Argentina, 1994

Allow me, Mr. President, to congratulate you on your

election to such a responsible post. I am certain that you

will be able to guide our debates with your well-known

efficiency.

These are years of change and transformation. In an

amazingly short period of time we have moved from a

bipolar world marked by strategic confrontation which

seemed insurmountable to a world in which the hope of

an international order of peace and harmony coexists with

some uncertainties. There are still serious conflicts that

require our full attention and that of the United Nations -

the main institution the international community has for

the solution of such conflicts.

The international landscape is full of contrasts: there

are encouraging signs of convergence alongside other

signs that seem to point to the persistence of

authoritarianism and extremism, which inevitably lead to

violence. Torn as it is between hope and uncertainty, the

world must face the challenge of finding the right

answers. But we must keep in mind and never lose sight

of the fact that we cannot aspire to a world at peace if we

fail to establish a just international society. There can be

no peace without justice and there can be no justice

without the full assurance of freedom and human rights.

There can be no peace or justice if there is

discrimination. There can be no peace or justice where

there is hunger. There can be no peace or justice where

there are regimes that repress individual freedom. And

there can be no peace or justice when terrorism continues

to be protected by political, cultural and economic

sponsors.

11

But, as I said at the outset, there are also some facets

of reality that encourage us. One of the high notes of the

past year was the successful conclusion of the institutional

transition of the Republic of South Africa, magnificently

embodied in the figures of President Mandela and the

enlightened opposition leaders. The national unity

agreements which made it possible for South Africa to be

successfully integrated into the family of democratic nations

demonstrate once again that the endeavour of nation-

building must always be based on dialogue and

understanding between major political forces.

We have also witnessed with satisfaction and hope the

continuation and the strengthening of the peace agreements

between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

In Gaza and Jericho, after more than 30 years, the

Palestinian people is once again determining its own future

in its own land.

The original agreements have been strengthened by

those recently signed by Israel and Jordan, which

unequivocally represent the definitive acceptance of the

State of Israel by the whole of the international community.

We hope that such a promising start will soon lead to

similar agreements with other, indispensable actors in the

region.

As at all great moments in history, the solution to the

violence and despair that lasted for so many years has not

been a matter of chance. Involved here have been men,

great statesmen, true leaders, who - without setting aside

their own legitimate grievances - have decided courageously

to do away with rancour and recrimination. These Israeli

and Palestinian leaders have pointed the way to

reconciliation founded on peace.

But not all is brightness. The shadows of the Balkan

tragedy linger, despite the tremendous efforts being made

by the United Nations and regional groups to find a just

and satisfactory peace. Argentina has contributed to this

quest for solutions to the best of its ability, through the

United Nations Protection Force. Since 1992 more than

4,000 Argentine soldiers have been dispatched to contribute,

sometimes even with their lives, to fulfilling the resolutions

of the Organization.

In Africa, Rwanda has demanded the attention and

gripped the hearts of all men and women of goodwill.

Argentina has contributed by sending foodstuffs and

medical supplies, and doctors and nurses from our country

have joined in the efforts of thousands of international

volunteers who, amid scenes of horror and destitution,

remind us of the inner nobility of every human being.

In Latin America, our region, to which we attach the

greatest importance, the process of consolidating

democracy has continued. Significant steps have been

taken in terms of the non-proliferation of weapons of

mass destruction, and it is now possible, as in few regions

of the world, to point to high levels of growth in an

atmosphere of increasing economic stability. Our region,

with its renewed democratic outlook, its respect for

human rights, for peace and progressive but resolute

integration, has in a few years become the centre of

attraction for international investment. In this framework

of increasing freedom that the region now demonstrates,

I should like particularly to hail the historic process of

elections in El Salvador, which has put behind it a long

period of confrontation.

With respect to the situation in Cuba, my

Government would once again voice its conviction as to

the need for democratization on a pluralistic basis as the

only way to prevent the worsening of the crisis that exists

there and to permit the country to be reintegrated fully

into the Latin American community.

In Haiti, the overall solution lies in compliance with

Security Council resolution 940 (1994), which, within the

system of collective security provided for in the Charter,

authorizes multilateral action, a mechanism that is

essentially different in nature from unilateral intervention,

which we reject.

