YouSaid · the spoken record

Gutierrez

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS GUTIERREZ

lines on the record: 61
first: 1984-09-24
most recent: 1985-09-24
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

“If that is not done, all of us - to our great regret - will be directly responsible for the final holocaust.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“This fact, which reflects the commitment to peace that is mankind's greatest desire, should become a moral and ethical force operating world-wide to direct the conscience of the leaders of the world, East and West, North and south, towards this transcendental goal, which sums up the very raison d'etre of the United Nations. In due course my delegation will circulate a draft resolution in this respect, which will be the text of the proclamation, on 24 October 1985, of the "International Year of Peace". We cordially call on all delegations to co-sponsor this draft resolution. Lastly, we appeal to all the States Members of the Organization to ensure that the united Nations can play the leading role which it should play in solving the major problems afflicting mankind.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Over these 40 years we have noted with concern the relations between the two Super-Powers, They have moved from tension to confrontation, and from confrontation back to situations of tension. Nevertheless, today there are some elements which allow for optimism. Talks on disarmament are being held, and soon there will be a meeting between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States. The possibility of reducing tensions - something that is always desirable - seems today to enjoy better prospects than has been the case for some time. On the initiative of Costa Rica, with the unanimous support of the Members of the General Assembly, 1986 will be declared the "International Year of Peace".”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Suffice it to recall that at the very first session of the General Assembly, in January 1946, a resolution was adopted stating that the objective was the elimination of atomic weapons and all other major weapons of mass destruction. It is shameful to admit that every day we get farther and farther away from that objective, which might well be said to have seen the light of day in this Organization. Everyone is aware of the importance to mankind of reaching substantial agreements on disarmament, and of the vital necessity for disarmament to become a reality. Costa Rica, a neutral country without an army, has constantly supported the initiatives taken by this organization in the field of disarmament and it will continue to give its support to any steps taken along new lines on this delicate matter.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“If the Contadora Act is to become an instrument enabling the Central American peoples to fulfill their legitimate aspirations to peace, democracy, justice and development, vigorous and effective-solidarity must be shown by the international community; this solidarity must reflect the countless expressions of support for the Contadora Group. Real evidence of something which all countries state they desire and support would be an arms limitation. It is time that this condemnation of the arms race, expressed so many times in the General Assembly and many other international forums, took the form of concrete steps - and not only carefully worded speeches and impeccable resolutions. Too much has been said and very little has actually been done.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Costa Rica hopes that through the machinery to be established pursuant to the Contadora Act, it will be possible to solve the sole problem that leads us to consider ourselves to be part of the Central American crisis: the border aggressions committed against us by the Government of Nicaragua. During recent years Costa Rica and its Government have been the victims of constant, permanent aggression, the manifestations of which have ranged from the open, evil attack, on 31 May last, by a patrol of civil guards carrying out surveillance activities on a part of the border to the veiled threats from high military and political authorities in Nicaragua.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Today we have before us a new version of the draft Contadora Act on Peace and Co-operation in Central America. We have good reasons to believe that today we can state here that we find ourselves at a time of hope and that there are prospects of a practical solution in the relatively near future. For the peace and prosperity of Central America, we very much hope that this is the case, and we therefore vehemently urge all the parties and all the countries that in one way or.another are present, as it were, in the Central American crisis to demonstrate with facts their determination to provide a concrete solution to the problem in our region. Let real steps be taken to subscribe to and ratify this vital document; let there be the political will that is so indispensable if this major peace effort is to become a binding legal commitment.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Costa Rica continues to believe that this view is the correct one. But my country considers that the time has come for us to see the fruits of this process, to see real solutions rather than words. Otherwise, Contadora runs the risk of becoming an end in itself and an endless round of negotiations resolving nothing. The loss of credibility of this Latin American initiative would have tragic and disastrous consequences. It would provide further arguments for those who believe that the sword and the rifle are the only means for resolving Central America's problems. In this connection, we were highly satisfied and encouraged at the significant progress achieved in the last meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central America and the Contadora countries which took place in Panama on 12 and 13 September.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The Contadora initiative, inspired by the fundamental goal of finding a peaceful solution to the crisis in Central America, has been directed at finding a solution to our problems. The Contadora process has given rise to great expectations and the reaction to it by the international community could hardly have been more encouraging. It has become common place in international forums to issue very positive views of the Contadora initiative. To commend its spirit and to express repeated support for the Contadora mediation process is regarded as the right thing to do. This magnificent support for Contadora by the international community is a source of pleasure, because we also believe, as we have stated on many occasions, that it constitutes the most viable option for the peaceful and global solution to the problems of Central America.