YouSaid · the spoken record

Michelle Bachelet Jeria

lines on the record: 104
first: 2007-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“Today in Chile, there is a common belief in the need for change — change specifically designed to substantially improve equity and inclusion. Having made great progress, Chile would like to consolidate and move ahead but recognizes that a society that has undergone profound and rapid changes faces new challenges. Public opinion and political evolution tell us that the time has come to take meaningful steps through substantive reforms providing the essential basis for moving towards a more dynamic, inclusive and equitable development. That is a basic condition for moving towards a better society for all.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We want those challenges to appear in the post-2015 development agenda, which must be inclusive and reflect the situation in all regions of the world. We believe that inequality is one of the greatest threats to countries’ development and international security. It fosters social unrest and prevents us all from moving towards inclusive development and ending exclusion and poverty, which in turn can lead to resentment and violence. Therefore, overcoming inequality, with its many faces, must occupy a central place among the post-2015 development goals. We also believe that the United Nations system should have the tools for measuring specific progress in a universal agenda to combat inequality. Chile is dealing with the challenge of inequality decisively and over the long term.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our efforts to empower women and promote initiatives to combat violence against women and girls have been tireless. Thanks to those efforts, today women are at the centre of the new development and peace architecture. We believe that the full incorporation of women in every area of society — including the economy, politics, and culture — is a prerequisite for their full development. It, therefore, should also be a priority in the post-2015 development agenda, as should early childhood development, which is something that has to do with the future of our societies. I come from Latin America, a region of middle-income countries that has its own dreams, challenges and tasks. For us, sustainable development, security, the quality of governance and, above all, inequality and social cohesion are the most pressing problems.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We acknowledge the Secretary-General’s efforts to achieve a more inclusive global governance in which the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals occupy a central place and require the political support of Governments and societies in all regions. The post-2015 process provides a great opportunity to tackle the social and development issues common to all societies and regions, using a comprehensive approach, through specific and measurable goals. Women and peace and security is an item on the agenda of the Security Council to which Chile, as a member of the Council, attaches priority. Since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), the world has made progress in the protection of women and girls in armed conflicts.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Generally speaking, we wish to reaffirm our belief in the need to respect the integrity of State borders. International law is clear and unambiguous. Any action designed to affect existing boundary treaties creates room for legal uncertainty and could jeopardize international peace and stability. In that context, we continue to believe that reform of the Security Council is a pending issue requiring political decision and swift action. We reiterate our support for the enlargement of the Council and for the aspirations of Germany, Brazil, Japan and India to become permanent members. In addition, Chile favours a serious debate on the French proposal to limit the right to veto in the case of crimes involving the responsibility to protect.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We express our solidarity with the victims and categorically condemn the use of violence. Any action in this area must be taken within the context of international law. We believe that the international community should seek political solutions and inclusive negotiations to facilitate action by the Security Council. For our part, we are prepared to increase our humanitarian commitments and shall consider accepting refugees from those conflict zones. We are also concerned about the situation in Ukraine. Here the position of Chile is clear. We believe that the principle of territorial integrity must be respected and that, at the same time, the rights of minorities must be protected. We believe that a solution can be found to prevent an escalation of violence, sanctions and tensions that may well spread throughout the planet.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“One response has been the design of robust peacekeeping operations with a strong emphasis on the protection of civilians. However, on many occasions Council members have been unable to act with unity. That undoubtedly undermines the legitimacy and credibility of the principal organ responsible for international peace and security. This year has seen a significant rise in the number of humanitarian crises around the world, in particular in the number of complex emergencies with regional impacts that indirectly affect already-fragile States. We are concerned about the 3 million refugees created by the crisis in Syria; about the actions of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; about the cruel violence that the world has witnessed in Gaza.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That instability, along with a lack of social cohesion, poses a threat to peace, security, human rights, development and democracy. This affects not only countries or States, but the actual men and women who inhabit them. In other words, it is a threat to all we believe in — everything that constitutes the basis of the agreement on which the United Nations was founded and everything that is our raison d’être as leaders of our societies. That is why the United Nations remains irreplaceable as an institution for addressing global challenges and for agreeing on the actions needed to resolve them, even if some of those actions have not produced the desired results. The Security Council has contributed to addressing and preventing crises.