YouSaid · the spoken record

Silva Cimma

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS SILVA CIMMA

lines on the record: 73
first: 1991-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The world is moving towards a new structure which will undoubtedly afford us the possibility of moving ever closer to satisfying the needs of human beings. But whether we can make this a reality will depend on the intelligence with which we confront the future. I have every confidence in the rich sap that nourishes this spreading tree, which shelters us all. The United Nations has before it a glorious future in working for the cause of peace. But that future will be possible only if we demonstrate the imagination to be bold, the knowledge to move ahead, the love to understand that to strive for the common good is always a viable option, the solidarity to be more human and the wisdom not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Members of the Assembly, my good wishes go with you.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“While respecting our respective traditions and abiding by the inviolable principles of international law, including non-intervention and the sanctity of treaties as the source of rights, we have nevertheless understood that, as the twenty-first century approaches, it will be useful to exchange ideas about our national aspirations, inasmuch as they promote the maintenance of peace. It is a great honour for me to be addressing the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. The four years I have represented Chile in this important forum, whether accompanying President Aylwin or personally, have been an enriching experience. The period in which we have the good fortune to be living demands increasingly dynamic and effective responses.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It embodies the will of the region in its relations with individual countries or groups of countries outside the region. This forum for political consensus already has significant achievements to its credit on various levels. Moreover, it is a clear demonstration of what we can aspire to if we manifest imagination, political openness and realism. Special mention needs to be made of the understanding we have reached with our neighbours. The understanding, generosity and vision of the future exhibited by the Heads of State of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile have allowed us to settle issues which in some cases had been dragging on for more than a century.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Along with its re-emergence on the international scene and its protection of human rights and democracy, Chile has set itself the goal of working for effective regional integration. Here, too, we can point to major achievements. Our relations with our Latin American and Caribbean brothers 40 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session could not be better. Agreements that have already been signed and various others that are in the drafting stage - some 220 agreements and treaties in four years - bear witness to this fact. To that same end, we have worked for the strengthening of the Rio Group; we currently have the honour to be coordinating its temporary secretariat. That institution is the embodiment of a modern approach to international relations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In keeping with its mandate, President Aylwin’s Government sees human rights as another of the objectives towards which its actions are directed, both domestically and in foreign policy. The latter aspect reflects a traditional position of our country: that of encouraging respect for international law and promoting peace and justice. At the same time, however, it is the least we can do by way of reciprocating the enormous solidarity the international community has extended to the Chilean people at the most difficult moment in its history. It will be the task of the General Assembly at this session to begin the implementation of the agreements contained in the Plan of Action adopted at the second World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna at the beginning of this year.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“At this forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, I wish briefly to evaluate the results Chile has achieved in some of the areas to which it attaches priority in the restoration of democracy. Let me refer first to our reintegration into the international community. In the multilateral sphere, we can point to the generous support of our peers, which has enabled us to become members of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission on Human Rights, the International Law Commission and the Executive Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and to the election of our Ambassador to the United Nations, Juan Somavia, as President of the Economic and Social Council and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit for Social Development.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“My country has participated in a number of peace-keeping operations. It has sent military observers to the Middle East and to the frontier between India and Pakistan; police officers to El Salvador; air force personnel to Kuwait; and army personnel to Cambodia. In discussing this issue, we cannot overlook the financing difficulties that peace-keeping operations are facing. We support the steps being taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to overcome these problems. Unquestionably, however, in our view, any discussion of peace is incomplete if it does not refer to the progress made in relation to disarmament. The Convention on chemical weapons is a significant achievement. We trust that the work initiated with a view to the signing of a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty will follow the same course.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The so-called Dunkel text is very far from meeting our legitimate aspirations, although it does constitute a major advance in the current situation. Unfortunately, nonetheless, it embodies a number of limitations on genuine freedom of trade. The most difficult issue in the Uruguay Round has been trade in agricultural products, which, for the nations of Latin America -for developing countries in general - is of vital importance. Hence our lively interest in what is happening in GATT. Insistence on intransigent positions, which objectively impede world trade, creates insurmountable barriers to development - a situation to which we cannot remain indifferent. Chile has fully discharged its commitment to the collective security system. We regard this United Nations initiative as highly appropriate in the current international situation.