Spain

This is the first occasion on which I have addressed the General Assembly on behalf of my country; I am very pleased to do so. My country is an old country - a diverse country, with several languages and various traditions and cultures. Our country is European, Mediterranean and Ibero-American in character. I am speaking on behalf of a country that has had its share of difficult experiences throughout history. It is a country in which some people who are alive today have known a civil war, a dictatorship that lasted for almost four decades and a democracy that is now 25 years old and that has brought great progress. We have also known the scourge of terrorism for more than 30 years ó terrorism that has taken so many lives. Over the past 30 years, Spanish men and women have learned a great deal about terrorism. We learned early on how evil it is. We became familiar with it. We learned how to defy it and how to withstand its blows with courage and dignity. We have learned how to fight it. Precisely because they have experienced it for 30 years that the citizens of my country felt deeply the pain of the American people on 11 September 2001. We knew how they felt; we know how they feel. Here in New York, I would like to convey the heartfelt solidarity of the people of Spain with the great nation of the United States. We fully understand the terrible pain that in recent years has been inflicted upon Jakarta, Bali, Casablanca, Riyadh and Beslanq. We know all about kidnappings, bombings and cold-blooded killings. We know what compassion means. On 11 March this year, a terrorist attack in Madrid took the lives of 192 people. We had never experienced that kind of terrorism before, but we were familiar with the bloodshed and the pain that it caused. I would like, from this rostrum, to express my deep appreciation to all nations for their solidarity with our country when we were suffering so deeply after the brutal attack in Madrid. Spanish men and women were not afraid. On the day after the bombings, millions of people left their homes and took to the streets and squares of our cities and towns. Once again, we expressed our condemnation, disgust and total contempt for terrorist brutality. Thirty years of resisting terrorism has taught us that the risk of a terrorist victory rises sharply when, in order to fight terror, democracy betrays its fundamental nature, when Governments curtail civil liberties, put judicial guaranties at risk or carry out pre-emptive military operations. This is what my people have learned: it is the rule of law, democracy and political methods that make us stronger and make them weaker. We will resist terrorism. Our history endorses our resolve. We will pursue our fight against terrorism, but we will do so respecting domestic and international law; we will do so with respect for human rights and for the United Nations ó and in no other way. It is not only the ethics of our beliefs that move us. It is above all our belief in ethics. Our conviction is that legality - only legality ó will enable us to prevail in the fight against terrorism. Nothing justifies terrorism. Like the plague, it has no justification. But like the plague, it has roots that can and must be uncovered. We can and must rationally analyse how it emerges and how it grows, so that we can fight it rationally. Terrorism is insanity and death, and regrettably there will always be fanatics who are ready to kill to impose their insanity through force, ready to scatter the seed of evil. The seed of evil cannot take root when it falls on the rock of justice, well-being, freedom and hope, but it can take root if it lands on the soil of injustice, poverty, humiliation and despair. Redressing the major political and economic injustices that devastate our world would therefore deprive terrorists of their popular support. The more people there are who have decent living conditions around the world, the safer we will all be. 35 In this context, I would like to speak about Iraq. But first of all I would like to speak about the thousands of victims of this conflict: the Iraqis, the soldiers, the civilians who have lost their lives. We extend to them and to their countries our steady solidarity. The overwhelming majority of people in Spain spoke out against the war. We were not persuaded by the arguments offered by those who promoted the war. We expressed our views in the Spanish Parliament and in the streets. We spoke out loudly, we shouted. We also said that winning the war would be much easier than winning the peace. Peace must be our task - a task that requires more courage, more determination and more heroism than the war. That is why the Spanish troops returned from Iraq. In any event, what really matters now is to help fully restore the sovereignty and independence of Iraq - a democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours. We will spare no effort in that task. And so Spain actively participated in the drafting of Security Council resolution 1546 (2004) and will continue to offer political and financial support for the process of political normalization and strengthening Iraqi democratic institutions. There will be neither security nor stability in the world as long as the Middle East conflict continues to bleed. That conflict is the primary tumour for many sources of instability. Spain firmly supports resolutions adopted by the United Nations, and other instruments such as the Quartet's road map, which is yet to be implemented. The time we are wasting is to be measured in terms of human lives. Spain stands by Israel against the terrible scourge of terrorism, against which it is entitled to defend itself by legitimate means. Spain firmly defends the establishment of a viable, democratic Palestinian State that can live in peace and security with the State of Israel. Israel will be able to count on the international community to the extent that it respects international law, but the placement of the dividing wall fails to do that. Spain will spare no political, diplomatic or cooperation effort to try and bring about the peace that is so needed in the Middle East. But from this rostrum, we would also like to extend an urgent appeal to the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations to implement the road map. Those are four powerful players indeed, and we want to see them exerting decisive diplomatic pressure. In the humanitarian field, Spain has contributed several million euros to help alleviate the terrible crisis in Darfur. However, the Sudanese authorities must, without delay, take all measures necessary to end the atrocities, bring the perpetrators to justice and normalize the situation in the region. It is also necessary for the rebel groups and militias to respect the ceasefire and show a constructive attitude at the negotiating table. In this context, we must support the initiatives of the African Union. Spain believes we can no longer passively accept the continuation of Africa's forgotten conflicts, and that is why, with partners in the European Union, we supported the establishment of the African Peace Facility, an instrument designed to promote regional solutions to