Paraguay, 2013

As

President of the Republic of Paraguay, I have the great

honour to speak in this global forum to address issues

that are relevant to my country and to today’s world in

general.

I extend a special greeting to the President of the

Assembly, Ambassador John Ashe, as well as to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in appreciation

of their work towards the noble goals that unite us.

Through their efforts, they contribute to the legitimacy

of the United Nations and help to ensure multilateral

cooperation and the international validity of the rule

of law.

It has been little more than a month since I took

office as President of the Republic of Paraguay, after

an exemplary electoral process that culminated on

21 April, when the Paraguayan people went to the polls

to freely exercise their guaranteed constitutional right

to elect their Government, with irrefutable results.

Electoral observer missions from various regional and

continental organizations, and from the United Nations

itself, were present and certified the legality, legitimacy

and transparency of the elections and the electoral

process, whereby the will of the people honoured me

with the highest office of our Republic. Those events

also represent the conclusion of a long transition

towards democracy in Paraguay. For the second, time

in our history, executive authority was consecutively

transferred from one political party to another with full

respect for the constitutional framework. That is no

small achievement in our 202 years of independence,

and it signals the true beginning of a new historic and

auspicious period for my country.

Republican institutionalism, the building of

consensus, the strengthening of the democratic system,

unconditional respect for human rights, and freedom

of speech and of the press are the cornerstones of

my Government, which aims to be an exemplar of

patriotism, honesty, inclusion and effectiveness, with

the capacity needed to propel Paraguay towards its

destined greatness.

The people of Paraguay have been waiting for a

great Government for a long time. I hope to be able

to deliver on that great vision, which will position my

country firmly on the global stage, where we want to

stand out by ensuring that we are a land of opportunity

for Paraguayans and foreigners alike. As has been said,

Paraguay is one of the most closely guarded treasures

of Latin America, and there are good reasons to hope

that it will have a promising future.

I have made combating poverty a priority for my

Government. It is incomprehensible that a nation so rich

in resources should have so many poor. We will give no

quarter in the fight to reduce our poverty indicators as

much and as quickly as possible. Change is coming, and

not through aid but by ensuring human dignity. Social

investment is at the forefront of my Administration’s

agenda. That is the new direction we want to take in

my country, with investment that is for the people, so

that they may live in dignity and become the engine of

our development, and, better still, so that the general

welfare of the people can become the firm basis of our

democracy.

My Government has also committed to a policy of

zero tolerance for corruption and an end to impunity.

We expect to face that challenge with the firm support

of the judiciary and the Office of the Attorney General.

Paraguay’s economy has enviable numbers. We

are the only country in the region that has not altered

its currency, the guaraní, since it was first introduced

in 1943. Our macroeconomic indicators are more than

encouraging. Paraguay is clearly suited to investment.

Nature has endowed my country with an enviable

climate, more than 90 rivers, abundant and fertile

soil and clean, renewable energy generated by three

hydroelectric power plants. One, Acaray, is entirely

Paraguayan-owned, while Itaipu and Yacyretá are

co-owned with Brazil and Argentina, respectively. The

latter are among the largest hydroelectric plants in the

world. We have one of the world’s largest freshwater

reserves, the Guaraní Aquifer, a great part of which lies

beneath Paraguayan territory.

Apart from the advantages of nature and abundant,

clean and renewable energy, the majority of Paraguay’s

population is young, with more than 75 per cent under

the age of 30. Our tax system is favourable to investment

and our economic growth clearly exceeds the average

for the region. My Government is committed to

ensuring legal security, with clear and transparent rules

for safeguarding people and their property.

Today we are a country with a revitalized economy

and a focus on efficiency, transparency and a reliable

public administration. A few weeks ago I was present

in our Congress at the signing of an agreement for

Paraguay, whereby the political parties represented

in the legislature, along with other social institutions,

committed to working together on framework

agreements and plans of action to strengthen governance

and attain material and spiritual goals for the people’s

welfare. In that way, we are seeking to maintain the

general good over that of the individual. We do that

through dialogue, which is the main instrument of

democracy. Together, we assume the responsibility of

making Paraguay a country of opportunity for all.

After visiting countries in Europe and the Americas

recently, I reflect on the great challenge posed by the

perception of my country beyond its borders. I have seen

with satisfaction the respect, admiration and interest

that Paraguay and its enormous potential give rise to.

Just as it is our responsibility as Paraguayans to build

predictability and reliability, it is for the branches of the

Government to provide the legal security necessary for

Paraguay’s overdue progress.

I would like to underline my Government’s

commitment to the defence and promotion of human

rights, which in Paraguay are fully acknowledged in

the Constitution. We assume that stance out of genuine

conviction, while my country is also a respectful

signatory of recognized international instruments in

that field.

