YouSaid · the spoken record

Dilma Rousseff

lines on the record: 107
first: 2011-09-24
most recent: 2015-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“The message of the murals remains timely and topical. It speaks not only to the victims of wars, but also to the refugees who risk their lives on fragile boats in the Mediterranean and to all of the anonymous people who turn to the United Nations seeking protection, peace and well-being. We hope that, as we walk into the premises of the United Nations and gaze upon those very murals at the entrance, we may be capable of hearing the voices of the people we represent and of working persistently to ensure that their calls for peace and progress are met. After all, those were the very ideals that were present 70 years ago at the foundation of the United Nations Organization, this major accomplishment of humankind.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It will also be an opportunity to promote the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, one of the top priorities of my Government. One last point is that a few days ago, here at United Nations Headquarters, the murals entitled War and Peace by the Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, which were donated to this Organization by the Government of my country in 1957, were re-inaugurated. Those works of art denounce violence and poverty and further urge the people of the world to seek mutual understanding and tolerance. They stand as a symbol of the ultimate responsibility of the United Nations, namely, to prevent armed conflict and promote peace, social justice and the eradication of hunger and poverty. Portinari often stated that “there is no great work of art that is not identified by the people surrounding it”.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In that regard, I wish to avail myself of a recent quote by my friend José Mujica, former President of Uruguay. He said: “Democracy is not perfect, for we are not perfect. However, we must defend it in order to improve it and not deny it”. Allow me to state for the record that Brazil will continue on the path of democracy and will never relinquish the achievements for which we have so greatly struggled. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that Brazil welcomes citizens from around the world, with open arms, for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. We look forward to welcoming each and every one. It will be a unique opportunity to promote sport as a key instrument for peace, social inclusion and tolerance in the fight against racial, ethnic and gender discrimination.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We desire a country where governmental authorities conduct themselves strictly according to their duties, without ever succumbing to excess; where judges try and judge cases freely and impartially, without any pressure whatsoever, independent of political passion and without ever compromising on the presumption of the innocence of any citizen. We desire a country where the clash of ideas takes place in a civilized and respectful environment. We want a country where the freedom of the press is one of the cornerstones of the freedom of speech and of the expression of different positions, namely, the rights of all Brazilians. Legal sanctions must be applied against all those who have committed illicit acts, bearing in mind the need to uphold the principle of due process. Those are the very foundations of our democracy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Thanks to an effective legal framework and vigorous democratic institutions, the functioning of the State is being firmly and impartially examined by the judiciary and the governmental agencies in charge of investigating, assessing and punishing any misconduct. The Brazilian Government and society do not and will not tolerate corruption. Brazil’s democracy grows stronger when its authorities recognize the limits imposed by the law as their own limits. We Brazilians desire a country where the law represents the limit. Many of us fought for that, precisely when laws and rights were being violated during the military dictatorship.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In addition to the fiscal and financial rebalancing actions and providing incentives for exports, we have also adopted measures to encourage investments in infrastructure and energy. In Brazil, the process of social inclusion has not been interrupted. We hope that inflation control and the resumption of economic growth and credit availability will help to further expand household consumption. This is the basis for a new development cycle, led by an increase in productivity and the generation of more investment opportunities for businesses and more job opportunities for citizens. The gains we have achieved over the past few years have been reached in the environment of our strengthened and deepened democracy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have proposed drastic spending cuts and we are redefining our sources of revenue. All of these initiatives are aimed at reorganizing the fiscal framework, reducing inflation, consolidating macroeconomic stability, boosting confidence in the economy and ensuring the resumption of economic growth with income distribution. The Brazilian economy is today stronger, more solid and more resilient than it was a few years ago. We are in a position to overcome the current difficulties as we advance on our path towards development. We find ourselves at a moment of transition to another cycle of economic expansion, one that has greater depth and is more solid and long-lasting.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We have increased employment opportunities and income levels in that period. This effort has now come to an end owing to both domestic fiscal constraints and external conditions. The slow recovery of the world economy and the end of the ”commodity super cycle” have negatively affected our economic growth. Currency devaluation and recession pressures have triggered inflation and a substantial reduction in tax revenue, leading to restrictions in public finance. Brazil does not have any serious structural problems, however. Our problems are limited to the current circumstances. In order to address this situation, we are rebalancing our budget and have substantially reduced public expenditures and even investments. We have realigned prices. We are adopting measures to permanently reduce spending.