El Salvador, 1992

I should

like my first words in this great forum of the world Organization to be an

expression of our great pleasure at the unanimous decision of the Assembly

that you. Sir, should be the one to guide and direct its important work at the

forty-seventh session. Your brilliant record, your undeniable personal

prestige, your dedication to the ideals that inspire our Organization and the

fact that you come from a part of the world where impressive positive changes

are taking place are all signs that the United Nations, with determination and

enthusiasm, is in step with the great phenomenon of our era: the

reaffirmation of freedom as the driving force of history.

We also recognize the splendid job done by your predecessor.

Ambassador Samir Shihabi, who carried out his delicate task during a period of

important national challenges which our Organization met with determination

and with a sense of service.

The presence of a new Secretary-General has given the period since the

last session of the General Assembly a very special significance. This is an

excellent opportunity to express again to the world our profound appreciation

to the former Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, not only because of

the fine overall task he accomplished but more specifically because of his

selflessness and his effective participation in achieving the final peace

agreement in El Salvador, which he, his representatives and associates worked

towards with such effort and conviction. We are also moved when we recall how

that agreement was reached at the last minute of the Secretary-General's

mandate, and therewith the peace of El Salvador was linked with the name of an

illustrious Latin American of universal stature.

When the new Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, assumed his

functions, we immediately realized that his unequivocal intention would be to

continue to support, with his characteristic wisdom and experience, the

difficult and exemplary process in which we Salvadorans are involved. This

encourages us to remain faithful to past commitments and to believe that the

new dynamics in El Salvador are irreversible, provided that we have the

support of the international community.

On a number of occasions, and specifically in our message of

16 January 1992 during the signing ceremony in Chapultepec, Mexico, we have

said that peace in El Salvador is not just a matter of restoring normal

conditions - those that prevailed before the conflict but of establishing

peace of a new kind, unprecedented in our country. Besides being a civilized

way of ending armed confrontation, peace is a complex series of commitments

aimed at consolidating democracy in El Salvador. It is a means of providing

more opportunities for pluralist participation, a way to create

socio-political conditions for stability based on democratic legality among

all existing sectors and groups of society.

This agreement, termed by the United Nations a unique agreement, is being

implemented with the close cooperation of El Salvador and the international

community. Conditions specific to that country, together with world events

and in particular the end of the cold war, made it possible to conclude the

conflict in El Salvador in a satisfactory manner. And at this point we should

like to stress an issue that is of supreme importance: the subject of

democracy.

We have no doubt whatsoever that it has been the existence of the

democratic process in our country that has made it possible for the war to

gradually lose its historic vigour. It also made it possible to arrive at a

kind of solution that appears to be permanent, one that will permit the

building of peace, which is of course a long-term effort. The peace agreement

is sound and convincing to the Salvadorian people and to the entire world as

well, because it empowers and expands democracy. We would repeat here in this

great forum, as we have done on the three earlier occasions on which we had

the privilege of speaking the truth as we see it from this rostrum, that our

main challenge and our most significant task is to serve the gradual

democratization of El Salvador. In this manner we hope to contribute to

security, internal progress and the stability of Central America.

Our country has made major sacrifices and efforts to establish and

safeguard the democratic process. Our Government - and we say this with

legitimate satisfaction - has contributed boldly and relentlessly to the

consolidation of democracy in El Salvador. We will not waver even for a

moment, as we have recently demonstrated, in ensuring that this process moves

forward in the future for the benefit of an entire population that has, as a

result of great suffering, earned a stable peace, secure development and a

better future.

Our country's institutions have contributed greatly to all of these

efforts, but we should like to emphasize that two in particular have given us

their determined support: our political institution, the Nationalist

Republican Alliance, and the armed forces of El Salvador. They have given us,

and continue to do so, fundamental support in ensuring that democracy in El

Salvador becomes a reality and peace a concrete fact. We shall not tire of

saying that the people of El Salvador are the major protagonists in this new

and historic stage. All of us are involved in building an integrated society,

one that can jointly settle its differences and realize its aspirations. In

order to achieve this, peace must be the first priority. Without a stable

peace, freedoms could become fragile and progress uncertain.

We consider it essential that this process be carried out in accordance

with the terms of the peace agreement. Significant progress has been made in

implementing the corresponding commitments, starting on 16 January. Many

difficulties have arisen technical, logistical, financial and

political but, with the efficient support of the United Nations, we are now

in a position to conclude the crucial stage of the cessation of armed

confrontation on 31 October as scheduled.

