Argentina, 2000

In

this, my first statement, allow me to congratulate Mr.

Holkeri on his election to the presidency of the General

Assembly. I believe that this is a timely opportunity to

emphasize the great friendship that unites the

Argentine Republic and Finland.

I also express my gratitude to Mr. Theo-Ben

Gurirab of Namibia, another country that is a friend to

Argentina, for the constructive way in which he

presided over the Assembly's work at the last session.

We also offer a cordial welcome to Tuvalu upon

its entry into the United Nations and extend our

friendship and cooperation to its people.

This debate is taking place after a very productive

exchange of opinions at the highest level during the

Millennium Summit, which we hope will mark,

together with the final Declaration, the beginning of a

new era leading to a more equitable world and a more

effective Organization, in accordance with objectives

set out by the Secretary-General in his report entitled

“We the peoples”. For my country, this is also an

opportunity to set out before the General Assembly the

principles and objectives of our foreign policy.

The Government of President Fernando de la

Rúa, who took office on 10 December 1999, has

drafted a foreign policy on the basis of the mandate it

received from the Argentine people. This policy aims

at strengthening our integration with neighbouring

countries, intensifying the hemispheric dialogue and

promoting economic development, social progress, free

trade and a ban on weapons of mass destruction.

Argentina is determined to participate on the

international scene jointly to build a peaceful and

stable world based on the values of representative

democracy, the rule of law, the protection and

promotion of human rights, respect for the

environment, economic liberalization, social progress,

international cooperation and the maintenance of

international peace and security, pursuant to the

purposes and principles of the Charter. Today, as was

stated at the Millennium Summit, these aspirations are

shared by the vast majority of Members of this

Organization.

On the basis of its ongoing interests, the

Government has set as a priority objective its political

and economic integration with the other States

members of the Southern Common Market

(MERCOSUR) — Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay —

and associate members Chile and Bolivia. We have

agreed with these countries to consolidate

MERCOSUR by adopting the measures necessary to

promote greater integration on the basis of balance and

equity. We have made significant progress towards the

expansion of our markets since the signing of the

Treaty of Asuncin in 1991. This was the fruit of the

determination of the member countries to implement an

open trade policy in their economic programmes.

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The creation of MERCOSUR was a political

decision transcending the economic sphere.

MERCOSUR provides a political forum within which

trust, cooperation and the pursuit of full integration in

all areas foster the increasing complementarity and

convergence of our interests. Bolivia and Chile have

bound themselves to MERCOSUR as associate

members in the context of the Free Trade Area and we

trust that they will become full members in the near

future.

As a consequence of the broadening political and

economic dimensions of our integration project, we are

also witnessing the convergence of approaches to

defence and security in our region. This contributes to

a continental perspective based on confidence and

cooperation. We and our neighbours have made

progress towards the creation of the joint

MERCOSUR, Bolivian and Chilean zone of peace.

Argentina is part of a nuclear-free Latin America

reflecting the peaceful and cooperative security

necessary to harmonious development.

At the same time, as a member of the Rio Group,

which has now grown to include Costa Rica, the

Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala,

Honduras and Nicaragua, Argentina has pursued its

high-level political consultations and cooperation in

order to maintain peace, strengthen representative

democracy and promote sustainable development in the

region. It is our firm intention that our countries shall

enjoy greater participation in the global economy. At

the recent summit convened in Brasilia to

commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery

of Brazil, the Presidents of all the South American

countries reaffirmed the spirit of understanding and

harmony that marks its relations on the basis of these

principles and objectives.

The consolidation of democratic stability in Latin

America continues to be a central policy of the

Argentine Government. We do not interfere in the

domestic affairs of others and we respect international

law. We promote the consolidation of democratic

processes on the basis of our deep conviction that free,

regular and transparent elections and a plurality of

political parties are essential instruments for affirming

and guaranteeing the institutional nature of democracy.

My country also reaffirms its commitment to

eradicating poverty, inequity and social exclusion and

to ensuring equal opportunity throughout the region.

We shall continue to pursue our joint action in the

regional and global campaign against drug trafficking,

terrorism, corruption, the illegal trade in arms and

organized crime.

The Argentine Republic has a natural interest in

the South Atlantic that is reflected in our participation

in the zone of peace and cooperation of the South

Atlantic, comprised of 21 African and three Latin

American countries. At the fifth ministerial meeting

held in Buenos Aires in October 1998, a plan of action

was adopted to implement our shared objectives in the

peaceful settlement of disputes, economic cooperation,

development, the conservation of fishery resources, the

fight against drug trafficking and the protection of the

environment.

My country is in favour of free trade in order to

achieve development and the eradication of poverty.

The Argentine Government believes that protectionism

not only generates the deflection of trade and the

closure of markets, but also constitutes a form of

discrimination. Argentina urges the entire international

community to commit itself seriously to eliminating

distortions of trade and will continue to fight for these

objectives. In this regard, we believe that progress is

being made in negotiations on the free trade agreement

of the Americas to create a hemispheric free trade area

by the year 2005.