crises in Africa. In the Maghreb, Spain is pursuing an active and comprehensive policy to enhance political stability and economic and social development in the region. Regional integration and interdependence with Spain and Europe is, we believe, the way to reach those goals. With regard to Western Sahara, Spain strongly supports the search for a just and definitive political solution that is accepted by all parties and respects the principles set forth in the resolutions of the United Nations. From this rostrum I appeal to all the parties involved to redouble their efforts, within the framework of dialogue and negotiations established by the United Nations, to resolve a conflict that has dragged on for far too long. May I confirm Spain's commitment to peacekeeping operations - a fundamental part of effective multilateralism that we are seeking to encourage. Our political commitment is reflected in specific contributions in the form of military contingents for Afghanistan and Haiti, in accordance with explicit Security Council mandates. Peace and security will spread through the world only with the strength of the United Nations, the strength of international legality, the strength of human rights, of democracy, of men abiding by the law, with equality of men and women, with equality of 36 opportunities, no matter where people are born. We reject those who would manipulate us or wish to impose any kind of religion or belief. The strength of education and culture is essential, for culture is always peace. Let us ensure that our perception of others is coloured by respect. There must be dialogue among peoples. Thus, as a representative of a country created and enriched by divers cultures, in this Assembly I want to propose an alliance of civilizations between the Western and the Arab and Muslim worlds. Some years ago a wall fell. We must now prevent hatred and a lack of understanding from building another wall. Spain proposes to the Secretary-General - whose work at the head of this organization we firmly support ó the possibility of establishing a high-level group to move ahead with this initiative. This is the house of nations, but I see only women and men. I hear only the voices of women and men who represent billions of other women and men. Many of these voices - many feeble and barely audible, the voices of children, the weak, the hopeless - come from lands devastated by poverty and inequality. It is they whom I now want to address to declare that Spain strongly supports the Millennium Declaration Goals with respect to development, poverty eradication and the preservation of the environment. Poverty is the main cause of uncontrolled migration flows. But no wall, no matter how tall, can prevent those who suffer from trying to escape poverty in order to recover their dignity as human beings. For those reasons, we are firmly committed to the political declaration we adopted yesterday within the framework of the International Alliance Against Hunger - promoted by President Lula da Silva - which establishes new ways to fund development. The Government of Spain will substantially increase its official development assistance in order to reach the threshold of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product. In order for there to be peace, security and hope all over the world, international instruments for the promotion and protection of human rights need to be strengthened and effectively implemented. That is one of the basic pillars of our foreign policy. Our objectives are the signing and ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, the universal abolition of the death penalty, the effort to end discrimination against women, gender-based violence and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, the protection of children and the combating of child abuse and exploitation, and the strict observance of human rights in the fight against terrorism and crime. World peace and security require respect for legality. Therefore, Spain wishes to promote the effective functioning of the International Criminal Court. To that end, I call upon all States that have yet done so to ratify the Statute of the Court fully, unconditionally and without delay and thus help us in our common endeavour to build a world that is more just. My Government wholeheartedly supports the United Nations reform process set out in the Millennium Declaration and endorses the Secretary- Generalís initiatives for the reform and institutional strengthening of the Organization. Spain believes that it is essential for the future of the international order that the reform be aimed at ensuring effective compliance with United Nations resolutions, in particular those of the Security Council. The Security Council must be made more representative, democratic, effective and transparent. To that end, Spain is willing to consider new proposals for achieving consensus on increasing the number of non-permanent members and on the use of the veto power. I want to reaffirm Spain's commitment to the just causes of the Latin American peoples and to consolidating democratic systems and political stability in the region. I reaffirm our support for economic progress aimed at reducing inequality and strengthening social cohesion. Within the European Union, we will continue to promote a closer relationship with that region through the development of a strategic partnership between both sides of the Atlantic. I would not wish to conclude my statement without referring to the question of Gibraltar. Every year, the General Assembly reiterates its calls to Spain and the United Kingdom to pursue bilateral negotiations in order to reach a definitive solution to the dispute. I affirm that my country will continue its willingness to negotiate a solution that benefits the 37 region as a whole and heeds the wishes of that non- autonomous territory. The United Nations was born of necessity and ideals. It was built by women and men who affirmed their faith in understanding among peoples and cultures. They left us a legacy of utopia. They thought that everything was within their reach: the settlement of old conflicts, the eradication of poverty, rights for all human beings. Today we could ask ourselves, what is within our reach? Almost everything is. It is true that the history of humankind does not give us many reasons to be optimistic. Nor does the world today offer us many reasons to feel superior to the men that preceded us. One out of three countries in the world does not have a free system. Torture continues to exist. There are more than 30 armed conflicts around the world today. Half of the war victims are children. Millions of people are suffering from AIDS. One billion human beings subsist on a dollar a day. More than 800 million adults are illiterate. More than 150 million children are without access to any kind of education. More than 1 billion people lack safe drinking water. No, we human beings cannot feel very proud of ourselves. We must fight to overcome this situation. We, the Spanish women and men of today, are resolved to make it possible for the women and men who come after us to be able to say: yes, they did do it.