On this solemn occasion we appeal to the international community

represented here, hoping that they will support our decision and our

determination to scrupulously respect this deadline. At that point, the

military structure of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)

will come to an end, because the Government has been fulfilling its various

political and constitutional commitments and will continue to do so in a

serious and responsible manner. We should like to move to another important

stage of the process, in which political freedom will determine the rate of

progress in our country, in all walks of life.

Our peace process, because of it¬´ characteristics and its potential,

stands as an example for others to follow. We are extremely pleased that in

El Salvador unprecedented events of great importance are taking place. The

role and performance of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador

(ONUSAL) is one of those phenomena, and it is in keeping with the new role

that falls to the United Nations in the post-cold-war period.

In this connection, we fully support the concepts contained in the report

of the Secretary-General prepared in keeping with the statement agreed upon on

31 January of this year at the summit meeting of the Security Council. That

document, entitled "An Agenda for Peace", reflects the experience accumulated

by the Organization in the area of preventive diplomacy and the establishment,

maintenance and consolidation of peace. That experience is now guiding the

Organization. The case of El Salvador is one of the clearest and most

persuasive examples of the fact that our Organization is fulfilling the

responsibilities required of it by the events and dynamics of the times, and

it is doing so efficiently and opportunely within this new, increasingly

interlinked world where there is a growing sense of globalism.

In this connection, we emphasize that there is a strong trend not only

towards economic globalism but also towards democratization and the

safeguarding of peace throughout the world. Today no one is immune to the

conflicts that used to be called peripheral. The distortions that existed

until not so long ago, due to the permanent tension reigning in an

ideologically bipolar world, have given way to a much more realistic,

humanitarian approach to the world's problems: understanding the world as an

integrated zone of peace where even the most local conflict is now a concern

of the international community, which is speedily developing the ways and

means of creating effective cooperation in peacemaking efforts, without

resorting to the barbarism of intervention or the arrogance of unilateral

operations. The concept of the international policeman is, fortunately, being

replaced by something much more modern and constructive: joint agreement to

face acute crises that jeopardize international peace and stability.

This brings us back to the concept of democracy, which is the key topic

of our time. In this regard, we fully associate ourselves with the remarks of

the Secretary-General in his aforementioned report:

"Democracy within the family of nations means the application of its

principles within the world Organization itself. This requires the

fullest consultation, participation and engagement of all States, large

and small, in the work of the Organization. All organs of the United

Nations must be accorded, and play, their full and proper role so that

the trust of all nations and peoples will be retained and deserved. The

principles of the Charter must be applied consistently, not selectively,

for if the perception should be of the latter, trust will wane and with

it the moral authority which is the greatest and most unique quality of

that instrument. Democracy at all levels is essential to attain peace

for a new era of prosperity and justice." (A/47/277, para. 82)

We Salvadorians, immersed as we are in a process of radical, conscious

transformation of our society, make an unequivocal declaration of trust in the

United Nations by placing in its hands the vital task of verifying all peace

agreements. It is no exaggeration to say that few countries have placed such

confidence in the Organization. This shows our great desire for peace and

democracy, and at the same time it makes both us and the Organization

responsible. In other words, in the process in El Salvador we are all gaining

valuable experience, and we have no doubt that our original approach to

overcoming conflict and seeing to it that the solution serves as a political

and social platform for the future makes this one of the most important

landmarks in the process of transition that is taking place in the

international community today.

Salvadorians cannot afford to vacillate, nor can we be found wanting in

this great effort to heal our country of the deep-rooted bad habits of the

past and of the ravages of war. This commitment to our own history is also in

keeping with the spirit of our times, to which we feel so closely linked. The

fact that we are so involved in building a new national reality that goes much

deeper than an ideological revolution for it pragmatically recognizes change

and dynamism as the driving force behind social and political life - does not

inhibit us but, on the contrary, connects us to a world that is in a

surprising process of renewal. We are only now emerging from a paralysing

period of confrontation, so we do not yet know what policies and doctrines

will prevail in the future. But we do know that concepts such as political

freedom, social pluralism, market economics and international cooperation are

all in the forefront of people's thinking and action throughout most of the

world. After so many years of rhetorical preaching, today there are for the

first time sound indications that a genuine international community is being

forged - and this fills us with optimism and a sense of security.