The demands of landlocked developing countries

like Paraguay must be adequately addressed. Apart

from that, my Government is committed to overcome the

disadvantages posed by our inland status, making our

geographic position an advantage in communications,

logistics and infrastructure that connects the world’s

zones and regions through Paraguayan territory. In a

manner similar to that in which an old border dispute

between Paraguay and Brazil finally gave way to what

today is Itaipu, transforming a problem into a majestic

work of integration and development, we hope that

our landlocked position in the heart of Latin America

will serve as a development hub for Paraguay and its

neighbours.

On the international level, I cannot avoid mentioning

the upheavals that disturb our times. Economic crises,

financial disasters, civil wars and the use of weapons

of mass destruction cloud the horizons of great regions

of the planet.

The events in Syria are a concern for all of us, and

the United Nations must play a pre-eminent role in

finding a definitive solution to the conflict affecting

that country. In that regard, my country calls for

supporting the implementation of the framework

agreement between the United States and the Russian

Federation.

My Government has observed with satisfaction

that the Republic of China on Taiwan has achieved a

greater presence in the specialized agencies and bodies

of the United Nations, thanks to solid international

support and a rapprochement between both parties

on the Taiwan Strait. My Government will continue

to encourage the positive interaction between the two

sides of the Taiwan Strait in the international sphere.

The calm and determination of the nations and the

organizations able to help in conflict resolution are

more necessary than ever. Paraguay encourages peace,

dialogue and development in harmony with the other

countries and the world, promoting an integration that

is respectful of the rule of law, the dignity of nations and

the asymmetries. Integration is a phenomenon that in

this global era cannot be halted. Paraguay understands

and promotes integration in conditions of equality as

a means for supranational insertion, but under fair

conditions and looking towards a common future, not

as a simple courting of Powers or being a silent guest

in global forums that are discussing the future of our

peoples.

Paraguay’s contribution is essential in today’s

integrated reality and is indissolublely linked to our

dignity as a free nation, sovereign and independent,

under the premise of the right to the self-determination

of peoples and the principles of non-intervention and

the legal equality of States. The true destiny of the

people of Paraguay is to become a prosperous nation,

living in social peace, liberty, justice and equality.

My management of the Government is geared towards

creating and strengthening an environment suited to

the unlimited opportunities that my country offers for

all Paraguayans and for foreigners who have chosen

it. I have realized that my people neither want nor

seek handouts, but opportunities to achieve dignity

through work and study. My country therefore today

presents itself to the world as a land of opportunities

for investment and prosperity, with security, formality,

reliability and predictability.

On this occasion, I cannot fail to mention a key

issue — education. Traditional political discourse has

significantly undermined certain core ideas that my

Government intends to definitively turn into a reality.

Much has been said about the need for education,

security and health, but little has been done in that

regard. Improving education in Paraguay, in terms of

quantity and quality, is a fundamental premise of my

Government.

Today more than ever before, the great change

that must take place in Paraguay and the opening of

a wide window of opportunity depend on an efficient

and inclusive educational system. Institutions of public

education should rethink their role in society and assume

an unprecedented role as a breeding ground for leaders

for a new Paraguay, with a skilled workforce adapted to

this millennium, in an interconnected world where those

who possess more knowledge, information and abilities

are more likely to find more and better opportunities

for work, well-being and personal advancement. Those

countries that emphasized education from the beginning

are proud of their results. There is a clear and direct

relationship between education and development.

Education is therefore key. The issue is rooted

in the quality of training and is the key to escaping

geopolitical shakles, backwardness and a lack of

opportunities. For my country, the new rules that

govern the world therefore represent an access to the

ocean of development.

Speaking before the Assembly and the world for the

first time as President of the Republic of Paraguay, I

present the new direction that the Paraguayan people

freely and sovereignly chose on 21 April. I belong to

a nation whose children have contributed to history

with their prowess and boundless sacrifice, such as

the supreme sacrifice by our greatest hero, Francisco

Solano López, Field Marshal and President of the

Republic, who decided to give his life, sword in hand,

fighting on the front lines with his last soldiers, rather

than see his homeland humiliated. I have decided to

devote myself to the service of Paraguay and to bring

about the real change that my country demands, which

is to return to the path of the true Paraguayan destiny

of peace, development and modernity, and to grow in

harmony with all nations of the world, particularly with

our neighbours.

I assure the General Assembly that my country is

a very generous and attractive place. I invite the world

to learn more about Paraguay, to discover the treasure

that pulses in the heart of America, ready to write anew

the most glorious pages in its history, today in peace

and social and economic development, with dignity and

readiness to welcome all those who wish to share in our

great destiny.

We Heads of State are transients in Government.

History will judge us for what we have done for our

peoples and will sternly hold us accountable for what

we have failed to do. To honour the trust and hope of my

people, I have decided to commit myself wholly to the

service of my homeland and to do everything necessary

for its greatness and prosperity.

Paraguay considers it necessary, more than ever

before, to give greater impetus to the negotiating

process between Israel and Palestine in order to attain a

lasting peace, so that Israel and Palestine can live side

by side with secure borders and in peace.

As a final comment, I wish to convey my most

sincere condolences to the people of Kenya for the

casualties that resulted from the terrorist attack, an act

that we most vigorously condemn.