YouSaid · the spoken record

Antoni Martí Petit

lines on the record: 119
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In parallel, along with Monaco and San Marino, we are negotiating an association agreement with the European Union that will enable the full participation of Andorra in the European internal market. We have done so not only because we need to modernize and diversify our economy, but also because we are of the firm conviction that a world with more intense economic and commercial relations is by nature a world that cooperates more and is less selfish. It is also a world that is more inclined towards peace, harmony, negotiated solutions to conflicts and respect for human rights and liberties.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have demonstrated that, quite adequately in my opinion, by participating with all our efforts to build a more cooperative, transparent and fair global economy. Over the past five years, Andorra has opened its economy to foreign investment, given economic rights to all international residents, set up a comparable tax system following international standards, made progressive advances in matters of exchanging fiscal information, which will culminate next year with the automatic exchange of information within the area of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Union, and we have also set up a network of double taxation treaties to internationalize the economic model.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I believe that we are all here at the Assembly to renew our confidence in a multilateral way and to continue practicing the maxim that says that global matters require global answers. The Principality of Andorra today reiterates its belief in the multilateral path. Because it is in forums such as the General Assembly that a country like ours, with a surface area of 468 square kilometres and just over 70,000 inhabitants, can be on an equal footing with the rest of the nations on the planet. And I do not mean just rhetorical equality — we have been participating and getting involved in coordinated, balanced actions that involve the entire international community, and we have been doing so for years.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The road to opening up to commitment, negotiation and multilateralism is the path that we have been tracing for decades under the auspices of the United Nations. The path to closing down is a reflection of fear and a recipe for populists and opportunists, who, when faced with an economic crisis of global scope, withdraw into protectionism; when faced with a threat to security of global scope, close their borders; when faced with a challenge such as climate change, adopt the selfish attitude of free riding, or expecting others to make the efforts. The answers of populism are that it is other people’s fault and that we should isolate ourselves from the others. However, in a global society, we are the others.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Why not think about a global commitment to educating our young children on the principles and values of the United Nations, and more specifically, on the Sustainable Development Goals embodied in the 2030 Agenda? Because in 2030, it will be them, and not us, who will be sitting here in the General Assembly. The great dialectic of our times is not — as it used to be in the past — between the right and the left, or the policy of blocs, typical of the Cold War, which we have thankfully left behind. The great dialectic of our time is between being open and being closed, between those who wish for an open, transparent, cooperative and dynamic world with strong multilateral institutions and those who wish for a closed, opaque and static world in which each country looks, only and exclusively, after its own interests.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Citizens who can develop themselves and grow in a world that is changing at great speed and who, when faced with the expected and the unexpected, are able to react appropriately and who are not afraid of changes, dynamism and opening up. We in Andorra have been working on education centred on transversal skills for some years now. And now — precisely because of the need to educate global citizens — we wish to go one step further. Andorra, in coordination with the Council of Europe, will introduce training programmes on democratic values and systems, so as to measure the abilities and skills of our young people with regard to such democratic values.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The local dimension begins as a result of the good fortune — and it is necessary to say that because it is good fortune — that we enjoy in having three public systems that are free and available: the Spanish, the French and the Andorran systems. That in itself makes up a pluralist educational community with a marked international component. In that sense, the people of Andorra have been pioneers in our education system in introducing “education by skills”, which is a model that seeks to overcome the old concept of education as a simple accumulation of knowledge to focus on education understood as a set of abilities and skills to apply that knowledge. The reason for that model is that what is important is not so much knowing, but thinking; we do not wish to create encyclopaedias, but rather citizens.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“And those of us who are here today — most of whom are from a generation that has left its youth behind — must be increasingly more generous and more open-minded, because the future of our young people, the future of our countries and the future of our world depends on it. If we educate our young people as citizens of a global world, we will be laying the foundation for a much more open, cooperative and fair world. In line with the theme of this session, “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world”, Andorra’s commitment to quality education is not limited to diverse actions in multilateral forums, but also has a local dimension.