YouSaid · the spoken record

Elías Antonio Saca González

lines on the record: 62
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2008-09-24
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

“Thanks to all, and may the supreme Creator guide us towards those great goals. May God bless our Organization, the whole world and Central America, and may God bless the Earth to which El Salvador belongs.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I also wish to state today, within this global forum, that the Central America of 20 years ago has disappeared, that the world’s image of it is mistaken. The Central American countries and the Central American Integration System — SICA — are working well. Integration is accelerating. Over the last three years we have made more progress in Central American integration than we have made over the last fifty years. Central America has taken valiant, bold decisions, among them the customs union. Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras will be making progress in the next few weeks in the area of customs — free movement of people and goods in a Central America of 40 million people living in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, with the normal problems of any country, but with many exchanges and closer contacts between leaders.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I hope that the Organization will be strengthened on the basis of understanding, solidarity and the political will of all of its Members. I am absolutely convinced that if we combine our wills, our abilities and our resources, we will be able to steer the United Nations so that it may effectively fulfil its role of promoting peace, security, justice and sustainable development. Despite the problems in the world, I am an eternal optimist. Problems always have solutions, and it is easier to find those solutions together. We must promote tolerance and human dignity. There is no greater bastion for peace and brotherhood than understanding and respect for our diversity, our beliefs and our fundamental values, if we are to live together peacefully and with solidarity between nations.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Palestine should have its own State, as does Israel, with secure borders. I think that the United Nations should play a greater and more active role in ensuring that the Palestinian people have their own territory and that the territory of Israel is also respected through secure borders. This is the fifth time during my administration that the Government of El Salvador has been represented at the highest level in this important forum, which is the universal and most democratic body in our Organization. My presence in the General Assembly and in other high-level meetings to discuss matters of global interest constitutes an unequivocal demonstration of the importance and relevance we all attach to the work of the United Nations. I would like to finalize my intervention as the President of El Salvador in this forum.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“As the emissary of a nation that lives in democracy and peace, respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, I should like to reiterate once again, on behalf of El Salvador, our firm support for the aspirations of the people of the Republic of China in Taiwan to participate in the international institutional structure, particularly in the United Nations system. We support the initiative to examine the participation of that country in the specialized agencies of the United Nations, with particular emphasis on the fact that the people of that country cannot and should not remain isolated from the international community and could contribute experience, resources and knowledge to deal with the challenges that we all face. I also wish to refer to the case of Palestine.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In El Salvador, recently we launched the innovative 25 08-51839 project Green Network, which seeks to involve Government and private institutions and the Ministries of the Environment and of Education in the protection of the environment through the implementation of programmes to improve social and environmental conditions for the most vulnerable. That initiative has encouraged participation in areas such as water security, judicious use of timber to protect the forests, recycling in schools, energy saving and responsible environmental business policies.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I would like to stress that our country is meeting its commitment to support international efforts to address the effects of climate change. In that regard, El Salvador is actively participating in the international negotiations aimed at creating an instrument that will complement the Kyoto Protocol on the emission of greenhouse gases after 2012, and awaits the and successful conclusion of those negotiations in 2009 at the conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. In the context of Central America, on 28 May 2008, the Presidents of the countries in the region adopted, at the invitation of my colleague and friend President Manuel José Zelaya Rosales of Honduras, the Declaration of San Pedro Sula on climate change and the environment, which set out guidelines for tackling the serious problems arising from climate change.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“While respecting the sovereign rights of States with regard to their immigration policies, we call for a comprehensive approach to international migration that values the positive contributions made by immigrants to the economy and culture of the communities where they live, and favours schemes in support of controlled migration, including temporary work programmes. I should like to point out that, in the United States alone, around 12 million undocumented migrants reside, awaiting humane and comprehensive immigration reform. They are good, hard-working people, who have sacrificed their lives to support their families. Another subject on which we must try to achieve consensus is climate change and global warming.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“On that basis, we have participated and continue to take part in operations in Côte d’Ivoire, Western Sahara, Liberia, Iraq and Haiti, and recently, we joined the Spanish contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Migration, particularly when undocumented, has increasingly become a source of differences, instability and conflict. As a country of origin, transit and destination for migratory flows, we appeal for the continued strengthening of actions to combat and prevent the illegal trafficking of migrants and trade in persons in all their forms and for guaranteeing full protection and support for the victims of those crimes, particularly women and children.