El Salvador, 1995

At the outset, in addressing this distinguished Assembly, I

should like to express to you, Mr. President, our sincere

congratulations on your election to conduct the proceedings

of this fiftieth session of the General Assembly. We are

assured that with your qualities as a statesman and your

diplomatic skills, we shall achieve very constructive results

for the well-being of the international community,

especially at this most important time when we are

commemorating the fiftieth year of the existence of the

United Nations.

We should also like to congratulate His Excellency,

Mr. Amara Essy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of

Côte d’Ivoire, for the excellent work that he carried out

as President of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth

session.

It is both a timely moment and a pleasure to

highlight the extraordinary and indefatigable performance

of the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, at

the helm of the United Nations. He has demonstrated

outstanding leadership, dynamism and innovative skill in

improving and strengthening the Organization’s capacity

for action in fulfilment of the provisions of the Charter

and of efforts to find solutions for the diverse and

complex situations which have faced the Organization.

We would like to reaffirm our special gratitude to

the Secretary-General for his ongoing support in the

process of consolidating and strengthening democracy in

El Salvador.

The current session of the General Assembly is

particularly important in the historical development of the

United Nations, not only because we are celebrating the

fiftieth anniversary of the creation of an exceptional

institution of universal scope, which was established to

analyse, debate and seek solutions to problems of

common concern to mankind, but also because current

circumstances lend themselves to reflection regarding the

future of our Organization.

Indeed, we have at this time a unique opportunity to

reaffirm our commitment and our political will to

strengthen the role of the Organization, to enhance its

effectiveness in achieving the ideals on which it was

founded, to bring to fruition the aspirations of our peoples,

and to preserve the right of future generations to live in

peace, progress and freedom.

Undeniably, this is a year for reflection, one which

will enable us to assess carefully a half-century of

development and experience acquired in addressing global

issues through joint efforts and collective measures on a

multilateral basis, taking into account not only the

achievements but also the set-backs, with a view to further

perfecting this human endeavour.

The work of the United Nations, as a part of the

international system established in the wake of the Second

World War, reflected the antagonistic nature of international

relations during the cold-war period, which generated

tension and insecurity for nations, unleashing an unbridled

arms race and the threat of a nuclear conflict between the

super-Powers. This was no doubt a key factor in shaping,

and limiting, the work of the Organization.

As we make our assessment, we must acknowledge

that since 1945, despite the existence of the cold war, the

United Nations has achieved much, inter alia, in the

following spheres: fulfilling its mission to establish and

maintain international peace and security, containing local

conflicts in various regions from spreading and at the same

time creating a safety valve for East-West tensions, which

prevented a political and ideological conflict from

degenerating into a widespread confrontation or into nuclear

warfare.

Another achievement, in accordance with the Charter,

was the decolonization process by which many Asian and

African countries, and some on the American continent,

gained independence and joined the community of nations,

thus enriching the Organization by their experience and

contributions.

In this regard, the United Nations has also helped to

foster international cooperation. To this end, an institutional

infrastructure was developed to promote economic and

social development for our peoples through the

establishment of a new international economic order, one

that would generate more favourable conditions and

opportunities for the developing countries to make progress,

thus setting in motion a process of evening out the major

imbalances between North and South.

While these efforts contributed to improving social

conditions in the poorest countries and in countries that

had recently gained independence, certain perceptions and

attitudes led to a development crisis in the 1980s,

curtailing the activities of the United Nations system in

the least developed countries.

Turning to the realm of human rights, considerable

progress was made, beginning with the signing of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December

1948 and the adoption of a host of international

instruments, declarations, plans of action and institutional

machinery for the promotion and monitoring of

international commitments on the part of States. These

include the promotion of the development of women, the

rights of children, the handicapped, minority groups,

indigenous peoples and migrant workers, and, in

particular, a commitment to the struggle to eliminate

racial discrimination in South Africa, which culminated in

1994 with the establishment of a democratic and

multiracial system in that country.

In the field of international law, outstanding progress

was made in the drawing up and codification of

international standards, in particular those conducive to

friendly relations among peoples and to the peaceful

resolution of conflicts.