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the end of the twentieth century, we imagined that the twenty-first century would bring greater progress and peace for all and that it would be free of the tragedies that had convulsed the world. Indeed, we have seen hopeful signs of development in many dimensions. Yet paradoxically, we see all around us the symptoms of crises that, while they may be more localized, have more devastating humanitarian consequences. These challenges include regional wars, ethnic and religious tensions, humanitarian crises, the trampling of human rights, the break-up of several States, climate change, deepening inequality, cross-border terrorism and the spread of terrible pandemics such as Ebola, all of which require a firm, urgent response on the part of the international community.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“What has happened with the crisis, with the environment, with hunger, with conflicts, is the result of a lack of adequate leadership and political dialogue. It is for us, leaders of our countries, to change this situation. It is within our power, first, not to resign ourselves to the market or to force and, secondly, to avoid demagogy by trying to construct a fairer order for our peoples through serious and responsible public policies, in an environment of full democracy and respect for human rights. This can be the basis for a global social covenant, which the world is insistently demanding at this difficult time. We must not fail the world.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“My region, Latin America, has been able gradually to build a single vision, which has enabled it, for example, to come rapidly to the aid of any threatened democracy, as was the case in Bolivia one year ago, or to strongly condemn democratic setbacks, such as occurred in Honduras a few months ago. For this reason, today, with President Zelaya — who has peacefully returned to Honduras — I wish to reiterate our appeal for immediate acceptance of the San José agreement promoted by the Organization of American States. Honduras deserves free and democratic elections, with the constitutional President leading this process. It is thus clear that policy is now more important than ever. Let us make an effort to restore it to its rightful place, but, of course, with the quality that citizens deserve.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Neither the world nor countries are governed on automatic pilot, trailing behind the market, trailing behind globalization, trailing behind social changes. The policy of quality has a positive impact on the well-being of individuals. The rule of law, civil liberties and respect for human rights are all prerequisites for a democracy of quality. There is no longer any justification for violating the principle of liberty and democracy in the name of justice or equality. Procedural democracy is part of the ethical and political common property of the international community in the twenty-first century. And little by little, we have started to reinforce this principle at the level of nations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“If they assume their historical responsibility with deeds, and not only words, and if they undertake to provide the necessary technological and financial support, then the developing world will be able to make an even greater effort to meet this challenge. We thus have the possibility to correct the course of our future. Let us not use the economic crisis as an excuse for not reaching an agreement that all our citizens are demanding. Let us today ensure the future of our descendants. We have a huge responsibility. For this reason, let us lay the foundations this year, in Copenhagen, for a new economy that will allow the twenty-first century to be an era of progress. If there is one lesson that we can learn from the economic crisis and from the environmental crisis, it is that the quality of policy matters.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We have spoken about climate change at special meetings during this session. Today I wish simply to sound the alarm. Unless we coordinate efforts at the highest level, the forthcoming Copenhagen Conference will not attain its goal. We risk failure on what is the most urgent cause to be taken up by the world at this time when the scientific forecasts made by the Intergovernmental Panel in 2007 already seem to fall short of the mark. Climate change is not a theory; it is a tangible reality that we are witnessing in unusual storms, floods and droughts. My country, which is so close to Antarctica, is watching in amazement as melting of the glaciers and ice platforms on that continent accelerates at an inexorable pace. The industrialized countries must adopt quantifiable goals for more ambitious emission reductions than those that now exist.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Institutions and the rule of law must prevail, since this is the only way to ensure peace and development. Thus, Chile strongly supports the reform and strengthening of the United Nations. We support the Organization’s recent efforts in the areas of human rights, development and climate change. We favour reform and enlargement of the Security Council. We welcome the important work being done by the Peacebuilding Commission to provide support from the outset to countries emerging from conflict — support that is comprehensive, not only military. That is the logic that should prevail in all spheres. We want the United Nations to spearhead a new global social covenant, we want the Millennium Development Goals to be attained by 2015 and we want to see 37 09-52179 forceful and decisive involvement to mitigate climate change.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We know that at this stage neither rhetoric nor populism can be of help. There must be no flights of fancy, and we must remain open to the opportunities that well conducted globalization can provide. We must find effective mechanisms to safeguard the public interest in the world of national and international finance. We must find solutions to unlock a world trade agreement that will thwart protectionist designs. And we must return multilateral dialogue to the centre of international policy, abandoning unilateralism. While unbridled globalization in the financial sphere provoked the crisis we are experiencing, unilateral action and disdain for institutions resulted in conflicts that must not be repeated. Military or economic might cannot be the norm in international relations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Countries such as Chile learned the lessons of past crises and are facing this crisis with solid macroeconomic foundations, with far better capitalized banking systems and with stricter and more effective regulations. But this was not the case everywhere. It is worth recalling that after the Asian crisis a decade ago, there was much talk about financial system reforms, better oversight mechanisms and early warning systems. But none of this happened. Political laziness prevailed. Private interests prevailed over the public good. That is why today reform cannot wait, either domestically, with better regulations in the capital market, or abroad. We hope that General Assembly resolutions and the forthcoming meeting of the Group of 20 will make progress in this direction because — I insist — resignation is not an option.