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

“In these uncertain times, the economic and social consequences of the war are a threat to global prosperity, especially for the most vulnerable countries. The food crisis, which has been central to the debate of the General Assembly, is being compounded by an energy crisis provoked by an autocrat who will stop at nothing and utilize any and every instrument as a weapon of war in order to stay in power. The impact on prices, already rising due to the supply chain crisis last year, threatens to leave the world’s poorest even poorer. It is not hard to understand why many people feel that they have had enough.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We will continue to support what we have supported since the beginning of this dispute — the freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is precisely now when we must act united in defence of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in support of an attacked country, Ukraine. This war seeks to rob the sovereign people of Ukraine of their legitimate right to exist in peace and freedom, and it has condemned the entire world — because it is a global crisis — to an era of uncertainty. And it has done so at the very moment when we were on the cusp of a well-deserved era of optimism, just after humankind had successfully set in motion the greatest large-scale scientific and humanitarian cooperation effort in its history in order to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Rarely have the foundations of this institution been shaken as strongly as in the early hours of 24 February, when various cities throughout Ukraine felt the terror of Russian bombardments. More than six months later, we still witness the horror of an invasion that evokes times we believed we had left behind in Europe. Yesterday Putin continued his headlong rush with totally unacceptable statements. From this rostrum and what it represents, I want to condemn in the strongest terms the announcement of the annexation referendums in the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson. Those false referendums constitute a further violation of international law by Vladimir Putin. Let me be clear: the results will never be recognized.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We cannot continue to nurture the fiction of a progress that only means greater injustice and inequality for millions of human beings. We cannot continue to tell young people that all it takes to realize their dreams is hard work unless we make equal opportunities a reality. President, dear friends. Today, those who are here together in this virtual space have the historic, moral, urgent and unavoidable duty to act in unity to offer the world a new horizon of growth and progress. Today, we have a duty to offer young people hope. This is our greatest responsibility, especially to those young people who are not listening to us today. We have lost their attention because they do not believe we have anything to offer. And it is these young people who will judge us. Thank you very much.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We cannot and must not leave the future of our young people in the hands of those intent on putting up yet again the physical and ideological borders we worked so hard to tear down. We must be proactive. It is essential to understand that many of the ideas that have determined the social order and the economic development of the world during the past decades have ceased to be viable. The health emergency that we are enduring, the climate emergency, the successive crises and recessions, clearly reflect the depletion and failure of that model. We cannot continue to aspire to rampant, unnatural growth. We cannot build a world based on the destruction of guaranteed public services or of the environment in which we live.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We are witnessing the resurgence of exclusionary and xenophobic nationalisms, of autarkic delusions, of blatant authoritarianisms. We are seeing the rise of leaderships based on demagogy, lies and the fuelling of hate. In the face of such insidious developments, I would like to call on the international community. To appeal to them to understand this historic moment; an appeal stemming from the urgency of these times in which we are living and from fervent convictions. For the sake of young people, we are morally obliged to act. To act for all, but especially for those who are listening to us in disbelief and indifference. We cannot condemn young people, for the first time in two centuries, to a world that is worse than before, a world that is more unjust, more hopeless, to a future of resignation with no alternatives.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“There is another virus spreading across the world right now: its symptoms are disappointment, ennui, distrust and indifference. And these symptoms are suffered by all of these young people listening to us — or who, regrettably, are not listening to us — from every corner of the globe. We infect them with this virus every time we allow a new dispute to come between us; every time we renege on an agreement; every time we turn our backs on our commitments and responsibilities to other countries. Whether due to inaction or omission, we have allowed disaffection and distrust of government to spread across the globe. Whether due to indifference or cowardice, we have ignored threats and realities that seriously affect the physical, political and moral health of the planet today.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Perhaps they wonder why their parents work so hard if nothing around them ever changes. If nothing around them ever gets any better. If there is nothing that transforms and improves their lives. If there is no glimmer of hope in sight. In most parts of the world, when young people look around them, they can see no life opportunities. Instead, they see that the doors to progress and personal advancement are closing; they are seeing the environment deteriorating before their very eyes. Exactly when did we decide that the expression “to change the world” had lost all sense and meaning? I wonder if any of those millions of young people are watching us right now on their mobile phones. I wonder what they are thinking of us, if so.