Panama, 1994

First of all allow me to say how pleased we are

at your election as President of the General Assembly at its

forty-ninth session. Since you are such an eminent

statesman, we are certain that this session will be a

resounding success. We hail the work accomplished by

Ambassador Samuel Insanally of Guyana, who presided

over the recently concluded session of the General

Assembly. We are grateful to Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali,

Secretary-General of the Organization, for the fine job he

is doing, reflecting his constant concern with helping to

build a more just and progressive world society on the basis

of the purposes and principles of the San Francisco Charter.

This past May, the Panamanian people completed an

irreproachable electoral process. The results now make it

possible for us to undertake the democratic reconstruction

of the State, with broad-based and cooperative participation

by all of Panama’s various social groupings.

This has made it possible for us to develop promising

new relations of understanding and cooperation with the

Government of the United States, grounded in a common

resolve to fulfil on schedule the timetable established by the

Torrijos-Carter Treaties on the Panama Canal and

associated territories. Furthermore, we are seeking to

extend our relations, as partners and friends of the United

States, into fields that will facilitate the solution of regional

and world problems affecting the stability of areas of

common interest to both nations. With maturity, and an

intense sense of dignity and patriotism, the Government of

Panama is embarking on a new era in our relations with the

United States.

Thus these Treaties today are becoming once more for

our two nations what we intended them to be when they

were signed 17 years ago: the feasibility of a great Power

and a small country working together, peacefully, to

achieve mutually beneficial results on matters that

previously gave rise to confrontation. Furthermore, this is

in keeping with the principles of international law and gives

us all new cause for hope concerning the new era the world

is now seeking to establish.

Pursuant to those Treaties, the Government headed by

Mr. Ernesto Pérez Balladares intends in a responsible

manner to put into effect the timetable of reversion to

Panama of all the lands, waters and installations that form

the Canal and its contiguous area. Similarly, we intend to

ensure full demilitarization of the waterway and,

consequently, we are planning as of now the prompt

conversion of the foreign military installations there into

industrial and trading posts of international interest, whose

operations will be carried out just a few scant yards from

the vessels that pass through day by day, heading towards

all points of the compass.

The decisions we have taken will ensure that this

strip of territory will become one of the most attractive

areas for investment in the Atlantic, the Americas, and the

Pacific Basin.

Despite Panama’s intense economic and cultural

energy, it is a small country. Hence developing this

project will require international cooperation. In the short

term, the new Panamanian Government intends to

coordinate this cooperation in order to take the best

possible advantage of a tremendous potential.

In this context, we shall convene in 1997 the World

Congress on the Panama Canal to commemorate the

twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Torrijos-Carter

Treaties. This event will bring together the users of the

Canal and the potential users of the associated facilities -

shipbuilders, industrialists, financiers, technical experts,

planners and leaders of higher education - to consider the

scope and orchestration of the entire development project

for the Panama Canal and the Panamanian nation.

This Congress will also be an arena for the display

of technology-, media- and communications-related

products, as well as for interoceanic and intercontinental

trade. It will therefore be of particular importance in

gauging the scope of the new world trend which we now

call "globalization". For this reason, we intend to plan

this Congress with the cooperation of the United Nations

as well as that of the two countries which, in their time,

were engaged in the construction of the Canal - France

and the United States.

There is another facet to this situation, however. We

Panamanians have convincingly proved our ability to

efficiently administer and operate the existing Canal; we

shall demonstrate this once again at the World Congress.

Yet we wish to make further use of these skills, and this

desire forms the basis for the projects tied in with the

current, final phase of implementation of the Torrijos-

Carter Treaties: by this, I mean the international

university conglomerate that we call the "Ciudad del

Saber", "the City of Knowledge". In this area, and with

the excellent infrastructure facilities that will soon revert

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to Panama, we can bring together, in the best possible

physical environment, faculties and departments of the

major universities interested in studying subjects related to

the next century and its prospects - subjects such as

communications and telecommunications, naval and air

transport, computer technology, international trade, the

environment and sustainable development, as well as

economic and business relations between our Americas and

the Pacific basin.

