YouSaid · the spoken record

Niehaus Quesada

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS NIEHAUS QUESADA

lines on the record: 111
first: 1980-09-24
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

“Working together with goodwill and in one spirit, we will be able to transform our world into a common home, into a fertile ground for the promotion of and respect for the dignity of all human beings, joined to face a common future of peace, justice and freedom.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In his book entitled Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe tells of a community in Nigeria where the harvest was poor. Attempting to encourage a young man, his father tells him: "Do not be disheartened. I know you will not be disheartened. You have a brave and dignified heart. A dignified heart can survive a serious problem because the problem does not impinge upon his dignity. But it is more difficult and more bitter when you face it alone." Hope resides in solidarity and in union. Mankind is one. All the peoples of the world must understand that we share the same future, that there are no longer problems that affect only others or differing destinies for mankind.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We are still confronted by hatreds of all kinds, by a polluted world, by natural disasters, by illiteracy and by peoples suffering from hunger and disease. However, if the international system managed to avoid allowing the cold war to lead to military catastrophe, surely it can find solutions to these other catastrophes that are afflicting mankind. If we do not want the military and ideological alliances of past years to re- emerge, we must replace them as soon as possible with a solidarity that is not founded on economic interests. My delegation firmly believes that the Organization can and must effect, as a priority, the qualitative transformation required by the international community - that is, the creation of a great family, without East or West, North or South. Brothers and sisters know nothing of the points of the compass.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We also welcome the actions taken by the United Nations at the International Conference on Population and Development, the World Conference on Women, and the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, aimed at broadening discussions about the hoped-for development. But if those efforts are to be successful, it is indispensable that the promises made by the industrialized countries at the Rio Summit be fulfilled - that is, that they provide new and additional financial aid, something they have so far done on a fairly meagre scale. For nearly half a century, we have been living amid division, struggles about ideologies, worries over hegemonies. To a large extent, those sterile years are now behind us, but so much remains to be done.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Why not also acknowledge that mankind is one and that all who form part of mankind have a right to development and freedom? The commitments undertaken last year in Rio de Janeiro at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development to join in the search for sustainable development, in all its economic and environmental as well as its political, social and cultural dimensions, constitute a fundamental requirement if we are to achieve true peace and a dignified life for all the peoples of today’s and tomorrow’s world. The convening of the Conference and the agreements reached there, notwithstanding their limitations, are major achievements for the Organization. In this connection, the fact that many countries, including my own, have engaged in activities to carry out the commitments entered into there is of great importance.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We therefore support all efforts accepted in the cause of disarmament and arms control, and we view with special concern the case of countries that, like the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, object to controls that are directed towards ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear arms. At the same time, however, Costa Rica considers it of fundamental importance that States Members of the United Nations not lose sight of the Organization’s role in the task of making peace productive - a "sublime task", to borrow the term used by Amilcar Cabral to define the progressive advancement of mankind towards dignity and infinite growth. The world is one. Our shared concerns for peace and the deterioration of the environment are an ample Forty-eighth session - 8 October l993 11 demonstration of this.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We firmly support the establishment of an ad hoc committee to study and find satisfactory solution to that problem in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law. For many years we have urged that the two important instruments of the United Nations system be created and start functioning. These two instruments - so indispensable to the attainment of that system’s aims of peace and defence of fundamental human rights - are the University for Peace and the post of High Commissioner for Human Rights. We ask for support for both institutions, which are true pillars for the realization of the principles of the Charter. My delegation applauds the efforts made by the United Nations in situations like those that exist in Haiti and Somalia. The defence of international peace and security continues to be a basic responsibility.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“A little more than a year ago the Secretary-General presented us with a series of important ideas regarding the restructuring of the United Nations. My country has expressed support for these wise proposals but at the same time we consider that the present circumstances are especially important and that this is an opportunity to meditate profoundly on the appropriateness of emphasizing more the role that international organizations should play as builders of a world of peace and development for all peoples. My country considers that the United Nations cannot continue to ignore the question of the Republic of China in Taiwan. The existence of that exemplary country and the future of its 21 million inhabitants demand a revision of its relations with the United Nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For many long years lamentations were heard about the problems created for the United Nations by ideological conflicts which hindered the Organization and made it impossible for it to act dynamically and effectively. We have left such sombre hours behind and without doubt there have been important signs that this and other international organizations can and must provide many valuable and decisive contributions to the international community as a whole. Precisely for this reason we find ourselves at a key moment and we must now redefine and transform the United Nations and the regional organizations and make them vital mechanisms so that a life of peace, freedom and development will illuminate all the countries of the world.