YouSaid · the spoken record

Alfonso Portillo Cabrera

lines on the record: 51
first: 2001-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Such critical moments create opportunities for re-evaluation and change. I hope that God will grant us the wisdom to take advantage of those opportunities, thereby making it possible for us to overcome the obstacles that have served to distract humankind from a future of solidarity and common welfare.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Guatemala, like all of Central America, believes those aspirations to be a positive force for peace and democracy in the world. We are making our best effort to strengthen the bonds of friendship and neighbourliness with Belize, without prejudice to the search for ways to peacefully, honourably, equitably and permanently resolve our territorial dispute. We express our complete willingness to continue to seek a negotiated solution to that dispute within the framework of the Organization of American States. We reiterate our devotion to, and support for, Central American integration, as well as our solidarity with, and commitment to, all of Latin America and the Caribbean. We live in exceptional times that affect each and every one of our countries, as well as the United Nations as a whole.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“A case in point is the effort that is taking place in the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to re-establish links between three Guatemalan children and their mother, Gabriela Arias. We support all efforts to put an end to the tragic spiral of violence afflicting the Middle East and to achieve a just and lasting peace in that long-suffering region. We associate ourselves with efforts aimed at restoring peace, security and the rule of law in Iraq, as well as to reinstate that country’s sovereignty. We share the view that the United Nations should play a significant role in that undertaking. We support the heartfelt aspiration of the 23 million citizens of the Republic of China on Taiwan to be represented in international organizations such as the United Nations.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We also stress the singular importance of the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Plan of Action. We express our disappointment at the lack of progress made at the recent meeting of trade ministers held in Cancún. As part of the G-21, we commit ourselves to working constructively to bring together the positions of all parties to produce a more open and 15 transparent international trade regime that provides more opportunities for developing countries. We also underscore the need to give greater importance in the international agenda to the situation of immigrants and migrant workers while focusing on undocumented immigrants, who constitute a vulnerable group vis-à-vis the need to protect human rights. I would especially like to refer to the subject of children and to the obligation of States to guarantee their rights and protection.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We therefore believe that we should not delay our efforts to make the Security Council more representative, and its procedures more transparent. Moreover, we think that it is necessary to strengthen the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in order that the three principal organs of our Organization mutually support one another. We reiterate our opposition to all forms of terrorism and we support the collective efforts of the international community to combat that scourge. We believe that the United Nations should continue to give priority to the essential issue of development. Along with multilateral financial organizations, our Organization should dedicate itself to the task of ensuring that the benefits of globalization are widely shared among all the inhabitants of the world.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I would now like to turn briefly to some of the issues we will be dealing with during this session. In particular, I would like to respond to the challenge that the Secretary-General put before us this morning, namely, how to rethink the United Nations in these times of fundamental changes. As I have already said, we fully support the United Nations as the highest proponent of multilateralism. We also firmly support the stewardship of Secretary-General Kofi Annan. We concur with his view that it is imperative that we adapt the Organization to the exigencies of globalization. We will also support efforts aimed at improving the managerial capacities of the Secretariat and at promoting the reform of intergovernmental bodies.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I will fulfil two other basic commitments in the remaining 114 days of my presidency. One of them will be to ensure that Guatemalans are able to take part in a free and transparent electoral process that is closely monitored by the international community and in which all political forces participate without exception. Such an event will be taking place for only the second time in our history during the past century. The second commitment involves carrying out an orderly transition of power that safeguards the reforms begun in the context of the Peace Agreements. To that end, I have worked with my Government team to come up with a basic transition agenda that includes providing for continuity in programmes and policies and the strengthening of institutions involved in the peace process.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We now have a defence policy in keeping with the principles of democratic security that was the product of an open debate among the members of our society. We have designed laws to provide for free access to information, the declassification of secret State archives and the establishment of civilian controls over security functions, which includes an advisory council on security. Those efforts are well under way and should be fully implemented during the next few years. Promoting a culture of peace has not been easy. The trauma of war continues to hamper trust in our society. Political polarization also exists, as a result of powerful economic and military groups defending their privileges. However, human life is less endangered and the democratization process continues to move forward.