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Situations of injustice, aggression and violence continue to leave a scar on the lives of thousands of Latin Americans. At this time, the most cruel and visible face of this reality is the crisis which for years now has been besetting Central America, an area sorely tried by history and whose traditional problems, in themselves overwhelming, have now been compounded. Despite the wishes and interests of its inhabitants, Central America has become a further arena for East-West confrontation, an outlet for the conflict between extra-regional Powers. Since 1983, we in Central America have seen ourselves involved in an ambitious and innovative negotiating process under the commendable auspices of Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“However, in recent years it has had to earmark some 50 per cent of its income, deriving from exports, to external debt servicing. We do not spend money on weapons, nor are we able to spend these funds cm development. Costa Rica considers that the scale of the problem of Latin American debt is such that it cannot be ignored by this Organization, we therefore call on the United Nations to give political and economic consideration to the search for comprehensive and practical solutions, as well as to finding new methods for negotiations which would involve all parties which in one way or another are responsible for this crisis. Only thus can we find the right path towards solving this urgent matter. The overwhelming external debt is not, however, the only problem filling the peoples of Latin America with dismay.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We are debtors not because we wish to be so, but because an unjust international economic order has compelled us to become such. We have not denied our responsibility, but we wish to make it clear that the solution to such a major problem also lies with the industrialized countries, the lending banks and international financial institutions. Costa Rica acknowledges its debt. It is attempting to meet it despite the harsh terms set, but it needs reasonable terms of payment, in consonance with its economic situation, so that it can consolidate its political, economic and social democracy. Costa Rica devotes a high percentage of its resources to the improvement and development of its education and health systems and its physical infrastructure. Its disarmament policy makes this possible.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Forty years later, Latin America is the region with the most serious economic problems. Latin America is beset with an unprecedented financial and economic crisis, the origin of which we are all familiar with. The contraction of international trade, protectionism in the industrialized countries and volatile high interest rates are magnifying this problem and turning into obstacles to the recovery process embarked on by the Latin American governments. We therefore consider that responsibility for the problem of our indebtedness cannot be considered in simple terms, such as that it is solely our responsibility and it is up to us to resolve it. All of those here know full well that this crisis has various causes and the debtors are only partly responsible.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Africa requires major international assistance to deal with serious problems of health, water supplies and housing and elementary agricultural requirements. It is painful to note that Africa's Governments must devote to the servicing of their external debt resources which are urgently needed for the development of their peoples. Consideration of the problems of external debt lead us once again to wonder whether the new global order that the founders hoped for in 1945 has actually been achieved. This particularly applies in the case of Latin Americans, since at that time there was a general feeling that Latin America would be the region to progress most rapidly towards the attainment of economic and social progress. Unfortunately, that expectation has not been fulfilled.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The critical food situation in Africa is a drama the terrible consequences of which affect millions of human beings today. It is a drama the scale of which is too great and too painful. It is a drama which is without precedent, and whose solution requires an unprecedented effort. It is shameful that while we are talking in this Hall, so many human beings are dying of hunger. It is true that the international community has given its attention to this problem, but it is equally true that it is capable of showing more effective and energetic solidarity. It is of vital importance that more resources and greater efforts be devoted to resolving this problem and that steps be taken to ensure that such a phenomenon never occurs again.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Their scale transforms them into problems common to all mankind, and their solution must be achieved through a common effort by all mankind. They are problems whose existence is, to our regret, solid proof that the international community does not yet have effective means to eliminate hunger and poverty and to offer people a better future - problems which inevitably bring us face to face with the yawning gaps that still separate the developed and the developing world, with the shameful coexistence of abundance and malnutrition, of high technology and primitive ignorance, of the wealth enjoyed by the few and the dramatic scarcity and crushing financial burdens suffered by others. I am specifically referring to the problem of hunger in Africa and the problem of Latin America's external debt.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We do not close our doors to them, we seek to assist them as much as we can, but we think it vital that the international community provide more effective assistance for the programs developed by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees. The commendable efforts it makes to assist refugee populations with their resettlement or possible return should be vigorously encouraged by the United Nations. The proposal to strengthen the activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees should, we believe, be considered a matter of priority. Some problems which geographically would be considered merely regional in nature are in fact so great in their impact that they join that terrible list of tragedies which faces the world today.