Uruguay

I would like to extend the sincerest condolences of the people and Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well as to all the citizens of the world, men and women, old and young, who are victims of natural disasters, of the fury of nature, which is showing us that it will no longer be abused by mankind. I come from Uruguay, a small South American country, whose main wealth is its vocation for peace, its drive for freedom and the democratic commitment that its people have been forging for generations. I convey the greetings of the people and Government of Uruguay to this forum, which is the broadest, most representative and most important forum in the world today. It is a greeting that is demanding, committed and hopeful. The greeting is demanding because we are living at a very particular time in the history of mankind. In fact, at very few moments in history have we seen circumstances so rich in paradoxes and so poor in paradigms as the present one. Never before has mankind had at its disposal such scientific and technological progress and such a significant cultural heritage to guarantee a life in dignity. However, never before has mankind suffered so much inequality, intolerance and uncertainty. We know that we have reached this point, but we are uncertain about where we are heading. We cannot be passive witnesses to the situation; no one can wash his hands of his own problems nor of problems that seem remote. We cannot resign ourselves to a future that is an unchanging extension of the present. There is no reason whatsoever to give up the hope of a utopia, without which darkness could be our fate. Our greeting is committed because we all bear the responsibility, which we cannot abdicate, of being the masters of our own lives and the architects of our own futures. This task is a road on which neither privileges nor condemnations are allowed; we are all travelling on an equal footing. Nor does this road permit shortcuts. History is neither a gallery of national heroes nor a calendar of outstanding events: history is made by people day by day. In this context, we upon whom our peoples have conferred the task of governing have a very demanding responsibility ahead of us. And that is because governing means managing with efficiency and transparency: it means articulating in a democratic fashion this rich and complex network that is society. But to govern means also to envisage the future and to call upon people to build that future among all and for all. Our greeting is hopeful as well. Although we do not overlook the risks, the difficulties and the limits within the national, regional and global contexts, we believe in human beings, we believe in society. We believe in democracy as a means to govern but also as a human impulse and as a state of society. Although I said this during our statement at the High-level Plenary Meeting which took place in this same Hall a few hours ago, I wish to reiterate before the Assembly that the Eastern Republic of Uruguay reaffirms the principles that have characterized its foreign policy. First is the firm commitment to peace, sovereignty, democracy and solidarity. When I speak about peace, democracy, solidarity and freedom I would like to recall that six days ago marked the thirty- second anniversary of the occasion when a man gave his life defending peace, democracy and freedom. I would like thus to pay tribute to Salvador Allende. The second principle is the firm rejection of any kind of terrorism, violence and discrimination. The third is the inalienable right of every State to safe and stable borders and to be completely free to exercise its sovereignty and self-determination, and fourth is respect for international law as the best guarantee of the sovereignty of peoples and their peaceful coexistence. 28 The fifth principle is non-alignment and non- intervention in affairs that come under the domestic jurisdiction of States. Sixthly, we reaffirm multilateralism as a means to strengthen international law, enhancing the role of the United Nations. Seventh, we acknowledge the indivisibility of all human rights, be they political, social, economic, civil or cultural, including those of a collective nature such as the right to development and to a safe environment. In conformity with these principles, Uruguay first of all deems it necessary to move forward with the reforms that will allow the United Nations to fully fulfil its commitments. Because such reforms are of a complex nature, they should be undertaken with a sense of history and with political will, and without hegemonic intentions. Secondly, Uruguay renews its commitment to the Millennium Goals, which in our country means the design and implementation of a system of integrated and global social policies that address the poverty and destitution suffered by almost one million Uruguayans and that, at the same time, are part of a strategy of change and development. Thirdly, Uruguay reiterates its will to continue participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations and will contribute its efforts to improving the security and the conditions of service of those missions. We also express our support for the Secretary- Generalís initiative to create a Peace Commission, to which, we believe, Uruguay could contribute, continuing its support for peacekeeping missions and the expertise acquired in rebuilding devastated countries. There is no peace in intolerance and terrorism, no freedom in poverty, and no democracy in inequality. It is crucial to reject every expression of violence, but before rejecting it, it must be avoided by attacking its roots. This is quite simply because every human being, simply by being human, has the right to live in dignity. Societies where there is a contrast between an opulent few and a neglected majority are not prosperous. Societies where to be born is a problem, to be young is suspect, to get an education and a job is a privilege and to grow old is a curse have no future. This is the way we see it in Uruguay. We have learned this from those generations that preceded us in building a country that, though it has its own unique features, is not atypical of nor alien to the Latin American context. While it is true that the first half of the last century was a favourable period for Uruguay, it is also true that - due to a combination of external circumstances and domestic structural weaknesses - the last fifty years were a period of economic deterioration, impoverishment and even an institutional breakdown in 1973. We Uruguayans regained democracy in 1985, and the current Government, which took office exactly 200 days ago, is working hard to heal the wounds dictatorship caused through human rights violations. We are not hostages to the past, but Uruguayan society needs to know the truth about what happened to ensure that never again will it happen - never again. Nevertheless, with the commitments that we have assumed to Uruguayan society - whose will is our mandate ó the Government of which I am head is promoting changes: changes which are necessary, possible, responsible and gradual, changes with political and social support, changes that do not overlook reality but do not give up on the dream of a Uruguay with human development, with productive economic growth and with a safe environment, a Uruguay fully integrated into its own region and into the international arena. We are not starting from scratch, but we have a lot to do to achieve this utopia, the dream of which motivates us as a nation. In conclusion, this is exactly what I wished to convey to members on behalf of the Government and the people of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay: far away, in the forgotten southern part of South America, there is a country that does not resign itself to difficulties, that is building its own destiny and that, faithful to its tradition, wishes to join in building a better world, working alongside all our dear brethren, the citizens of the world.