Spain, 2011

I begin

by congratulating the President on his election to

preside over this principal organ in which we all strive

to achieve the purposes of the United Nations.

I also wish the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban

Ki-moon, the greatest possible success in carrying out

his mission of promoting peace and progress around

the world with the same effectiveness as he

demonstrated throughout his first mandate.

I also warmly congratulate the representatives of

the new State of South Sudan, which has joined the

United Nations family during the current session.

The economic and financial crisis continues to be

a cause of serious concern for the entire world; its

consequences are seen in many different fields. The

capacity of the international community to take action

to address any type of crisis, and to do so in a timely

manner, is limited. This restrains the fight against

poverty and puts at risk the implementation of

sustainable development policies, which are needed

now more than ever.

Spain, together with its European Union partners,

is taking difficult decisions in order to tackle the crisis.

However, beyond the actions taken at the regional and

national levels, it is essential to undertake a

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coordinated global response. The United Nations

system is an important part of the solution to the crisis.

Women’s equality is a fundamental human right,

based upon the concept of equality among all human

beings. Advancing women’s full and equal access to

the labour market, as well as to the political and social

world, is not only ethically imperative, but an essential

measure to overcome the crisis.

Since 1 January, the United Nations has been able

to count on an instrument to assist Member States to

achieve that goal: UN-Women. Its Executive Director,

Ms. Michelle Bachelet, will boost this effort. I assure

her of Spain’s full support. We will be at the side of all

women who fight for freedom and equality.

Over the past few months we have witnessed

episodes of rebellion in which peoples have fought

against the tyranny of rulers who denied basic human

rights, as well as the dignity and value of human

beings, preventing people from participating in their

countries’ political life and from making use of their

resources and opportunities.

We celebrate the success of the popular

movements in Tunisia and Egypt and we join the

efforts of the international community to support and

strengthen the political transition processes in both

countries, led by their own peoples.

The Libyan people will also be able to enjoy

freedom and live in democracy after decades of

dictatorship and months of conflict. We have welcomed

the Libyan representatives in the General Assembly,

with the satisfaction of knowing that the United

Nations, by implementing its principles, has remained

at the side of the Libyan people.

We now have the obligation to continue to help

the Libyan people in the reconciliation and

reconstruction processes. We are ready to do so, and

we will do it under the guidance of the United Nations,

following the pace set by the Libyans themselves.

Unfortunately, the international community

continues to witness with indignation the brutal

repression of civilian demonstrators by the Syrian

authorities. I firmly condemn those actions once again,

and reiterate the need for the international community

to take measures to stop the repression.

The Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan revolutions,

the Syrian uprising and the acceleration of the reform

processes in Morocco and Jordan are part of a

profound transformation of the Arab world, with

significant consequences for the region and for the

international community as a whole. The legitimate

aspiration of the Palestinian people to enjoy freedom

cannot be left out of this wave of change.

The Arab-Israeli conflict has been with the

United Nations almost since the Organization’s

founding. This session may be remembered as the one

in which the General Assembly granted Palestine the

status of observer State. Spain could support such a

decision, for a number of reasons.

First, the international community recognizes that

a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict requires the

existence of two States, Israeli and Palestinian, living

side by side in peace and security.

Secondly, after more than 60 years of conflict, the

international community should send a clear signal to

the Palestinians underlining that its commitment in

favour of the creation of the Palestinian State is deep

and unambiguous.

Thirdly, in the year in which the Arab Spring

changed realities in the Arab world — and, indeed, in

the world at large — the just, legitimate and long-

standing aspiration of the Palestinians to live in dignity

in their own State, free from occupation and its

accompanying suffering, deserves a clear response

from the international community, a response that can

no longer be postponed.

This new step could be conceived as a stage

towards the legitimate objective of Palestine’s

becoming a Member State of the United Nations with

full rights.