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Thirdly, the collaboration and commitment of Central Americans in the creation of this new Central America is necessary, but at the same time the participation of the international community is indispensable in order to fulfil the commitments made by the region in its transition to peace, freedom, democracy and development. In this perspective Costa Rica urges the General Assembly to decide in due course to offer its political and material support to this new challenge that is Central America at the end of this century. In the present state of affairs the role of international and regional organizations as promoters and guarantors of peace and supporters of harmony and cooperation among the nations of the world is particularly decisive.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We want a Central America where peace, freedom, democracy and development will prevail and this requires national and regional consensus on fundamental subjects such as enforcing the rule of law, strengthening democratic institutions, developing a democratic political culture, promoting and enforcing human rights, economic and political decentralization, decision- making at the local level, the modernization of production, guaranteeing equality of opportunity, widening the possibilities for economic participation, social development, and, finally, preserving our heritage for the society of the future.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Secondly, a renewed and creative attitude on the part of Central American Governments is needed, an attitude that will rework and update the regional political agreements and, from a new point of view, will direct regional efforts towards creating a new Central America.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The threat of excluding Costa Rica from commercial preference systems is not only a clear interference in its internal jurisdiction but 10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session also ignores the basic principles governing coexistence among nations, and, more specifically, respect for sovereign rights, and that attitude is at variance with traditional democratic principles and values which have always existed between both peoples and Governments. The task of consolidating the achievements of the Central American peace process is everyone’s responsibility. In the first place, as a new political commitment, the securing of peace and democracy and making human development a priority require a true national consensus sustained by a broad and participatory commitment, one that involves Governments and the organized sectors of civil society.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In this matter we draw attention to the disturbing decision of the United States Government to admit an administrative action brought before it against Costa Rica in which it is argued that the Costa Rican workers are not being guaranteed internationally recognized rights. This claim ignores our labour legislation which deals with rights and guarantees for workers and has gone further in more than 50 years than those of many developed countries, including the United States.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“While democracy endeavours to put down roots in Central America, markets for Central American products are being restricted by developed countries, cooperation programmes are being decreased or canceled, and attitudes of inexplicable severity are being adopted in commercial and financial negotiations, and even in diplomatic relations. The Central America of peace and freedom is being dealt with in a way that the Central America of violence was never treated. My country, which for many decades has not suffered from the Calvary of dictatorship and civil war, which has maintained intact its tradition of effective respect for human rights, has also had to face the same attitudes of indifference and lack of awareness.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For this reason we invite the member countries of the European Community and the producer countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, without exception, to enter into political talks which, together with the talks already under way at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), will facilitate a rapprochement between the positions of the only two parties to the problem, namely the producer and consumer countries. These contacts should have as a basis the recognition of the rights of the Latin American countries to sell their fruit in the Common Market and the reaffirmation of preferential treatment given to the Caribbean countries in the context of the Lomé Conventions.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As if that was not enough they are trying to provoke a conflict between the banana-growing countries of the Caribbean and those of Latin America, as if, following the custom of colonial times and invoking a non-existent antagonism between brothers, promoting divisions to hide the barriers that in other cases they themselves denounce as unjust. Costa Rica believes that the time has come for frank, open dialogue that will permit a fair and adequate solution to this serious problem.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today my delegation asks where is that support. What of the promises, the golden offerings, the abundant talk of a few years ago? For example, let us take the case of banana production. Throughout the bloody crisis in Central America the European Community time and time again expressed its support for a peaceful and negotiated solution. It effusively supported the initiatives to transform Central America into a land of freedom and democracy, to keep our countries away from the strategic interests of the large hegemonistic blocs. Now that results have been achieved, the same Europe is placing strong barriers to the entry of Central American bananas to its markets, without stopping to think about the thousands of humble families that depend on this activity. Other Latin American democracies are facing the same attitude.