YouSaid · the spoken record

Lenin Moreno Garcés

lines on the record: 81
first: 2010-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“Only together will we be able to win this cruel war, a cruel war that has already taken the lives of nearly 1 million people. Dear friends, I hope that, in the very near future, we will be able to give one another the fraternal hug that we owe another inside and outside our countries. Thank you very much.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The pandemic must serve as an additional reason to step up disarmament obligations and make available the needed resources for revitalization. Friends and Heads of State and Government, I conclude by stressing that Ecuador firmly supports the initiative to move forward meaningful reform of the UN system. It is necessary to ensure greater accountability and maximize its efficiency. It is imperative to overhaul the system that we created at the end of the Second World War, as it does not reflect today’s reality. It is also important to guarantee the allocation of funds, to which end States must fulfil their obligation to contribute to the Organization without conditions or threats. Today, our peoples demand cooperation so we will be able to face the economic and social challenges of the post-COVID-19 era.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We are facing new challenges the solution to which lies in unity and peace, not conflict. Recently, 172 countries supported the call of the Secretary-General for a global ceasefire and silencing all weapons. We are confident that the call and the relevant Security Council resolution (Security Council resolution 2532 (2020)) will serve as a first step towards achieving definitive and sustainable peace throughout the world. Today, our obligation is to join our efforts and fight the pandemic. For now, that is our common enemy! Recently, the commemoration of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki served to remind us of the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons. We therefore welcome the forthcoming entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We have also agreed to strengthen sharing information on the location of vessels in order to improve monitoring and surveillance. Ecuador therefore reaffirms its commitment to conserve the marine environment. As a demonstration of that, on 11 August, we joined the Global Ocean Alliance. The initiative, led by the United Kingdom, seeks to designate 30 per cent of the world’s oceans as marine protected areas. We are also committed to the conservation of the Amazon. We subscribe to the Leticia Declaration and what is known as the Financing Initiative for Sustainable Development and Bio-Economy for the Amazon. With the establishment of the multi-donor fund, administered by the IDB, significant resources will be allocated to conserve what are the lungs of the planet and improve the quality of life of indigenous peoples.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Ecuador recently expressed its concern about the presence of a large foreign fishing fleet, which since May 2020 has been operating in very close proximity to the Galapagos Islands. We have reiterated that, without distinction of the flag, we will ensure that our maritime rights prevail over the exclusive economic zone. We are aware of the enormous responsibility to protect the Galapagos, which was designated as humankind’s first Natural World Heritage site. We call on the countries that fish in the waters of the south-east Pacific to self- regulate and limit their activities. We, the members of the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific, namely, the brotherly countries of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, condemn illegal fishing in areas adjacent to our countries’ waters.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We must give them priority attention commensurate with their circumstances, and we must guarantee them access to treatments and vaccines. Migrants have also been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. As a host country, Ecuador seeks to guarantee the exercise of their rights with a humanitarian response. We will continue to firmly support the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, as well as the full implementation of the Declaration of Quito on Human Mobility of Venezuelan Citizens in the Region. Fellow Presidents, the sustainable use of natural resources and climate change is an issue that we cannot ignore. The failure to implement environmental agreements has very serious economic and social repercussions.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The pandemic has affected us all, but its impact has been most severe on vulnerable groups. In addition to COVID-19 itself, the lockdown, the lack of employment and poverty have exacerbated gender-based violence. Women and children have had to stay at home with their abusers, risking their physical and mental safety and sometimes even their lives! Older adults and people with disabilities are also suffering disproportionately from the crisis because of their increased risk of infection. In Ecuador we have provided welfare vouchers, mobility and self-care assistance and, in many cases, decent housing at no cost. Together with 145 Member States we endorsed the policy brief, entitled “A Disability-inclusive response to COVID-19”. Likewise, we recognize the vulnerability of indigenous peoples.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The post-COVID era will pose for us the challenge of reviving economies and focusing on small- and medium-sized businesses, which create thousands upon thousands of jobs. It is necessary to offer flexible and sufficient lines of credit with acceptable terms, as well. But it is also imperative to meet the commitments of official development assistance. Colleagues from around the world, my country underscores the work of the World Health Organization and its leadership during this crisis. That is why we support the COVAX Facility initiative, to step up access to COVID-19 vaccines and the repository of technologies to combat the pandemic. Only in this way will we be able to enjoy fairly distributed patent-free vaccines, with special attention afforded the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Poverty, inequality and unemployment will worsen, which will have an impact on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We risk backsliding with regard to the gains made over the past few years. Ecuador’s national development plan — Lifetime — which we have not been remiss in implementing, is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We firmly believe in the need for a strong, solid and committed multilateral system that ensures financial and technical support to all. The pandemic has shown that technology is key to guaranteeing citizens’ rights, such as access to remote health care, education and work. But it has also shown the great digital divide that exists among our nations, which is a product of inequality.