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Since 1990, Chilean business has been participating actively in the Pacific Basin Economic Council, and since 1991 Chile has been a full member of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council. We hope also to join the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, as we view this as an important means of promoting the liberalization of regional and world-wide trade. In this effort we have received valuable support from the States members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, and for this we are grateful. In another context, I cannot fail to take this opportunity to mention an issue that is of special significance to the developing world. I refer to the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The renewal of these negotiations provides some grounds for hope.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Recently, contacts have been established with African countries and with South Pacific island territories. All of this forms part of a deliberate policy aimed at strengthening links with the Latin American and Caribbean nations and at establishing close ties with all developing countries. Forty-eighth session - 27 September l993 39 An outstanding feature of the major changes taking place throughout the world is the important role being assumed by the Pacific basin in political, economic and strategic terms. Chile is a coastal State of that ocean, and our identification with the basin is one of the most innovative elements in the foreign policy being pursued by President Aylwin. We have made a sustained effort to associate ourselves with the main agreements on cooperation in the Pacific region.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We shall continue to put forward ideas and to support initiatives, in the Group of 77 and any other body, that will serve to advance the negotiations. President Aylwin’s Government has striven to make international cooperation a reality. We have participated in various activities within the programme of technical cooperation between developing countries. Currently, we have projects in 43 countries, and 70 institutions from the public and private sectors are participating in them. There is an active current of cooperation with our neighbours in Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Also under way are projects that link us with Mexico. Similarly, we have programmes with the People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Of concern to us, together with steps in these two sensitive areas, is decisive action for the protection of nature. Currently, Chile holds the chairmanship of the environment commission established within the organization. In addition, my country has joined in the effort to combat drug trafficking. Accordingly, we support various initiatives aimed at drafting new legal instruments to combat this scourge effectively. Likewise - returning to the world scene - we attach special importance to the process of restructuring in the economic and social sector. This will raise the possibility of saving millions of human beings who are currently marginalized, living in minimal security conditions. In our view, cooperation for development should become one of the most solid pillars of the international agenda for the twenty- first century.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In line with these ideas, Chile has raised the possibility of the Council’s comprising permanent members, permanent members without the right of veto, regional members with an extended term, and non-permanent members. Still in the context of the protection of democracy, we cannot fail to mention that at the regional level too new circumstances have led to changes in the instruments available to the Organization of American States (OAS). Clear evidence of this is the Santiago "Commitment to democracy and the renewal of the inter-American system" approved at the General Assembly of the OAS held in the capital of Chile in 1991. This new approach has already yielded results. The OAS has achieved successes that would previously have been impossible in the region - particularly in the field of the protection of democracy and human rights.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In our suggestions to the Secretary-General, we indicate the need for the reform to result in a limited membership. This will enable us to ensure efficiency and to achieve our objectives of democratization. In this context, we feel that it is important that the various regions of the world be duly represented. This will enable us to combine the idea of democratization with the balance that is essential. Regarding the right of veto, we agree with many nations that this is not a democratic means of decision-making. For this reason we wish to make it clear that we are opposed to its being extended to new permanent members of the Council.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In the same spirit of cooperation, we have conveyed to the Secretary-General suggestions regarding the benefits that might derive from an increase in the number of members of the Security Council. Because of the great importance of that body, any change that is proposed should reflect the very clear political will of the majority. I want to put great emphasis on this point. We view the changes in the Security Council as part of a wide-ranging exercise aimed at strengthening the United Nations. No reform can be viable if its sole aim is to grant some degree of political recognition to certain emerging Powers. The aim of our proposal is that appropriate account be taken of the new international reality. At the same time, it seeks to reflect the increase in the membership of the Organization since the last time the Council was enlarged.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It has the capacity to take the leadership, which means channelling international cooperation. Furthermore, we recognize that the United Nations has a fundamental role to play in dealing with the relevant issues. In the specific field of international peace and security, my country has repeatedly stressed its support for the action taken by the Secretary-General, and Chile advocates the strengthening of his role, particularly with respect to preventive diplomacy. We hail his report "An Agenda for Peace" as a valuable and significant aid to Governments. We look forward with interest to the forthcoming publication of an agenda for development, which we intend to consider with the greatest enthusiasm.