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On the other hand — and this is probably the most important part — the goal is to make our young people aware of the fact that their reality and their future do not end at the borders of the country in which they were born, but rather that they are citizens of a global society. To some degree, we are following in the wake of the Erasmus programme for the mobility of university students in Europe. What has done more to promote European construction — all the regulations and directives that make up the European Union acquis, or all the young people who, for decades, have been completing part of their university courses in other European countries and who feel European? It is not the young people who wish to isolate themselves.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“An agreement among the Governments, the Ibero-American Secretary-General, the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture and the Ibero-American University Board will promote the mobility of university students within the Ibero-American area, which currently has 22 full member States. The aim of the signatories is to offer mobility to 200,000 university students between now and 2020. As always when talking about education, the goal is twofold. On the one hand, the goal is to promote an exchange of experiences, which contributes to improving the quality of our education systems.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have done so in the contexts of the Ibero-American Community and the International Organization of la Francophonie. We will also do so by making education one of our priorities as members of the Economic and Social Council. We will continue to do so in all multilateral forums dealing with education. However, in keeping with Goal 17 of the 2030 Agenda, we are aware that we need to seek alliances with other countries, joint actions and partnerships between the public and the private sectors. Allow me to offer a recent example of Andorran action in the multilateral arena. Two weeks ago, the twenty-fifth Conference of Ministers of Education of Ibero-American countries was held in Andorra. The meeting gave rise to a commitment by the Ibero- American Governments to promote the mobility of all our students.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Andorra is placing its emphasis on education and extending quality education to everyone, not only as a goal in and of itself but also to promote education towards global citizenship. Such citizenship is aware of the challenges and the opportunities in our world, sensitive to the protection of human rights, and open and prepared for the dynamics of our times. During the past several years, the Government that I head has made education the centre of Andorra’s foreign policy in the multilateral arena. We did so during the Andorran presidency of the Council of Europe for 2012-2013. We did so by joining the Global Education First Initiative, promoted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Therefore, global involvement, including on the part of individuals, local institutions and large supranational organizations, requires a key tool, namely, education. The great edifice of the United Nations principles and values is built upon the idea that what affects all of us needs to be solved by all of us and that global matters require coordinated global actions. It is true that a global world needs global institutions, as well as global regulations and global solutions. But the entire architecture will be as fragile as a house of cards if we do not educate new generations to be global citizens. A global world needs global citizens.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We therefore chose the Summer University as the setting for Andorra to show its commitment to the 2030 Agenda. All the Sustainable Development Goals share the same priority. However, Goal 4, on quality education is doubly important. On the one hand, it is an objective in and of itself that has a direct link to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. But it is also a means to achieve the rest of the Goals. At the time of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the General Assembly warned about the need to detail the Goals in their specific implementation and seek the involvement of all stakeholders — not just public institutions — in that ambitious enterprise.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Following in the wake of the United Nations, Andorra dedicated this year’s programme at its Summer University to the Sustainable Development Goals as specified in the 2030 Agenda. For one week, Andorra la Vella, our capital, was home to the reflections and debates of experts, as well as institutional representatives, such as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and two Under-Secretaries-General of the United Nations. The Andorra Summer University marks the beginning of the academic year in our country, following the summer break. This year, the people of Andorra started the academic year by confirming and demonstrating our commitment to the values of multilateralism and international cooperation. We have done so by adding our own particular accent, placing emphasis on education.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“However, year after year, it has spread its area of action to become what we see today, that is, a large Assembly of all the countries on planet Earth, which seek to resolve what affects all of us domestically and among all of us. The past 12 months have been highly constructive with regard to advances in the multilateral area. Just one year ago, in September 2015, we unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals listed in what is known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A few months later, the international community — thanks to the driving force and leadership of the French Republic and our colleague François Hollande — demonstrated its ability to give shape and content to the Goals with the drafting and signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Beyond the good decisions and the not-so-good ones made over the years, the mere fact that almost 200 sovereign States symbolically renew their commitment to the United Nations each year is a reason for hope for those of us who, like the people of Andorra, firmly believe in multilateralism and the need to promote peace, security and justice. Throughout its more than seven decades of existence, the United Nations has not been a passive stakeholder or a static feature. Quite the contrary, it has managed to extend its mission, make its objectives more ambitious and give them content with tangible results. The United Nations was created to promote peace, security and human rights.