Brazil, 1992

Let me congratulate you. Sir, and the Republic

of Bulgaria upon your election as President of the General Assembly at its

forty-seventh session. Your experience as a respected political leader and

jurist augurs well for the success of our deliberations.

I wish to acknowledge the work of Ambassador Samir Shihabi of Saudi

Arabia and his inspired and constructive presidency of the General Assembly at

its forty-sixth session.

I present my compliments to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali,

whose election was supported by Brazil from the beginning. His experience and

statesmanship, which I had the occasion to witness at the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development, will certainly stand him in good

stead in the exercise of his high office.

Brazil welcomes the representatives of the new States Members of the

United Nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,

Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Slovenia, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. My country wishes to explore the possibilities

of cooperation with the new Member States.

The opening of the general debate requires that we should call forth

national and regional aspirations without losing sight of our concern for the

universal. It requires that we should seek to fulfil our individual

identities in a harmonious whole, that should we be both effective and just.

Historical change should not be viewed as the chaotic workings of nature,

which, like a storm, are beyond control. Nor does it bear comparison to a

theatrical play whose plot and outcome are known to the author and the

performers in advance but which the audience discovers only as the play

unfolds. The most pertinent metaphor for understanding the lessons of history

would be that of a labyrinth. Conceived of as a labyrinth, history unfolds

unpredictably. This, however, does not deny the rational creativity of man

and of peoples. Rational creativity lies in identifying by trial and error

the blind alleys in the maze of collective experience, while trusting that

there are exit points and struggling to reach them.

Today the role of reason in the search for a way out lies in resorting to

historical experience to promote those values which may ensure better and

higher ways of life in an organized society: freedom, democracy, human

rights, sustainable development, justice and peace. In times of change it is

important to stop and think about the values and concepts that lie at the

foundation of international relations.

The process I have described gives rise both to hopes and to concerns.

It reflects the interaction of centripetal forces that tend towards the

universal and of centrifugal forces that call attention to diversity. On the

one hand, societies are embracing standards and practices that are well on the

way to becoming universal, as witnessed by the strengthening of democracy and

human rights, of sustainable development and of free enterprise and market

integration.

On the other hand, we witness the rebirth of nationalism and ethnic

strife, religious fervour taken to extremes and forms of discrimination which

multiply tension and threaten world peace.

The United Nations, and in particular the General Assembly, should serve

as the natural point of convergence for the various trends that shape the

complexity of our time. That complexity requires building a new international

order based on the democratic participation of all States, as stressed by the

Secretary-General in his report on the work of the Organization.

In conformity with its commitment to dialogue and cooperation, Brazil

wishes to make its contribution to the common task of ensuring the equitable

fulfilment of the historical aspirations of mankind. Brazil takes pride in

its diplomatic tradition. With 10 neighbours and nearly 17,000 kilometres of

borders, all of which were peacefully negotiated, Brazil's destiny is civil

and fruitful coexistence with all countries.

The democracy we enjoy today at the domestic level is an assurance of

unity and stability. It teaches us to accept the diversity and divergence

inherent in a pluralistic society. It permits us to face crises and

vicissitudes within the rule of law and the strict boundaries of

constitutional order. At the same time, democracy encourages us to uphold its

principles and methods in our relations with other nations. In a democracy

the rules of the game relate to the sharing and limitation of power.

Government must belong to the many, so that it can resist imposition by the

few. Power must be constrained by law, so as to avoid the arbitrary

discretion of those who wield it.

The acknowledgement of these rules aims at the qualitative transformation

of life in society the passage from the realm of violence to the realm of

non-violence achievable by the taming of power through law. This is what

confers on the law an irrevocable ethical content. In the realm of public

international law, this ethical content finds its expression in the peaceful

settlement of disputes, since its procedures for choosing among available

options for action seek precisely to dispel the fears that derive from the

rule of violence. It is in that spirit of democratic civility that Brazil

intends to participate in the process of reorganizing the international system.

The unprecedented historical crossroads at which we find ourselves calls

for a new agenda, an agenda embodying an awareness of the present and a vision

of the future. The drafting of this agenda must take into account all the

dimensions of value. All values have to be susceptible of fulfilment and are

inexhaustible. To subsist, they must be translated into normative and social

reality. However, the fulfilment of values in history does not exhaust their

content. For example, we can and may always obtain more freedom and more

justice.

The foreign policy of Brazil stresses these twin dimensions in its

response to the new international situation and stresses them through a

creative adaptation and vision of the future. These concepts, we think, are

appropriate as we consider the items on the agenda of the General Assembly.