Effective, sustainable peace can only be achieved

through negotiations between the parties. Spain

believes that the Palestinians could find in this new

status a stimulus for the prompt resumption of

negotiations. Precisely because that is the shared goal

of the parties and the international community, such a

situation should not be used for actions incompatible

with the spirit of negotiations. Israel should also

contribute to this spirit by refraining from measures

that prejudge the final status.

Spain is coordinating its position with its

European Union partners. I am grateful for the efforts

of the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, to

reactivate the negotiations, in a way acceptable to all

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European Union member States, and the declaration of

the Quartet, which Spain assesses very positively.

Spain’s engagement with the Palestinian people

and their struggle against occupation is long-standing

and known to everyone. Spain has always given

political, economic and moral support to the legitimate

aspirations of the Palestinians.

On the other hand, the historical relations

between Spain and the Jewish people date back many

centuries. Spain’s historical identity cannot be

understood without its Arab and Jewish heritage.

I wish to underscore Spain’s commitment to

Israel with regard to the endeavour to create a

homeland for the Jewish people. Since its founding,

Israel has experienced a number of wars and has

suffered from terrorism against its civilian population.

For Spain, the security of this young State born out of

an ancient people is essential.

The best way to preserve that State is through a

peace treaty that, among other things, provides for the

establishment of a Palestinian State along the 1967

lines, with agreed swaps and with Jerusalem as a

shared capital. The security of Israel and Palestine will

require effective guarantees in the future peace

agreement, including possible international participation,

should the parties request it.

The future peace agreement should look to the

future, turning its back on the painful years of conflict.

Therefore, Israel and Palestine have to be certain that

claims originating from the conflict will be overcome

with their signature of the peace agreement.

In addition, the solution to the painful tragedy of

the Palestinian refugees must be a just one agreed by

all the parties concerned, while allowing the

preservation of Israel’s current character. The

Palestinian State will be, in this regard as well, a key

element for the final resolution of the conflict.

Some voices have raised concerns that the new

democracies may be home to political groups with

radical or extremist ideologies. Democracy is an open

and fair system of political participation that must also

be able to defend itself against possible threats.

Fortunately, we can count on instruments that

may contribute to preventing such situations. The

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which

promotes intercultural dialogue and cooperation, is a

clear example. The Regional Strategy for the

Mediterranean, developed within the Alliance

framework, may help, through youth programmes and

campaigns to raise awareness, to diffuse democratic

values and respect for human rights, always in

coexistence with those of local cultures.

We have to prevent Al-Qaida’s terrorism from

being reinforced in the Sahel region through the release

of uncontrolled weapons. The international community

must be united in the fight against this curse that

represents a scourge to countries such as Afghanistan

and Pakistan, in the same irrational and cruel way as

that in which it struck New York, Bali, Madrid,

London, Mumbai, Moscow and many other places over

the past decade.

The United Nations itself recently suffered the

consequences of a terrible terrorist attack in Abuja,

adding to those previously endured in Baghdad and

Algiers, among others. Once again, I extend our

condolences to the Secretary-General, and express our

solidarity with the victims and their families, as well as

with the hard-working members of staff of the United

Nations.

The tenth anniversary of the attack on the Twin

Towers in the city of New York took place a few days

ago. We have lived through a bloody decade since the

attack, in spite of the determined fight of the

international community against terrorism.

I firmly believe in, and reaffirm, the need to

strengthen international cooperation in order to prevent

and fight terrorism. Every country must assume the

obligation to address this universal scourge. That is

why Spain joined, from the beginning, the initiative

regarding the Global Counterterrorism Forum. The

Forum was launched just a few days ago.

We firmly support United Nations initiatives

within the framework of its Global Counter-Terrorism

Strategy, as well as the efforts of the Security Council

and of the Secretariat to rationalize the existing

structures in order to reach the goals that we have set

in this area.

Spain is especially sensitive with regard to the

victims of terrorism. Unfairly forgotten at times, they

cannot be mentioned only as a rhetoric tool. Rather,

there should be an effective commitment to give them

recognition, remember them and provide them the

assistance and support that they deserve. That is how

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we have understood the position of victims in Spain,

and we have passed legislation on the issue, giving us

one of the most advanced and efficient models in the

world in assisting the victims of terrorism.

