YouSaid · the spoken record

Xavier Espot Zamora

lines on the record: 88
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“But there is also hope, because, more than ever, we have seen a flourishing of values such as solidarity and empathy, sincere recognition of all our health and healthcare professionals, a sense of civility and the responsibility of the population in favor of the common interest, as well as an increased ecological awareness. Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, in the year that we are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, Andorra wants to add its voice to those that support an organization that represents the very essence of multilateralism, and which in recent years has managed to preserve its initial spirit while evolving at the same time.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We have seen digitalization take giant steps in a matter of weeks, and we have also seen how teleworking has become the norm and education non-presential, obliging millions of people to become technologically literate. But we have also seen cracks appear in this process; we have had to reconsider some of the values of our system of caring for the elderly, who have been the main victims of this virus; we must remember that teleworking does not bring a better work-life balance when home spaces are not appropriate or adequate; we have seen how distance learning has highlighted deep inequalities among families that cannot access services, and we have suffered an overexposure to information which, apart from reducing human contact, has sometimes created manipulable and unsafe environments.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“All these actions are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, because as government institutions we must be the main catalysts of the change that is being promoted from the United Nations. These initiatives are supported by three pillars: welfare and cohesion, economics and innovation, and alliances for change, and we want to achieve these with transparency, participation, proximity, efficiency and equality. Your Excellencies, The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced us into unimaginable situations. The world was brought to a sudden halt only a few weeks after the first victim of COVID-19 was announced: schools, factories, offices, roads, stadia etc. all felt silent in order to fight an invisible enemy and this also allowed us see that the world would never be the same again.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This realistic plan builds on the strengths of our country, such as our health and social protection system, the educational model and the country’s high level of public safety, its historical uniqueness, cultural diversity and privileged natural environment. However, the plan also identifies, as one would expect, some aspects that need to be improved and this is based on our belief that sustainability — understood in the transversal sense — has to be the main guiding line of any political action. For this reason, we have developed a roadmap because we are aware that the impact of any actions taken at this moment will have an effect that will endure way beyond the present time.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The joint declaration adopted by the Environment Ministers at the Environment Conference on 16 September last, is one of the high points of our presidency and it will allow us to build an environmental agenda among the 22 Member States of the Ibero-American Conference. The crisis triggered by COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the daily lives of many families, and our country is no exception. The sense of responsibility and duty that we feel towards our fellow citizens has led the Government of Andorra to review the road map envisaged by this legislature, and we have developed an action plan based on our conviction that the decisions we make must increase the potential of our country as it moves towards the development and preservation of sustainability in the medium and long term.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Indeed, we were one of the first countries to establish a plan to reduce emissions because we have experience in working towards becoming a sustainable country since we are aware that we must preserve our resources and our natural environment for future generations. For this reason, we will spare no effort in the fight against climate change. Another action that removes any doubt there may be about our conviction and our commitment to the fight against climate change in all its areas is the role we have been playing heading the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Summit for a period of two years under the motto “Innovation for Sustainable Development- Objective 2030”.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, The fight against climate change continues to be one of the priorities of Andorra, a country with a special awareness of the natural environment. This year was to be a significant year for climate action through the plan for a new scenario of understanding, marked by the ratification of new objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, within the framework of the Climate Change Conference COP26 that was to be held in the United Kingdom. Andorra approved the Paris Agreement of 2015 without any doubt or hesitation, and we passed a law on Energy Transition and the Fight against Climate Change that reflects our contribution to the Paris Agreement.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“There are many situations that need to be considered and observed in a transversal manner; gender equality, attention to children and young people, the participation and protection of the elderly, non-discrimination of people with disabilities. The realities of the present, the uncertainties of the future and the experience of the past have shown us the need to teach values and invest our efforts to ensure that schools are able to apply themselves to meeting increasingly greater demands. The success of our societies is based on this growth in human capital through education and training. Once again, I would like to reaffirm my country’s commitment to the international community as we all seek to build up the momentum that is necessary to promote quality education as a mechanism for guaranteeing equal opportunities. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“On the other hand, when rebuilding after COVID-19, children must be protected in all governmental actions, and especially within the area of education, understood as the fundamental, universal and indivisible right that it is. Surely, there is no better weapon to help overcome discrimination and prejudice than to make sure that all our children have access to education. This education should take the form of training inspired by the principles of human rights, diversity and integration, and respect for and alignment with nature. We need to understand that the function of education is a responsibility of society as a whole, a responsibility of all adults who live and interact with our children and young people.