Peru

I would first like to congratulate the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, and to assure him of Peru’s firm support in his task. I would also like to say how pleased I am to be speaking to the world on behalf of the people of Peru from this rostrum that represents multilateralism, peace, solidarity and cooperation, the principles that inspired the birth of this Organization and that Peru fully supports. The Government I head began its administration only a few weeks ago. Through the ballot box, the people of Peru entrusted us with the task of making a great transformation, one that we have sought for a good part of our history. We intend to make that commitment a reality, out of a sense of responsibility and honour. Our mythical and vibrant nation, possessed of an extraordinary past and a vigorous present, demands that we put an end to centuries of poverty and 13 11-50871 exclusion. The great transformation is a process of social inclusion, that is to say, of converting the economic growth that Peruvians have been experiencing for the last 10 years into development; in other words, we must turn money into quality of life. Our ideal of the great transformation is as impossible to relinquish as is our democratic faith. My Government proposes to deepen our democracy, so that we can respond to the problems and needs of all, not just a minority. In other words, we will democratize democracy. Democracy is the basis of a people’s self- determination, and the State must be prepared to faithfully carry out the people’s will. That is the foundation of a sovereign democracy. In order to fulfil that commitment, the State must be the institution responsible for shaping the path to transformation through public policies in both the political and economic spheres. The State must act in the interests of the people. The United Nations is the greatest guarantee we have for preserving peace, and it is made up of our States. Today, however, we know that there are companies that have as much power as or greater power than many States, and that can react rapidly via the networks of the Internet and the stock market to put States themselves in the dock of the accused. That situation must be taken into account in order to safeguard State policies concerning issues such as the preservation of the environment, respect for peoples’ self-determination and the rights of indigenous communities and social minorities, among others. We cannot consider the possibility of transformation outside the rule of law and its values. This is not a question of copying others’ models. We will govern by consensus, both at home and abroad, protecting all our freedoms with tolerance and, above all, by listening to our citizens, without regard to class, race or gender. When I took office I quoted Nelson Mandela, who said that there is no democracy with poverty, and no democracy with social inequality. Our Government seeks a State that can regain the ability to promulgate policies that respond to the needs and aspirations of all its citizens. It is in that spirit that we are renewing our commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. Its political class cannot say that the dream of those who established our independence and founded the republics of today, has come true. In most cases, values such as liberty, equality and fraternity were the banners of our founders. However, extreme interpretations of those values have led to a world of great confrontations, without really advancing liberty or equality. Let us now strengthen fraternity as a path to lasting peace. In that regard, I would like, from this rostrum, to take the opportunity to recognize the Palestinian State and its right to live in peace and harmony alongside other countries of the United Nations. Today the integration of a geographically fragmented and scattered nation is possible, thanks to advances in communications and physical infrastructure. Social inclusion also demands quality public services and equality of opportunity. Citizens need access to health, education, housing, decent jobs and social security. We are talking about full integration within Peruvian society. We are vigorously promoting exchanges between our communities, and we acknowledge and seek to re-evaluate our diversity. We want a State that is responsive to the needs of its citizens and communities. That is its primary role. The exploitation of non-renewable sovereign resources, which Peru is rich in, should serve the country’s development. Investment projects should respect both the human and the natural environments in which they take place. This is already being made clear to investors through a negotiation process that my Government has undertaken within the framework of the rule of law. Thanks to those negotiations, the State and our communities will have greater resources available for social investment projects. That will enable us to promote social cohesion and democratic stability, and, at the same time, the more favourable investment environment that the country needs. One of the first measures we took was to enact a law on prior consultation, through which we can respond to the demands of our indigenous communities, involving them in decisions that concern them. In that way we are affirming that every Peruvian is a first-class citizen, and we are fulfilling a commitment made by Peru in compliance with Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization concerning indigenous and tribal peoples. Drug trafficking is one of the world’s most serious issues. It is essential that we recognize the fact that this major problem has not been overcome; worse, its power and influence are growing every day. 11-50871 14 Acknowledging this reality is an important step, which will enable us to re-establish an integrated policy, working together with stakeholders and giving equal importance to both controlling supply and reducing demand. For Peru, these principles also involve States’ duty to act decisively and cooperatively in order to combat every link in that criminal chain. Coca production is a source of income for tens of thousands of people who cannot always rely on a viable alternative for survival. My Government is working to achieve a situation in which anti-drug policies lead to the eradication of illegal coca crops, and is also considering the need to include peasant farmers in alternative development programmes. Unless we do, eradication will simply be insufficient to achieve our objectives. We must act more vigorously in combating the transnational criminal organizations that are the main beneficiaries of this illegal trade. Those organizations employ thousands of people and exploit the poverty and vulnerabilities of States in areas where access is