Ecuador, 2014

What an honour it is to be at the General Assembly and to

represent Ecuador and our citizens’ revolution. I

would like to begin by congratulating President Sam

Kutesa on his election to lead the General Assembly

at its sixty-ninth session. I want him to know that he

will have the full support of the delegation of Ecuador

during his tenure. Similarly, I want to express Ecuador’s

appreciation and gratitude to our brother John Ashe for

his work at the head of the General Assembly. I wish

to convey the brotherly greetings and solidarity of

President Rafael Correa, Minister Ricardo Patiño and

the citizens’ revolution.

Four years ago today, Ecuador suffered an

attempted coup d’état in which there was an attempt

against the life of the President of the Republic, Rafael

Correa Delgado. Four years ago, democracy in Ecuador

was threatened, but it prevailed. The international

community’s condemnation was immediate. Countries,

particularly those in the region, and the United Nations

and other international organizations supported the

millions of Ecuadorians who took to the streets and

squares of my country, condemning the use of violence,

rejecting the coup d’état, channelling the aspirations

of all sectors of the population and consolidating

democracy in my country.

I would like to convey my appreciation to

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who immediately

made statements bringing that issue to the world’s

attention and sent a special mission to Ecuador to

assess the situation. The effective work of Assistant

Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco and his

team deserves to be remembered and appreciated.

Democracy in Ecuador was strengthened, the coup

plotters were isolated and the law and the will of the

people, as expressed at the ballot box, prevailed over

the interests of small, but powerful, groups, which

were then left behind in history. On the night of

30 September 2010, all the Heads of State of the Union

of South American Nations (UNASUR) met in Buenos

Aires to support the Ecuadorian Government and

President Rafael Correa. As a result of that meeting, the

12 countries of South America adopted an additional

protocol to the Constitutive Treaty of UNASUR, which

added a democratic clause that seeks to discourage a

breakdown of, or threat to, democracy in the region. In

Ecuador and in South America we are not returning to

the past; we cannot return to the past. The use of force

as a means of expression and of resolving differences

will not return. That became clear on 30 September

2010. We have chosen the path of law and dialogue to

build a better world and future for our peoples.

The Government of Ecuador — the Government

of the citizens’ revolution — has suggested the

implementation of a radical change in the State’s

structures and its political and development model.

Ecuador’s position internationally is therefore in

line with that reality. “Sumak Kawsay”, which in

the language of our ancestors means “living well”, is

built on a daily basis through a new model based on a

socially inclusive and supportive economy, supported

through a citizen-based democracy and sustained in

its planning. The changes made by the Government of

the citizens’ revolution in Ecuador are clearly in line

with the Millennium Development Goals and the post-

2015 agenda and reflect the values encapsulated in the

Human Development Index of the United Nations. Let

me briefly mention some of the achievements of the

citizens’ revolution over the past seven and a half years.

Approximately 1,136,000 Ecuadorians — 10 per

cent of the population — have been lifted out of poverty.

We reduced the rate of unemployment to 4.9 per cent in

2013, which is the lowest in Latin America. We have

maintained a policy of wage increases, and Ecuador

now has the highest rates in real values in the region.

Moreover, Ecuador is the leader in Latin America

and the Caribbean in reducing inequality, which is a

major problem afflicting our region. The country’s

competitiveness is no longer based on labour scarcity or

exploitation, but rather on public investment in roads,

ports, airports, telecommunications, power generation

and systems of justice and security for our citizens.

Public investment in Ecuador is the highest in the

continent, at 15 per cent of our gross domestic product

(GDP) in 2013 — three times the Latin American

average. Thanks to that effort, we have moved up

15 places in terms of our competitiveness, according to

the World Economic Forum.

We have universal basic education, which fulfils

one of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Child

and youth labour have been substantially reduced.

There are 82 public schools that have been registered

with the International Baccalaureate Organization, and

it is expected that, by 2017, 500 schools will offer the

International Baccalaureate. Thanks to the educational

changes under way in Ecuador, 179,290 students have

moved from the private education system to the public

education system. In other words, in the past two years,

19 per cent of students left private schools to study in

State schools. As I said, we are experiencing a true

revolution in education.

