YouSaid · the spoken record

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón

lines on the record: 145
first: 2018-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
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

“Let her example, and the examples set every day by thousands of aid workers around the world, inspire us to do what this critical time requires of us at every crossroads that I mentioned, to let our actions and achievements speak for themselves and to turn our words into deeds. In that way let us honour the memory of those who. like Emma, gave everything, nothing less, to defend the values that inspire this noble Organization.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Emma was the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor who lost almost all her family during the Nazi era. She came to Spain from Austria and was adopted by a family from Barcelona. The life of the grandmother and the senseless killing of her granddaughter. Emma, were shaped by events that, in essence, led to the founding and purpose of this institution, namely, to save humanity from the scourge of war and to reaffirm faith in the dignity and value of the human being. If there is a place in which the story and life of Emma deserve to be told, without a doubt it is here before the General Assembly of the United Nations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We must therefore strengthen partnerships with our transatlantic partners, such as the United States of America and Canada, as well as our Asian. African and Latin American partners. Spain has always placed a particular emphasis on boosting relations between the European Union and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean through a new agenda that sets out a strategic relationship with the region. I am confident that the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit will be a genuine turning point that has a lasting impact. In conclusion, at the beginning of my address I spoke of a brave woman who lost her life in Bakhmut. in Ukraine, while transporting humanitarian aid. Her name was Emma Igual. She was 32 years old.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We need to control irregular immigration and provide channels for orderly, regular migration, which we clearly need in Europe. Furthermore. Europe has the responsibility to push globally for a more human-centric and rights-oriented digital transformation. We need to lay the groundwork for the regulation of artificial intelligence, the vast challenges and possibilities of which do not outweigh its hidden risks. In that regard. Spain is committed to supporting the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology with resources and know-how in developing multilateral governance in that area. We would like to host the headquarters of a future international artificial intelligence agency. In short. Europe needs to perform that role without shutting itself off. Nothing would be more profoundly anti-European than an isolated European Union.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“That Europe is already here, and it is moving resolutely forward thanks to two essential factors: first, a commitment to a collective agenda that is more supportive, fairer and more inclusive than the one that emerged from the 2008 financial crisis and. secondly, the unanimity and decisiveness with which it has responded to the critical events of these past four years. That is the path along which the European ideal must continue to advance, whatever the challenges. Europe must lead by example on the climate agenda by delivering on our pledge to reduce emissions, fulfilling international climate financing pledges and expediting the energy transition. It must promote an exemplary migration policy given the hugely significant global problem, which looks likely to increase in scale and severity in the decades to come.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I launched the Spanish European Union presidency right there in Kyiv on 1 July. Spain will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as it is necessary. But we will also actively work to achieve a fair and lasting peace that restores Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and allows the Ukrainian people to freely determine their own fate. I believe in a Europe that is at the vanguard of defending global public goods, democracy, labour and social protection and economic openness, a Europe that leads the fight against inequality and the protection of individual rights and public freedoms.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“From the memory of the tragedy was born the determination to shape a shared prosperity, which has provided the European continent with the longest period of peace in its history. In an attempt to undermine the irrefutable success of that unifying project, some have sought to caricature it by portraying the European Union as a giant with feet of clay, incapable of standing up for itself with any real conviction. Yet. when faced with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and contrary to Putin’s expectations. Europe has decisively responded to Russia’s atrocities in a united way. making it clear that we do not accept that anyone should violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. From this rostrum. I once again condemn Russia’s unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. As a show of our support.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It must also fully respect my country’s legal position regarding sovereignty and jurisdiction in relation to Gibraltar. We wish to work for the development of a prosperous socioeconomic area that encompasses the whole of Gibraltar as well as the Campo de Gibraltar region. At this point I would like to share some thoughts on the future of Europe from the perspective of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Spain currently holds. The European Union was born out of a bid for peace on a continent that was devastated and traumatized following two world wars in barely three decades. From the ashes of destruction emerged a firm resolve, namely, that never again would there be war.