OPENING SPEECHby

Maša Urbančič 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 year’s 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.