In September
2000, before becoming an independent country and
while under the administration of the United Nations
Transitional Administration in East Timor, we came
to the General Assembly as observers in order to
familiarize ourselves with the grand designs for the new
century, in the form of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). Twelve years after Timor-Leste was
admitted into this prestigious Organization, here we
are again to take part in a review of what has been done
and of what has not been done, looking at reasons and
impacts.
Ultimately we want to revise the Assembly’s
manner of operation and redefine plans and strategies.
However, other speeches made both here and at the
Security Council open debate yesterday (S/PV.7272)
show the other face — the more troubling one — of world
problems, which is the general unquietness of spirit and
the pressure to use force in order to punish. I therefore
add my voice to all those who spoke before me in
stating my deep concern about the particularly difficult
time in which the community of nations is living. The
United Nations has been the unassailable forum for
approaching international issues and continues to be
the hope of millions of people throughout the world.
In the year 2000, the challenges came from the
condition of extreme poverty, educational deficits,
enormous scarcity in terms of doctors and medication
and lack of food production that affected the populations
of many underdeveloped countries. Fourteen years
later, little has been achieved despite the effort of the
community of nations. Fragile or conflict-affected
countries are the furthest from achieving the MDGs.
Worse still, the challenges of the year 2000 have taken
on a new path, with an increase in problems related to
the rise of tensions and conflicts in many parts of the
world.
The Organization’s true greatness and its global
leadership ability are measured in difficult times such
as these, where the search for peaceful solutions through
more intense dialogue may well determine the future
of humankind. In order to respond to the challenges,
we need an Organization that operates effectively.
We need an Organization that is more active and
less stereotyped — an Organization that strengthens
cooperation with other organizations, particularly
regional ones, and that acts with great respect for the
sovereignty and the particularities of each State.
Every action carried out so far has just been a
continuation of past measures that, in most cases,
failed to achieve results that can be considered positive.
We are witnessing an increasing loss of trust and we
are faced with a crisis of values. More than trying to
grasp the nature of the issues that are causing us to
react, we must seek to understand the true causes of
the problems. When faced with a threat that does not
respect borders and that jeopardizes our commitment
towards tolerance and peace, it is vital that we better
understand the interconnectedness of problems, so as
to locate the civility gap that prevents us from talking
to each other and from finding consensus.
We have always advocated the view that the use
of military force does not establish universal values
or build democracies. Misguided approaches that
fail to recognize the various and diverse elements of
threats or, worse still, that are based on contradictions
and conflicts of interest, only serve to fuel the fire of
radicalism and extremist actions. Accordingly, we must
reflect and think things over, because as they stand, we
are merely sliding into the darkness of war, upholding
the ancient principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for
a tooth”.
That is why I reiterate to the General Assembly
that our collective efforts to preserve world peace
and security must reject ill-conceived plans that are
only motivated by the strategic interests of the large
Powers and their will to dominate. Instead, we need a
plan that is more suited to the reality of each situation
and that provides a true response to the main causes
of the current crisis. This common agenda should not
manipulate facts to produce collective reactions, but
rather admit past mistakes related to the urge to impose
peace through war. Only by correcting our way of
thinking and acting will we truly be giving peace a
chance.
The responses to the crises faced by humankind
should not be weakened by the desire to end war by
waging war. Instead, they must be based on the desire
to build a world of peace, supported by dialogue and by
an effort — herculean, if need be — to respond to the
root causes of problems that lead to terrorism, racism,
extremism and intolerance. When dozens of millions
of people throughout the world suffer the horrors of
conflict and the countless abuses perpetrated in this
century of globalization, the actions by the international
community should give priority to the establishment
of the best mechanisms for resolving the problems
of exclusion, discrimination and marginalization of
groups, sects and ethnicities.
We must also ensure, from the very start, that the
societies emerging from the ashes of those conflicts and
committed to leaving the memories of the past behind
are entitled to a vital transitional period with respect to
their behaviours, their ways of thinking and acting, and
their own internal rules and commitments. Otherwise,
we will just be sowing the seeds for new conflicts that
we may end up reaping later on. The war in Iraq, which
has destroyed the legacy of a centuries-old civilization,
and the bloody conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria
and Ukraine, should make the international community
draw its conclusions about the international standards
applied in those contexts. The uncertainty and the
bloody anguish that surround Israel and Palestine,
with those two peoples destined to live side by side,
should alert us once and for all to the fact that fear and
insecurity for the future lead to hate, which is the root
of all evils.
Timor-Leste knows only too well the consequences
and the scars of war. In addition to the hundreds of
thousands of Timorese killed, we also witnessed the
near-complete destruction of our country. A State
born without the ability to ensure and promote the
fundamental rights and liberties of its citizens is a
fragile State that is unable to carry out its main mission.
Immediately after the war, we started to reconcile
Timorese society. We wanted to achieve peace, since
without peace we could not feel free. We have also
embraced Indonesia in order to achieve true and
genuine reconciliation. Instead of feeding hatred
and vengeance, we nurtured solidarity and tolerance
between our communities. In that manner, we cultivated
a sound relationship of cooperation between our States
and our peoples.