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We will not be able to save lives and revive the economy without the support of multilateral organizations, private enterprise, the academic community and society, as a whole. For Ecuador, the support of international financial agencies has been key these past months. That is why we commend the calls for a multilateral response to the crisis. The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund recognizes the importance of supporting emerging and developing economies, and the President of the World Bank is talking about a debt moratorium for poor countries. Ecuador supports and appreciates those proposals and calls for middle-income countries to be taken into account, as every nation is facing serious economic problems. Dear friends, COVID-19 has historically changed the world today and, in all probability, its future.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President of the General Assembly; Secretary-General; Heads of State and Government, For many years, the General Assembly has discussed cooperation, dialogue, solidarity, the importance of progress in science and technology and ending poverty in the world. It has also discussed the urgent need of strengthening the Organization and multilateralism. The pandemic, which is affecting the planet, has made it hight time to turn those good intentions into more meaningful actions. COVID-19 has put every pressure to bear on multilateralism. Six months after it began, we are dealing not only with a health emergency, but also a social and economic one. Without exception, every country has been hit by the deadly virus.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We dream and hope that one day we will measure development based on the number of disabled people who have been fully included, the absence of gender-based violence and what values and principles are taught in the classroom, the press, on the streets and at the polls. It is up to us and our conviction to be able to stop seeing the ethical values of civilization as utopian and unattainable goals that are simply paradigms, but instead as aspirations of where to arrive, where to start and, fundamentally, of how to behave.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The international community must systematically intensify its actions aimed at cultivating solidarity; preserving fraternal ties and good neighbourliness; and respecting not only the environment, but also diverse cultures, countries on the other side of oceans and victims of conflict. Such conflicts are caused by both man and natural disasters, which are increasingly destructive, due to the harmful effects of global warming. The only way that cooperation and solidarity among nations can shape international life is, to put it simply, for us to put those concepts into practice, while of course continuing to pursue concrete efforts that emphasize, as I previously said, what unites us and what we have in common, not what separates us. Economic, social and cultural human rights should become pillars of the management systems of authorities.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In Ecuador we have already implemented an energy efficiency law. A circular economy pact was signed with the manufacturing sector to create a modern plastics economy. We have also eliminated taxes on the import of electric vehicles, and we have established preferential credits for sustainable mobility, while using renewable energy for public transport. At the beginning of this month, at the presidential summit for the countries of the Amazon, I said that we should take a leap forward in the areas of evolution, development and progress. That is a concept that has become selfish, consumerist and predatory. We still cherish the hope that in the face of those negative trends affecting human coexistence, there are also signs of solidarity, brotherhood and mutual respect. Let us try to strengthen those virtues among nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“While doing as much as possible within the usual budgetary limitations, through our Toda Una Vida development plan and Las Manuelas mission, we are effectively implementing comprehensive programmes that protect all human beings, from the very moment of conception until God decides to close our eyes and the Creator calls us to his side. While civil and political rights are being implemented without delay, economic, social and cultural rights, as recognized by international treaties, are being implemented gradually. Nevertheless, they have a special significance for developing nations; their relevance and the work of promoting them is crucial for most of the world. Such rights must also rise above political and ideological positions, given that they appeal to universal values. Protecting the planet, our greater home, is imperative.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Today, in this venue of world democracy, I call on Members to sit down and talk with the victims of the conflict to help them escape a catastrophe caused by an irresponsible and de facto Government. For its part, Ecuador will host the session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in November, something that would have been unthinkable only two years ago. In the same month, we will also host the Global Forum on Migration and Development, of which my country currently holds the chairmanship. As I mentioned, Ecuador continues to multiply its progressive efforts in the fields of human, economic, social and cultural rights.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have already welcomed almost 500,000 Venezuelan brothers and sisters, the victims of the worst exodus on our continent. It is the task of the United Nations to seek a definitive solution to the crisis in Venezuela. Our Venezuelan brothers and sisters tell us on a daily basis that there is no food, health care or medicine and that education is suffering. They are leaving their land out of despair at seeing one another die before the half-hearted and distant gaze of the world. None of them are abandoning their beloved land, relatives and friends willingly; they are doing it because they are being forced out by a diaspora initiated by a high-handed Government lacking any humanity. Despite its lack of resources, Ecuador accommodated all who arrived on our territory until last month.