Dominican Republic, 2006

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.