YouSaid · the spoken record

Michel Temer

lines on the record: 35
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
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

“Likewise in Asia and the Pacific region — the most dynamic hub of the global economy — we have stepped up our relations with both traditional partners and with new ones. We have also opened up new trade fronts with Asia and the Pacific. This has been our foreign policy — a truly universalist foreign policy. And the fact is that the General Assembly is the most universal of all forums we have and can count on. Here, we can all benefit from the broadest and most pluralistic array of perspectives. Here, we find the parameters and standards that govern respectful coexistence. And here our nations shall become more united, and aim at the ultimate development of our peoples, the dignity of our citizens and the security of our planet.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have worked for an increasing convergence of the integration processes in Latin America and the Caribbean. A significant example thereof are the present closer ties between the Southern Common Market and the Pacific Alliance. Together, the countries of these two different groups constitute a market of almost 470 million people, which accounts for over 90 per cent of Latin America’s gross domestic product. Africa, in turn, is a continent with which we are associated by strong historical and cultural ties. Africa is a continent where we wish to have both increasing cooperation initiatives and partnerships for development. With regard to Europe, we have cultivated long-standing friendships and we have worked to boost trade and investment flows there.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have learned and are applying this elementary rule in practice: without fiscal responsibility, social responsibility is nothing more than empty words. The new Brazil that is emerging from these reforms is a country that is more open to the world. That is the attitude of openness that we bring to the United Nations, as well as to MERCOSUR; the Group of 20; the Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa group of countries; the India, Brazil and South Africa group of countries; and to all forums in which we participate. It is the attitude of openness that we have adopted towards each of our partners in our region and beyond it. South America is our immediate neighbour. For that reason, we have worked for a prosperous and democratic South America.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have granted humanitarian visas to Haitian and Syrian citizens and we have welcomed thousands of migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The human rights situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate. We are on the side of the Venezuelan people, with whom we share a fraternal bond. In South America, there is no longer room for alternatives to democracy. This is what we have stated in MERCOSUR and what we will continue to uphold. Brazil is going through a moment of decisive transformation. With structural reforms, we are overcoming an unprecedented economic crisis. We are recovering our fiscal balance, and with it, the credibility of our economy. We are once again creating jobs. We are recovering the State’s capacity to implement social policies that are indispensable to a country like ours.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We must ensure that every individual everywhere can live with dignity, according to his or her convictions and choices. Brazil is a country of deep-rooted liberties, which was and is still being built on a foundation of diversity — diversity of ethnicity, culture, creed and thought. More than anything, it is from this diversity that we draw our strength as a nation. We reject racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination. We are party to the main international human rights treaties and members of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. We have extended a standing invitation to United Nations special rapporteurs. Today we have one of the most modern refugee laws in the world. We have just updated our immigration law, guided by the principle of humanitarian reception.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We will not be frightened by terror, nor will we allow it to weaken our belief in freedom and tolerance. In many of our countries, transnational crime also undermines the security and tranquillity of individuals and families. Only through coordination and collaboration will we effectively combat trafficking in persons, arms and drugs, and money-laundering. It was in this spirit that Brazil organized, in November 2016, a ministerial meeting of South American countries on border security, and it is in this spirit that we will continue cooperating with countries around the world to tackle organized crime. Regrettably, human rights violations remain frequent throughout the world — both violations of civil and political rights, as well as of economic, social and cultural rights.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Prevention is about diplomacy. It is about development. It is crucial to recognize the nexus between security and development. This recognition has guided Brazil’s participation in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). As MINUSTAH concludes its mandate, the international community must maintain its commitment to the Haitian people. Brazil certainly will do so. In South America, Colombia is ending more than 50 years of conflict. Brazil will continue to be a resolute partner in this effort. From Barcelona to Kabul, from Alexandria to Manchester, repeated demonstrations of cowardly violence do not let us forget the evil of terrorism. This evil feeds on fundamentalism and exclusion, and no country is immune to it. Unity is crucial, particularly in view of the capacity of terrorism to adapt to new ages and environments.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In Syria, despite the de-escalation of recent months, we are still witnessing a conflict with tragic humanitarian consequences. The solution that must be sought in Syria is essentially political in nature and can no longer be postponed. Similarly, in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Mali and the Central African Republic, wars have caused intolerable suffering that extends beyond borders. Let us visit the refugee and displaced person camps in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Kenya. Let us listen to the stories of those who have lost fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. These families have been engulfed by the irrationality of conflicts that seem to know no limits, conflicts that result in violations of humanitarian law with unacceptable frequency. Our Secretary-General is right. We should reinvigorate the mechanisms of conflict prevention.