YouSaid · the spoken record

Otto Fernando Pérez Molina

lines on the record: 30
first: 2012-09-24
most recent: 2013-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“We particularly hope that the international community will define the reduction of violence against women and children and universal access to justice as global priorities. Only in a world that is free of violence against women and provides justice for all can a path be cleared towards development based on full respect for human rights. I would like to conclude my statement by congratulating the United Nations system once again on its ongoing efforts to seek peace and justice worldwide. Guatemala endorses the same goals, and it is with pride that I can affirm that we are and always will be a country guided by the principles of the Charter of the Organization.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We also called for a firm response on the part of the international community in order to prevent any repetition of such deplorable acts. Consistent with that position, we have supported the leadership of President Obama, who has clearly affirmed that peace in Syria and the Middle East as a whole must be built within the framework of a political and diplomatic dialogue, but without abandoning our international responsibility to protect the citizens of those countries and of the world from the threat of nuclear and chemical weapons. We also believe that the United Nations made a singular contribution to humankind in 2000 when it launched the Millennium Development Goals. That is why we are actively participating in the design of the content and scope of the post-2015 development agenda as a catalyst for development.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Now that we are only a few months away from the end of our tenure, I would like to say that we have taken the provisions of Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations very seriously, not only in decisions based on our own values and principles but also taking into account the fact that we are acting on behalf of the General Assembly. We have strived to comply with our mandate with objectivity, a sense of responsibility and professionalism, while emphasizing security and justice and the protection of human rights and humanitarian law. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we have taken a position on the recent crisis in Syria. We condemned the massacre, with chemical weapons, of more than 1,000 people and insisted that a crime of such magnitude could not go unpunished.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“My Government has decided to create a national commission that will help us explore more effective means of dealing with the consumption, trafficking and production of drugs. We hope that the special session of the General Assembly to be held in 2016 will draw on those innovative experiences and take a strong stand in favour of public policy that can be evaluated objectively and is based on a focus on public health, prevention, damage control and, of course, respect for human rights. We also believe it important that the special session be held here in New York City, because of its significance for the future of global policies on the drug problem. We had the privilege of being elected to the Security Council for the period 2012-2013.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Likewise, I wish to commend President Obama for his wise decision to respect the voice of the citizens of Colorado and Washington, allowing those innovative undertakings to prove themselves over time. We also respect and support the example set by President José Mujica of Uruguay in proposing legislation that regulates the cannabis market instead of following the failed route of prohibition. I must also acknowledge the valiant and visionary leadership of the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, who has firmly promoted a climate of dialogue and reflection on drug policies among the Governments of the western hemisphere. Without digressing from the path of international cooperation against transnational crime, each country must experiment with new models to address the drug problem.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The new global strategy must emerge from an open and inclusive debate leading up to the special session of the General Assembly scheduled for 2016. We welcome the Declaration of Antigua Guatemala of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States as a first step in the right direction towards the 2016 session. I would like to add to this the specific views of my Government. I should first like to say that Guatemala commends the visionary decision of the citizens of the states of Colorado and Washington, which have led the way to an approach that addresses the issue of drugs from the perspective of public health, the prevention of addiction and violence, and full respect for human rights.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That is why I associate myself at this time with other countries that have spoken out in the Assembly, including Mexico, Colombia and Costa Rica, in stating that in the face of the global drug problem, we must review internationally agreed policies in the quest for more effective results in a framework of respect for human rights and from the perspective of health and harm reduction. The objective must be the well-being of society in all its aspects. Prevention must be given priority in order to reduce the impact on health and especially to reduce the level of social violence that is associated with the drug problem. In the same vein, international cooperation should be strengthened so as to reduce illegal flows of arms and the funds that finance those criminal networks.