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Last year the Special Rapporteurs on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression of the United Nations and the Organization of American States visited Ecuador, together with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Special Rapporteur on the right to physical and mental health. Ecuador has returned to participating in inter-American human rights forums, and we signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure. That does not constitute just another signature; it is in line with our resolute action taken to become the first country in our region to sign the Convention that protects one of the most vulnerable and defenceless groups of our society, our children. Another vulnerable group is migrants.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“However, with determination and perseverance, we managed to dismantle a State of propaganda, overrule a gag law on journalists, eliminate an institution trying to silence the press and remove an intelligence service that, instead of protecting our collective interests, was devoted to recording the private conversations of Ecuadorians, snooping in the lives of opposition politicians and hacking electronic communications and other people’s databases. We succeeded in that task, and I feel great pride at having let the fresh air of democracy into a closed establishment of intolerance, abuse and the vain quest for power for power’s sake. Here are the reliable facts.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Reinstating democratic institutions in Ecuador, respecting the opinions of the people and the media, safeguarding the actions of opposing politicians and civil organizations and eliminating bureaucratic entities that were once designed to expand State power at the expense of civil society are all issues that are being addressed by my Government and are in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goals 4, 5 and 16 — relating to inclusive, equitable and quality education; gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls; and the promotion of fair, peaceful and inclusive societies. That is of course no simple task. It takes a lot of work to overcome a culture of fear, break with institutional and legal ties and stand for freedom of opinion and expression.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Indeed, one year ago, Ecuador became only the fifth country in the world to ratify the 18 United Nations conventions on the protection of human rights. If there is one thing that I hope my Government will be remembered for, it is its deep conviction and work for the protection, promotion, respect and effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Let us share empathy with victims and think about the suffering of those societies facing such issues directly. Terence said it well, and his wisdom persists, “Nothing that is human is alien to me”. Dialogue, multilateral action and national agreement in Ecuador have not just appeared out of thin air. A nation’s backdrop defines its actions and those of its social actors, which, to use a sporting term, delimits the playing field. I am talking about people’s fundamental rights, which appear in the Constitution of Ecuador, the universal Charter of the United Nations and the international treaties that protect political, economic, social and cultural guarantees, including rights in relation to the natural world.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Ecuador therefore deposited its ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, not, of course, because our country can, or even wants to, possess such arms, but because it is clear that the uncontrolled possession of that type of weaponry can result in deliberate or accidental use. If that were to occur, the brutal effects would not be restricted to those waging an atomic war but would affect the entire world. We would all be the victims of radioactive contamination for centuries. We and our descendants would be exposed to harmful agents that cause catastrophic disease and genetic deformities. Global problems affect and hurt us all. Even if some do not impact us immediately, the fact of belonging to the human race means that we are implicated.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The concerted action of States continues to be the only tool for ending those violations. We must all feel part of the global solutions needed for global problems. Climate change, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the pollution of oceans, the erosion of human rights, restrictions on world trade and the marginal importance of fair trade are issues that we all face and cannot be adequately resolved without the contribution and political will of all countries. Disarmament, in particular nuclear disarmament and the future prohibition of weapons of mass destruction, is a goal for coexistence, especially in regions of ongoing or latent conflict. When we focus on current conflicts and conflict zones, there is one unchanging common denominator: the risk of the use of weapons of mass destruction.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The multilateral approach promoted by the United Nations is the best tool for societies to jointly build the better world for which we all yearn and of which we all dream, in order to face the problems that, due to their cross-cutting nature, affect us equally, such as the eradication of poverty, the quality of education, the protection of the planet and the inclusion of those who are defenceless. We all live in the same neighbourhood — planet Earth — which is limited in size and resources and is contending with a constantly growing population, as well as challenges to the environment, wealth inequality and the urgent desire to achieve adequate levels of well-being and respect for human rights. It is a world where the temptation remains to impose individual visions and interests through the use of force.