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Judicial bodies continue to be weak, which is what led me to put forward an unprecedented temporary measure to strengthen local institutional capacity. I asked for the support of the United Nations in immediately establishing a commission to investigate illegal groups and clandestine security mechanisms, as several repressive groups of the past that are now in league with organized crime are threatening and intimidating human rights activists, judges and journalists. Civilian authority must be strengthened if we are to restore all aspects of democracy. Our efforts in that regard have been clear. We have established a civilian national intelligence agency, as well as a civilian body responsible for presidential security.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Women also have an increased public role and are developing innovative ways of organizing. All those efforts are aimed at reweaving our social fabric, which had been torn apart by the war. Reconciliation is an essential task in that regard, and the Government must foster a favourable climate for it to take place. That is why I assumed international 14 commitments to counter violations of human rights. That is also why we have begun a national compensation programme that includes reparations for the families of the more than 200,000 victims of the war, most of whom were indigenous persons. We also trust that the High Commissioner for Human Rights will establish an Office in Guatemala. Nevertheless, impunity continues to be a difficult issue to overcome.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The issue of transforming the production process is so sensitive that it was a contributing factor in the civil war that raged for almost 40 years during the last century. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, I introduced reconciliation mechanisms in which all sectors participate in an effort to define the country’s strategic policies, including in the areas of economic and rural development. Our people have made significant advances in the area of participation in the past three years. We have carried out the country’s most significant reform by decentralizing our institutions, strengthening local development councils and granting greater powers and functions to municipal governments. Indigenous peoples are now recognized as such and are able to participate in defining a new institutional landscape grounded in their own cultures.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Through scholarships and school feeding programmes, we have removed tens of thousands of children from child labour. We have also reformed curricula to include the philosophy of the Peace Agreements. And we have considerably increased school enrolment. With regard to basic health care, we have confronted structural weaknesses in the critical areas of child and maternal mortality rates and nutrition. However, much more remains to be done. We are in an unfavourable economic environment. The traditional engines of growth and employment have weakened, and the necessary changes in production are taking place slowly. We have therefore undertaken a massive effort to stabilize the economy and have implemented emergency measures, such as providing small farmers with agricultural supplies so that they can sustain their productive capacity.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Against the opposition of powerful interests, we made a determined effort to increase the tax rate. We achieved a historical level in the collection of taxes, but without attaining the goal that had been set. We carried out the most significant financial reform since 1945 in order to modernize the banking system, reduce the risks of speculation and restore to the system its true mediation function. We modernized the labour law, which since 1944 had suffered a series of setbacks. We consistently raised the minimum wage in real terms at an unprecedented pace. On average, workers in the countryside now earn 50 per cent more than they did four years ago. Our illiteracy rate has historically been shameful. We therefore adopted plans that made it possible to reduce that rate by almost half. Special attention has been devoted to young girls.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Trade policy is no longer manipulated to the detriment of the production of small farmers. Economic policy is now seen as an instrument of social development. After a century of captive markets, local monopolies are now exposed to competition. The Peace Agreements bestowed on Guatemala a programme for democratization. With an eye towards the twenty-first century, the Agreements constitute a proposal for a wide-ranging reinvigoration of coexistence between Guatemalans. But the Agreements have also presented us with the challenge of simultaneously completing various tasks pertaining to different historical processes that other societies have carried out in stages. I am pleased to say that we have made progress in various substantive areas. However, I must also admit that we have fallen short, or inadequately addressed, other areas.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“13 In that regard, during the last four years we have sought to make progress in opening up Guatemala to the world and in making it part of globalization’s technological, financial and cultural currents. We promoted the democratization of institutions, mechanisms, practices and values capable of commingling freedom with authority and effectiveness with equality. We have also nurtured the concept of peace based on justice and respect for human rights. Guatemala is a country where several historical tasks remain to be completed or have been permanently postponed. When I assumed the presidency, in January 2000, I resolved to thoroughly address some of those pending issues. We have freed our country from its captivity by powerful economic interests. There are no longer tax exemptions that favour individuals.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Julian Hunte on having assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. We are pleased to see a distinguished representative of our own region occupy such an important post. We have no doubt that, with his proven abilities and his well-known experience, he will be quite successful in conducting our deliberations. Guatemala, just like its brotherly countries in Latin America, has experienced a dramatic period at the close of the twentieth century. That time has been characterized by a complex agenda involving various challenges, including those of entering into the globalization process, building peace with justice and consolidating democracy in a way that includes good governance.