A/41/PV.18 General Assembly
The Assembly will hear an address by the President of the
Republic of Colombia.
Mr. Virgilio Barco Vargas, President of the Republic of Colombia, was escorted
into t""12 General Assembly Hall.
On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to
welcome to the united Nations the President of the Republic of Colombia, His
Excellency Mr. Virgilio Barco Vargas, and to invite him to address the Assembly.
President BARCO VARGAS (Colombia) (interpretation from Spanish): First of
all, I wish to convey my greetings and congratulations to you, Sir, on your
election to the presidency of the General Assembly. Your vast experience and
proven diplomat skill assure us that you will guide our deliberations with
intelligence and even-handedness.
I also wish to thank and congratulate Ambassador Jaime de Pinies for his
endeavours during the fortieth session of the General Assembly.
Similarly, I wish to express my support and admiration for the
Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, whose report to the Assembly
reveals not only his thorough knowledge of international problems but also his
faith in multilateral solutions based on the principles of the united Nations.
As the head of State of Colombia, I come here to reaffirm my country's
confidence in the role of the United Nations in this disturbing period of history
and to urge that the serious problems of our region be duly dealt with.
My country contributed effectively to the founding of the United Nations and
of the inter-American system. Our legal tradition gives us authority to offer our
good offices whenever required and also our firm support for the aspirations and
hopes of the international community and its representative organizations.
As I had ~asion to state quite recently, at the General Assembly of the
Organization of American States, we have faith in the principles of coexistence
regulated by law. Hence our concern about the deterioration of peaceful
coexistence in Central America, and hence our readiness to continue with our good
offices in the Contadora Group. We are motivated by an undeniable commitment to
peace and the desire to avoid a generali~ation of the conflict situation in that
area of our continent.
The influence and the prestige of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries will
increase only to the extent that it acts dynamically and independently, serving the
interests of developing countries, and to the extent that it serves as a democratic
and positive link between conflicting Powers. Only thus will it contribute to
world detente, to arms control, to the peaceful settlement of conflicts and to the
building of an international economic order based on justice and respect for the
right of every people to choose freely its own future.
One of the factors having the greatest effect on the prospects for progress in
our developing countries is foreign debt. The statistics are overwh~lming. Many
countries suffer mass unemployment, in some cases more than 15 per cent of the
labour force, as well as a generalized trend to recession, which is showing few
signs of abatement - all this added to a worrisome decrease in international trade.
(President Barco Vargas)
Yesterday, at the forty-first annual meeting of the International Monetary
Fund (]MF) and the Wlrld Bank, I referred to the various aspects of the critical
situation of indebtedness in several colmtries of our ccntinent and to the
prospects for OI7ercoming the situation. I did the same in October 1985 in letter s
I addressed to Fidel Castro, President of Cuba, and Aldwin Clausen, President of
the Wlrld Bank, with regards to the Assembly to be held in Seoul. I referred to
the disquieting phenomenon of the flight of capital fran tatin America, a region
which, because of the problems of foreign debt has become a net exporter of capital
and, in those letters, I analysed the adjustment programmes begun lDlder the
sponsorship of the IMF.
I also refer reo to the need to avoid any form of protectionism on the part of
the industrialized countries and to prOl7ide preferential access to their markets
for the COlllllOdities, manufactures and services of the developing countr ies. The
specialized agencies of the international system and the united Nations have very
clear responsibilities at this time. We must stop the £1001 of resources from
developing to industrialized countries.
Similarly, with all due considerations, there should be plans for adjuSbnent
programmes and restructuring. The burden that this places c.n debtor countries
should not be borne by the poorest classes of society, thus making an already
explos ive si tuation more difficult and untenable. In the case of Africa, even
though its debt is moderate compared with that of tatin lWerica, its economic
capacity is extremely fragile and thus the situation is no less serious.