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The meeting, to be held at Copenhagen in 1995, will be a tangible demonstration of this concern on the part of the United Nations. My country is confident that we will make every effort necessary to ensure that the Copenhagen meeting arrives at appropriate and specific solutions. The environment is favourable, which makes us feel that we shall be able to conclude the summit with an "agenda or programme for people", one essential element of which must be broader, more effective and more united international cooperation. Today’s world poses questions which must be answered without delay. Poverty, hunger and other social scourges are perceived as aberrations. Their eradication is the task of the 38 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session international community as a whole. In this task, the United Nations will play a decisive role.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It has left its mark on the developed countries as well. Social marginalization is a reality which has taken on truly disturbing dimensions hitherto unknown in those latitudes. Chile’s present Government has always viewed economic development as inseparable from social development. We see the economy not as an end in itself, but as a means by which humanity can attain happiness. This is our objective, and this is what has led President Patricio Aylwin to assign the priority to dealing with what we have termed the social debt. This term encompasses the recognition that society as a whole must accord to the poor. This idea has gained ground. As a result, the Chilean initiative regarding the convening of a world summit for social development has been positively received.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is this concept which has led the "Blue Helmets" in the past three years to take on as many missions as they conducted between the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the 1990s. The United Nations troops serve the invaluable objective of peacemaking and rebuilding coexistence, a task which we must perform if we are to meet adequately the need to strike the proper balance between local sensitivity and global sensitivity. The number of problems that are worldwide in scope has greatly increased. Whether through rigidity in the application of the system or through shortcomings in the system itself, we are witnessing some tragic consequences. Millions of human beings are suffering from poverty. Nor is the tragedy confined to the poor nations. We are witnessing a worldwide social crisis.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“What is more, without respect for differences, it would cease to have the vigour it exhibits today. Its competitiveness would be lost, and the concept of one world would inevitably find itself on its deathbed. This is the world in which we have to live and move, a world plagued by disturbing yet, paradoxically, stimulating contradictions. It is in such a world that we must strive to seize the opportunity to take positive initiatives, without prejudices, and come closer to the innermost reality of man. This is why we are now striving to make progress in the defence of universal humanitarian law. This concept is inherent in the new vision of the world, and Chile comes forward as its most resolute proponent.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For only in being optimistic will we be able to overcome the reluctance of some and the temptation of others to take refuge in fundamentalism. It is also imperative for us to take a firm stand against a kind of rigidity of approach which is gaining ground in the world. This is the tendency to treat systems as if they were incontrovertible truths. It is the transfer of dogma to sciences that are not at all exact. And this is happening at a time when advances in human knowledge are demonstrating precisely that what is vital today is to open our minds to reason and to distance ourselves as far as possible from dogmatism. We are living in a world which has ceased to be foreign. No human reality is alien to us. No suffering is remote. No triumph of intelligence is a private matter. But globalization does not mean uniformity.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The maintenance of democracy as the single paradigm has brought with it beneficial influences, although for some the establishment of this system of coexistence has given rise to upheavals which are not yet over. But we can afford a measure of realistic optimism if we fix our attention on other developments. The beginnings of an agreement between Palestinians and Israelis are a tangible example of this. Another is the awakening of South Africa to true democracy. The spirit of consensus that is beginning to spread throughout the world is a consequence of the democratic paradigm. Against this new backdrop, the United Nations has a vital role to play. At this juncture, then, there are grounds for optimism, and we have a duty to be optimistic.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I am particularly pleased to congratulate Ambassador Insanally on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly, which does honour to the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States. We know that he has long-standing close personal ties to Chile. It has been our lot to witness and to be a part of events of far-reaching significance in the history of mankind. The political, technological, economic and social changes that have shaken the world over the past 10 years are beginning to take root, and as they do so the enormous influence they have had on the establishment of new forms of behaviour, new values and new institutional schemes is becoming apparent.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Likewise, failure to respect them arouses a sense of frustration. The duties and rights of each Member State vis-a-vis the Organization can in no way be reduced to a matter of legalities or to simple mechanical action. We recognize a real commitment to the United Nations system, and consequently we discharge each of our duties responsibly. The nations assembled here and indeed the world have before them the best possible opportunity of firmly guaranteeing the future of coming generations, a substantial improvement in the quality of life, the elimination of the development gap and the attainment of peace in short, the opportunity of building a better world for all and with all. Let us all take up that challenge.