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Likewise, we will continue to support the Sahrawi population in camps, as we have always done, maintaining our role as the leading international donor of humanitarian aid in that context. Meanwhile, on 31 December 2020. Spain and the United Kingdom concluded a bilateral agreement on Gibraltar in the context of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Since then, we have worked tirelessly in order for that understanding to form the basis for that territory’s future relationship with the European Union, trusting that the European Union and the United Kingdom will be able to reach an agreement regarding Gibraltar as soon as possible. For us. such an agreement must be completely in line with the United Nations position on that territory, with which Spain fully aligns itself.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Peace is the essential prerequisite for economic development, as well as the expansion of human rights, which takes on particular significance as we mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many conflicts are still raging; others have reached a deadlock. I would therefore like to reiterate the Spanish Government’s resolute support for the work of the Secretary-General’s special envoys for the Middle East peace process. Syria and Libya. With regard to Western Sahara. Spain supports a mutually acceptable political solution, within the framework of the United Nations Charter and the Security Council resolutions. The work of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara is crucial and has the full support of the Government of Spain.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I believe that the United Nations framework should be the main forum for such a discussion, since it is the only one that can bring together the voices of all countries on equal terms. Spain wishes to actively contribute to this urgent debate. I am therefore declaring our intention to host the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in 2025. and we hope that it will have a truly transformative impact. Coexistence, peacekeeping and safeguarding international security are not a mere aspiration. The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations serves as the guide to upholding that desire, a commitment that links our and future generations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“But it is essential to do so with approaches that reflect the current needs and realities and with the courage to stop measuring financing for sustainable development in billions of dollars, but instead measure it in trillions. In that context. Spain advocates strengthening existing mechanisms, ensuring that countries can access the necessary financing, regardless of their income level. But we also support reforming those mechanisms and innovation by setting up new instruments. We need to maximize and optimize the financing capacity of multilateral development banks and explore ways to make the international financial architecture more effective, more inclusive, more transparent and. ultimately, more democratic. We need to adapt international taxation to the current reality and ensure that private investment is aligned with the SDGs.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“with the commitment to allocate 0.7 per cent of its gross national income to development by 2030. We will continue to prioritize key issues, contributing €120 million to the Sustainable Development Goals Fund and another €20 million to replenish the International Fund for Agricultural Development over the next three years. But we must go further. We must equip ourselves with adequate resources and tools to make progress on sustainable development between now and 2030. It will not be easy to mobilize the financing required to tackle the climate emergency and make the long-term investments that vulnerable countries need in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is therefore crucial that we step up to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We must boldly stand up to those who use manipulation and lies to challenge that great collective effort. The summit held at the beginning of this week should serve to renew our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unfortunately, we are not on track to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. If we continue on that path, in 2030. 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty and 84 million children will remain out of school. At that rate, it will take 300 years to close the gender gap. I see that as a morally unacceptable failure. I reiterate that this is the time not for words, but for deeds. We must increase our commitments to official development assistance. Spain has just adopted a new cooperation act.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The constitutional reform in Chile is another example of a bold commitment to institutional reform, and that country can count on Spain’s support. Furthermore. Spain also reiterates its commitment to the necessary return to the path of democracy in Venezuela in order to restore hope to its people for a future of opportunities. The third and last crossroads that I would like to mention in this address concerns the defence of multilateralism and a rules-based international order. The United Nations system is the embodiment of a desire to jointly achieve global solutions to our shared challenges and resolve differences through diplomacy, dialogue and cooperation. The challenge now is to demonstrate that the system works for all. Otherwise, inequality will be fertile ground for the rhetoric of multilateralism’s enemies to thrive.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Spain will always be a committed partner in furthering the strengthening of democracy, not only in the context of fair elections, the essence of the democratic principle, but also in terms of the body of institutions that enable citizens to fully enjoy their fundamental rights, particularly as relates to wealth distribution and development. In that respect, we are working closely with our Latin American partners, with whom we share values, principles and goals, so as to strengthen partnerships and share experiences. A good example of that is the transitional justice work that Colombia has undertaken towards full peace. It is a commendable achievement, which Spain wishes to continue to support in all that is necessary to conclude the current ongoing peace talks.