I am greatly honoured to congratulate Her Excellency
Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of Bahrain upon her
election, the first woman from the Middle East, to
preside over the work of the sixty-first session of the
General Assembly. She has the great responsibility to
promote dialogue and harmony in the midst of the
spread of conflict throughout the world. Likewise, we
wish to pay tribute to the Secretary-General for his ten
years at the head of this Organization and for his
immense efforts to promote peacekeeping, security and
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
In the interest of continuity in the pursuit of
United Nations reform, so notably promoted by the
Secretary-General, our country wishes to reiterate its
conviction that any reform must provide for greater
democratization. We recognize the unquestionable
accomplishments achieved during this process, such as
the creation of the Human Rights Council and the
Peacebuilding Commission. Notwithstanding, reform
will be incomplete if it does not include reform of the
Security Council, the body specifically responsible for
taking political decisions within this Organization. It is
our conviction that the Security Council must be
expanded to make it more diverse and participatory,
with the aim of ensuring more equitable regional
representation and taking into account the regional and
national interests that prevail in today’s world. There is
also a need for closer cooperation between the Security
Council and other important United Nations bodies,
such as the General Assembly and the Economic and
Social Council.
One of the global issues of great concern to the
Dominican Republic and other parts of the world is
that of human security. We have observed with great
consternation that there has recently been an erosion of
domestic security in countries, leading to increased
violence and criminality. That situation has, without a
doubt, been fuelled by a combination of factors, among
them drug trafficking, the illicit traffic of arms, the
trafficking of persons and other criminal activities. In
addressing this dramatic situation, which is driving
some populations to desperation, the Dominican
Republic remains vigilant in the continuous struggle
and urges the international community to strengthen
control and prevention mechanisms that are needed to
meet these modern challenges that only increase fear
and desperation among defenceless civilian
populations.
Another issue of great importance for the
progress and well-being of our countries is the
relationship between migration and sustainable
06-52885 12
development, which constitutes the main item on the
General Assembly’s agenda. We believe that the
phenomenon of migration is positively linked to the
cause of development. However, there is an inherent
contradiction in this modern, globalized world in that
we promote the free flow of merchandise, capital and
services, while we restrict the free flow of human
labour.
Although each State exercises its sovereign right
in implementing its migration policies, it is our
conviction that the asymmetry currently existing
between the free flow of production inputs and the
restricted flow of persons will have to cease to exist
over time. According to the conservative voices in the
developed world, migration is a sort of invasion from
the underdeveloped countries to the most developed
countries. It is also considered to be an act of revenge
for the territorial expropriation that took place in the
colonial era and is seen as a threat to their current way
of life.
This is a fallacy. Migration is not about the poor
invading the developed countries, nor is it a threat to
their current way of life. Frankly speaking, migration is
one of the historical means used by human beings and
to which they continue to resort to in order to achieve
greater well-being, liberty and justice. As it will be
impossible to do away with this phenomenon, we can
only seek to control it in a legal and organized fashion,
in a framework of respect for the human rights and
dignity of all persons. In the meantime, many people
could benefit from this situation, through remittances,
the creation of networks of contacts and cooperation,
capacity-building in human resources, technology
transfer and diverse forms of collaboration and
exchange.
In another regard, the serious events that recently
took place in the Middle East have filled us with alarm
and consternation. They are a dramatic reminder that
tensions affecting the peace of entire regions still
persist. As with other conflicts, the dispute between
Israel and its neighbours can be resolved only through
dialogue and the good offices of the United Nations,
which recently achieved the cessation of hostilities
between the two disputing parties. We are confident
that a definitive peace will prevail in this region and
allow the development of enhanced levels of
understanding, tolerance, and co-existence among its
inhabitants.
The Dominican Republic maintains its interest in
participating in the promotion of peacebuilding and
conflict resolution. We reiterate our deep commitment
to the activities and objectives of the United Nations
International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW). We consider
them suitable for the advancement and dignity of all
the women of the world and, in particular, the women
of countries such as the Dominican Republic. As the
host country, we warmly appreciate the support of
Member States to INSTRAW.
The Dominican Republic is deeply committed to
re-establishing stability in Haiti, and we applaud the
recent decision of the Security Council to extend the
mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH) for six months. The Dominican
Republic has special interest that there be an increase
of international cooperation aimed at preserving the
pace of the reconstruction process of this sister nation.
With regard to our two countries, our warm relations
are also expressed through the Dominican-Haitian Joint
Commission, a forum which our Governments are
reviving because we recognize it as the most
appropriate mechanism for discussion and for reaching
agreements on many topics of shared concern.
In conclusion, we wish to see the United Nations
renew and strengthen itself with a view to playing a
more active, dynamic and effective role — one that
would guarantee the realization of the values and
principles enshrined in the San Francisco Charter, so as
to ensure that peace on Earth will become the daily
form of existence among human beings.