I wish to take this opportunity to express thanks for

the work done by Mr. Dante Caputo, the former Foreign

Minister of my country, who, after completing important

and intelligent work during his term as Representative of

the Secretary-General for the question of Haiti, decided

just a few days ago to resign that position.

I believe in this regard that it is important to refer to

one of the most disquieting challenges that threaten

democracy: corruption. This phenomenon progressively

erodes credibility and public trust in institutions and their

leaders. The Argentine Government is committed to a

relentless struggle against corruption, placing particular

emphasis on eliminating excessive State control and a

lack of transparency in State administration, a fertile

ground for corruption.

The problems that make up the international agenda

must, in Argentina’s view, be solved by strengthening the

12

United Nations. We have constantly and firmly supported

the work of the Security Council, which is at last on the

way to regaining the role assigned to it by the Charter. The

participation of Argentina in nine peace-keeping

operations - the highest number for any Latin American

country - in the form of troops, military observers and

civilian police, is a concrete contribution that bears out the

convictions that I have spoken of today.

I wish to emphasize that in its participation in peace-

keeping operations, the Argentine Republic is accompanied

by 72 countries. I wish to pay tribute to them as well for

assisting in achieving peace and justice in many, very

diverse, regions of the world.

We have also responded to the Secretary-General’s

proposal that a system of stand-by forces be set up, and our

response takes the form of a pledge of specialized

personnel, transport and 1,500 troops.

Another aspect of far-reaching importance in terms of

the evolution of the United Nations itself is the question of

equitable representation on the Security Council and an

increase in the number of its members. Argentina attaches

great importance to this issue and takes the view that the

number of members on the Council has always

corresponded to the geopolitical situation prevailing at a

specific time and that efforts at reform should thus be

designed to adapt the number to the current geopolitical

situation.

Combating the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction is one of the indisputable pillars of international

peace and security.

With this in mind, Argentina has ratified the Treaty of

Tlatelolco, while currently our Parliament is considering

accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons, which should be extended for the sake of global

security and stability.

With respect to chemical weapons, we are taking the

necessary steps to set up a national authority, and we hope

to see international verification measures strengthened.

At the same time, we firmly support the conclusion of

the comprehensive test-ban treaty.

In the past year, Argentina joined the systems

controlling exports of high technology and equipment with

possible military uses, enabling us to benefit from the

transfer of technology.

We are concerned at the persistence of the

sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas, South Georgia and

South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime

areas.

Although we have a satisfactory relationship with the

United Kingdom on other bilateral questions, we cannot

help but once again reaffirm before this world forum, as

we do each year, our sovereign rights over those

territories.

Our claim this year has taken on special significance,

since the Argentine people, through their representatives

in the National Congress, reformed the supreme law of

the country little more than a month ago, giving

constitutional status to the question of the Malvinas

Islands by including, in the new text of the constitution,

a transitional clause which reaffirms our rights and states

that in recovering those rights respect for international

law and the way of life of the population of the Islands

shall be paramount.

Thus the entire spectrum of Argentine political

opinion has given solemn embodiment to a claim which

is more than ever central and permanent to our foreign

policy.

For this reason, and despite the fact that our two

Governments have collaborated on certain aspects of the

management of the living resources of the South Atlantic,

we cannot but deplore the further recourse by the United

Kingdom to unilateral jurisdictional measures in the area;

these undermine the possibility of broadening existing

agreements and of arriving at others. We trust that the

United Kingdom shares with us the conviction that there

is no real alternative to cooperation in the South Atlantic.

With respect to fisheries, we have arrived at

provisional agreements allowing for the rational

exploitation of these resources and preventing predatory

fishing. But repeated recourse to unilateral measures such

as I have described jeopardizes the possibility of adding

to or indeed maintaining these understandings.

As far as oil is concerned, Argentina has once again

put forward specific proposals for cooperation. Our

initiatives on this matter are based on the recognized

principle of international law prohibiting the unilateral

exploitation of non-renewable resources, a dispute which

has been acknowledged by the General Assembly.

13

As to the inhabitants of the islands, I wish to reaffirm

before this Assembly our full readiness to establish direct

and responsive links with them. It is clear to us that the

problem of the Falkland Islands has an inevitable human

dimension which is bound up with the way of life and the

needs of the islanders.