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Similarly, it is crucial that we speed up the reform process of the World Trade Organization, reviewing the rules that will enable us to strengthen global production and distribution chains without resorting to closing any borders. Closing remarks Right at this moment, in every corner of the globe, there is a young person staring at the screen of their cell phone. In the backstreets of Naples, at a fish auction in Istanbul, in Mexico City’s Zocalo square, in the equatorial Amazon, or at a market in India. These young people have seen their parents working non-stop, day-in, day-out, year after year, without any change. In Villa El Salvador, on the outskirts of Lima, in Tangier, in Popasna. In Villa El Salvador, on the outskirts of Lima, in Tangier, in Popasna. All over the world.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“International financial institutions are called to play a critical role in overcoming this global crisis, contributing to the development of green and digital technology, particularly in the health, education and communications sectors. Certain regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, are submerged in the deepest economic crisis they have known since World War Two. This is why I convened a High-Level Conference in June: to call on the international financial institutions to extend support to the region. A country’s income level cannot be the sole criterion by which it is accorded access to international financing instruments. We must rethink the system so that the most vulnerable nations classified as middle- income countries can also receive the international support necessary to reactivate their economies.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We wish to work towards developing an area of social and economic prosperity that encompasses the entire area of Gibraltar and Campo de Gibraltar. Fourthly, we must work harder than ever to defend democracy and human rights, promoting the protection of individuals, organizations, communities and networks at the international and local levels. Democracy is much more than merely a form of government: it is a way of life, furnished with values for humanity as a whole, making no distinction between people on the basis of their origin or condition, and requiring all our efforts and good example to successfully combat those who oppose it. Fifthly and finally, we must commit to financial multilateralism.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“A just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution must be found to the Western Sahara conflict, in accordance with Security Council resolutions and within the framework of provisions pursuant to the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter We will continue to support UN efforts in those places where they are successful, such as Sudan; but also in those areas in which it needs the unanimous backing of the international community, such as in the fight against the weapons proliferation or in the application of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Of particular interest to Spain is the status of Gibraltar following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. On this matter, we are called to comply with United Nations doctrine on Gibraltar, with which Spain is fully aligned.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“And we cannot look the other way, we cannot simply ignore the multiple conflicts that continue to blight the lives of millions of people, and hope for partial solutions. The fate of such people is also our own. We must promote the negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis to reach a just peace agreement respecting the two-state solution. We must support a negotiated way out of the conflict in Libya. Urgent action is required to restore peace and security in the Sahel.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This is not only the most effective option from a medical standpoint; it is also an absolute and non-negotiable moral imperative. Secondly, we must step up our climate-ambition commitments. Once again, we are left with no real choice: the current emergency demands that we act boldly to reach a global agreement that will safeguard the protection of biodiversity by 2030, and this agreement must encompass energy and ecological transitions towards a sustainable model of production. Thirdly, we must reinforce the multilateral system so as to maintain international peace and security. Wars shackle entire generations in poverty and distress. There is no security without development, nor development without security.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“On specific issues, with specific decisions. The urgency of the current moment shows us that there is only one way to strengthen multilateralism: by defending Global Public Goods along the five main lines that must guide the rebuilding of the multilateral architecture: Firstly, we must strengthen the global health system. It is time to equip the World Health Organization with new tools, following the expert opinions of the independent evaluation committee; to sign a Global Compact for Health, based on the 2030 Agenda; and to lead a socioeconomic recovery that bolsters national capacities for tackling new pandemics, achieving universal health coverage. At the same time, we must guarantee equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“There is no doubt that the system represented by the United Nations needs reforms and updates. But the only acceptable solution is that of improving it. Because we know only too well where regression to nationalism and protectionism will lead us: to inequality, to heightened tension and, ultimately, to confrontation. A world divided by distrust and conflict, or a global, more just, and safer world: this is the choice we are facing. The interdependence of nations is an undisputed fact, and the pandemic has served as a reminder. But it is not enough to invoke unity of action as an abstract, empty principle. We need to believe in unity. Unity enables us to advance together. Unity averts conflicts. Unity saves lives. Unity, and unity alone, can save the planet. And we must act. We must take further steps. And we must take them now.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Multilateralism And we can only achieve this if we act united. The pandemic that we are enduring, and all that has happened in these past months, reminds us of the practical and moral imperative to act in unity. This is totally contrary to the positions of those who, for some time now, have been questioning the multilateral system and eroding its foundations. How can we ask the World Health Organization to lead the response to the pandemic effectively if its resources keep dwindling? How can we champion an open, interconnected world, where citizens are free and have a greater quality of life, if we demonize immigration and backtrack on international trade rules? How can we advance in the defence of human rights and in the protection of world heritage if we turn our backs on the initiatives created for this purpose?”