Thus conceived, the City of Knowledge will replace

military bases and foreign soldiers with an international

conglomerate of universities and a great army of students

and teachers from all corners of the world. This will be the

best possible way to celebrate the end of the cold war and

the development of new world circumstances, while at the

same time making the new era accessible to many

thousands of our young people. We are certain that this

project will receive the necessary international cooperation

and the support of the United Nations system.

There is another issue of similar, worldwide interest

that deserves the attention of this forum. Although it is an

interoceanic passageway, the Panama Canal is fed

exclusively by fresh water. For this reason, its existence,

the quality of its services and the possibility of expanding

them depend on the renewal of its forests and the attention

to the environment that is indispensable to feeding its basin,

guaranteeing the water supply and making it possible for

the Canal to operate.

This basin has suffered disturbing deterioration, which,

should it continue, could jeopardize the services provided

to the world by the Canal. Conscious of its responsibilities,

our country has begun a series of national and international

consultations with a view to devising a campaign that

would secure the technical and financial resources needed

to ensure the environmental conditions required for the

improvement and optimal use of the Canal. This campaign

could perhaps serve as a symbol of international

cooperation in ensuring appropriate use of resources

necessary to mankind.

Our country has recently rejoined the Rio Group - of

which we were one of the initial promoters - as a full

member. With respect to foreign policy, we fully concur

with the purposes, declarations and agreements adopted by

this group.

We Panamanians are sincerely resolved to expand our

political dialogue and economic cooperation with

neighbouring countries. To this end, we are pursuing the

process of integration with the countries of Central

America in all ways that can be mutually beneficial.

Because of its history and traditions, as well as for

reasons of geographical proximity and economic affinity,

Panama will be promoting links and integration with its

South American neighbours, with which it shares the

ideals of Bolivar.

At the same time, the great trading opportunities

afforded us as a result of the reversion of the Panama

Canal and its adjacent areas make it incumbent on us to

strengthen our links with the countries of the Pacific

basin, and to work together on projects and activities of

mutual benefit.

For similar reasons, Panama, which already has a

special relationship with the United States - a relationship

that is taking on special significance today - intends to

seek membership in the North American Free Trade

Association, whose current members, Canada, the United

States and Mexico, are certain to play a significant role in

ensuring the best possible use of the Canal areas that will

revert to Panama.

In recent times, the international community has

noted symptoms of repeated crises in certain parts of the

Caribbean area. Indeed, on certain specific conditions,

Panama has offered parts of its national territory to help

provide a temporary solution to the problem of the

Haitian and Cuban raft and boat people. This gesture has

been motivated solely by humanitarian considerations,

without political or diplomatic implications. We shall

continue to act in this manner, especially when it is useful

in providing a grace period during which a peaceful, and

agreed solution to the underlying causes of these

problems may be found.

In the case of Haiti, my Government is particularly

gratified that an agreement was reached which allowed

for the landing of multinational forces in accordance with

the relevant Security Council resolution and without the

trauma of an invasion by force. We believe, none the

less, that Haiti’s problems will be solved only when all

aspects of the Security Council resolution are fully

implemented and, in terms of socio-economic issues,

provided the international community helps eradicate the

causes of the poverty and backwardness which persist

there.

With respect to the situation in the fraternal Republic

of Cuba, we believe that the causes underlying the

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conflict must be addressed. For this reason, my

Government favours reforms which, through the exercise of

self-determination, would guarantee the establishment of a

multi-party democracy there. Furthermore, my Government

is in favour of lifting the economic embargo that is such a

burden on that country. Only by acting simultaneously on

both fronts will it be possible to overcome this crisis. We

are fully ready to assist the fraternal Caribbean nation of

Cuba.