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Its mandate has been renewed until September 2015, and we hope that this period will be used well to continue strengthening the capacity to prosecute of the Public Prosecutor, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of the Interior, the national civil police and the courts. Building a country that is prosperous and free of hunger, a country integrated with its neighbours and where justice and peace prevail – that is the standard that will guide us, and those are the goals that will move us forward. That is why we ask the international community to support us in moving in that direction. Since my Government took office last year, we have clearly affirmed that the war against drugs has not yielded the desired results and that we cannot continue doing the same thing and expecting different results.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that regard, I should like to inform the Assembly that in urban areas of Guatemala City, where homicide, extortion and insecurity were prevalent, we have managed gradually to reinstate peace and social coexistence. At the same time, our justice institutions report that overall, impunity has been reduced by almost 25 per cent between 2009 and 2013, with a particular decrease in impunity for crimes against life, both homicide and sexual crimes against women and children. In connection with the strengthening of the rule of law, I would like to thank the General Assembly and the donor community in particular for their support for the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That integration is a fact, and we Governments must strengthening the institutions and policies that make it possible to make best use of the achievements of our children, our citizens and our business community. The quest for prosperity is also related to our goals of promoting peace and combating impunity. Security has been a challenge inherited by my Government, and we have resolved to address it by preventing violence and by enforcing the law in a clear framework of respect for human rights. We are far from having achieved our goals, but the progress made shows that our State has the capacity to dismantle large criminal networks and to make them accountable to justice for their actions.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Guatemala aspires to a tripartite alliance of prosperity with Mexico and the United States that would serve as the foundation for solid links with the countries of the Central American Integration System and at the same time become a platform for progress in the entire Caribbean region. Again, we know that these are ambitious goals and that reaching them will require a strong and persistent effort, so as to achieve the common future of prosperity that our peoples demand - a demand that we cannot and should not evade. Today millions of Guatemalans and Central Americans live and work in the United States, and more than 50 per cent of our population depends directly on business transactions with and family remittances from Mexico and the United States.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We see the future of Guatemala as clearly related to the economy of that fraternal neighbouring State, and that is why we have been seeking to strengthen our relations in areas including energy, transport and logistics, the modernization of customs and the improvement of security at border crossings, as well as our common battle against hunger and in favour of peace in our countries. Shared prosperity is our banner, and justice our emblem. In the same vein, we have expressed to the Government of the United States of America our clear interest in aligning our policies with those that promote progress and security between the peoples of Mexico and the United States.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I can again report to the Assembly that we have achieved a 27 per cent increase in the number of workers registered with Guatemala’s social security system between the first quarters of 2012 and 2013. That means that our economy is creating more formal employment opportunities at the same time as we are making progress in establishing our country as a leader in improving the business climate in order to stimulate investment. I am delighted to say that we have developed a growing dialogue in various fields with the President of the United Mexican States, Enrique Peña Nieto.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We want our boys and girls to study as many years as they can and wish, and with no less than nine years of basic education, which is the goal we have set. But for that to happen, we have to ensure that they have the nutrition that will enable their brains and bodies grow healthily. We have to nourish our boys and girls so that they can study. And we must provide them with the opportunity of education so that they can be successful in their adult lives, both in the world of work and in the civic responsibilities that our democracy needs. That is clearly linked to our second goal, that of promoting dignified employment and a competitive economy.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I am here to inform the Assembly, with some optimism, that our efforts are beginning to bear fruit. Since we began the fight against hunger, we have managed to reduce infant mortality from malnutrition by 50 per cent. Similarly, we have created a monitoring system that allows us to measure the nutritional condition of hundreds of thousands of children, both to assess their growth and development and to prevent deaths among children under the age of 5. The challenge is enormous and we know that our goals are very ambitious. That is why we are not yet satisfied with the progress achieved, but we can affirm without hesitation that little by little we are winning the fight against hunger and child malnutrition. The fight against hunger is closely related to education.