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Seventy-five years after the Charter of the United Nations was signed in San Francisco, as leaders of the world’s different peoples, we have more reasons than ever for stepping up to this platform of peace and progress with answers and actions. Last Monday we unanimously adopted a declaration to commemorate this anniversary of the United Nations. It is a text that looks ahead to the future; let us realize its vision. Let us turn good intentions into specific measures. We need to save this planet, our only home. We need to align the digitalization of the economy throughout the world. We need to eradicate poverty and reduce oppressive social inequalities. We also need to put an end to inequality between men and women, and to all forms of inequality based on beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We can see young women leading movements against climate change, we can see other young women dressed in white conquering the streets in the East, and young black women leading demonstrations in the West. Inspired by other women who obtain academic qualifications living in the desert, who own small businesses in their villages, who lead countries, or take pictures of black holes. Women who are in those positions thanks to the sacrifices made by other women in the past, such as Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Marsha P. Johnson and Domitila Barrios. But it is impossible to ignore how far away we are from achieving Sustainable Development Goal Five, because female genital mutilation is still taking place, we are witnessing a spike in misogynistic violence, and the gender gap remains wide open.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Poverty is an intolerable and oppressive form of inequality, which not only constitutes blatant injustice, but is also an impediment to social progress. And this inequality exists within each country, as well as between countries. Studies have shown that differences in mean per capita incomes between countries account for more than 85 per cent of global inequality. Therefore, to address inequality we must take action within each country, but also, above all, we must narrow the gap between different countries’ incomes. The fourth major challenge is achieving full, total, absolute equal rights for women. The progress already made is incalculable. In education, in civil rights, in labour rights...”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Meanwhile, in Africa barely four out of every ten people have internet access. Digitalization also offers huge potential for emission reduction and for curbing the climate emergency. Artificial intelligence applied to big data and the internet of things facilitate more efficient logistics and transportation, emissions reduction, less aggressive mining and agriculture, the use of renewable energy, and a more circular economy. The third challenge involves reducing inequalities. I represent a progressive government that has championed the eradication of child poverty and the reduction of inequalities within our borders. But beyond the specific leanings of each government, we must remember that even those who defend certain degrees of inequality distinguish between what they call “constructive inequality” and “oppressive inequality”.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Since then, a series of industrial revolutions has led to a shift in work activity from agriculture to industry and then to services, and to an increase in productivity and consumption, which in turn have increased well-being and life expectancy, albeit in a painfully unequal manner. The fourth industrial revolution we are witnessing is of unprecedented scope and speed, and may change every sphere of life for better or for worse. It may provide more leisure or generate more unemployment; it may foster human knowledge or lead to the control and manipulation of people; it may promote the progress of all humankind or intensify inequalities. The following figure illustrates this contrast: 40% of the European Union’s GDP is soon expected to stem from digital activities.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“So far this year, two million hectares have gone up in flames in California. An island of plastic three times the size of France is floating in the Pacific Ocean and destroying our marine ecosystems. And desertification and drought are severely threatening the livelihoods of more than 1.2 billion people all around the world, producing intolerable migration flows. And, above all, we know that we have very little time left to prevent the climate crisis from becoming irreversible. This is why it makes no sense for any public official to disregard the Paris Agreement and its commitments for action. The second challenge is linked to the fourth industrial revolution and to digitalization. The past two centuries have seen the global income multiply by more than 20, in contrast with the stagnation of the world’s economy in previous centuries.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Yet another success story is that of the Antarctic Treaty, which protects all of the Earth’s territory south of parallel 60 against any interference, ensuring that it may only be used for scientific purposes. And we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals regarding climate, life below water, and terrestrial ecosystems if we set our minds to it. This Assembly is the appropriate forum to reflect on the impact of the pandemic on the Sustainable Development Goals and on the Decade of Action. The 2021 High-Level Political Forum should be held, exceptionally, at the Heads of State and Government level, to agree upon urgent measures that will enable us to achieve the Goals we set for ourselves five years ago We cannot let down our guard or be complacent, because everything still remains to be done.