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It also gives me the opportunity to participate in the debate concerning the main subjects that make up the international agenda, while at the same time allowing me once again to express our solidarity with the inhabitants of the great city of New York over the tragic events of two years ago. I wish to reiterate our energetic repudiation of the treacherous attack against United Nations headquarters in Baghdad that took place just a few weeks ago. We especially regret the loss of valuable officials of the Organization, including the esteemed Sergio Vieira de Mello. I also wish to express our gratitude to Mr. Jan Kavan, of the Czech Republic, for his enlightened leadership of the previous session. At the same time, I would like very sincerely to congratulate Mr.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I come before this parliament of humankind to present my final report as a Head of State who believes in interdependence and for whom sovereignty is not a closed door separating nations, but rather an open window affording a glimpse into the identity of each one, furthering the respectful interchange of experiences and the quest for understanding and solidarity among peoples. My presence here reflects Guatemala’s commitment to the United Nations, whose presence in my country has been crucial to the implementation of the Peace Agreements concluded in 1996.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We commend the solidarity displayed by the Government of the Republic of Honduras with a view to facilitating amicably the delimitation of the maritime areas in the Gulf of Honduras. In conclusion, I would like to quote a Guatemalan poet, Otto RenÈ Castillo, who was a victim of internal armed conflict. Fifty years ago, he wrote: Smiles will return to the face of humanity, because children born in the twenty-first century will be happy. Our mission must be to make this come true. Such is the goal of our tireless struggle.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Government of Guatemala has participated in important initiatives in the area of regional and subregional integration. In that connection, I would like to point out that, in accordance with a constitutional mandate, Guatemala has done its best to strengthen bonds of friendship and good-neighbourliness with the State of Belize, without prejudice to the active search for a peaceful, honourable, equitable and permanent solution to our territorial dispute, which dates back over a century. On Monday, 16 September, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States, the representatives of our two countries will be presented with the conclusions and recommendations of a conciliation process that has taken place under the auspices of that organization. Any definitive settlement will have to be approved by referendum in Guatemala.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I would like to make special reference to the 23 million people of the Republic of China on Taiwan, whose aspirations to participate in the work of international organizations have not yet been fulfilled. The countries of Central America in general, and Guatemala in particular, view those aspirations as beneficial to global peace and democracy; they deserve our support. It is likewise our earnest hope that a solution will be found, based on security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1402 (2002) to the difficult situation in the Middle East, which has worsened over the past year. Finally, we reaffirm our strong support for Central American integration and our commitment to the other countries of Latin American and the Caribbean.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Furthermore, Guatemala is a party to the principal environmental treaties, and we reiterate our commitment to maintaining the ecological equilibrium of the Earth. We recently made a contribution in this respect by offering to host the headquarters of the secretariat of the Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the North-East Pacific. We participated actively in drafting that Convention. My country is aware of the divisions between sister peoples in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. We fervently hope that it will be possible to resolve those differences by peaceful means through dialogue so that, without discrimination, all the peoples of the world can be represented here.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“With regard to disarmament, we favour the complete elimination of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons, an end to the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons and a ban on the use of anti-personnel landmines and other explosive devices. We support all United Nations actions aimed at achieving such goals as well as at establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in all parts of the world. We believe in particular that the United Nations must continue to address the development challenge. Working with the multilateral financial institutions, our Organization must play a crucial role in ensuring that the benefits of globalization are widely shared among all countries. This will require common efforts within countries and in the international community as a whole.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“To that end, we advocate the expansion of the membership of the Council and believe that the veto power should 9 be used strictly in conformity with the United Nations Charter. We also believe that it is necessary to strengthen the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council so that the three principal organs of the United Nations mutually support one another. We reiterate our total rejection of all forms of terrorism, and support collective action by the international community to combat that scourge through, inter alia, action in accordance with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). We believe that we must strengthen our collective capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts, whether of a transboundary or internal character.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Its implementation has been given a powerful boost by the Monterrey Consensus and the Plan of Action adopted in Johannesburg a few days ago. We also fully support the stewardship of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. We agree that this Organization must adapt to the challenges of globalization. We are aware that progress has been made in this respect in recent years, but much remains to be done. In this context, we look forward with great interest to the new reform proposals to be submitted by the Secretary-General towards the end of the month. We pledge to participate actively in analysing and debating them. Few would doubt that Security Council reform is the most urgent of the outstanding reform efforts. We must not delay our efforts to ensure that that organ is made more effective, representative and transparent.