The thoroughgoing changes in the world order that

led to the end of the cold war are giving rise to the

expectation of more favourable conditions for the

promotion of peace, cooperation and international

security. None the less, reality has shown that these

aspirations have not been met and that, on the contrary,

changes in the international system created conditions that

have unleashed forces that had long been held in check,

giving rise to new conflicts and rivalries, not only as a

result of resurgent nationalism but also as a cause of

serious ethnic, religious, social and cultural differences

which have jeopardized peace and international security.

In this context, we are convinced that at the present

time finding solutions to age-old and new challenges is

beyond the capacity of any one State or group of States.

This has generated new requirements in the global

political area, requiring to resort more and more

frequently to combined efforts and action. The very

dynamics and requirements of this process have in turn

increased the tasks and responsibilities that fall to the

United Nations.

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For this reason we must provide unwavering support

to the efforts of the United Nations to fulfil its role, not

only in the political sphere but also in the economic and

social areas, particularly through innovations and new

perceptions in peace-keeping and the promotion of

development.

Regarding efforts at global peace-keeping, it is

important to note the new dimension of these peace-keeping

operations, whose action transcends the military aspects,

moving into multidisciplinary activities that include

political, economic, social and humanitarian endeavours.

As regards development, we welcome the fact that

more attention has been paid to economic, social and

environmental issues, with an understanding that their

solution requires coming to grips with, and attempting to

find solutions to, the causes of tensions, instability and

conflicts with greater political will. As such tensions can go

beyond the very borders of nation States, we must lend our

support to an integrated approach, for only in this way can

we consolidate peace, security and democracy, both

nationally and internationally.

Proof of the will to improve the well-being of nations

and assist in their progress can be seen in the major summit

conferences that have been held, as well as in the

formulation of the Secretary-General’s development

programme. These efforts serve as examples of a new

global vision to achieve a consensus on policies and

strategies to promote sustainable human development. None

the less, we cannot but be concerned at the statements made

by the donor community regarding the drying up of funds

for development. This is certainly against the general

expectation of support for the development of our peoples.

Today, the United Nations has different, and more

complex, responsibilities than those it had in a bipolar

world. Although the purposes and principles that inspired

the United Nations at its inception still remain valid, none

the less political situations and the complexity and

magnitude of the challenges we face require clear and

innovative responses.

In the face of these challenges we must be both

determined and prudent, resolved to be advocates of

change, learning from positive experiences and willing to

replace those outmoded practices that impede the smooth

functioning of the Organization.

We believe that the modernization of the United

Nations should be carried out through a comprehensive

process of an integrated nature which would reflect a

consensus deriving from the common interests and shared

responsibilities of the international community.

In this respect, we believe that there should be a

more dynamic, better-coordinated relationship between the

General Assembly, the Security Council and the

Economic and Social Council, one which requires, as the

Secretary-General himself stated, “the determination and

the full commitment of all Member States”. The

industrialized countries bear a special responsibility in this

task, given that with their capabilities and resources they

can provide the Organization with a broad and assured

financial base which will make it possible to enhance its

effectiveness in every sphere.

In this connection, we urge the Heads of State and

Government of the seven industrialized Powers to put into

practice the statement of intention they made at the

twenty-first Economic Summit, held in Halifax, Canada,

in June 1995. We call on those countries, along with

others, to implement a new strategy for international

cooperation in order to rise to the challenges of the

twenty-first century.

The reform of the Security Council falls within the

process of change in the Organization. We support the

idea that the Council should adjust to the new

international structure, not only regarding the number of

its members but also regarding its methods and

procedures of decision-making.

The Government of El Salvador supports an increase

in the membership of the Security Council on a rational

basis which will make its more truly representative and,

as a result, afford greater opportunities for participation

by all Member States, without in any way undermining

the efficient implementation of the tasks assigned to this

important body by the Charter.