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“This year, once again, the United Nations calls upon all the countries on planet Earth to participate in the General Assembly, which is — one could say — a kind of global Parliament. Once again this year, we have the chance to take stock of the advances and setbacks that we have experienced in this large joint enterprise aimed at promoting peace, security and the respect of human rights. Once again this year, we are here to be critical, demanding and self-demanding, and to reflect on the need to renew and improve the system of the United Nations. However, the fact that I can say “once again this year” represents, in itself, a success.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“To those future generations we must leave a more just, prosperous, peaceful and sustainable world. For 70 years, heads of State, prime ministers and ministers have stood and spoken at this rostrum. They have done so to talk about peace and promoting human rights and justice. There will come a day when we will no longer need to defend those values so vehemently, because we will have made them into a reality.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We cannot allow failure to reach an effective and definitive agreement in Paris. Seventy years ago, the world was coming out of a half-century marked by two world wars. It was a world of delicate balances. This is not the time for balances, but rather for firm commitments. It is time to forge more policies among nations and leave behind disunity in decision-making. For seven decades, the United Nations has been the guarantor of peace, human rights, justice and sustainable development. When it is time to take a determined decision, each country and each ruler knows that the international community and the world are watching. As representatives of the international community, we must also be aware that the world is watching us and that our decisions will be judged by future generations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We endorse the statement made by President Hollande in urging countries that have not yet submitted their contribution to the Conference of the Parties to do so by December. At the Conference, we must provide the international community with the necessary tools to be able to confront the tremendous environmental challenges of the future and come away with a new paradigm for the energy and environmental policies of every country. At times, within the international community it seems as though there is little sensitivity to national problems and that national policies lack a global vision. As our fellow leader and President of the French Republic said, if in Paris we put off finding solutions, later will be too late. The citizens of the nations we represent are calling on us.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“For some time Andorra has been working in that direction, and in recent years we have seen the improvement of all environmental indicators. But we also know that the reach of national policies is reduced, especially in a country like ours. We need global solutions that can be applied locally. For that reason, Andorra was one of the first countries to make its national contribution to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Paris in December. Andorra has committed to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 37 per cent by 2030. That metric places us within the global commitment to ensure that the increase in global average temperature remains below 2°C.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As a small country, it is clear that Andorra needs its natural environment and the help of others to reverse the situation and resolve issues. In Andorra, the effects of global warming concern and affect us in a very specific way. The average temperature in the Pyrenees is rising at a rate of 0.2°C per decade, and precipitation 15-29816 3/45 A/70/PV.25 02/10/2015 has been annually decreasing by 2 litres per square metre. Experts’ calculations predict that by 2050, our water reserves will be reduced by 18 per cent. Those statistics are of particular concern to a country that lives on the tourism of snow and of mountains. The major climate change agreements must be integrated into the national policies of every country.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We must always bear in mind the values that are part of that initiative. The need to tackle problems from a global perspective is more apparent than ever in environmental concerns. There are problems that we can attempt to solve unilaterally, and we might achieve an imperfect and short-term solution. Global warming is not one of those problems. Either there will be a global solution, or there will be no solution at all. That is why we cannot lose sight of the notion of global citizenship within a global village, which President Dilma Rousseff evoked in her opening statement in the Assembly (see A/70/PV.13). Small countries such as ours perhaps better understand the notion of a global village, for Andorra is both a country and a village. Who better than we can act on the slogan that says we must think globally and act locally?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The founders soon realized, however, that peace and justice cannot be disassociated from education, opportunities, social rights and the rational and sustainable use of the environment. Andorra has accordingly committed itself to other fields such as education and sustainable development. Our country has long experience in welcoming immigrants and in dealing with diversity. Proof of that can be seen in our educational system, which incorporates the French, Spanish and Andorran educational systems and has resulted in a trilingual society, prepared for a global world. On that account, our country has become meaningfully involved in the Global Education First initiative, promoted by the Secretary-General, which advocates universal primary education, quality teaching and the promotion of global citizenship.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As His Holiness Pope Francis said from this rostrum last month (see A/70/PV.3), justice is a will that is effective, practical and constant, with concrete steps and immediate measures. There are no lasting solutions without justice. In that regard, regimes and tyrants who continue to perpetrate massacres and repeatedly violate human rights cannot be part of the solution, because they are ultimately part of the problem. The victims of conflicts cannot live knowing that they have not been taken care of adequately by the international community. From the time of its founding, the fundamental goal of the United Nations has been the promotion of peace and the prevention of conflicts.