Excellencies, all protocol observed.
Today we commemorate a milestone event in modern human history.
75 years ago, a new international order was launched, based on multilateralism, and deeply rooted in the victorious alliance over Fascism.
After two devastating world wars, the United Nations emerged from the ashes of battlefields as humankind"s best hope and the foundation of a new, better world.
The supreme ideal of the United Nations – to achieve a just and lasting peace for the suffering humanity – as US President Truman inspirationally stated at the San Francisco conference in 1945 – has unfortunately never been truly achieved.
Nevertheless, the United Nations, its organs and agencies, have proven their worth on countless occasions. From International Court of Justice, to UNICEF and UNESCO.
This momentous occasion is not only the opportunity to reflect on the past; it is above all the chance to look forward, for benefit of the young generations and those yet unborn.
Today we live in a much different world than 75 years ago. Technological revolution changed and improved our lives beyond comparison. Yet, the scourge that plagued the world in the autumn of 1945, the hunger and poverty, the disease and refugees, still burdens parts of our Planet.
Yet, unprecedented progress have been achieved in the past 75 years.
Whereas two out of three people in the world lived in extreme poverty at the end of the Second World War, today this share has fallen to less than one in ten and by 2030 this should fall under one in 16.
The changes we are going through are profound. In 75 years the world"s population has been tripled, the global energy consumption and the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels increased six times, while the sea level has risen by 15 centimetres and is expected to continue to rise.
This is why the climate change is one of the pivotal fields for the future of humanity. This is where we cannot afford to fail.
We have to adjust to new realities, find a way to meet new challenges, harvest the benefits of new technologies, achieve all sustainable development goals and avoid pitfalls of the past.We must make the United Nations fit for the 21st century.
Croatia is a strong supporter of UN reforms, aimed at strengthening our Organization and forging multilateralism.
Revitalization of the United Nations" work has to go beyond the General Assembly. Reform of the Security Council is long overdue.
Our historical anniversary should also be an occasion for revisiting the UN Charter, to meet the needs and realities of the new era.
Let us use the 75th session of the General Assembly as a springboard for that.
Croatia, being a UN Member State since 1992, stands ready to continue actively contributing to all the efforts to improve our Organization and preserve its global relevance for decades to come.
Thank you.
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