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“From this rostrum, I should like to reiterate once again our profound appreciation to the United Nations system for supporting the process of coordinating and reinforcing the peace agreements in El Salvador. Today, El Salvador is a model. We are living witnesses of the fundamental role of the United Nations in guaranteeing peace and stability. Mindful of our experience, El Salvador is participating actively as Vice-Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission. Similarly, we have become a troop-contributing country within the United Nations system, a role that we are proud to assume to defend world peace and security in times of need.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“To that end, El Salvador would like to reiterate its resolute support for the United Nations reform process, so that the purposes and principles for which the Organization was created in 1945 can be fulfilled, particularly today when we are facing global threats against peace, security, human rights and international cooperation — fundamental pillars of development. Security Council reform is particularly important as part of that effort, and in that respect, we would like to stress the need to bring changes to make that institution more representative, democratic and transparent, so as to adapt it to the current international situation.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“I must underline that we have achieved some of the targets established under the Millennium Development Goals before the 2015 deadline, in particular concerning poverty reduction, gender equality and access to drinking water. That is why we support the initiative of the Secretary-General to hold a summit in 2010 to review the progress made in implementing the Goals. With regard to existing regional asymmetries, and even more those between developed and underdeveloped countries, and the role the United Nations should play regarding sustainable development, the Member States need a modern, strong global Organization with institutions able effectively to face the new challenges of the current international situation.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“With regard to implementing the goals of the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children in 2002, contained in the Plan of Action Creating a World Fit for Children (A/S-27/19/Rev.1), I am pleased to report the progress El Salvador has made. We have achieved 15 of the 35 goals, particularly in the reduction of extreme poverty, immunization, infant and 08-51839 24 maternal mortality and education of children and adolescents. Programmes such as the Solidarity Network, which maps poverty in order to identify extreme poverty, Alliance with the Family with 19 measures to help the family purse, Solidarity Fund for Health and healthy schools have been key to those successes.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“With regard to environmental sustainability, the percentage of the population without access to drinking water dropped from 23.9 to 12.1 per cent and without access to sanitation from 21.9 to 8.1 per cent. In the fight against HIV/AIDS, I am very pleased to report on the major efforts that we have undertaken in El Salvador to help those suffering from HIV/AIDS — first and foremost, universal free antiretroviral drugs for all those who need them, with a great number of decentralized hospitals providing that treatment. In the last four years, we have managed to reduce the mortality rate of those with HIV/AIDS by 35 per cent and the number of children born with HIV/AIDS by 89.14 per cent, falling from 150 to 15 children annually.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Extreme poverty at the national level was reduced from 32.6 per cent in 2001 to 12.8 per cent in 2007. With regard to education, the net rate of school enrolment increased from 78 to 93 per cent during that same period. The percentage of schoolchildren who enter the first grade of primary school and complete the fifth grade has increased from 58 to 80 per cent, and the literacy rate for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 has increased from 85 to 95 per cent. I would also like to inform you that the Constitution of El Salvador stipulates that primary education must be free. With tremendous effort, our Government has achieved and established free secondary education in all El Salvador’s public education institutions.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The commitment I propose should lead us to swiftly prepare a multidisciplinary plan of action, global in its scope, in order to strengthen development cooperation for middle-income countries. We believe that new types of development cooperation must also be included, such as South-South cooperation, triangular cooperation, the exchange of debt for investment in social areas, such as health, education and the environment, as we are already doing with Spain, France and Germany. All of this could help us to attain all of the MDGs and to meet other parameters established by the United Nations. In my view, it is important that as we seek solutions to all of those problems, we never abandon our ongoing efforts to achieve the MDGs. In that respect, I am very happy to describe some of the achievements we made during the period from 2001 to 2007.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“At that meeting, we agreed on measures including improving access to markets, reducing poverty, fulfilling the MDGs, increasing the competitiveness of our economies and improving our physical and financial infrastructures. The problems we face require decisive measures to be taken. In that respect, I would ask all Member States to support the fulfilment and implementation of the commitments agreed upon in the El Salvador Consensus and the Namibia Declaration, as well as the consideration of this topic at the Global Conference on Financing for Development in Doha. Those efforts should lead to a General Assembly resolution with the objective of reviewing current practices in the area of international cooperation. For middle-income countries, injustice is clearly to be seen in international cooperation.