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As we welcome the achievement represented by the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, we must acknowledge that there are lingering issues of serious concern on the peace and security agenda. The recent nuclear and missile tests on the Korean peninsula constitute a serious threat to which none of us can be indifferent. Brazil condemns these acts in the strongest possible terms. We must urgently seek a peaceful resolution to the current situation, whose consequences are unimaginable. In the Middle East, talks between Israel and Palestine remain at a standstill. As a friend of both Palestinians and Israelis, Brazil continues to support the solution of two States living side by side in peace and security, within internationally recognized and mutually agreed borders.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In this regard, Brazil expresses itself with the authority of a country that, while mastering nuclear technology, has voluntarily given up possessing nuclear weapons. Brazil expresses itself with the authority of a country whose own Constitution prohibits the use of nuclear technology for non-peaceful purposes; a country that was at the origin of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which, half a century ago, established the denuclearization of Latin America and the Caribbean; a country that, along with its South American and African neighbours, has turned the South Atlantic into a nuclear-weapon-free zone; lastly, a country that, along with Argentina, created a binational nuclear safeguards mechanism, which has become a benchmark for the world at large.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“At the upcoming Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, to be held in Buenos Aires in December, we will once again have to face up to long-standing issues, which have proved detrimental mainly to developing countries. We will have to make progress on market access to agricultural products and on eliminating agricultural subsidies that distort trade. We believe that, together, we will succeed in achieving concrete results. All these efforts contribute to the accomplishment of our main objective: to ensure opportunities for all, everywhere. Tomorrow, I will have the honour of signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Brazil was among the drafters of the Treaty. It will be a historic moment. We reiterate our call for the nuclear Powers to undertake additional disarmament obligations.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Clean and renewable energy sources account for more than 40 per cent of the Brazilian energy portfolio, which is three times more than the global average. We are leaders in hydroelectricity and bioenergy. Brazil is proud to have the world’s highest tropical forest cover. Deforestation is a matter of concern, especially in the Amazon. We have been drawing attention and allocating resources to that issue. Some good news is that data from the past year point to a reduction of more than 20 per cent in deforestation in the Amazonian region. We are on the right track and on that track we shall remain. Another key factor of development is trade. We are committed to an open and rules-based international trade system, with the World Trade Organization and its dispute-settlement mechanism at its centre.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Brazil’s commitment to sustainable development is our top priority. It permeates our public policies and our actions abroad. During our chairmanship of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, for instance, we made the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the driving blueprint for our efforts in that forum. On all fronts, Brazil has sought to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Combating climate change is a necessary part of that contribution. We stand committed to supporting the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Last year, I submitted the Brazilian instrument of ratification of the Agreement. There is no possibility of postponing action in the sphere of tackling climate change. We must act now. I am proud to say that my country is leading the way towards a low-carbon economy.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We need the United Nations to be increasingly legitimate and effective. It is for that reason that, along with many other countries, we uphold the imperative of reforming the United Nations. It is particularly necessary to enlarge the Security Council in order to adapt it to the realities of the twenty-first century. It is urgent that we listen to the will of the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly. One should not assume that ideas that have proved erroneous in the past may now yield good results. We reject exacerbated forms of nationalism. We do not believe in protectionism as a solution to economic challenges. Those challenges actually require effective responses to the root causes of social exclusion. The pursuit of development in all its dimensions should guide our collective action.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The truth is that the United Nations has always represented and continues to represent the possibility of a fairer world; a world of peace and prosperity; a world in which no one should face discrimination, oppression and poverty; a world in which production and consumption patterns are compatible with the well-being of present and future generations. The United Nations has established itself as a privileged forum to build the world to which we aspire. In order to build that world, we need proper methods and a sense of realism, all without ever losing sight of our ideals. At the current moment in history, which features such distinct uncertainty and instability, there is a clear need for more diplomacy and more negotiation, not less. We need more multilateralism and dialogue, not less. We certainly need more of the United Nations.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election. You can count on the continued support of the Brazilian delegation. I am also pleased to greet the Secretary-General in our common language, Portuguese. I once again wish the Secretary-General enduring success during his tenure. The challenges faced by the United Nations since its creation have been manifold. Additionally, we all know that the aspirations of its founders have not been fully realized. However, the truth is that over the past 72 years, the United Nations has always represented and continues to represent hope.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“He warned us all that without the United Nations, the shadows of war would descend upon humankind to relentlessly and indefinitely eclipse the hope of so many men and women. It is in the Assembly of nations that we nurture our hope, a hope achieved through dialogue, mutual understanding and respect for others, ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Ban Ki-moon, as we all know, has devoted the last 10 years of his life to a tireless pursuit of peace, development and human rights. He can be sure that we are highly appreciative and thankful for his efforts. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, we can no longer doubt that our problems are global. There is no place for isolationism. Ours is a common destiny. At the United Nations, more than anywhere else, we can come close to the universalist ideal that drives us all. About sixty years ago, my fellow countryman, Oswaldo Aranha, stated from this rostrum that even in a world as disturbed as it was then, no one wished to see the doors of the United Nations close.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Individual agendas do not prevail but rather the will of institutions, under the careful oversight of a pluralistic society and a genuinely free press. Our task now consists in resuming economic growth and ensuring that Brazilian workers regain the millions of lost jobs. We are clear on the path to be followed. It is the path of fiscal and social responsibility. Trust has already been restored and a more prosperous horizon lies ahead in the near future. Our development process consists primarily of investment, trade, science, and technology partnerships. In that regard, our relations with countries of all continents will prove decisive. I do not wish to close my remarks without addressing the Secretary-General, who will soon be leaving office. Mr.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Therefore, through sports, we can succeed in promoting peace, fighting exclusion and tackling prejudice. Finally, I bring to the United Nations a message of uncompromising commitment to democracy. Brazil has just undergone a long and complex process, led by our national congress and supreme court, which ultimately led to an impeachment. I must stress that everything unfolded in full compliance with constitutional order. We offer that example as a clear indication that there can be no democracy without the rule of law with standards that apply equally to all, even the most powerful. That is what Brazil is showing the world through the process of cleansing its own political system. We have an independent judiciary, an active public prosecutor’s office and executive and legislative bodies that fulfil their duties.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Refugees and migrants are, more often than not, victims of human rights violations, poverty, war and political repression. Yesterday’s high-level meeting cast light on some of those substantive matters. Brazil is the product of immigrants, men and women from all continents. We repudiate all forms of racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. We provide shelter to refugees and migrants, as I underscored in yesterday’s meeting (see A/71/PV.4B). In a world still plagued by hatred and sectarianism, the Rio de Janeiro Olympic and Paralympic games showed that it was possible for nations to come together 16-29296 9/56 in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. In fact, for the first time, a delegation of refugees was able to compete in the games.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Unfortunately, the full enjoyment of human rights remains an unaccomplished aspiration in today’s world. Every human being has the right to live freely, according to one’s own beliefs and convictions. Such fundamental liberty, however, is disrespected every day. Persecutions, political detentions and other arbitrary acts remain recurrent in many areas of the world. Our eyes should also turn to minorities and other more vulnerable segments of our society. That is what we have done in Brazil through income-transfer initiatives and housing and education programmes, including financial aid available to students from poor families and backgrounds. We have also advocated gender equality as expressly envisaged in our Constitution. It is incumbent upon us to safeguard the rights of all.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It reduces the number of jobs and opportunities and makes men, women and families around the world, including in Brazil, fall victim to unemployment and hopelessness. The multilateral trading system is part of the fight against that evil. Ending protectionism in agriculture is particularly important for development. We cannot keep backtracking on the implementation of World Trade Organization commitments on agriculture any longer. It is urgent to prevent sanitary and phytosanitary measures from serving protectionist purposes. It is urgent to discipline subsidies and other distortive domestic support policies in the agricultural sector. Home to a modern, diversified and competitive agriculture, Brazil contributes to food security. We produce for ourselves and we help to feed the world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Economic growth should be socially balanced and environmentally friendly. After all, we live on the same Planet. There is no plan B. We must therefore take ambitious measures under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Tomorrow, I will formally deposit Brazil’s instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change. As the world’s most biodiverse country, and with one of the world’s cleanest energy mixes, Brazil is an environmental powerhouse with an uncompromising commitment to the environment. Development also depends on trade. In periods of economic crisis, protectionism often increases. It must be curbed. Protectionism is a perverse barrier to development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“A developed society is one where all are entitled to high-quality public services such as education, health care, transportation and security; one where equal opportunity is assured and where access to decent work opportunities is not a privilege for a few. In a nutshell, development is paramount to dignity, and the dignity of humankind is one of the principles of the Brazilian State, as laid down in article 1 of the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the greatest United Nations endeavour in favour of development. Turning it into reality will require more than the sum of national efforts. Supporting developing countries will be crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Prosperity and well- being today should not impair the future of humankind.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Since 2004, Brazil has led the military component of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti and has sent more than 33,000 contingents to that Caribbean country. We trust that the United Nations presence on the ground in Haiti will focus more on developing institutions and capacity-building. Brazil’s neighbours also include our brothers and sisters from Africa, to whom we are tied by the Atlantic Ocean and by a long-standing history. This year, we will host the Summit of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. Of the Community’s nine members, six are African States. Brazil therefore looks towards Africa with friendship and respect, with a determination to undertake projects that will unite us even more. Development is more than just an objective, it is an imperative.