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Let us look instead at what unites us, what identifies us and what allows us to nurture a greater common well-being. Seeking national agreement among all the actors of our society is of course not straightforward. Indeed, agreement arises when difficulties are overcome together, when we find common ground and leave the door open to compromise and innovation when seeking solutions. If there is no agreement, that raises the question of where and what is the alternative. National agreement is the best antidote to outrage and unilateral intolerance and to disrespect for human rights; it facilitates the creation of societies that are democratic in practice and not just by design or proclamation. National agreement has another name at the international level, but the same spirit. We call it multilateralism.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Dialogue is the foundation of the multilateral action that nourishes the United Nations and that we ourselves should continue to advocate. What drives relationships among States is one joint frame of mind when analysing problems, respect for all points of view and, above all, the subsequent formation of consensus agreements. Without dialogue and a shared spirit of democracy, we cannot understand each other; neither can we understand each other with imposed unilateralism. The same can of course be said of national societies. In Ecuador we are promoting an initiative for reaching agreement, so that all members of society are able to identify areas that unite them and overcome issues on which they have differing opinions. Enough of focusing on what separates us and what sets us apart.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“When international cooperation lapses, wars endure and injustices seem eternal, that is usually because States have lost their way or do not have the political will to correctly apply the United Nations principles. More than ever, multilateralism and the United Nations system are today under considerable attack and subject to harmful criticism. We are witnessing sustained attempts to weaken international cooperation and devalue the work of the United Nations. I therefore call on all States to meet and address those urgent challenges, which are worth repeating and expanding on — climate change, sustainable development, protracted humanitarian crises, large-scale human rights abuses, widespread poverty, growing inequalities and threats to international peace and security, to name a few.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It shows how cooperation can be consolidated across borders and regions, that the peaceful settlement of disputes is always on the table — an alternative to the horrors of the violence of war — and that human beings must jointly respond to the problems of our time, that is, sustainable development, climate change, the protection and conservation of nature, the building of non-discriminatory and fully inclusive societies, dialogue among cultures and differing opinions. Under those principles, which are inscribed in the Charter, signed in San Francisco, the General Assembly can work for a better world and seek to develop them and their different facets, country by country, region by region, conflict by conflict.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Those and other visions of coexistence among peoples, which apply to life among States and societies, are enshrined, in different words, in the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. They are the pillars that support the spacious General Assembly Hall that houses and shelters us today. The United Nations and its multilateralism exist because those principles are effective and constitute the guidelines for a peaceful and harmonious coexistence, as well as promoting the individual interests of States and guiding their interactions with one another. The Organization is a living example that multilateralism is still a completely essential tool.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“There are principles of coexistence among human beings that are recognized as universal. Such principles are valid in both times of peace and times of conflict among States. I would like to cite some examples: respect every nation as you would have yours be respected; never tolerate abuse against anyone, while always helping those in need to the extent you can; violence breeds only violence, and its effects pass from one generation to the next; peace among countries is born from tolerance and the cultivation of common interests. It is therefore worth asking the following question: if no conflict among States has ever been eternal, why not build peace as soon as possible?”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As a person with disabilities, I know that there will be no peace if we do not embrace inclusion and celebrate diversity. Diversity does not mean suffering; diversity means living and enjoying it. As a President, I know that peace is definitively favourable for those who are poorest and is crucial for those who are most in need. Peace ensures that everyone, without exception, is free to realize their dreams every day for the rest of their lives.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“This is because it has not yet fully taken root in the heart of every human being. As a father and a grandfather, I know that there will be no peace, if we do not inculcate the proper values throughout our peoples’ lives. I know that kindness, for example, is not a matter of public interest, and civility, honesty and transparency are not subjects taught in schools and universities, but they must be instilled in the hearts of all human beings. Otherwise, we will never lay the foundations for a peaceful coexistence — the very goal of our Organization, which welcomes us today. As a native of the Amazon region, I know very well that there will be no peace if we do not preserve the planet. We must regard the jungle not as simply the lungs but as the heart of our world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“This institution is the most important living symbol of the world’s commitment to peace. For years we have often spoken at length about peace, but no one has been able to surpass Gandhi’s definition of peace as the sole path for humankind. Peace is our right. It is a sine qua non condition for life and happiness. Ecuador is currently experiencing serious problems affecting our internal peace owing to violence on the northern border. We benefit greatly from mutual help from the President of Colombia, our dear friend Ivan Duque. We are also dealing with international crime and drug trafficking, and we have made a commitment to put an end to them. As each cause will have its effect, and each effect continues to transform itself into yet another cause, we know that working for world peace is a constant obligation.