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In the transition to a low-carbon economy, it is important to ensure dignified and fair conditions for workers. Sustainable development requires us to commit to the promotion of decent work, the generation of quality jobs and guaranteed opportunities for all. Our efforts to eradicate poverty and promote development must be collective and global in scope. In my country, however, we know that the end of extreme poverty is only the beginning of a long journey marked by new gains. For six years, we have been working to prevent the impact of the world crisis that began in 2008 in the developed world from overwhelming our economy and our society. During those six years, we have adopted a comprehensive set of measures, including reducing taxes, expanding credit, strengthening investment and stimulating household consumption.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our intended nationally determined contributions include actions to increase environmental resilience and reduce the risks associated with the negative effects of climate change for the poorest and most vulnerable populations, with an emphasis on gender issues, workers’ rights and the rights of indigenous, former black slave and traditional communities. We recognize the importance of South-South cooperation in the global efforts to counter climate change. Allow me to stress that, since 2003, social and income transfer policies have helped lift over 36 million people out of extreme poverty. Last year, Brazil was officially removed from the World Hunger Map. This is a testament to the effectiveness of our so-called zero-hunger policy, which has now evolved to become Sustainable Development Goal 2.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“To that end, we will pursue a share of 66 per cent for hydropower in our electricity generation output and a share of 23 per cent for renewable energy, including from wind, solar and biomass sources, in electrical energy generation. We will also seek an increase of about 10 per cent in energy efficiency and will add a share of 16 per cent of ethanol fuel and other sugarcane-derived biomass sources to our energy mix. Brazil is thus contributing decisively to the global efforts to implement the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has established a limit of no more than 2°C on temperature increases for this century. We are one of the few developing countries to set an absolute emissions reduction target.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In this spirit, I announced yesterday at the United Nations Brazil’s intended nationally determined contribution, which is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, with 2005 as the baseline year. During this period, Brazil intends to put an end to illegal deforestation and to reforest 12 million hectares, to recover 15 million hectares of degraded pasture lands and to integrate 5 million hectares of crop, livestock and forest. In a world where the share of renewable energy accounts for only 13 per cent on average of the overall energy mix worldwide, we intend to derive 45 per cent of our domestic energy mix from renewable sources.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In Paris, next December, we must strengthen the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by ensuring that its provisions are fulfilled and its principles respected. The obligations we take on in Paris should be ambitious in scope and nature and should include financial and technological support to developing countries and small island States, in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Brazil is making a substantial effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without jeopardizing its development. We continue to diversify the renewable sources in our energy mix, which is among the cleanest in the world. We are also currently investing in low- carbon agriculture. We have reduced deforestation in the Amazonian region by 82 per cent. A sense of ambition will continue to guide our actions.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Together, the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have launched a new development bank, which will assist in expanding trade and investment and will also possibly help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) outlines the future we want. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals reaffirm the basic tenet of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, that is, it is possible to grow, include, preserve and protect. They establish universal targets and stress the need for cooperation among people and a shared path for humankind. The 2030 Agenda requires global solidarity, determination from each one of us and a commitment to tackling climate change, overcoming extreme poverty and creating opportunities for all.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We hope that the current session will enter into history as a turning point in the trajectory of the United Nations and that it will yield concrete results in the long, and so far inconclusive, reform process of the Organization. In our region of the world — where peace and democracy reign — we welcome the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States of America, which puts an end to a dispute stemming back to the Cold War. We hope that this process will be completed with the end of the embargo currently imposed on Cuba. We also celebrate the recent agreement reached with Iran, which will enable that country to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and to restore the hope of peace to an entire region.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We need a United Nations that is capable of promoting lasting international peace and of acting swiftly and effectively during crises, regional and localized conflicts and in response to any crimes against humanity. We can no longer delay, for example, the creation of a Palestinian State that coexists peacefully and harmoniously with Israel. Similarly, the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories cannot be tolerated. In order to give the United Nations the central role it is rightfully entitled to, a comprehensive reform of its structures must be carried out. The Security Council must be expanded in its permanent and non-permanent member categories in order to become more representative, legitimate and effective. Most Member States do not want a decision on this matter to be postponed forever.