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The contributions they have made, to the benefit above all of the developing world, must be assessed at their true value.* The support of the United Nations for the second Space Conference of the Americas, to be held shortly in Santiago, is another example that regional and global efforts are complementary. Chile has long had the privilege of being the site of important regional offices of the world Organization. Their presence in our country is proof of Chile's commitment to the activities of the United Nations, which we shall always be prepared to support. The subject of the United Nations, which is certainly what has brought us together, is an exciting one for the international community. Indeed, fulfilment of the purposes and principles of its Charter has been a constant concern of our country.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At a time when we are asking the Organization to perform all the tasks that arise in this era, its constant financial insecurity is absurd. It is essential to enhance the fluidity and automaticity of countries' payment of their assessments. This is doubtless a responsibility that is shared by all, but to the greatest extent by the main contributors. We cannot have a strong Organization with a weak financial base. The specialized agencies and regional commissions are called upon to continue playing a vital role in such fields as cooperation for development, protection of the environment and economic and social analysis.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We have already expressed our opinion publicly at the bilateral level, within the Non-Aligned Movement and in the General Assembly last year. We already have evidence of the Secretary-General's character and decision-making ability. We support him in his task. The Secretariat is of course a vital organ under the Charter and in the United Nations system. In order to meet the challenges that lie ahead, it must act with the maximum efficiency and autonomy. The Secretariat is at the service of all countries, and accordingly all of them must be properly represented at its various levels. The efficiency of the Organization depends to a large extent on the confidence Governments have in the technical ability, experience and impartiality of its staff.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Even while most of the world is calling, with growing clarity and force, for the abolition of protectionism and the formulation of stable and non-discriminatory rules to govern international trade, unilateral measures are reversing this world-wide trend and giving rise to direct forms of protectionism in the main world markets, in a departure from the principles and regulatory framework established under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. I now wish to say a few words on the Secretariat. First, we welcome the election of the distinguished scholar, diplomat and politician Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali as Secretary-General. The Members of the United Nations are witnesses to Chile's consistent support for the African continent's aspiration to see one of its own in that high post.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In addition, under President Aylwin's Government, the process of solving the problem of external debt has been concluded, the real income of salaried workers has increased by 15 per cent and policies designed to alleviate the poverty of the most disenfranchised sectors of the population have been implemented. This has been done on the basis of an open economy which has concentrated on both economic and social efficiency against a background of personal freedom and political democracy. Although the success of these programmes has been recognized by the various sectors in our national life, we are aware that much more still needs to be done with our resources. But we are equally aware that the benefits for our country would be significantly greater if the ground rules of the international economy were more equitable.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I should also like to thank the Secretary-General for having assigned to our representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Juan Somavia, the task of bringing to a successful conclusion the consultations required to put this initiative into effect. The first step has now been taken. Much remains to be done. There is no doubt that the primary responsibility for resolving this situation is borne at the domestic level. Each country must take steps to stabilize the functioning of its political system, encourage investment, trade and technological development and ensure equitable distribution of income. Chile has accepted that challenge. It is growing today at an annual rate of 7 per cent and has reduced unemployment to about 5 per cent and inflation to 13 per cent a year.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the final analysis, our capacity to lead and the raison d'√™tre of the United Nations will be measured by the success we achieve in the field of social development. Without greater well-being for all our citizens, there will be no peace, security or lasting stability at either the national or the international level. That is why we put forward the initiative for a world summit for social development. This proposal was recently endorsed unanimously in the Economic and Social Council, which approved a positive recommendation to the General Assembly that it convene the summit at the beginning of 1995 at the level of Heads of State and Heads of Government. I should like to take this occasion to thank all the Member States which participated in that consensus, and in particular the 121 countries that sponsored the relevant resolution.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The practical results of the Conference, which were characterized by the great effort made to reach agreement, are being carefully watched by the public at large, which is participating in ever-greater numbers in this process. The signing of the Conventions on biological diversity and climate change, the convening of the world conferences on desertification a subject of great interest to many countries, but of vital importance to the African nations and the conference on fishing on the high seas are milestones in the international effort to preserve the environment. We cannot enter a new era of world peace although it is potentially within our grasp if we forget the human being.