That optimism and security do not prevent us from expressing our concerns

regarding the problems remaining with us, perhaps even more dramatically than

before, such as the deterioration of economic and social conditions which

continue to exist in the developing countries and the catastrophic situation

as regards the environment, which is threatening the very survival of mankind

on Earth. The existence of such problems is not limited to just a few

countries or just one region rather than others. As in the case of peace and

democracy, these are global issues, and for that reason this forum must deal

with them as matters of priority. It is no longer the nuclear nightmare that

frightens us, but rather the dying of nature, which we have mercilessly

abused, even to the point of endangering our own species. No longer is it the

power of the super-Powers that is such a threat to mankind's survival; it is

the ancient scourge of poverty that continues to erode the foundations of our

civilization, whose great and unshirkable task is now to protect the dignity

of all human beings without distinction as to race, culture or geographic

location.

The United Nations today, thanks to the emerging new world order, has a

responsibility to integrate the world, something that was unimaginable only a

short time ago. We believe that at this session, which is the first one truly

taking place in a post-cold-war atmosphere, the Assembly must make renewed,

imaginative efforts to overcome existing stereotypes in a world that became

accustomed to functioning as a kind of battlefield. If we could graphically

describe the international reality that should prevail in our day, we would

imagine all the nations of the world sitting around a table discussing, on an

equal footing, the problems that inevitably affect us all. The era of trench

warfare and walls is now behind us, much to the dismay of the skeptics and to

the delight of those who never really ceased to believe in the possibility of

a better world with freedom and democracy. Incredible though it may seem, we

are entering an era in which peace is no longer just a fine word with no real

meaning.

El Salvador is a small country, but it is a small, great country that

does not want to deprive itself of the great opportunity provided by peace.

That applies to ourselves, to our neighbours, to our natural cultural

community and to the world. Thus, we give priority to respect for human

rights; we are trying to organize our economy; we have definitively renounced

war as a means of dealing with internal or international problems. For that

reason, we are here, calling on the economically most powerful nations to

renew with actions their generous commitment to collaborate in the costly

process of peace in El Salvador so that it will not be thwarted by lack of

financial resources. The flow of external assistance to carry out the

concrete agenda of bringing about peace is at a critical stage. That is why,

from this rostrum, we renew our appeal for international solidarity to

contribute to consolidating peace without obstacles in El Salvador.

While the process is moving ahead in our country, and we are committed to

its doing so fully and consistently, regional developments are no less

promising. As a result of a decision of the International Court of Justice,

we have just settled an old dispute with the fraternal Republic of Honduras,

and we renew our unequivocal commitment to abide in good faith by that

decision. At the same time, we continue striving to promote regional

integration, especially with our Central American brothers. We believe in the

common destiny of Central America, and for that reason we are working in a

coordinated way to see to it that our region will be a zone of lasting

democracy, progress and stability. We believe more and more in the real

possibility of achieving a united Central America in which every country,

without losing its identity, develops its own potential. It is a great task

of the present with tremendous implications for the future.

We feel that we are members of the Iberian-American community of nations,

which, though it does not yet exist officially, is becoming a reality in

spirit and in the common aim of giving it shape. We have felt the beneficial

effects of solidarity among nations that share the same language and culture.

We have received and continue to receive enormous support from countries such

as Mexico, Spain, Venezuela and Colombia, the "Group of Four Friends", whose

contribution to achieving and consolidating peace is a shining page in our

history. We reiterate our appreciation to them and to other friendly

countries that have helped us in the great task of making El Salvador a new

country.

We express once again our conviction that the United Nations, now more

than ever, has a mission for the future. On its agenda two matters are at the

forefront: global peace and sustainable international development. We are

convinced that the United Nations, faced with those issues, will prove to be

what President Bush said two days ago in this forum it would be: an

Organization of truly united nations, for the first time since it was founded.

We are especially pleased to welcome the new States that have joined this

great family of the United Nations. Their presence, which enhances the status

of the Organization, is due largely to the great freedom movement that has

marked our time. We favour the principle of universality, meaning that all

the countries of the world, without exception, must be present in our

Organization and must contribute. Thus we offer our support to help ensure

that all pending cases and those that might emerge in the future will be

resolved positively.

El Salvador has devoted all its energies to the peace process, towards

whose success the United Nations is making such a decisive, efficient

contribution. We will not waver for a moment in promoting that process, which

is a matter of rebuilding the country and setting an example to the rest of

the world. Those of us who have been on the side of freedom and democracy all

along have been proved right by time. But that triumph is not ours; it

belongs to the peoples of the world who have already suffered too much not to

see, and soon, the fruits of progress, which are the only guarantees of

internal stability and peace among nations.