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Regrettably, we have learned not to take for granted as irreversible the rights and freedoms for which other generations valiantly fought. The 26 July coup d’etat in the Niger has serious implications, since, together with Mauritania, the Niger was the only country in the Sahel with a democratically elected Government. The region, which has been in decline for years, risks becoming a series of failed States that could spread instability to neighbouring regions already plagued by the threat of terrorism. It is therefore crucial that we find a peaceful way out without resorting to military force. In that regard. I would like to reiterate our support for the mediation efforts of the Economic Community of West African States.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In my view, there is no better antidote to reactionary extremism than feminism, which is without a doubt one of the leading causes of our century, which is the century of women. That commitment to gender equality must also be reflected at the multilateral level and. more specifically, in the top leadership positions of multilateral institutions themselves. It is therefore important that upcoming appointments in the United Nations system. including in the General Assembly, take the gender factor into account. In these turbulent years, we have seen an increasing threat to democracy in many places of the world. We witnessed it in Washington. D.C.. and Brasilia, and. unfortunately, now also in the Niger and Gabon.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Such a path demonstrates the bold and resolute stance of civil society as a whole in Spain, particularly in the area of gender equality, as has recently been evident in the field of sport, especially in women’s sport and women’s football. Spain has declared that “enough is enough”, with all its implications, because every step forward that a woman takes is a step forward for us all. men and women, alongside them. There is clearly a very long way to go. and there are many battles to be waged, if we are to achieve full equality among men and women, none more pressing than the eradication of male violence once and for all. the existence of which some people even dare to question against all reason.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“There is a wave of extremism and reactionary thinking rising throughout the world, which is also present in Europe, propelled by movements that share the same strategy, namely, promising a return to a mythical past that in reality never existed; marginalizing and criminalizing disadvantaged minorities; rejecting equality and trivializing feminism; and questioning human, civil and social rights. Ideas that we thought had been abandoned are returning and are flourishing in places where social discontent is the highest. As a result, it is not easy to counter those who make lies, fear and manipulation their main weapon. But I believe — and this is what I would also like to share — that there is reason for hope in the ultimate determination of many societies to uphold a legacy of achievements and progress that brooks no turning back.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Just today, on behalf of Spain, we signed the Treaty of the High Seas, which is another step in support of the balance of nature following the historic Kunming-Montreal agreement. It is crucial that the upcoming twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in the United Arab Emirates, be a resounding success. Spain is fully committed to achieving that. The second area in which we face a difficult decision is the defence of democracy, fundamental rights, equality and social justice. We are witnessing a profound crisis of apathy and distrust of democratic institutions.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“That support demands intelligence to overcome climate inaction’s main ally, which is none other than denialism. That is possible if we transform the daunting challenge before us into an opportunity to create more and better jobs, make all sectors of our economies more sustainable and. in short, keep moving forward hand in hand with science. On that path, my country. Spain, speaks with deeds rather than words. We have set more ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency targets in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. We will contribute €225 million to the Green Climate Fund. €20 million to the Adaptation Fund and more than €17 million to instruments that strengthen climate justice, particularly funds for the most vulnerable countries and the loss and damage fund.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Thanks to science, we know that we must limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C; that global emissions cannot peak any later than the year 2025; and that we have no other choice than to expedite the roll-out of renewable energies, and to do so in a fair and equitable manner, in order to triple their generation capacity by the end of this decade. Moreover, we must do that in a spirit of solidarity with the most vulnerable countries by driving the adaptation agenda forward and implementing the loss and damage agreement reached in Sharm El-Sheikh last year. Tackling the climate emergency requires courage and determination. We need to bring about an unprecedented technological and economic revolution, which will be possible only with broad, resolute and global support.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We are at a crossroads: change or let ourselves be driven by the course of events, progress or retreat, work together or look out for ourselves, build a lasting future or revive the past, or content ourselves with words or move on to action. The first dilemma that I would like to mention in this address relates to the climate emergency. We have just experienced the hottest months ever recorded. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent, with devastating consequences for every continent. According to the experts, we are entering uncharted territory. It is no longer a case of trying to slow the rise in temperatures; it is a matter of mitigation and. as far as possible, adaptation to a situation that is already here.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“They provided medical assistance, and they evacuated the injured. Their example demands of us quiet, but also pressing reflection on the need to take a stand against injustice and to not remain silent when human rights and the most basic rules of peaceful coexistence among nations are being violated. This Hall has been witness to many memorable addresses by leaders such as Salvador Allende. Olof Palme and Nelson Mandela. We should of course draw inspiration from their words. But the urgency of the challenges requires us to do more than revel in rhetoric. As has been said at this rostrum, it is time to take action because time is simply running out.