The starting-point for a rethinking of the international system lies in

the acknowledgement that peace, security and disarmament are inseparable.

The suggestions put forward by Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali in his

document "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277) lend new contours and an enlarged

scope to discussions on the role of the United Nations. All Member States

should participate in an in-depth consideration of the provocative and

creative suggestions put forward by the Secretary-General. Brazil will

contribute actively to their consideration at the present session of the

General Assembly.

The "Agenda for Peace" comprises timely issues, such as preventive

diplomacy, peace-making and post-conflict peace-building. Such innovative

concepts are, by their very nature, still fluid. They open up new

perspectives which remain to be explored, albeit cautiously, as befits an

encounter between unknown realities and bold and imaginative ideas.

The dream of a better world cannot, however, be excluded from the

debate. Though realism is the starting-point of all political action, it

should not be taken as its final objective. Justice is the ultimate value

that should, in the final analysis, permeate the concept of order.

Peace-building is a continuous task and an evolving process. In addition

to the concepts related to the means of tackling conflict situations, we

should also seek to define the logical corollary of preventive peace-building,

namely the forestalling of crises deriving from economic and social factors.

To that end, we must strengthen the role of the United Nations, not only in

restoring peace and security, but also in fostering economic and social

progress.

Other elements should therefore be added to those put forward in the

"Agenda for Peace", such as the promotion of a more just international economic

environment, full respect for human rights and the rule of law, general and

complete disarmament, and the democratization of international relations based

on sovereign equality and the non-use of force.

It is essential to avoid the temptation of a selective application of the

provisions of the Charter. The instruments for the maintenance of

international peace and security must not serve to consolidate imbalances

based on power relations, which are not more legitimate because they are

real. The fundamental attribute of legitimacy consists in the

all-encompassing perspective of humanity.

It is of paramount importance to uphold the provision of the Charter

whereby the maintenance of international peace and security is the collective

responsibility of all Member States.

In carrying out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of

international peace and security, the Security Council acts on behalf of all

Member States of the United Nations. Now that the Council is being called

upon to play an increasingly decisive role, there is a clear need for an

in-depth discussion of the representative nature of its composition, the scope

of its competence and the powers of its members.

We should consider, with prudence no less than with foresight, such

readjustments as would permit the Council to discharge its functions in a more

representative manner. Brazil is prepared to contribute constructively to

this effort, taking fully into account the institutional balance among the

organs of the United Nations provided for in the San Francisco Charter.

The contribution of Brazil to United Nations peace-keeping operations

reflects our commitment to implementing the principle of collective

responsibility.

The issue of disarmament has been momentarily overshadowed by that of

security in the wake of the unstable situations which followed the collapse of

global confrontation. The progressive reduction of arms stockpiles,

especially of weapons of mass destruction, remains, however, fundamental.

Much has indeed been accomplished in the field of disarmament, yet much

remains to be done.

Brazil and Argentina have jointly entered into an agreement with the

International Atomic Energy Agency on the application of safeguards. With

Argentina and Chile, we launched an initiative to ensure the full entry into

force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America

the Treaty of Tlatelolco. The entry into force of the Treaty of Tlatelolco

will make Latin America the first nuclear-weapon-free zone in the world. This

represents a balanced agreement on non-proliferation with equality of rights

and obligations. We have banned chemical and biological weapons from our

territory through the Mendoza Agreement, which we concluded with our

neighbouring States. We have thus advanced the application of the convention

on chemical weapons, which sets down uniform rules of disarmament and

verification binding on all signatories. We hope similarly universal and

non-discriminatory disarmament conventions will be concluded in the future.

Regarding the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, we

welcome the opportunity to work with our partners on both sides of the ocean

in a process of dialogue and joint endeavour aimed in particular at the

protection of the marine environment.

Security and disarmament are only means to achieve the highest goal to

which mankind truly aspires the goal of peace. Peace, not as the mere

absence of war, but as an affirmative value, peace as a state of satisfaction

in which relations among States can be ruled by law and disputes settled by

peaceful means.

Peace must be linked to cooperation, of which justice is an integral

part, for common interests are rooted in a balanced relation among States.

It is widely acknowledged that there is a close link between the

democratic system of government and the inclination of States towards peace,

and conversely, a link between authoritarian regimes and a greater propensity

to conflict. The values inherent in democracy pluralism, majority rule,

tolerance, consensus, the rule of law extend naturally to the external

affairs of the State. The strengthening of democracy on a planetary scale

represents therefore a decisive contribution to the building of a more

peaceful international system.

