Ecuador, 1993

I am pleased to convey my congratulations to

Ambassador Samuel Insanally, the Permanent Representative

of Guyana and a distinguished member of our Latin

American and Caribbean Group, on his well-deserved

election as President of the General Assembly.

A short while ago, we were hailing the end of the cold

war. There seemed to be a fresh possibility of building a

new international order based on sound moral principles,

namely the principles of justice, law, freedom and

democracy.

The Gulf crisis, caused by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait,

offered the international community an opportunity to react

resolutely to restore the rights thus violated. The principles

of condemnation of the use or the threat of the use of force

as a means of settling disputes were underscored. The

inadmissibility and illegitimacy of the acquisition of

territories through force were reaffirmed. The principles of

the peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for the

sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States

were strengthened. Ecuador was gratified to see the

resultant reinforcement of the fundamental and age-old

pillars of its international policy.

The world today aspires more firmly and decisively to

live in freedom and democracy and in an atmosphere of full

respect for human rights.

This fundamental change has allowed the spread, not

only of positive forces, but also of underlying conflicts

which, within various regions, have set off apparently

uncontainable escalation.

The United Nations, whose prestige had reached new

heights, was facing increasingly numerous, pressing and

complex problems. Extreme nationalism had flared up in the

Forty-eighth session - 5 October l993 17

Balkans and elsewhere, while the breakdown of authority

had given rise to tragic humanitarian situations in Somalia

and in other regions. In Cambodia, the Organization had to

contribute to rebuilding the State.

The problems have not disappeared; on the contrary,

they proliferate in the former Socialist Federal Republic of

Yugoslavia and in the former Soviet Union. The large

numbers of refugees created by war serve as a pretext for

extremist, nationalist and xenophobic ideologies to arise in

the very heart of Europe.

The world, which applauded United Nations action on

the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, is examining with a critical eye

the Organization’s inaction and ineffectiveness in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. In Bonn, the graffiti read, "Europe is dying in

Sarajevo". In the Iraq-Kuwait conflict, the use of force and

the acquisition of territory by force was condemned, but it

seems that in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina the use of

force is being allowed to yield results and to expand the

territory of the aggressor. Here is a clear illustration that

international morality is opposed to double standards of

action.

In that context, Ecuador views as vital the work under

way to restructure and strengthen the world Organization.

The General Assembly must shoulder with greater authority

its responsibilities as the most representative democratic

organ of the United Nations. The Security Council needs to

be restructured to reflect the striking changes in the

membership of the United Nations and to ensure that it is

more representative and, hence, more legitimate. We

commend all the steps being taken to that end, and we

support others that still need to be taken to ensure that the

work of the Council is characterized by vision and

transparency. We think that its membership should be

expanded, within limits ensuring that its work will be

effective and aimed at the democratization of the

Organization. Democratizing participation in the Council’s

work requires the presence of States of special significance

on the international scene, such as Germany and Japan, and

of representatives of other geographical areas not now

properly represented.

The work of the United Nations in the economic and

social fields should be strengthened and made more

effective. We must not forget that peace is threatened not

only by military aggression but also, and even more, by

situations of injustice or crisis that ought to be settled in a

spirit of international solidarity. For that reason, Ecuador

looks forward to seeing as soon as possible the report the

General Assembly has requested of the Secretary-General, on

an agenda for development.

Ecuador was pleased by the results of the recent World

Conference on Human Rights. We believe that the Vienna

Declaration and Programme of Action constitute an

important step forward towards recognizing the universal

nature of human rights. The right to development is

universal and inalienable. Ecuador appeals to all States to

make an effort to implement the goals and purposes of the

Vienna Programme of Action.

Ecuador is deeply gratified by the positive

developments in South Africa. We hope that the elections

scheduled for 1994 will mark the conclusive establishment

of a democratic, non-racial, pluralistic society truly free and

open to progress.

The most important element of progress may well be

social development. For that reason, Ecuador firmly

supported the initiative to convene the World Summit for

Social Development. We reiterate our backing for the

international community’s decision, which will add meaning

to the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the

United Nations.

The world economy is at a difficult stage. Even the

developed economies are in deep crisis. We must adopt a

new monetary and fiscal policy aimed at promoting short-

term recovery and at eliminating structural imbalances in the

medium term. It is vital to coordinate the macro-economic

policies of the strongest countries in order to promote world

economic growth. It is necessary also to take account of the

legitimate interests of all countries, especially developing

countries.

