YouSaid · the spoken record

Mireya Moscoso

lines on the record: 28
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2002-09-24
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 will only be able achieve the lofty goals we are setting at this forum through the unity of those who aspire to live in a fraternal, prosperous and peaceful world. May God enlighten us and guide us in the search for that legitimate aspiration.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“14 Like the rest of the world, we are concerned at the situation in the Middle East, in neighbouring Colombia and in many other parts of the world where international support is still being anxiously awaited. Our Government believes that the benefits of the United Nations system and its various bodies must be extended to the people of Taiwan, while fostering a broad debate with the aim of beginning formal, peaceful negotiations that will lead the people of China to resolve existing differences. Our delegation is particularly gratified at the presence of so many political leaders who have come here in a gesture of fraternal solidarity with all the citizens of the world who were victims of the madness and the evil of groups that do not understand the advantages of dialogue and civilized understanding.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“For that reason, this revitalizing effort must be supplemented with sustained action, as has been recommended by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and other regional groups. Panama hails the way the Security Council has conducted its work over the past year and continues to believe that this important United Nations organ be composed of a larger number of members. However, as we did at the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, we stress today that consideration of permanent or non-permanent status must be linked to justifications in keeping with the new vision of the world and that changes must not be introduced that could lead to the permanent distribution of privileges that became manifestly obsolete years ago.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“At the same time, we are beginning to forge a new industrial strategy with tools that will give us access to international markets on a competitive footing in terms of price and quality. At the same time as the Panama Canal is being rapidly modernized to respond to the demands of world trade, we are enhancing our democratic stability through increasingly efficient and transparent processes. We respect and support human rights, particularly the freedom of expression, and we are taking innovative steps to guarantee a promising future for our society. In the context of all of these initiatives, which are repeated in country after country, the United Nations, without doubt, will have to play a much more aggressive role, sustaining and enhancing capacities for political dialogue and preventing the economic domain from assuming that role.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“For that reason, we have embraced the free trade option, but, as we indicated in Monterrey in March 2002, a more equitable economic regime must be consolidated that will enhance opportunities for cooperation, address the question of our external indebtedness and stimulate free trade based on equity and symmetry. In that context, we currently host the interim secretariat for the Free Trade Area of the Americas, aspiring, as we have demonstrated, to become the site of the permanent secretariat in 2005. Panama is moving firmly in the right direction, addressing the far-reaching themes of the new millennium with the active participation of society. It is modernizing the State administration, tackling the need to modernize its educational and social security systems and developing its rural sector.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Republic of Panama has unreservedly assumed the commitment to broadly disseminate the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on women, as well as to implement the Platform's 12 critical areas of concern. We also reaffirm that the progress of nations must be based on sustainable development, guided by the commitments undertaken at Rio de Janeiro and the relevant processes culminating at Johannesburg, with all their agreements and initiatives. Our foreign policy is based on the fundamental values of our people, such as the promotion of democracy and good governance, solidarity and international cooperation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In the light of that commitment, on 7 March we ratified the Rome Statute creating the International Criminal Court and deposited our instruments of ratification with the United Nations on 21 March. We firmly believe that, as stipulated by the Statute, we must end the impunity of those who commit appalling crimes against humanity, regardless of the charges brought by the victims and of the immunities that may have been extended to the perpetrator within or outside his own country. However, the fight against terrorism and the abuse of power that hinders democracy and undermines human rights must go hand in hand with genuine growth opportunities for the developing countries.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“This has come at the price of an immense sacrifice in 13 terms both of human life and of resources that should be devoted to promoting the collective well-being of our societies. That is why terrorism must be defeated utterly, using all means available to us, wherever it may be found. With such resolve, Panama has taken specific steps, ratifying the major international instruments against terrorism and adopting and implementing domestic legal norms designed to control the sources of financing. In the context of this collective endeavour, our country has chaired the Committee on Hemispheric Security of the Organization of American States, seeking thereby to adapt to our realities all instruments that are relevant to this issue, while strengthening mechanisms of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I wish to express my satisfaction at having been able to stand with the American people at the commemoration of the first anniversary of the tragic events of 11 September. Images of the moving and, above all, authentic homage paid yesterday morning will remain graven indelibly in my memory. If the nationalities of the heroes had been noted along with their names, we would undoubtedly have understood more clearly that this crime was an assault not only on the United States of America, but on the whole of humankind. Terrorism has become the gravest threat to international security and to the environment of peace that has gradually gained ground throughout the world.