Costa Rica, 2012

I will

begin my remarks by congratulating Mr. Vuk Jeremić,

President of the General Assembly, on his election.

My country offers its support to him as he fulfils his

important role. Success in his work will also represent

success for the United Nations and therefore for all the

peoples of the world. We endorse his commitment to

the “adjustment or settlement of international disputes

or situations by peaceful means”, and we support

the road map that he has outlined for the exercise of

his duties. We welcome the outstanding work of his

predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and

emphasize in particular his commitment to mediation.

We reiterate our support for the five imperatives of the

agenda presented in January by Secretary-General Ban

Ki-moon for his second term.

Barely a year ago, we gathered in this Hall,

encouraged by an echo of hope. It came from North

Africa and the Middle East and was broadcast by

a wide cross-section of voices gathered around one

universal value — freedom. That hopeful clamour can

still be heard in the complex transitions to democracy,

propelled by the will of the people. Tunisia, Egypt and

Libya are the best examples. We convey our admiration

and respect to those countries and their people.

Today, however, the sounds most strongly

resonating in this Hall are the desperate cries of

women and children in Syria. To them, we convey our

solidarity. At the same time, we are distressed at the fury

unleashed by those who would manipulate intolerance

and extremism. We are worried by the resurgence of

territorial conflicts, the warmongering rhetoric of some

States and the indifference of autocratic regimes. We

face the ongoing challenges of relentless terrorism, drug

trafficking and organized crime. Meanwhile, alarming

signs of environmental destruction are cropping up

with increasing urgency. These challenges have made

us aware of the many threats we face, and they reiterate

the seminal importance of this Organization and of the

multilateral system as a whole.

The peaceful settlement of disputes is imperative

for peaceful coexistence among individuals, peoples

and countries. For Costa Rica, it is also a part of daily

life and a central goal of our foreign policy. It is a value

that is deeply rooted in our respect for diversity and our

commitment to tolerance and the rule of law. To prevent conflicts or to strip them of their violent consequences,

we must promote preventive diplomacy and mediation.

We enjoy the best results when these processes generate

legally binding agreements and decisions within the

framework of the rule of law. A clear link therefore

exists between the theme proposed by President

Jeremić for this session and the commitment by the

United Nations and its Member States to the rule of law.

Costa Rica believes in the power of mediation, and is

thus part of a group of countries dedicated to promoting

it within the United Nations. In July 2011, thanks to

an initiative by the group that was enthusiastically

supported by many other States, the Assembly adopted

by consensus its first resolution aimed at strengthening

the role of mediation (resolution 66/291). A few days

ago, the Assembly gave its support to a follow-up text.

Moreover, Costa Rica is proud to have headed up

one of the most successful mediation processes in the

history of our hemisphere. In the mid-1980s, various

armed conflicts bloodied our brotherly countries in

Central America. There seemed to be no way out of the

conflict. However, thanks to the tenacious leadership

of former Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez,

on 7 August 1987, the region’s Heads of State signed

the Central American peace plan in Guatemala. That

leadership earned our compatriot and President the

Nobel Peace Prize.

The success of the peace plan stemmed from

the double commitment of the signatories: to cease

hostilities, and to address their root causes. Thanks

to this comprehensive approach, the vision of the five

Presidents of the Central American isthmus and effective

international support, Central America silenced its

guns and achieved peace. It was a peace founded on

democracy and the commitment to development and

justice.

Unfortunately, the region today faces another

challenge of similar proportions. I refer to the onslaught

of drug trafficking and international organized crime.

We are a transit route between the production centres of

the south and the large consumption centre of the north.

This situation has made us the victims of a problem

over which we exercise minimal control. Our resources

to deal with the problem are even more meagre.

Central Americans countries have agreed on regional

strategies to work jointly on prevention, interdiction

and suppression, but our capacity for action is limited

and has prevented any rapid implementation. Despite all this, Costa Rica has rejected the

dangerous notion of a “war” to confront these scourges.

Rather, we are working to expand opportunities for

young people, promote preventative measures, improve

police capacity, strengthen the effectiveness of the

judiciary and assist addicts. Fortunately, we are seeing

results in terms of civil security. For example, our

murder rate, which is the lowest in Central America,

has fallen from 11.7 per 100,000 people in May 2011,

to 9 per 100,000 in May of this year. Reports of crime

in general decreased by 12 per cent from 2010 to 2011.

However, the cartels’ onslaught is so intense, the

logic of the drug market so disastrous, and the global

strategies to control it so disorganized and insufficient

that the outlook is grim.

Costa Rica therefore believes a more active link

must be developed between the United Nations and

the design and implementation of balanced regional

strategies to deal with the drug trade. Moreover, drug

traffickers must be viewed as a real threat to peace and

international security.