It will be impossible to maintain and bolster our

democracies without at the same time engaging in economic

and social programmes aimed at improved living standards

for all. In addressing these issues we should not rely solely

on old economic statistical systems, but should turn to

systems that evaluate the quality of life, such as that

proposed by the United Nations Development Programme.

I would recall that a country’s domestic policies play a

dominant part in its development process. Ecuador has

decided to carry out serious and thorough structural reforms

that will permit greater scope for private enterprise and

individual initiative and that will reduce Government

intervention wherever it has proved to be ineffective and

inappropriate.

18 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

Economic development is meaningful when it addresses

human reality. To achieve this, we must be firmly

committed to modernizing the State and, by our example,

ensuring that morality prevails in the work of the

Government.

But national efforts to modernize the State and open the

economy to the universal trend towards freedom require

timely, adequate financial support. This should be obtained,

basically, by establishing a trading system making possible

fair prices for commodities and other exports of developing

countries. Ironically, while they make splendid speeches in

favour of free trade, the powerful countries continue to

impose measures that contradict their fine words. One

example is the import barriers on Latin American bananas

imposed by the European Economic Community.

We are concerned about what results will issue from

the Uruguay Round of negotiations under the General

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). We need

transparent machinery to fight protectionism; this must result

from true international negotiations.

For many countries, certainly including Ecuador, the

external debt continues to be one of the most serious

problems and one that has the heaviest negative impact, not

only in the economic but also in the social and even political

fields. We must review the financial policies of the

international credit agencies and complement their resources

with direct private investment, so that the flow of capital

from the developing world to the developed countries does

not, as has happened to date, exceed the amount of aid or

investment channelled to the developing countries.

Prudent and appropriate regulation of the environment

and development is a task that concerns and interests us all.

We must promote sustainable development that will meet

humanity’s needs today without jeopardizing the rights of

future generations. The Rio Conference is of far-reaching

importance and the fulfilment of the decisions and

commitments undertaken there is crucial. Agenda 21 is a

historic document requiring political resolve on the part of

all if it is to be put into effect. In that regard, the

establishment and consolidation of financial sources is

essential.

In the context of international security it is vitally

important that all international agreements concluded within

the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency

be strictly complied with, and that the inspection systems be

strengthened to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In this respect, we support all efforts to create new

nuclear-weapon-free zones and we voice our concern at any

failure to comply with the resolutions relating to the Korean

peninsula. We urge the Government of the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea to heed the just demands of the

international community.

Today, I have heard with great concern of a possible

breach of the moratorium on nuclear testing by the People’s

Republic of China. If that information is confirmed, it will

represent a grave step backwards in the process of

establishing moratoriums on nuclear testing. We hope that

it will not trigger a rush to new testing on the part of other

nuclear Powers.

In Latin America, democracy and freedom have been

strengthened. It is our hope that, by means of the exercise

of the right of peoples to self-determination, Latin American

will soon be free of the remaining exceptions.

The case of Haiti is particularly disquieting. Respect

for democracy and human values is a basic pillar of civilized

coexistence. Ecuador believes that the joint action of the

international community must encourage a new phase that

will provide the Haitian people with certain basic guarantees.

Throughout its history, Ecuador has demonstrated its

peaceful spirit in true and unquestionable terms. In that

spirit, it participated in the United Nations Observer Group

in Central America and the United Nations Observer Mission

in El Salvador. It continues to support the latter and has

offered its forces for other peace-keeping operations.

The proliferation of peace-keeping operations has

highlighted the need to carry out a careful review of the

conditions in which these operations are created and carried

out and the limits of their respective mandates. This

Organization should set the example of austerity in fund

management in order to enhance its moral authority and its

effectiveness.

In the light of its special links with Latin America,

Ecuador attaches particular importance to its relations with

neighbouring countries. Our Government has strengthened

and expanded its traditional relations with Colombia, and

they have recently been evolving with great promise.

A similar process is under way between the

Governments of Ecuador and Peru. The Presidents of

Ecuador and Peru have given repeated and eloquent proof of

their political resolve to make progress in the process of

dialogue that has opened between the two countries. This

Forty-eighth session - 5 October l993 19

process will enable us to ensure a climate of friendship, trust

and understanding and to narrow the differences in our

positions on the territorial issue. Together we can make

significant steps towards promoting the well-being of our

peoples, and as we move towards understanding we will be

able to overcome the differences which have long been an

obstacle in the way of a new era of fruitful coexistence.

The Government of Ecuador was pleased and very

grateful to note the demonstrations of support from many

countries, particularly American ones, for our dialogue with

Peru. We also appreciated the message that His Holiness

Pope John Paul II addressed to President Sixto Durán Ballén

and President Alberto Fujimori on the occasion of their

meeting in Bahía de Caráques in December 1992.