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The whole dogma of laissez-faire was forgotten when the time came for the State to save the international financial machinery and implement financial stimulus plans. In some countries — including my own — State action proved crucial in mitigating effects and protecting the most vulnerable in crisis situations. In my country, we were careful with commodity wealth some years ago and saved resources for more difficult times, resisting political pressure to spend that money but confident that this was the responsible thing to do. We were proved to be right, and this has allowed us to offset the effects of the international crisis while increasing social benefits for people, raising pensions, protecting workers, building hospitals and investing more than ever before in education and housing for those most in need.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“In this conception, it is thought that the more the economy is deregulated, the better it is. In this conception there are misgivings about democratic discussion as to which goods should be public and should therefore enjoy efficient protection and government guarantees. It is this extreme and dogmatic neo-liberalism that has unfortunately erupted into crisis, unfortunately leaving in its wake a trail of hunger, unemployment and, above all, injustice. And it is at times like this that action by the public sector has proved to be essential. Thanks to decisive action by States, it has been possible to avoid a widespread and fatal economic collapse with unexpected political consequences — which could have been another Great Depression.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“They are even considering establishing companies to place their bonuses in tax havens. The world simply cannot function in this way. Resignation is not an option. It is possible to construct fairer, realistic, sustainable and pragmatic models to 09-52179 36 ensure progressive advancement for all peoples. That requires recognition that the economic crisis was not a casual occurrence or, still less, a cyclical event in the capitalist economy that will correct itself on its own, solely through the workings of the invisible hand of the market. What happened here was much more than a chance occurrence or a cycle. What happened here was the crisis of a paradigm, the crisis of a certain kind of globalization, the crisis of a conception of the State and the public sector in which the State is seen as the problem and not the solution.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“I should like today to raise my voice and urge that this item be put on the agenda of this Assembly, the forthcoming meetings of the Group of 20 and, in general, all international forums. The economic collapse must not lead to a social collapse. We must not let down our guard, for it is not acceptable that, on the pretext of the economic crisis, countries should be reducing contributions for the fight against hunger, for the protection of the environment or for the promotion of development. And it is ethically untenable that, while this is happening, the executives of the investment banks that were at the centre of the current crisis, gambling irresponsibly with financial assets, should today be back to business as usual and awarding themselves huge bonuses which simply reward excessive risk- taking in their bets.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Even more serious, in the twenty-first century we see more than a billion people suffering from hunger: one out of six people all over the world, 50 million of them in Latin America. This is much more than a statistic: it is a child, it is a mother dying in a poor county despite the opulence in which the developed countries are living. Trillions of dollars have been spent in recent months to rescue the financial system and revitalize the economy. Yet the World Food Programme will see its budget reduced by more than half this year. What a sad paradox this is. Less than 0.1 per cent of the financial rescue plans would end the food crisis affecting dozens of countries.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The rule of law and the institutional framework have been strengthened, so that humanity today has the technical, legal and economic means to make much more progress in the struggle for a better world. We cannot let those hopes be dashed. But at times this is what we seem to be doing. The world is experiencing a serious economic crisis resulting from the inability of countries and of the international community to formulate clear and transparent rules on financial matters. We are on the brink of a serious environmental crisis resulting from emissions of greenhouse gases and from the way the world has chosen to produce and obtain energy — as well as from the inability of countries to agree on standards and policies to prevent global warming.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“For the past four years, I have been proud to represent my country in this Assembly, the world’s foremost assembly, the forum in which the peoples have placed so many hopes. Peace, human rights, international law, development: these are some of the causes promoted here, sometimes successfully and at other times with difficulty, but always with progress. This has been observed by the poorest in various regions; it has been observed by children and women; it has been observed by the persecuted, by those who suffer; it has been observed by men and women all over the globe. It is true that the efforts have not sufficed to eradicate all the injustice or the abuses or the sorrows of so many. But it is also true that we have made considerable progress in six decades of international collaboration.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“We want protection of the environment to be part of the vocabulary of every inhabitant of the planet and, definitely, of the priorities of every Government in the world. We want cooperation by those who have the most to be a political as well as a moral obligation. That is Chile’s achievable desire, which we have come to present to this General Assembly.