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I would like my opening words to be an expression of the Spanish people’s solidarity with the victims of the earthquake in Morocco and the floods in Libya. Spain will continue to support those two friendly countries in mitigating the consequences of those terrible tragedies in every way possible. On 10 September, a young Spanish aid worker lost her life in the Bakhmut region of Ukraine. The vehicle in which she was travelling was hit by artillery fire, killing another aid worker and seriously injuring two others. All four shared the same zeal — a zeal that ennobles the soul of every human being and transcends borders, and that was none other than helping those most in need. That was not the only thing that they had in common. Above all. it was their activism that brought them together. They brought supplies and food to civilians.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In order to do so, it is essential to strengthen rules-based multilateralism and ultimately to guarantee peace — the most valuable asset we have.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Sometimes with a push from science and knowledge, as in this case, and sometimes from a desire not to repeat the fatal mistakes of the past. I believe that humankind will always find a way to overcome the blows of fate and move forward. What makes the difference is how we deal with these crises and how we heal the wounds suffered along the way, while at the same time protecting those who are most vulnerable and most exposed. We must be guided by the values and principles to which we all adhere as Member States of this noble and important Organization, in which Spain reaffirms its full confidence. We must persevere in our efforts to build a freer, more prosperous, fair, diverse and democratic world.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In any case, we hope to work for the development of a prosperous social and economic area that encompasses the whole of Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar as well. In conclusion, I appealed at the beginning of my address to two sentiments — hope for the future and confidence in the multilateral order represented by the United Nations system. Two years ago, we feared we would never again see a world in which people could shake hands or hug or kiss one another. We came to believe that such acts of affection and courtesy would also fall victim to the pandemic. Today the world that seemed unattainable has been restored. It is a logic often repeated in history when societies arrive at a great crossroads. Yet hope always finds away.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“On the other hand, as I reported during last year’s general debate (see A/76/PV.9), on 31 December 2020, Spain and the United Kingdom reached a bilateral understanding on Gibraltar in the context of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. We have been working very hard since then to ensure that this understanding serves to lay the foundations for the territory’s future relationship with the European Union, trusting that an agreement will be reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom in relation to Gibraltar as soon as possible. The agreement should fully respect United Nations doctrine on the territory, with which Spain is wholly aligned, as well as for my country’s legal position with regard to its sovereignty and jurisdiction.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“For that reason, with regard to Western Sahara, an area of great importance to Spain, we support a mutually acceptable political solution within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations and in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions. In that regard, we consider the work of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara to be fundamental, and I want to assure him of the Spanish Government’s full support. My country will continue to support the Sahrawi population in refugee camps, as it has always done, in its capacity as the main international donor of humanitarian aid to those camps.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In Madrid, we welcomed two new full and democratic members, Sweden and Finland, and approved a new strategic concept for NATO that will guide the future of the alliance for the next few years. The concept makes a fine-tuned diagnosis of an increasingly complex strategic environment. It gives significant attention to the South and the Sahel in particular, a region affected by growing instability and increasing terrorism. We must focus on the serious risks in the area such as irregular migration flows and the threat of terrorism, which could be exacerbated by the conjunction of the food and energy crisis, the climate emergency and demographic trends. We cannot carry over conflicts from the past century.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is a project for peace that we want to see projected into other parts of the world, starting with Ukraine. It is clear that we must continue to work to ensure that other areas, in addition to Ukraine, also regain stability. We are making progress in negotiations to reach a nuclear deal in Iran, in which I believe the European Union is playing a key role. However, we have recently seen how tensions in the East China Sea are threatening the status quo in a region that is key to humankind’s present and future. The importance of Asia in the field of global security was underlined at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June, which brought NATO’s Pacific partners together at the top level for the first time and endorsed a new strategic concept for the organization for the next 10 years.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We want Europe to reaffirm its broad and strategic outlook towards Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at achieving very simple objectives that make sense, such as revitalizing a fundamental alliance between the two regions. We must also pay greater attention to our own southern neighbourhood. We are ready to take up the baton at a key moment for Europe. We seize it with enthusiasm and hope, aware of the challenges ahead and the responsibility it represents. We want the priorities I have just outlined to permeate and direct our action in the second half of 2023. The green transition and digitalization, as well as the social transition, will resolutely guide the path we wish to follow during our presidency of the Council of the European Union. Europe is a project for stability, peace, freedom, democracy and harmony.