Chile, 2002

On behalf

of my country, I congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan and the

other members of the Bureau on their election. The

President can count on the full cooperation of the

delegation of Chile for the success of his stewardship.

The Government of Chile takes this opportunity

to welcome the accession to membership of the United

Nations of the Swiss Confederation and, soon, of

Timor-Leste. The presence of Switzerland strengthens

its historical association with the founding principles of

this Organization. The upcoming presence of Timor-

Leste symbolizes the role of the United Nations in the

creation of a viable and democratic State. We are proud

to have contributed to that mission.

One year ago, this city suffered a reprehensible

terrorist attack that left an indelible stain on the

conscience of mankind. That date, 11 September 2001,

marked a turning point in contemporary history. This

episode brought us face to face with new dimensions of

our human vulnerability, with a fragility that

universalized insecurity. The attack perpetrated a few

kilometres from this place showed us, with frightful

cruelty, that human coexistence urgently requires new

approaches and new instruments.

It has become necessary for Governments and

societies to forge positive responses and to work

together to resolutely confront terrorism. In a

globalized world, it is imperative that we re-evaluate

multilateralism, and Chile would like to renew its

commitment in that regard.

We believe that, at this period of history, we have

to make every effort to bring about a safer world. That

challenge should unite societies and cultures. As the

Secretary-General pointed out yesterday, the United

Nations alone has the legitimacy necessary to

contribute to an effective system of security.

Complying with Security Council resolutions is a

responsibility incumbent upon everyone, and is

essential to the future of the Organization.

The changes that have taken place in recent years

have created new challenges and responsibilities for

the world that we must assume, and to which we must

respond, as a global society. The risks today are indeed

both global and without boundaries. Both States and

ordinary men and women in every part of the world

now face a new environment of uncertainty. In that

context, traditional notions of security which were

formulated against the backdrop of threats from State

actors have been overtaken. A safer world requires

that we build consensus and that we develop new

approaches that both take into account the multi-

dimensional nature of threats and place people at the

centre of their concerns.

In such a security scenario it is urgent that we

promote a comprehensive focus at the global level to

deal with new threats and to build a world free of fear

and poverty. The concept of human security has

emerged from just that sort of change. We would like

people to be at the centre of every multilateral

deliberation. That was the priority that Chile put forth a

decade ago with its initiative to hold a summit on

social development. It is that same concern that has led

to our participation in the Human Security Network, of

which Chile has been the coordinator this year.

Human security is linked to the maintenance of

international peace and security, public order and the

social environment. Those elements should be

promoted through innovative and effective strategies.

Chile's candidacy for a seat on the Security

Council for the period 2003-2004 which has the

support of the Group of Latin American and the

Caribbean States, for which we once again express our

appreciation seeks to strengthen the multilateral

approach to crises that threaten international peace and

security, as well as to place human security at the

centre of the concerns of that main body of the United

Nations.

Respect for human rights is a fundamental

requirement in the search for a world that is free from

fear, more secure and full of hope. Human rights are a

source of political and social legitimacy in the

contemporary international system and provide

guidelines for its actions. As a member of the

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Commission on Human Rights, our country will

participate in initiatives to strengthen the fundamental

and unique role of that body. Similarly, democracy too

is a universal value, one which is expressed mainly

through free elections and change in governance.

Strengthening democracy requires integrity,

transparency and good governance. That is the proper

way to create a democratic environment in which a

society can be better integrated, protected and imbued

with meaning.

My country constructively supports and promotes

the spread of the values of democracy and democratic

thinking throughout the world. In our region,

democracy is a fundamental value. The adoption of the

Inter-American Democratic Charter represents a step

forward in the continuing effort to further refine and

strengthen democracy. In that vein, we welcome the

establishment of the Community of Democracies as a

concerted attempt to make universal the values inherent

in democracy.

The cultural dimension, as an expression of a

modern vision, must be part of our efforts to build a

safer world. Intercultural dialogue and respect for

diversity are fundamental elements of civilized

relations between nations. We believe that intercultural

dialogue should contribute to strengthening the

universal values of human dignity.