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“If there are flaws in it, let us correct them. We must not try to disrupt it nor revoke funding from it, because we must strengthen it if we want to provide our children with a bright future. If we are going to create complementary organizations — for example, in order to bolster trade systems or specific regional projects on culture, education or sport — these are most welcome, so long as their objectives are to strengthen the global union, to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and to honour all the historic commitments that we have undersigned. However, we do not believe in, nor should we use, regional organizations to defend anachronistic, perverse and dictatorial systems, some of which were born and then, fortunately, died in recent decades.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Ecuador is grateful for the support of our sister nations in your election, and we are aware of the immense responsibility that you have at the helm of this global forum. We will all support work aimed at ensuring that the United Nations is relevant to our peoples. We are the Organization that unites our nations in their concerns and their aspirations. We see the international efforts made by the United Nations to care for us, for our children and for our neighbours. That is why we support its plan for disarmament; that is why we support the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, and why we promote the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (resolution 61/106), along with a lenghty list of other actions, commitments and decisions. The United Nations is our Organization.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Rights can be guaranteed only within the framework of solid institutions, with ample freedom of expression and transitions of power, which are the fundamental elements of solid democracies and must be the commitment of our nations in order to build those democracies, care for them and treasure them. My Government maintains its democratic commitment and, in each of its actions and decisions, preserves its commitment to the original ideals of our United Nations. The late Kofi Annan, a great man who left so many important lessons, said that, in the face of growing cynicism about democracy, we should not give up but rather defend and advocate for the values and virtues of democracy. Madam President, our dear friend and colleague María Fernanda Espinosa, you are the first Latin American woman to preside over the Assembly.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We cannot let that compact become a dead letter. We must keep in mind that inclusion has no borders, and that the rights of others to life and happiness do not end where mine begin. Both rights are an inherent part of human beings. They are interdependent and enriched by being interwoven through cohabitation. With regard to the Venezuelan crisis — or that which Nicaragua is experiencing — our Latin America has the great challenge of strengthening its democracy after various countries have endured authoritarian, corrupt and populist Governments. The history of the United Nations is the history of a common pact for the preservation of the human rights of the citizens of the world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We want continent- wide action to find a structural solution to the problems of our fraternal people of Venezuela. I reiterate that no one migrates of their own volition. They do so because they are forced to be uprooted and to painfully distance themselves from their families and emotions. José Martí said that when a people emigrates, their rulers are the leftovers. There are plenty who prolong their stay in power and become dark, sinister Governments with corrupt mafias. And just as we are in solidarity with those who come to us, we also invite our own long-departed to return to their place of birth and reintegrate into the big family that is their country. The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration was adopted by Ecuador in July and will be adopted at the global level in December in Morocco.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The children arrive with measles, diphtheria and polio, and pregnant women arrive never having had a check-up. We have earmarked more than 50,000 vaccines for those beautiful and defenceless children, and we have carried out tens of thousands of health check-ups on the more than 1 million brothers and sisters who have left their homes in search of better luck in the largest diaspora in the history of our continent. We have urged the Venezuelan Government and people to resolve their crisis, as they should, through a candid and inclusive national dialogue. We recently invited the brother countries of the region to practice solidarity, in a practical and integrated manner, with the Venezuelan migrants, displaced persons and refugees. We do not want our countries to be left standing alone merely with diplomatic statements.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“For that reason, perhaps, we do not understand how those countries that have achieved development and superiority in armaments and have also felt the pain of war through their own children can intervene in other people’s conflicts, not with a view to helping to resolve them, but to the contrary, to aggravate, and even perpetuate, them. Maybe because when unscrupulous bankers raided the pockets of Ecuadorians, we saw families and children left helpless and turn to migration. When Governments deviate from their objective of caring for the poorest and the most vulnerable, those people seek better opportunities outside of and far from their own land. No one abandons their beloved land voluntarily. In Ecuador, we receive an inflow of at least 6,000 Venezuelan brothers and sisters daily.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“That sentence inspired, inter alia, the Constitution of this great country — a reference for the world that inspires scientific research and development. For that reason, and maybe because we always follow world events closely, we do not understand how a country like this one can blockade an almost defenceless people such as Cuba. It is impossible for us to understand blockades against others, including possibly their rights to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Maybe because we were young idealists and we continue to be dissatisfied adults, we do not understand how the great Powers can spend their resources on weapons, instead of investing in the development of peoples.