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Brazil is a host country, a welcoming country, one that is made up of people from around the world. We have received Syrians, Haitians, men and women, just as we have provided shelter for more than a century to millions of Europeans, Arabs and Asians. We are an open society. We welcome refugees. We are a multi-ethnic country, where differences coexist. We know all too well the importance of differences, which ultimately make us stronger, richer and more diverse culturally, socially and economically. The disquieting backdrop I have just described demands that we reflect on the future of the United Nations and requires that we act resolutely and quickly.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“A substantial proportion of the men, women and children who desperately brave the waters of the Mediterranean and wearily make their way along the roads of Europe come from the Middle East and North Africa, from countries whose State institutions have been dismantled by military actions undertaken in contravention of international law, thereby opening space for the proliferation of terrorism. The deep sense of indignation caused by the picture of a dead Syrian boy on the beaches of Turkey and by the news of the 71 persons asphyxiated inside a truck in Austria should be translated into unmistakable acts of practical solidarity. In a world where goods, capital, information and ideas flow freely, it is absurd to prevent the free flow of people.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The proliferation of regional conflicts, some of which have the potential to be highly destructive, and the spread of terrorism, which kills men, women and children, destroys our common heritage and displaces millions of people from their long-established communities, demonstrate all too well that the United Nations is currently being severely tested. One cannot be complacent in the face of barbaric acts such as those perpetrated by the so- called Islamic State and other associated groups. The situation today explains, to a large extent, the refugee crisis currently facing humankind.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations has since expanded its initiatives and incorporated into the development agenda the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In other words, it is addressing issues related to the environment, poverty eradication, social and economic development and access to quality services, while issues related to urban life, gender, women and children, and race have all gained priority on the agenda. However, the Organization has not achieved the same success in addressing collective security challenges, even though they were at the origin of the Organization and at the centre of its concerns.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is a privilege to address the General Assembly this year as the United Nations celebrates its seventieth birthday. My first remarks are to congratulate you, Mr. President, on having been chosen to preside over the Assembly. I reiterate, in particular, Brazil’s support for your willingness to put in place measures that will ultimately strengthen the Organization’s development agenda. Seventy years have passed since the San Francisco Conference. On that occasion, the international community sought to build a world founded on international law and on the pursuit of the peaceful resolution of conf licts. Since then, we have seen progress and setbacks. The decolonization process has evolved remarkably, as can be seen from the composition of the Assembly.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The year 2015 must be a turning point. I am certain that we will not shy away from fulfilling, with a sense of courage and insight, our lofty responsibilities to build an international order founded on the promotion of peace, sustainable development, poverty eradication and the reduction of inequality. Brazil stands ready and is fully determined to contribute to that end.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am pleased to note that the international community has, since then, mobilized its efforts to enhance the current Internet governance architecture. Brazil’s initiative to hold the Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, NETmundial, in São Paulo in April was an important step in the process. The Meeting brought together stakeholders from various regions of the world and from multiple sectors. Discussions were held on the principles that should be followed and the actions to be undertaken in order to ensure that the Internet will continue to develop in an open, democratic, free, multisectoral and multilateral manner. The United Nations and its Member States have before them today challenges of great magnitude, which should be the priorities of this session of the General Assembly.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is essential that measures be taken to effectively protect human rights, not only in the real world but also in the virtual world, as stated in resolution 68/167 on privacy in the digital age, adopted by the General Assembly in the past year. Brazil and Germany promoted an important discussion on the matter in 2013. We intend to deepen that discussion during this sixty-ninth session. For our review of such matters, the 2013 annual report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published in May 2014, can provide significant inputs. In September 2013, I proposed from this rostrum (see A/68/PV.5) that a civil framework be development for the governance and use of the Internet, a framework based on the principles of freedom of expression, privacy, network neutrality and cultural diversity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We have also adopted a law on access to information, which allows all Brazilian citizens the right to access Government data, except for that related to the country’s national sovereignty. We have strengthened and given autonomy to investigators as well as to those in charge of internal Government controls. We have passed laws that punish not only those who actively engage in corruption but also those who passively agree with acts of corruption. Strengthening those institutions is absolutely crucial for strengthening open and democratic governance. Brazil’s recent re-election to the Executive Committee of the Open Government Partnership will also allow us to contribute to promoting more transparent Governments worldwide.