I should
like my first words in this great forum of the world Organization to be an
expression of our great pleasure at the unanimous decision of the Assembly
that you. Sir, should be the one to guide and direct its important work at the
forty-seventh session. Your brilliant record, your undeniable personal
prestige, your dedication to the ideals that inspire our Organization and the
fact that you come from a part of the world where impressive positive changes
are taking place are all signs that the United Nations, with determination and
enthusiasm, is in step with the great phenomenon of our era: the
reaffirmation of freedom as the driving force of history.
We also recognize the splendid job done by your predecessor.
Ambassador Samir Shihabi, who carried out his delicate task during a period of
important national challenges which our Organization met with determination
and with a sense of service.
The presence of a new Secretary-General has given the period since the
last session of the General Assembly a very special significance. This is an
excellent opportunity to express again to the world our profound appreciation
to the former Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, not only because of
the fine overall task he accomplished but more specifically because of his
selflessness and his effective participation in achieving the final peace
agreement in El Salvador, which he, his representatives and associates worked
towards with such effort and conviction. We are also moved when we recall how
that agreement was reached at the last minute of the Secretary-General's
mandate, and therewith the peace of El Salvador was linked with the name of an
illustrious Latin American of universal stature.
When the new Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, assumed his
functions, we immediately realized that his unequivocal intention would be to
continue to support, with his characteristic wisdom and experience, the
difficult and exemplary process in which we Salvadorans are involved. This
encourages us to remain faithful to past commitments and to believe that the
new dynamics in El Salvador are irreversible, provided that we have the
support of the international community.
On a number of occasions, and specifically in our message of
16 January 1992 during the signing ceremony in Chapultepec, Mexico, we have
said that peace in El Salvador is not just a matter of restoring normal
conditions - those that prevailed before the conflict but of establishing
peace of a new kind, unprecedented in our country. Besides being a civilized
way of ending armed confrontation, peace is a complex series of commitments
aimed at consolidating democracy in El Salvador. It is a means of providing
more opportunities for pluralist participation, a way to create
socio-political conditions for stability based on democratic legality among
all existing sectors and groups of society.
This agreement, termed by the United Nations a unique agreement, is being
implemented with the close cooperation of El Salvador and the international
community. Conditions specific to that country, together with world events
and in particular the end of the cold war, made it possible to conclude the
conflict in El Salvador in a satisfactory manner. And at this point we should
like to stress an issue that is of supreme importance: the subject of
democracy.
We have no doubt whatsoever that it has been the existence of the
democratic process in our country that has made it possible for the war to
gradually lose its historic vigour. It also made it possible to arrive at a
kind of solution that appears to be permanent, one that will permit the
building of peace, which is of course a long-term effort. The peace agreement
is sound and convincing to the Salvadorian people and to the entire world as
well, because it empowers and expands democracy. We would repeat here in this
great forum, as we have done on the three earlier occasions on which we had
the privilege of speaking the truth as we see it from this rostrum, that our
main challenge and our most significant task is to serve the gradual
democratization of El Salvador. In this manner we hope to contribute to
security, internal progress and the stability of Central America.
Our country has made major sacrifices and efforts to establish and
safeguard the democratic process. Our Government - and we say this with
legitimate satisfaction - has contributed boldly and relentlessly to the
consolidation of democracy in El Salvador. We will not waver even for a
moment, as we have recently demonstrated, in ensuring that this process moves
forward in the future for the benefit of an entire population that has, as a
result of great suffering, earned a stable peace, secure development and a
better future.
Our country's institutions have contributed greatly to all of these
efforts, but we should like to emphasize that two in particular have given us
their determined support: our political institution, the Nationalist
Republican Alliance, and the armed forces of El Salvador. They have given us,
and continue to do so, fundamental support in ensuring that democracy in El
Salvador becomes a reality and peace a concrete fact. We shall not tire of
saying that the people of El Salvador are the major protagonists in this new
and historic stage. All of us are involved in building an integrated society,
one that can jointly settle its differences and realize its aspirations. In
order to achieve this, peace must be the first priority. Without a stable
peace, freedoms could become fragile and progress uncertain.
We consider it essential that this process be carried out in accordance
with the terms of the peace agreement. Significant progress has been made in
implementing the corresponding commitments, starting on 16 January. Many
difficulties have arisen technical, logistical, financial and
political but, with the efficient support of the United Nations, we are now
in a position to conclude the crucial stage of the cessation of armed
confrontation on 31 October as scheduled.