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“These four factors, together with this most pressing health emergency, are the challenges we are facing: The challenge of the climate emergency; The challenge of technological progress and the fourth industrial revolution linked to digitalization. The challenge of overcoming excruciating inequalities and poverty; The challenge of full equality between women and men and the eradication of any form of discrimination based on gender, race or origin. The first of these challenges concerns the climate emergency. And if we look at a picture of our world, we will be excited to see that the ozone hole is slowly healing, thanks to the Montreal Protocol, which bound governments to drastically reduce their CFC emissions. This is a real, tangible example that proves that where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“But when societies have been forced to react against the pandemic, when they have reduced personal contacts, even when they have resorted to confinement, when they have sought to keep on with their work, with their education, with their leisure activities, with their social lives... It is then that digitalization has proven to be the most effective alternative for maintaining social activity. Nor does the virus infect selectively by gender. But when it has hit large numbers of people, once again women have taken on the essential burden of caregiving. Nor, lastly, does the virus take into consideration the environment or climate change. But this terrible health emergency has made us realize the true meaning of the term climate emergency: a threat against which the only vaccine is humanity’s united response.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The virus is affecting all of humanity, regardless of ideology, borders or fortunes. But poverty is working hand in hand with the virus. Poverty has proven to be the factor that can aggravate or diminish anything. The pandemic has exacerbated difficulties and inequalities. The pandemic has widened the injustice and vulnerability gap. In Eswatini, that small country in southern Africa, one thousand women contracted HIV every single day of last year. Schools, safe and exclusive spaces were created for young women and adolescent girls. Eswatini was winning the fight against AIDS ten years ahead of schedule. But a pandemic not only widens gaps—it stops progress. It stops hope. The virus does not care about technology.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Ebola, a virus that was identified for the first time in a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, spread throughout several African countries and later jumped to Europe. Already a variant of the influenza virus A suffered a mutation and jumped from a pig to a human in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, leading to what was later known as the swine flu, causing tens of thousands of deaths in several continents. Now, this very year, an outbreak initially located in a market in Wuhan brought the entire world to a standstill for months, and has plunged humankind into the worst crisis of this century. The health, economic and social consequences of COVID-19 are only comparable to what humankind suffered during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, the Great Depression, or the Second World War.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government, Ambassadors and Ambassadors, Delegates and Delegates. Benito Perez Galdos was an outstanding Spanish writer, from the Canary Islands, and we are commemorating the centenary of his death this very year. On a certain occasion, he regretfully observed that “it is sad to observe that only adversity makes men brothers.” It is sad, but we see it all the time: we human beings only behave as brothers and sisters when we feel threatened by the same misfortune. COVID-19 is the great crisis of our generation. And this emergency-more than a thousand treaties or speeches — has made us suddenly realize that we belong to a single world. We had already been seriously forewarned.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We, the representatives of 200 countries, must ensure that the United Nations acts now.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As I speak, some of the migrants who fled poverty will have realized their dream of achieving a better future. I hope that, thanks to the response we decide on today to address the climate emergency, the soil of their native lands will again become fertile so that no one else is forced to leave ever again. In the past few minutes, a patient has been cured thanks to artificial intelligence. I hope that technology continues progressing to improve the lives and well-being of all people — not only of some but of all people. In the past few minutes, many couriers have arrived on their bicycles at their destinations and have delivered their orders. I hope that in the future they will all again have decent working conditions. We must ensure that the United Nations plays a lead role in the world we want.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“To achieve the world we want, we need a method for action. We need to strengthen multilateralism. It is the only tool that offers a solution to the challenges we have listed — hunger, the climate emergency, the digital revolution, economic and social inequality, gender inequality, the violence of war and discrimination. It troubles us to see certain parties questioning the most basic points of consensus in those areas. Retreating behind protectionism and ultranationalism threatens the norms that contribute to peaceful coexistence, progress and global prosperity. That is why we must equip multilateralism with the capabilities necessary to ensure that it is active, inclusive and effective. In that regard, we support the Secretary-General in his efforts to reform the Organization.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I respect that decision, although as I have said publicly on many occasions, I regret it profoundly. I hope that the United Kingdom will withdraw in an orderly manner that benefits British and European citizens, as well as the economic stakeholders that require legal certainty. The deadline is looming large and we must spare no effort in attempting an orderly withdrawal. The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union will of course have consequences for Gibraltar. I hope that, with respect to the United Nations position with which Spain aligns itself fully, we will be able to develop an area of prosperity that encompasses Gibraltar and the neighbouring Campo de Gibraltar and achieve social and economic convergence for the entire region. I will end my statement by reiterating what I said at the start of it.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is essential to promote international judicial cooperation, control their movements, obtain evidence and ensure the proper treatment of prisoners — all without forgetting to show solidarity with the victims of terrorism. I must also mention the situation in the brotherly country of Venezuela. Spain hopes that Venezuelans themselves will freely decide their country’s future. We believe that it is essential to hold presidential elections, which must be free, democratic and transparent, with all the necessary safeguards. That is the only way to return to democratic and institutional normalcy in that country. There is another international event which, although not violent in nature, concerns me. The United Kingdom has decided to withdraw from the European Union.