Ecuador has invested some 2 per cent of our GDP

in higher education, which is more than double the

average for Latin America. In the seven and a half

years it has been in office, the Government of Ecuador

has funded 8,000 scholars abroad, most of whom are

enrolled in masters and doctoral programmes at the

best universities in the world. That represents the

largest investment in scholarships in terms of GDP in

Latin America.

I have mentioned all those achievements of our

citizens’ revolution — and many more exist, but I

cannot mention them owing to a lack of time — because

those achievements were at stake on 30 September

2010, four years ago today. Those advances were made

possible because democracy prevailed and because the

Government of Ecuador continues to work for the well-

being of its people.

The most important challenge facing the Ecuadorian

State, along with the fight against poverty, is changing

its economy, and that means changing the production

matrix of our country. To ensure sustainability in our

domestic and production model, we are committed to

boosting our productive development, trade flows and

non-speculative foreign direct investment in target

sectors, such as technology transfers and the financing

of strategic projects. The fundamental objective

of Ecuador’s foreign policy is therefore to assist in

promoting the internal development of the country,

balancing that with its international relations. That

means expanding its political, trade, economic and

social networks with an alternative and complementary

view of the integration scheme that the country has

traditionally had at the global level.

Ecuador reiterates its concern with regard to

the challenge of global warming. As we change our

production and energy model, my country is promoting

the generation of renewable energy sources with fewer

greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, the

mass use of induction cookers and the optimization of

the use of raw materials, reducing waste as much as

possible. However, the ability of developing countries

to meet the goals of a post-2015 development agenda

is directly proportionate to developed countries’

continuing provision of resources aimed at the timely

implementation of plans and projects for addressing

natural disasters caused by weather events exacerbated

by human activity, based on the principle of common

but differentiated responsibilities.

My country was grateful for the Secretary-

General’s invitation to the Climate Summit held here

on 23 September. We are pleased with the decisions

some developed countries have made on their national

plans for mitigating and adapting to climate change,

particularly the announcement by some, including

France, that they would be increasing the capitalization

of the Green Climate Fund. Despite those efforts, the

Fund will not reach its target of $15 billion by the end

of the year. We, the developing world, would like to see

more ambitious national plans and policies on the part

of the developed countries if the global consequences

of this irrefutable scientific reality are to be addressed.

Ecuador’s foreign policy is now making it a priority

to strengthen South-South relations with a view to the

sovereign integration of our peoples and the creation

of new areas for regional governance. In that regard,

Ecuador is working to achieve harmonious South

American and Latin American integration, to build a

multipolar world and to democratize our international

organizations, with the goal of creating a more just and

equitable world order. We are promoting multilateralism

and working on innovative integration processes,

cooperation for development and a harmonious political

dialogue. In that context, UNASUR, the Bolivarian

Alliance for the Peoples of Our America and the

Community of Latin American and Caribbean States

(CELAC) are very relevant entities and are national

priorities in our efforts to create improved integration

mechanisms.

Regarding UNASUR, I am pleased to announce

that its new headquarters will soon open in Quito, at the

centre of the world, the point where two hemispheres

and the South American brotherhood meet. In January

2015 Ecuador will take over the rotating chairship of

CELAC, with the purpose of reinvigorating the regional

integration agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean

and furthering our political cooperation, while

continuing to base integration on respect for pluralism

and States’ diversity. The Government of Ecuador

initiated the creation of this integration mechanism,

and it has been a major undertaking. CELAC does

not exclude any Latin American or Caribbean State;

we have firmly rejected unilateral embargoes and

sanctions, and our ongoing struggle is about fighting

inequality and poverty.

We must overcome and end injustice. It is therefore

unacceptable that the United States of America’s

blockade of our sister Republic of Cuba has been

going on for more than 50 years, and that despite the

fact that Cuba has been supported by the Assembly for

21 years. We also condemn Cuba’s inclusion in the list

of countries that sponsor terrorism.

We would like to reiterate once more that we must

call for a settlement through dialogue of the conflict over

Argentina’s Malvinas Islands. The United Kingdom

should comply with the more than 40 resolutions

adopted by the Assembly on the subject. We also support

Argentina in its efforts to address the pernicious effects

of speculative hedge funds. Argentina is not alone in

that fight, and it can count on the backing and solidarity

of Ecuador and our entire region.