difficult. At the same time, we require greater financial knowledge in order to detect money-laundering activities and more effective controls over supplies and precursors. In the context of security, we must control the supply of weapons that the cartels and criminal gangs use daily against citizens. In the second quarter of next year, we will convene in Lima a meeting of ministers for foreign affairs, and heads of organizations responsible for combating drugs in order to address these issues and define specific measures. My Government will spare no effort in combating the drug trade and organized crime. Peru is a multicultural country that is in the process of recognizing the wealth of its own diversity. For example, our country today is undergoing a gastronomical revolution that has revealed that diversity contributes to social inclusion and sustainable development. Peruvian cooking is an area in which all Peruvians — from the peasant and the cook to the fisherman and the tradesman — can participate together. It is based on a millennial dialogue among many cultures — indigenous, African, European, Arab and Asian — that is represented today in our cuisine. For that reason, we have called on UNESCO to recognize Peruvian cooking as a representative element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Technological and scientific progress has grown exponentially over the past 50 years. Currently, however, there has been a parallel growth of global exclusion. This is seen not only in the lack of access to technology, but also in the mass migrations of people seeking better opportunities abroad. Those people, who are known as illegals, are in fact a bridge for integration. However, in many cases the needs that motivate them to move abroad lead to violations of their human rights. I take this opportunity to call for fairer and more dignified treatment for peoples who contribute through their work to the economies of their countries of origin and of residence. Their marginalization this will push them into informal economies run by mafias and criminal networks. With respect to social inclusion, my Government is prioritizing the needs of the most fragile and vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. However, we are also concerned with the need to protect the rights of women, who have historically been victims of discrimination. In this regard, I note the positive decision to create UN-Women. We call on the international community to work together to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. We also reiterate our commitment to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, whose tenth anniversary we celebrate today. The effects of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are being felt in the most vulnerable social sectors yet affect us all, rich and poor alike. In the context of the global attempt to preserve the planet, we must all be committed. In Peru, we are working to promote the use of clean energy through reforestation, environmental education and recognition of the right of participation and access of communities that possess traditional knowledge. That will require a large amount of resources and technology that are more abundant in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, we reaffirm the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility between developed countries and developing countries. International cooperation must enhance the level of financial and technical assistance to mitigate the effects of climate change. Industrialized countries must assume and fulfil the commitment to significantly reduce their carbon emissions. On 28 July in Lima, the Heads of States of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) 15 11-50871 called attention to the threats posed to our economies by situations that originated in the United States, Europe and Asia, linked to the high level of public debt and unemployment and the slow recovery of credit markets and investment. Of course, is the situation is also due to military ambitions that have diverted vast amounts of money that could have been used to prevent these crises. Latin American countries are learning how to overcome our chronic vulnerability in the face of these crises. We have decided to work together, coordinating our policies to enhance the economic underpinnings of our countries and the monitoring of our financial systems. We have established the South American Council of Economy and Finance, reflecting our capacity to encourage dialogue and establish consensus to the benefit of all. Latin America will not be spared the problems that have affected the North. We are making preparations. It is not enough to be linked to one another; we must be united. The twenty-first century may well be the moment for this part of the continent and its great market of more than 700 million people. Our commitment to integration, peace and regional progress is not rhetorical. For the Peruvian Government, integration with our neighbouring countries is a priority instrument for promoting security and development for all throughout South America and Latin America. This is in line with of the affirmation that the path to peace and reconciliation requires an end to the blockade on Cuba. As Víctor Andrés Belaúnde said on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly in 1959: “In centuries gone by, the arrogant will to power prevailed. Today mankind not only yearns to, but must, live in a world ruled by justice.” (A/PV.795, para. 33) The interdependence of our societies is a fact. It is not necessary to create further divisions. When making decisions, we must learn to talk to one another and to involve the viewpoints of the many actors of the international system. Peru reasserts its full support for enlarging the Security Council to make it more representative and enhance its legitimacy. It is urgent to also advance reform of the Economic and Social Council in order to make it a genuine, fundamental forum for the development of all peoples of the world. The priority we give to regional integration in no way implies that ours is closed regionalism. That would be anachronistic in a globalized world. Although our foreign policy is based on brotherhood in South America and Latin America, we will not neglect our political, trade and cooperation relations with other regions of the globe. On the contrary, our regionalism will provide a platform to bring us closer, in a more articulated and proactive way, with other regions of the world. Our participation in multilateral forums will increase in coherence. Global political stability requires intergovernmental organizations and strong regional groups that are capable of maintaining that multipolar order that is emerging in our world.