Haiti, 2012

I come here

to the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly to

bring, on behalf of the Haitian people, my contribution

to the debate that today brings together representatives

of all peoples of the world.

The election of Mr. Jeremić to the Assembly

presidency is for me a clear message that the small

States Members of the United Nations can play a major

role and make their contribution to peace, even in the

global context of a sluggish economy. On behalf of the

Haitian delegation, I would like to congratulate him

for having raised and encouraged the theme for today’s debate, which, unfortunately, is a concern of many

Members of the great family of the United Nations.

Also permit me to pay a well-deserved tribute to

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the dynamism,

wisdom, good judgement, vision and courage he has

shown more than once in managing extremely sensitive

international situations. I also would like to especially

thank him for the particular attention he has bestowed

on my country, Haiti.

Since my accession to power, the Haiti I love

has attempted, in intent and in deeds — with many

ups and downs, no doubt with successes and some

mistakes — to emerge from its difficulties. I have been

strongly dedicated to that effort. I can imagine that, with

the impetus provided, results will be forthcoming in a

matter of months or years. How could it be otherwise?

Haiti today, the Haiti that I have the mission of serving,

has understood that as long as there are quarrels,

frustrations, poverty, underdevelopment and inequality,

the world in general and Haiti in particular will never

be protected from problems and controversies. As long

as things are bad within nations, they will be tempted to

turn to their neighbours and seek quarrels. Throughout

long centuries of world history examples have not been

lacking. That is why we say today that, while it is good

to seek peaceful solutions to international disputes, it

would perhaps be wiser to try to prevent them.

As long as access to water and to major markets,

or just compensation for raw materials and sound

economic competitiveness are not available to us, we

will continue to have conflicts. As long as we at the

United Nations do not pool our efforts so that access to

health and to jobs and respect for differences become a

reality, we will continue to face conflicts, and we will

be reduced to painfully seeking peaceful solutions.

We champion gender equality and we promote

democracy. We daily attempt to apply equal treatment

for all under the law. Respect for the environment

is inscribed in our programme of Government. In

my view, those are the parameters that prevent

uncontrolled migrations, climate change, useless

wars, religion-related massacres, ethnic conflicts and

terrorism.

In our common quest for harmony in a world with

different cultures and diverse religions, we must allow

our national dreams to emerge. Those dreams can be

summed up as offering the possibility to every man and

every woman, regardless of color, religion or political preference, to live in peace and to rear their children in

dignity.

The Haiti of Toussaint Louverture, over two

centuries ago, already understood that. Those national

dreams, however, will not see the light of day if the

commitments made to help the development of

countries like ours are not implemented, if prejudice

and suspicions of all kinds regarding the have-nots still

prevail. In order to prevent those differences, we must

regard others in a different way, with eyes purified,

I would say, at the Pool of Siloam. Haiti continues to

suffer from being regarded in the old way.

On the eve of Haiti’s presidency of the Caribbean

Community, I repeat that with good faith and goodwill,

things can change, because our destinies, whatever

side we may be on, are intimately intertwined. In a

world where the global trend is towards the forming of

economic and social blocs, the great can remain great

only if they know how to transform the multiplicity

of children of the planet into a single great social and

economic family, respectful of the cultural and religious

traditions of all, without exclusion.

Therefore the necessary dialogue must prevail

among us, not the dialogue of the deaf in which we have

been powerlessly enmeshed for decades. We must have

real exchanges and negotiations that alone can put an

end to the interminable conflicts, which have brought

families grief and disrupted the peace of the world.

History has taught us that there is no justice or

equality in international relations. History has also

taught us that every nation looks after its own interests.

The establishment of the United Nations kindled hope

among peoples that things could be different. We cannot

let that flame die. Within any family in general and

within the family of the United Nations in particular,

there cannot be great and small, giants and dwarfs, but

equal beings with interests to defend and opinions to

express on the basis of forward-looking relationships,

relationships marked by liberty, equality, fraternity and

the pursuit of happiness for all.

But let us not be misled: the best foundation for

peace in the world, for prosperity and for defeating

poverty will always be democracy. Under my

leadership, Haiti has understood that and is making

active use of democracy to strengthen previously weak

or ineffectual local institutions. Haiti has understood

that only veritable democracy can bring stability: it is the indispensable precondition for any development

policy.

I wish to sincerely reiterate from this rostrum the

urgent need we all must face to stop fighting and to

work instead to protect the assets we share on this

planet — to work together to reduce and manage the

risks and disasters besetting the world, ruining our

economies and hindering development.

To my colleagues, the leaders of the world, I wish

to recall that our respective peoples have chosen us and

entrusted to us the mandate of building a better world

where no one will be left alone, where our children will

finally be able to grow up in peace.

The words of Victor Hugo come to mind,

pronounced at the Peace Congress in 1847: “The day

will come when there will be no battlefields other than

markets open to trade and minds open to ideas.”

Those are my wishes for the assembly of nations.

May the good Lord give us His blessings and enlighten

us. May He bless the city of New York, which is

receiving us so warmly, and grant us the wisdom and

capacity to work towards a more beautiful and more

just world.