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“However, I have to tell the Assembly that all the efforts of solidarity we make as a global forum or as individual countries require broad participation, democratic stability, the enjoyment of full individual liberties, and a genuine sense of social responsibility on the part of Governments, irrespective of their ideologies. International cooperation is also important for strengthening national and regional efforts. That is why El Salvador has insisted on the issue of cooperation with middle-income countries. In October 2007, at San Salvador, we held the second International Conference on Development Cooperation with Middle-Income Countries. In August 2008, in Namibia, my country co-chaired the third Conference on that subject.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In order to counter the impact of the economic crisis on Salvadoranian households, we have created a multidisciplinary commission with broad participation, which has proposed a series of measures to address 23 08-51839 current effects and promote a social pact of national solidarity for productivity and employment. Those solutions involve business people, workers, political parties and civil society bodies, and the creation of a committee for the implementation of viable priority actions. One of the most successful measures that we have implemented in El Salvador to prevent a food crisis is the promotion of improved seed varieties for staple grains, which has enabled us to achieve record production this year.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The countries of SICA and Brazil, during El Salvador’s pro tempore presidency of that organization, supported the holding of a special session of the General Assembly on the world food and energy crisis. As a result, a high-level meeting on food security was held, beginning on 18 July, in this very Hall, during which El Salvador explained the actions that we have undertaken in order to deal with the crisis in Central America, particularly in the most vulnerable areas. In our country, El Salvador, we are responding with social programmes aimed at reducing extreme poverty, fighting hunger and infant malnutrition, and attaining other MDGs. At the next Ibero-American summit of heads of State or Government, which will be held in El Salvador, the subject of children under the age of five will be a matter of priority.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We would like to congratulate the Group of Eight (G8) on its decision to support, in the framework of the United Nations system, the establishment of a world agriculture and food association, and the identification of a range of actions to address the food crisis, including through the participation of major institutions. In the face of this tangle of problems that require creative responses, the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) advocate the initiative on action under the Staple Grains Plan, which concentrates in particular on strengthening technical assistance and public and private assistance and a programme for financing, land leasing and a temporary worker programme.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“We have invested in development, and we have worked as hard as possible to achieve the MDGs; those successes will be swept aside by the excessive and crippling prices of oil. We cannot continue to wait. We must take immediate political decisions to shore up development and prevent a deeper crisis in order to preserve global peace, security and stability. Faced with the food crisis, which is directly affecting us all, we support the implementation of the measures agreed upon during the June 2008 High- Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy. We call for action and assistance, particularly for affected developing countries.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is undeniable the rise — and above all the instability — in the price of oil continues to have a negative impact on development efforts in most countries in the world, in particular the smallest and most vulnerable among them. Here, I would like to reiterate the call I made from this very rostrum last year (see A/62/PV.6), for oil-producing countries to seek and implement flexible mechanisms aimed at ensuring that hydrocarbon prices do not continue to drastically affect developing countries. Such mechanisms, of course, should not ignore the harmful effects of speculation by intermediaries in the world markets. If we do not act jointly and immediately, and if, in this forum, we are not able to come up with a balanced solution to this problem, we will effectively condemn oil-importing countries to bankruptcy for years to come.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In the current crisis, there is a danger that we could lose ground. The economic and financial system cannot be at the mercy of markets that operate on speculation. Together, we must rebuild a wise capitalist system that provides financing for economic development, rather than one that rewards speculation. We must help to prevent and mitigate serious financial fluctuations. We must balance accounts and stabilize credit. I agree with the President of the French Republic that, in order to achieve this, countries directly affected by the situation must meet as soon as possible to find joint solutions to what is the most acute financial crisis the world has experienced in 75 years.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is increasingly evident every day that the world is facing a global crisis that has a negative impact on development efforts, especially in the poorest countries. Food, climate, energy and financial problems are aggravating the already difficult situation of developing countries. 08-51839 22 We are gathered here because we have a duty to assume the political and moral responsibility to respond to the problems currently facing the international community. The world must learn from both its successes and its failures. We must learn to face crises collectively and turn them into opportunities, for no one can solve them alone any longer. In order to preserve the progress made in the area of development, we need to strengthen global leadership to make it both decisive and accountable.