An unquestionable value in the domestic order, democracy also projects

itself as an organizing principle of the international order, through the

strengthening of multilateral diplomacy and the search for a broad

participation in the international decision-making process.

Brazil is convinced that relations among States must be governed

predominantly by incentives to cooperation and not by disincentives. That

amounts to promoting a positive and not a negative agenda for international

relations, an agenda that must be negotiated in a democratic manner.

The improvement of international cooperation to ensure adequate and

effective treatment of world-wide issues, such as those of humanitarian,

developmental or environmental character, is to bf: pursued within the basic

principles of international law, foremost among which is respect for State

sovereignty.

Fortunately, a new perception has evolved in the field of human rights

that focuses on the need for special protection for the most vulnerable groups

in each country. Cultural, religious and ethnic minorities, women, children,

refugees and immigrants are social groups frequently exposed to intolerance

and to the abuse of their most basic rights. We must strive to bridge the gap between what is achievable and what is

desirable. Respect for human rights must be universal in scope, just as the

1948 Declaration is universal and just as the provisions of the basic

covenants and conventions on this matter are universal. In short, human

rights must not be violated under any pretext whatsoever.

The full enjoyment of individual rights requires material conditions of

social and economic organization grounded in the idea of justice. The holding

in 1993 of the World Conference on Human Rights, as well as the proposed world

summit on social development, will provide opportunities to strengthen the

protection and the promotion of human dignity.

The Government of Brazil is doing everything in its power to protect and

promote human rights. We maintain an open dialogue with international

organizations governmental and non-governmental and we have acceded to the

main legal instruments on this matter. To be assured of success in our

endeavours, we further need constructive international cooperation to address

better the perverse consequences of extreme poverty and to equip democratic

States with conditions to reinforce their preventive and corrective actions in

these areas, where serious violations of individual rights still occur.

One of the most urgent tasks of the United Nations will be to promote in

all countries a strong campaign against all forms of discrimination. It is

high time we reaffirmed the classic concept of tolerance as an essential

constituent element of life in an enlightened society. Equality can be

genuine only when there is respect for diversity, where there is respect for

heterogeneity. Policies of racial segregation, by any name, will always be

hateful. The idea that a nation or a social group is somehow superior because

it is ethnically homogeneous is flatly wrong.

The world has not lived through the horrors of a world war, the anguish

of 45 years of the cold war and the hardship of conflicts that have offended

the conscience of mankind to witness now the resurgence of the spectre of

xenophobia, of exclusive nationalism, or of ethnic, cultural or religious

intolerance. We cannot allow the concept of nationhood to serve as a cloak

for the practices of oppression. Brazil, as a multiracial country proud of

its roots, rejects outright attitudes that are inimical to the human race.

Just as our societies cannot coexist with the marginalization of parts of

their population, so the new international society we seek to build cannot

coexist with the marginalization of entire peoples.

The interdependence of the world economy paradoxically highlights the

shortcomings of global cooperation. The gap between the North and the South

is widening before our eyes. This situation cannot persist. We must work

together to foster economic growth in all countries. There will be no peace

or security so long as such disparities continue to distort the international

system.

In an increasingly open and interdependent international community, the

leverage from international trade is extraordinary. We must therefore prevent

protectionist pressures linked to short-term parochial interests from

undercutting the negotiating effort of the Uruguay Round, inspired by free

competition and the multiplication of benefits. The difficulties and

sluggishness inherent in the process of multilateral-trade liberalization

should not prompt us to opt indiscriminately for self-contained regional

blocks. We see, and would like others to see, regional-trade liberalization

as a form of creating additional opportunities for international trade as a

whole, without inflicting losses on third parties. This is how we view the

Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), the regional basis for our competitive

integration in the international economy.

Brazil is a global trader. We trade with all regions of the world and we

are modernizing our economy through trade liberalization and openness towards

the world economy. Negotiations with foreign creditors have produced positive

results. Science and technology today represent the crucial variable of

economic success. Promoting their dissemination and ensuring greater

transparency and equity in the access to knowledge is fundamental for

development. That is the spirit that guides the Brazilian initiative now

under consideration in the United Nations Disarmament Commission, aiming at

the definition of non-discriminatory and universally acceptable principles to

regulate international transfers of sensitive technologies for peaceful

purposes.

