YouSaid · the spoken record

Torrijos

lines on the record
7
first
2007-09-25
most recent
2008-09-23
sittings or episodes
2
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “It is also true, however, that parties to a conflict are more disposed to mediation if effective mechanisms are in place. In other words, political will and effective mechanisms are two mutually reinforcing elements: when there is greater resolve, the mechanisms will be more effective and when the mechanisms are more effective, then there will be greater political will to use them. Therefore, Panama calls on the Member States of the United Nations and, in particular, on the members of the Security Council, to harness their efforts to reinforce this Organization's role as a mediator and thus to serve fully meet the purpose for which it was created 63 years ago.”

    2008-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5979 (2008) · source

  2. “Panama and the United States found other means of negotiation and reached an agreement that allowed my country to regain sovereignty over all of its territory and to assume administration of the Panama Canal on the 31 December 1999. I underscore this fact, although it is well known, as it is an example of how the United Nations could have acted as a mediator rather than only the recipient of our grievances and requests. Many other conflicts could have been avoided and many lives could have been saved had there been a mechanism for this Organization to mediate effectively. Naturally, one should recall that the strength of mediation does not lie in the design or implementation of mechanisms but rather in the political resolve of parties to reach agreements.”

    2008-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5979 (2008) · source

  3. “On far fewer occasions, the United Nations has assumed the role of mediator to resolve conflicts. This was my country's experience. Throughout almost all of the twentieth century, the United States maintained a colonial enclave in Panama. In 1973, the Security Council met for the second and last time outside of Headquarters in order to convene a meeting in the capital city of Panama. We have no doubt whatsoever that this event raised the world's awareness of the need to put an end to a situation that was in every regard unjust and contrary to the principles enshrined in the Organization's Charter. However, the United Nations restricted itself to a listening role, and the draft resolution that invited the parties to reach an agreement was vetoed.”

    2008-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5979 (2008) · source

  4. “Panama welcomes this initiative to devote a meeting of the Security Council to mediation and settlement of disputes. This Organization was created specifically to ensure that the types of conflict that have devastated entire continents be addressed in a forum where they could be overcome. On many occasions, the United Nations in general and the Security Council in particular have served only as a podium to denounce an injustice or as an echo chamber so that the world becomes aware of situations that jeopardize international peace and security. On other occasions, the United Nations has spoken out, has urged parties to reach agreement and has even imposed sanctions on those countries that it considers responsible for violating the Charter of the Organization.”

    2008-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5979 (2008) · source

  5. “Those initiatives demonstrate the interest of African countries in healing the wounds left by colonization. But it will be essential that the States of the continent respect human rights and make progress on measurable social and economic indicators. It will also be necessary for the international community to refrain from promoting policies that pursue interests left over from the past and without considering what is truly important: the rights and the dignity of the peoples ofAfrica. Africa's future depends essentially on Africans, but the international community must always be present so that it can help to build a continent of peace where justice and human rights prevail - a continent whose inhabitants can once again dream of a future of well-being and hope.”

    2007-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5749 (2007) · source

  6. “The way in which the situation in Chad, the Central African Republic and the region as a whole has been addressed is an example of how the Organization is taking a regional approach to conflict settlement. Nevertheless, we express our concern at the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe and the armed conflict in Somalia, which is straying ever further from the path of peace. We note with optimism the international community's many efforts to strengthen continental initiatives to solidify economic and political integration on the continent. These include the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the efforts of regional organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community, which are pillars of the African Economic Community.”

    2007-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5749 (2007) · source

  7. “President Torrijos (Panama) (spoke in Spanish): I wish to congratulate you, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, on the initiative to hold this Security Council meeting as a way to emphasize how urgent it is that we address the problems besieging Africa today. Africa is a continent of contrasts, where mineral abundance, ecological wealth and cultural diversity share space with the most abject poverty. There, arbitrary lines are drawn without respect for physical or cultural borders. The gradual collapse of the colonial legacy defined the modern history of the continent, and there was an increase in discord. But we firmly believe in Africans' capacity to overcome the effects of colonization through their own collective efforts, in the same way as they have acted as regional intermediaries in their own conflicts.”

    2007-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5749 (2007) · source