OPENING SPEECH

by

Maa Urbani
Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the UN Madame Chairs, Directory General, Permanent Representatives,

It is my honour to speak before you today representing a country from the South, a country from the corner of the Atlantic and the Plate River. A country that has always followed the principles on which this organisation was established. Commitment to peace, international law, multilateralism, human rights, sustainable environment and international cooperation are the values that have continuously lied at the core of our foreign policy and these principles will guide Uruguay in this years session. Ladies and gentlemen, the issue of fur trade is now being discussed for the first time in the international arena and Uruguay hopes an international regulation of fur trade might be in reach. Let me be clear - we subscribe to the view that no animal should suffer unnecessarily. All actions should be taken so as to guarantee animal welfare all around the world. However, one still cannot deny the role that fur plays in enabling people to earn enough income to support their families. Banning fur trade would therefore be a synonym for pushing people into poverty, including our own, what Uruguay simply cannot allow. Ladies and gentlemen, Many people in the world still face discrimination in various areas of life only due to their difference either in ethnicity, religion or language. They are unable to fully integrate in the societies of their countries. Such treatment should be tackled at the international level and ensuring members of minorities the rights to fully participate in their societies and guaranteeing them equal opportunities is of crucial importance. Uruguay would like to see the attainment of an international agreement that will a) recognize the discrimination minorities still face and b) bring effective measures for improvement. Ladies and gentlemen,

Uruguay places great importance on the matter of development and environment and believes that one cannot be achieved without the other. In this context, tackling the issue of climate change is an imperative, especially for Uruguay that has already been affected by its adverse effects. Related to development, the recent economic crisis has showed us that the consumerism we are living today cannot be maintained anymore and requires new ways of thinking about progress. A new model of development should take care of humans and their happiness and take environment as its integral part, instead of providing for those few that strive for more money accumulation. Our goal is a model of development that will take both, healthy environment and human wellbeing into consideration and that is what we came here to accomplish. Thank you very much.