Concerning Palestine, I would like to state that on

17 July the Government of Ecuador firmly condemned

Israel’s military incursion into Palestinian territory

and called for an immediate end to Israel’s military

operations and the indiscriminate attacks on the

civilian population in the Gaza Strip. My country has

appealed to the international community to shoulder

its responsibility for preventing such indiscriminate

attacks in the interests of saving innocent lives and

maintaining international peace and security. As proof

of our support for the Palestinian cause, Ecuador

decided to establish a diplomatic presence there, and

it is now up and running in Ramallah. Meanwhile,

just a few days ago we sent humanitarian assistance to

Gaza, and we will shortly send a second humanitarian

assistance convoy there for the use of the Palestinian

national authorities.

In 2016 Ecuador will host the Africa-South

America Summit, a responsibility requiring considerable

preparation and providing an opportunity to draw

up joint policies that unite us with our African

brothers. The time has come to further strengthen the

relationship between Africa and Latin America, and

Ecuador has therefore decided to open new embassies

in Algeria, Nigeria and Angola in the near future. We

will also strengthen our existing embassies in Africa,

and we will be opening additional diplomatic missions

there in a second phase. We intend to work with our

African brothers for our mutual benefit and shared

opportunities.

For Ecuador, it is a source of pride and a heavy

responsibility to be hosting the forthcoming third

United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable

Urban Development, Habitat III, in 2016. Thus in one

year, 2016, we will host the meetings of the CELAC

Heads of State, the Africa-South America Summit and

Habitat III.

For over a year, we have undertaken intensive work

to address the main issues stemming from the rapid

urban growth that we have seen in our countries, issues

that were raised at the most recent World Urban Forum,

last April in Medellín, Colombia. We hope to continue

to generate synergies in order to move towards a new

global agenda for sustainable urban development that

we will take up at Habitat III.

The Government of Ecuador, in its efforts to build

a just and equitable society, has sought in recent years

to implement a system of rights in terms of habitat

and urban development. The principle guiding its

action — “the right to the city” — is understood not as

a unitary right, but as a set of interrelated rights linked

to the land. Policies for habitat, human settlements and

housing are expressions of the State’s aspiration to

build, as I mentioned, a society of living well, through

public regulation in line with the concept that Ecuador

promotes, namely, harmony with nature. Ecuador

is the only country in the world that sets forth in its

Constitution “the right to nature”.

With respect to the reform of the United Nations

system, Ecuador has actively and constructively made

profound and comprehensive proposals for change

in some international organizations, with a view to

making them more efficient, democratic, participatory

and inclusive. We aspire to their universalization and

transparency, as well as to increased and equitable

representation, consultation and decision-making on the

part of all States, especially the developing countries.

Consistent with that, the Government of Ecuador has

advocated the reform of the global governance system,

in order to democratize decision-making and improve

transparency in the management of all multilateral

organizations. Many Members of this Organization join

us in that approach.

Ecuador proposes marking a turning point with

respect to the United Nations system, as with its current

structure it is not addressing the international tensions

and disputes or the troubled international situation.

Ecuador seeks to democratize the Security Council,

which should be composed of clusters, in order to

find a balance, ensure representativity and protect the

principle of the equality of States. Only in that way

can the Council play its role in maintaining peace and

international security.

We are at the threshold of the seventieth anniversary

of the United Nations. We have a historical obligation

to modernize and democratize the Organization,

strengthening the role of the General Assembly in

such decision-making as the election of judges to the

International Court of Justice and the election of the

Secretary-General.

At present, we are concerned that, despite the

progress made in 2014, a great many threats continue

to loom over humankind. Situations of armed conflict,

humanitarian crises, violations of human rights

and breaches of international law threaten entire

populations, demanding an urgent response from the

international community. The Government of Ecuador

has expressed its conviction regarding the need to

respect international law and reach negotiated and

peaceful solutions. It has totally rejected all forms

of interference and unilateral action that violate the

sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, trample

on human rights or disregard international law. We also

strongly condemn all terrorist acts, whether perpetrated

by irregular groups or in the name of a State. Ecuador

has condemned the actions of the Islamic State in both

Iraq and Syria.