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We appreciate the work that it has done and we would like here to request the extension of its mandate to the end of 2004 so that it may accompany us as we make the transition to a new Administration. Our hope is that MINUGUA will hand over its functions in an orderly manner to national bodies and, where appropriate, to the programmes and agencies of the United Nations. Let me turn now to the agenda for this session. First of all, I would like to reiterate our full and unconditional support for the United Nations as the highest form of multilateralism. We are convinced that this Organization will have to play a crucial role in the twenty-first century. We believe that the Millennium Declaration provides an adequate road map enabling us to set out our priorities and the steps to be taken to fulfil the goals set.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Essential steps for achieving reconciliation include identifying all the parties to the conflict, making symbolic gestures to repair the damage done, finding out and acknowledging the truth about what took place, allowing justice a free hand and promoting forgiveness. Our nation has undertaken these tasks in a diligent manner, although some uncertainty persists. My Government's term of office will expire in a little over a year, by which time the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) will be planning to withdraw. The Mission has played a fundamental role as the critical conscience of the State and has actively supported the fundamental changes that have taken place.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Civilians are preparing to take over more complex roles and society is being called upon to participate in elaborating important public policies, such as overall public security and national defence. We are fostering dialogue with civil society on important issues such as agriculture and rural development, transparency, combating corruption and providing compensation and reparation for victims of armed conflict. Our aspirations do not stop there, however. Guatemala has not yet achieved full reconciliation. We need to reconcile the elements of our society and provide opportunities for development without excluding anyone.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The recent enactment of three laws a reformed municipal code, a law on development councils and a law on decentralization forms the basis for the most far- reaching reform of the State to have occurred in 100 years. The peace agreements are comprehensive in their scope. We have promoted a substantive social agenda, and we have adopted measures towards free markets. We have undertaken reforms in the area of security, although much remains to be done. The military is now focusing increasingly on national defence. We have reduced the number of military personnel as well as their functions, and some of the resources thus freed up will be been used for public education and civilian security services. Military reconversion, however, will not be easy; we will have to make a special effort to achieve a smaller and better equipped army.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“But our commitment to democracy, social justice and equity is unshakeable. There are just too many things to do in Guatemala. After governing for three years, our awareness of what is lacking makes us feel dissatisfied. On gender equality, we have made some progress on the institutional plane, and we now, jointly with the women's movement, have forged an approach with the effect of State policy. We are promoting educational reform, literacy campaigns, scholarships for girls in the rural areas and country-wide nutritional programmes in schools. We are working also on poverty reduction strategies. These are long-range policies, whose results will be fully enjoyed only by later generations.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The peace agreements were our second declaration of independence and they mark the road to building a tolerant and non-exclusionary society, a State that is democratic, participatory and where the rule of law prevails. During my administration public expenditure has focused on education; but we also address, as matters of priority, access to land and the reduction of poverty. Guatemala is a country of marked contrasts between wealth and poverty. We labour under age-old conditions of injustice. We turned to the Government to promote reform for the well-being of our people, particularly indigenous peoples, children, women, peasants and the victims of the internal armed conflict. Reforms are essential in order to uphold democracy. 8 There is powerful resistance to change, and this carries political and even personal costs.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Yet we have made headway, even when we had to take decisions that were politically unpopular but that were necessary to attain the goals of the peace agreements. This was the case with our tax reform, which included an increase in the value added tax. That reform is already in force, and my Government has thereby fulfilled one of the specific commitments of the peace agreements. This measure laid a financial foundation without which the fulfilment of other peace commitments and maintenance of macroeconomic stability would simply have been unthinkable. It has fallen to me to preside over the first Government of Guatemala in the new era of peace.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“On the first subject, let me say that the past year has been marked by intense activity in Guatemala. There were important advances, but also some setbacks. We confront an unfavourable international situation that has had a negative effect on our economy. Conditions have been made more complex by a severe drop in the price of our traditional export products. Unusual rainfall patterns have affected the production of grain in several regions. I make these points because it would certainly be easier to comply fully with the commitments contained in the peace agreements in a context of economic expansion, instead of having to do so in the face of serious fiscal restrictions and increasing demands on our Government.