Western democracies are prone to paying for costly
international tribunals for judging genocides. They also
tend to feel shocked by the human rights violations that
occur in developing countries. The issue with Indonesia
cannot be seen only in terms of the actions by its
military and its generals. Instead, it must be seen within
a broader perspective, in which the Governments of the
Western Powers sold sophisticated weapons like rifles,
warships, fighters, ammunition, tanks and cannons to
the Indonesian military, in addition to providing it with
training, so that it could decimate the Timorese. That is
why we Timorese and Indonesians preferred instead to
record the truth of the facts, to close this painful chapter
in our past and to look to the future, which required and
continues to require much effort to develop both nations
and improve the living conditions of both peoples.
With its pluralistic and tolerant society, Indonesia is
more than a close neighbour. Indeed, it is an inspiration
for Timor-Leste. Under the wise leadership of President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, we have witnessed the
establishment of a modern democracy that harmonizes
progress with the promotion of national, regional
and international peace. We sincerely hope that the
peaceful transition to President Joko Widodo will
bring more success to that great nation. And I say this
in a year when Timor-Leste is celebrating the twelfth
anniversary of its independence.
We have learned from our weaknesses and today
we are living in an atmosphere of social and political
peace. We are very familiar with the challenges that
are inherent in the efforts of developing a nation and
of building peace and security. We are very thankful
for the support that the United Nations and all donor
countries have provided to Timor-Leste. Nevertheless,
the years of partnership have also taught us important
lessons, which we have been sharing with the world,
particularly the fragile States. We are encouraging them
to take ownership of their processes and be committed
to the future of their citizens.
We have also started to be more internationally
active. We have been working hard within the scope of
the Group of Seven Plus, a group that brings together 20
fragile and conflict-affected countries. In addition to
sharing experiences and knowledge and seeking to put
the needs of those countries on the global development
agenda, we continue repeating, as many leaders have
been doing since yesterday, that without peace there
can be no development. In turn, without development
there can be no room for democratic transition, since
democracy is a dynamic process of assimilating
principles and values, rather than a process to be
measured by elections alone.
And that brings us to the subject of the general debate
at this sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly — the
post-2015 development agenda. Inequality is increasing
dangerously throughout the world, with wealth being
concentrated in the hands of a few to the detriment of
us all. Even after the world learned of the greed and
the corruption of the international financial system that
led to the global financial crisis, we are now seeing
how the faltering economic recovery is benefiting only
those who were responsible for the financial meltdown
in the first place. Despite the best efforts of the
Secretary-General and his team at the United Nations,
we are almost in 2015 and know that 2.2 billion people
throughout the world are already in or are entering the
ranks of the extreme poor, without even knowing what
the Millennium Development Goals are.
In that regard, I must draw attention to the incorrect
practice on the part of international organizations to
view each of the 193 States Members of the United
Nations in the same manner, regardless of whether they
are large or small, rich or poor, young or in a transitional
period or centuries-old, developed, with emerging
economies, or underdeveloped. And these development
indices create scales of values that are both unfair and
demotivating to the majority of the least developed
countries. Accordingly, all of us in attendance here
today have a historic opportunity to share our thoughts
on the enormous challenges ahead of us, so as to outline
a truly transformative agenda in which no country is
left behind.
However, the issue that deserves our collective
attention and requires urgent measures is the mitigation
of the environmental threats that continue to increase and
are hindering the legitimate perspectives of emerging
and developing countries. Fortunately, yesterday’s
summit on climate change raised expectations in
relation to actual action plans being implemented
in some countries. The plans will be expanded to
the global level next year in Paris. Some developed
countries have also committed to providing capital
to the Adaptation Fund, which is vitally important to
developing countries. Ms. Emilia Pires, the Minister
of Finance of Timor-Leste, was a member of the high-
level panel that advised the Secretary-General on that
agenda.
In 2013 and until August, Timor-Leste had the
honour of assuming the presidency of the sixty-ninth
session of the Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). As such, we had the
privilege of presiding over the session for one year
and working with ESCAP and the nations of the Asia-
Pacific region in order to achieve progress and improve
human development. Timor-Leste is committed to that
noble ideal and to that deserving mission of helping to
nurture a culture of peace in our region through the
gradual and persistent reduction of social inequalities
within each country and among countries.
However, in our region, including within the
scope of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
countries are cooperating and promoting peace,
which has enabled the rise of the Asian region, led by
China, and lifted hundreds of millions of people out of
poverty. However, we cannot but be concerned by the
developments in the East and South China Sea.