International terrorism is a negation of the values

that make possible civilized coexistence, in which there

must be room for the diversity of the world. Terrorism

is the greatest risk facing the global community in

building a safer world. Political commitment is

therefore needed to agree on effective efforts to

eradicate terrorism within the framework of

international law. Intercultural dialogue is essential to

develop a global strategy to combat terrorism. The

United Nations plays an essential role as the leading

organization in the fight against terrorism. The work of

the Security Council and of its Counter-Terrorism

Committee, established pursuant to Council resolution

1373 (2001), and the development of a general

convention on international terrorism are efforts that

we support and to which we will continue to

contribute. A convention on terrorism has been adopted

at the regional level, and we will continue to intensify

our cooperation through the Inter-American Committee

on Terrorism and the Common Market of the South.

The risks and threats to global security, which are

beyond the effective control of States, highlight the

nature of globalization in our world today. Indeed, the

characteristics of globalization can be seen in such

phenomena as the globalization of markets, the

intensification of social relations and the broadening of

cultural exchanges and communications. At the same

time, however, risks have also become global and the

imbalances resulting from the unequal distribution of

wealth have increased, thereby accentuating the trend

towards the marginalization and exclusion of

communities, countries and regions.

We believe in the benefits of economic and

political globalization. But we also believe that

globalization requires good governance and a

systematic and shared effort by the international

community to establish the rules of the new

international system. We believe that there should be

greater participation in this effort, as well as ongoing

consultations with our citizens and our civil societies.

The United Nation system is an indispensable forum

for addressing these challenges.

Just as we believe that the process of

globalization in which we are now engaged requires

clear rules in order for its benefits to reach all of

mankind, we also believe that the economic growth and

prosperity of countries require freedom, democracy and

security in this global world. Chile had adopted a

model that assigns to the market and to the private

sector a key role in its development plans, within a

framework of democracy and solidarity. We are

convinced that active participation in international

trade is a positive way of achieving growth, increasing

employment, being innovative in the area of

technology and being effective in the allocation of

resources.

Based on our commitment to development with

equity, we have opened up our economy, our

communications and our culture; and we are satisfied

at having done so. We believe, based on our

experience, that globalization can be a source of

opportunity for all nations, particularly for small and

remote countries such as ours, which are far from the

major consumer centres and international flows.

In order for the efforts of nations such as ours to

be rewarded, however, it is essential for international

trade to be fair, to have clear-cut, established rules, and

to avoid measures that distort it. Subsidies and lax

35

implementation of anti-dumping measures are

obstacles to the achievement of that goal. In this

connection, I wish to place special emphasis on the

urgent need for the liberalization of the trade in

agricultural products. Many developing countries,

including my own, are highly competitive in this

sector, but the benefits are lost because of

protectionism in the developed countries.

We argued forcefully in Doha and Monterrey that

in order for there to be growth, there must be access to

markets. As President Ricardo Lagos stated in

Monterrey, If trade barriers were eliminated, the

developing countries would have the potential to earn

$130 billion, more than twice the $50 billion that we

proposed as a target for the Millennium Summit'.

We urge the United Nations to continue its efforts

to promote the integrated activities of the various

multilateral political, economic and financial agencies

that are helping to achieve a world of greater

development, equity and security.

As the multilateral system continues to develop

culturally, socially and politically, Chile will continue

to promote the mainstreaming of the gender

perspective into the various activities of the

international system and its subsystems. We also

support the creation of opportunities for participation

by civil society organizations.

The more developed, more equitable and safer

world to which we aspire also requires us to establish

international standards for the protection of the rights

of vulnerable groups. Chile will continue to encourage

the conclusion of agreements that contribute to the

formulation and improvement of public policies in this

field. I would like to underscore our political

commitment to achieving a comprehensive convention

that protects and promotes the rights and dignity of

people with disabilities. Integration, recognition of the

dignity of people and equality of opportunity for all are

the basic precepts of a more secure society.