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The situation in Syria is one of the most tragic and the Government of Spain is very concerned. Eight years of conflict have led to chilling statistics — more than 400,000 deaths, 5.6 million refugees, 80 per cent of the Syrian population below the poverty line and 11.7 million people with humanitarian needs. The United Nations can offer a way out of the civil and humanitarian conflict. The utmost pressure must be exerted and Spain pledges its full support to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General. The global threat of terrorism still looms. Returning foreign terrorist fighters are a source of concern for Governments.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Government of Spain defends the central role of the United Nations and wishes to contribute to the Secretary-General’s efforts to achieve, pursuant to Security Council resolutions, a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, according to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. I am concerned about escalating tensions in the Gulf and the possibility that the wrong response could trigger a conflict with extremely serious consequences in the Near East. We call on parties and stakeholders in the region to act with restraint and we applaud the mediation efforts. The dismantling of the nuclear deal with Iran would be a major international failure. It is a key element in the fight against nuclear proliferation and an essential milestone for the security of the region.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In spite of the major challenges faced by Africa, six out of every 10 countries with the highest rate of growth in the world are in that continent. That is why we will become directly involved in contributing to the full development of its capacities and transformation into a democratic and peaceful continent of opportunity. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unfinished business for the international community. Spain firmly supports the two-State solution. We call for respect for and application of the gains made by the United Nations. Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace and security in their own States and the international community must support them in the process of reaching an agreement. The situation in Western Sahara is also on the agenda.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We must overcome the current dynamic of short-term solutions. We must wake up and seek a compassionate global response. I am concerned about conflicts on the international stage and the consequences of war and geopolitical tensions that end up affecting, as always, the weakest and most vulnerable, in particular women and girls. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees continues providing alarming statistics: 70 million people are forcibly displaced, of whom nearly 26 million are refugees. That is unacceptable. I am concerned about the regional impact of the crisis in Libya. The Sahel is also a source of instability. However, for a country like Spain, Africa is, first and foremost, synonymous with hope and opportunity.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We cannot stand by while the rights of half the human race continue to be violated in every corner of the planet. We must act. Migration is part of the human condition and is an extraordinarily complex phenomenon in today’s societies. That is why we have an obligation to regulate it. When migration is safe, orderly and addressed in a comprehensive manner, it enriches all those involved. Spain firmly supports close cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination. We must say no to crude and simplistic policies that are born of hatred and rejection. We must continue working towards a joint and coordinated response to the humanitarian challenge of migration. We must fulfil our commitments under international humanitarian law and the Marrakech Compact on Migration and live up to our responsibility as countries of refuge.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Together with Finland, we promoted the initiative Commitment 2025 on Women’s Inclusion in Peace Processes, including the ambitious commitment to ensure that in five years’ time, the inclusion of women in peace processes will be the rule and not the exception. During the current session, we will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We will firmly uphold the consensus forged for more than two decades. We cannot roll back progress in such areas as universal access to sexual and reproductive health services. We cannot stand by and allow women to be tricked into boarding small boats by sexual exploitation mafias. We cannot stand by and allow forced marriage or female genital mutilation to take place.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I have said it on more than one occasion and I reaffirm it today. I am a feminist President and I have the honour to be part of a feminist Government. My commitment in that area is absolute. That is why Spain will promote the fight against male violence against women here at the United Nations and at the European Union, incorporating the recommendations of UN-Women and promoting the European Strategy on Gender Equality at the European Union. That Strategy must be binding for each and every country of the European Union. We will work towards a joint definition of femicide and homogeneous legislation on the subject. We will continue to lead the women and peace and security agenda.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The stability of the world economy is ultimately at stake. In the face of mistrust and dirty wars, bridges need to be built. An example of this is the new trade agreements reached recently by the Southern Common Market and the European Union, which are committed to opening up the economy to trade, while protecting labour, social and environmental rights. The outbreak of a trade war with unpredictable consequences can and must be avoided. It is up to us to abandon unilateral actions and resolve our differences in the framework of the rules-based multilateral trading system, centred on the World Trade Organization, which should of course be reformed. Let me reiterate that my vision of a just world cannot be understood without a key basic principle — that of gender equality, equality between men and women.