In 1945. representatives of 51 States, one of them my country, agreed to create the United Nations. By speaking for the first time before the General Assembly as President of the Republic of Paraguay. I wish to begin my speech by expressing our recognition of the work of the United Nations, which since its inception has provided a global framework of cooperation among nations to promote peace, human rights and the wellbeing of peoples.
Seventy-eight years later, multilateralism faces very visible challenges in terms of effectiveness and legitimacy. In a world of so much wealth, levels of poverty and inequality remain stubbornly high while mass migration associated with armed conflicts and lack of opportunities, international terrorism, transnational crime and geopolitical tensions represent challenges before which the mechanisms of cooperation and governance that have prevailed over the past almost eight decades are clearly outdated.
The lack of tangible results, the perceived ineffectiveness of multilateral institutions and the difficulties in addressing global problems effectively have generated frustration and led to a rise in the feeling that national interests should take precedence over multilateral cooperation. The imposition of certain cultural or ideological trends or approaches is perceived, not without reason. as interference in national sovereignty and values, which erodes trust and weakens the will to cooperate at the multilateral level. Consequently, increasing levels of mistrust can be observed among Member States, which hinders cooperation and the willingness to compromise for the common good.
The 2008 crisis, the recent pandemic and. today, the conflict in Ukraine have revealed the weaknesses and limitations of multilateral institutions in their ability to face challenges with global impact and systemic risk. In the latter case, the United Nations and its Security Council have adopted measures whose results are sadly far from being encouraging.
Despite having suffered the misfortunes of two unjust wars, one of which put us on the brink of extinction as a nation, the spirit and history of Paraguay compel us to bet on dialogue, and not on force, as a mechanism to resolve any controversy, as demonstrated by the 1924 Treaty to Avoid or Prevent Conflicts between the American States, known as the Gondra Convention, proposed by a Paraguayan and approved by all Latin American countries unanimously and without a single amendment, whose purpose was precisely to avoid and prevent wars between American States.
With humility but with great conviction, we urge all parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine to immediately stop military actions to avoid further victims and damage. We support the peace initiatives promoted by Brazil, a brother country and strategic ally, as well as by Pope Francis, whose moving presence is a source of inspiration to all humankind. There is no doubt that we need to work on the review and reform of the mechanisms, measures and institutional capacities of multilateral organizations to prevent new wars like that ravaging Ukraine, but with or without reforms we need to put an end to the merciless loss of so many human lives. We need to work to strengthen the United Nations with a view to building new capabilities that will allow it to respond effectively and efficiently to permanent and changing global challenges.
Within the framework of the reform and expansion of the Security Council. Paraguay considers that the organic and functional structure of the United Nations must reflect the dynamics of the international scenario on a participatory, democratic and equitable basis that observes the guiding principles of the Charter of the United Nations for promote peace, security and prosperity of our countries on equal terms.
In that regard, the Government of Paraguay expresses its support for the Republic of China on Taiwan to be an integral part of the United Nations system.
Climate change represents a great planetary challenge, and we must take both rigorous and fair measures to avoid further damage to the planet and its inhabitants.
Trade restrictions based on criteria such as agricultural practices or environmental standards generate discontent and uncertainty and are unfair and discriminatory barriers, since they try to extrapolate realities from highly developed regions to developing territories, without taking into account their differences or adequately valuing the particular environmental mitigation practices of those territories. That has required less developed countries to assume responsibility for the environmental damage caused by industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when there were no mitigation measures, and they have been obliged to do so at the expense of giving up opportunities for commercial expansion, job creation and wealth creation. There is a need to address those concerns and promote a more equitable and collaborative approach that takes into account the specific realities and needs of each country in the context of its multilateral decisions related to environmental standards.
Paraguay has shown the world that we are leaders in the production of hydroelectric energy, a clean and sustainable source that supplies both our internal needs and those of our neighbours. We have put Paraguay on the map as an example to follow in the transition towards a more sustainable world. While other countries are still arguing about reducing emissions, we have already taken concrete and effective measures. We are a concrete example of how a nation can exploit natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner to promote economic development and. at the same time, mitigate climate change.
For more than 30 years, we have been adopting sustainable agricultural practices that not only ensure a prosperous future for our farmers, but also guarantee the integrity of our land and our water resources. We have acted with courage and responsibility, basing our public policies on science and evidence.
For years, we were the subject of criticism and unfair accusations, but today, thanks to the work of multiple administrations. I can firmly report that the facts speak for themselves. Some 44 per cent of Paraguayan territory has preserved its forest cover, while 95 per cent of the area planted with cereals and oilseeds in Paraguay in 2022 implements sustainable technologies, such as direct sowing and crop rotation, and has been free of deforestation since 2004 a result of our zero-deforestation policy. Those data are irrefutable proof that it is possible to achieve a balance between agricultural production and the conservation of our natural resources, and that the Paraguayan countryside is prepared to enter the most demanding markets internationally, respecting the principles of clean and sustainable production. .