Ecuador, by tradition and inclination, has been a peace-

loving nation and believes that the only valid way to

overcome the territorial differences persisting between it and

Peru lies in the peaceful settlement of disputes. One option

in that regard is the arbitration of His Holiness the Pope,

who, with his lofty moral authority and his enduring

devotion to understanding and harmony among peoples, is

extremely well qualified. That is why the Constitutional

President of Ecuador, Sixto Durán Ballén, speaking from this

very rostrum at the forty-seventh session of the General

Assembly, reiterated the initiative which former Ecuadorian

President Rodrigo Borja set forth at the forty-sixth session

of the General Assembly concerning the arbitration of the

Holy See.

In response to this initiative and in keeping with the

spirit of dialogue that has been maintained and cultivated

between the two countries, the President of Peru proposed

the participation of the Holy See through the mediation of an

expert adviser who would offer his opinion from the point

of view of that neighbouring and friendly country with

respect to the "frontier disputes" with Ecuador.

We now have two proposals that are distinct in scope

and content: on the one hand, arbitration, and on the other

the assistance of an expert adviser. But they coincide in

their recognition of the great help to be had from the Pontiff,

who in the course of history has traditionally worked for

rapprochement and understanding among peoples. These

very differences and varied proposals highlight the need to

preserve and strengthen the process of dialogue between the

two countries. Ecuador is faithfully committed to that

process with a view not only to finding the fairest, most

realistic and honourable solution to the problem, but also in

order to respond appropriately to all the possibilities for

complementary action, cooperation and joint endeavour that

these two countries could and should pursue with a view to

securing the development, integration and well-being for

their peoples.

Thus, we shall no longer be divided by borders and

borders will become points of union and of promising

cooperation, with tremendous scope and possibilities. This

has been the case with regard to the maritime area that we

share; this is the hope of the two peoples, especially the

peoples of southern Ecuador and northern Peru; this must be

the case with regard to the Amazon River meeting for a

historic reconciliation of our two nations that adequately

meets the major interests of the two countries in the Amazon

region and identifies them in plans that take account of their

individual and collective rights, enhance their potential and

create conditions reflecting the importance of a major river

system and a region that all the countries of the basin must

preserve and promote for the sake of current development as

well as the future well-being of our peoples.

In this spirit of frank and constructive dialogue,

President Sixto Durán Ballén accepted the kind invitation of

President Alberto Fujimori to visit Peru. Ecuador’s Foreign

Ministry is busy making preparations with the authorities of

that friendly country for this mission so that the greatest

possible success may be achieved.

A few days ago the world enthusiastically welcomed

the handshake between two courageous men who had opted

for peace and understanding. I should like, on behalf of

Ecuador, to pay tribute to Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin and

President Yasser Arafat. I am confident that this gesture,

this historic event, will be not only the beginning of a tough

but promising relationship aimed at securing understanding

and cooperation between the two peoples but also a signal,

a sign of the times, for many other peoples who have to

pursue the arduous path of peace and understanding.

For this reason, President Clinton was absolutely right

when, on that historic morning, he said:

"We know that a difficult path lies before us.

Every peace has its own enemies - those who always

prefer the easy attitudes of hatred to the hard task of

reconciliation."

Ecuador believes in peace and trusts in peace and

understanding. Hence, I wish to associate myself with the

noble words of Cardinal Antonio Samoré, the delegate of the

Holy Father in the Papal mediation between the fraternal

countries of Argentina and Chile, in his speech at the time

20 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

of the signing, in Montevideo, of the commitment between

the two countries:

"I say to all of you - Christians, believers and men

of good will: do not be afraid to opt for peace, to

educate for peace. The aspiration to peace will never

be disappointed. The endeavour to achieve peace

inspired by charity that never fails will yield its fruits.

Peace will be the last word in history."

Against this background, and with a view to ensuring

that these efforts are made in an appropriate climate of

genuine understanding and harmony and will be effective, I

formally take the opportunity, at this rostrum, to propose to

the Government of Peru that, reaffirming the commitment

that both countries have made in accordance with many

existing international instruments - principally, the United

Nations Charter - we give our word of honour that, in our

mutual relations, we shall not resort to force or to the threat

of the use of force. Such a solemn commitment would

underscore an essential legal obligation and amount to an

eloquent additional means of promoting mutual trust; and it

would be an appropriate framework for continued dialogue

on the path of peace and understanding, with a view to

achieving, as soon as possible, a fair, honourable and lasting

settlement between the two countries.