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Yet another fundamental value is the respect for public good. We all face a relentless fight against corruption. History has shown that there is only one correct and efficient way to tackle corruption; that is by ending impunity, thereby strengthening institutions that oversee, investigate and punish acts of corruption, money-laundering and other financial crimes. That is a responsibility incumbent upon each Government, a responsibility that Brazil has fulfilled by strengthening our institutions. In Brazil, we have designed and built a Government transparency portal website that gives citizens access to all information on Government spending within 24 hours after monies are spent.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We owe them our rich and permanent legacy of cultural, religious and human wealth and values. For us, racial miscegenation is a matter of pride. Racism is not only a heinous and extremely serious crime, but it is also a scourge that we have not hesitated to fight, punish and eradicate. The same commitment that we have had to combat violence against women and African Brazilians, we have also had against homophobia. My country’s Supreme Court has recognized same-sex civil unions, thereby ensuring them the full range of civil rights arising therefrom. We firmly believe in the dignity of all human beings and in the universal nature of their fundamental rights. Those rights must be protected from all double standards and all forms of politicization, both domestically and internationally.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In addition to sustainable development and peace, the international order that we seek to build must be anchored on fundamental values. Among those values, emphasis should be put on efforts to combat all forms of discrimination and exclusion. We have a clear-cut commitment to the empowerment of women in the labour market, liberal professions, entrepreneurship, political activity and access to education, among others. My Administration has tirelessly fought violence against women in all its forms. We consider the twenty- first century to be the century of women. By the same token, the promotion of racial equality seeks to compensate Brazilians of African descent for the consequences of the centuries of slavery to which they were subjected. Today, those Brazilians account for more than half of our population.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, we were proud to set the foundations for a new development agenda, based on sustainable development goals applicable to both developing and developed nations. It will be crucial for us to identify the means of implementation that correspond to the magnitude of the challenges that we have committed ourselves to overcoming. We must be ambitious when it comes to financing, cooperation, national capacity-building and technology transfer, especially to ensure that the least developed countries benefit. Let me underscore, in that context, the need to establish a mechanism for the development, transfer and dissemination of clean, environmentally sustainable technologies.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the past decade, we have reduced deforestation by 79 per cent, without giving up our agenda of economic development and social inclusion. We have therefore shown that it is possible to grow, to include, to preserve and to protect. Such an achievement stems from the continuous and steadfast commitment of the Brazilian Government, civil society and other public and private stakeholders. We hope that developed countries, which have not only the legal but also a political obligation to lead by example, will unequivocally and concretely demonstrate their commitment to combat this problem that affects us all.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The recent Climate Summit, which was convened in a very timely manner by the Secretary- General, further invigorated negotiations at the level of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Brazilian Government will strive to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations will lead to a balanced, fair and effective agreement. Brazil has been doing its part to face up to the challenge of climate change. In 2009, during the Copenhagen Conference, we committed to a voluntary reduction of 36 to 39 per cent of our projected emissions by 2020. Between 2010 and 2013, we avoided releasing into the atmosphere an average of 650 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. Throughout those years, we achieved the lowest deforestation rates in our history.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Amid so many conflict situations, Latin America and the Caribbean seek to face up to the main problem that has marked our region for centuries. I am talking about social inequality. Democratic roots have become stronger, and the demand for more just, inclusive and sustainable growth has grown ever stronger. Through the Union of South American Nations, the Common Market of the South, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, integration efforts have made tremendous headway. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times. To overcome that challenge, we need a sense of urgency, political courage and a keen understanding that actors have to contribute according to the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am quite certain that we all understand the serious risks arising from paralysis and inaction in the Security Council. A more representative and legitimate Security Council would also be more effective. I wish to underscore that we cannot possibly remain indifferent to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, particularly after the recent dramatic events in Gaza. We condemn the disproportionate use of force that has strongly victimized the civilian population, especially women and children. The conflict must be properly resolved, not precariously managed, as has been the case up to now. Effective negotiations between the parties must ultimately lead to a two-State solution with Palestine and Israel living side by side in security within internationally recognized borders.