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.

The negotiations on the future of the U.K. and the E.U. must be led... in the interest of our citizens.

The U.N. was created for people.

South Sudan has faced numerous challenges, which include professionalising the security sector, establishing ministries and parliamentary structures with the appropriate capacity for policy making and oversight, as well as improving community safety and access to justice.

We cannot prevent hurricanes or earthquakes, floods or volcanic eruptions. But we can ensure that both people and communities are better prepared and more resilient.

Human rights represent absolute and universal values. They should be protected by all means we have at our disposal.

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.

People are saying that the next war will be about water. Let's make sure there will be no next war, and let's make sure that we treat water the way it deserves.

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

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

We all have to acknowledge a simple fact: Africa is growing.

It's the right and also the responsibility of member states to express their views. And my role as the present of the General Assembly is not to comment on this. I'm here to protect and respect the rules.

The U.K. should be treated with respect because it deserves respect.

Membership of the E.U. is not about cherry picking. It brings a lot of advantages and, of course, it requires a lot of responsibilities.

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 do believe we can do more to bring the U.N. closer to the world's citizen and make a real difference in their lives.

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

Everyone who has ever asked for asylum in Slovakia was granted asylum if that person met the conditions. There was never any discrimination based on religion.

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.

People are afraid of what they don't know.

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

Our people have not been exposed to Muslims, and they are frightened. It's a new phenomenon for them... Hundreds of Muslims mean nothing in Belgium or London, but it does mean something in Slovakia.

Whenever there is a need to address an issue that has emerged and the U.N. is expected to deal with, we should be ready to do so.

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.

If there is one thing we need to avoid, it is competition between E.U. institutions.