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“For example, it is said that Nicaragua receives $500 million in foreign aid. That sounds very good. What is not stated is that $450 million of the $500 million goes back to where it came from to service the external debt. In the meantime in that sister country even more disturbing outbreaks of violence flourish, reflecting its distressing situation. Recently an attempted coup d’état in Guatemala failed, but that failure did not translate into greater external support for the consolidation of Guatemalan democracy in the sectors most needed. We do not know in which Central American country the next crisis will come, but it will not be long before it happens. It is regrettable that those who said so much about democracy and freedom and about peace and development in Central America are no longer being heard from.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The case of Central America clearly demonstrates the direction in which this widespread indifference is taking us. It is taking us into a prolonged and difficult effort, in which the international community is providing wide support. The people of Central America left behind many years of bloody convulsions. They decided to embark with enthusiasm on a new life, cemented in peace, democracy and freedom. But that joyful Central America, reborn for its children, has seen how the doors close one after another. Those who were interested in a Central America full of bloodshed and trenches do not want to deal with a Central America of the poor, the Central America that calls for cooperation for development, for understanding of its human and economic tragedies. Figures can be deceiving.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“When the small, peripheral nations like ours try to unite our efforts, we are immediately faced with the locked doors of the international financial organizations, the large economic blocs and the transnational corporations, which even try to create apprehension and confrontation among us. Forty-eighth session - 8 October l993 9 We are not asking for handouts. Begging is not part of a realistic and wide-reaching international policy. What our countries need is greater understanding of our realities, greater openness for our products, and more sincere and effective support for our desire to live in peace and democracy. What developing nations need is a change in attitude originating from a sense of the inalienable identity of humankind, a change in that amazing effrontery shown by the developed world for our tragedies.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“You have the most sincere congratulations of Costa Rica, a country that, like Guyana, forms part of the great Caribbean brotherhood. We are certain that, under your guidance, the General Assembly will be able to fulfil mankind’s hopes for peace and development. We should like to express our sympathy to the Government and people of India at this time of grief for them. The present situation is especially critical for the Central American and Caribbean States, which, because of their territorial dimensions, demographic situations and weak economies, are of little significance to the developed world.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Sometimes ironic statements are made about the optimism of the diplomacy of the 1920s, with its agreements to renounce war and its naive faith in the capacity of the League of Nations to resolve every difficulty. We all know what happened in the end to optimism and that League, but it seems that we have not really learned the lesson. If the international community of the 1990s does not translate the end of the cold war into a true effort to build one world, in which there are no first- or second-rate countries, we shall very soon experience realities more tragic than those we have already known. My country was overjoyed at the General Assembly’s decision to choose you, Sir, to preside over the forty-eighth session.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“And when we speak of new initiatives for cooperation, such as those recently announced for the people of Palestine, thought is given not to a global increase in aid but, rather, to cutbacks in other programmes. As an old and graphic Spanish proverb puts it: "You undress one saint so that you can dress another ". What does the new peace mean for the countries of the third world? The assurance that their children will not be killed by bullets, but will continue to die of hunger or endemic diseases? The certainty that they will no longer have to go to war, but will continue without schooling, without a dignified life, decent jobs or proper medical care?”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today we no longer talk about the cold war, nor about ideological conflict, nor about the balance of terror. Nevertheless, the reality of what happened during those years continues to brand us. Some walls have come down but still others have been built. The peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America remain forgotten, marginalized, second- class human beings. The technological gap has become an abyss. Material progress is increasingly remote from our countries, and cooperation is decreasing before our very eyes. The North-South dialogue has once again been reduced to an implacable monologue or, in the best of cases, a rhetorical exercise to which justice and equity are rarely invited.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“A Member State of the United Nations which is not expressing ethnic or religious intolerance is trying to survive the bloodiest harassment witnessed by Europe since 1945 - nations respond with passivity and indifference. It is shameful that an international community rejoicing at the end of the cold war has not been able to take more decisive and effective action in respect to the inhuman aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Decade after decade, the echoes of that cold war were heard in this Hall. The East-West confrontation was viewed as the supreme obstacle facing the countries of the world in attempting to respond to their peoples’s common yearning for liberty, justice and development. The ideological division, we were told, hampered the efforts made to ensure that all humanity benefited from development.