Furthermore, we support all those nations which

aspire with legitimate right to becoming Members of the

United Nations and invoke the principle of universality

enshrined in the Charter of the Organization, without

taking into consideration ideological aspects or the

interests of States which carry greater political weight in

the concert of nations. In this respect we share the views

expressed by you, Mr. President, when in your opening

address to this session of the General Assembly you said

that

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“all States that are not yet Members should seek to be

admitted in the near future” (Official Records of the

General Assembly, Fiftieth Session, Plenary Meetings,

1st meeting, p.22)

I should now like to refer to some specific issues that

are of particular importance in the international political

arena.

With respect to nuclear disarmament we support full

compliance with the commitments contained in the Treaty

on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which

was extended indefinitely last May. We are convinced that

this constitutes a major step towards the strengthening of

the control system for nuclear non-proliferation and the

total elimination of nuclear weapons.

We are fully convinced that preventive diplomacy in

its various manifestations is the appropriate instrument for

deterrence and the limitation of potential conflicts. In this

respect we concur with the statement by the Secretary-

General in his latest report presented to the General

Assembly that

“it is ... better to prevent conflicts ... than to undertake

major politico-military efforts to resolve conflicts once

they have broken out”. (A/50/l, para. 585)

We support his efforts to enable the United Nations to carry

out a constructive and timely role so as to avoid or mitigate

the destructive effects of crises.

I should now like to express a regional point of view

and note with satisfaction that Central America has moved

from an era of confrontation to one of cooperation. We are

now embarking on a stage of constructive achievements

which has enabled us to move forward in our quest to

consolidate a region of peace, freedom, democracy and

development. This new stage results from our having

assumed our historical responsibility with determination,

given the legitimate aspirations of our peoples, who

clamored for peace and the democratization of our societies.

With the assistance and solidarity of the United Nations and

the international community we are achieving these

objectives, which will be completed when the process under

way in Guatemala concludes with a firm and lasting peace

agreement, which has the decisive support of our

Governments.

Now that we have made significant headway in the

political sphere we are focusing our efforts on the social

sphere as an indispensable ingredient, in the conviction that

peace, democracy and development are essential

components for the flourishing of our society.

Given this undeniable reality, the Central American

Presidents have been meeting together to exchange ideas

and experiences so that jointly, with a sense of solidarity

and coordination, we can rise to meet the ever-more-

complex challenges that face us as a result of the process

of political, economic, social and environmental

globalization which characterizes the new world order. An

example of this was the signing of the Treaty on Central

American social integration, which took place at the

presidential summit held at the beginning of this year in

the city of San Salvador.

Moreover, we are pleased to inform the Assembly

that in the past 12 months we have held meetings at the

highest level in Guacimo, Costa Rica; in Masaya,

Nicaragua; in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and in San

Salvador, the capital of my own country, during which we

adopted critical decisions for the future of our peoples.

We defined our priorities in a new regional agenda which

was given concrete expression by the signing of the

alliance for sustainable development. This embodies both

a strategy and a coordination of interests and

responsibilities with legal harmonization and emphasis on

investment in the social sphere, as we recognize that

human beings are the pivotal point and the principal

subject of development.

The breadth and magnitude of the objectives spelled

out in the new strategy for development exceed the

capacities and resources of our countries, and we believe

that the international community can contribute

generously towards bringing these strategies to fruition.

In this context we ascribe particular importance to

the strengthening of the newly revamped Central

American Integration System (SICA) which has assumed

as one of its main responsibilities the promotion and

implementation of the new Central American agenda.

May we urge the Assembly to extend the observer status

we have applied for to this new organization, SICA.

We can affirm that Central America has now entered

a new era in its history characterized by ongoing

cooperation among our countries, as reflected in our

efforts to create the conditions which will overcome the

obstacles which have done such damage to the cause of

integration, so that we can move forward steadfastly

towards the unification of Central America.

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In this connection we are particularly pleased at the

recent progress made during the binational Honduras/El

Salvador Commission meeting with a view to complying

with the border demarcation arrangements guaranteeing the

rights of the inhabitants of the border zones on both sides

simultaneously.

