YouSaid · the spoken record

Carlos Salinas de Gortari

lines on the record: 70
first: 1990-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
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

“Since its founding, that has been the watchword of the United Nations the abiding rule of law as opposed to the arbitrary will of the powerful; negotiation and reconciliation of interests instead of the use of force; consultation, concerted agreement and co-operation as means of settling differences, of mitigating conflicts and banishing war. The United Nations was an act of legal and political creativity, of culture and civilisation against irrationality and barbarism. Change has shown us that we can be responsible to ourselves, to past generations and to those yet to come in a way the world has never yet known. We should not let this historic opportunity pass us by. This is a representative forum or, to be more precise, it is the premier forum of world public opinion.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Iraqi troops currently in Kuwait, the immediate release of the hostages detained by arbitrary force, and full respect for the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular immunities for individuals and precincts. If the force of human rights is the most powerful idea of the modern era, invasion is the most consummate form of violating it. International diplomacy is here feeing a new challenge. The world has changed, and Mexico has changed as well; but the value of transformation lies in preserving gains which must not be relinquished. If reason, tolerance, co-operation and a sense of justice are regained through change, then change will have direction and depth.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“On occasion, our appeals - the only recourse available to a peace-loving nation - went unnoticed by those who adhered to power politics and rejected what they considered the naive politics of law. Today, we feel that the change in the world is proving us right. In the name of international law and its world-wide application, the cold war is disappearing and the community of nations is responding to the challenge of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The Security Council has condemned the use of force, has taken measures to impose sanctions on the aggressor and to dissuade him, and has indicated ways to make those sanctions effective. Mexico has endorsed the resolutions of the Security Council and has already adopted, within its own sphere, the pertinent decisions for their implementation.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“All the wrongs of the world were recapitulated and, above all, stress was placed on the deficiencies of the mechanisms that existed and the weaknesses of the international community in righting them. This attitude always met with a deaf ear from some, angry reactions from others and impatience from everyone. That was an effect of the cold war. Since the earliest days of when United Nations, and for more than a century before that, Mexico consistently expressed its support for respect for the right of nations to self-determination and non-intervention from abroad, for the legal equality of States and the peaceful settlement of conflicts as principles for civilised coexistence among nations: it has been a crusade in favour of international law.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Our aim is to remove the barriers that impede not only the movement of goods and people but also the spread of the idea of achieving unity while maintaining each country's sovereignty. The Americas astonished the world almost 500 years ago with the greatness of their native civilisations, the wealth of their resources and the creativity of their peoples. Today in Latin America there is a renewed spirit - a democratic and productive spirit, a spirit of justice and solidarity - that one day will again astonish the world. Mexico is committed to that future. There was a time, not long ago, when the language that prevailed at this Assembly was that of the crisis of multilateralism.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Our new links with Europe and with Japan and the other nations of the Pacific should serve to increase our exports and attract investment and technology. This effort also makes us a bridge between the two oceans. Mexico believes that the economic cohesion of blocs should not stem from a desire to protection against real competition. They are born of geography and culture, and their members should interact through increased trade and a greater knowledge of each other. Mexico therefore seeks to renew the cultural world of Latin America. Although shaped by Western tradition, we know that we are different because of the other cultures that have gone into moulding the Latin Americas identity.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Mexico seeks to participate actively in all the economic blocs and to establish agreements that will enable us to secure new markets end attract new investment. At this very moment, my country is involved in talks with the United States on the signing of a free-trade agreement that will respond to the liberalisation of our economy, facilitate access of our products to markets abroad, and settle any trade disputes between our countries in an objective manner. The inclusion of Canada in the agreement would result in the formation of the world's largest market. To the south, we are seeking to strengthen economic relations with the rest of Latin America and to lay the foundations for freer trade.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In our circumstances this path has led to a stronger economy and to a new, more productive and co-operative spirit in our society. The changes we have made have reached into all areas of our national life. Mexico is undertaking an in-depth reform of the State. Mexicans are changing their institutions and democratic practices. We have a more vigorous and competitive political-party system. Agreement between parties has produced new electoral legislation. We have created a better system to protect human rights and to combat drug trafficking and prevent offenders from escaping punishment. Rights are exercised freely every day. But the most important measure has been to channel a new social energy into the raising of living standards, mainly for those Mexicans who have the least even though they are making the greatest efforts.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The transition to stability seeks rapid trade liberalisation and effective deregulation essential if we are to boost the efficiency of the production apparatus, bring domestic prices into line with those of other countries and stimulate technological change. Mexico took the opportunity to negotiate a reduction in the servicing of its foreign debt, and this has made the country's prospects more secure. We also privatised non-strategic enterprises - doing so in stages - to maximise public revenues end secure the State's ability to meet its prime responsibilities. Mexico promotes foreign investment by permitting access to broader areas of the economy and by providing the essential legal security. Today new forms of association between Government and exporters are making it possible to penetrate and hold markets.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“At the same time, we are adapting our political practices to provide e more sound basis for participation in the world that is currently taking shape. Mexicans will define their own role in the international context. For several years the Mexican economy has been undergoing a process of adjustment aimed at achieving price stability and improving the efficiency of the production apparatus. The consistency of our economic programme has produced very encouraging results. We Mexicans have learnt lessons that we can never forget. We consider it an absolute priority to maintain strict fiscal discipline, as the size of the public deficit defines the margins for action to stabilise the economy and carry out structural reforms. Mexico once had one of the world's most closed economies; now it has one of the most open.