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Allow me to begin my statement by expressing the pleasure of the Government and people of Panama on your well- deserved election, Sir, as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session. We fully supported that election. We value your understanding of most of the issues that are the subjects of debate in this world arena and the opportunities afforded us by the experience that you have gained in your homeland, along with that in general of the peoples of Eastern Europe, a region that, in recent years, has been the crucible of the most complex problems and, at the same time, the most innovative solutions. I also pay tribute to the extraordinary work of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has made undeniable and productive efforts to achieve reconciliation among peoples living in the midst of conflict.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“On account of the trust that my people have in the United Nations, I invite all of the dignitaries and representatives of Member States to join with us in celebrating the recovery of the sovereignty that we never resigned ourselves to losing. At this historic moment, which Panamanians wish to share with the whole of humankind, the bells of the world will ring out in jubilation because the principle of sovereignty, so often proclaimed in this and other international forums, will have been translated into reality in my country. May God, the source of all authority, guide the deliberations of the Assembly.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I would ask them to come with us to the rescue of the weak, of those who suffer unspeakable injustice and those whose way of life is threatened by invisible forces that they can neither understand nor control. My presence here is evidence of the Panamanians' firm belief in the order provided by this Organization, whose struggle to achieve equality among peoples and peace among nations dates back more than 50 years. This Organization has wholeheartedly championed human rights and battled against discrimination on all fronts. That is why we believe in the need to strengthen it, because the United Nations is the court in which the 3 voice of smaller States can be heard, as well as the ultimate champion of all of our rights.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In this respect, I am pleased to assure the Assembly that Panama is doing everything in its power to put an end to the use and trafficking of drugs as well as to the money- laundering that is the result of that heinous phenomenon. We the leaders of nations have the opportunity to undertake measures that will significantly help to fashion a more just, more humane and fairer world governed by the fundamental principles of democracy, justice and liberty, for which my people, together with all the peoples of the world, have fought throughout history. I urge dignitaries and the representatives of Member States to embark resolutely on the struggle against poverty, destitution and corruption, which so adversely affect the living conditions of humankind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“However, many Panamanian women are being hard hit by poverty and destitution, an unacceptable situation that they share with children, older adults and men, whom so- called globalization takes no account of. If we wish to secure the sustainability of human life on this God-given earth, and if we wish to keep our promises as leaders, we must strive to eradicate hunger, poverty and destitution, which in my country afflict almost two-fifths of the population. If we wish to achieve these goals — which is what we were elected to do — we must root out corruption, which is the major obstacle standing in the way of achieving the lofty results that our societies expect of us.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Consequently, I bear the heavy responsibility in following in the steps of my predecessors — exceptional leaders elected in democratic elections, such as Golda Meir, Indira Ghandi and Corazón Aquino, among others; and, in the western hemisphere, Eugenia Charles, Violeta Chamorro and Janet Jagan. They helped to realize the warranted aspiration that society should recognize women's skills and merits to share on an equal footing in the great political responsibility of presiding over a nation. For Panamanian women I represent a dream come true. In this respect, my election is a significant advance in the campaign to ensure political equality for the women of my country and the rest of the continent.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“At a time when the rights of women to equality and participation in the public life of nations are constantly being reaffirmed, I am proud to be the first Panamanian woman ever to receive from her people, in an unmistakeable manifestation of confidence, the mandate to serve the Republic as President. I interpret this mandate as a challenge calling on me to promote sustainable human development honestly and devotedly, in accordance with the universal political values that for half a century the Organization has been upholding with admirable persistence: the democratic system of government and respect for human rights.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This is the real state of affairs that obliges my Government to review the orientation of our economic policy in order to promote the development of our people. We are particularly concerned with the development of rural communities. These communities make an invaluable contribution to the strength of our nationhood, but they are also the ones that have the greatest difficulties in the struggle to ensure their survival. The fundamental concern of my Government is bound up with improving the quality of life of the neediest. That objective depends to a large extent upon our efforts, but it also depends on our succeeding in opening new markets for our products and achieving greater participation for private investment in our country and greater cooperation with developed nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The benefits that control 2 over the Canal have yielded for the economy and the political standing of the United States determine that that nation should value the feeling of brotherhood that its leaders have for decades professed and truly act on them in order to begin a new period of relations with Panama that will enable us to boost sustainable human development, which is something the Panamanian people very much aspire to. In recent years, my country, like many others, has suffered the imposition of an economic orthodoxy applied more with an eye towards the interests of the major international economic sectors than to the true development of peoples, without any consideration being given to the values that underpin our nationhood.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The handover of the Canal to the jurisdiction of the Republic of Panama is an event of far-reaching importance not only for Panama and the United States, but for the international community as well. Consequently, Panamanians hope that the representatives of the international community will join in celebrating the commemorative events associated with the transition. Panamanians also hope that from now on the relations between Panama and the United States will be based on mutual respect, cooperation and equity in trade, in view of the tremendously strong nature of the historical, social, political and trading bonds that have joined the two nations since the last century.