On this solemn occasion we appeal to the international community
represented here, hoping that they will support our decision and our
determination to scrupulously respect this deadline. At that point, the
military structure of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
will come to an end, because the Government has been fulfilling its various
political and constitutional commitments and will continue to do so in a
serious and responsible manner. We should like to move to another important
stage of the process, in which political freedom will determine the rate of
progress in our country, in all walks of life.
Our peace process, because of it¬´ characteristics and its potential,
stands as an example for others to follow. We are extremely pleased that in
El Salvador unprecedented events of great importance are taking place. The
role and performance of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador
(ONUSAL) is one of those phenomena, and it is in keeping with the new role
that falls to the United Nations in the post-cold-war period.
In this connection, we fully support the concepts contained in the report
of the Secretary-General prepared in keeping with the statement agreed upon on
31 January of this year at the summit meeting of the Security Council. That
document, entitled "An Agenda for Peace", reflects the experience accumulated
by the Organization in the area of preventive diplomacy and the establishment,
maintenance and consolidation of peace. That experience is now guiding the
Organization. The case of El Salvador is one of the clearest and most
persuasive examples of the fact that our Organization is fulfilling the
responsibilities required of it by the events and dynamics of the times, and
it is doing so efficiently and opportunely within this new, increasingly
interlinked world where there is a growing sense of globalism.
In this connection, we emphasize that there is a strong trend not only
towards economic globalism but also towards democratization and the
safeguarding of peace throughout the world. Today no one is immune to the
conflicts that used to be called peripheral. The distortions that existed
until not so long ago, due to the permanent tension reigning in an
ideologically bipolar world, have given way to a much more realistic,
humanitarian approach to the world's problems: understanding the world as an
integrated zone of peace where even the most local conflict is now a concern
of the international community, which is speedily developing the ways and
means of creating effective cooperation in peacemaking efforts, without
resorting to the barbarism of intervention or the arrogance of unilateral
operations. The concept of the international policeman is, fortunately, being
replaced by something much more modern and constructive: joint agreement to
face acute crises that jeopardize international peace and stability.
This brings us back to the concept of democracy, which is the key topic
of our time. In this regard, we fully associate ourselves with the remarks of
the Secretary-General in his aforementioned report:
"Democracy within the family of nations means the application of its
principles within the world Organization itself. This requires the
fullest consultation, participation and engagement of all States, large
and small, in the work of the Organization. All organs of the United
Nations must be accorded, and play, their full and proper role so that
the trust of all nations and peoples will be retained and deserved. The
principles of the Charter must be applied consistently, not selectively,
for if the perception should be of the latter, trust will wane and with
it the moral authority which is the greatest and most unique quality of
that instrument. Democracy at all levels is essential to attain peace
for a new era of prosperity and justice." (A/47/277, para. 82)
We Salvadorians, immersed as we are in a process of radical, conscious
transformation of our society, make an unequivocal declaration of trust in the
United Nations by placing in its hands the vital task of verifying all peace
agreements. It is no exaggeration to say that few countries have placed such
confidence in the Organization. This shows our great desire for peace and
democracy, and at the same time it makes both us and the Organization
responsible. In other words, in the process in El Salvador we are all gaining
valuable experience, and we have no doubt that our original approach to
overcoming conflict and seeing to it that the solution serves as a political
and social platform for the future makes this one of the most important
landmarks in the process of transition that is taking place in the
international community today.
Salvadorians cannot afford to vacillate, nor can we be found wanting in
this great effort to heal our country of the deep-rooted bad habits of the
past and of the ravages of war. This commitment to our own history is also in
keeping with the spirit of our times, to which we feel so closely linked. The
fact that we are so involved in building a new national reality that goes much
deeper than an ideological revolution for it pragmatically recognizes change
and dynamism as the driving force behind social and political life - does not
inhibit us but, on the contrary, connects us to a world that is in a
surprising process of renewal. We are only now emerging from a paralysing
period of confrontation, so we do not yet know what policies and doctrines
will prevail in the future. But we do know that concepts such as political
freedom, social pluralism, market economics and international cooperation are
all in the forefront of people's thinking and action throughout most of the
world. After so many years of rhetorical preaching, today there are for the
first time sound indications that a genuine international community is being
forged - and this fills us with optimism and a sense of security.
