Spain

It is indeed a great pleasure to address this General Assembly on the International Day of Peace, in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The Government of Spain calls for a vigorous United Nations system that can guarantee international peace and security in a world that is global, complex and full of uncertainty. I should like to congratulate our President on her election as the first Arab woman to lead the Assembly — a task in which, I predict, she will have great success. She can count on the full commitment and cooperation of Spain. I also wish to express my gratitude and congratulations to Mr. Jan Eliasson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and President of the General Assembly at its most recent session. His leadership and negotiating skills contributed to the adoption of far-reaching political agreements aimed at the implementation of the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1). Understanding and cooperation among countries will clear up the unanswered questions of the twenty- first century — a century characterized by globalization, which has spread throughout the world, pervading areas of daily life and causing transformations in the power of States and the system of international relations. In their analysis of that complex and uncertain reality, political theoreticians sometimes turn to scientific knowledge, but its formulations fail to provide concrete measures to deal effectively with the political and institutional challenges of the twenty-first century. New times call for new politics that cannot be influenced in any way by fear, distrust or suspicion in the international community. The factors and events that shape today’s international relations must not distract or hold back the innovative spirit of political action. Today, we know that technology alone does not lead to progress with regard to security and social and economic growth. Globalization has great individual and collective benefits. It is a mixture of contradictory trends — hope and despair, humanism and barbarity — in which we find serious imbalances that must be addressed with political courage and confidence. This new era has not resolved old conflicts that are eroding international peace and security. The situation in the Middle East is the present-day version of a historical conflict that has challenged the international community. The adoption of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the cessation of hostilities open the way for hope that the necessary conditions will be created for a lasting peace. We have already endured more than five decades of suffering and despair. We have already endured five decades of appealing in this forum for a definitive solution. We have endured five decades of the international community’s impotence. From this rostrum, I call for a coalition for peace. This is not about rediscovering the Mediterranean; it is about commitment. We must say “yes” to the creation of a democratic, viable and peaceful Palestinian State that lives in peace and security with the State of Israel; “yes” to full support for President Mahmoud Abbas; “yes” to ending the violence and terror against Israel; “yes” to reactivating the Madrid Process, which began 15 years ago; “yes” to a global peace that includes Syria and Lebanon; and, finally, “yes” to an end to this tragedy. The only possible way to find a solution is political and diplomatic action, not military action. We must rebuild a dynamic of negotiation to permanently eradicate violence from this region, which is bleeding to death as a result of misunderstanding and pain. 39 06-53005 My Government hopes that all actors involved in the region commit themselves to implementing resolution 1701 (2006) and to the tasks in southern Lebanon that have been entrusted to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, in which Spanish troops are participating. We must give peace and dialogue another chance. From the eastern Mediterranean, I now turn to the western Mediterranean. Spain pays particular attention to its neighbourly relations with the Maghreb, a region with regard to which we maintain an active and comprehensive policy that strengthens our friendship and cooperation. That is why we attach importance to the relaunching of the process of building a united Maghreb. To accelerate the pace of that project, we will need to find a negotiated and effective solution to the conflict in Western Sahara, which has lasted for more than 30 years and urgently calls for an atmosphere conducive to breaking the current deadlock. The international community must create such an atmosphere to ensure a just and lasting political agreement that respects the principle of self- determination, within the United Nations framework. The will to engage in dialogue and compromise could clear up this old conflict, as was the case with Gibraltar. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the Tripartite Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar, which met last Monday in Cordoba, has already adopted its first agreements, which reflect the spirit of the relevant United Nations resolutions. Those agreements in no way mean that my Government renounces its sovereignty over Gibraltar. Relations with Ibero-America are a constant priority of the Government of Spain in its foreign policy. We are committed to promoting the cohesion, growth and visibility of the Ibero-American community, with which we maintain historic ties and share new strategies and objectives. The Ibero- American Secretariat, which is participating here for the first time as an observer, strengthens our community through dialogue and coordination. The forthcoming summit to be held in Uruguay will assess ongoing activities and propose measures to begin anew the social, economic, cultural and political progress demanded by the civil societies of the Ibero-American community. The President returned to the Chair. Cooperation and understanding also guide our trans-Atlantic relations and, in a very special way, our relations with the United States. In a constructive spirit, we discuss concerns and long-term projects that strengthen the international community. As multilateral actors, we know that many of our difficulties and problems will not be resolved through voluntarism or national action. Our action must be on a global scale if we are to effectively address them in all their complexity — particularly the new challenges facing the international community that hinder the promotion of a more just and equitable globalization. A sense of political responsibility leads us to resolve urgent global problems such as security and terrorism, to fight hunger and poverty and to manage migratory flows. Through the coordination of the United Nations, the world must promote the causes of sustainable development, security and human rights. We cannot have security without development, there can be no development without security, and we will not attain those objectives if human rights are not respected. We cannot accept terrorism, regardless of its origin. Our acceptance would transform it into terror and would unleash a spiral of fear in which freedoms would suffer. We must not let down our guard against terrorism; neither must we let down our guard against the erosion of freedoms. The Government of Spain welcomes the adoption of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, which does not overlook victims and their families. Situations of extreme poverty and humanitarian catastrophes are inconceivable at the beginning of the twenty-first century. We must deepen our sincere commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and to the fight against hunger and poverty in order to alleviate the uncertainty, hardship and despair that affect millions of citizens throughout the world. The traditional areas of Spanish action have been broadened and reinforced through the progressive consolidation of an advanced cooperation policy. Spain has increased the quality and quantity of its Official Development Assistance (ODA), which will reach 0.5 per cent of our gross domestic product (GDP) in 2008. Spain’s contribution to international organizations and trust funds has increased this year by more than 400 per cent. 06-53005 40 Spain’s development aid has been expanded in the Mediterranean countries and the African continent, where planning has played an important role. The plan for Africa has required a major effort of cooperation and commitment to deal with dramatic situations of poverty and sickness, which jeopardize the well-being of African societies. Future programs, such as the one proposed by President Wade of Senegal, merit all our consideration and support. Poverty has brought us a new global challenge, namely, the management of migration flows, since hunger and need know no borders. Inequalities in the distribution of wealth, unemployment, the lack of future prospects, political instability, inadequate respect for human rights and intolerable life conditions push more than 200 million people in the whole world to migrate. The demographic impacts of these flows are perceived not just in countries of origin, but also those of transit and destination. Therefore, immigration is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century and Spain is on the frontline. We must confront it in all its aspects, both internal and external, with measures for development assistance and border controls. Migrations, exchanges and communications technologies have given birth to a multicultural society that is not without tensions. This emerging reality stimulates the appearance of challenges that demand a critical analysis in order to build solid bridges between East and West. The initiative of the Alliance of Civilizations, sponsored by Spain and Turkey, belongs today to the international community and the United Nations and seeks to provide answers to these challenges. The management of cultural relations can only be achieved from the perspective of security, education, promotion of culture and interreligious dialogue. This respect amongst the different cultures and creeds must encourage the reduction of frictions that could inspire violence and terror. The cartoon crisis and the effects and wrong interpretations of the words of His Holiness the Pope urgently demand the implementation of the Alliance of Civilizations. The twenty-first century will be the time when we are called upon to resolve old conflicts and confront new global challenges effectively. For that, a reform is needed in the United Nations. The Government of Spain is satisfied with the reform process in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights. The Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council, the United Nations Democracy Fund, the Global Strategy against Terrorism and the Central Emergency Relief Fund are new instruments that have a bearing on the challenges facing the international community. Allow me to conclude with a few verses of the universal Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, from his book “Poet in New York”, “If hope is extinguished and the Babel of incomprehension begins, what torch will light the paths of the Earth?” Let us not give up the dream of peace. Let us work together to achieve it.