Those global challenges must be dealt with by

the United Nations, as the most appropriate forum to

address and respond to the difficult situations that we

are facing. It will surely have the support and solidarity

of all Member States.

Let us endeavour to ensure that international law is

the standard that governs our actions. A few months ago,

in this very Hall, Member States adopted a resolution

which called for respect for the right to privacy in the

digital age (resolution 68/167). The same label has

been applied to another abuse — global surveillance.

Once again we are in a situation where we are being

monitored and spied on. Ecuador, along with several

other countries, co-sponsored a draft resolution put

forward by Germany and Brazil and, with the adoption

of that legal instrument, a new process for defining

human rights — the right to privacy — was initiated.

The resolution, adopted by consensus, constitutes a

rejection of an abusive posture. The abuse was brought

to our attention by an Australian citizen who felt that

the world should know what was being done with

sovereignty.

The decision of that Australian citizen led to

the harshest persecution, which caused him to seek

protection for his life in the light of the real threats he

had received. I am referring to Julian Assange, who is

now associated with Ecuador because, after reviewing

the merits of his case, we granted him asylum. Two

years have passed in the new life of Mr. Assange, two

years without freedom of movement, two years in

which he has been confined to a small space waiting

for justice. There it is again, Sir, that dream of justice.

When asylum is granted, it is primarily by

immediate recognition and respect for a fundamental

human right — the right to life. What has been difficult

is convincing the counterpart — the United Kingdom

of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — that in this

situation the fundamental human rights of Julian

Assange should be taken into account. Ecuador will

continue to work tirelessly to find a solution in this

case. To that end, we hope to have the support of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

and the Kingdom of Sweden.

I appeal to the Kingdom of Sweden to enforce

one of the most important legal principles recognized

internationally and by the Swedish legal system:

effective judicial protection. After four years, the

Prosecutor’s Office of that country has been unable

to take statements from Julian Assange, even though

under Swedish law this could have been done in another

country, even though Ecuador repeatedly offered its

judicial cooperation, and even though Julian Assange’s

lawyers expressed their willingness to cooperate.

Turning to another subject, and with this I will

conclude my statement, I would like to speak about

transnational corporations. In recent years, there have

been increased demands brought by transnational

corporations in international arbitration courts against

the States and peoples of the South. Those multimillion

dollar disputes, such as the Chevron-Texaco case in

Ecuador, threaten the tax resources and jeopardize the

validity and legitimacy of the national jurisdiction of the

States concerned. The scale of the problem could even

compromise the development plans of the countries of

the South, in Latin America and other regions of the

world.

In that context, we are also establishing, within the

framework of UNASUR, a regional arbitration centre

that will, inter alia, provide legal advice in investment

disputes. We are also creating a code of conduct for

arbitrators and mediators within UNASUR. And we

are establishing, with other regions of the world, an

observatory on transnational corporations. All of that is

aimed at creating support mechanisms that can analyse,

monitor and respond to States’ requests so as to prevent

and solve investment disputes. Ecuador, together with

South Africa, has also submitted a proposal in the

Human Rights Council aimed at creating a binding

instrument to impose international human rights legal

obligations on transnational corporations. For the

time being, a working group is being established to

consider that initiative. My country attaches special

importance to the matter, and we will work to reach an

understanding with States because that is an extremely

important issue. We are confident that we will have the

States’ full support.

Finally, I wish to reiterate to the Secretary-General

Ecuador’s gratitude for the appointment of the former

Vice-President of the Republic, Mr. Lenín Voltaire

Moreno Garcés, as Special Envoy on Disability and

Accessibility. Ecuador will continue to support all

initiatives of the Organization to promote and protect

the rights of people with disabilities and their families.

At the beginning of my statement, I pointed out

some achievements of the citizens’ revolution in the

past seven and a half years. The changes brought about

have had a profound impact and have caused a historic

transformation. My country also wishes to work with all

Member States to achieve a true transformation of the

United Nations. We have enormous challenges ahead

to promote development, maintain peace and reduce

inequality and poverty. Ecuador is fully committed

to working together on that historic task. I hope to

see fellow Member States in the Hall next year at the

seventieth session of the General Assembly, when we

can then celebrate important decisions that we have

taken.