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In recent years its shadow has extended to my own country and has compelled us to face up to a reality of which we had previously not had experience. The number of displaced persons and refugees currently sheltered by Costa Rica may well seem derisive when compared to world figures. There are 200,000 refugees in Costa Rica, the majority being of Nicaraguan origin. However, given the size of our country, this represents an overwhelming figure - approximately 10 per cent of the total population of our country - and Costa Rica is an underdeveloped country with very weak economic potential. The complications attendant upon their presence in Costa Rica represent a difficult burden-for our country.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Its persistence and growth confirms the belief that in many parts of the world the words of the United Nations Charter are still only words. Once again we see that the principles of 1945 have not become a reality. We continue to see dramatic increases in the numbers of men, women and children compelled to flee from their places of origin to escape the horrors of war, political persecution, poverty and oppression, and the dramatic impact this has on the host nations, which do not always have the economic and social capacity to absorb the displaced persons and offer them the prospect of the decent life to which they are entitled as human beings. Millions of people form part of this problem of our sorely tried world.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is a delusion to imagine that any country can escape its impact. It is also a mistake to think that its presence in a State is an internal problem which the international community can ignore. An act of terrorism is a crime against mankind which wounds all countries equally. Hence, Costa Rica considers it of fundamental importance to take strong measures to eliminate this ulcer, which has grown to alarming proportions. Furthermore, this concern increases when we note that, although all States verbally condemn this repulsive phenomenon, some of them not only fail to fulfill international conventions aimed at its elimination but use terror as an instrument. The refugee problem is of even more devastating and awesome proportions.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“This phenomenon, which clashes with the principles on which the united Nations is based is becoming alarmingly widespread. All States, rich and poor, are today present or potential victims of this irrational scourge. The recent kidnapping of the daughter of the President of El Salvador, Mr. Jose Napoleon Duarte, constitutes another dramatic link in this bitter chain of barbarism. We know that very frequently an attempt is made to justify the perpetration of acts of terrorism by reference to political and social considerations. To my country this attitude is evidence of backwardness and obscurantism. The use of terror as an instrument of political action cannot be justified and must give rise to feelings of contempt and condemnation. Terrorism is an international phenomenon.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We note with enormous satisfaction the first agreements reached between the two Koreas, in which we should like to see signs of fuller understanding between the two parts of a single people. The same ideal of universal membership should govern the efforts to find answers to the serious difficulties afflicting mankind. Political instability, economic ills and social unrest are all widespread diseases of the world today. Among all the painful problems mentioned in the Secretary-General's report, which he refers to quite rightly as social and political poisons, I consider it necessary to refer to two which affect us in a special way and to which no State is immune. There is an urgent need to make a radical attack on the problem of terrorism.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“If the purposes of the united Nations are to be fully achieved it must become truly universal. This is the roost comprehensive organization ever created by human societies, but it must attain a further dimension. No people on earth should lack a voice in this chamber. There are no valid reasons for closing the doors of the United Nations on any State which is ready to accept its guiding principles. If the lessons of history show anything it is that ignoring the existence of a conflict is not the best way of resolving it. The case of the two Koreas is a good example of how today there are still outside this Organization nations whose presence is necessary if the United Nations is to represent or attempt to represent, all human activities. Universality is a necessity for this Organization, but it is still far from being achieved.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“My delegation pays a tribute to and thanks the Secretary-General for the concern he shows and for his dedication to the ideals of the united Nations. In the light of all this, it is essential to return to our original source, the spirit of 1945. We must make a vigorous effort to give effect to the ideals which governed the birth of this Organization. Let there be no more mistrust, no more thirst for power, no more use of violence and economic and political pressure to protect nefarious interests. Let this Organization gradually cease to be a forum for talking about problems and become an effective instrument for negotiation and harmony between nations, a setting for vigorous co-operation and the exchange of knowledge, where the word "war" becomes a memory of the past.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“There is no doubt that many of the specialized agencies have done an excellent job and have achieved unprecedented results which the States themselves, working alone, would not have been able to achieve. In this respect we believe that the co-operation provided by the United Nations has been of vital importance and constitutes a legitimate source of pride for this Organization. We have read with great interest the Secretary-General's annual report on the activities of the Organization. With his customary care, he has referred to the international situation, providing a realistic and forthright account of the grave problems besetting the international community and the measures that should be adopted to resolve them.