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We all know that these first agreements, if respected by both parties, can lead to a new dawn not only for Israel and Palestine but for all the countries of the Middle East - a new awakening of peace and prosperity in which this sublime teaching of the Koran can be made real: "Those who believe (in the Qur-an), And those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), And the Christians and the Sabians,- Any who believe in God And the Last Day, And work righteousness, Shall have their reward With their Lord: on them Shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Surah II, 62) But while Israelis and Palestinians are shaking hands and demonstrating their good judgement, the tragedy of Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to fill the world with shame.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It has been four years since the end of the cold war and the fall of the old ideological order. Four years ago we were told that war and global confrontation had ended and that history itself had come to an end, giving 8 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session way to a new age. Today, yesterday’s hopes and illusions are confronted by a reality with which we are all familiar. What is keeping us from turning our world into a fertile field and a common abode for all human beings? These meetings are taking place at a time when a feeling of hope animates the hearts of men. The agreements signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization have shown that peace is possible and that living in harmony does not require portentous events, but only awareness and willingness.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Now, on the threshold of the third millennium, that unavoidable mission of mankind is stronger than ever before, and the United Nations is its most important embodiment. Here at the United Nations, and in everyone's country and in everyone's home, the wise words of sura XXVIII of the Holy Koran hold true: "... [Do not] forget thy portion in this World: but do thou good. As God has been good To thee ... "That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those Who intend not high-handedness Or mischief on earth: And the End is (best) For the righteous." (The Holy Koran. XXVIII:77.83)”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We the Central Americans, joined by democracy in all our countries, have reconsidered our outmoded system of integration to adapt it to the new regional realities, and only a few months ago the Treaty that establishes, on a new basis, the Central American Integration System came into force. Costa Rica is confident that this new organization will become the arena for persistent efforts towards our shared future and in keeping with the Secretary-General's proposal, it will shortly be in a position to request observer status in the United Nations. In a few days the anniversary of the meeting of two hemispheres the meeting of the whole world with itself - will be celebrated. Since the dawn of that day, a Friday in October, mankind was able to start thinking with a sense of family and of inevitable common destiny.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We also deem it necessary to reconsider the institution of the veto and reflect upon the corresponding role of the Council in maintaining world peace and security, as well as its relationship to the General Assembly. Some thought should also be given to strengthening, modernizing and reducing bureaucracy in the Economic and Social Council. This is a good time also to mention the importance of coordination between the United Nations and other international forums. Regardless of the inevitable difficulties, the integration movement continues apace in Europe, Asia, South America and Central America.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In addition, it is imperative that the structures and procedures of the United Nations be revised to conform with the realities of our times. The Secretary-General, in his outstanding report, "An Agenda for Peace", has written with commendable accuracy about the most important aspects which need to be modified in a relatively short period of time. Costa Rica wishes today to declare that it shares most of the concerns stated in that document and urges all Member States to begin a vigorous effort for institutional renewal. One of the most important areas that should be revised is the Security Council, in terms of its make-up and objectives. We believe that the number of permanent members should be increased, in accordance with the new realities of the international scene, and based on better and greater geographical representation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is logical, then, that the changes that have taken place in the world and the new realities being encountered by mankind today make it imperative for the United Nations, a pillar of the joint efforts of nations, to reorganize in order to fulfil its important mission more effectively. From this perspective, my country considers it indispensable that the United Nations should comply fully with the principle of universality and open its doors to those who, for various reasons, have been forced to remain outside it. Of special concern to us is the case of the Republic of China in Taiwan, a democratic community of 21 million people with a brilliant economic development record whose reality cannot continue to be ignored by an Organization that takes pride in having gone beyond the patterns of the cold war.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Safeguarding the environment, sustainable development and the struggle against poverty are joint responsibilities of both the industrialized and the underdeveloped world. Hence the United Nations is an ideal forum for making efforts in that direction, for demanding compliance with the Rio resolutions and for imposing sanctions on those Members that disregard them. While there are mechanisms for collective international action to combat threats to international peace and security, there should also be, within the United Nations, procedures for acting against those who endanger human survival, the planet's resources and social justice, and for imposing sanctions against them. As the Secretary-General has stated, the question of world peace, stability and security should include subjects other than military matters.