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I would like to begin my remarks by welcoming Mr. John Ashe in his capacity as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. We are pleased that a representative of our region, Latin America and the Caribbean, is once again presiding over the main organ of the United Nations. At the same time, I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Vuk Jeremi. for his outstanding leadership and stewardship of the Assembly at its previous session, during which he honoured us with a visit to Guatemala. The year 2013 has been challenging for Guatemala. Last year we undertook to reduce our levels of child malnutrition, which affects 4 of every 10 children in my country. In addition, we decided that we could not continue to sit on our hands while hundreds of those children died of hunger.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Such expressions of intolerance offend us all. Finally, I would like to recall that, on 21 December, Guatemala will celebrate the beginning of a new era according to the Mayan calendar. That era, 13 Baktun, marks the start of a very positive new age that will enable and invite us to renew physical and spiritual energies in an atmosphere of peace, cooperation and dialogue. All heads of State and Government are invited to join us in Tikal National Park to share in the dawn of this new era. The Mayans of yesterday and today, and all Guatemalans, await them with open arms.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I am pleased to report that, on 2 April, we deposited our instrument of ratification. Secondly, in that same speech, I indicated that we would make it a priority of our foreign policy to contribute to the ideals of democracy, justice and peace, within a framework of absolute respect for international law. In that regard, I indicated that Guatemala would fulfil its duties on the Security Council responsibly and in a constructive spirit. I believe that so far we have kept that promise, and we are pleased that in six days Guatemala will assume the presidency of the Council for the month of October, and we will continue to act responsibly. Thirdly, regarding the events of recent weeks, we reject all acts that defame religions. At the same time, we condemn violence in any form, including assaults on diplomatic missions.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We will wait patiently to change our policies in Guatemala until the international community moves forward and arrives at a new consensus. At the same time, however, I commit my leadership to moving forward on evaluating the global policy on drugs, so as to make it more effective and based on current international standards that reflect the challenges and realities of the twenty-first century. Before concluding, I would like to brief ly raise three points that I believe to be important to this meeting of the General Assembly. First, as a demonstration of our commitment to defending and promoting human rights on all fronts, on 14 January I said that Guatemala would seek to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and thus become a party to the Statute.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We must seek such new avenues responsibly and tenaciously, and I am sure that with the cooperation of all producing, consuming and transit countries, we will succeed. Allow me to stress that it is not a matter of abandoning the fight against the scourge of drugs. Rather, it is a matter of arming ourselves better and responding with greater effectiveness and clarity, because our children and grandchildren deserve a more integrated and effective response from the international community. I would like to conclude my thoughts by reaffirming that Guatemala will not renege on any international commitments to which it is party. We have no desire for unilateral action, which would only sow chaos and conflict when the response should be a global one.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Santos Calderón, President of Colombia, invited us to discuss new avenues to combat drug trafficking. The agreement reached was that we should undertake studies to assess new alternatives, which we would discuss next year, in June, at a meeting of the Organization of American States in Guatemala. That is a step in the right direction and one that we believe should be emulated at the global level. In the same spirit, Guatemala would like to propose the establishment of a group of countries that are well disposed to reforming global policies on drugs. The group would bring together Governments that are interested in promoting in appropriate international forums an objective and rigorous assessment of prevailing policies and inconsidering new, creative and innovative alternatives.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 must be evaluated on the basis of its results and brought up to date to allow us to achieve the desired outcomes. That is a serious challenge that must be addressed in all earnestness so that we can have a respectful and frank multilateral dialogue, informed by clear scientific evidence regarding the best strategies available to ensure that our young people are protected from the scourge of drugs. In that regard, last April the Heads of State and Government of the Western Hemisphere met for the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena de Indias. Our host, Mr.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We must offer treatment, prevention, social protection, economic opportunities and development for the communities involved in the drug market. Let us not fill our jails with thousands of young people, who would have a different kind of life if we were to approach the problem in a different way. I invite the Member States assembled here to jointly seek avenues that will enable us to offer our young people a more promising future, improving their opportunities for a better life and at the same time reducing violence and poverty. Fifty years provides sufficient time for us to evaluate results, to gauge what we have achieved and to conclude why we do not have the results we had hoped for. In that regard, I also call on Member States to review the international regulations that currently govern our global policies regarding drugs.