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Today, those who violate that charter sully their reputation with the international community. We have gone even further by creating an international architecture of protection and legal advancement, in which my region set a great precedent with the inter- American human rights protection system. We hope that something similar will happen with the Millennium Declaration. We want it to become an ethical and political requirement for all the world’s rulers. We want the citizens of every country to protest against famine, poverty and unsanitary conditions. We want discrimination against women to be reason for shame for all those who practise it. We want discrimination against native peoples to be eliminated from the face of the Earth.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Despite the improvement in child mortality, 400,000 Latin American children under five years of age are still dying each year — hence, the urgency of that initiative, which is the urgency of promoting democracy and the social development of our people. In just over two months, the world will have a noble reason for celebration. It will be the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What a great step forward for mankind. That transcendental charter of rights marked the beginning of the end of centuries and centuries of arbitrary action, death, torture and abuse of power. Certainly that charter did not represent an immediate solution, but it did mean the beginning of the largest and most effective social and political mobilization in favour of people’s dignity.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Under that initiative, Chile will cooperate in the assignment and training of troops in Bolivia, Ecuador and other countries of the region. However, when we say “troops”, we are not talking about soldiers. It will be a force of nurses, midwives and doctors specialized in maternal and child health, who will travel through the fields and mountain ranges of our America, delivering babies, helping mothers, providing vaccinations and caring for sick children. Because despite the progress made in that regard in recent years, which has increased the percentage of attended births from 78 to 89 per cent, still 22,000 mothers die in Latin America each year simply because they received no professional care.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Each country has the right and the duty to contribute to the creation of a world in which the great values of mankind prevail, regardless of the country’s economic or demographic dimension, of its influence or its power, or of how close it is to or how far it is from the hubs where decisions that affect the lives of each and every one of the planet’s inhabitants are taken. 17 08-51749 From our position at the south of the world, Chile is cooperating. We have enthusiastically supported, and in some cases promoted, the most diverse initiatives in pursuit of the development of our peoples. A few days ago, in Santiago de Chile, together with the Prime Minister of Norway, we launched an important regional initiative for the attainment of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It tells us that the region wants to leave behind the dark moments of its history. It tells us that democracy is established as a system of government. It tells us that violence has no place in politics. And it tells us that those values, in addition to being widely shared by the citizens, are becoming entrenched in multilateralism, in institutions and in international law. Over these years, we have learned that national policies, although essential, are not enough, that there is no incompatibility between affirmation of one’s own identity and integration, and that international agreements must be formulated to govern globalization and make democracy and the social rights of the citizens a universal requirement.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“From this rostrum, as the convener of that historic regional meeting, I wish to express appreciation for the willingness displayed by all those involved, because we thereby set an example of how multilateral commitment should be understood. It is a commitment forged in the diversity of political projects but based on shared values, such as democracy, peace and the defence of human rights. The La Moneda summit — as that meeting was called, after the Chilean presidential palace — will forever symbolize the moment at which the South American nations decided to strengthen their commitment to democracy, whenever it is threatened anywhere on the continent. Yet what does that episode tell us? It tells us that the values of democracy, dialogue, human rights and peace are becoming stronger than ever in Latin America.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“That same conviction led us recently to be very active in coming to the aid of a friendly democracy. One week ago, when there was a threat to disrupt the democratic institutional order in the Republic of Bolivia, we nations of South America came to the support of the legitimately elected authorities and offered our cooperation to help in the resumption of the domestic political dialogue, while condemning the rebellion and bloodshed. Within a few days, we succeeded in convening a meeting of the Presidents of the member countries of the Union of South American Nations in Santiago de Chile, in order to agree with the President of Bolivia on a process for talks and to find and support a peaceful solution to the conflict in that country.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“What underlies them is a clear political determination, shared by the majority. The country has freely chosen a path of economic growth, political democracy and social justice. All political sectors have converged on that path, with differences, of course, as in any democracy, but all are aware that those are the major goals of Chilean society, because behind the achievements there is also a sad learning process. In the past, when the country became divided, when the country became polarized in two irreconcilable factions, there was much suffering and very great social setbacks. Democracy placed at the centre of public life, as a goal for a freer and more just society, has been one of the main lessons that we Chileans have learned and that largely explains the achievements of the last 18 years.