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I am very pleased to announce to this Assembly that, in accordance with Costa Rica's offer of 3 September to set up, in the capital city of my country, the organizing committee of the Earth Council, a non-governmental organization that will supplement and support governmental follow-up of the Rio agreements. The Rio Conference, regardless of all its limitations, is a magnificent landmark in the fight against environmental degradation and unsustainable development patterns. But how much has really been done to put into effect what was agreed there? Will we limit ourselves to regarding the Rio Conference as a kind of community of ecological nations packed with fine-sounding words and good intentions but lacking results? The triumph of ecological degradation creates only losers.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This plurality of vision is, for example, the only way to confront, with any prospect of success, the problem of drug trafficking and production, which is harmful to producing and consumer countries alike, and is aggravated by the accompanying terrorism and guerrilla warfare. Unquestionably, the most important problem we must face as a species is that of saving the planet's ecological, economic and social integrity, for ourselves and for future generations. Costa Rica, which has been a victim, like many other countries, of the irrational destruction and exploitation of its national resources, has reconsidered and now emphasizes the need for a new international ecological order that will save mankind from its progressive environmental suicide and reorient the course of its development.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is true that it is possible to live in democracy even with poverty, but in countries that have just started to experience democracy, democracy will not sink its roots very deep if it is not accompanied by improvements in nutrition, housing and public health. It is not possible to approach most of the subjects being discussed here, including international cooperation, from one point of view alone. The present international situation is an especially promising opportunity for all nations, regardless of their resources, to work in a coordinated manner to combat common enemies and to build a better world for our children.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The democratic and peaceful Central America of today has seen the world lose interest in its problems. It has witnessed a decline in the cooperation that existed when it was in turmoil. The Latin American peoples' effort to change their destiny has collided with the increasing indifference of the developed nations. Financial aid is being reduced. Coffee and bananas, our leading export products, are encountering more and more obstacles. We are being urged to diversify our production, but international markets are not opening up to us. Central America is being urged to advance towards democracy without our being given the tools that will lead us to development. Political democracy alone, regrettably, is not a panacea for the social problems of our countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“During the 1980s, Central America suffered an unprecedented political and security crisis marked by intimations of totalitarism and by guerrilla activity, flows of refugees, an arms buildup, the destruction of infrastructure and an alarming extension of the East-West confrontation. Fortunately, today most of these features belong to the past. Democracy and political freedom reign in all the Central American countries, several national reconciliation processes are at present under way, arms limitation talks are moving ahead and a vigorous effort for integration is in progress. Nevertheless, the experience of Central America also shows the international community that it is very difficult to consolidate advances achieved in matters relating to peace and democracy if the underlying reality of underdevelopment and poverty continues to exist.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Nevertheless, it is my Government's opinion that this process should move faster and should be accompanied by a substantial improvement in the human rights situation in the Middle East without distinction as to race, nationality or religious creed. It is important that in this case, as in many other cases, the international community should contribute, in a vigilant manner, to promoting peace and assuring respect for the fundamental rights of individuals and communities. Peace is possible regardless of the number of human lives lost in a conflict or of how much damage has been caused. Human beings are capable of forgetting extremism and of talking with their opponents when the future of their children is at stake. The recent history of Central America is vivid Proof that a cruel and lengthy conflict can be stopped by means of negotiation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We have welcomed, with optimism, the beginning of negotiations between the Pretoria regime and the African National Congress, and we firmly hope that, leaving aside the reprehensible acts that have occurred in Ciskei and other parts of South Africa, the renewed peace talks will soon lead to the construction of a new, democratic and peace-loving South Africa that will work towards the development of the entire continent. Costa Rica urges that resolute steps be taken in that direction. The need for long-lasting peace in the Middle East has been a matter of constant concern to the United Nations almost ever since it was established. Now, for the first time in the eventful history of this region, effective peace talks are taking place with the participation of all interested parties.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We deem it necessary to continue the search for flexible machinery which will stop and prevent massive violations of human rights in a timely manner. We should like to recall here the Costa Rican proposal - approved by the Human Rights Committee at the beginning of this year for a treaty on prevention of torture. The negotiations on the complex problems of South Africa and the Middle East are doubtless of great importance to the cause of human rights. In this and other forums my country has rigorously condemned the apartheid regime, an offensive and unjustifiable anachronism that deprives the majority of the South African people of their fundamental rights.