YouSaid · the spoken record

Luiz Felipe Palmeira Lampreia

lines on the record: 44
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 2000-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“It is our obligation to fulfil our common commitments, so vigorously underscored during the Millennium Summit. We must do so with determination and a sense of urgency.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The United Nations is the model political forum of the international community and its central goal is to provide the ways and means to bring to life our dearest ideals, values and aspirations. In this hall there has often been a divorce between words and deeds, between objectives and the tools to achieve them, as if they hailed from different universes, distant and isolated from each other. It is only through political dialogue, and consultation among States made possible by multilateralism that a degree of rationality and predictability can be brought to the workings of global forces. To foster multilateralism is to strengthen the United Nations and the modern understanding of the individual as the central beneficiary of international action. Only thus can we look forward to progressive and just governance in this integrated world.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The outcome was a clearer reaffirmation of our determined and unequivocal commitment to reinvigorate the United Nations. We reinforced our convictions about the crucial role of this Organization in ensuring that justice is done and that international peace takes root. Brazil has always been convinced of this. In the absence of the United Nations, human rights would be more vulnerable; the distance between antagonists would be wider; the difficulties in eradicating poverty would be greater; the growth of tolerance would be slower and democratic practices would face even stronger opposition. 7 It may be that the Millennium Summit only gave expression to what we already knew. The historic legacy of this Summit should, then, be our renewed willingness to act. We all know that it is by mobilizing political will that we can make a difference.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“We express our strongest condemnation of the attack on innocent workers at the United Nations office in Atambua, West Timor, who were helping to achieve this very goal. In contrast with these achievements, the frustrations are well known. Peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have still to show results; the conflict in Angola goes relentlessly on as a result of UNITA's inexcusable failure to comply with international directives and law; and there is growing awareness of the devastating dimensions of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and in the rest of the world. Less than a week ago, in a historic meeting in this very Hall, world leaders took stock of the work and achievements of multilateralism.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“As one of the New Agenda countries, Brazil is proud of its contribution to the success of the conference, whose results will be a litmus test for future advances in the nuclear disarmament field. Efforts to establish an International Criminal Court have moved ahead, and Brazil signed the Rome Statute. Those that commit crimes against humanity must not, under any circumstances, go unpunished. In the Brahimi report (A/55/305), a valuable framework has been laid out on how to strengthen the work of United Nations peacekeeping operations and, as a result, on how to overcome recent failures. The courageous Rwanda and Srebrenica reports offer us a precise diagnosis of what needs to be done. In Timor, under the leadership of a model international official, Sergio Vieira de Mello, a new State is taking form and coming to life.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“President Fernando Henrique Cardoso was very much to the point when he said: “the South America of today is synonymous with democracy ... In this dawning of democracy, we will not tolerate abuses. And we will increasingly demand the right not only to vote, but to defend freedom, access to information and the judicial guarantees that make elections an effective exercise in democracy”. The United Nations has seen important achievements over this last year. Let me recall a few. The goal of creating a more just, tolerant society was reaffirmed during the follow-up world conferences on women — Beijing +5 — and on social development — Copenhagen +5. At the Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference, modest but nevertheless significant progress was made towards freeing the world from the scourge of nuclear arms.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The Presidents highlighted the role of the Organization of American States in the fight against drugs in the hemisphere and the setting up last year of the multilateral evaluation mechanism to assess the performance of our countries in this effort. They also decided to establish systematic consultations among national agencies and to set up a South American anti- laundering task force. The meeting of Presidents of South America was an event unique in the almost two centuries of independent nationhood for most of the subcontinent. As well as having historic significance and long-term impact, this summit will also generate results in the immediate future. None is more significant than the commitment to democratic values.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In trade matters, they resolved to begin negotiations on a free-trade zone between MERCOSUR and the Andean Community, to be established before January 2002 and to be expanded into an economic zone covering all of South America, including Chile, Guyana and Suriname. To this end the Presidents decided to coordinate the planning and funding of projects for integrating the region's infrastructure, in particular in the priority areas of energy, transport and telecommunications. By working together in this way we will more quickly set up the physical links that will enhance South American unity. Drug trafficking and organized crime are issues that affect, in different forms, all regions of the world.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is only natural that this first meeting should have occurred in Brazil, which shares borders with nine of its 11 South American neighbours, and has lived in harmony with all for over a century in a spirit of peace, friendship and growing determination to move ahead on the road to full integration. The Presidents took important and concrete steps in this direction that will bear lasting fruit. In the political realm, they agreed to underscore the commitment of the countries of South America to democracy and decided that participation in future South American gatherings would hinge on the preservation of the rule of law and full respect for democratic values and procedures. They also agreed to 6 hold consultations among their Governments in the event of a threat to democracy in our region.