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We have advanced strongly on all fronts: health, education, housing, quality of life, social cohesion and greater gender opportunities. The numbers speak for themselves. At the end of the dictatorship, in 1989, 4 out of every 10 Chileans were living in poverty. That 40 per cent dropped to 13 per cent in 2006. Although there is much to do, whenever we achieve one goal we set ourselves a new horizon of challenges. Just as we have drastically reduced poverty, today we aim to guarantee universal access for all Chileans to a social welfare system that allows them to live their lives in tranquillity and removes the fear of disease, poverty or old age, thus increasing opportunities for all, so as to advance steadily in greater equality and dignity. However, this morning I wish to highlight the reasons for those achievements.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“That is why we must also ensure the success of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and convert those negotiations into agreements that make a decisive contribution to development. I appear before this General Assembly as the representative of a nation that has much to contribute. 08-51749 16 Modestly and proudly, we announce to this Assembly that Chile is ahead of schedule towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals set for 2015. I emphasize that it is possible to eradicate poverty, that it is possible to emerge from underdevelopment and, even more importantly, that it is possible to do so in democracy and freedom. My country almost tripled the size of its economy between 1990 and 2008, which are the years of democracy in Chile. Just as we have made the economy grow, we have also made social investment and equity grow.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“That is why today I appeal to all to work together to support emergency measures to address the food crisis and to redouble our efforts to ensure that the developing economic crisis does not prevent us from attaining the Millennium Development Goals. That is why I appeal for an urgent and genuine commitment to multilateralism. That is why we must undertake to continue supporting and reforming international institutions, particularly the United Nations, to make them more representative, more democratic and more responsive to the hopes of our peoples. That is also why we must reach agreement at the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization. That is why we must achieve concrete results at the forthcoming Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“With the money used to bail out the international banking system, the scourge of hunger on the planet could easily have been eliminated. Thus, now is the time to reaffirm our resolve. The international economic crisis is a blow to those who believe that nothing can be done, that nothing should be regulated or that inequality cannot be remedied. That is the major lesson to be learned from what has happened over the past year. None of the current problems facing mankind, and certainly none of the civilizing goals that we have set ourselves, can be tackled properly if the public does not have a clear option of collective action by States and civil society.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We cannot remain indifferent to the deterioration of the basic well-being of millions and millions of citizens all over the world. Those of us who share the same concept of progress and have made freedom and social justice our watchwords must raise our voices. The world has managed to secure the economic, technical and scientific resources that, for the first time in its history, can ensure the well-being of all mankind. We cannot squander that capacity. A better world is possible, but it requires determination to move forward, and the current international economic crisis shows that it is precisely such determination that has been lacking. The greed and irresponsibility of a few, combined with the political negligence of others, has plunged the world into a situation of great uncertainty. What a paradox we are witnessing today!”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In that changing context, we have witnessed outstanding progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in many countries of the world, but we have also witnessed many regrettable setbacks. World events over the past year give us much food for thought that will allow us to act decisively. The optimism of the turn of the century, leading to talk of the “millennium of hope”, seems to be dissipating. It is estimated that the increase in food prices alone has driven more than 100 million people into extreme poverty. In turn, financial instability today is afflicting many economies, threatening to generate a worldwide trend towards recession in which — as always — those most affected in the end will be the world’s poorest. That is why it is so crucial to review our Goals.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The world at that time announced the civilizing mission to which it aspired and identified the inescapable challenges and unavoidable tasks for any Government and for the international community. It defined a real ethical vision for the leaders of the nations. The world has changed since then, however. We have witnessed, sometimes tragically, the emergence or reappearance of various problems of global significance, such as climate change, terrorism or the food crisis. At the same time, the interdependence of economies and communications has become even greater over the past eight years, which has undoubtedly created many opportunities but also greater risks and inequities.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations Her Excellency Mrs. Michelle Bachelet Jeria, President of the Republic of Chile, and to invite her to address the Assembly. 15 08-51749 President Bachelet Jeria (spoke in Spanish): Eight years ago, representatives of all the countries of the planet met in the General Assembly Hall to adopt the United Nations Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) — a text that is one of the broadest and most explicit agreements ever drafted by the international community on the subject of development, well-being and quality of life. The Declaration set a series of very precise standards in the fight against hunger and poverty, education, health, gender equality, environment and cooperation, stating for each the minimum to which nations should commit themselves.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We are at a complex juncture, but one of great opportunity. What we do or fail to do in the next few years will determine the future of our descendants. It all depends on us. Now is the time to act.