In the World Trade Organization, our country has

provided new impetus to the efforts to launch a new

round to broaden trade liberalization, particularly in

agriculture.

Argentina also continues to support negotiations

to develop political and economic association between

MERCOSUR and the European Union, including, in

this framework, the gradual liberalization of

agricultural trade and services.

We are constantly seeking new ways to integrate

ourselves with the world. The realities of technological

change and continual innovation require developing

countries to adapt to a scheme of international

economic integration based on a new paradigm of

production. The challenge is to ensure the access of the

least developed countries to this process of constant

technological change and innovation. There can be no

doubt that the international community — in particular

the United Nations — must cooperate to promote the

transfer of technology from developed to developing

countries with sufficient flexibility and breadth so that

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technological innovations reach those countries with

fewer resources.

In his report “We the peoples”, the SecretaryGeneral quite rightly attaches great importance to this

task. Without the adequate dissemination of and access

to the new technologies of the digital revolution, we

will see the gap between rich and poor widen.

Individual States and the international community as a

whole must therefore find solutions that guarantee

greater fairness in the use of digital information.

Argentina remains fully committed to the

international community's efforts to protect the

environment from the negative impact of human

activities. In this regard we reaffirm our commitment to

the principles of sustainable development agreed upon

in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development — principles that were

reflected in the Rio Declaration on the environment

and in Agenda 21. Equally, we would like to stress the

importance of making adequate preparation — during

this very fifty-fifth General Assembly — for the

conference to be held in 2002 to review the

implementation of Agenda 21.

Moreover, we feel it is necessary to consolidate

the international legal regimes in the field of

environmental protection. In this context, and bearing

in mind the devastating consequences of atmospheric

warming on the global ecosystem and on human life,

we attach special importance to the entry into force, as

soon as possible, of the Kyoto Protocol to the

Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The twenty-first century was preceded by a

prolonged strategic and ideological confrontation,

which has given way to a moment in history in which

representative democracy, human rights and open

economies are shared values. At the same time, we are

facing a more complex world that has yet to engender a

stable international order. The explosion of serious

intra-State conflicts — as we have seen in the Balkans

or in Africa — are signs of the emergence of a new

stage in conflicts — a stage in which, regrettably,

conflicts are based on ethnic, cultural and religious

differences.

The Republic of Argentina aspires to contribute

to achieving multilateral consensus aimed at reducing

and neutralizing risks to peace and at facilitating the

development of nations. We believe that if this

consensus were based on greater democratization in

international relations this would increase the efficacy

and the functioning of the international system.

Since it is impossible for individual States to face

these threats alone, it is necessary to adopt cooperative

security policies to eliminate the potential risk of

conflicts and to strengthen the stability and security of

legal regimes. It is essential that we face in a united

fashion the immediate and underlying causes of

conflicts, which often arise because of the lack of

economic opportunities and because of social

inequalities.

The Members of the United Nations face the

challenge of finding a response to questions raised by

recent international crises, including the international

humanitarian crises. My country believes that the

principle of non-intervention must be duly respected

because it is the pillar underpinning relations between

independent States. At the same time, we cannot

conceal our concern at the explosion of violence

against ethnic, racial or religious minorities.

In particular we are concerned about the situation

of vulnerable groups, such as refugees and internally

displaced persons, and about the situation of children

in armed conflicts. Consequently we believe that the

international community cannot remain indifferent and

must provide an adequate response to humanitarian

crises.

We must emphasize the role that can be played by

international tribunals to create awareness that

impunity will not be tolerated. The International

Criminal Court and the tribunals for Rwanda, the

former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone, which have been

created, constitute important instruments of deterrence.

In addition to the internal reforms that the

Secretary-General has initiated with singular success

within his sphere of competence, the United Nations

must give priority to more democratic consensusbuilding in the decision-making processes of the main

and subsidiary organs of the system. This needs to be

done in a fashion that does not hamper the speed and

effectively with which solutions are found to the daily

problems facing the Organization.

Maintenance of international peace and security

is a primary responsibility of the Security Council,

which must be strengthened. If these responsibilities

are not fully shouldered, no other activity of the United

27

Nations can be carried out with any certainty of

success.

Since the inception of multilateral diplomacy,

Argentina has defended the principle of the sovereign

equality of States. It is therefore not surprising that our

country maintains that the reform of the Security

Council must be arrived at via consensus, and this

consensus must not entail new discrimination,

privileges or exclusions.

The vast majority of the international

community — seeking to ensure respect for the values

of democracy and universality — believes that a new

Security Council will have to allow for greater

participation by all. This cannot be achieved if new

permanent seats — like those established in 1945 —

are established. Reform of the Council must allow all

States a greater opportunity to participate in the

Council, which must not be monopolized by only a few

countries. For this reason, Argentina supports

exclusively an increase in the number of nonpermanent members and the introduction of restrictions

on the right of the veto, without losing sight of the

ultimate objective of eliminating it altogether. We

support the adoption of rules of procedure that

guarantee transparency and the possibility of the

participation of all Member States in this organ.