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Consequently, my country takes a great interest in the World Conference on Human Rights, scheduled to be held in Vienna next year, and we are very happy to serve as the site of the preparatory meeting for the Latin American and Caribbean region. We are also pleased to know that during the Vienna Conference some countries will discuss the possibility of creating the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Costa Rica has submitted this idea to the General Assembly repeatedly since the 1970s, and we firmly hope that it will finally take shape at the World Conference. My delegation also wishes to express Costa Rica's firm support for the mechanism established by the Economic and Social Council in 1991 to allow the Commission on Human Rights to hold special sessions to take up serious violations of fundamental rights.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In this connection, my Government congratulates El Salvador and Honduras on completing their case before the International Court of Justice, making it possible to settle their border conflict. At the same time, we express our satisfaction with the efforts being made by Ecuador and Peru to find a just and final solution to the bilateral border dispute which for so many years has existed between these two fraternal countries. Democracy can flourish only if electoral pluralism is combined with respect for human rights. Costa Rica assigns primary importance to these rights, which for many years now we have made the foundation for both our internal life and our external policies.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The common condition of third world countries does not prevent us from recognizing that there are many stages of development and many possibilities for cooperation. Moreover, the growing importance of integration institutions offers a great opportunity to intensify the levels of interregional cooperation by means of effective and coordinated actions which will contribute to fortifying the democratic system through economic and social progress. Costa Rica wishes to stress the efforts to ensure coordination and cooperation being made by the countries of Latin America; they clearly show the region's determination to resolve differences through the use of machinery for peaceful settlement established in international law.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is no secret that in many cases financial aid intended for development has been misspent on unproductive and grandiose projects. It has been used to pay salaries and has even been placed in personal bank accounts. Meanwhile, the people continue to suffer hunger and poverty. Therefore if cooperation with the underdeveloped countries is to increase, those countries must fight harder against bureaucracy and administrative corruption and must redouble their efforts to ensure that international aid truly fulfils its objectives. At a time when the economic situation is difficult even for many industrialized nations, and when the European Community is undergoing one of the worst monetary crises of its history, priority should also be given to increasing South-South cooperation. Each of us has something to give and something to receive.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This consolidation will be difficult, however, without a substantial improvement in their economic and social conditions, which in turn requires that developed countries change their attitude in respect to opening their markets and increasing their cooperation. It need hardly be said that the worse the conditions become in third world countries, the greater will be the number of legal or illegal immigrants to developed countries, despite the ethnocentric, racist movements which, shamefully in this era, are again on the rise. Needless to say, the third world countries must do their part too. International cooperation, regardless of its magnitude, will not change the situation of the receiving country if it does not exert a disciplined and determined effort to make progress.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Because Costa Rica belongs to the Caribbean, Haiti's tragedy is of special concern to us. My country believes that both the United Nations and the regional organizations should pay more attention to this matter and strive harder for a prompt solution to the crisis. We are not talking about the legitimacy of a president or a government, but about the right of a sister nation to live in freedom and receive the cooperation it desperately needs for its development. I have mentioned only two examples, but I believe they are dramatically representative. An overwhelming majority of third world democracies are still on the road to consolidation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The stagnation of the Uruguay Round, the increase in protective measures adopted by industrialized nations, and the reductions in development programmes are, oddly, occurring at a time when Latin America has become a continent of democracies and when many African and Asian countries have again taken the road to civil and political liberty. Some regrettable steps backwards have already been taken. Latin American democracy has suffered severe setbacks in Peru and Haiti. In Peru there seems to be movement towards a solution, despite the fact that the country is still overrun by the irrationality of terrorism and the worst economic situation in its history. In contrast, the problem in Haiti, the poorest and most underdeveloped country in the Americas, grows worse every day.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The conflict in Somalia did not command our interest until 2 million people were about to die of hunger and our consciences were struck by the terrible images of Somali children begging for food. Regrettably the tragedy of Somalia is only the most terrible aspect of the tragedy of sub-Saharan Africa, which is suffering a slow death of despair, hunger, poverty and underdevelopment and is met with the indifference of the community of nations. The end of the cold war has not decreased the depth of the abyss between north and south; indeed, it increases daily with technological advances. Third world countries not only do not receive an adequate response to their needs and expectations, but are witnessing a reduction in outlets for their products and in financial aid for development.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)