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Nowadays it is above all through regional integration that this learning process takes place. For most countries, it opens the door to a more intensive and meaningful participation in global affairs. In the Americas, and more specifically in Latin America, we have set ourselves firmly on this course. The countries of the region are increasingly integrated among themselves and into the world. These are the two inseparable faces of the same forward movement. A few days ago in Brasilia, on the initiative of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a meeting of Presidents of South America took place for the first time in our history. This gathering sought to bring together the leaders of South America around the common challenges that grow out of our shared geography and physical proximity.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“This is a message that developing countries must make ring out in a clear and powerful voice. We must instil in developed societies an understanding that they are not alone in the world. Above all, they must not presume to unilaterally write the rules of international trade solely according to their interests and points of view, as if the other 5 billion human beings did not have equally legitimate aspirations to progress, justice and well-being. Nations must come increasingly to comprehend and respect differing realities and objectives among themselves. At the same time, they must recognize their commonalties and affinities; explore and enlarge areas of convergence and opportunities for cooperation; and overcome suspicions, rivalries and disputes.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“After all, these exports represent less than a third of world trade and are made up mostly of raw materials. The main objective of those who wish to introduce labour conditionalities into trade rules has little to do with improving the quality of life of workers in poor countries. Their fundamental aim is to protect backward sectors of their own economies that strictly speaking are no longer capable of competing effectively in a free trade environment. Sanctions and commercial barriers are inadequate tools to enhance labour standards and to protect the environment in developing countries. Our countries and our own societies, more than any other, are interested in achieving those very same objectives, which is why we need more — not less — exports and economic growth.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Secondly, not satisfied with the persistence of this highly discriminatory situation — where what is said often deviates from what is done — there are those in the developed countries who give voice to sectional interests and defend a new offensive against the exports of developing nations. This is what the new language of protectionism, camouflaged as humanitarian internationalism, would seem to suggest. It unfurls the seductive banner of labour and environmental standards, which, if adopted, would further restrict the access of products from developing countries to the markets of rich countries. This rhetoric and its appeal to certain segments of public opinion might suggest that the exports of developing countries pose a threat to the economic well-being and the way of life of the more developed societies. We all know this is not true.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is inadmissible that the most prosperous nations, whose economies are strongly based in the manufacturing and service industries, should be legally entitled to restrict access to their markets for agricultural goods, while they call for the free flow of those goods in which they benefit from an enormous competitive advantage. It is even more intolerable that these countries be allowed, as is presently the case, to subsidize the production and export of agricultural commodities to the tune of dozens of billions of dollars. These policies cause enormous harm to exporting nations that are more efficient and competitive in this field, but lack the financial means to offer equally generous fiscal incentives to their farmers.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“It is unacceptable that major global issues and campaigns for transnational solidarity be manipulated and exploited in order to disguise what amounts to the protection of narrow interests. Unfortunately, this is what is happening in the field of international trade. First, the inconsistency between free trade rhetoric and the continued use of protectionist policies of various types by developed countries. As I stated at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle, the name of this game is discrimination. And discrimination, especially when waged against the weakest, is the absolute negation of solidarity. We must 5 reverse these grave distortions in international trade, and especially as concerns agricultural products.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“They must retake their rightful place at the centre of our policy decisions before it is too late — before some are misled into believing that the inevitable price for preserving freedom is the perpetuation of the divide between the rich and the poor, between those who are included and those who suffer exclusion, between the “globalized” and those left behind. If democracy and freedom are to put down firm roots within our countries, we must foster a genuine sense of solidarity that translates into effective action. Only thus will we build an international order that is conducive to the preservation of peace and can function as an engine of sustained growth.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“No doubt, we have much to gain in identifying those aspects of our relations with the international environment that are a hindrance to national development. Yet it is equally illuminating to seek within our own countries examples of success and failure that help explain the world we live in. Globalization is asymmetrical in part because it flows from national societies that are themselves socially unbalanced and seem to have lost some of their urge to bring about social justice. Freedom — the greatest of values — continues to advance on all fronts and in all continents. That is a crucial development. There is cause for concern, however, that the core values of equality and fraternity are dangerously being put aside. It is imperative that these two other essential elements return to the top of our agenda.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“This is our daily challenge and the motivating force behind our work. We meet here for the last time this century. We all know that the twentieth century has been marred by a fundamental contradiction. We have seen a growing abundance of intellectual and material resources that should have brought about a greater convergence of opportunities and expectations as well as of living standards throughout the world. Yet, what we also saw was a failure to harness the necessary political will to translate those extraordinary possibilities into a reality of progress shared by all. This applies not only to the international community as a whole but is equally valid for the great majority of nations represented here, among which is Brazil itself.