That optimism and security do not prevent us from expressing our concerns
regarding the problems remaining with us, perhaps even more dramatically than
before, such as the deterioration of economic and social conditions which
continue to exist in the developing countries and the catastrophic situation
as regards the environment, which is threatening the very survival of mankind
on Earth. The existence of such problems is not limited to just a few
countries or just one region rather than others. As in the case of peace and
democracy, these are global issues, and for that reason this forum must deal
with them as matters of priority. It is no longer the nuclear nightmare that
frightens us, but rather the dying of nature, which we have mercilessly
abused, even to the point of endangering our own species. No longer is it the
power of the super-Powers that is such a threat to mankind's survival; it is
the ancient scourge of poverty that continues to erode the foundations of our
civilization, whose great and unshirkable task is now to protect the dignity
of all human beings without distinction as to race, culture or geographic
location.
The United Nations today, thanks to the emerging new world order, has a
responsibility to integrate the world, something that was unimaginable only a
short time ago. We believe that at this session, which is the first one truly
taking place in a post-cold-war atmosphere, the Assembly must make renewed,
imaginative efforts to overcome existing stereotypes in a world that became
accustomed to functioning as a kind of battlefield. If we could graphically
describe the international reality that should prevail in our day, we would
imagine all the nations of the world sitting around a table discussing, on an
equal footing, the problems that inevitably affect us all. The era of trench
warfare and walls is now behind us, much to the dismay of the skeptics and to
the delight of those who never really ceased to believe in the possibility of
a better world with freedom and democracy. Incredible though it may seem, we
are entering an era in which peace is no longer just a fine word with no real
meaning.
El Salvador is a small country, but it is a small, great country that
does not want to deprive itself of the great opportunity provided by peace.
That applies to ourselves, to our neighbours, to our natural cultural
community and to the world. Thus, we give priority to respect for human
rights; we are trying to organize our economy; we have definitively renounced
war as a means of dealing with internal or international problems. For that
reason, we are here, calling on the economically most powerful nations to
renew with actions their generous commitment to collaborate in the costly
process of peace in El Salvador so that it will not be thwarted by lack of
financial resources. The flow of external assistance to carry out the
concrete agenda of bringing about peace is at a critical stage. That is why,
from this rostrum, we renew our appeal for international solidarity to
contribute to consolidating peace without obstacles in El Salvador.
While the process is moving ahead in our country, and we are committed to
its doing so fully and consistently, regional developments are no less
promising. As a result of a decision of the International Court of Justice,
we have just settled an old dispute with the fraternal Republic of Honduras,
and we renew our unequivocal commitment to abide in good faith by that
decision. At the same time, we continue striving to promote regional
integration, especially with our Central American brothers. We believe in the
common destiny of Central America, and for that reason we are working in a
coordinated way to see to it that our region will be a zone of lasting
democracy, progress and stability. We believe more and more in the real
possibility of achieving a united Central America in which every country,
without losing its identity, develops its own potential. It is a great task
of the present with tremendous implications for the future.
We feel that we are members of the Iberian-American community of nations,
which, though it does not yet exist officially, is becoming a reality in
spirit and in the common aim of giving it shape. We have felt the beneficial
effects of solidarity among nations that share the same language and culture.
We have received and continue to receive enormous support from countries such
as Mexico, Spain, Venezuela and Colombia, the "Group of Four Friends", whose
contribution to achieving and consolidating peace is a shining page in our
history. We reiterate our appreciation to them and to other friendly
countries that have helped us in the great task of making El Salvador a new
country.
We express once again our conviction that the United Nations, now more
than ever, has a mission for the future. On its agenda two matters are at the
forefront: global peace and sustainable international development. We are
convinced that the United Nations, faced with those issues, will prove to be
what President Bush said two days ago in this forum it would be: an
Organization of truly united nations, for the first time since it was founded.
We are especially pleased to welcome the new States that have joined this
great family of the United Nations. Their presence, which enhances the status
of the Organization, is due largely to the great freedom movement that has
marked our time. We favour the principle of universality, meaning that all
the countries of the world, without exception, must be present in our
Organization and must contribute. Thus we offer our support to help ensure
that all pending cases and those that might emerge in the future will be
resolved positively.
El Salvador has devoted all its energies to the peace process, towards
whose success the United Nations is making such a decisive, efficient
contribution. We will not waver for a moment in promoting that process, which
is a matter of rebuilding the country and setting an example to the rest of
the world. Those of us who have been on the side of freedom and democracy all
along have been proved right by time. But that triumph is not ours; it
belongs to the peoples of the world who have already suffered too much not to
see, and soon, the fruits of progress, which are the only guarantees of
internal stability and peace among nations.