In the specific case of my own country we can give a

categorical assurance that in the three years since the

signing of the peace agreements, El Salvador has moved

forward in a constructive way. The commitment of the

Government is firm and unswerving in its determination to

harness the requisite strength to build a new country, a

modern, democratic El Salvador, in which all the sectors of

Salvadorian society will participate without discrimination.

After more than a year at the helm I am pleased to

state that my Government is fulfilling the promises

contained in the inaugural address which I delivered to the

Salvadorian people on 1 June 1994. We have been duly

following up the peace agreements conceived by the entire

nation as a commitment and as an essential prerequisite for

moving forward without any possibility of backsliding as

we build a peaceful society.

During the period of transition from war to peace and

national reconstruction we have devoted ourselves to

consolidating the pacification process in the conviction that

that is a task that must be shared in a responsible manner

among the entire population. That task involves not only

finding a solution to the immediate problems created by 12

years of armed confrontation, but in addition, providing a

comprehensive response to domestic problems, for only

thus can we guarantee that the process will be irreversible

and capable of meeting future challenges in a society of

stability and peace.

Concerning pending commitments under the Peace

Agreements, we acknowledge realistically and in a

constructive spirit that there have been problems, and hence

delays, in complying with some of those provisions as a

result of the highly complex nature of the process. Those

difficulties have been overcome through dialogue and

consensus among the sectors responsible for

implementation. This has enabled us, with the assistance of

the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador, to

alter the established time-tables and to agree on a work

programme for the definitive completion of those

commitments.

We can affirm that we are complying in a responsible

manner with the implementation of the Agreements, but if

for logistical reasons some components were still to be

pending on 31 October next, given that our determination

to comply with those commitments remains steadfast we

would request the Secretary-General to extend the residual

United Nations Mission in El Salvador.

Our responsibility as a Government goes beyond

compliance with the Peace Agreements, for we must

provide a comprehensive response to our national

problems. Hence, with an awareness that lack of

opportunity in our society leads to frustration and despair,

creating tensions and conflicts that jeopardize the peace

process, we have made additional efforts to implement an

ambitious economic plan to develop our society, taking as

our goals the betterment of human welfare, the systematic

alleviation of poverty, and priority attention to health and

education, in addition to promoting productive

employment and generally meeting the basic needs of the

population, especially its most vulnerable sectors that

have traditionally been denied the fruits of economic and

social progress.

We are pleased to report that our Government has

assigned the highest priority to the maintenance of

macroeconomic stability through the implementation of a

consistent and coherent set of monetary, exchange-rate

and fiscal policies. This has enabled us to achieve specific

economic targets, namely, the maintenance of a stable

exchange rate, the reining in of inflation, the elimination

of our fiscal deficit and the reduction of public

expenditure, which has been redirected to social

investment and basic infrastructure.

Our Government is fully convinced that if we are to

enjoy sustained medium- and long-term growth it must be

based on an efficient and competitive productive sector,

both domestically and internationally, and to that end we

have adopted the requisite economic policy measures.

Among these I would mention in particular the

programme to reduce tariffs on the import of capital

goods, inputs and raw materials; support for further

development of the Central American Common Market;

the creation of instruments to facilitate and provide

guarantees to foreign investors; decisive support for

programmes to enhance the competitiveness of the

domestic production base; the promotion of small and

micro enterprises; the development of intensive job-

training programmes; and the implementation of our

national environment strategy as a component of

sustainable development in El Salvador.

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To achieve those objectives the entire population of

my country is striving to overcome resentment and

antagonisms between different social sectors and thereby

helping to foster the conditions for national stability with a

view to consolidating peace, strengthening democracy and

securing economic and social progress.

The successful example of El Salvador clearly

demonstrates that a Member State of the Organization,

acting in good faith, with transparency and political will,

can overcome situations of severe conflict, principally

through the efforts of its own population but also with the

timely assistance of the international community.

Today, following this exceptional effort to achieve

peace — an effort that is, indeed, still under way — El

Salvador is a country that has learned major historical

lesson. Foremost among them is the knowledge that within

our national community we share a common destiny and

that within the international community all major

undertakings are shared. Learning from those truths, the

challenge facing us all is to build a more human world for

the benefit of present and future generations.