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We cannot allow such barbaric acts to increase and violate our ethical, moral and civilizational values. Nor can we remain indifferent to the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa. We therefore support the Secretary- General’s proposal to establish a United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. Brazil is solidly in favour of it. The Security Council has had some difficulties in promoting peaceful solutions to those conflicts. To overcome such stalemates, a genuine reform of the Council will be required, a process that has been dragging on for quite some time. The coming seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, in 2015, appears to be an occasion conducive to achieving the progress that the situation currently calls for.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The current generation of world leaders — our generation — is also being called on to deal with significant challenges to peace, collective security and the environment. We have been unable either to solve old disputes or to prevent new threats. It is impossible to eliminate the underlying causes of conflict through the use of force. That has been made clear by the persistence of the Palestine question, the systematic massacre of the Syrian people, the tragic national fragmentation of Iraq, the serious insecurity in Libya, the conflicts in the Sahel and the clashes in Ukraine. Instead of leading to peace, every military intervention has worsened those conflicts. We are witnessing the tragic proliferation of civilian victims and humanitarian disasters.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The risk to those institutions is that could lose their legitimacy and effectiveness. In July Brazil had the pleasure of hosting the sixth Summit of the BRICS countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We welcomed their leaders in a fraternal and fruitful meeting that pointed to important possibilities for the future. We signed agreements establishing a new development bank and a contingent reserve arrangement. The bank will cater to the infrastructure financing needs of the BRICS and other developing countries. The contingent reserve arrangement will protect them from financial volatility. Each instrument will have a capital injection of $100 billion.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is vital and urgent that we restore the momentum of the global economy, which should work to drive investment and international trade and reduce inequalities between countries, and not become a factor that ultimately slows economic development and income distribution in society as a whole. Regarding international trade, there must be a unanimous commitment to an action plan leading to the conclusion of the Doha Round. It is also imperative that we end the disparity between the growing importance of developing countries to the global economy and their insufficient representation and participation in the decision-making processes of international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The delay in expanding developing countries’ voting rights in those institutions is unacceptable.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our international reserves increased tenfold, making Brazil an international creditor. Our annual inflation rate has also remained within the maximum and minimum range fixed by our current national targets. Although we have managed to fend off the most harmful consequences of the global crisis, we have nonetheless been acutely affected by it in the past few years, owing to the persistence all over the world of substantial economic difficulties that have had a negative effect on our growth. Here I would like to reiterate what I said at the opening of last year’s general debate (see A/68/PV.5).”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In 2002, more than half of Brazil’s population was poor or living below the poverty line; today three out of every four Brazilians are firmly in the middle-class and upper-income ranges. During the economic crisis, when hundreds of millions around the world were left unemployed, Brazil created 12 million new jobs. In addition, we became a primary destination for foreign investment, and we resumed our investment in infrastructure through strong partnerships with the private sector. All of those gains have occurred within the context of a sound fiscal environment. We have reduced our net ratio of public debt to gross domestic product (GDP) from about 60 per cent to 35 per cent. Our gross external debt in relation to GDP fell from 42 per cent to 14 per cent.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We have not neglected fiscal discipline and monetary stability, and we have striven to protect Brazil from external volatility. We were thus able to overcome the challenges arising from the major global economic crisis, triggered in 2008 by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which subsequently developed into national sovereign debt crises affecting many countries. We resisted its worst consequences — unemployment, wage depreciation, erosion of social rights and stalled investment. We followed through with income distribution by stimulating growth and employment and maintaining our investment in infrastructure. Brazil jumped from the thirteenth- to the seventh-largest economy in the world. Our per capita income more than tripled, and inequality fell sharply.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Finally, our efforts to tackle the challenges of building a knowledge-based society have led to the creation of a programme known as Science Without Borders, which has sent more than 100,000 undergraduate and graduate students to the world’s best universities. Through a presidential initiative, our National Congress has enacted legislation allocating to education 75 per cent of the royalties earned from pre-salt oil exploration and 50 per cent of the social fund generated by pre-salt oil revenues, with 25 per cent of pre-salt oil exploration royalties going to health care. We will thus be able to transform finite resources such as oil and gas into permanent assets — education, science and technology, and innovation. That will be our passport to the future.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are equally committed to enhancing the quality of education by, inter alia, improving curriculums and raising the profile of teachers. Vocational education has made strides, with the creation of hundreds of new schools and the professional training and development of 8 million young people over the past four years. There has been an unprecedented expansion of higher education, with the establishment of new publicly funded universities and of scholarships and financial aid that has given 3 million students access to private universities. Affirmative-action policies have enabled poor, black and indigenous students to enrol in universities on a massive scale.