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The drug problem is growing in size and complexity. It involves an increasing number of countries and persons. Clearly, it is a transnational phenomenon, and it is for that reason that I raise it in this universal forum. It seems that the basic premise of our war against drugs has serious shortcomings since, unfortunately, it has not been possible to eradicate drug consumption. I believe that the time has come to accept this fact and to adapt our fight against the scourge in such a way as to take into account the new realities. Our youth, the group most affected by drug consumption, demands more effective responses from us. Let us realize that the problem is more a public health issue than a matter for criminal justice and deal with it accordingly.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“At least 40 per cent of the homicides in our country are linked to the illicit drug traffic, and my Government is obligated to allocate scarce fiscal resources to combat transnational gangs that operate between the producing countries in the South and the consuming countries in the North. Moreover, my country has gradually been transformed into a producer and a consumer of drugs, thereby compounding an already difficult situation. The existing framework, born out of the international conventions adopted during the past five decades and currently in force, has not achieved the desired results. The consumption markets expand instead of decreasing; the number of producer countries and the type of drugs available tend to multiply; and the routes chosen for marketing and trafficking are trending towards diversification.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Fiscal affairs have been one of the weaknesses of our institutional arrangement, and for this reason, during the very first days of my Government we successfully promoted a fiscal reform, approved by Congress, that increased our fiscal receipts by 15 per cent, allowing us to maintain a stable macroeconomic environment by reducing the fiscal deficit without having to reduce public expenditures. At the same time, fiscal stability is allowing us to stimulate private investments that generate employment opportunities; that is, dependable jobs, as demanded by our citizens. Unfortunately, our efforts in relation to the three challenges previously mentioned — lowering chronic malnutrition among children, reducing violence, and promoting employment — are nullified in part by the scourge of drug trafficking.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We are certain that we can attain progress in that area, since the indicators over the past nine months alone already show a notable decrease of 13 per cent in the number of homicides compared to the same period last year. I can therefore state that, without being satisfied with those indices, we are nonetheless moving in the right direction in fulfilling our promise of reducing the levels of violence and increasing security in Guatemala in an environment of full respect for human rights. In this endeavour, we work closely with neighbouring countries, and especially with our Central American brothers. Thirdly, we are campaigning on the economic front through the Fiscal and Competitiveness Pact.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“My Government has set three overarching objectives in order to advance firmly and sustainably towards a Guatemala that fully enjoys the benefits of peace. First, we have proposed the Hambre Zero initiative, which seeks to reduce the chronic malnutrition that affects over 40 per cent of our children below five years of age. That reduction will be sustainable only if we are able to better develop our rural areas in order to permanently reduce the poverty of families living off the land, particularly indigenous families. Secondly, my Government is promoting a pact for security, justice and peace, which seeks to reduce the social violence that afflicts our country. In taking office, I found a country with high levels of violence; as a result, reducing those levels has become a priority of my Government.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In that spirit, in late 2008 we agreed to sign a special agreement with our neighbour, Belize, seeking a resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute through the International Court of Justice. Our Congress unanimously approved the agreement, and on October 6, 2013, simultaneous plebiscites will be held in both countries to democratically ratify our commitment to resorting to the International Court of Justice. Furthermore, we Guatemalans lived through an armed conflict that lasted 36 years. I was a soldier who participated in that conflict. And because I know war, I highly value dialogue. That is why in 1996 I was one of the signatories of the peace accords in my country. That motivates me to reaffirm my support for the President’s wise decision to convene this session to discuss the peaceful settlement of conflicts.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“At the outset, allow me to greet Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session. At the same time, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser for his stewardship during the previous session. I have the honour to represent Guatemala for the first time before this highest organ of the United Nations. Guatemala, and my Government in particular, will always support any initiative that furthers the noble objectives and principles of the United Nations, summarized in the words “peace”, “development” and “human rights”. My country is committed to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, which is the central theme of our debate.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)