Our support for the peaceful settlement of

disputes continues to be a fundamental feature of our

foreign policy. President de la Rúa reiterated the

Argentine commitment to continue participating in

peacekeeping operations established by the Security

Council. The most recent conflicts have shown how

important efficient training of the forces participating

in these missions is. Experience acquired by Argentina

in 42 years of participating in these missions is

reflected in the creation of the joint Argentine centre

for training for peacekeeping operations. It has been

operating since 1995, with the participation of

personnel from other Member States. We also

established the centre for training of security forces for

foreign missions. Argentina, which is currently

involved in nine peacekeeping operations, places at the

disposal of the United Nations its military and police

training centres. We also support the initiatives to

strengthen the rapid deployment capacity of the

Organization, and we would support restructuring

efforts aimed at optimizing the planning and support

for peacekeeping operations both at Headquarters and

in the field.

My country was pleased to receive the

conclusions and recommendations recently issued by

the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations and

contained in the Brahimi report. These provide a

valuable basis for building international consensus

aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Organization

to prevent conflicts and to maintain and re-establish

peace. Argentina, which is part of the Bureau of the

Special Committee for Peacekeeping Operations,

supports the conducting, as soon as possible, of a

detailed analysis of the recommendations contained in

the Brahimi report — including its possible financial

implications — with a view to achieving its early

implementation.

My Government is particularly concerned about

the problems related to the security and protection of

those who participate in peacekeeping operations and

humanitarian missions. The personnel of the United

Nations and associated personnel, as well as the

personnel of other agencies that provide humanitarian

assistance, are facing increasingly risks situations, as

we have seen recently in the tragic events that have

occurred around the world. Consequently, Argentina,

which is a party to the 1994 Convention on the Safety

of United Nations and Associated Personnel, has urged

an improvement in the security situation of United

Nations personnel via the adoption of practical and

legal measures, including financial-planning and

implementation measures for these operations.

In this context we should also reiterate the duty of

the international community to provide assistance to

those countries facing emergency situations, which

arise as a result either of natural disasters or of armed

conflicts. In this area a significant role can be played

by the “White Helmets” initiative, which involves the

establishment of bodies of specialized volunteers

organized by the Members of the United Nations to

provide humanitarian assistance to peoples who are

victims of extreme emergencies and also to mitigate the

serious problems that affect these people.

We should also mention the issue of AIDS which

particularly affects the poorest areas of the world.

More than 34 million people suffer from this illness

today. The virus has spread dramatically. In particular,

more than two thirds of the victims are in sub-Saharan

Africa. This pandemic is aggravating poverty. The

illness and death of so many workers is draining

already weakened economies. The impact of this

phenomenon on the future of the affected regions will

28

probably mean greater marginalization and will

undermine the foundations of stability, security and

peace. The international community and this

Organization and its specialized agencies must

contribute urgently all available resources to the fight

against this disease.

I would like to refer in particular to the

sovereignty dispute between my country and the

United Kingdom regarding the Malvinas, South

Georgia and South Sandwich Islands as well as the

surrounding seas.

The recovery of the full exercise of sovereignty

over this part of our national territory, respecting the

interests of the inhabitants and international law, is a

precept enshrined in the Constitution of Argentina.

This item is on the agenda of the Organization, which

in numerous resolutions has requested the

Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom to

renew negotiations to find a just and definitive solution

to the sovereignty controversy, thus putting an end to a

colonial situation imposed by force in 1833.

Today, in accordance with that request, Argentina

reiterates once again its complete willingness to renew

bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom to

resolve this question. We reiterate our support for the

mission of good offices with which the General

Assembly charged the Secretary-General to assist the

parties in achieving this objective.

The world stage in the post-cold-war era is the

scene of ethnic conflicts, civil wars, massive violations

of human rights and fundamental freedoms, illegal

traffic in arms and other threats. At the same, time we

are seeing the unprecedented spread of representative

democracy and economic and technological

modernization.

Against this backdrop, our main task is to reach

agreements that will enable us to face these challenges

and seize these opportunities in the best way possible.

Equipping the United Nations for the challenges

of the new millennium is the great task awaiting us. All

Member States must undertake to fulfil this

commitment if our efforts are to be crowned with

success. Argentina is committed to this task and will

continue making its contribution.

On 31 December next, my country will end its

term as a member of the Security Council. During its

two-year term, Argentina has done its utmost to

contribute constructively to decision-making and

consensus-building on all items on the Council's

agenda.

On the basis of our potential and bearing in mind

the features of the current international situation,

Argentina intends, in the twenty-first century, to

continue to play an active part in the consolidation of

peace and international security and in the development

of peoples.