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I have no doubt that your proven ability and recognized experience as an academic, a statesman and an official in the Czech Republic and abroad will enable you to guide our deliberations successfully. We also congratulate the Swiss Confederation and Timor-Leste, the former one of the oldest countries in the world, and the latter the youngest: one is now a full Member of the Organization, and the other soon will be. I would like to address two subjects. The first is developments within Guatemala, particularly regarding fulfilment of the peace agreements, in whose negotiation and subsequent implementation the United Nations played such a significant part. The second area I shall be addressing relates to our position on the most important items on the agenda of this session.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It is difficult to come to New York at this time without recalling the dreadful events of exactly one year ago, which brought the whole of the international community together in support of this country, and this city. On this occasion, we reiterate our solidarity and our conviction that the best way to cope with terrorism is within the multilateral framework, and above all here at the United Nations. I also take this opportunity to convey our appreciation to Mr. Han Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea for his excellent presidency of the last session. I would also like to congratulate you most sincerely, Sir, on having assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at this session.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In this respect, I would like to share with the Assembly the words of a distinguished Guatemalan poet, Otto René Castillo: “We have suffered in so many places the blows of the executioner and written his name so many times on so little skin, that we cannot die, for liberty has no death”. May God bless and protect us.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Given the globalization process the world is going through, we must recognize, as stated by the great Mexican thinker Carlos Fuentes, that unregulated globalization leads to more profound economic and social imbalance. We cannot turn economic policy into a mere balancing of accounts in which human beings and populations are not taken into consideration. How can we make demands on some countries when those demands are not made of others in similar conditions? Civilization is being put to the test. The question is how to eliminate the universal threat posed by terrorism and at the same time maintain and renew the ethical, political, legal and social bases for ensuring coexistence in a globalized world. The only solution is to focus on fighting for more freedom, more democracy, more tolerance and more justice.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Guatemala, as a party to the main international treaties relating to the environment, reiterates its commitment to the maintenance of ecological balance. Finally, we consider that the United Nations should continue devoting itself to what we call the great unfinished business of the twentieth century — namely, the elimination of world poverty. Together with the multilateral financial agencies, our Organization should play a crucial role in ensuring that the benefits of globalization are widely shared among all countries, not only among a few of them; this requires action at the level of each country and at the international level.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As regards the control of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, we are of the view that the results of the Conference held last July to deal with this problem, while positive if allowance is made for this being the first step taken at the global level to deal with the matter, are nevertheless inadequate. Eighth, we offer our full support for and active participation in the principal meetings scheduled for the years ahead, among which I wish to highlight the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Monterrey, Mexico, next March, as well as the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg. Ninth, in a world characterized by ever greater interdependence, multilateral diplomacy plays a crucial role in the fight against environmental degradation.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We believe that the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations provides an adequate basis for achieving this purpose. Seventh, as regards general disarmament, we insist on the need for progress towards the total elimination of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and the use of anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices. In this connection, we support all concrete actions by the United Nations to accomplish these aims, including those that look to the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones in all regions of the world.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As a matter of fact, we are already working to comply with the spirit and the letter of the undertakings embodied in Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), within the parameters of a democratic society that aspires to guarantee the human rights of its members. Fifth, we advocate the strengthening of the General Assembly, and we congratulate the President of its fifty-fifth session on his initiative to revitalize its working methods and procedures. We trust that this action will continue under the current presidency and that it will extend to the wider task of reforming the Assembly, in pursuance of the aims of the Millennium Declaration. Sixth, we are convinced of the need to strengthen our collective capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts, both between States and at the national level.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“One cannot but be frustrated at the limited progress made in this area at previous sessions of the General Assembly. Now more than ever before we must redouble our efforts to endow that body with greater efficacy, broader representativity and more transparency in its working procedures. To achieve these objectives, we advocate, inter alia, an increase in the number of Council members, as well as a very sparse use of the veto power. We also believe that now 3 more than ever before it is necessary that the Security Council’s work be monitored by the General Assembly. Fourth, deeply shocked by the events that occurred in this country on 11 September, we reiterate our full and complete opposition to terrorism, and we will support any collective action by the international community to combat this scourge.