We are convinced that we need to commit

ourselves as an international community to more active

policies for the protection of the environment. Few

issues on the international agenda affect us all equally

as much as this one and, paradoxically, few generate as

many disputes. The Johannesburg Summit confirmed

my belief that we must work towards consensus on

basic concepts.

The right to live in a socially acceptable

environment is an ethical imperative of the present day.

We must therefore give priority to a global

environmental agenda that focuses on improving legal

norms relating to, and providing better protection for,

the oceans, the climate, the atmosphere and the ozone

layer.

Given the direct impact that this issue has on

development, I wish to note that, in December 2003, at

ConcepciÛn, Chile, the World Biotechnology Forum

will take place under the sponsorship of the United

Nations Industrial Development Organization and the

Government of Chile.

With regard to the political dimension, which

emphasizes security, human rights, democracy and the

fight against terrorism, I would like to refer to certain

areas of the world that are of greatest concern to the

international community. Latin America is a region in

which democracy is the norm, even though in some

cases it is fragile. The nations of our continent have

learned how difficult it is to build and sustain

democratic institutions based on universal principles

and values. We have a number of regional and

subregional mechanisms that compel us to fulfil this

obligation. The Rio Group is without doubt the most

important of these.

The world is aware of the current economic crisis

in our region. This is a paradoxical situation. Latin

America responded properly to the challenge and

adopted many of the structural economic reforms that

were asked of it, which led to a degree of liberalization

without precedent in its history. The developed world,

however, is sending contradictory signals that test the

faith of those of us who view globalization and the

system of free trade as the basis for the development of

our peoples. Those of us who believe that globalization

must be based on the principles of competitiveness

without exclusion thus see, on a regular basis,

restrictions placed on our products; these are very

difficult to explain. This casts doubt on the existence of

a desire to move towards a globalization without

compartmentalization.

Because of its gravity, I must refer to a conflict

that affects the entire international community. Chile

wishes to express its deep concern at the grave

situation in the Middle East in the light of the impasse

in the peace negotiations aimed at finding a solution to

the crisis between Palestinians and Israelis. The

36

continuing escalation of the violence that began in the

region on 28 September 2000 continues to claim many

victims and to cause heavy material damage, and

threatens to spread throughout the region, thereby

posing a serious danger to international peace and

security.

The Government of Chile reiterates the need for

the strict implementation of the relevant resolutions of

the Security Council and recourse to constructive

negotiation, with a view to achieving a just,

comprehensive and lasting peace that make possible

the creation of a viable Palestinian State and

coexistence with the State of Israel within secure and

internationally recognized borders. A world in which

Palestinians and Israelis can live together will be a

more secure world.

We share the international sense of urgency that

the Government of Iraq must abide by the provisions of

Security Council resolutions in the interest of regional

and global security. We are convinced that in this

globalized world it is essential for us to act in

accordance with the principles and values promoted by

the United Nations.

In Africa we now see signs of hope. Chile wishes

to express its firm support for the African continent in

its decision to create modern regional instruments, such

as the African Union and the New Partnership for

Africa's Development. We hope that these initiatives,

to which Africans themselves have referred to as the

African renaissance, will generate in the international

community a response commensurate with those

efforts. This is a new challenge for the twenty-first

century, and the United Nations must be involved.

Chile, a small nation that looks out at the world

from the South, has developed important links of

international solidarity in the most diverse

directions in Latin America as part of the inter-

American system; in its association with the European

Union; and as a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic

Cooperation organization. In opting for open

multilateralism, we are facing today's challenge of

working towards a more secure world a world free

from fear and poverty. We will encounter obstacles

which we must confront with shared political resolve.

This is the responsibility of all the countries

represented here today in the General Assembly.

Let us advance towards global human security.

Let us combat terrorism, poverty and misery in the

search for a more democratic and more tolerant society.

In this challenge, Chile is convinced that

multilateralism can and must contribute to overcoming

the insecurity currently prevailing in the world. The

United Nations offers such an opportunity to the

international community. It is a forum that can and

must seek consensual solutions to the inescapable

problems now plaguing humankind.