Miroslav Lajcak

I really don't want to live in a world where the U.N. will not be relevant, will not be seen as the enterprise we turn to when we have a problem.

Sustaining Peace is happening. But it is the exception - not the norm.

The United Nations is here to provide global guidance and also to help with global frameworks and to set the policies right. But then, it's the member states who have to implement those policies.

Real political will for change is achieved when the risks associated with the necessary political and structural changes are articulated at the planning stages, the key stakeholders acknowledge and accept those changes, and all stakeholders participate in the relevant processes.

We must recognize that Small Island Developing States are particularly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters, and external shocks.

Climate change is not a theoretical question for the people of the Caribbean.

As our world gets more interconnected, no one country or region can meet development challenges on its own.

My own country, Slovakia, has been there for South Sudan and its people. We made South Sudan a priority country of our official development assistance and humanitarian aid.

The E.U. should pay more attention to the plight of African nations hosting large numbers of refugees themselves - at times for decades.

The United Nations should serve as a forum to address our common challenges. And it must also be a space to generate solutions for mutual benefit. This is the very essence of what the United Nations is about. We must position the multilateral system to better serve our people and deliver on their aspirations.

If we want the next generation to be born into a better world, we only have one option. And that is strong multilateralism, with the U.N. System at its core.

The United Nations has an irreplaceable role in dealing with global issues. While other international bodies play important roles, the U.N. is the only truly global arena where we can achieve results for the global good.