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We shall be participating actively in discussions under way on these issues on the basis of the interesting proposals submitted by the Nordic countries and the Group of 77, and of the resolutions of the most recent session of the Council. A factor that will contribute to the reform of the" Economic and Social Council will be the establishment, under it, of the commission for sustainable development, which is called upon to become the body for monitoring environment. problems. The link between the commission on sustainable development and the world environment fund is also the key to the success of Agenda 21, the ambitious programme of action approved by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This system, if effectively operated, could ensure that all Members of the Organization feel that they are participating to the proper extent in the decisions of the Security Council. Chile is also interested in strengthening the Economic and Social Council. According to the Charter of the United Nations, this is the principal specialized body of the system for analysing in an integrated way the political, technical and operational dimensions of current economic and social problems. The Council should be strengthened and renewed in order to become a true council for development, capable of guiding high-level dialogue, formulating development policies and providing proper guidance for the operational activities of the system.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the years to come, we shall have to take up the issue of the composition of the Security Council. We believe that this important body should reflect new international realities, and we are accordingly ready to consider with interest and sympathy new formulas that would appropriately reflect the aspirations of new world Powers which are seeking to become regular members of the Council. It is also essential to strengthen the presence in that body of the various developing regions. Inevitably, this will entail greater participation numerically, as well as new forms of regional representation. With improvements over time, this practice could become a mechanism for representation of the regional groups which would combine freedom of action for the country elected with the expression of the will of the countries of its region.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In the context of the positive spirit that has succeeded the cold-war period and is characterized by the search for agreements and a climate of friendship and collaboration between the Powers, my country considers that the time has come to undertake, on a carefully thought-out time scale, the total elimination of nuclear weapons, and to put a definitive end right now to the testing of such weapons. I join my voice with those of the Ministers of the Nordic Group who, meeting at Svalbard, welcome the efforts being made, particularly the halting of the French tests in the Pacific, and expressed their wish that the voluntary moratorium on all nuclear explosions should become a permanent one, removing from the world once and for all these practices which threaten our security, coexistence and environment.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In this spirit of service to the cause of peace, Chile is a constant participant in the debates in multilateral forums on disarmament on a global scale, without prejudice to our active involvement on the regional level. We support the Convention on chemical weapons and reiterate our legitimate desire to become a full member of the Conference on Disarmament once the issue of its enlargement becomes the subject of real discussion. In the regional sphere, we see as important the initiative we have taken, together with Argentina and Brazil, that is designed to give full effect to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean through a set of amendments intended to strengthen its monitoring system and which the conference of signatories has approved by acclamation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Our country is collaborating with the United Nations and is prepared to increase its participation in the future, should that prove necessary. Chile's readiness in this regard has been expressed in its support for the Security Council in the decisions that have been adopted. Likewise, it has in recent years placed at the service of the United Nations the knowledge and professional experience of its armed forces and forces of public order. Chilean soldiers have traditionally been among the members of the United Nations observer forces in the Middle East and the Asian subcontinent. Our marines are initiating their activities in Cambodia, our pilots have been active in Kuwait, and our police are collaborating with the peace force in El Salvador.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In this new world order which is taking shape and which all members of the Organization must contribute to designing, a vitally important place is occupied by the Secretary-General's report, entitled "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), which contains ideas and suggestions regarding preventive diplomacy and peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building. Chile agrees that the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security should be strengthened. While preventive diplomacy is playing an increasingly significant role on the international scene, the concept of peace-building, in the sense of creating a new climate and strengthening security through economic, social and cultural development, is a fundamental issue.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Above all, a balance needs to be struck between the General Assembly as the principal political organ, the Security Council as the organ responsible for dealing with the traditional problems of peace and security, and the Economic and Social Council as the primary body for promoting sustainable and equitable development. Mutually respectful interaction among these three levels should permit the United Nations to take the lead in creating an international order of peace in which the interests and problems of all countries are adequately represented.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There is no substitute for this Organization as a world parliament, as a forum for international debates and agreements, as a source of innovative technical analysis and as a multilateral body responsible for peace, security and development. Just as we back the role of the United Nations without reservation, we likewise set no limits on our demand that it should be efficient and democratic in the attainment of its objectives. Certainly, that depends on the will of Governments, as well as on the strengthening of the competence and autonomy of the Secretariat.