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It is our view that the Millennium Declaration that our heads of State and Government issued a year ago offers the right agenda for our priorities and for the steps to be taken to attain the goals set. Second, we agree that it is necessary to adapt the Organization to the exigencies of globalization and to this post-cold-war era. It is up to us, the Member Governments, to further this process of adaptation in various areas, such as intergovernmental forums, the efficiency and efficacy of the Secretariat, the setting of priorities in shaping the programme of activities and the financial strengthening of the Organization. Third, of the pending reforms, the one that has received the most attention is that concerning the Security Council.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I also wish to take this opportunity to reiterate before this Assembly our concern over the situation of the 23 million citizens of the Republic of China on Taiwan, whose aspiration to be represented in international organizations has not yet been fully satisfied. The Central American countries in general, and Guatemala in particular, believe they could indeed make a positive contribution to peace and democracy in the world. I would now like to comment briefly on our views regarding the principal issues with which this Assembly will have to deal at the current session. First, I reiterate our full support for the United Nations as the supreme expression of multilateralism. We are convinced that the United Nations will have a crucial role to play in the twenty-first century.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Its fundamental aim is to work out and prepare courses of action to make progress in resolving the dispute. We reiterate our firm support for Central American integration and our commitment to the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. Our Government has supported major initiatives in the area of regional and subregional integration, and is working hard to overcome problems left over from age-old border disputes in Central America. As to our position on other international conflicts, we voice the hope that the differences or divisions that persist between fraternal peoples in the Middle East, Asia and Africa will yield to resolution peacefully through dialogue.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We trust that its mandate will be extended until the end of 2003 so that we can in a progressive and orderly way transfer its functions both to national institutions and, wherever possible, to the United Nations programmes and agencies. As far as our international relations are concerned, I would like to mention the significant progress made in the process of finding a peaceful resolution to the historical dispute between ourselves and Belize. In keeping with the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes between States, we have confirmed with deeds our commitment to dialogue as the way of settling disputes. The commission of facilitators appointed last year, within the framework of the regional organization to which both States belong, the Organization of American States, will soon submit its report.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I can point to significant progress, but I must also admit to some setbacks, which are due primarily to an unfavourable international environment, which has affected the economy in an extremely adverse way. I draw attention to this situation, because full compliance with the commitments contained in the Peace Agreements would be far easier in a context of economic growth than in the framework of serious fiscal restrictions and increasing demands on the Government. On a different matter, I would like to comment briefly on the United Nations presence in Guatemala. I wish to reiterate how much we appreciate the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA).”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In this context, our contribution to world peace and democracy is diminished to the same extent that inequality, social injustice and poverty imperil our peace and our democracy. 2 Today the struggle against terrorism is the struggle against inequality in international economic relations; it is the struggle against ignorance, injustice, discrimination, intolerance, exclusion and poverty. There will be no peace if we do not eradicate these scourges. A peace that goes hand in hand with inequality, poverty and injustice is a bad peace. And let us not forget that a bad peace is worse than war. We are making strenuous efforts to advance in implementing our own Peace Agreements, which coincide with our Government programme. The time that has elapsed since I addressed the Millennium Summit has witnessed intensive activities.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I come, like many of those gathered here, from a small country that mirrors the grave problems facing today’s world. Today we still do not enjoy the major benefits of the great scientific and technological advances, and we still suffer from great social inequalities. Ours is a small country that is doing its best to attain peace and democracy — a country that believes in the rewards of economic freedom, but also in social justice. It is a country that has opened itself up to the world, although the world has perhaps not opened itself up reciprocally in the same way. It is a country that works and produces by making great efforts but that, in the present circumstances, is receiving less and less for those efforts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Before taking up our Government programme and the fulfilment of the Peace Agreements, and our position on certain of the items on the agenda for this session, I wish to warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I have no doubt that your well-proven capabilities and your recognized wisdom will enable you to bring our deliberations to a fully successful outcome. I wish further to join the representatives who have taken the floor before me in commending the Secretary-General of our Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan for his wise leadership. We hail his well-deserved re- election and rejoice at the recognition that both he and the Organization have received, through the award of the Nobel Peace Prize.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)