Ecuador

I wish to extend to President Razali Ismail Ecuador’s warm congratulations on his election, which is a tribute to his valuable contributions to the work of our world Organization in his capacity as Permanent Representative of Malaysia. I wish also to convey our thanks to Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, President of the General Assembly at its fiftieth session, for the fruitful work he accomplished. I wish to express to the delegation of Bulgaria the heartfelt condolences of the Government of Ecuador for the irreparable loss it has suffered with the killing of former Prime Minister Lukanov. Our condolences go also to the family and friends of that eminent man. On the threshold of the twenty-first century, we remain immersed in a process of profound change on the international scene, resulting from the end of the ideological confrontation between East and West. We are seeing the emergence of new opportunities for peace- building, for the strengthening of development, for the diffusion of democracy and for stepped-up international cooperation, especially politically. Ecuador believes that we should take maximum advantage of these positive factors and use them as a basis on which to devise the most ambitious programme possible for the coming years, with the goal of a world of equity and justice, a world in which future generations can live well, in secure conditions, at peace with themselves and with the environment on which their very survival depends. In these circumstances, the essential objective of our Organization, as established in the Charter, remains the same: the maintenance of international peace and security. To attain this objective, it is imperative that all Member States reaffirm their faith in the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter. Most fundamentally, this means banning the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or the political independence of any State, as well as the obligation to settle international disputes exclusively by peaceful means. The larger goal of international security should be seen as embracing the political, economic and social conditions in which all nations develop. While the danger of worldwide nuclear destruction has receded, Ecuador continues to maintain that preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons is not an end in itself, but an intermediate step towards the ultimate objective of totally banning and completely destroying all nuclear weapons. Ecuador regrets that the Conference on Disarmament was unable to adopt by consensus the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). It takes the view, however, that the text supported by most States, which has been endorsed by the General Assembly and opened for signature by States, is an important step towards that objective. Ecuador has signed that instrument. Although it is not the ideal instrument for which the Conference on Disarmament was striving, it would be a mistake to start this long and arduous process all over again. Ecuador will also continue to work for 21 general and complete disarmament, which will eliminate once and for all the grave danger inherent in weapons of mass destruction and end the squandering of scarce national resources on weapons. Ecuador voted in favour of resolution 49/75 K, by which the General Assembly requested the International Court of Justice to issue an Advisory Opinion as to whether international law authorizes the threat or use of nuclear weapons in any circumstances. We welcome the Court’s unanimous finding that “There is in neither customary nor conventional international law any specific authorization of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.” The finding also states that “A threat or use of force by means of nuclear weapons that is contrary to Article 2, paragraph 4, of the United Nations Charter and that fails to meet all the requirements of Article 51, is unlawful.” In its finding, the Court also expresses the view that “There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control.” The Government of Ecuador believes that the General Assembly should endorse these views, which form a basis for the continued work of the international community to bring about the definitive banning of nuclear weapons. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; organized international crime; and the production, consumption and trafficking of all illicit drugs continue to pose grave threats that undermine international stability and the security and well-being of society in general. To eradicate these evils, we need a coordinated and persistent international effort in which all States should be involved, in accordance with their capacity and with their degree of responsibility. In this regard, Ecuador is complying appropriately with its obligations. We are currently experiencing the rapid globalization and interdependence of the world economy, which requires the adoption of rational domestic policies and a favourable international economic environment. At present, the promotion of economic development is reflected in the liberalization of trade agreements and the establishment of an open multilateral commercial system. This new state of affairs has favourable effects; however, in certain circumstances, it produces adverse consequences. For that reason it is imperative that policies and the international environment be structured so as to derive maximum benefit from these trends and minimize the negative effects. Ecuador is mindful of this situation, but would also like to stress the need, as expressed by the Heads of State and Government in the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, to “Invigorate the dialogue and partnership between all countries in order to secure the existence of a favourable political and economic environment for the promotion of international cooperation for development based on the imperatives of mutual benefit and interest and genuine interdependence, while recognizing that each country is ultimately responsible for its own development”. (resolution 50/6, para. 8) In this regard, direct foreign investment in developing countries is particular important because it accelerates the economic process to the benefit of both the investors and of the recipient economies. The United Nations should continue to be an important catalyst in support of the economic and social development of the developing countries and of the disadvantaged and marginalized sectors. The world Organization has sponsored global conferences to address vital problems related to the environment, population, social development, crime, the advancement of women, the protection of the family, human settlements, trade and development, and public administration. The recommendations and initiatives adopted at those conferences have set genuine priorities for the international community in the promotion of development. Nevertheless, what has been achieved to date in many of these fields is still uneven and insufficient. Therefore, Ecuador reaffirms that, in order to effectively implement these decisions, there needs to be a rapid mobilization of the resources for development, as well as a more efficient use of those resources. Without such an international commitment, all the conferences’ recommendations and other similar pronouncements will only enlarge the overloaded archives of our foreign ministries. Given the persistence of such environmental problems as the lack of drinking water, threats to biological diversity, the depletion of the ozone layer, the warming of the atmosphere, the diminishing soil productivity, desertification and diminishing food security, 22 Governments of both industrialized and developing countries must take joint, concerted action. Ecuador, faithful to its democratic traditions, has recently provided an example of a transparent electoral process and of respect for the popular will. As a result, President Abdalá Bucaram was elected to lead the country, and for the first time in Ecuadorian history, a woman, Mrs. Rosal'a Arteaga, has been elected Vice-President of the Republic. The new Administration’s first and principal actions are focused on social policies, especially on combating poverty and on a wide-ranging national programme of low-cost housing. Given its faith in the will of the people, Ecuador welcomes the growing trend towards democratization: more and more countries have adopted multi-party systems, organized free and fair elections and begun to transform themselves into more open and participative societies. However, Ecuador also believes that this process does not happen spontaneously but requires the understanding and support of the international community so as to create and sustain conditions conducive to such changes. In other words, democracy and hunger are antithetical elements that cannot exist together. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action — which is steadily gaining practical force and effectiveness — reaffirm the solemn commitment of all States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The interrelationship between human rights, democracy and development articulated in that Declaration and Programme, calls for a comprehensive and global approach to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights. In the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. They made a commitment, among other things, to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms; to strengthen laws, policies and programmes to secure the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of political, civil, economic, social and cultural life; to promote and protect the rights of the child; to ensure protection of the rights of people who are particularly vulnerable, including young people, the disabled, the elderly and migrant workers; and to promote and protect the rights of indigenous populations. Ecuador considers that human rights has become one of the most important spheres of United Nations action. It supports the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in his efforts to carry out this broad and important programme of activities. It should be recalled that economic and social problems are not restricted to the most disadvantaged countries. A number of societies are seriously threatened by increasing external debt, the instability of the international financial system, persistent unemployment, intractable poverty and increasingly destructive waves of crime and corruption. The inequality gap between developed and developing countries remains unacceptably large and continues to widen. More than 1 billion people lack drinking water, and 1.7 billion do not have access to proper health facilities. This means that poverty continues to affect more than one fifth of the world’s population. Hunger, malnutrition, health problems, a total lack of housing, limited access to education and other public services and resources, social exclusion, alienation and violence are only a few of the many factors associated with poverty. The fight against this scourge is one of the greatest challenges that the United Nations and its specialized agencies must face in close cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the international community as a whole. Since 1990, commitments have been made and goals established, with a view to achieving the overall objective of eradicating poverty in partnership with all the actors associated with development. In this context, and from this lofty rostrum, Ecuador would like to issue an urgent appeal to all Member States to intensify international cooperation, in its many aspects, in order to fight vigorously together to ensure that these commitments and goals have practical and effective application. We must remember that poverty is not only a malady which destroys the societies directly affected, it is also a corrosive contagion that prevents international relations from developing on a basis of justice and equity. Ecuador is a multi-ethnic country with sizeable and important indigenous groups and significant black minorities. For this reason, it considers that the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, declared by this General Assembly, establishes a programme of action that will restore the rights of those peoples, which have systematically been victims of a long historical process of exclusion and discrimination. We believe it is incumbent on the entire international community to build universal understanding of the fact that protecting those populations also means preserving the cultural heritage of humankind. Ecuador trusts that it can rely on international cooperation in order to 23 appropriately fulfil its obligation in this respect, in coordination with its national programmes. The founders of the United Nations must have realized that they could not foresee exactly what the world would be like 50 years hence. On the other hand, they established basic objectives and principles and incorporated them in a Charter that is sufficiently flexible to enable the Organization to serve its peaceful objectives and to evolve in response to new challenges. This is why the Charter, and its purposes and principles, has endured. However, today’s changed circumstances, which determine the functioning of the United Nations, demand a modification in the structure and the operational practices of our Organization. It is necessary, among other things, to increase the United Nations capacity to prevent conflicts through preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We need better ways and means to respond to the challenges of emergency situations. And, along with all of this, it is essential to fully carry out the work of economic and social development. The General Assembly must be revitalized as the pre- eminent organ in which all Member States exercise on an equal footing their rights and duties as set forth in the Charter. Equitable representation in the Security Council must be assured, and its size must be in proportion with the number of Member States. It must cease being an elitist organ with antidemocratic privileges, and the efficiency and transparency of its work must be enhanced. The Economic and Social Council must regain its essential original functions as set out in the Charter: primarily, to promote well-being and to improve living standards for all the inhabitants of the Earth. The current financial crisis is seriously affecting the United Nations ability to fulfil the lofty objectives set forth in the Charter. The greatest debtors should set an example of their readiness to fulfil their obligations. Only if there is a general willingness to provide the United Nations with the resources it needs, as well as the necessary political support, will it be possible for the global Organization to live up to the trust and hopes that humankind has vested in it. I wish to inform the General Assembly that since the last session, as regards the peacemaking process being carried out pursuant to the Itamaraty Declaration between Ecuador and Peru, and with the participation of the guarantor countries — Argentina, Brazil, Chile and the United States — several meetings have taken place at both the diplomatic and military levels. At these there has been significant progress, progress that my delegation regards as conducive to finalizing the procedures for discussions on the substance of the border dispute between the two countries. The Government of Ecuador will continue to work towards the achievement of the ultimate goal, which is no less than a fair, definitive and honourable solution to the problem.