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We must use all the means that are necessary to prevent the global disorder caused by COVID-19 from being used to roll back rights. We need to move forward with agendas that are not regressive for women. Now is the time; this is our opportunity to give full meaning to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most ambitious plan for the promotion of women’s rights established thus far. And, accordingly, we must take advantage of this moment to rebuild and approach this crisis from a gender perspective whereby all women and girls can exercise their freedoms, realize their rights and participate in decision-making.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This requires the involvement of everybody, public authorities, civil society and private initiative, science and knowledge, all inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of Human Rights that should lie at the core of all our actions. In specific terms, the world cannot be sustainable, nor can there be sustained growth without the active participation of women at every level. It is now twenty-five years since the Beijing Platform was adopted, and many elements still need to be built on that base. We can no longer tolerate the vulnerabilities endured by women, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic, ranging from the violence they suffer to discrimination in basic rights such as access to health and education.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Development has been viewed as a formula to eradicate poverty, to fight against inequality and injustice, and to initiate climate action. It is clear that the pandemic has worsened the situation, but it must also serve as an incentive to push for a paradigm change, and the Government of Andorra is convinced that now is the right moment to build a better and greener world, both at a national level, by approaching sustainability in a transversal manner and as a main line of political action, and at an international level within the area of cooperation; because the world must be sustainable or it will cease to be.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This was an appeal to our good sense which we hope will be permanent, and Andorra aligns itself fully with his call. In a similar way, the United Nations has spared no effort in planning and offering a response to help pave the way for the recovery of those countries where the pandemic has wreaked most havoc, those countries where the massive destruction of broad sectors of the economy will be long-lasting. This response must underpin a more sustainable and inclusive type of development that leaves nobody behind. The United Nations has continued to broaden its sphere of action in recent years: ranging from improvements to people’s living conditions to development-related matters that have become key elements of the multilateral agenda.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“From this perspective, I would like to highlight the work that the organization has carried out, especially under its Secretary General, within a context as fragile as the present situation which, unfortunately, shares many common points with the scenario that led to the founding of the United Nations. On 23 March, the Secretary General called for a ceasefire to put an end to all hostilities throughout the world, and he asked us to join forces against this pandemic and to facilitate the work of humanitarians. “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war... Silence the guns... Let us take inspiration from the coalitions and dialogue slowly taking shape among rival parties to enable joint approaches to COVID-19”, Mr. Antonio Guterres urged.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The organization has led the way in tackling universal challenges and created an institutional framework that has made significant progress in areas of such importance as human rights, poverty eradication, the consolidation of democratic institutions, the fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainable development, and it has also provided protection for the most vulnerable in armed conflicts. Thanks to multilateralism, the United Nations has often been able to reach areas where traditional diplomacy has not. Even at times such as the present one, in which the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of States, the United Nations has continued to see cooperation as an antidote to confrontation.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“However, in spite of all, the men and women of the health services have provided constant support to the people and families that have had to live through such adversity. All of our countries are suffering the consequences of this pandemic; the virus knows no borders. I want to pass on my affection and extend my sympathy to all those families that have unfortunately lost loved ones. In 1945, the United Nations emerged from the ruins of the most devastating war in history.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The magnitude of this public health emergency has required an unprecedented mobilization of resources. Governments and institutions, civil and social organizations have all invested great energy in the fight against COVID-19. However, the first response and the most heroic efforts have come from all our health professionals. Therefore, I would like to take advantage of this general debate at the United Nations to vindicate their work. Not only have they demonstrated their professional value, but they have also shown their immense human quality, because, unfortunately, this virus has often deprived us of contact and the accompaniment of persons near to us, who are so necessary in moments of difficulty.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to start my intervention by congratulating His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir on his election as President of the General Assembly, and I would also like to congratulate the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and the Secretariat of the United Nations. The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and of this great Assembly of all the peoples of the world, which was created with the primary objective of constructing multilateralism as way of implementing a system of values and a code of conduct based on cooperation, will undoubtedly be remembered as the year that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic shook the very pillars of our societies.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Despite a unilateral and nationalist retreat in various parts of the world, the real response to the great questions of our time is effective and inclusive multilateralism — effective, so that we can move forward on a path of sustainable development on the economic, social and environmental fronts, and inclusive, because progress that works for only a few becomes unsustainable and the institutions that represent the will of only a few become weak. Andorra, committed to a path towards peace, harmony and integrated diversity, will always support the United Nations in building a multilateral order that ensures sustainable development and inclusion.