Argentina

May I first extend to Mr. Razali Ismail my warmest and most sincere congratulations on his 12 unanimous election as President of this important session of the General Assembly. I recently accompanied President Carlos Saul Menem on a visit to his country, and I have the most pleasant memories of his countrymen’s hospitality, of the vitality of his culture and of the extraordinary strength of his country’s economy. To Ambassador Freitas do Amaral, who presided over the Assembly at the last session, we express our most sincere admiration. His term was a year full of difficulties and challenges, and he left us a positive vision of the questions of the future. I have had the privilege of participating in the general debate for the last six years. During that period, significant changes have come about and profound contrasts have arisen in the world. The scepticism of some notwithstanding, allow me to recall some of the progress made on the international scene: we have improved mechanisms for international peace and security; we have advanced in the universal consolidation of democracy and tolerance; we have created institutions to prevent very serious crimes that offend the world’s conscience from going unpunished, which clearly reflects the concept that justice and the law are inseparable components of a stable peace; we have successfully stepped up intense collective work towards non-proliferation of nuclear and conventional weapons, including anti-personnel mines. The adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty will undoubtedly contribute to greater progress, as will the entry into force of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. We have also begun to articulate the concept of sustainable development to ensure progress for current generations without compromising the viability of such progress for those of the future. We have opened new paths to free trade, eliminating barriers which, until yesterday, were regarded as normal instruments of national policy. All this has happened in recent years, and it is only fitting to recognize that the Secretary-General has anticipated, promoted and reflected all this in his annual reports, in his Agenda for Peace and in his Agenda for Development, documents that are essential for the interpretation of the process begun at the end of the cold war. Allow me to take this opportunity to state how my country has dealt with all these transformations. Argentina has actively promoted the new agenda. It has adapted itself domestically and internationally to fulfil the objectives and principles of the Charter, both in its letter and its new spirit. Argentina has consolidated democracy and has taken a very active role in the defence of fundamental rights and freedoms. It has given constitutional status to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the main human rights treaties to which it is a party. Argentina has got its economy in order and opened up new possibilities and potential for its people by promoting good governance, fiscal discipline, accountability in the management of public funds, equality before the law for domestic and foreign investors and the fight against corruption. In particular, Argentina has presented and promoted in the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as in this Assembly and other international organizations, initiatives to combat the curse of corruption, which is an enemy to development, investment and charity in society. In Argentina, sustainable development goes beyond academic discussions. The growing deterioration of the ozone layer in the southern hemisphere has affected the daily life and health of the population of southern Patagonia. Argentina, in cooperation with other countries in the region and the United Nations system, has assumed a leading role in reducing the risk level for the affected populations by establishing five ozone-layer monitoring stations in our national territory, incorporating them into the world multilateral environmental monitoring system. We strongly hope that the international community will join us in this effort by taking the necessary actions to cooperate in protecting the atmosphere. In our subregion, the southern cone of the Americas, Argentina, together with its neighbours, has played a significant role in eradicating distrust, in resolving border problems, in promoting physical and economic integration and in fostering political cooperation, all of which have generated an exemplary framework for cooperation and convergence. On the basis of political and economic stability, we have designed ambitious mechanisms for integration, and we have made the Southern Cone Common Market 13 (MERCOSUR) and the Rio Group important channels for our foreign policy. In the agreements signed at the last MERCOSUR presidential summit, the States parties — Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina — ratified their commitment to democratic institutions. As our country sees it, this should be a prerequisite for full membership in MERCOSUR. The States parties established a mechanism for consultation and political cooperation aimed at reviewing international activities of special interest to them. At that time, agreements were also signed between MERCOSUR and Chile and Bolivia, which will significantly broaden MERCOSUR and launch our economies into an ever more globalized system. Clear evidence of this is the adoption of the interregional framework agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union, which has given rise to positive expectations and created opportunities for strengthening links between the two regions in the economic, political and cultural fields. Argentina has promoted common activities on issues of growing importance, such as protection of the environment, preservation of natural resources and social and human development, within the framework of regional mechanisms for dialogue and political cooperation, as well as bilaterally, in regional forums and at the United Nations. Argentina participated in the adoption of concrete decisions to fight terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption, which are the new threats to international peace and security. Argentina’s natural interest in the South Atlantic is reflected in our participation in the zone of peace and cooperation in the South Atlantic, which embraces countries from both sides of the ocean in constituting an area to which we attach special significance. Member States of the zone are committed to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, promoting democracy, human rights and civil liberties, joining efforts for nuclear non-proliferation and de-nuclearization, and to cooperating in the struggle against drug trafficking. We are very pleased with our contribution to maintaining, together with other coastal States, the political balance and economic potential of the South Atlantic. However, there is still an important unresolved issue: the persistent sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime spaces. During these last six years, I have come to this forum to voice the claims of the Government and people of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas Islands. It is incomprehensible that while Argentina and the United Kingdom have overcome the sorrow and have left behind their mutual disagreements and distrust and built up a harmonious and constructive relationship — and we see the positive results of this day by day — they have not so far been able to comply with the resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Decolonization Committee and to progress in the dialogue towards a definitive solution to this dispute. We have not even been able to sit down together around a table to talk, even if only to express our disagreement. In the same spirit that encouraged our two countries to cooperate in the South Atlantic for the protection of its renewable and non-renewable resources, we should advance in our search for a peaceful solution to this dispute. In spite of our efforts, the lack of direct links with the Malvinas impedes human contacts, trade and tourism, among other possible exchanges, and has slowed down the economic and cultural development of the South Atlantic. The lack of relations between the two areas is inconceivable in today’s world. Argentina is proud of its great cultural diversity. Since the birth of our nation, our laws have preserved and guaranteed such cultural heritage. Our national Constitution establishes the objective of recovering the Malvinas Islands and the full exercise of sovereignty, and ensures respect for its inhabitants’ way of life. The only thing lacking is the will to start a new phase together. Argentina is firmly convinced that a new era should begin in the South Atlantic, as an area free from tensions — a place where different cultures committed to humanistic ideals and with a common wish for progress and well-being may come together. What in the past has been a negative factor in our relations should become a positive factor and a starting point for a new relationship. My country has shown its vocation for constructive participation in the areas created by the international system, fostering tolerance and preserving peace. In that respect, we avidly support all efforts to resolve situations 14 of serious instability and conflict still existing in various parts of the world. In the Middle East, we welcome the progress made in the peace process, especially regarding the question of Palestine. We add our voice to those calling for the parties involved to maximize their efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. We renew our offer of full cooperation to contribute to the attainment of that objective. The peace process, fostered by this General Assembly, has borne fruits that should not go to waste. United Nations peacekeeping operations are one of the most effective tools for preventing violence around the world. This explains our full support for peace missions. We have responded promptly and unconditionally to requests of the Security Council, agreeing to participate in operations in our hemisphere and in various other parts of the world by providing large amounts of financial resources. We deem it vital to ensure an orderly transition between peace-keeping operations and the work of reconstruction aimed at reversing the economic, political and social damage caused by conflicts and to offer effective humanitarian assistance so as to reduce the suffering of the populations affected. With the objective of complementing United Nations emergency humanitarian assistance, Argentina, inspired by President Carlos Saul Menem, proposed the “White Helmets” initiative. The effective deployment of the “White Helmets” in many humanitarian assistance operations is already proving their political and technical viability. The United Nations is called upon to play a significant role in the international system of the twenty-first century. Everything indicates that this system will be marked by growing globalization and that problems such as poverty, unemployment, corruption and the lack of education can be more effectively dealt with at a global level. For the United Nations to respond effectively to this increasingly broad and complex mandate, it will be imperative for Member States to renew their political commitment to the organization’s political future. At the same time, it will be necessary to strengthen the United Nations through the in-depth streamlining and reform process that has already begun. With respect to the Security Council, we continue to favour a mechanism that, without affecting its efficiency, reflects new realities, of which Argentina is an active part, and ensures the participation of those who have clearly demonstrated their commitment to and respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter. It is equally important to ensure that the working methods of the Council guarantee transparency in the debates and in decision-making processes. Only in this way will the Organization become a special forum for nations to channel their resources effectively and successfully face the challenges of a globalized world.