ladies and gentlemen, at a time when regional security formats do not always allow us to provide international stability, let us recall the reason why the United Nations Organization was established. Let us remind ourselves why we have worked together to develop international law in order to best guarantee peace and protect the sovereignty and integrity of states. Why is this law not respected by everyone today, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council? I can find one answer: insufficient power to safeguard international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm standing before you as the representative of Poland, a country with over 1,000 years of history, painfully tested by this very history. Our experience includes the construction of a powerful state, one of the strongest in 17th century Europe, as well as the bitter experience of gradual partitions carried out by our neighbours which ended in the loss of independence. Followed by a constant independence struggle which lasted for more than 123 years and cost hundreds of thousands of lives until we finally regained it, in 1918. Our independence lasted just 20 years, and it was destroyed by 2 totalitarian regimes of the 20th century: Russian Communism and German Nazism. I'm invoking the history of Poland because I know that when it comes to the experience of fighting for independence, The sacrifice made in this struggle, the enormous material losses— I'm talking about an experience that is universal. Wars are part of human history, but peace and the consistent striving to build lasting foundations for its preservation are also part of it. The last 30 years of Poland's history, since we successfully broke free from Russia's sphere of influence and were able to decide on our own economic policy, security, and alliances has been a period of unprecedented economic development, improvement in the standard of living of citizens, social services, and development opportunities. From a backward, poor country with high unemployment rate, We transformed into a highly developed state, creating thousands of jobs in modern sectors of the economy. Today, we are the 21st largest economy in the world, and our ambition is to join the G20. All these successes were possible thanks to peace in Europe. Therefore, in Poland, we sincerely believe that only peace can provide optimal conditions for development. And that is why all imperial ideologies that see conquest as a tool to improve the lives of their own citizens and strengthen the international position of the states are alien to us. Our success I am referring to the countries of Europe— consisted in creating such a system on the Old Continent in which war was hard to imagine because it did not benefit the aggressor. It was contradictory to development, the power of the state, the prosperity of its citizens. At the same time, I admit That this way of thinking has made many European leaders blind to the threat of Russia's imperial policy. I hope that the process of awakening from the geopolitical slumber, painfully as it may be, will be swift and that Europe will take greater responsibility for its security in cooperation with proven allies. After all, There is no choice. Citizens understand this. Now it is time for the state leaders to follow suit. Ladies and gentlemen, I remember taking part in the UN Security Council high-level debate in 2018 and talking about the importance of law for maintaining peace. Today, in the 3rd year of the war in Ukraine, a country neighboring Poland, I would repeat the words I spoke then: International law remains the strongest tool for civilized nations to ensure a lasting peace. However, today I would add that peace can only be defended if it is backed by the real force capable of deterring a potential aggressor. On the other hand, if a war could not be prevented, restoring peace requires justice as well as force. This is because only a just peace can be lasting. Ladies and gentlemen, War does not respect borders, human dignity, systems of values, or confessions. It means death, destruction, and contempt for other people. No continent was spared the experience of war. It threatens all our countries. Even if the risk of a war breaking out in a given part of the world seems limited at the moment. Therefore, a wise and forward-looking policy requires support for actions fostering peace and not supporting the aggressor. It is in the best interests of all our countries. For the last few decades, Poland has pursued a foreign policy in which peaceful and partnership-based cooperation was the goal and not just a means to achieve political or economic benefits. Rest assured that Poland will not go off this course. Poland will continue all initiatives aimed at strengthening a just peace GA · PGA [25:32]: On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Poland for the statement just made. I now give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation on a point of order. Russian Federation [26:06]: Thank you, Mr. President. I have had to take the floor under a point of order because we just heard from the rostrum of the GA anti-Russian thinking from a head of state whom the General Assembly deemed to give the floor to, it not being on the agenda. The President of the GA is well aware that we did have doubts regarding the expediency of conducting today's meeting. As we have seen, our intuition did not fail us, and the President of Poland spent a lot of time in his speech on debasing our country and on focusing on dividing lines in the UN and not unifying line, we believe that this is not only a lack of respect to you, but to all member states of the UN who are gathered here today. Colleagues, despite the fact that the Security Council of the UN on the 24th of February took a— adopted a resolution calling for an urgent peace between Russia and Ukraine, one of the leaders of Poland talked about the logic of military-focused providing support to Ukraine. So all of the blame is being pinned on Russia in what he said, because apart from poisoning Russia in the eyes of its neighbors and on having an anti-Russian stance is the only thing that Poland has been focusing on for the past 20 years. For more than 3 years, sir, I worked in Poland and I was always struck by how ordinary Poles were very friendly towards Russians. And there seems to therefore just be this terrible Russophobia amongst the Polish elite alone. Citizens often write to us from Poland apologizing for the stance taken by their leadership. And they are the ones who are backing those in Ukraine who have— they have been holding up high aloft those in Ukraine who were doing terrible things. So we have just been talking about the fact that more than 60,000 soldiers died, um, in World War II. There were many people fighting fascism. And so we just don't understand why Poland, a, a people who suffered so much from war, are now— Poland is now on the forefront of those who are egging on another war. It is time for the war to end. Mr. President, in conclusion, I'd like to remind you of a proverb that is the same in Russian and Poland. So it is— I would like to say that— and the speaker speaks in Polish, so please reject this anti-Russian narrative and let us stand for a unifying stance rather than a dividing one. This is the only way that long-lasting peace can be upheld in Europe that all want, and not just the Poles. Thank you. GA · PGA [29:42]: I thank the representative of the Russian Federation. Before adjourning the meeting, members are reminded that the 58th Plenary Meeting will be resumed immediately after this meeting. The meeting is adjourned.