But we do not stop there. Paraguay has also committed to the recomposition of our natural ecosystems. We are promoting reforestation and species conservation, and we have undertaken the participatory construction of the national forest restoration plan. Additionally, we have dramatically reduced extreme poverty over the past two decades, demonstrating that it is possible to protect our environment while prospering economically.
Paraguay reaffirms its commitment to the central values and objectives of the United Nations. We understand our shared but differentiated responsibilities and we are willing to lead by example on the path to a more sustainable and equitable world.
Today we face four global challenges that are generating geopolitical tensions: access to water, food security, energy sufficiency and resilience in logistics chains. Since Paraguay is a Power on these great issues, we are called to be protagonists in the concert of nations. Our subsoil is home to the world’s largest reserve of fresh water, including the Guarani aquifer that we share with our neighbours. Paraguay is a global food supplier and one of the few countries in the world capable of producing food for its population and for more than 100 million people around the world. In hydroelectric energy, we are pioneers in regional energy integration and today we are determined to move towards greater energy efficiency and sustainability.
In that context. Paraguay aspires to become the logistics centre of the South American Bioceanic Corridor, which is turning our geographical centrality into an opportunity and strengthening integration with neighbouring countries and Pacific markets. That trade corridor will be a source of renewal and empowerment for the South American Common Market and the Pacific Alliance, promoting greater rapprochement between both blocs. Furthermore, due to its intersection with the Paraguay-Parana waterway, that multimodal network will become the most competitive way to transport products from different countries to Pacific ports, facilitating consensus for the management of river navigation. Without a doubt, it will give new impetus to the South American integration process and transform the vision with which we will resolve conflicts that may arise.
Paraguay is determined to abandon its old image as an island surrounded by land, as our Cervantes Prize winner Don Augusto Roa Bastos described
it. and. following its historical, geographical and cultural vocation, become the centre of South American integration. Therefore, one of our main strategic objectives will be to contribute to improving regional integration. In that sense, managing the waterway, the aquifers, the Bioceanic Corridor, the hydroelectric plants and the navigation of our rivers is a delicate process of balance between the integration and sovereignty of our peoples. We are aware of the progress made on the path of integration, but we cannot be satisfied and must move forward with courage and determination. Latin America is the region of the world with the greatest development potential, but we can develop that potential only by respecting each other, working together and in harmony.
Since the last decade of the twentieth century, as a country we have been going through a process of building and strengthening our democratic institutions. This year, we have renewed the political leadership of the country through a transparent electoral process, with broad citizen participation and in which the Paraguayan people expressed their will with a firm democratic vocation and full confidence in the rule of law. Today Paraguay is experiencing its greatest historical period of democratic coexistence, with more than 35 uninterrupted years of validating the noblest values of a free, participatory and pluralist democracy, and convinced that there is no acceptable system other than that of non-negotiable exercise of human rights and freedom.
Paraguay is the country of the prose of Augusto Roa Bastos. the universal music of Jose Asuncion Flores and the nanduti-voiced guitar of Berta Rojas. The country has a rhythm that was born to capture the spirit of its Guarani language. The name of that music is Guarania. and today it hopes to be recognized as a universal heritage because it is an ambassador who travels the world with our emotions.
My country values peace, sustainable development and integration among peoples because we are a country that has been reborn from its ashes following a war of extermination that truncated the early development process of a nation that, already at the dawn of industrial revolution, had developed one of the first interurban railways in South America, had shipyards and iron foundries, and. above all. was betting very heavily on the formation of its human capital through education.
The reconstruction after the catastrophe of 1870. which annihilated 90 per cent of the Paraguayan male population, was led by patriotic fellow nationals, without international financial or technological support and with a small flow of European migrants who arrived and settled in the country despite a narrative that discredited us. But. as President Bernardino Caballero said in immortal words in his presidential message of 1884. Paraguay has the incontestable merit of having risen from its ruins without having requested foreign assistance to do so. It has persevered with that rare self-denial that is the virtue of the strong, and it has triumphed. It is the architect of its own destinies.
It is impossible not to mention here the fundamental role of Paraguayan women in the heroic task of rebuilding the country. It is not for nothing that the Paraguayan woman is recognized as the most glorious in America and the cornerstone on which our nation is built.
With firm and determined steps. Paraguay continues to strengthen its institutions and its economy. After occupying the position of poorest country in South America for decades, today we are an upper middle-income country, with high credibility in international financial markets that is bringing us closer to the desired investment grade, with high production standards certified in accordance with international standards, with transparency and. above all. with macroeconomic stability that stands out worldwide and is supported by fiscal and monetary discipline and a permanent effort to improve public management.
Paraguay today is standing and ready to fulfil its mission in history. That is why we speak of the resurgence of a giant, but we do so not with expansionist or grandiose zeal but with the firm conviction of a people proud of its roots, its heroic and brave history and with the deepest confidence in its future greatness.