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“A good example of this is to be found in the agenda of the Assembly. When an international problem becomes an agenda item it almost certainly will remain on that agenda year after year. Thousands of words will be uttered and it will become the subject of a mass of documents, but it is very unlikely to be satisfactorily disposed of. This is not because that is what the Organization wants or because no attempt has been made to solve those problems. The responsibility for this rests with the Member states which depart from the spirit of San Francisco whenever they feel it is in their interest to do so. It is this attitude that undermines the foundations of the United Nations and has on many occasions made the Charter a dead letter. Nevertheless, it is only realistic to acknowledge that major progress has been made in some areas.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is true that it has been possible to avoid the bloody specter of a world conflagration, but one may wonder whether this is due to a feeling of fraternity, or whether it is simply the balance of terror which has prevented this final holocaust from occurring. whatever the answer to that question, we must acknowledge that it is not peace which has prevailed in the world over the last 40 years. How many conflicts, crises and disputes have afflicted mankind since 1945? How much blood has been shed? Hew many men and women have died as a result of violence? How many have suffered imprisonment, torture, exile and oppression? What is perhaps most tragic about such self-appraisal is the discovery that to none of these questions can one yet give a final answer, since the figures continue to rise day by day.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Like the other founding nations, Costa Rica set great store by the united Nations as the keystone to a new international order in a world community which would be an effective guarantor of peace and co-existence among all the peoples of the world. We believed that the traumatic experience of the Second world War had been enough to make everybody aware that it was essential for the survival of mankind that there should be an international organization which would work effectively for peace, a brotherhood of States which would manage t.o overcome differences between peoples and which would not relapse into the painful ineffectiveness and frustrating irrelevance of the League of Nations. Unfortunately, we are faced today with a harsh reality.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is a fitting moment to look backwards, to examine the purposes announced at the foundation of the Organization and to see to what extent an effort has been made to sake them a reality, to what extent the United Nations has lived up to the hopes placed in it when it began its work in that hopeful autumn of 1945. It is time to take stock, and to reflect on the Organization which its founders had in mind, that which we have now, and that which we wish to see in the future. Forty year ago, Don Julio Acosta, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, signed the document which led to the birth of this Organization.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“This further commits my country to increase its efforts to co-operate in the arduous tasks before this Assembly. Our people and Government are deeply moved by the tragedy which has befallen our brothers in Mexico. That is why we noted with great pleasure the speed and the sense of solidarity with which the Assembly considered the problem and instructed the SecretaryGeneral to co-ordinate multilateral aid in consultation with the Mexican Government. We stand on the threshold of the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations. In a month the United Nations will have been active for four decades. This anniversary therefore, gives Member States a unique opportunity to make a far-reaching and sincere self-appraisal.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is with particular pleasure that my delegation joins in the congratulations expressed to the Permanent Representative of Spain, Ambassador Don Jaime de Pinies - an outstanding diplomat and well-known within United Nations circles for his important contributions to the work of the united Nations - upon his election by acclamation as President of this session of the General Assembly, at which we are celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations. Similarly, I wish to express my delegation's thanks to his illustrious predecessor, Mr. Paul Lusaka, the Permanent Representative of Zambia, for the successful way in which he led the work of the General Assembly during its thirty-ninth session. The Government of Costa Rica wishes to express its warm appreciation for its election to the post of Vice-President of the General Assembly.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In a tribute to that concept the President of Costa Rica, in November of last year, recalling our traditional position on the problems of the region in which we live, proclaimed the neutrality of our country in the face of the military conflicts in the region but pointed out that, because of our democratic commitment, we could not in any way be ideologically neutral. 79. I shall conclude by quoting what the President of Costa Rica said in the formal proclamation of our neutrality: "Costa Rica is not an economic Power; nor can it be. Costa Rica is not a political Power; nor can it be. Costa Rica is not a military Power; nor does it wish to be. Costa Rica is a spiritual Power, because the people practise a true faith in the power of common sense, the power of the will and the power of morality."”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“However, we require the help of the international community while, within the framework of Contadora, we promote in the nations to which the displaced persons belong the internal conditions conducive to their return to their lands and their work. 77. Costa Rica proposed that the year 1986 be proclaimed the International Year of Peace. It should be a constant task of the United Nations to call for peace, because this has been the great objective of the Organization since its foundation. The International Year of Peace will be devoted to emphasizing this commitment, at a time when, because of world tensions, it is necessary to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter, in which special prominence is given to the maintenance of peace. 78.