Miroslav Lajcak

“Engagement is always better then disengagement. If we don't talk, somebody else will.”

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

“The U.N. has brought peace and order to many places around the world. However, terrorism, violent extremism, violations of human rights, natural disasters caused by climate change - they all threaten the lives of people today. Add migration, insufficient health care, lack of education, and the picture gets even bleaker.”

“What keeps me awake at night is the issue of relevance of the United Nations.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“'Peace' means rules respected by everyone - big or small, rich or poor - means cooperation. It means respect for human rights and dignity.”

“By unwillingly robbing post-conflict nations of their most talented people, we in Europe are improving the odds these states fail, and feed the vicious circle of future conflicts.”

“The Commission is extremely important. The E.U. without the Commission would not be the European Union.”

“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.”

“I wish to pay attention to what we can do better to prevent conflict. Because by avoiding conflict, we save human lives, and we also save money.”

“I'm a career diplomat. I spent 30 years as a diplomat, out of which seven years as foreign minister. I've always believed in the United Nations as a centre of multilateralism and multilateral diplomacy.”

“I'm certainly not a hard liner, that's clear.”

“If we hand over a planet with an uncertain future, history will not forgive us.”

“We will continue our work on the Global Compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration.”

“The longer it takes to respond to a major development or crisis, the higher the chance of violence being seen as the only answer.”

“When my country was born, many people were sceptical about the chances for us to exist, let alone prosper.”

“I want to use but not misuse my position as President of the General Assembly.”

“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.”