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In that connection, Andorra accepted the Kampala amendments, a text that defines the crime of aggression and establishes the conditions in which the International Criminal Court can exercise jurisdiction over such crimes so that they do not go unpunished. Some years ago, in this very Hall, in speaking about the conflicts in Libya and Syria, we discussed whether effectiveness or justice was preferable in resolving conflicts. That is an open question, but I believe that the way in which events have unfolded demonstrates that it is an artificial debate. We must be both effective and just, because justice, if not effective, is just a pretty word. And effectiveness without justice winds up being ineffective.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Because we in the more developed countries have been slower to react, we must move decisively to enact reforms that guarantee that an atrocity such as that in Syria will not be repeated. Governments need to carry out forward-looking policies. In the international arena also, the best policy for promoting peace is clearly conflict prevention. Accordingly, Andorra commends the recent agreement between the United States and Iran on the nuclear issue, which shows that no matter how far apart positions may be, there is always room for cooperation and harmony. The fact that we are a small country is not in any way incompatible with the fight against atrocities of war.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our country wants to be faithful to its tradition of hospitality and integration, and we want to be part of the solution — a balanced solution agreed in the European framework because, once again, global problems require global solutions. Andorra, from its modest position, will be part of that global solution. The desperate cry of refugees, wherever they may come from, calls us all. It is sad that the developed countries have taken longer to react than have those less favoured. As we heard on Monday from President Hollande, it is the least developed countries that have most quickly welcomed the refugees fleeing the war and the tyranny of the various conflicts that unfortunately affect many places on our planet.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The consequence of our failure to respond in time to the crisis in Syria is obvious every day on Europe’s borders, where thousands of refugees arrive in flight from massacres. This is not a migration phenomenon motivated by socioeconomic factors. What we are seeing is an exodus of people fleeing war and fleeing death. They are not seeking a better life; they are seeking simply to live. 2/45 15-29816 02/10/2015 A/70/PV.25 And that calls directly and bluntly to the very essence of the United Nations. Andorra is committed and sensitive to the situation we are witnessing in Syria. That is why the Government that I have the honour to head has decided to join the effort to host refugees.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We must move the United Nations forward, adapt it to the changing times and reform it to improve it, without making radical changes yet in a resolute, effective way. We need to do that now, without waiting for another humanitarian crisis or a new stalemate to reveal our shortcomings and weaknesses. In extreme situations such as that in Syria during recent years, the international community must be able to provide effective and fair responses. And, let us say clearly, so far we have been unable to do that. That creates an image of frustration and impotence that we should avoid. When there is a massacre, there is no middle ground: one is either part of the problem or one is part of the solution. The international community must always be part of the solution.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“France could retain the major Powers’ right to the veto, but it understands that that right should be moderated under certain circumstances, because institutions are here to serve the values, and not the reverse. And international institutions should be at the service of people and the universal values of peace, solidarity and justice. In extreme situations, when the survival of thousands of people is at stake, the international community cannot remain deadlocked. The balances that gave birth to the United Nations cannot be used to excuse deadlock in situations that are extreme for humankind. The citizens of this great global city that is the world demand solutions, and institutions must always be part of the solution, not part of the problem. That is why we must address the matter of Security Council reform.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As President Obama said yesterday, the great challenges of our time, including economic ones, must be addressed jointly, and that is what we our trying to do in Andorra. Andorra believes that after its first 70 years, the United Nations also should promote a process of reform. That is why we have supported the political declaration on suspending the right to the veto in the Security Council in cases of mass atrocities, an initiative that has been and is being promoted by the French Republic and the United Mexican States. It is important that France, as a permanent member of the Security Council, is part of that initiative. Here, I would like to commend France’s initiative, as expressed on Monday through President Hollande (see A/70/PV.13).”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“That was in fact the spirit that guided the construction of the European Union over the past 60 years. Andorra is currently negotiating an Association Agreement with the European Union that establishes a stable horizon for opportunities and prosperity for our citizens. We do so in the same spirit of cooperation, healthy competition and transparency that we have brought to our economic reforms in recent years. Andorra needs broader horizons than those fixed by our mountains, and that will also happen through the European Union. To opt for a more interrelated and open world, with stronger economic, cultural and social ties among nations, is also to opt for peace and harmony.