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would address most of the concerns and aspirations of the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants. One of the great challenges of our time is to respond to the many people who feel excluded from representative democratic institutions and development processes. In Andorra we are working to promote inclusion. We are implementing our recently enacted law on equality and we are working on a law on effective equality between men and women, which directly and constantly combats the wage gap and glass ceilings, since the workplace is the real battleground for equality and inclusion, not only for women but also for traditionally disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities or young people who have not completed secondary school.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“This year, Andorra celebrates 600 years of the uninterrupted existence of the General Council, the Parliament that has represented the will of the Andorran people since 1419. Over those six centuries, our institutions have made many changes to better reflect the reality of our country. Some changes have taken hundreds of years, while others have evolved much faster. Only 25 years ago, just one of the 28 members of our Parliament was a woman. Today half of Andorra’s parliamentarians are women. Our history shows that institutions endure better when they are flexible rather than rigid. That is why we support the Secretary-General’s initiative implementing a double reform of the United Nations, making it both more flexible and more effective. We also have a road map to measure our effectiveness.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Very often, those who most criticize institutions for being unrepresentative are precisely those who most weaken them through their actions. The response to the crisis of representative and multilateral institutions does not have to be an anti-institutional reaction. Let us ask ourselves. Was the world a better place before the United Nations came into existence? Was Europe a better place before the existence of the European Union? Were our countries better off before national parliaments came to be? The answer is obvious. Given the institutional crisis, what we need is to improve our institutions, not further incapacitate them. Reforming or adapting democratic institutions to make them more representative is a challenge at both the national and global levels, and it has always been a challenge.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The General Assembly is the fullest expression at the international level of the idea of representative democracy because the activities of the United Nations also serve to channel and structure the intentions and lines of action of its various Member States. Yet that idea, the idea of representative democracy, is in danger and has been besieged by anti-democratic and populist movements that challenge multilateralism and appeal to underdeveloped direct democracies. The response to the crisis of the representativeness of institutions does not have to mean less representativeness or fewer institutions, but it does require institutions that are truly effective in responding to people’s needs and in which people can see themselves reflected.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Unlike poverty reduction, quality education or climate action, inclusion is not in itself a Sustainable Development Goal but rather a goal that cuts across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In my opinion, inclusion is even more important because it is inherent in the concept of sustainability — no action, policy or institutional order is sustainable if it is not inclusive. Inclusion is like trust. It is a kind of cement that holds societies together. Many of the countries represented in this Hall are representative democracies that are based on parliaments and executive branches that represent the diverse wishes of their citizens by channelling and structuring the will of individuals into Government programmes that respond to people’s desires and needs.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Specifically, we want to engage private actors to demonstrate that sustainability does not hinder economic development but rather provides an opportunity to drive new sectors of activity, expand the industries dedicated to recovery, repurposing and recycling, and generate wealth and jobs. It is not a question of having to choose between economic development and sustainability. We have moved beyond that. The point is to understand that in the long term the only possible economic development is sustainable development. When the theme for the Assembly at its seventy-fourth session was selected, we were also urged to mobilize multilateral efforts for inclusion.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“At the same time, we have launched an ambitious public and private investment plan to increase national electricity production, which currently covers only 20 per cent of the demand, with the aim of covering 33 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2050. On top of that, our goal is for at least 75 per cent of our own electricity production to come from renewable sources. The Andorran Government also intends to forge partnerships with civil society in order to restructure linear production models into circular economy models that do not generate waste or negative externalities.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“All that remains is therefore to implement the content of the Agreement at the national level, which, I would like to point out, is not an optimal agreement but a minimal one, with a scope that I am sure will have to be expanded in the future. Over the past two years, Andorra has begun to implement an ambitious plan to convert our development model into a sustainable one that contributes to limiting global warming. In our country, the two main sources of carbon-dioxide emissions are transportation and heating. That is why we have deployed a direct incentive plan to replace our car fleet with electric vehicles, implemented a ride-sharing programme and renovated our public transportation network to make it more sustainable. From 1 January next year, all buildings in Andorra must have virtually zero energy consumption.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The world is urging us to act decisively and forcefully in the face of our climate emergency. Every Friday, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world are demanding that we safeguard their future — not their economic progress or the benefits of the welfare state, but their future in the most literal and basic sense, the very existence of human life on Earth. It seems to me that we are at a critical juncture, when the debates on the scientific evidence of climate change have ended and the discussion about who has a greater responsibility to act has been set aside. We have a road map, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was solemnly signed in this very Hall in April 2016.