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“First of all, I have the pleasure of congratulating you, Sir, on being elected to preside over this session, an honour falling to a Central American for the second time in the history of the United Nations. I wish you every success and commend you once again. I would also like to express our gratitude for the work done by Mr. Kerim as President of the previous session. On behalf of El Salvador, I would also like to congratulate the Secretary-General for the dynamism and determination with which he is leading the Organization. It seems to me very timely that the central focus of debate for this session is the impact of the global food crisis on the issue of poverty and hunger throughout the world, including the need to democratize the United Nations.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Finally, I simply wish to point out that our people firmly believe and hope that the United Nations is and will be an Organization that has legitimacy and the capacity to contribute to the attainment of peace, security, freedom, sustainable development and the promotion of human rights. Our role as heads of State and Government is to strengthen this belief and this hope, showing that we can work together in a united fashion to achieve concrete results for the well being of our people throughout the world.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I now wish to refer to the question of natural disasters and the high level of vulnerability to which all of our nations are exposed, as seen by the tragic events that took place recently in various parts of the world, and most recently in the United States. This should lead us to rethink and reassess our commitments and our decisions with respect to the environmental situation in which we find ourselves. On behalf of the Government and people of El Salvador, I wish to express our most sincere condolences and our show of solidarity to all families who lost loved ones and valuables as a result of these phenomena, and we urge the community of nations to pay greater attention to the environment.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“4 With respect to the situation in Iraq, we trust that all political forces will participate in setting up new institutions for Iraq and that there will be an understanding which will lead to the establishment of a state of law based on representative democracy. One of the pending items on the international agenda that we must not disregard is the situation related to Taiwan and its inclusion in the concert of nations. We believe that the United Nations must look into the question of Taiwan, because it is a reality that we cannot ignore, since the representation of the Taiwanese people internationally is a responsibility of this Organization, in accordance with its universal principles and purposes. Similarly, we hope that there will be peaceful coexistence on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“As to the situation in the Middle East, we wish to express our gratitude to the Government of Israel for carrying out its disengagement plan, a unilateral measure that will conclude with the total withdrawal of the Israeli presence from the Gaza Strip. This is a show of political will and the desire to put a lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We believe that continuing to adopt measures to generate mutual trust will enable both parties to resume the peace process, as set out in the road map. Similarly, we reiterate our support for the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent State, as well as the right of the Israeli people to live in peace and security, free from any terrorist threat from radical groups outside the law.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We feel it is important to continue considering the proposal of establishing a strategic military and police reserve that would allow for rapid deployment to deal with hostilities stemming from conflicts, as well as to maintain post-conflict peace and security. We are satisfied with our contribution to collective peace with our growing participation in peacekeeping operations. In particular, we provide troops from our national civil police as a result of peace agreements worked out and signed with the United Nations. With regard to disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, El Salvador supports the efforts aimed at reaching a global commitment to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. In this regard, we support Norway’s initiative to adopt a declaration on disarmament and security.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We believe that one of the measures that ought to be taken collectively to most effectively and efficiently combat this scourge would be to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and to enhance international cooperation. We agree that the system to protect human rights needs to be strengthened but it is necessary to establish an objective mechanism that is transparent, de-politicized and non-discriminatory. El Salvador fully supports the strengthening of the collective security system, with full respect for the principles of the Charter and universally recognized human rights. We recognize and appreciate the role played by peacekeeping operations.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“This matter should be dealt with from a multidimensional approach, one that would establish guidelines for international, regional and subregional cooperation, adopt and coordinate joint policies based on the contribution of migrants to development, as well as prevention efforts and action against illegal immigration and the trade in human beings. One matter of particular interest to El Salvador is the scourge of national and transnational organized crime. The phenomenon of gangs is closely connected to a series of serious offences that gravely threaten the security of individuals and their assets. It also has a bearing on corruption; it reduces our people’s morale and it has a negative impact on our development efforts.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In El Salvador, we shall shortly host the third Forum on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean, the fourth Central American Congress on Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS and the fourth Central American Meeting of People Living with HIV/AIDS in order to unite our efforts and exchange experiences. We are hoping to have support from the United Nations. We urge the entire international community, in particular the donor countries, to continue to provide their support to national efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and to reduce the costs of the medications that are available. One of the matters that require greater interest and attention is that of migration because of its economic, social and cultural impact in countries of origin, transit and destination.