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“His report, “We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century”, is a contribution of fundamental importance to the cause of peace and justice, and to a stronger United Nations. It will serve as a permanent source of inspiration as we ponder the crucial decisions the Organization is called upon to make. Brazil had the satisfaction to co-sponsor the resolution bringing Tuvalu into the United Nations family. We salute Tuvalu as our newest member. For the sixth consecutive time it is my honour to take part in the opening of the general debate. On all previous occasions, I took stock both of the positive and negative aspects of the current state of world affairs, the facts that afford us satisfaction and those that are cause for frustration and even indignation.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Brazil applauds your election, Sir, to preside over the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Your personal political experience and Finland's historic contribution to the promotion of peace, human rights and social development are valuable credentials that you bring to the honoured task of chairing our work. On behalf of the Brazilian Government, I pay tribute to your predecessor, Foreign Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab. His diplomatic skills and commitments to the highest ideals of the United Nations insured him a decisive role at the helm of the fifty-fourth session. I wish to make a very special reference to our Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. His moral authority has served as a beacon as we strive to fulfil the principles and goals of the United Nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The peoples of the world expect action and leadership from the United Nations. They expect that the United Nations will continue to be an essential benchmark of international politics over the next 50 years and that it will always be not the last, but our best hope.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Brazil strove for approval of the CTBT at the Conference on Disarmament and considered the blocking of consensus in Geneva a grave setback. It was inconceivable to Brazil that we could have let the moment pass, that we could have run the risk of seeing the CTBT meet the same fate as so many other initiatives which were allowed to lapse into oblivion. This is why Brazil was one of the first sponsors of the Australian initiative to seize the historic opportunity of submitting the CTBT for approval by the General Assembly. This decision reflected the commitment to bequeath to present and future generations a safer and nuclear-weapons-free world. This is why Brazil will immediately sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We call upon all nuclear- and non-nuclear-weapon States to do the same.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We would like to see all countries that export land- mines or that have the capability to do so join in this decision. The international community has placed its hopes in a Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). These hopes are fully justified. We have a historic opportunity to put an end to an outdated practice which has increasingly drawn repudiation and condemnation from international public opinion. We are taking an important step towards general and complete nuclear disarmament and stating unequivocally that there is no room in today’s world for nuclear weapons or regional arms races. Brazil is committed to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to the elimination of nuclear arsenals. It has consistently expressed its disapproval of nuclear tests.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We are now committed to having the southern hemisphere recognized as an area free of nuclear weapons. It is our firm belief that this is a right to which the peoples of the southern hemisphere are entitled, and an obligation on the part of those throughout the world who possess nuclear weapons or the means to develop them. A further commitment to disarmament in all fields that I now wish to convey to the General Assembly is the 4 decision by the Brazilian Government to declare a moratorium on the export of anti-personnel land-mines. The experience of the Brazilian contingent serving in the United Nations Angola Verification Mission has underlined for us the importance of a universal moratorium of this kind and the need to rid the world of the scourge of land mines, which pose a threat to the daily lives of millions of human beings.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“That is why we need perseverance, courage and, above all, the political will to advance the discussion on issues which reflect a true commitment to the United Nations, issues which relate to the very relevance of the Organization in international relations on the eve in the twenty-first century. One of these issues is the reform of the Security Council. There is a virtual consensus that the Security Council should be enlarged to allow for greater participation by countries with the capacity to act on a global scale and the willingness to bear the responsibilities that would entail. We must now set a course for this process. Its outcome is essential for strengthening the United Nations. Brazil has made several commitments in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“One year after our Heads of State and Government drew attention to the seriousness of the financial situation of the United Nations, a solution to the problem remains elusive. To stifle the United Nations little by little by depriving it of the means to perform its functions is no way to secure greater administrative efficiency. Should this scenario persist, then the capacity of the United Nations to adapt to the dynamics of the contemporary world could be seriously jeopardized. We could very well witness a situation where other bodies come to occupy the space left by the United Nations, bodies with their own goals and agendas, which may or may not reflect the prevailing sentiments of the international community and the interests of world peace, security and stability.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We must correct the tendency to convene meetings whose only purpose is to produce other meetings or to adopt resolutions of a rhetorical nature. We must rid the United Nations of its image as a lethargic body incapable of rising to the challenges of our times. Brazil is convinced that United Nations reform remains within reach, that it is still possible to ensure that the United Nations will play a paramount role in this new phase of its existence. We believe in reform as a means to ensure that the United Nations becomes a viable and logical alternative to unilateralism and power politics. We believe in reform as a means to empower the United Nations to act in a radically changed world. We believe in reform as a means to restore the United Nations as a unique forum for political and diplomatic action and debate.