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Colombia is entering a new stage of hope in its efforts to continue building peace, and Spain will stand by its side, ready to support it. The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have a fundamental role to play in the world and in the multilateral order, starting with the defence of democracy. However, we must be aware that the region also needs international support, including in the fight against drug trafficking. Spain is committed to supporting Latin America and the Caribbean and we will work to achieve greater rapprochement between the region and the European Union under our presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of next year.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“However, when we compare those images, we see one particularly intolerable difference, which is the presence of women in family photographs and their absence in public images reflecting the political or economic news of the day. We have come a long way towards achieving equality between women and men, but there is still a long way to go. Besides, not everything can be guaranteed, as we saw a few months ago in Afghanistan with the Taliban’s rise to power. Last month, I had the privilege of visiting the Memory, Peace and Reconciliation Center in the Colombian capital of Bogota. I was able to observe first-hand the efforts of an entire people, and especially its women, to move forward by providing reparations to victims and building a society free of violence.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In that area, I would also like to announce that Spain will lead by example and contribute €100 million over the next three years to organizations working for gender equality and with a focus on reproductive and sexual rights, including UN- Women. I believe it essential that we listen to women’s voices and remove every obstacle in their path so that they can occupy their rightful spaces in business, Government and peacebuilding. I invite members to participate in a simple exercise and contrast pictures from 20, 30 or 40 years ago. Compare family photographs at home with the images that appeared then in the national media. For example, in my country, Spain, it is surprising and indeed amusing to see how our fashion, appearances and habits have changed — including smoking indoors. All of that has changed.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The global threats to women’s sexual and reproductive freedom are yet another example of the exasperatingly slow progress the world is making in ensuring full equality between men and women. Worse still, we are seeing that previous achievements are fragile, with women falling victim to an inexplicable regression in some advanced democracies in the twenty-first century. Spain will continue to be at the forefront on the matter, with the adoption of a new law guaranteeing sexual freedom and a future law on sexual and reproductive health to ensure public health care for women and all their needs across the entire country.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We will be hosting the Giga Technology Centre, a United Nations programme for the digitalization of education to be established in the beautiful city of Barcelona, thanks to Spain’s collaboration with UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union. Education is the path to a more educated, better informed, freer, more inclusive and more egalitarian society. If we want to continue advancing our human rights agenda, it is essential that we continue to support the right to education for all, but especially for girls. For it is at school where the agenda for gender equality and the empowerment of women — half of the world’s population — begins. In that connection, my fifth and final point concerns the feminist agenda and real and effective equality between men and women. We live in times when stating the obvious sounds revolutionary.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is time to move forward by adjusting the sector to the current reality and distributing and limiting the costs and benefits of price increases in a fairer way. That is a commitment that my country will adhere to and uphold. The fourth major challenge I want to mention relates to the digital transition and its impact on education and labour rights, now and in the future. On Monday, Spain participated in a session of the Transforming Education Summit dedicated to the digital transformation. We once again evoked the lessons learned during the pandemic and how technological solutions made it possible for the benefit of our children to bridge the gap of the in-person presence that was impossible at the time. Spain wants to play a leading role in that regard.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I believe that the energy crisis is severely testing all European societies, including mine, essentially because of the harshness with which it is attacking the social majority of our societies, the middle and working classes. Every measure taken to reduce its impact should be based on the principle that this time the burdens and sacrifices should not fall on the shoulders of the great majority who were mistreated in previous crises, in particular the financial crisis. In that context, Spain has pushed for far-reaching regulatory reforms to reduce the impact of gas prices. But we are also aware, as the Secretary-General has said, that we must continue working — as we have been doing so for more than a year now — on vitally urgent reform of the electricity sector throughout the European Union.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is not a question of whether or not to do so but to do it fairly and at the speed demanded by the scientific certainty that time is running out. In that regard, Spain also wants to contribute to concrete solutions within the framework of the United Nations. Together with Senegal, we will support the creation of an international alliance for drought resilience to promote innovation, technology transfer and the mobilization of resources for countries exposed to this threat, which includes Spain. We will present that initiative in Egypt in November during the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, together with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and other interested countries.