Terror ism and the drug traffic consti tute cr imes against mank ind which put to
the test the sturdiest defence mechanisms of our societies. In this forum we have
heard condemnations of these cr imes, and today, more than ever, when so many
innocent lives have been lost in vandalistic attacks, we must denounce such
crimes. On this occasion I join in the justified and outraged universal
condeIIllation of these outbursts of barbarism.
(President Barco Vargas)
Colombia is fighting a bead-on battle against the prodw:tion of, trading in
and consumption of narcotic drugs. In this heroic struggle magistrates, judges and
government officials have died, .among them a ~inister of justiceJ and members of
the armed forces of the Republic, well-known journalists and ordinary men and women
have also sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Although we have paid an extremely high and painful price, I wish to state in
this Assembly that my country will not waver in its struggl~ against such barbarous
crimes. Por this struggle to be successful it is essential that the countries with
the highest l~vels of consumption of these degrading substances put into practice,
as is finally being done, co-ordinated p~ogrammes to penalize and discourage the
consumption of and trade in drugs of this type. Here, as well as in other fields
of our joint battle against terrorism, it is imperative to have understanding and
co-ordination among all civilized nations. Colombia is ready to participate in
agreements and action along these lines.
The enormity of the sums of money States devote to developing new technologies
of annihilation and to manUfacturing instruments of death and destruction makes
even the strongest spirits fearful. The resources used up in this endeavour could
well be devoted to alleViating the sufferings of mankind and speeding its
development and progress.
(President Barco Vargas)
Latin America, which seemed to be far removed from the risks of nuclear
contamination, must now carefully examine what is happening elsewhere in the world,
including the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and must exercise care in its own
utilization of such energy.
Last year, the world reviewed with justified pride the achievements of the
united Nations. There had been 40 years of maintaining world peace and striving
towards development and international justice. More than 60 world leaders came
here on the occasion of that anniversary celebration to renew their confidence in
the Organization.
We must now look ahead. We are less than 14 years away from the third
millenium of our era. War and peace, development, human rights, the rational use of
outer space and of the oceans, all these are matte£s for which the United Nations
provides a natural forum for international discussion and for the attainment of
effective compromises, through negotiations, in order to move forward.
But side by side with those international problems, there are others,
seemingly domestic, that call for the solidarity of the international community. I
refer to the increasing disparity between those who share in the benefits of
civilization and those who are inexorably shut off from them.
Thp poor, the victims of discrimination, the unemployed, peasants who cannot
produce what they need, children who perish daily because of hunger and disease
that could, without too much effort, be cured, refugees, SOuth African blacks:
those are injustices, those are inequalities that become more intolerable with each
day on a planet which - and this is true - is able to overcome them.
Alone, a way out of such situations cannot be found, together, we can create a
better world. Mankind, if it wishes to do so, can alleviate hunger, poverty,
disease and ignorance. The maans exist. The technology exists. However, resolve
is lacking.
(President Barco Vargas)
If that were forthcoming, we would have a world Organization devoted to
building a more just society, and that enhanced society would better serve the
world Organization.
Ho~ must once again arise and inspire the actions of the international
community. The Organization must adapt to the vision of the different world for
which we hope, a world vastly different from the world of the founders at San
Francisco. In order to do this, action is needed in at least four areas.
The United Nations must establish a limited list of priorities and promote and
administer them with the best possible expertise ar~ effectiveness.
The Secretary-General, who acts on behalf of the large, the medium-sized and
the small States alike, must have the necessary instruments and support to carry
out his delicate task to the full.
The peoples of the united Nations must have greater access to our
deliberations and greater responsibility in programme implementation.
The financial costs of the Organization, once its purposes have been restated,
must be more generously borne by all Members, including the poorest. That is the
only way in which we can prove our commitment.
So far we have managed to avoid another world conflagration. The awareness of
poverty and inequality must lead to their elimination with the same vigour with
which we have repUdiated war. This is the ideal of our time: to wage war against
injustice and inequality. If we make up our minds to do so, it will take us less
than 40 years, and we will have consolidated the peace.