That brings us to a key issue that is of vital
importance to Timor-Leste. I am speaking of the need
to set maritime borders between countries in a clear and
serious manner, in line with international law. Back in
2002, when we began to walk our own path in freedom,
we saw a globalized world in which the arrogance of the
powerful and the ambition of the rich, who prey upon
the inexperience and ignorance of the poor and the
weak to act dishonestly and in bad faith, prevailed, as
a serious insult to universal values. And I must affirm
that big multinationals have always played an improper
and disloyal role, acting dishonestly and in bad faith
when dealing with poor countries.
Timor-Leste, a young, small and poor country,
was caught off guard in that sophisticated culture of
manipulation and deceit. Nevertheless, we want to
continue believing that international mechanisms, such
as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
contribute to justice between nations and understanding
between peoples, so as to defend sovereign rights and
the truth.
Today, those commitments are vital in order to
start rebuilding trust in the world system and to prevent
tensions from increasing. The strengthening of dialogue
and tolerance and the promotion of a new diplomacy
must be translated from a set of good intentions into
actual deeds in the international arena. But what is truly
intriguing is the fact that no decent country has yet
advocated the need to carry out inquiries to determine
the origin of the weapons used to massacre civilians,
particularly those used to kill women and children,
so as to identify the true beneficiaries of the world
crisis — those who are selling weapons to uncontrolled
gangs throughout the world.
Before I conclude, I would like to inform the
Assembly that this year, Timor-Leste has assumed
the rotating presidency of the Community of
Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP). In that forum,
we want to use diplomacy and cooperation to nurture
our joint economic potential by making use of our
regional ties. We also want to spread a message of
peace, human rights and social justice throughout all
the forums in which we are represented.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of that community and
a country with which Timor-Leste has been closely
involved, including within the scope of the Group of
Seven Plus, particularly once Timor-Leste realized that
Guinea-Bissau had been left to its fate at the mercy of
international sanctions. After a devastating cycle of
coups, we felt that the people of Guinea-Bissau needed
peace and stability, and we saw how their leaders were
striving to achieve a collective commitment that would
benefit the people and the country.
Timor-Leste had the honour of providing financial
support and of sending a technical team to provide
assistance throughout the entire electoral process in
Guinea-Bissau. That process, which involved massive
democratic participation, was a success and restored
constitutional order in the country. Still, as we all know,
elections are but a starting point, and a State without
the means to ensure the basic needs of its people faces
countless challenges that can jeopardize the promise of
peace and national cohesion.
In line with the subject of the debate in the General
Assembly, I must say that it is now urgent to create
the conditions to enable Guinea-Bissau to move from
fragility to resilience by supporting its State agencies.
Guinea-Bissau needs to restore its public administration
and its State agencies, as well as to reform its defence and
security sector by modernizing its forces. Furthermore,
Guinea-Bissau requires a financial boost in order to
jump-start its economy.
Within the scope of the CPLP, we want to have
active collaboration with the authorities of Guinea-
Bissau and with its international partners, namely the
Economic Community of West African States, so as
to hold an international conference on aid to Guinea-
Bissau as soon as possible. The conference should start
by focusing on matters of extreme urgency, such as
salaries, food, security, fuel and health. Timor-Leste
has already contributed $6 million, which corresponds
to one month of public-sector salaries in the country.
I also urge every country in attendance to join Timor-
Leste and the CPLP countries, in keeping with the
highest values of international solidarity, in supporting
the consolidation of the achievements made so far by
the people of Guinea-Bissau. Indeed, that is something
that will also convey a promise of peace to the entire
African continent.
And I cannot talk about Africa — a continent
that is already wounded on the inside and ravaged by
hunger and poverty — without mentioning the scourge
of the Ebola virus, which is presently challenging the
international health system itself. That epidemic, which
is unprecedented in our time, requires a vital and urgent
commitment by the international community. This
morning in the Ebola campaign I found out that Timor-
Leste will provide $1 million as immediate support
within the spirit of solidarity that guides the Group of
Seven Plus, which includes Sierra Leone, Liberia and
Guinea-Conakry. Next year we will also be allocating
an equal amount to help fight the epidemic.
The great challenge in today’s world is liberating
people from fear. I am talking about the fear of
difference, insecurity, hunger, poverty and disease, the
fear of losing power or the fear of becoming a slave to
power. In today’s unbalanced and unequal world, we
need to have the courage to speak a language of trust
and tranquillity. We need to pacify minds, encourage
dialogue and free people from doubt and feelings of
injustice so that they acquire greater tolerance and
greater respect for differences and diversity. We need
to free people from the yoke of poverty and from the
deplorable conditions in which they are living so as to
ensure their right to development. We still have time
to write a different and more humane tale for today’s
generation and future generations.
Timor-Leste wants to make an active contribution
to a better world, where each country may live in
tolerance, harmony and tranquillity within a true
atmosphere of friendship and solidarity that promotes
peace. Such peace must start in the minds and behaviours
of the people at every level of society, so that they can
have a positive influence on the policies of the global
centres of decision-making. That is the only way for us
to believe that the baby from the Marshall Islands who
touched all our hearts two days ago may be certain that
her future is guaranteed and that she will be able to live
in those small islands that make up her country.