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It must implement and follow up on its decisions, on the rules with which it updates and consolidates international law and on the commitments it has won from the international community. Much remains to be done in the wake of the great conferences that have shaped the international agenda in the present decade. The conferences on the rights of the child, the environment and development, human rights, population and development, social development, women and human settlements have sealed commitments that must be honoured, decisions that must be implemented and follow- up work that must be carried out. The United Nations must ensure that its agenda becomes more appealing and results-oriented, in order to earn the esteem of the public and to retain its primacy in international relations.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It is a world that generates prosperity and a healthy competition among countries and regions; but it is also a world that swells the ranks of the destitute and the outcast among and within countries, a world that breeds conflict and increases inequality, a world that demands reason, reflection and constructive action. Through peace, cooperation, respect for human rights and development, the United Nations has a major role to play in preventing the divisions of the cold war from finding new expression in a widening gap in well-being. The Organization must evolve in order to successfully play that role as it has so often done in the past. It must adapt its structure and methods of work in order to optimize its human, material and financial resources. It must make use of the great political, strategic, and moral power it is able to muster.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The World Trade Organization and its body of universal rules and regulations for fostering free trade, the European Union, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (APEC), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Group of 7, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South African Development Community (SADC), and the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) have become, in their respective areas of action, the catalysts 3 for development, cooperation, understanding and, indeed, for peace. The peace that the founders of the United Nations envisioned may come about as a result of the response by the various regions and groups of countries to the challenges, opportunities and risks of a new world, which today is called the world of globalization.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The emphasis on political and ideological coalitions has given way to an emphasis on economic coalitions. Pressured by public opinion, Governments are today concerned with social well-being, the quality of life, economic and social indicators and unemployment. The focal point of the political debate is shifting irrevocably from strategy and ideology to economics and integration. That is why the world is following the path of large-scale regional economic agreements. North-South and East-West — the main axes of international politics in the last 50 years — have given way to groups of countries dedicated to the goals of economic integration and the coordination of macroeconomic, financial and trade policies. North, South, East and West are no longer the cardinal points on the international political compass.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“That commitment is part of the diplomatic history of my country and of the principles that have always governed our actions in this body and in our relations with all peoples, particularly with our 10 neighbours, with whom we have lived in peace for well over a century. Compelled by that commitment, we sound a word of caution to those who, like ourselves, wish to see the United Nations as a source of leadership in international relations, as an instrument for promoting an international society based on freedom, the rule of law and the rights of the citizen. With the political and ideological constraints of the cold war behind us, the world is now organized around much more concrete and pragmatic variables, such as international trade, investment flows and the transfer of technology.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Yet various confrontations still cause suffering, instability and misery throughout the world. This is happening just as the Organization faces the worst financial and motivational crisis in its history. There is a widespread feeling of dissatisfaction — sometimes veiled and sometimes explicit — with an Organization that still embodies the loftiest ideals ever conceived by the human spirit in the search for peace and understanding among peoples. Brazil is committed to the United Nations Charter and to the Organization’s political, legal and diplomatic legacy of the past 50 years.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In the face of the threat of nuclear war and in the midst of various conflicts, those words expressed the confidence of the international community in an Organization founded on the universal principles of peace, understanding and prosperity for all peoples. At that time President Kennedy renewed a pledge to the United Nations, offering: “our pledge of support — to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.” Thirty-five years after these inspired words, the United Nations finds itself at a crossroads. The world has changed, the correlation of forces has changed, and so have the hopes and expectations of countries with regard to the United Nations and its capacity to manage, prevent and settle conflicts.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“A stalemate persists — an uncomfortable stalemate that leads to a feeling of uncertainty and frustration, of insecurity about the future of the United Nations, and thus of apprehension. In the wake of momentous changes on the international scene, the United Nations has embarked upon a new phase in its history without the means and the effectiveness to act as the highest political forum of mankind and to fulfil the mandate conferred upon it by the international community — a mandate that remains as valid today as it was half a century ago. Back in 1961, President John F. Kennedy referred to the United Nations as “our last, best hope”.