Argentina is ready to preserve the way of life and the

particular characteristics, and in this context we are

prepared to study all matters, from communications to the

legal and financial systems, in order to find logical

solutions acceptable to all.

Dialogue with the islanders is an inseparable part of a

rational, civilized solution to this problem. Once again,

logic and reason are pointing inexorably towards

cooperation and dialogue.

The economic and social agenda is an indication of

just how positive an event was the conclusion of the

Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and

Trade (GATT); it will make it possible to more effectively

tackle problems of unemployment and the distribution of

wealth.

Argentina’s policy aims at securing the consensus of

the countries of the Americas in order that we may declare

the continent a zone free of subsidies and unfair practices

with respect to agricultural products. The agreement on

agriculture marks an important advancement, and Argentina

thinks it is appropriate to take a further step by helping to

eliminate distortions in international trade.

Argentina’s concern for social problems is well

known. Through measures to establish stability, to combat

inflation and to ensure economic growth, we have taken an

important step forward in our struggle against poverty.

Turning to external matters, we have proposed the

establishment of a volunteer corps to combat hunger and

poverty, coordinating efforts under way in this field.

President Clinton kindly referred to our initiative yesterday,

and we particularly value his support.

The issues related to the relationship between

population and development, which a few weeks ago were

absorbing world attention in Cairo, cannot be left out of

this analysis. We believe in promoting fundamental values,

such as the advancement of women, human rights, and

sustainable economic development, but with respect to

population policies we maintain that human life exists from

the moment of conception until natural death, condemning

any practice undermining this.

Population policies should not aim to smother life,

but to ensure the greatest access of all individuals to the

benefits of development and the fair distribution of

wealth.

There are two scourges besetting the world at the

end of the twentieth century: drug trafficking and

terrorism. Both of these call for concerted action on the

part of the international community, for they are not

national but world-wide scourges.

With respect to terrorism, I can speak with the

twofold weight of conviction and pain - with conviction,

because of our repudiation of terrorism as a means of

political or religious expression, and with pain, because of

the hundreds of Argentines who died as a result of the

attack that destroyed a building belonging to the Jewish

community in Buenos Aires in July. We are grateful for

the solidarity extended to us and for the Security

Council’s condemnation. We believe that concerted

action is needed to tackle terrorism - terrorism which has

erupted in New York, London and Panama as well as in

Buenos Aires. It is vital for the United Nations to play

a more active, leadership role, coordinating a global

endeavour to effectively combat this scourge.

We reiterate here our suggestion that the United

Nations should be provided with a unit devoted to the

question of international terrorism.

United Nations action must enjoy the resolute

support of all. It is iniquitous and unacceptable that there

are Governments that encourage terrorism. Sovereignty

must not be used as a shield for abetting terrorist

organizations while the world looks on helplessly. If we

Heads of State all worked in concert, we could put an end

to this veritable scourge afflicting us all.

The United Nations should also study multilateral

mechanisms that, while respecting the immunities and

privileges enshrined in the Vienna Convention, would

prevent and punish the abuse of those immunities and

privileges to support the actions of international terrorists.

We cannot rule out the possibility that such immunities

and privileges were abused in the attacks in Buenos

Aires.

In closing, I wish to address the need to strengthen

the United Nations, in particular with respect to its

14

responsibilities in the area of international peace and

security. This involves first resolving its pressing financial

difficulties.

The United Nations must also continue to study the

possibility of changing the current structure of the Security

Council. In the view of the Argentine Republic, any

increase in the number of members should be prudent and

moderate, so that the Council is guaranteed maximum

possible operating efficiency. In addition, any expansion

should avoid the creation of unjustifiable imbalances in the

representation of the various regions of the world. The

Argentine Republic believes that the principle of the

sovereign equality of Member States must always be

respected. Furthermore, none of the provisions of Article

23 of the Charter should be disregarded. For all these

reasons, it would seem preferable to think in terms of a

limited increase in the number of non-permanent members

and, as far as possible, the elimination of restrictions on

their re-election.

We find ourselves on the eve of the fiftieth

anniversary of the Organization. Let us make the best use

of the system of collective security and the mechanisms of

economic and social cooperation provided by the Charter.

I have no doubt that by doing so we shall have a much

better world in the next 50 years, one worth living in for

our children and our children’s children.