President Novák Addresses UN General Assembly

In her address, Novák noted that the primary goal of establishing the organization was to ensure peace as laid out in the UN Charter.

Noting the war in Ukraine, Novák said "it fills us with particular concern, especially because ethnic Hungarians living across the border are also falling victim" to the conflict. Hungary firmly condemns the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has caused tremendous human suffering and destruction and has a serious impact on Europe and the world, she said. 

Since the beginning of the conflict, Hungary has stood by the victims, Novák said, adding that "the greatest humanitarian action in Hungary's history" was underway, with private individuals, churches, civil organizations, municipalities, and the government having provided shelter to close to 1 million people since the outbreak of the war. 

The president also noted Hungary's membership in several organizations besides the UN, such as NATO, the European Union, and the Council of Europe.
Those organizations were primarily established to serve the cause of peace and "the service of peace is the foundation of their identity", she said.

"It is by no means self-evident that today, at the time of war and an energy and food crisis, the organizations set up to avoid war and to preserve peace are focusing on ideological indoctrination," Novák said. 

The president quoted the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II, who, addressing the UN General Assembly in 2010, said that "the waging of peace is the hardest form of leadership". 

"Today, on the International Day of Peace, I stand here to urge the world leaders to be faithful to the legacy of Elizabeth II, so that we can live in peace," she said.