Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly
25 February 2019
Your Excellency Coly Seck, President of the Human Rights Council,
Your Excellency Laya Joneydi, Vice-President for Legal Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Mrs. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Distinguished Moderator, Peggy Hicks,
Dear Panelists,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
I think that the topic of this Panel is most opportune and appropriate. Connecting the human rights agenda with multilateralism is an urgent need and I think that having this conversation this afternoon is very appropriate.
Multilateralism, as we have said, is the only possible answer for the multiple crises that humanity is facing. The United Nations Organization is the backbone of multilateralism and human rights, since its creation, represent one of its three main pillars, right alongside the pillars of development, peace and security.
Therefore, I salute this panel because I firmly believe in multilateralism and the full exercise of human rights as a central requirement to solve many of the challenges we are facing. Equal opportunities and a decent life for all demand effectively guaranteeing human rights and this is, perhaps, one of the most important challenges of our time.
Today we have a wide framework to promote and protect human rights, as a result from the commitment of States to translate the Universal Declaration, -which just celebrated its 70 years of existence- into actions.
Excellencies,
This framework is the key to the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda. With it, we were able to understand that human rights and sustainable development are deeply linked. We have acknowledged that poverty is the main obstacle that we face, that without access to health, education, food, gender equality and justice, people will not be able to reach their full potential with dignity and equality.
Therefore, we can say that the international system of human rights and multilateralism have grown side by side and have been built together.
No country, no matter how big, can face the great global challenges of our time by itself. In the times of uncertainty that we are living in, in which exacerbated unilateralism and nationalisms jeopardize our future; the answer is to have a better and more multilateralism, more cooperation, more dialogue and more agreements. And for that, we need a strong, efficient Organization that can offer timely and strong responses.
Including the human rights perspective in this framework is fundamental. Protecting human dignity, regardless of any political, economic, social, racial, gender or religious consideration, must be at the center of our efforts, it must lead all our actions. That is our first and last objective.
Therefore, I congratulate the initiative of this panel to address the synergies between human rights and the main global challenges that we are facing. To illustrate this relationship, I will refer only to three aspects: climate change, migration and technological development.
Evidence shows the inescapable relationship that exists between environmental sustainability and human rights. One of the most serious symptoms of the current environmental crises is, undoubtedly, climate change, which is an existential challenge. Its effects could destroy whole countries -such could be the case for Small Island Developing States-. Climate change has rendered thousands of people homeless and without livelihoods. More than two million people were displaced due to the climate crisis in the last year alone, with a cost of more than 500 trillion dollars.
The other topic: the Global Compact for a Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration focuses on migrants and their families. The Compact reaffirms that migrants have human rights regardless of their migratory status. Beyond that, the human rights perspective is included in a cross-cutting manner. It would be very useful to identify in this panel the support that the human rights mechanisms can offer to the countries of origin, transit or destination that require it, so they can be aided in the implementation of the Compact.
The new technologies and digitalization have transformed our lives; they have contributed to the progress of humanity, including the reduction of poverty and access to knowledge. Paradoxically, the limited access to these new technologies has multiplied inequality within and between countries and has modified social relationships. We need to reinforce global cooperation in the digital space and raise awareness about the transforming impact of technologies in society and economy, including the human rights perspective.
No country, no matter how big, can face the great global challenges of our time by itself. In the times of uncertainty that we are living in, in which exacerbated unilateralism and nationalisms jeopardize our future; the answer is to have a better and more multilateralism, more cooperation, more dialogue and more agreements. And for that, we need a strong, efficient Organization that can offer timely and strong responses.
Friends:
One of the most important challenges for our Organization is to address great global challenges in a coordinated, articulated way. Therefore, we require comprehensive approaches that allow us to establish the relationship between social cohesion, sustainable development and human rights when making decisions in the fields of regulations and norms, public policy design and investment.
Finally, all our efforts must be aimed to guarantee the development, wellbeing and dignity of people. Holding this high level annual Panel will undoubtedly favor this effort which, in turn, will surely result in making the United Nations Organization efficient, necessary and relevant for all.
Thank you.