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Chile proclaims before this worldwide forum its unswerving dedication to peace and respect for the dignity of the individual, its conviction that justice is the foundation of any truly stable society, its belief in the universal value of human rights, its respect for individual creativity and democracy as an ideal form of government its commitment, in short, to the needs of the most humble in all our societies and its recognition of the validity of law and of the search for consensus as a foundation for major national and international agreements. Chile firmly believes in the Charter of the United Nations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This, in turn, will enhance coexistence among States. We must search together for new political directions that allow us to strengthen the role of the Organization in the maintenance of peace and security, in the defence of human rights, in the protection of the environment, in the struggle against drug trafficking and terrorism and in closing the gap between North and South. The starting-point must be the values that inspire our action.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“These crises, and a whole series of economic, social and environmental challenges, can be overcome only if the Organization is strengthened, commands more respect and becomes more efficient in the pursuit of its lofty goals. Of course, it is essential that this enormous task we are calling on the world Organization to perform be complemented by the preventive activities carried out by regional organizations. Our own regional organization, the Organization of American States, is carrying out that mission by engaging in a realistic and tenacious effort to forestall or resolve the region's varied and difficult problems. But it is in the United Nations that we must develop the concepts, principles and agreements which will make the security of individuals a priority objective of international cooperation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The ongoing negotiations on the Middle East augur well for the future, but other situations in the world still pose a threat to peace. Social confrontation, the outcome of the growing gap between well-being and poverty, has become a source of global instability. Today more than ever, development with equity is the new requirement for peace, a common task we are called upon to join together and undertake. Now that the cold war is over, the role of the United Nations has taken on more relevance than ever before. The Organization has a central role to play in building a new international order which will make it possible to face the crises that constitute serious threats to peace in many parts of the world.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“There are still old tensions and new ones the result of racism, religious fanaticism and extreme nationalism; there remains the historic challenge of development for all; and there is still a terrible social debt which cannot be rescheduled to the most disenfranchised members of all our societies. Our Organization is still faced with many challenges calling for more effective action. The war in Bosnia and the grave reports of massive violations of human rights, reaching the point of genocide, in the territories devastated by the conflict in the former Yugoslavia demand concerted and vigorous action. The auspicious but still uncertain process launched in South Africa poses new challenges for our Organization.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“For these reasons, the importance of this forty-seventh session of the General Assembly is inarguable. We welcome the new Member States that have joined the United Nations and that will take part with us in its endeavours. We welcome your election, Mr. President, since it will permit an experienced figure in world politics to guide our deliberations and lead them to an outcome which is satisfactory to all. At the same time we appreciate the judicious administration of your illustrious predecessor, Ambassador Shihabi.* The world is on the threshold of the twenty-first century. We have left behind us the senseless ideological confrontations between the super-Powers and the danger of nuclear holocaust. But there is no guarantee of peace.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In our times, a unique advance has been made in the search for peace, understanding and cooperation among peoples. Mankind is progressively becoming more and more aware of this new reality. Accordingly, the present juncture is an appropriate one for reflection and dialogue within the framework of the United Nations, for a review of our achievements as well as of our shortcomings, and for a serious, in-depth study of the role we assign to the Organization and the hopes we seek to fulfil, hopefully in the near future. I wish to reiterate here the conviction of President Aylwin's Government regarding the moral, political and social imperative of placing the needs of people at the heart of United Nations activities. Reducing poverty. increasing employment and promoting social cohesion are needs shared by the entire international community.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“They express fundamental and constant values of mankind which we all see as our own. We have an opportunity such as we have perhaps never had before of ensuring that those values begin to prevail once and for all. Achieving this will mean giving back to large numbers of persons their dignity and freedom so that they can shape for themselves the course of the history they wish to live.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Accordingly, we attach special importance to the World Conference on Human Rights scheduled for 1993. The last decade of this surprising century has opened up unsuspected possibilities for the international community - and also great uncertainties. It is for the nations assembled here, and for the Organisation that brings them together, to know how to take advantage of the former and dispel the latter. But as important as the security of States, or more important, are the security and integrity of individuals. It is in relation to these, in the final analysis, that the tasks that are set and the actions taken must find their meaning. Large numbers of human beings continue to live an existence clouded by all kinds of deprivations and threats. We cannot put off meeting their demands and their hopes, or disappoint them.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)