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We urge participants to be active in agreeing on commitments, with specific objectives that will help reduce the digital divide separating countries. Like that of the first phase, held in Geneva in 2003, the outcome of the 2005 Tunis Summit on the Information Society should reflect deep respect for freedom of expression as a pillar of democracy in order to ensure that a free and independent press continues to work unhindered throughout the world, as expressed in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become a serious problem that crosses borders and does not respect nationalities. The magnitude of the spread of this epidemic has meant that we must concentrate on prevention without forgetting treatment and support for individuals living with this illness.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“For example, we reduced the number of individuals living in extreme poverty by 18 percentage points between 1991 and 2004. The percentages have gone from 33 per cent to 15 per cent, which means we have reduced the figure by half. The infant mortality rate for children under the age of one has decreased significantly, from 45 per 1,000 live births in 1991 to 25 per 1,000 in 2004: a reduction of 20 points. We need to strive for a further 10-point reduction. Participation of young people in economic and social development is a priority. It is a source of energy and creativity that can improve our society and put us on the path to the future. We also welcome the holding of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, to be 3 held in Tunis in November 2005.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Secondly, the programme covers microcredit for developing micro and small businesses; this will promote the development of new sources of income through self-employment. Thirdly, the Health Solidarity Fund (FOSALUD) provides for the establishment of a tax on tobacco, alcohol and firearms. Those resources will be used to expand medical services in public health units to 24 hours a day; here, we have seen excellent results. Fourthly, the Presidential Youth Programme has begun to include young people in the development process. Finally, our Get Connected programme is aimed at creating a model for public education that makes technology and information available to students. It is with great hope that El Salvador is gradually moving towards achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“El Salvador is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals that have been set for 2015, despite external factors that affect us and limit our capacity to invest in development. With that vision in mind, El Salvador has launched its Opportunities programme aimed at improving the living conditions of thousands of Salvadorian families. It contains five basic components. The first is the Solidarity Network programme to combat poverty and extreme poverty head on, with a special role for Salvadorian women. Through the Chair of the Commission on Women, we are doing everything we can to ensure that protecting the rights of women is on the agenda. We can confirm that the participation of women in peace and development has been essential for successfully achieving our goals.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Although South-South cooperation has become a valuable instrument that contributes to development, it is also important to recognize that further use should be made of North-South cooperation, in particular through creation of the Global Development Alliance, which will make it possible, through a mutually beneficial approach, to achieve economic growth and sustainable social well-being. We feel that it is essential that as part of the comprehensive reform of our Organization we promote the strengthening and greater efficiency of funds and programmes in the operational activities of the United Nations system. Similarly, I would like to highlight the importance of setting up a just and equitable international trade system, based on predictable and non-discriminatory regulations consistent with the principles of free trade.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In addition to those conditions and other factors related to instability and price speculation, there is a growing trend to exclude middle-low-income countries from assistance and international cooperation, further limiting the ability of those States to meet the challenge of development and in particular of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. We firmly believe that the United Nations must discuss this issue with due seriousness and responsibility in order to find joint and supportive solutions that will help mitigate the crisis we are facing. I propose that the Department of Economic and Social Affairs or the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean carry out a study on the impact of increased oil prices on achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and on national development efforts worldwide.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Sometimes, these limitations are increased as the result of natural events and other external factors such as the increase in oil prices which is truly devastating to our economies. 2 At last year’s General Assembly session, we expressed the need to find solutions to the impact of oil prices on economies. Since then, we have witnessed with great concern that the prices of hydrocarbon products, far from dropping or stabilizing, have spiralled excessively as never before. This situation not only seriously affects our development efforts because of the high oil bills, which lead us to divert funds that could be used for social programmes, but also has become a serious threat to social and political stability and human security, primarily in the least developed and other developing countries.