Peru, 2011

I

would first like to congratulate the President on his

election to the presidency of the General Assembly at

its sixty-sixth session, and to assure him of Peru’s firm

support in his task.

I would also like to say how pleased I am to be

speaking to the world on behalf of the people of Peru

from this rostrum that represents multilateralism,

peace, solidarity and cooperation, the principles that

inspired the birth of this Organization and that Peru

fully supports.

The Government I head began its administration

only a few weeks ago. Through the ballot box, the

people of Peru entrusted us with the task of making a

great transformation, one that we have sought for a

good part of our history. We intend to make that

commitment a reality, out of a sense of responsibility

and honour. Our mythical and vibrant nation, possessed

of an extraordinary past and a vigorous present,

demands that we put an end to centuries of poverty and

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exclusion. The great transformation is a process of

social inclusion, that is to say, of converting the

economic growth that Peruvians have been

experiencing for the last 10 years into development; in

other words, we must turn money into quality of life.

Our ideal of the great transformation is as

impossible to relinquish as is our democratic faith. My

Government proposes to deepen our democracy, so that

we can respond to the problems and needs of all, not

just a minority. In other words, we will democratize

democracy. Democracy is the basis of a people’s self-

determination, and the State must be prepared to

faithfully carry out the people’s will. That is the

foundation of a sovereign democracy. In order to fulfil

that commitment, the State must be the institution

responsible for shaping the path to transformation

through public policies in both the political and

economic spheres. The State must act in the interests of

the people.

The United Nations is the greatest guarantee we

have for preserving peace, and it is made up of our

States. Today, however, we know that there are

companies that have as much power as or greater

power than many States, and that can react rapidly via

the networks of the Internet and the stock market to put

States themselves in the dock of the accused. That

situation must be taken into account in order to

safeguard State policies concerning issues such as the

preservation of the environment, respect for peoples’

self-determination and the rights of indigenous

communities and social minorities, among others.

We cannot consider the possibility of

transformation outside the rule of law and its values.

This is not a question of copying others’ models. We

will govern by consensus, both at home and abroad,

protecting all our freedoms with tolerance and, above

all, by listening to our citizens, without regard to class,

race or gender. When I took office I quoted Nelson

Mandela, who said that there is no democracy with

poverty, and no democracy with social inequality. Our

Government seeks a State that can regain the ability to

promulgate policies that respond to the needs and

aspirations of all its citizens. It is in that spirit that we

are renewing our commitment to the Millennium

Development Goals.

Latin America is the most unequal region in the

world. Its political class cannot say that the dream of

those who established our independence and founded

the republics of today, has come true. In most cases,

values such as liberty, equality and fraternity were the

banners of our founders. However, extreme

interpretations of those values have led to a world of

great confrontations, without really advancing liberty

or equality. Let us now strengthen fraternity as a path

to lasting peace. In that regard, I would like, from this

rostrum, to take the opportunity to recognize the

Palestinian State and its right to live in peace and

harmony alongside other countries of the United

Nations.

Today the integration of a geographically

fragmented and scattered nation is possible, thanks to

advances in communications and physical

infrastructure. Social inclusion also demands quality

public services and equality of opportunity. Citizens

need access to health, education, housing, decent jobs

and social security. We are talking about full

integration within Peruvian society. We are vigorously

promoting exchanges between our communities, and

we acknowledge and seek to re-evaluate our diversity.

We want a State that is responsive to the needs of

its citizens and communities. That is its primary role.

The exploitation of non-renewable sovereign resources,

which Peru is rich in, should serve the country’s

development. Investment projects should respect both

the human and the natural environments in which they

take place. This is already being made clear to

investors through a negotiation process that my

Government has undertaken within the framework of

the rule of law. Thanks to those negotiations, the State

and our communities will have greater resources

available for social investment projects. That will

enable us to promote social cohesion and democratic

stability, and, at the same time, the more favourable

investment environment that the country needs. One of

the first measures we took was to enact a law on prior

consultation, through which we can respond to the

demands of our indigenous communities, involving

them in decisions that concern them. In that way we

are affirming that every Peruvian is a first-class citizen,

and we are fulfilling a commitment made by Peru in

compliance with Convention 169 of the International

Labour Organization concerning indigenous and tribal

peoples.

Drug trafficking is one of the world’s most

serious issues. It is essential that we recognize the fact

that this major problem has not been overcome; worse,

its power and influence are growing every day.

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Acknowledging this reality is an important step, which

will enable us to re-establish an integrated policy,

working together with stakeholders and giving equal

importance to both controlling supply and reducing

demand. For Peru, these principles also involve States’

duty to act decisively and cooperatively in order to

combat every link in that criminal chain. Coca

production is a source of income for tens of thousands

of people who cannot always rely on a viable

alternative for survival. My Government is working to

achieve a situation in which anti-drug policies lead to

the eradication of illegal coca crops, and is also

considering the need to include peasant farmers in

alternative development programmes. Unless we do,

eradication will simply be insufficient to achieve our

objectives. We must act more vigorously in combating

the transnational criminal organizations that are the

main beneficiaries of this illegal trade. Those

organizations employ thousands of people and exploit

the poverty and vulnerabilities of States in areas where

access is difficult.