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We celebrated great advances in international law and in the political and ethical commitments to the issues that concern humanity — issues such as sustainable development, protection of the environment, respect for human rights, disarmament, non-proliferation and the fight against poverty, terrorism, organized crime and drug 2 trafficking. We have thus given a positive account in the first 50 years of the United Nations. We cannot say with the same confidence that the fiftieth anniversary has ushered in a renewed commitment to the United Nations and its future. Our efforts have fallen well short of the expectations of the international community. They have been disappointing even in the light of the predictions of some of the most cautious analysts.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“As world public opinion was focused on the United Nations, leaders and Governments were compelled to reflect on the Organization and to make room for it in their political agendas. The historic meaning of the San Francisco Charter was recalled, as was the importance of the United Nations as a forum for political debate and as a sounding board for conflicting interests in the post-cold-war era. Our collective reflection clearly revealed that, without the United Nations, the world would only have been more violent, more unstable and insecure, more unjust and cruel — especially to the weak, who are prey to power politics and arbitrary decisions.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Our aspirations to enlarging the scope of our participation in the international decision-making bodies will always reflect a careful assessment of our own merits, of our specific weight and of the contribution that we can make to the community of Nations. We seek to be a force for peace and integration. The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations understandably raised the expectations of the international community — expectations that we would not dwell only on the past and on the many achievements of the Organization, but also look to the future in search of ways for it to come to grips with new realities and problems. We can confidently say that the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary produced good results.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We are convinced that Brazil’s growing interaction with its region and the world, the consolidation of its international partnerships and a fruitful dialogue and cooperation with its many friends are necessary conditions for our country to continue to pursue its policies at the domestic level. Brazil is one of the world’s largest democracies, a dynamic and diversified developing economy, an attractive opportunity for productive foreign investment and a market of huge potential — in a word, a country capable of enjoying fruitful ties with all nations on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity. By its very nature, Brazil can act as a bridge between the many different worlds that make up its own internal reality.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“I am pleased to say that, through decisive action rather than words, we have made genuine strides in enlarging our dialogue and cooperation with friendly nations worldwide, developed and developing alike. We have strengthened traditional partnerships and established new ones, especially in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. We are aware that, if the Brazilian people are to consolidate these achievements, we will need to persevere in the policies that have brought us this far. We know that these policies have yet to meet many challenges Brazil faces in the social, economic and cultural fields. But they are an important beginning.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Such achievements as MERCOSUR and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries enhance their credentials and help to make the presence of those countries in the world an instrument for economic development and social progress. My country comes to this General Assembly proud to present itself before the international community with a stronger presence in the world. Brazil owes this to the consolidation of its democracy, to economic stabilization and liberalization and to the resumption of economic growth with a deeper sense of social justice. It owes this as well to its participation in regional integration and in the globalization of the world economy. We are in tune with the two main forces that are shaping the world today: political and economic freedom, on the one hand, and cooperation through integration and trade on the other.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It is a new and striking feature of our continent’s identity and a reflection of democracy and the commitment to economic reform in our region. With the customs union firmly in place, Chile has now joined MERCOSUR as an associated State by means of a free-trade agreement with far-reaching political and diplomatic implications. Bolivia will also shortly associate itself with MERCOSUR. We look forward to other countries’ of the region joining as well to further bolster the dynamic and open nature of MERCOSUR. Now firmly rooted in the process of expanding and acting as an important partner of a growing number of countries and regional groups, MERCOSUR is a positive response by South American countries to the challenges and opportunities of today’s world.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“For the first time, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe come to the General Assembly as members of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, a body dedicated to cooperation and political coordination. The member States of the Community intend to consult and to work closely together at the United Nations with a view to better promoting their common interests and fostering their linguistic, cultural and historical identity. The countries of the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR) — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — have also come to the General Assembly with an enhanced sense of unity. MERCOSUR gives living and concrete expression to economic integration and open regionalism and represents one of the creative forces at work in the Americas.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Please accept my congratulations, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-first session. The Brazilian delegation is confident that, under your leadership, this body will find new strength in the pursuit of the principles and purposes of our Charter. I also wish to pay tribute to my dear friend, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for the dedication with which he conducted the historic fiftieth session. We are grateful for his steadfast commitment to ensuring that our work was consistent with the high expectations of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. My delegation extends a word of gratitude and recognition to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, for the perseverance he has shown in carrying out his tasks.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)