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That transformation is the result of economic policies that have generated 21 million jobs, raised the minimum wage and increased its purchasing power by 71 per cent in the past 12 years. Those policies have also reduced inequality. Since 2003, 36 million Brazilians have been lifted out of extreme poverty, 22 million of them during my Administration alone. Social policies and income- transfer programmes, coordinated within our plan for a Brazil without extreme poverty, have also contributed to those results. On the health-care front, we have been able to meet our target for reduced child mortality before the deadline set by the Millennium Development Goals. We have also made access to basic primary and middle-school education universally available, and we are now pursuing the same goal for secondary education.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“During the past 12 years in particular, we have consolidated those achievements by building an inclusive society based on equal opportunity. The great transformation to which we are committed has resulted in a modern economy and a more egalitarian society. At the same time it has required strong civic participation, respect for human rights and a sustainable vision of development. Lastly, it has also required an engagement on the world stage characterized by a multilateral approach, respect for international law, the quest for peace and a culture of solidarity. A few days ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations announced that Brazil is no longer on the World Hunger Map.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is a great satisfaction for Brazil, which has the honour and privilege of opening this debate, to have as the President of this session of the General Assembly a son of Africa. As Brazilians we are united by ties of history, culture and friendship with the African continent, whose legacy was and always will be decisive for my country’s national identity. I open this general debate on the eve of elections in Brazil that will determine the President of the Republic, State governors and a significant portion of our Congress. Those elections represent the celebration of a democracy we achieved almost 30 years ago, after two decades of dictatorial rule. Through democracy we also advanced towards the country’s economic stability.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“When the United Nations was founded, the peoples of the world rallied around the hope that humankind would be able to overcome the wounds of the Second World War and the hope that, yes, it would be possible to build, from the rubble of destruction and massacre, a new world of liberty, solidarity and prosperity. We all have the responsibility not to let such a generous and fruitful hope die.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The time has come to meet the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for an independent and sovereign State. The time has also come for us to bring about a broad international consensus for a two-State solution. The current talks between Israelis and Palestinians should yield practical and significant results in favour of an agreement. The history of the twentieth century shows that abandoning the multilateral system is a prelude to war, with the ensuing trail of human destitution and devastation. The history of the twentieth century also shows that promoting the multilateral system bears fruit on the ethical, political and institutional fronts. May I therefore renew an appeal for a broad, vigorous convergence of political will that will uphold and reinvigorate the multilateral system, of which the United Nations is the main pillar.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I would like to stress that the use of such weapons is heinous and unacceptable under any circumstances. We therefore support the agreement reached between the United States and the Russian Federation to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons. It is incumbent upon the Syrian Government to fulfil the agreement in its entirety and do so in good faith and in a spirit of cooperation. Under all circumstances and in any case, we repudiate unilateral interventions in violation of international law and without authorization by the Security Council. Unilateral intervention would only further worsen the lack of political stability in the region and would increase human suffering. Likewise, lasting peace between Israel and Palestine has taken on a new and pressing dimension given the sweeping changes that the Middle East is currently undergoing.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Two and a half years of lives lost and destruction have caused the greatest humanitarian disaster of the century. Brazil’s population of Syrian descent is an important component of our nationality identity, Our country is thus deeply involved with the plight of the Syrian people. It is necessary to prevent the killing of innocent people — women, children and the elderly — and to silence weapons, whether they be conventional or chemical or whether they be used by the Government or by the rebels. There is no military way out. The only solution is through negotiation, dialogue and understanding. Syria’s decision to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention and enforce it immediately was an important development. As such, the measure is decisive for overcoming the conflict and helps build a world free of chemical weapons.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Only by expanding the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council and by including developing countries in both categories will it be possible to solve and overcome the current representativeness and legitimacy deficits from which the Council suffers. The general debate provides us with an opportunity to reiterate the fundamental principles that guide my country’s foreign policy and inform our stance on pressing issues on today’s international agenda. We guide ourselves and our actions through a defence of a multilateral world governed by international law, where the peaceful solution of conflicts holds sway and where the pursuit of a fair and solidarity-based order prevails both economically and socially. The crisis in Syria has caused unrest and breeds a sense of anger.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)