At the same time, we require greater financial

knowledge in order to detect money-laundering

activities and more effective controls over supplies and

precursors. In the context of security, we must control

the supply of weapons that the cartels and criminal

gangs use daily against citizens.

In the second quarter of next year, we will

convene in Lima a meeting of ministers for foreign

affairs, and heads of organizations responsible for

combating drugs in order to address these issues and

define specific measures. My Government will spare

no effort in combating the drug trade and organized

crime.

Peru is a multicultural country that is in the

process of recognizing the wealth of its own diversity.

For example, our country today is undergoing a

gastronomical revolution that has revealed that

diversity contributes to social inclusion and sustainable

development. Peruvian cooking is an area in which all

Peruvians — from the peasant and the cook to the

fisherman and the tradesman — can participate

together. It is based on a millennial dialogue among

many cultures — indigenous, African, European, Arab

and Asian — that is represented today in our cuisine.

For that reason, we have called on UNESCO to

recognize Peruvian cooking as a representative element

of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Technological and scientific progress has grown

exponentially over the past 50 years. Currently,

however, there has been a parallel growth of global

exclusion. This is seen not only in the lack of access to

technology, but also in the mass migrations of people

seeking better opportunities abroad. Those people, who

are known as illegals, are in fact a bridge for

integration. However, in many cases the needs that

motivate them to move abroad lead to violations of

their human rights. I take this opportunity to call for

fairer and more dignified treatment for peoples who

contribute through their work to the economies of their

countries of origin and of residence. Their

marginalization this will push them into informal

economies run by mafias and criminal networks.

With respect to social inclusion, my Government

is prioritizing the needs of the most fragile and

vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. However,

we are also concerned with the need to protect the

rights of women, who have historically been victims of

discrimination. In this regard, I note the positive

decision to create UN-Women. We call on the

international community to work together to promote

gender equality and the empowerment of women. We

also reiterate our commitment to the Durban

Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the

World Conference against Racism, Racial

Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance,

whose tenth anniversary we celebrate today.

The effects of climate change and greenhouse gas

emissions are being felt in the most vulnerable social

sectors yet affect us all, rich and poor alike. In the

context of the global attempt to preserve the planet, we

must all be committed. In Peru, we are working to

promote the use of clean energy through reforestation,

environmental education and recognition of the right of

participation and access of communities that possess

traditional knowledge. That will require a large amount

of resources and technology that are more abundant in

the northern hemisphere. Therefore, we reaffirm the

principle of shared but differentiated responsibility

between developed countries and developing countries.

International cooperation must enhance the level of

financial and technical assistance to mitigate the

effects of climate change.

Industrialized countries must assume and fulfil

the commitment to significantly reduce their carbon

emissions. On 28 July in Lima, the Heads of States of

the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)

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called attention to the threats posed to our economies

by situations that originated in the United States,

Europe and Asia, linked to the high level of public debt

and unemployment and the slow recovery of credit

markets and investment. Of course, is the situation is

also due to military ambitions that have diverted vast

amounts of money that could have been used to prevent

these crises.

Latin American countries are learning how to

overcome our chronic vulnerability in the face of these

crises. We have decided to work together, coordinating

our policies to enhance the economic underpinnings of

our countries and the monitoring of our financial

systems. We have established the South American

Council of Economy and Finance, reflecting our

capacity to encourage dialogue and establish consensus

to the benefit of all.

Latin America will not be spared the problems

that have affected the North. We are making

preparations. It is not enough to be linked to one

another; we must be united. The twenty-first century

may well be the moment for this part of the continent

and its great market of more than 700 million people.

Our commitment to integration, peace and regional

progress is not rhetorical. For the Peruvian

Government, integration with our neighbouring

countries is a priority instrument for promoting

security and development for all throughout South

America and Latin America. This is in line with of the

affirmation that the path to peace and reconciliation

requires an end to the blockade on Cuba.

As Víctor Andrés Belaúnde said on assuming the

presidency of the General Assembly in 1959:

“In centuries gone by, the arrogant will to power

prevailed. Today mankind not only yearns to, but

must, live in a world ruled by justice.” (A/PV.795,

para. 33)

The interdependence of our societies is a fact. It

is not necessary to create further divisions. When

making decisions, we must learn to talk to one another

and to involve the viewpoints of the many actors of the

international system. Peru reasserts its full support for

enlarging the Security Council to make it more

representative and enhance its legitimacy.

It is urgent to also advance reform of the

Economic and Social Council in order to make it a

genuine, fundamental forum for the development of all

peoples of the world.

The priority we give to regional integration in no

way implies that ours is closed regionalism. That

would be anachronistic in a globalized world. Although

our foreign policy is based on brotherhood in South

America and Latin America, we will not neglect our

political, trade and cooperation relations with other

regions of the globe. On the contrary, our regionalism

will provide a platform to bring us closer, in a more

articulated and proactive way, with other regions of the

world.

Our participation in multilateral forums will

increase in coherence. Global political stability

requires intergovernmental organizations and strong

regional groups that are capable of maintaining that

multipolar order that is emerging in our world.