He said empathy can easily translate into efficiency “if we really want to get things done. Words are important, but they are not enough if they are not followed by concrete actions,” and that all nations have the same responsibility to be more proactive in preventing and solving global challenges.
For example, he said the recent agreement on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which will be adopted at an international meeting in Marrakech in December, will be void if not implemented; “as empty as the days to come for those who do not know where to rest for the night.”
The same could be said of the Paris Agreement on climate change. “To address the global challenge of climate change affecting billions of people, we must implement the commitments we have collectively made,” he said, also calling for joint action to harness the benefits of the ICT revolution for all and strengthen free trade systems so that all countries and regions, particularly in Africa, can ensure long-term growth and development.
“We see a solution in liberal thought that progress is not possible through polarization, fragmentation or tribalism. Progress is the force that is born from debate and the search for a common solution,” he said.
“I want to demonstrate how many good ideas exist globally,” Kalijulad continued, “already found, already tested, but only on a small scale. Ideas that help someone somewhere, waiting to be discovered and improved to help as many people in the world as possible.”
Finally, highlighting the need for multilateralism and international legal norms, President Kaljulaid stated: “The role of the United Nations is to provide this equality, as the guarantor of the rules-based global system. We depend on each other, whether we like it or not.”