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As the Assembly knows well, the Presidents of Brazil, France, Chile, Spain and Germany, among others, organized an Initiative on Action Against Hunger and Poverty and their UNITAID Initiative, through which we have managed to collect hundreds of millions of dollars to finance the purchase of drugs to treat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; these medicines have been given to hundreds of thousands of children, mainly in Africa. But we have to do more. Social equity and the construction of a world with a human face should become a central topic on our global agenda. The three major causes that I have mentioned can be tackled only by common accord of the international community. Hence, the importance of our commitment to effective and efficient multilateralism, with the United Nations as its centre of gravity.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We, therefore, join in the commitment to the forthcoming launch of the Global Business Plan for Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 that is, to greatly reduce maternal and child mortality. We do not need new commitments; we simply need to fulfil the commitments already made. My country supports the idea of holding an international conference to focus concerted worldwide efforts on attaining the Millennium Goals, proposed by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, so that the dream of also globalizing the prosperity that some have already achieved can come true in the not too distant future. We can also emphasize innovative development financing mechanisms for development in order to combat inequality and promote social cohesion. We are on the right track.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In 17 years of democracy, we have reduced poverty from 40 to 13.7 per cent. We have achieved practically all of the Millennium Development Goals. It is an ambitious objective, but one that is justified by our achievements. We are constructing a social welfare system that guarantees the social rights of Chilean men and women from the cradle to old age. We are protecting our children girls and boys, our young people, our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers. We know that we are not alone in this effort. Poverty, hunger, extreme inequality and exclusion are realities that exist all over the world. With regard to the fulfilment of the Millennium Goals, progress has been made in some regions, but it is not enough.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We also hope that the developed countries will make greater commitments regarding mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and financing. We must, however, realize that the greatest efforts by the developed countries will not suffice to halt climate change. It is also necessary that the developing countries take additional emission reduction actions in the framework of a global effort within the scope of the Convention. I am the bearer of a message of hope as well for all nations seeking to eradicate poverty and build fairer and more inclusive societies. We still have a lot to do. Nonetheless, we can say that Chile has moved closer to becoming the country that we so deeply desire, enjoying greater prosperity and greater social justice. We are eradicating poverty.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Therefore we all have the obligation to construct a new global political consensus to generate collective action capable of solving the problem in accordance with the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility and within the framework of the United Nations. All of us must contribute, but especially those who have already polluted and achieved development. We ask the developed countries to pledge technical and financial assistance to the developing countries that most need help with their efforts to combat climate change. We strongly hope that at the meetings of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol to be held in December in Bali, progress will be made in defining the parameters of a post-2012 process.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“In Chile, for example, we have seen that the speed with which the glaciers are melting has doubled in the past ten years. Our southern zones are, in turn, experiencing a dangerous depletion of the ozone layer, jeopardizing the health of our citizens. Although we are not the ones mainly responsible for this deterioration, Chile has begun to take the necessary steps to mitigate the effects of global warming and to combine efforts so that, as a matter of urgency, solutions may be found. As has been said here many times, there is no time to lose. The consensus that we must reach, the effort to enlist the greatest possible support, is comparable only to the international mobilization that led to the adoption of the San Francisco Charter six decades ago. If we do not act now, the future of all humanity will be endangered.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We also strongly support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is a very important step in the recognition of the rights of those peoples. We shall also work to ensure that democracy and freedom are consolidated throughout the world. Democracy is a universal value, but it is a process that must be supported over time. That is why we will strongly support the United Nations Democracy Fund, so that this aspiration becomes a reality. We are studying with concern the scientific evidence showing the devastating effects of climate change on our planet. Yesterday we were discussing its social, human and economic effects. We are glad that the world is beginning to take notice of this. It is clear that there is a serious threat to our future, and we must act now.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We are pleased with the progress made in the area of norms, both internationally and nationally. We welcome the adoption and opening for signature of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which fills a gap in the system for protecting human rights from a crime against humanity. Chile signed that instrument and expects to ratify it in the near future. In addition, the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is in the process of being approved by our National Congress. The new United Nations Human Rights Council should continue to promote a more effective international regime for protection, early warning and promotion in the area of human rights.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)