Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Costa Rica congratulates you on your election to lead this General Assembly and reaffirms its commitment to advancing toward a more peaceful, just, sustainable, and inclusive world.
We come to this session amidst the reactivation of the arms race, increasing geopolitical tensions, systematic violations of human rights, and the principles of international law.
With these challenges comes the spread of violent conflicts from Africa to Europe and the Middle East.
And, in our own continent, the growing presence of drug
trafficking and international organized crime
We are also facing the triple planetary crisis, rising poverty, inequality, and widening gaps and asymmetries within countries and regions.
Meanwhile, our collective responses remain timid, delayed, and insufficient.
None of these challenges can be solved by a single state or a small group of them.
Only through multilateralism, as the central approach to cooperation, will we be able to confront and overcome these challenges.
With multilateralism at the core, allow me to make four reflections:
First, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights are pillars for the effective functioning of the multilateral system.
Democracy is the political system that embraces everyone.
In it, every voice finds its echo and every person their place.
It is the natural expression of the rule of law.
Venezuela cannot be considered a democracy.
A democracy does not expel eight million of its citizens, nor provoke an unprecedented migration crisis that affects the entire Western Hemisphere.
A democracy does not persecute or intimidate; it does not imprison or torture for political reasons.
A democracy does not deny opposition representatives access to vote counting, nor does it declare itself — without any proof or evidence— the winner of elections.
Costa Rica —like the vast majority of countries in the region— condemns the manipulation of the results and continues to demand impartial, transparent, and independent verification.
Verification that the Venezuelan regime has refused to carry out.
There is no doubt that Nicolás Maduro did not win the elections, just as there is no doubt that he intends to remain in power at all costs.
Let us not allow repression and dictatorship in Venezuela to become normalized once again.
This is not the only violation of democratic principles in my region.
Thousands of people cross our northern border daily, fleeing the repression of a dictatorship that has lasted nearly three decades in Nicaragua.
A dictatorship that has deprived them of their freedom, their human rights, their dreams, and even their citizenship, rendering them stateless.
As Costa Rica was the first country in Latin America to grant nationality to a stateless person, we urge the international community to intensify efforts to eradicate this condition of vulnerability.
We also cannot continue to be indifferent to the situation in Haiti.
The humanitarian crisis in that country has generated a minimal and immorally low response from the international community.
The $674 million dollars required by the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan represents only 0.03% of global military spending, which in 2023 reached $2.44 trillion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Allow me to repeat that: 0.03% of global military spending.
A tiny drop of hope in an ocean of militarization.
Mr. President:
Violence and crime have grown alarmingly worldwide, and Latin America and the Caribbean are no exception.
Criminal networks have consolidated into a complex phenomenon that transcends national borders.
These organizations, engaged in illicit activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the smuggling of weapons and ammunition, have found fertile ground for growth in the region, whether due to corruption, lack of opportunities for youth, or limited police capacity to counter them.
The interconnection of these networks not only affects the security and well-being of local communities, but also has global repercussions, as their operations tend to extend across transit countries and into international markets.
Faced with this reality, it is imperative that the international community adopts a coordinated and multilateral approach, promoting cooperation, information sharing, and strong legal measures to combat them.
Only through joint efforts can the structure of these organizations be dismantled, and ultimately, peace and security restored in the region.
This brings me to my second reflection: at the heart of multilateralism lies peace. There is no peace without justice.
However, its heartbeat weakens with the escalation of conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, the Red Sea, Sudan, the Sahel, Yemen, Myanmar, and Syria.
These crises expose the fragility of our collective security system and demand that all parties to the conflict assume their obligations under international law, particularly international humanitarian law.
Norms and principles must be respected without exception, especially the protection of civilians and the principles of proportionality, limitation, distinction, and humanity.
For each of these conflicts, Costa Rica reiterates its call —to all involved— for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, for safe, uninterrupted, and unrestricted access to humanitarian assistance, the release of hostages and detainees, the withdrawal of troops from affected areas, and the de-escalation of tensions.
It is also urgent to comply in good faith with all decisions from international courts and the Security Council; because without justice, there will be no lasting peace.
While expressing our deep concern over the weakening of international humanitarian disarmament instruments, Costa Rica urges states to reverse this trend and renew their efforts to ensure that civilians do not become victims of use of weapons with indiscriminate effects.
We also urge the avoidance of the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas or their surroundings and invite all states to participate in the upcoming international conference on the humanitarian consequences of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, to be held in July next year in San José.
But we must go further!
Costa Rica calls for a consensus on governance frameworks for artificial intelligence in both military and civilian spheres.
These frameworks must regulate autonomous systems with transformative capabilities that operate without human intervention.
The recently adopted Global Digital Compact puts the multilateral system in motion to address artificial intelligence and is key for its research and development, not just its applications.
Thirdly, Costa Rica considers that the international financial infrastructure is at imminent risk of becoming obsolete in addressing current and future challenges.
Therefore, we make the most vigorous call for an international financial system that is transparent, inclusive, and sustainable.
We require a financial architecture that meets the needs, does not perpetuate global inequalities, and addresses the urgent need for access to financing.
Financing that must be sufficient and concessional, with effective debt relief mechanisms for developing countries.
Costa Rica recognizes the efforts of some international financial institutions to align their processes with transformation commitments, and we urge the States that make up the boards of the major international financial institutions to prioritize this urgent reform.
We advocate for the urgent capitalization of multilateral development banks and call for the increased use of new and innovative financing mechanisms, such as green and blue bonds, as well as debt-for-ecosystem services swaps.
Middle-income countries and economies in transition, like Costa Rica, require the international financial system to provide development financing tools that are suitable for our specific needs, flexible, and adapted to fiscal and structural circumstances.
We hope that the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will generate concrete agreements and demonstrate the political will necessary.
Fourthly, and in order to ensure the well-being of future generations, multilateralism must also be blue.
Costa Rica has developed a strong blue diplomacy that recognizes the crucial role the ocean plays in the health of the planet.
To have a habitable planet, we need a healthy ocean. It produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe, is the world's largest source of protein, the greatest carbon sink, and a climate regulator, and its biodiversity supports the livelihoods of 3 billion people worldwide.
Therefore, it is urgent that the new High Seas Treaty, or BBNJ, enters into force; that we conclude an ambitious plastics treaty; and that we ensure no deep-sea mining begins until there are guarantees that it will not harm the marine environment.
For the health of the planet and to respond to the multiple challenges the ocean faces, I invite you all to participate in the Third United Nations Ocean Conference, which Costa Rica and France will co-host in June 2025 in Nice.
Mr. President,
The multilateral system is being tested, and we all know it.
Its renewal will depend on courageous leadership, innovative proposals, and our collective ability to honor the principles and norms of international law without double standards.
Its renewal will be realized when we begin to shift resources from the coffins of war to the foundations of peace.
The time is now.
The opportunity is unique, and the call is urgent.
Thank you very much.