With the conclusion of the cold war, the world is

focusing most of its attention on other problems, new and

old, which now make up the world agenda - problems such

as the current restructuring of systems of economic

relations and international politics.

It must be stressed that in the handling of the

phenomena known as "globalization", it is vital to establish

a new order which will take into account the realities,

interests, sovereign rights, and just aspirations of the small

countries and the developing nations in general. Any

development which, out of selfishness, indifference,

inattention, or the like, fails to meet this requirement, will

inevitably condemn us to a world riddled with yet further

imbalance, marginalization and instability.

Mankind’s hopes for the twenty-first century will be

realized only if together we are able to build a much fairer,

more equitable and more balanced future. This applies to

all countries, be they rich or poor, weak or strong.

Specifically, such a future requires that we embark

immediately on a vigorous programme of common and

coordinated actions to eradicate mankind’s greatest

problem: poverty. Panama declares again today, before the

Assembly, that it is willing to join the international

programmes to combat poverty and promote solidarity and

social equity, as well as those aimed at promoting a better

quality of life for the sectors that are most deprived and

least fairly treated. In particular, Panama will commit itself

to efforts to improve the social situation of the family and

of women and children.

In respect of this universal aspiration, women in

Panama have already attained positions of relative

importance in both political and professional arenas.

Today, for the first time in the history of our Republic, the

deserving President of our legislative organ is a woman

who is a popular leader, while in our last elections another

prominent female politician was a candidate for the

presidency of the Republic of Panama, and she now leads

the major opposition party. We are also proud to see

Panamanian professional women serving in the Cabinet of

Mr. Ernesto Pérez Balladares and as judges on our

Supreme Court of Justice. In short, women in Panama

play a leading and powerful role in all aspects of our

political and private life, and they are often at the

forefront of our technical, scientific and professional

development. For this reason we shall continue to

support actions that make it possible for women to

achieve full and effective equality of rights and

opportunities in an increasingly competitive world.

On another question, my country has decided to

tackle firmly and unequivocally the problems of drug-

trafficking, money-laundering and terrorism. We are

currently devising a strategy to combat these terrible evils

that imperil the very existence of our nations. We favour

the development of joint, coordinated action on the

international level. The community of nations faces a

great challenge in these grave problems, and we fervently

appeal to the Governments and the peoples of Latin

America to create a powerful organization to combat

them.

In another area, Panama is particularly attentive to

the discussions aimed at defining a new role for the

United Nations and the corresponding structural reforms

this world Organization requires. With regard specifically

to the structure of the United Nations, Panama believes it

is necessary to increase the representativity of its most

important decision-making bodies. In particular, my

country believes that the Security Council must be

enlarged. Panama wishes to reiterate that, whatever

approach is taken, Latin America’s participation in that

body should be increased and Latin American countries

should be given consideration as possible permanent

members.

I am pleased to state that the new democratic

Government of Panama fully accepts the commitment to

bolster and enhance its presence in international agencies,

where it is a Latin American and Caribbean voice that

remains faithful to the rightful aspirations of the

developing countries. This decision is reflected in the

speech delivered by Ernesto Pérez Balladares when he

was sworn in as my country’s President. He said:

"This is the new face that Panama is showing to its

friends abroad. We are no longer at the stage of

seeking solidarity on the Canal Treaty in order to

regain the benefits of our geographic position. Now

we want to begin our participation in the new world

that is challenging us all and to make known the

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potentialities of our geographic position, our desire to

take advantage of all opportunities properly, fairly and

respectfully, in the pursuit of an aggressive foreign

policy free of complexes and capable of helping us

surmount the challenges of the next century. We are

friends to all. We are foes of none."

We look with optimism on the development of

mankind and, in particular, that of my country. We will

pass the baton to our young people on our country’s path

of progress, peace and justice.

Finally, on this occasion I also take pleasure in

wishing you, Mr. President, every success in your task of

leading the General Assembly.