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I reaffirm the commitment of my Government to participate significantly in pursuing the reform process, in particular in substantive areas in which we have yet to achieve agreement and which are essential for successful reform of our Organization. The historic process in El Salvador has shown that lasting peace and democracy cannot exist without development and respect for human rights. My administration is doing everything possible to maintain a humanistic form of government focusing on people and their expectations and placing economic and social development at the heart of our programmes. As a developing country, however, we are constrained by limited natural, technical and financial resources.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I wish to begin, Mr. President, by congratulating you on your election to lead our work during this session. We wish you full success during your presidency. Likewise, our gratitude goes to His Excellency Mr Jean Ping for his work during his mandate. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his devotion as head of the Organization. The anniversary we are now celebrating should inspire an appreciation of the importance of dialogue among all the nations represented here in achieving collective well-being. Above all, we must recognize the challenges ahead. We all know that our Organization is passing through a crucial moment in its existence. We can either strengthen it or weaken it.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Together with all the nations represented here, El Salvador takes up the challenge of joining in that concert of constructive wills, in the confidence that the god of nations will illuminate and encourage us so that we may fulfil his will for peace and brotherhood in a world in which no one is left behind.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Institutions in all areas and at all levels must evolve with the changing times. In that vein, we associate ourselves with those who are committed to the structural renewal of the United Nations. We believe that such reform must encompass the highest structures, including the Security Council. Every year, the nations of the world, through their representatives, attend this rendezvous with the destiny of the world. We have the responsibility to do nothing less than to build a better world for current and future generations. Every word, every gesture and every decision made or reached here must be aimed at that lofty purpose. Only if we combine our efforts can a new, safer, fairer, more peaceful and more sharing reality emerge.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It has its own institutions and characteristics, just like any other State of the international community. However, Taiwan’s situation in the international community is exceptional, because its absence from this forum is a denial of the exercise of the rights that are recognized to other peoples and of the universal and democratic nature of our Organization. Our delegation therefore supports consideration of the exceptional situation of the population of the Republic of China on Taiwan and its eventual participation in this forum and other international organizations. 16 Our Organization has played, is playing and will continue to play a decisive role in maintaining the world’s healthy balance. Reality is changing constantly. Many things have been left behind and many things await us.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The complex Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a source of enormous concern to our country, given the incessant violence, the lack of control over terrorist groups and the ever-growing difficulty of returning to dialogue and political understanding. Our country reiterates, as it has done consistently, its support for any effort and measure to open space for a negotiated political solution that takes into account the legitimate interests of the parties directly involved. As for the Republic of China on Taiwan, that is a case which the community of nations must examine in the light of international realities. Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 1971 did not resolve the issue of the representation of the Taiwanese people in the United Nations. That nation has developed politically, economically and socially in an independent, free and democratic way.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In a world that is becoming increasingly globalized and therefore increasingly interdependent, economic phenomena affect us all in a chain reaction. The current international energy situation has a significant impact on the economies of our countries, with a negative effect on the dynamics of growth and progress. Thus, from this United Nations rostrum we strongly urge that we explore, as an organized community, not only short-term avenues for overcoming the crises, but also structural remedies that can help the most vulnerable countries, in particular. It is contradictory to talk about combating poverty and hunger while the consumer countries are paying such high prices for petroleum.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Gradually and in a balanced manner, we have decided to strengthen our links of cooperation with various developed countries. The prevailing regionalization makes us all dependent on one another. In the case of countries such as ours, the situation leads us to nurture our energies and creativity, open markets, promote financial flows, facilitate the transfer of technology and encourage competitiveness. These are major opportunities and challenges that we must all accept. While cooperation for development remains fundamental, El Salvador reiterates the urgent need for a system of multilateral trade that is open, fair, rule- based, foreseeable and non-discriminatory, in accordance with the objectives of the Millennium Declaration.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“From that standpoint, I am pleased to express our great interest in participating actively in the high-level dialogue on international migration and development, to be held in 2006. We welcome the United States proposal to create a fund for democracy. In the same vein, El Salvador welcomes the General Assembly’s proclamation of 2005 as the International Year of Microcredit. The proclamation can promote the strengthening of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent a broad spectrum of the social fabric and help sustain national progress. In today’s world, globalization has put us all on the map of international reality. It promotes the dynamic of strategic alliances in trade and all other fields, and makes it possible to build models for development by comparing them with other experiences.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)