Costa Rica is a small, democratic, unarmed

and civilian country. The multilateral system and

international law are our only means of defence. For this

reason, we have recognized the compulsory jurisdiction

of the International Court of Justice since 1973.

At the end of 2010, we appealed to the Court after the

Government of Nicaragua illegally deployed military

forces and civilian personnel in part of our national

territory. In March of the following year, the Court

pronounced a series of provisional measures. Among

them, the Court ordered Nicaragua to remove its forces

from the disputed area and granted environmental

custody to Costa Rica. However, the Government

of Nicaragua has consistently f louted the order and

continued to send personnel to that area. It has done so

in open defiance of the Court, to the detriment of our

bilateral relations, and in violation of paragraph 31 of

the Declaration on the Rule of Law at the National and

International Levels that was adopted a week ago by the

Assembly (resolution 67/1). We do not want this case to

mar relations or, even worse, the profound human ties

between our countries. But Nicaragua has still failed to

fulfil the provisional measures of the Court. We regret

this, we condemn this and we denounce this once again

in this Hall.

Despite its clear adherence to the rule of law and

commitment to mediation, the international community

has been unable to adopt a key instrument for avoiding conflicts or, at least, limiting their destructive effects.

At the end of July 2012, we failed to reach a consensus

on a universal, robust and binding arms trade treaty.

It was a sombre moment for peace and human dignity.

Costa Rica, one of the co-authors of that initiative, will

not cease in its efforts to promote the kind of instrument

that the millions of victims of conventional weapons

are demanding from the silence of their tombs.

The rule of law should also be the foundation of

global governance. If this governance is to be robust in

any area, it should be in the area of the environment.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development brought about important progress in this

respect. However, the biggest tasks and commitments

remain pending. While the global temperature

continues to rise, droughts and f loods continue to

exact a toll in lives, destroy infrastructure and displace

populations. The environmental threat is about to

assume exponential dimensions. We cannot wait any

longer to act.

Costa Rica adopted sustainability as a development

model several years ago and has embraced its national

responsibilities on the matter. We have increased

our forest coverage. We generate 90 per cent of our

energy from renewable sources. Over 25 per cent of

our territory is made up of national parks, and we have

adopted the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country

by 2021. But these and many other initiatives by small

countries will be useless without the commitment of

the biggest carbon emitters and without international

cooperation for mitigation and adaption in the most

vulnerable countries.

The formulation of the post-2015 sustainable

development goals gives us an excellent opportunity

to move forward. We expect their formulation to be a

multisectoral and participatory process that includes

rule of law and good governance components.

Middle-income countries still need the support

of the international community to consolidate our

improvements in economic and human development.

Let us not forget that our achievements are due, in

part, to the proper use of cooperation mechanisms.

To eliminate these because they have been well used

would be a disastrous mistake. That is why Costa

Rica, together with other middle-income countries,

will continue to participate actively in improving the

methodology guiding the graduation processes in the

context of the United Nations Development Programme.

As we mentioned, we must consider, in the models for these processes, not only income, but also other criteria

that better reflect the extent of our challenges and

that foster cooperation strategies that provide greater

support to our development efforts.

The main leadership role in global governance

should be played by the United Nations, on the basis

of international law. Only legitimate multilateral

action can promote and protect the most important

global public goods. We cannot discount the external

challenges to the leadership of this Organization. But it

is more important that we recognize the internal need to

commit ourselves to making it more vigorous, effective,

efficient, inclusive and representative. Member States

should understand that the best way to promote our

national interests through the United Nations is to

reform it in order to improve its performance.

Costa Rica aligns itself with the concept of a global

Secretariat that was formulated by the Secretary-

General, and is ready to give its constructive support to

translating this idea into reality. We are also committed

to the comprehensive reform of the Security Council

and believe that improving its working methods should

be an ongoing process.

We emphasize the value of the responsibility

to protect as a critical operative principle of the

international community.

The fight against impunity is part of the fight for

human dignity. This is why we ardently support the

International Criminal Court, one of the most relevant

achievements of the multilateral system since the

creation of the United Nations.

The upheavals in the world today demand our

attention and fill us with dismay, but hope also

flourishes alongside them. What better example is

there, in this regard, than the spirit recently embodied

by the Olympic and Paralympic athletes in London, who

competed with clear rules, fair play, mutual respect and

a feeling of achievement? If the conflicts of our world

mimicked that experience, the course of humanity

would be different. Maybe such a fundamental change

is not possible, but we should at least continue to work

for a world that is more just, peaceful, free, sustainable,

and respectful of human dignity and the rule of law.

Costa Rica reiterates its profound commitment to this

task.