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Because this is linked with the subject of human rights, I cannot fail to appeal for international solidarity with respect to the problem of the more than 600,000 refugees who have been displaced because of the turmoil in Central America. They have been treated generously by the receiving States, but not enough is being done, for this is a problem which exceeds their capacity. The dedication and timely aid of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration and other international agencies represent a form of assistance which we Central Americans appreciate for its full worth.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We can infer from that idea that peace cannot be possible so long as the stifling of the fundamental rights of the human being persists. We Costa Ricans have tried in our own land to avoid phenomena of that type. We are a peaceful and stable society, within the convulsed Central American region, because we have been able to build a society based on respect for human rights. We should like that kind of society to be extended now so that we may have a Central America that is an example and not a cause for concern, that contributes to peace instead of giving rise to problems, that provides first the hope and then the reality of human beings working and striving peacefully for development, free from fear. 76.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“This does not detract from the merits of the work done by the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Committee; rather, it is a recognition of the limitations placed upon their work. For our part, Costa Ricans have insisted on imbuing the defence of human rights with an effective structure, despite the fact that we must recognize that many Governments lack the political will to do so. 75. Our sincere concern relates to the fate of peace and security in the world. Recently, the President of Costa Rica mentioned before the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Europe, Central America and the countries of the Contadora Group that when violence comes from above it inevitably leads to violence in the opposite direction, thus altering and destabilizing countries and regions.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Then came the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and increasingly concrete and specific international covenants. The Legislative Assembly of my country, which was the first one to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, has just approved the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 74. Nevertheless, we still note a major omission in that field. The United Nations does not yet have a truly effective mechanism for the defence of human rights. The extraordinary number of documents, declarations and treaties on the subject have not yet given the Organization the power to restore the enjoyment of rights to victims of violation.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“I therefore appeal to the Member States and the Secretariat of the United Nations to mobilize the creativity and necessary resources to find ways in which to protect children and other especially vulnerable groups from the harshness and irrationality of the fluctuations of the international economy. 73. I cannot conclude this statement without making a specific reference to the ideal of the protection of human rights, which has been a constant concern of Costa Rica and its Governments. It seems to me necessary since the United Nations, from the moment of its birth, embarked upon an important task in this field. The Charter was dedicated to that major objective and became a point of departure for the task of making fundamental rights become an international commitment.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In this context, the Quito Declaration and Plan of Action and the more recent Cartagena Consensus represent an effort to give a serious and responsible answer by Latin America to the crisis. 72. I wish to take this opportunity to mention in particular the impact of the crisis on what is dearest to our societies—children. Tragically, one of the results of the adverse economic climate in which we live has been a fall in the indicators which measure the well-being of the young population of the developing world. We must commit ourselves to an effort that would enable us to isolate the impact of the economic cycle on our children.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The crisis has taught the Government of Costa Rica a number of lessons: first, to ascertain the degree of maturity of the Costa Rican people in accepting the impact of the adjustment and the strength of its commitment to the country's democratic institutions; secondly, to understand that recovery and long-term stability are beyond our reach when the meagre possibilities of a small country to handle the situation are reduced even more by an adverse international environment. 71. All Latin American nations have learnt an equally important lesson from this crisis: that it is pointless to try to face up to this situation in isolation. We recognize the urgency of concerted political action at the regional level.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Multilateral agencies must contribute more medium-term and long-term resources, and on more favourable terms, to support the programmes of external adjustment and structural change, and the international banking system must continue to provide commercial credit because, if it were not to do so, that would jeopardize those resources already committed. 69. Costa Rica speaks on these issues with a certain degree of authority. In mid-1982, the Government undertook a series of adjustment measures aimed at stabilizing the economy. Those efforts meant that the deficit in the public sector in one year went down from 9.3 per cent of the national product to less than 3 per cent, inflation was reduced from 90 per cent to 19 per cent, and the exchange rate which was 64 colones per dollar was stabilized at about 45 colones per dollar. 70.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In the search for solutions, we should bear in mind not only the cost for the world economy of the fact that developing countries are less able to participate in international trade but also the very high social and political cost that will no doubt be incurred if our countries must continue in a process of internal deflationary adjustments. 