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Not everyone can be operated on by a robot. Inequality includes technological inequality. Fighting technological inequality is also a Sustainable Development Goal. Faced with the disruptive nature of this revolution, we in the public sphere must ensure that progress is at the service of human beings. The jobs of the future will be different. As is often said, we do not know exactly what the work of our children and grandchildren will be. But what we have to be very clear about is that, while these jobs may be different, they also have to be dignified. The transport of the future will be faster, but it must be sustainable, affordable and accessible also for people with disabilities. The future we want must also be able to create wealth and distribute it fairly. However, trade tensions represent a major threat to prosperity.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As the Assembly knows, the technological revolution has already profoundly transformed our societies, and it will continue to do so without us being able to see their limits, their potential and also the risks that they bring. Our systems of production, consumption, health, transport and even of socialization and security are changing radically. As just one example, the mobile technology we all have in our pocket is superior to that used to send us to the Moon for the first time. We are also seeing previously unimaginable new phenomena that could undermine States: cyberattacks and fake news are different manifestations of the use of technology as a transnational weapon of attrition. Nevertheless, big data, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things are concepts — terms — that only a part of the world can experience.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The rich countries of the North are seduced by racism and hate speech and blame the migrants for their so-called first-world problems. Inequalities in the welfare state are a breeding ground for illiteracy and pandemics in developing countries. Let us act. Spain assures the Assembly that it is doing so. Accordingly, I would like to make two important announcements. The first of them is that Spain will contribute €100 million over five years to the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund. The second announcement is that Spain will return to the donor community of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by making a contribution of €100 million over the next three years. Let us also talk about technological transformation and changes in the world economic order.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“All these concepts are enshrined in the 2030 Agenda and require us to transform our societies in depth, in a structural way. But we will not really be able to talk about progress if we do not put the human being at the centre of our policies. I say this because the issue of progress must be met with a progressive response. Globalization must be based on rights, freedoms and actions to curb inequality and environmental degradation. Everything is ultimately interconnected: industrial relocation generates unemployment in the departed region but also causes environmental impacts in the destination region. Global warming affects the livelihoods of the countries of the South and also provokes migratory movements towards the North.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The so-called millennials and centennials today are 20 per cent less likely to be middle class than their parents. They also have fewer options to work at what they are qualified for. Online delivery companies, for example, are today full of university graduates. The inequality gap does not stop growing: some recent reports point out that, in 2030, 1 per cent of the world’s population will accumulate two thirds of our planet’s total wealth. While being a dramatic figure, it is not the worst figure of all: according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, more than 800 million human beings on our planet are suffering from hunger. The concepts of sustainability, justice and human dignity cannot be understood without the necessary and tireless fight against hunger, poverty and precariousness.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It was not an edited photo; the temperature of the waters in that area has risen by five degrees in just one year. That is a real alarm, as is watching the Amazon burn before the impotent gaze of the indigenous populations. Why have we not acted forcefully enough? We already have examples of good practices that I would like to champion: for example, decades-long joint efforts under the Montreal Protocol are bearing fruit — they have been effective — and we are regenerating our ozone layer. We also have good ideas. Let us get the Green New Deal going. The climate emergency is the great threat of our age, but we have alternatives. What is important is that we take action. In addition to sustainability, we need much more social justice.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We set ourselves the challenge of climate change as a great opportunity — and not as a great threat — to transform our economic model, modernize our labour market, create quality employment, gain in energy security and innovation, improve citizens’ health and position our country, Spain, at the forefront of the technologies that will dominate the next century. The climate emergency also requires the mobilization of financial resources at all levels. For this reason, I announced at the Climate Action Summit on Monday that Spain will contribute €150 million to the Green Climate Fund over the next four years. We will also ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal, and we will contribute €2 million to the Adaptation Fund. I think all of us in this Hall have seen the recent photo of dogs pulling a sled over the thawed waters of Greenland.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Let us act, for example, to recognize some ecosystems as global public goods with their own special status. Spain is making a great effort to be part of the group of countries driving the climate agenda. It is one of the central axes of my Government’s programme, and we want to demonstrate our firm commitment with deeds. We have set out to decarbonize our economy by 2050 in a socially just, supportive and efficient manner, without leaving anyone behind. To this end, we have approved and presented an ambitious strategic framework for energy and climate.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)