Last June Brazil hosted the United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development, which was the largest diplomatic event in the history of the

Organization and set new patterns of international understanding and

cooperation. We worked creatively to face the challenges of the present and

boldly in the preparations for the future. The Rio Conference was not aimed

at simply reorganizing this or that aspect of economic activity or of life in

society. It was aimed, rather, at reshaping the very notion of development,

to conceive it on a more rational, more just and more generous foundation

that of sustainable development.

The Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the Declaration on Forests, the climate

Convention and the biodiversity Convention outline a legal framework and a

political project of paramount importance for international cooperation. The

significance of these instruments will be even more evident over time.

Adherence to the principles that have been agreed upon and prompt ratification

of the two Conventions will usher in a new era of international cooperation.

The Rio Conference set up a new paradigm, a new social contract, on the

basis of the fundamental concept of sustainable development. It established

as a primary concern the need to ensure the most rational balance between

legitimate development goals, on the one side, and the preservation of the

health of our planet and the well-being of future generations, on the other.

Sustainable development is the contemporary expression of progress. It is the

basis for a new international environment and development order.

In welcoming the Heads of State and Government who honoured us with their

presence. President Fernando Collor stated that

"The world has decided to assemble here to address no more, no less than

the life itself on the surface of the planet."

The Conference concluded that we cannot allow the persistence of social

imbalances in the current international system marked by inhuman situations of

poverty and by the coexistence of want and waste. As stated by the Brazilian

Head of State, as President of the Conference,

"We cannot have an environmentally sound planet in a socially unjust

world".

The Rio Conference therefore fostered an awareness of the fact that

development must be sustainable. Sustainability requires due attention not

only to environmental but also to economic and social factors.

That and all the other achievements of the Conference were made possible

thanks only to the unprecedented engagement of the community of nations at the

highest level, allowing for the consideration of problems of universal

interest through the equal participation of all countries. Let me stress this

point: The Rio Conference was exemplary in that it brought to a higher level

the practice of democracy in international relations, thus strengthening

multilateral diplomacy. At the Conference, all countries - large and small,

rich and poor gave proof that they were and are capable of linking their own

specific interests with larger, more general interests.

This is the "spirit of Rio", which we hope will guide the United Nations

in other areas as well: mutual confidence among States, a willingness to act

decisively with a view to achieving common goals, and the grandeur of joint

endeavours in devising forms of enhanced cooperation in line with norms

defined democratically and on the basis of consensus.

This session of the General Assembly is called upon to address the task

of taking the first steps in implementing the conclusions of the Conference

and in honouring the commitments entered into at Rio. We therefore attribute

great importance to the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable

Development. Sustainable development requires new and additional financial

resources on an adequate and predictable basis, as reflected in chapter 33 of

Agenda 21. We expect that, at the present session, the developed countries

will announce initial plans to give effect to the goals of the Conference.

Equally crucial is the availability of technology to developing

countries, so as to ensure the feasibility of established programmes. Action

or follow-up measures are also necessary in other areas; among these I stress

the development of small island States and the convening of a negotiating

committee on desertification.

Brazil wishes to make an additional contribution to the accomplishments

of the Rio Conference by offering to host an international centre for studies

on sustainable development. We count on public and private support for this

initiative, which was welcomed in a resolution adopted at the Conference and

for the implementation of which we have already laid the groundwork. As an

academic institution, the centre will provide an international research and

exchange forum for the application of decisions adopted at Rio.

When I spoke about the dichotomy between the real and the ideal necessary

for the construction of a new order, I referred to the great opportunities for

cooperation among nations to solve problems in the areas of peace and

security, democracy, human rights, development and environment. The world

expects the work of the Organization to be concentrated on those priority

areas.

The capacity for joint action by the United Nations must spring from the

voice of each and every Member State. That action becomes all the more

legitimate as the basic decision-making process grows more representative and

more democratic.

Brazil views the ongoing work on the restructuring and revitalization of

the economic and social sectors of the United Nations as eminently relevant.

It should lead to greater efficiency, together with a wider scope for

international cooperation for development.

An agenda for peace cannot overlook the agenda for development. Ultimate

success in this enterprise requires a realistic willingness to endow the

United Nations with the necessary instruments and the prospective vision to

make this universal forum the core of collective efforts for the improvement

of relations among peoples and countries.

In Brazil, as elsewhere in Latin America and other regions, bold and

necessary reforms have been set in motion to eliminate obstacles to

development, to economic competitiveness, to technological progress and to the

free exercise of innovation and entrepreneurship based on the market.

Brazil joins other nations with an open mind, aware of the need for

creative adaptation to new realities and convinced that new challenges require

a vision of the future endowed with generosity.