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Confidence-building between Brazilians and Argentines in the nuclear arena, as I have just indicated, is part of the inception of our integration experience, and of the foundation of projects like the Southern Common Market. For Brazil, Latin American integration is not only Government policy but the expression of a constitutional principle and a permanent foreign policy priority. As we are all aware, Governments of different political inclinations coexist in our region. That is natural and sound. What is essential is that there be mutual respect and that we agree on basic common objectives, such as economic growth, human rights, social progress, security and freedom for all citizens. Those are the objectives that guide and inform the presence of the United Nations in Haiti.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We hope that closer ties will bring progress to the region as a whole, to include the economic and trade arenas. We hope that the re–establishment of relations between Cuba and the United State will be followed by the end of the economic embargo against Cuba. This year, Brazil and Argentina celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials. The Agency is the world’s only binational organization responsible for applying nuclear safeguards. As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated, the Agency is an inspiration for regional and global efforts towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“There are well-known examples, which have already been mentioned in today’s meeting, of what can be accomplished through dialogue. We celebrate that diplomacy has prevailed on the Iranian nuclear dossier and encourage full compliance and understanding with the agreements reached. The peace accord between the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia allows us to envisage the end of the last armed conflict on our continent. I congratulate President Juan Manuel Santos and all Colombians for that achievement. Brazil stands ready to contribute to peace in Colombia. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States of America shows that there are no eternal antagonisms or unbreakable deadlocks.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Brazil continues to support a solution based on two States living in peaceful coexistence within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders. It is our common responsibility to give new impetus to the negotiating process. Another reason for concern, if I may say so, is the lack of progress on the nuclear disarmament agenda. There are thousands of nuclear weapons in the world today. That amounts to thousands of threats to international peace and security. The most recent nuclear test in the Korean peninsula is a reminder of the danger that nuclear proliferation poses. Brazil can speak with the authority of a country where the use of nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful purposes is an obligation enshrined in the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Yet not all news is bad.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We stand ready to overcome the current impasse surrounding that issue. Many challenges go beyond national borders, including trafficking in drugs and weapons, and have an impact on our cities, schools and families. Fighting organized crime requires us to work hand in hand. The very safety of our citizens ultimately depends on the quality of our collective action. An example of this is the war in Syria, which continues to engender unacceptable suffering, with women and children as the main victims. A political solution can no longer be postponed. We call on the parties involved in the conflict to respect the agreements endorsed by the Security Council and to guarantee the civilian population access to humanitarian aid. We are also concerned by the lack of prospects for peace between Israel and Palestine.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We would like to have a results-oriented United Nations, capable of facing up to the major challenges of our time. Our debates and negotiations cannot possibly be confined to the Organization’s rooms and halls. Instead, they should reverberate through the markets of Kabul, the streets of Paris and the ruins of Aleppo. The United Nations cannot be reduced to a mere observation post that condemns the world’s scourges. Instead, the Organization should assert itself as a source of effective solutions. Those who sowed the seeds of conflict have reinvented themselves, but multilateral institutions have not. It is for that reason that Brazil has warned that it is essential to make global governance structures more representative, many of which have by now aged and have become disconnected from reality. The Security Council must be reformed.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On the contrary, we must join hands and unite to transform it through diplomacy — balanced but firm diplomacy, sobering but determined. Such diplomacy should be well-grounded and embracing of change. That is how Brazil has conducted diplomacy both within our region and beyond as a country that has pursued its interests without ever relinquishing its principles. What we wish for the world is what we wish for Brazil — peace, sustainable development and respect for human rights. Those are the values and aspirations of our society. Those are the values and aspirations that guide us on the international stage. We would like to live in a world in which law prevails over force. We would like to have rules that reflect the pluralistic nature of the community of nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Hotbeds of tension show no signs of fading away. A state of virtual political inaction leads to prolonged wars with no solution. The system’s inability to react to conflicts further worsens cycles of destruction. The social vulnerability of so many in several countries is exploited by narratives of fear and entrenchment. There has been a return to xenophobia, and extreme forms of nationalism are gaining ground. Different expressions of demagoguery bring about serious risks on all continents. Even in the economic arena, the fact is that today’s world lacks standards that can otherwise reduce globalization’s asymmetries. Many have yielded to the easy answer of protectionism. We cannot possibly shy away from such a world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Brazil brings its natural spirit of openness to the United Nations and to the world. We are a country that is built on and by the strength of diversity. We believe in the power of dialogue. We strongly advocate the principles that govern the Organization — principles that are needed now more than ever before. Today’s world shows signs of uncertainty and instability. The international system is currently experiencing what could be described as an order deficit. Reality has moved ahead faster than our collective ability to address it. From outbreaks of regional conflicts to violent fundamentalism, we face both old and new threats that we have been unable to contain. In view of the refugee crisis and the upsurge in terrorism, we cannot help but be overwhelmed by a sentiment of perplexity or bewilderment.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)