Spain follows very closely the dynamism of a

region with strong links with Spain — Latin America.

The strength of the Latin American economy is

essential to overcome the crisis and to create a new

international economic governance.

That is why enhancing and consolidating a broad

dialogue with Latin America is crucial. The dialogue

should include the big issues on the global agenda,

such as the design of an ambitious and innovative

international financial architecture, as well as the

response to climate change, energy, security and

migration.

Latin America’s regional integration has been an

engine fuelling its growth and improving

understanding. Spain has always wished to support this

process in the framework of the Ibero-American

Summits.

Other regions of the world also deserve special

attention because of the tragic situations of their

populations as a result of drought and other endemic

problems.

The situation in the Horn of Africa is intolerable.

We are contributing to alleviating the famine in

Somalia, in coordination with other donors and United

Nations agencies. However, humanitarian aid, despite

being a priority, is only a first step towards

development. We still have a long way to go in many

parts of the world.

I therefore reaffirm Spain’s commitment to the

Millennium Development Goals. The fight against

poverty is a fundamental objective of my country’s aid

and cooperation for development policy. The challenge

of the Millennium Development Goals should

encourage us to redouble our efforts to achieve them

within the deadline that has been set.

However, in order to realize the Goals and to

provide a future for generations to come, we must

make the most of meetings such as the one to be held

in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, where the intention is to

forge a new paradigm that should allow us to combine

the Millennium Development Goals with environmental

sustainability.

It is also important to take advantage of the

momentum created by the Cancún Conference in 2010

on the climate change negotiating process. We will

continue to contribute to the process constructively,

together with our European Union partners, at the

upcoming Durban Conference.

The financial crisis affecting the global economy

cannot be an excuse to avoid our commitments. On the

contrary, it should encourage us to fulfil them. That is

why Spain believes in supporting the development of

innovative financing instruments — in other words, the

development of mechanisms through which to mobilize

mid-term and long-term additional financial resources.

That should be done in a way that is stable and

predictable, as well as being complementary to official

development aid, which should be maintained, come

what may. Spain currently chairs the leading Pilot

Group on innovative financing for development, of

which we have great hopes.

Spain’s support for, and participation in, the

activities of the Organization relating to the

maintenance of peace and security in diverse parts of

the world also demonstrates our commitment to the

achievement of the purposes of the United Nations.

Almost 1,200 Spaniards actively participate today in

United Nations peacekeeping operations, with an

especially prominent presence in the United Nations

Interim Force in Lebanon, a mission essential to

maintaining stability in the south of the country, as

well as to helping its economic development.

I thank the Secretary-General for participating in

the inauguration of the United Nations base in Quart de

Poblet, Valencia, thus recognizing Spain’s commitment

to the United Nations. The construction of the base,

which Spain provided to the United Nations, will, as

the Secretary-General said, facilitate the work of the

Organization, enhance the reliability of its

communications and considerably improve the safety

and security of staff in the field.

Spain is very proud of its participation in United

Nations operations. We intend to maintain a firm,

active, permanent commitment to the Organization and

its purposes. In line with that commitment, Spain

announced in 2005 its candidature for a non-permanent

seat on the Security Council for the biennium 2015-

2016. We hope that, with the support of Member

States, we shall have a seat on the Council and in that

position continue working for the preservation of

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international security and stability. At the same time,

we will strive to promote development and human

rights as fundamental pillars of lasting peace.

A year ago, Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian men

and women witnessed the Assembly meeting while

they were still under the oppression of dictatorial

regimes. Today they own their future. They have

fought for it. The international community has

protected and supported them. They, on their part, have

given us hope. We can now hope that change is

possible. There is no insurmountable challenge.

We are today certain that the international

community, guided by the United Nations, is on the

path of peace and freedom.