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Three years ago, we proposed and approved an economic law that removed restrictions on foreign investment and conferred full economic rights to foreign nationals starting on their first day of residency. In parallel with that, Andorra has opted for cooperation and transparency. We have approved a new fiscal model that is in line with others. We have made and will continue to make progress in exchanging tax information, and we have begun to build a network for double taxation agreements. The world is changing, and Andorra must change with the world. We have chosen to become a more open, more competitive and more transparent country, because we are convinced that increasing economic ties among countries is a way to establish the foundations of a more cooperative, more just and more peaceful world.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Thanks to that geographical opening, various sectors developed in Andorra, such as tourism, trade and finance. That provided opportunities to the local population, as well as to the thousands of people from neighbouring countries who sought new opportunities in our country and who have helped enrich the Principality of Andorra and make it greater. Andorra’s history is the history of its ongoing adaptation to its environment. It is also the history of continuous change. In the 1980s and 1990s, my country aligned its institutional systems to others. That too was a change and an opening. In my generation, our mission has been to open up and harmonize our economic system.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As we heard President Obama say a few days ago before the Assembly (see A/70/PV.13), no country can claim to solve the world’s problems unilaterally, and no country can remain isolated and think that the problems affecting the rest of the world will not affect it. A country as small as Andorra understands, perhaps better than others, the deeper meaning of those words. Over the past 70 years, Andorra has made the transition from isolation to openness. Seven decades ago, our country was only beginning to overcome its cloistered past. For centuries Andorra was a reclusive country, surrounded by its mountains — both isolated and protected by its environment. The construction of roads that connected us with the neighbouring regions of France and Spain were the way we overcame our isolation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“However, to recognize that not all has gone smoothly and that there is much room for improvement is the first step towards meeting present and future challenges in a realistic and effective manner. The world has changed a great deal in the past 70 years. Seven decades ago, the international community came to an agreement to prevent a third world war that would have devastated the future of humankind. To prevent that, the major Powers were able to choose consensus and harmony over unilaterally imposing their own order, because solutions that are concerted, balanced and fair are much more lasting than those imposed through coercion or the unilateral use of power.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is my honour to represent my country, the Principality of Andorra, before the Assembly, which this year is celebrating its seventieth anniversary. Over the past seven decades, we have listened to speakers talking from this very this rostrum, year after year, of peace, social justice and, more recently, of sustainable development. If we have talked about those themes for so long, perhaps that is because something has not been going as planned. Perhaps the international community has not done well and has been unable to make sufficient progress in promoting the values that are part of the philosophy and charisma of the United Nations. Clearly, with the United Nations, the international community has made unprecedented progress.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I have always said that the reality for Andorra is also the reality for all, that for the great questions we address, the solutions all hinge on consensus — otherwise they are not solutions. We must have broad consensus based on individual convictions. The convictions of Andorra are clear: they are the principles and values that almost 70 years ago inspired the birth of the United Nations. Let us never forget the reason for this great Organization. If we forget, we are not worthy of being here.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“No one is as aware as we are of the importance of multilateral forums when it comes to resolving conflicts, strengthening international law and finding global solutions. No one is as aware as we are that to preserve individual identities and diversities we must have a collective resolve and joint action. History has accustomed Andorrans to being affected by the geostrategic decisions of bigger countries and to suffering indirectly the effects of instability occurring beyond our borders. We know that in the great causes of humanity such as the fight against climate change, our individual actions will not have much influence if not accompanied by collective action. I could say the same of building a global economy that is more equitable and more transparent.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The efforts of a country working for transparency and economic cooperation make sense and will be effective only if they are accompanied by equal efforts by all countries — again, by all countries. Andorrans are committed to moving in that direction, and to do so together with the international community, because we know that it is only thus, only by working globally, that progress will be effective, equitable and stable. The statement of the Head of Government of a country of 468 square kilometres and 70,000 inhabitants will never make the headlines or be discussed in prime time on the world’s big international television channels. But representing a small country gives us some advantages, including one that I believe we should underscore today.