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I should like to recognize the faultless way in which successive United States Governments have fulfilled the provisions of the Canal Treaty since it was signed in 1977. Thanks to them, it has been possible to overcome the obstacles that have been encountered over a long period of 20 years in the transfer of the inter-oceanic waterway and in the hand-over of the military bases that were established on our territory. Although there are several matters remaining for both Governments to confront, such as decontamination of certain areas designed for military use by the United States Army, my Government trusts that the differences that continue to exist on this point will be resolved satisfactorily in a reasonable period of time.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In order to guarantee its future operation, Panama is currently implementing an intensive programme of investment at an approximate cost of one billion balboas in order to modernize and improve the inter-oceanic waterway and to ensure that it is ready to cope with demand and to maintain the quality of its services. It is hoped that this modernization and improvement programme will augment the capacity of the Canal by 20 per cent. One of the priorities of the Canal Authority is to protect the environment. As the Act establishes, as of 31 December 1999 the Authority will have the responsibility of vigilance over and conservation of the Canal basin, as well as for coordinating the administration, conservation and use of the natural resources of that immense region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On the basis of that constitutional provision, adopted in 1994, and with the wide participation of society, we developed the Panama Canal Authority Act, which was adopted unanimously in the Legislative Assembly. Those two legal instruments, the constitutional provision and the Act, provide the necessary legal mechanisms to ensure proper operation of the inter- oceanic waterway. In recent years, the Canal has handled unprecedented volumes of traffic and cargo and has dealt with them with exemplary care and efficiency, fundamentally thanks to our precious human resources, who are almost all of Panamanian nationality.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“That agreement recorded the commitment of the United States to transfer to Panama the administration and total control of the inter-oceanic waterway on 31 December 1999. Since then, the Governments of Panama and the United States of America have worked in harmony to bring about a seamless transition. Furthermore, and particularly since the 1989 restoration of constitutional rule, we Panamanians have agreed on the need to place the Canal above and beyond political differences. The fruit of this consensus was the fact that our political Constitution incorporates a provision for the Canal that stipulates how the waterway is to be administered from 31 December 1999.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Panamanian people will now be able to participate fully in the prosperity that the inter-oceanic waterway generates because, at the threshold of the twenty-first century, Panama has determined that the Canal will be operated not only to punctually serve international trade, but also to promote sustainable human development. The administration of the Canal is therefore not simply a right, but also a responsibility that obligates all Panamanians to administer the waterway responsibly, efficiently and with absolute probity. We have prepared ourselves for this with redoubled care. The process for the legal transition of the Canal began in 1977 with the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On the eve of this tremendous event that arouses such great expectations, we must recognize the efforts of the many Panamanian men and women who, from the time we became an independent State, began the nationalist struggle to free ourselves from the burdens imposed on us by the first Canal Treaty, which was signed in 1903. Their patriotic deeds have been indelibly engraved in the history and the tradition of our people. Since its opening in 1914, the Canal has been an important symbol of our nationhood and the centre of the hopes of the Panamanian people to attain its development as a nation. The Canal, which turned us into the world's bridge and the heart of the universe, has given impetus to the economic progress of the international community in the course of eight and a half decades.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I am the spokesperson of a country where, according to the design of the liberator, Simón Bol'var, the first congress of the new nations of the continent took place. Here before the Assembly, I represent a State whose geographical location has given it an extraordinary role as a transit route, a country that has devoted itself heart and soul to the service of inter-oceanic transport and that, as a result, has had to wait until the end of the twentieth century to recover dominion over the whole of its territory. Along with my compatriots, I am filled with enthusiasm at the approach of the far-reaching event that is the handing over of the Panama Canal to Panamanian hands.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Didier Opertti, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, I also wish to convey our appreciation for the outstanding way in which he conducted our debates and his contribution to the success of the deliberations of the Assembly. My warmest congratulations, on behalf of the people and the Government of Panama, go also to the representatives of Kiribati, Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga, States which were admitted to the United Nations on the first day of this session. This event confirms beyond question the universal and inclusive nature and purpose of this body devoted to fostering world peace and peoples' well-being. Today I am speaking on behalf of a young, proud nation that has written some illustrious pages in the history of the Latin American peoples' struggle to achieve nationhood.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The delegation of Panama is particularly gratified to welcome your election, Sir, to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. We are pleased that the noble people of Africa, whose aspiration to progress is shared by Panamanians, are so well represented in this forum, with you at the head of our deliberations and another distinguished African, Mr. Kofi Annan, leading the Secretariat. We join in the congratulations conveyed to you in recognition of your capacity and your skills, as well as in the expressions of gratitude addressed to the Secretary-General for his dedication to the Organization and his tireless efforts to maintain international peace and security. To your predecessor, Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)