United Nations General Assembly: Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War

Thank you President.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, Canada, and my own country, New Zealand. 

As we meet today to mark eighty years since the end of World War Two in Europe, we are reminded that few events have done more to shape the national and international identities of our countries.  

The values of liberty, tolerance, equality, and justice that guided us through World War II endure to this day. They are shared by people from all walks of life and have shaped the fabric of our modern societies. 

We are also reminded that we are all here today, in some part, due to the sacrifices that were made by our ancestors during the Second World War. 

The Second World War was New Zealand’s greatest national military effort to date, with over 140,000 men and women deployed overseas to serve in fighting formations. More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders fought in the war, while a similar number of Australians also served in campaigns in Europe, the Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, and well as in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 

We honour our service men and women who bore the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of essential freedoms and the hope of a better world, free of the scourge of war. 

President,

The end of the war was a victory against a rising tide of aggression and expansionism that had threatened the world. 

And in the ashes of the War, we built this institution together; the UN Charter at its heart, with its fundamental purpose to uphold international peace and security and prevent a repeat of the horrors of World War II. 

The multilateral system established after the war is far from perfect. There can be no doubt, however it has made the world a safer more prosperous place – averting and containing conflict, and facilitating cooperation and development. 

Today, our multilateral system is under acute strain and the world is more uncertain and complex than it has been for decades. 

In this regard we deeply regret that Russia is now fighting a war of aggression in Europe. Russia’s illegal and immoral full-scale invasion of Ukraine is completely inconsistent with the tremendous sacrifice of the Soviet peoples and the enormity of their contribution to the allies’ ultimate victory in 1945. 

President,

As we prepare to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we are reminded that more than ever we need to work together to uphold the system we built together. A system underpinned by international law and the enduring foundations set out in the UN Charter. 

The Pact for the Future reinforced our commitment to multilateralism. Now, through the Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative we must seize the opportunity to advance meaningful, lasting reform to ensure our United Nations can meet the challenges in front of us

It is upon us and our efforts in this hallowed hall to ensure the horrors of World War II are never repeated. 

I thank you.