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“First, we must prevent certain countries from using their resources as a weapon of war, as Putin’s regime is doing. Russia believes it has the right to blackmail the entire planet, helping to increase inflation and jeopardize the crucial recovery of the many economies that have suffered greatly due to the pandemic. Secondly, it is necessary because if we are to respond to climate change, which is the fundamental and increasingly obvious challenge facing our and future generations, we need to redouble our commitment to the transition to renewable energy. I believe that the current situation is pushing us to even greater determination to deliver on our societies’ commitment to decarbonizing our economies.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“That step is consistent with my country’s commitment to combating inequality and poverty the world over. That commitment has been made visible through our new law on cooperation, which anchors our promise to allocate 0.7 per cent of our gross national income to official development assistance by 2030. The third major challenge I wish to discuss is related to the climate emergency and the need to advance the ecological transition with urgency and determination. It is clear that the current energy crisis is pushing us towards making a decisive commitment to far more sustainable energy models, reducing our dependencies and becoming more resilient. Diversifying, electrifying and decarbonizing our energy mix will be essential for two reasons.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Two days ago, as co-sponsor of the Leaders Network Reinforcing Multilateralism Together, I co-chaired — together with the President of Senegal and Chairperson of the African Union, the President of the European Council and the United States Secretary of State — the Global Food Security Summit, on the current food crisis affecting the entire planet. It brought numerous world leaders from all regions, especially those most affected by this crisis, and we adopted a joint declaration renewing our commitment to deal with the crisis. The meeting had a very clear purpose — to address this challenge and to seek solutions as a matter of urgency. At the meeting, I announced that Spain would lead by example by mobilizing €151 million in donations, and a further €85 million in loans over the next three years.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Over the next three years, Spain intends to allocate more than €237 million of its official development assistance funds to health-related issues, including €130 million for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The second major challenge I wish to share is the food crisis currently threatening millions of human beings. It is a complex problem that has the potential to deteriorate in 2023 if we do not act. The crisis has been exacerbated both by Russia’s blockade of grain exports from Ukraine and by selfish decisions to erect barriers to trade in agricultural products and fertilizers.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Spain, which was very affected at the beginning of the pandemic due to our strong tourism sector, seeks to be part of the global solution to the enormous challenge that this pandemic and future pandemics represent. We will contribute €15 million to the Financial Intermediary Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, and we support the adoption of a legally binding international instrument to that end by the World Health Organization. In that way, we will strengthen a key organization in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our debt to science also demands that we take action in areas neglected during our race against the virus. We must step up efforts and promote scientific research in order to guarantee universal access to medical care and treatment.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I say that because, in just two years, the world has managed to develop not one or two, but 40 vaccines against COVID-19. Through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, more than 2 billion doses have been allocated for developing countries. Massive vaccination campaigns have enabled us to control the spread of the virus and return to normality in many countries. However, it is clear that much remains to be done and that many lessons must be drawn from the handling of the pandemic. The degree of inequality between countries with regard to access to the vaccine is, quite simply, insulting. That inequality, moreover, is to the detriment of humankind as a whole because a virus cannot be eradicated if its spread is not halted in each and every country around the globe.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Allow me to focus this reflection on five major challenges: the commitment to global health, the food crisis, the environmental transition, the digital transition and true and effective gender equality. In matters of global health, it is essential that we learn from the lessons of our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. On 9 November 2020, the whole world celebrated the news that the first vaccine against the virus was proving successful. Barely six weeks later, the first doses began to be administered. With those vaccines, not only did we begin to invert the trend of the pandemic, but we also reversed the pessimism of a world that had come to doubt whether things would ever return to normal. The vaccine represents many things, but above all — in my view — it represents the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Young people, born at the start of this new millennium, in particular represent a generation that, in addition to confronting this new crisis in their lives, is living under the very real threat of the climate emergency and its consequences for the world they will inherit. Despite everything, however, I am certain that precisely where the danger lies, there too lies our salvation. That is why today I want to extend an unequivocal message of hope and confidence — hope in the capacity of the international community to overcome any adversity, and confidence in the strength of an institution such as the United Nations to rise up against challenges that know no borders.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)