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“They are a fundamental part of the programme that my Government has proposed to the Ecuadorian people, which we have called, and I will repeat, A Whole Life. Maybe because it is evident to me that we want to be happy throughout life, and that is why we govern. We are here in a great country. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, written by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, states in its famous second sentence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. What a phrase “the pursuit of happiness” is.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are not only talking about physical accessibility, but also about having people with disabilities and their rights be considered in all United Nations discussions, resolutions and initiatives. Maybe because now, just as in the past, as I travel around my country and the world, I see exclusion and injustice. We exclude the different, the poor, the elderly, the young. We mistreat women, girls and indigenous people. There are so many abandoned and forgotten brothers and sisters. Many people simply pass by, without even noticing their presence. As States Members of the United Nations we cannot allow indolence and idleness, misery and injustice to continue to be part of the daily landscape. That is what the Sustainable Development Goals draw attention to.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I welcome the fact that one of the main topics to be addressed is the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The implementation of that Convention and its Optional Protocol is the best guarantee that, together, we will fulfil a pending commitment. In that regard, Ecuador is honoured to hold the presidency of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention for the next two years. From that position, we will contribute to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as step up efforts already in motion to achieve greater accessibility, with a view to enabling the United Nations to become truly inclusive.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I was reminded of Francis of Assisi, who spoke of the pain of another, because I found that there are other, and perhaps even greater, pains. It was also good because now, from my wheelchair, I see at the height of the heart. When people have legs, they see straight and upwards. Whereas from a wheelchair, we see horizontally and downwards, and as such, we discover other realities and worlds. We see those who encounter obstacles impeding them in their efforts to move forward, to continue, and even to live — obstacles of varying types: mistreatment, xenophobia, racism, injustice, machismo and inequity, in other words, exclusion. That story is not just my story; it is the story of 1 billion people around the world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Today, large, medium-sized and small enterprises have thousands of communicating vessels, which, by understanding their purpose, which is to ensure well-being in their daily actions, can be key actors for global action to promote peace and prosperity. In that connection, we must together keep the commitments we have undertaken, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promotes partnership as a core element. Maybe it is because 20 years ago, I was assaulted and lost the use of my legs. As those present can see, I am wheelchair-bound. Is that bad? I do not know. Chinese wisdom says that things are neither so bad, nor so good. It was bad because returning home from the hospital was hard; there were no more intravenous tubes or painkillers, but rather a constant and persistent pain.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Maybe it is because when I was young, I and other colleagues had excellent ideas, but lacked both the knowledge and the capacity to carry out our hopes. We therefore had to live through the anguish of not having start-up capital for our businesses, and we suffered long nights when monthly payments were due, while also struggling to pay our workers. We learned at first hand not to allow ourselves to be undervalued for being young. We learned the decisive role of private enterprise. We understood that entrepreneurship is a value that generates production, wealth, employment, well-being, self-esteem and freedom. Today, the private sector in the global arena is more aware of its role — extending far beyond profit, production and employment.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Maybe it is because, after several years of playing in my neighbourhood, surrounded by supportive neighbours, I learned the value of community life. We would visit people’s homes, the neighbours took care of us, we helped one other in all circumstances and we celebrated our achievements in community. In fact, the ideal of shared peace and life was also the genesis of the United Nations. We cannot forget that this must be the heart of the discussion of the large and small problems existing among countries, and that, within the framework of that discussion, we must call for ongoing dialogue, as mentioned by President Temer, for reciprocity as an institution, for strengthening multilateralism, for listening to one another in dialogue, but above all, for listening to those who live in situations that we wish to analyse, address and solve.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Within the framework of the General Assembly, two fundamental health issues will be addressed at the highest level — tuberculosis and non-transmissible diseases. It is my hope and Ecuador’s commitment, above all, that those discussions will lead to agreements for and commitments to concrete action. It is scandalous, unjust and immoral that access to life-saving medicines is often limited because intellectual property and the profits of the big pharmaceutical companies are favoured over a universal right to health. It is that kind of discussion that enables the United Nations to have meaning in the daily lives of the world’s citizens. The more we strive to enable our United Nations to touch people’s lives, the more we will strengthen the Organization for the future.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)