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“But industrialised nations too are hastening to carry out changes that will enable them to retain their competitive edge, reduce deficits, streamline bureaucracies, expend their political rights and freedoms and gain access to new technologies. No country is so strong £hat it can ignore change, nor is any country so weak that it cannot represent an element of risk to the world. We in Mexico recognise this new situation in the world. The prospect of population growth and the new context of international competition are the major challenges that Mexico faces. Our population now numbers 82 million, and over 1.5 million Mexicans are added every year. Historic deficiencies and grinding poverty exists side by side with a modern, diverse and demanding society. It has therefore been essential to ensure sustained and stable economic growth.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“But to weaken a people's awareness of its identity and throw into disarray its desire to govern its own affairs is even worse. Defending sovereignty in today's world demands deliberate direction of the internal changes that occur in a country if its people are not to suffer involuntarily the effects of world-wide change. Change affects everyone. We share the joy of the German people which will soon live in a unified country. We admire the diligent efforts of the leaders who have demolished the wall of Misunderstanding that divided families and split a single history into two branches, The unification of Germany, the other nations involved in the autumn revolution of 1969 and the new democracies in Latin America represent perhaps the most spectacular changes.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“That scenario would support the programmes of adjustment and structural change of many countries. Such blocs may, however, look first and foremost to their own interests and raise new protectionist barriers, thereby increasing the imbalances in the international economy. Much depends on reaching a favourable conclusion at the Uruguay Round. Faced with these facts and trends, the world today has realised that a nation cannot promote its independence by erecting walls or by isolating itself, whether for reasons of fear or reasons of nostalgia. Insularity in today's world is a very costly fantasy. To be late in entering global competition means delaying responses to social demands and putting the viability of nations at risk.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We are witnessing an aggressive battle over quality, price and promptness in the exchange of goods and services. The imperative of competition is redefining the terms of production, social relations, and even family life. Never before has there been such great potential for development. But, as has happened on a number of occasions, there are also the lengthening shadows of unilateral actions, the danger of recession end the devastating impact of outside events on the best efforts and the roost heartfelt desires of the developing nations. The formation of economic blocs is shaping a new multipolar order. Those blocs could give a major impetus to global economic activity if they were to remain open to trade, with high levels of savings for foreign investment and lower world-wide interest rates.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Will they remain mired in the routine established during the era of cold-war mentality? Will the great Powers be capable of redirecting their concerns and their resources towards the shaping of a world in which international law is the only barrier to the rule of force? Recent events have abruptly reminded us how illusory optimism can be unless we correct major imbalances, unless we have the will to abide by recognised law. Let us hope that the present day, when total war is being abandoned, does not prove also to be a time for the aggravation of inequalities between North and South and for the escalation of local conflicts. The economic sphere is dominated by new trends that are permeating cultures throughout the world. The interdependence of economies has accentuated global financial and trade links.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Today, in the political sphere, we are witnessing the end of the cold war and we celebrate with great hope the active talks between the super-Powers. I recognize the courage and imagination their leaders have shown in escaping from the supposed inevitability that held the world trapped in folly and madness. For the United Nations, the new times have signalled the end of the Security Council's paralysis and the necessary strengthening of effective multilateral action. At the same time, we see with distress that détente, and even co-operation, between Powers which follow different but convergent courses, does not guarantee the end of regional conflicts, nor encourage development in the countries of the South. Enormous amounts of resources formerly devoted to confrontation in Europe have no military purpose today.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Over and above beliefs, geography and levels of development, there is a new general awareness that economies must be restructured and political practices must be modified in keeping with the new context of interdependence among nations. Today its most positive expression lies in a new attitude and new language used in dealing with what were once believed to be unalterable necessities. These final years of the century are marked not only by man's mastering of nature without harming it but also by the lifting of his spirit. Historic opportunities for building a future which must be common to all but which can also be more civilised and prosperous are opening for our generation. This is not a time for complacency.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I come with the firm belief that peace and co-operation in the world ere possible because they are indispensable. I come, moreover, with the experience of the changes occurring in my country, which stem from our circumstances and our determination but are closely bound up with the wind· of world change. Today we are experiencing an unexpected shift in history. It is a time of clashes between the past and the present, between what is global and what is local, between power and law. It is a time of imminent risks and also of opportunities that had not been expected in this century. Institutional structures, global balances and our very beliefs have changed.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I should also like to congratulate Ambassador Guido de Marco, who, as President of the General Assembly, will undoubtedly guide the work of this historic session to the successful conclusion our present circumstances require. We welcome the Principality of Liechtenstein as a Member of our Organization. Mexico has always defended the principle of the universality of the United Nations; consequently, we hope that we shall soon be celebrating the entry of those States that still remain outside the system. This is, in a sense, the house of the nations, a house built to foster the secure, civilized coexistence of all peoples. Today the life of the United Nations is attuned to the pulse of the world. I arrive here at a time of great readjustments and unaccustomed hopes.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In addressing these words to the General Assembly upon the inauguration of its forty-fifth session, I bring a message of friendship and cordiality from the Mexican people. The report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organisation for the past year tells of the new will and spirit of its Members, as well as the grave risks that still exist. I should like to underscore the praiseworthy efforts of Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, who has successfully used his talent for conciliation in resolving difficulties and in promoting a veritable rebirth of the United Nations. In Javier Peres de Cuellar, Mexico recognizes a conscientious emissary of peace.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)