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the same time, along with its domestic reforms, Andorra has negotiated double-taxation agreements with France and Luxembourg and is negotiating one with Spain that I am convinced will be concluded soon. We think we can have a similar agreement with other European and other countries. Those agreements show that there is a commitment in Andorra to a more open and transparent global economy. That is a firm commitment on the part of our Government with regard to generating more opportunities for our business sector. We are also firmly determined to move towards greater integration of our economy in the single European market. For us, going global begins in Europe. I wanted to sum up some of our principal domestic reforms because I understand that a spirit of multilateralism and a global spirit must prevail.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our country has implemented a fiscal model that works with our European neighbours, a moderate system that taxes all income and promotes economic productivity. We have also opened 100 per cent of the Andorran economy to foreign investment, as we believe that a more open world is a more transparent world, one with more opportunities for all, and in particular for those who deserve it the most. A country such as ours, which for many years has been open to immigration, cannot continue to allow our citizens to have different levels of rights economically. They must all have the same economic rights. In that process we have broadened all economic rights to all foreign residents, who represent more than half of our population, because a more open economy is also a fairer and more democratic society.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It also affects us; let us not deceive ourselves. It is the time to show solidarity, to help. Now is the time, in the weeks and months ahead, when we must tackle that disease, which, unfortunately, does not recognize — nor will it recognize — borders. It is urgent. Beyond that it is, in my opinion, a global emergency. Three years ago, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Andorra came to this Assembly and spoke, among other things, of an ambitious reform programme for restructuring our economic model (see A/66/PV.27). The programme hinged on transparency, economic openness and a homogenization that would respect certain Andorran specifics. Today, three years down the road, we can make a very satisfactory assessment of the implementation of that policy.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are preparing studies to seek ways to mitigate the effects of climate change and also to seek alternative and complementary systems. Over the years ahead, we will deploy great efforts to bring about alternative energy sources. But all that is not enough, nor are the many actions being implemented by Governments in countries represented enough. National domestic environmental policies are important, but if we are to limit carbon dioxide emissions we must have a global commitment. Without effective implementation of such a commitment, the fight against climate change will not bear the hoped-for fruits. We have a year to prepare for the Paris Conference, a year to mobilize our efforts. It is also time for the international community to mobilize to fight the Ebola virus that so seriously affects Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The need for multilateral action is clear not only in the matter of education but also, and perhaps even more intensely, in the fight against global warming. What we each can do unilaterally will not accomplish much if there is no global commitment. It is in the fight against climate change that we can see most clearly that unilateral actions have a limited reach. Andorrans are very aware of that, given that our primary economic sector is winter and mountain tourism — a tourism threatened by global warming. The Pyrenees are heating up at 0.2°C each decade, and precipitation has dropped by 2 litres per square metre each year. It is clear that a programme of local action is required. We are working, together with the population through education and awareness, on policies to reduce our impact on the environment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“For that reason the Government of Andorra has focused a great deal of its policy and action abroad on education. In 2012 and 2013, during the Andorran presidency of the Council of Europe, that is how we acted. It is also what we have shown through participating in the Global Education First Initiative, together with 15 other countries from all continents. That was an honour for Andorra. That activity abroad is also reflected coherently in internal policies in Andorra. We have suffered the effects of the international economic crisis for years. We have had austerity in our public spending, but that has not undermined our educational system. It will never affect our educational system, or undermine it, because education is the best passport to the opportunity for a future that is better for all.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I say “educational systems” because the citizens of Andorra can have access on an equal footing, and without cost, to French, Spanish and Andorran education. Those three public education systems are complemented by the offer in Andorra of a Catholic religious education, accessible also to a great part of our population. Perhaps without being fully aware of it, or perhaps because fortune has placed us between two great European nations, it is true that for decades now we Andorrans have educated ourselves in diversity and in being multicultural. That has not caused us to lose our identity; on the contrary, our identity has been reinforced. Sometimes we are not even aware ourselves of the educational richness of our country and of the great asset that that is.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Education is the best weapon in the fight against hatred and violence of all kinds. Andorra therefore welcomes and has participated from the beginning in the Global Education First Initiative promoted by the Secretary-General, because it brings a universal vision together with local action. It also shows that diversity is strengthened in a global focus, and with diversity we can strengthen democracy. Andorrans, because of our historical and geographical circumstances, have understood for some time that education must have a twofold focus, local and global. We have also long understood that cooperation among the different States strengthens the quality of our educational systems and opens new opportunities for our citizens.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)