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I realize that implementing effective measures to combat climate change can be difficult and costly, especially for the major industrial Powers. But major global challenges require major global commitments. If I may draw a parallel, I would like to remind the Assembly that 10 years ago a severe financial crisis forced us to lay the foundations for new international rules of the game, and many financial centres such as Andorra had to make great efforts to advance their transparency and cooperation in fiscal matters. It has not been an easy path for us or for any other small country similar to ours. But if we were able to commit to that task a decade ago and fulfil those commitments, the large industrialized countries should now also be able to deliver on the agreements we have all signed.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“But while we can make significant progress in reducing inequalities or promoting education at the national level, it is utterly impossible to address the issue of climate change from a purely unilateral perspective, because the environmental policy of a single country, however ambitious it may be, is totally ineffective without action at on a global scale. An example that I know well is that global warming is a direct threat to the delicate ecological balance of a high-mountain country such as Andorra. It jeopardizes the long-term survival of the ski sector, which is one of the pillars of our economy. But no matter how hard we try, Andorrans alone cannot reverse that trend — not Andorra nor any other country, no matter how big or powerful.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In recent years, Andorra has promoted inclusive educational policies aimed at providing our young people with the tools they need to develop their potential in a multicultural and global world. That is why today I reaffirm my country’s commitment to working together with the international community to advance all the efforts we need to promote quality education as a tool that guarantees equal opportunities. Action on climate is a multilateral action par excellence. In a global world, no great challenge can be met without cooperation among countries, and no great goal can be achieved unilaterally.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Andorrans are traditionally trilingual, as we speak Catalan, our own language, along with Spanish and French. Furthermore, we have long since incorporated English as an international language, and the large community of persons of Portuguese origin living in our country means that the Portuguese language is increasingly significant. It is not uncommon to find young people in our country capable of speaking five languages fluently, our own and four others, which opens doors for them to communicate with hundreds of millions of people around the world. Moreover, we understand that in order to face the challenges of an increasingly globalized world, we must make a firm commitment to education to create a democratic citizenry that respects human rights, cultural diversity and the environment.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The second of the development goals that the President of the General Assembly has set as priorities is quality education. There is no question that there can be no better weapon for empowerment and overcoming poverty than expanding access to quality education. This is an issue that has been the focus of much of Andorra’s action in multilateral forums over the past few years. That is undoubtedly because ours is a small country with few natural resources. A country that depends almost exclusively on the strength and talent of its people knows very well the positive impact that quality education can have. In Andorra three public, free and freely chosen education systems — French, Spanish and Andorran — have co-existed for three decades and have shaped a multilingual society prepared to cope with globalization.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion are the four objectives that probably best address the challenges that the international community is currently facing. The case of poverty is paradigmatic, because all our global challenges are related to it. Mass migrations and forced displacement are caused by extreme poverty and war; the consequences of global warming are felt with greater intensity in the poorest communities; the reach of digitization, which can be an opportunity to reduce inequalities and alleviate the lack of infrastructure in various parts of the world, varies greatly depending on the degree of development; and such persistent problems as violence, terrorism and violent extremism feed on poverty and marginality.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“This notion of healthy and balanced development is what we now call “sustainable development”. Similarly, sustainable development cannot be understood without the prior existence of just and peaceful societies. And there are no just and peaceful societies without effective respect for human rights. In that regard, Andorra once again reiterates its full support for the International Criminal Court as one of the main independent and impartial bodies fighting impunity for the most serious crimes. A year ago, we welcomed the expansion of the Court’s jurisdiction over crimes of aggression, and we will continue to resolutely support the extension of its jurisdiction.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Returning to the theme of this session of the General Assembly, the idea is to mobilize multilateral efforts in favour of development and sustainability in every area. In order to achieve sustainable development, joint action by all actors in society is essential. For that reason, Andorra recently adopted a national strategic plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an inclusive document that will speed up our implementation of the Goals set forth by this Assembly. Without an improvement in people’s living conditions, any policy aimed at preventing violent conflict would be a weak one. In the words of Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of this Organization from 1997 to 2006, “[i]f war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“A few years after its birth, the United Nations expanded its scope and began to focus on improving people’s living conditions, and if we review the themes of the last few sessions, we will realize that the issue of development has become a key element of the multilateral agenda. I say “of the multilateral agenda”, not just the agenda of the United Nations, because the 17 Sustainable Development Goals have the virtue of aligning the priorities and lines of action of various regional and sectoral forums. For example, the Principality of Andorra has assumed the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Ibero-American Summit for two years under the slogan “Innovation for sustainable development — Target 2030”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I would like to begin this address to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session by congratulating you, Sir, on your election as its President and by recognizing your wisdom in choosing the theme for this session, “Galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. Preparations will soon begin for the celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, a great assembly of all the peoples of the world that was born with the primary aim of preventing violent conflicts between countries after two devastating world wars.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)