68. There is no doubt that Latin American countries are facing up to this crisis with proved responsibility. It is now time for the other actors in this drama to make a comparable contribution to resolve a situation which in fact is a shared responsibility and the solution of which ultimately benefits all. The industrialized countries must adopt forceful measures to reduce interest rates and combat protectionism.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“That debt exceeds the $300 billion mark; it represents 36 per cent of the gross domestic product of the region and servicing the debt absorbs 65 per cent of its export receipts. To indicate the degree to which the situation has deteriorated, suffice it to mention that in 1975 the debt represented merely 20 per cent of the gross domestic product and used up only 26 per cent of export earnings. 66. The reasons for the problem have been broadly discussed in various forums and I need not dwell upon them here. I wish to emphasize the fact that attempts to solve the problems that countries are facing in isolation and individually are clearly not sufficient. Furthermore, that has led to a very unjust situation in which the cost of the necessary adjustments is borne exclusively by the debtor countries. 67.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Although the desirability of creating a more harmonious and just international economic order is recognized, there is a remarkable lack of political consensus which is preventing the dialogue that is needed to make the necessary structural changes to bring about that greater harmony and justice. 65. In approaching the end of this century, we realize that many countries are not in a position to meet the most basic needs of their peoples; others hope barely to halt the deterioration experienced in the living conditions of their peoples. Indeed, the situation in Africa, especially with regard to food, is becoming alarming; and Latin America is entering its fourth consecutive year of economic recession, as part of a crisis the most salient manifestation of which is the external debt.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The presence of members of the European Economic Community in Central America strengthens the ideal of integration, efforts to achieve which we embarked upon 25 years ago. Besides the triumph over nationalism represented by the establishment of the European Economic Community, the readiness of its members to help Central America shows that the old and obsolete concepts of colonialism have been replaced by a modern concept of co-operation. We are sure that this attitude will find expression in the prompt and successful negotiation of an agreement between Europe and Central America. 64.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We are grateful for the friendship and acknowledgement of the Governments represented at San Jose. At that ministerial meeting, we received European support for the process of democratization in Central America, the restructuring of our common market and our development through increased co-operation programmes. 62. Europe's concern about the fate of Central America is now added to Latin America's, expressed in the Contadora process, and that of the United States, shown by the Caribbean Basin initiative. That European concern was demonstrated by the presence in San Jose of 12 Ministers for Foreign Affairs from Western European democracies. This opens up for Central America the prospect of beginning a new period in its history, characterized by well-being and the full enjoyment of freedoms. 63.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“But we are also aware that the great harm caused to our region by the international economic crisis, political upheavals, underdevelopment and war can only be remedied with the continued support of the international community. That is why when the President of Costa Rica, Mr. Luis Alberto Monge, travelled to Europe last June he extended invitations—as the spokesman for Central America—to the Conference which was held at San Jose, Costa Rica, on 28 and 29 September 1984. We received in our capital the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the countries of the European Economic Community, of Spain and Portugal, of the countries of the Contadora Group and of the Central American States. As the host country, we felt that our ideals and realities were being recognized.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We hope that the foresight of the Central American Governments in voluntarily submitting to international verification will have as its reward verification that in all the countries of Central America there is strict observance of the spirit and letter of the Act. We understand clearly, as we are sure the other Central American States do, that the commitments we shall make upon subscribing to the Act are binding and enforceable. The very nature of those commitments explains the need for effective and reliable verification and control. 61. We Costa Ricans are aware that a comprehensive agreement on peace and co-operation in Central America is a fundamental step.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“This gives us another reason to participate actively in the Contadora process and to fight there, as we have fought throughout our independent life, for institutionality, democratization, respect for human rights and the economic and social development of the whole region. 59. I reiterate from this rostrum our readiness to comply with the obligations imposed upon us by the Contadora Act. Furthermore, I can state that Costa Rica already complies with those obligations, because they are a part of the pacifist and democratic tradition of the Costa Rican people. 60. We believe, however, that the verification and control mechanisms provided for in the Act should be improved and strengthened.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is innovative, because it proposes verification of compliance with the commitments entered into when it is signed and because it places the fate of our peoples above the old, narrow concepts of the internal sovereignty of States. In sum, the Contadora process, carried out with full awareness of our history, has looked towards a peaceful, richer and freer future for the peoples of Central America. 58. We said last year that Costa Rica was not a part of the problems of Central America, but that Central America was a part of the problems of Costa Rica. We are continuing to build our nation in peace and democracy. But the peoples of Central America are prey to political instability, war and economic crisis and the painful consequences are felt by us Costa Ricans.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)