The President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, said during his participation in the Future Summit of the United Nations that Paraguay is committed to better multilateralism that generates opportunities on an equal footing for all countries.
“Paraguay defends international positions based on principles, not mere interest, convenience or pragmatism,” the president began saying during the summit at which the Pact for the Future was adopted, a proposal of the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ways to address new challenges, such as security crises and emerging technologies.
Peña indicated that Paraguay approves the document in general, while expressing some “dissatisfaction with some substantive aspects.”
“I think it is necessary to highlight as follows: this declaration, whose guidelines are based on a non-binding document, will be applied in accordance with our National Constitution and our legislation in force”, he said to members of the United Nations, adding that “it is essential for Paraguay to preserve our values, principles and culture.”
He confirmed that Paraguay defends the principle of justice and equity at the international level, and that the multilateral system is the most effective tool for solving problems that transcend borders. But the current multilateralism shows “serious shortcomings”, he said.
In his speech he stressed Paraguay’s position as a country that has 100% of its energy from renewable sources and a food producer.
“Conscious of food security, we must protect the role of food producers so measures to combat climate change should not devolve small countries but strengthen them to fight for a better and more sustainable future,” he said.
Pact of the Future
The document is a UN proposal to address the increased catastrophic and existential risks affecting human beings, and therefore calls for renewed commitment to international cooperation to manage risks and take advantage of the opportunities presented.
It has 57 actions to promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement to Combat Climate Change, agreed in 2015, and includes concerns about emerging technologies and security crises.
The five major areas of focus of the Compact are: sustainable development; international peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations and transformation of global governance.
The Future Summit takes place as part of the build-up to the UN General Assembly, which will be from 24 to 30 September in New York City, USA.