Today, I would ask the international community to reaffirm its commitment to
the total eradication of poverty. Among the many threats confronting our world,
none has been as constant as poverty. The so-called progress made over the 41
years of the United Nations can be measured in terms of the number of people who
continue to live in utter poverty. In recent years that number has grown
significantly, and today it includes one fourth of mankind.
No other problem requires swifter or more urgent action. I shall return to
this point in greater detail later in my statement. When I assumed the presidency
of the Republic of Colombia last AugUGt~ I invited several Heads of State and
representataives of friendly Governments present in my country to join in an
all-out battle against utter poverty, which is the root cause of so many political,
social and economic ills.
At that time, I voiced some ideas that I should like to repeat here today. I
said:
-Extreme poverty cannot be accepted as the inevitable consequence of natural
differences between men, nor can it be accepted as & characteristic of
still-backward societies beset by want. I am convinced that for those who
will in the future have thft responsibility of governing, the major challenge
will be to overcome the barrier poverty has set up before us.-
The maintenance of harmony and the achievement of peace have a special
significance in each country, one that can be identified only with the constant and
determined search for social justice. Yesterday, before the Assembly of the World
Bank and International Monetary Fund, I stated that problems of the developing
countries are not only extremely serious but that they have become even worse
because of the weaknesses of the present international ~conomic situation.
Here, before this Assembly, I do not wish to conceal the fact that in my own
country, Colombia, despite efforts to achieve development and the wellbeing of the
people, we are at present confronting a tragic reality with regard to poverty. Of
the population of Colombia, 25% - in other words, 6.5 million people - are living
in abject poverty. Overt unemployment and underemployment affect more than one
third of the economically active population.
(President Barco Vargas)
Faced with that" situation, my Government has taken urgent measures. It has
sent to Congress bills to introduce prompt a}~ effective reforms in the structures
of the agrarian and urban economies. It has ardered iIll11ediate action in programmes
for improving drinking water supplies, housing, health and nutrition, and it is
preparing to implement an emergency employment plan aimed at drawing up a set of
programmes and projects for the elimination of what is classified as abject poverty.
I appeal to the countries of Latin America, and to the whole world, as well as
to international organizations, to take united action against this degrading social
scourge, and to that end we hope we can continue to enjoy the support of the united
Nations Development Programme.
I therefore wish to ask the Secretary-General to convene the responsible
officials of all the relevant agencies of the United Nations system to establish
the bases of a programme for immediate action against abject poverty, with the
particular aim of submitting it to the Governments of Latin America and the
Caribbean. Such action would help create the impetus and the means to enable us to
build a new society in our countries in which everyone can be sure of a minimum
level of well-being.
The results will come about mere quickly and will be more substantial if that
action goes hand in hand with an emergency financing progra~~e with the
participation of the industrialized countries and the international agencies.
We know very well that the primary responsibility rests with each of our
countries, and we have assumed that responsibility, calling for support and
sacrifices from all social sectors, especially those at the higher income levels.
But we are also aware that the situation we face makes it necessary to have the
co-operation of the industrialized countries. This task is one of unknown
dimensions and calls for united decision-making and efforts.
(President Barco Vargas)
ColOl'lbia offers to host a aeeting of all the countries of the region, the
industrialized countries and the develop~ng countries which may wish to make
proposals and exch3nge informat~on about useful experience in the great battle of
our civilization against abject poverty.
I ask you, Mr. President, and all representatives to accept the gratitude and
commitment of a Colombian, a South American, who hopes to see the whole continent a
beacon of peace, well-being and freedom for the human race.
On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the
President of the Republic of Colombia for the important statement he has just
made.
Mr. Virgilio Barco Vargas, President of the Republic of Colombia, was escorted
from the General Assembly Hall.