The President of the Government of Spain addresses the 76th UN General Assembly in New York

The President of the Government of Spain defends a world order based on democracy, multilateralism and the welfare state

2021.9.22

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New York (United States)

In his speech, the president called for democracy, human rights, international cooperation and multilateralism as the only ways to provide real solutions to the challenges facing the world: vaccination, socio-economic recovery and ecological transition. For this reason, Sánchez called on world leaders to defend states that guarantee justice, progress and equality for their citizens and promote a fair recovery that closes the "great inequality gaps".

The President of the Government of Spain began his address to the UN with a few words on the recent eruption of the volcano on the island of La Palma, stressing that Spanish society and the Government of Spain are committed to its inhabitants.

The president recalled that during global crises, inequalities are exacerbated in the poorest regions, which lack the health infrastructure and resources to build a social shield to protect their citizens from the economic crisis.

Global challenges: vaccination, socio-economic recovery and ecological transition

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la BellacasaFor a fair recovery to take place, the president stressed the importance of vaccination because "no one is safe until we are all safe". Spain, after a successful vaccination campaign that has already vaccinated more than 75% of the population, is today a country that is beginning "a new time of recovery and transformation". This contrasts with many countries that have not yet reached 1% of the population vaccinated, such as Afghanistan.

For this reason, the president has announced that Spain will donate 7.5 million extra vaccines to different countries, in addition to the 22.5 million doses that it had already committed to. Following today's announcement, Spain will donate 30 million vaccines, a figure that, as Sánchez stressed, "will continue to increase to the extent of our possibilities".

These new vaccines will be destined for Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to the 7.5 million doses that Spain donated earlier and which have already been distributed. The region, with 9% of the world's population, has accounted for about 30% of coronavirus deaths. Spain will also allocate 7.5 million doses to sub-Saharan Africa and to countries in the European Union's Southern Neighbourhood, and another 7.5 million doses for which the destination has not yet been decided.

Sánchez also announced that Spain will contribute two million euros to UNITAID, responsible for the diagnostics pillar within the ACT-Accelerator, which will be added to the 175 million euros that Spain has already dedicated to the vaccine pillar to tackle the pandemic.

With regard to the pandemic, Sánchez pointed out that the Government of Spain and the European Union have made a clear commitment to fair socio-economic recovery, through the Recovery Funds, with the basic premise of "leaving no one behind".

"We want to fight poverty and exclusion in all its forms, in Spain and the world, by reforming our development model to make it more sustainable," he said. For this reason, Sánchez defended the creation of a financing tool for the most vulnerable countries, within the framework of the International Monetary Fund, and confirmed that Spain, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, is working on the challenges of the 2030 Agenda.

The climate emergency, "the great crisis of our era", is another of the issues Sánchez addressed during his speech, pointing out that it is a problem common to all countries and that it is evident in large fires, chronic droughts, floods and unusual atmospheric phenomena.

Spain has made the climate crisis a top priority of its Government, as evidenced by the fact that 40% of the investments foreseen in the Spanish Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan are earmarked for ecological transition. The Government is working towards a target of having 74% of its electricity generated from renewable sources by 2030.

In this sense, Sánchez insisted that, in this transformation, "it is about putting people at the centre" because "ecological transition requires radical changes that have a very direct impact on people, their jobs and consumption". As an example of how this transition can be fair, Sánchez pointed out that Spain's National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan foresees the creation of between 250,000 and 350,000 net jobs per year.

Spain will contribute so that COP26 in Glasgow meets one of its main challenges: to increase ambition in terms of climate finance and, in particular, in the area of adaptation. For this reason, the president announced that Spain will contribute 30 million euros to the Adaptation Fund in 2022 because, as he stressed, "the time to act is now. We can't wait". This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection.

Spain, a country committed to peace and international stability

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

During his speech, Sánchez referred to regional challenges and Spain's commitment to multilateralism. On Latin America and the Caribbean, he recalled the complicated situation in the region due to the pandemic and the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in the region. He also stressed Spain's interest in continuing to be the main link between the EU and this region, something that "will result in stability and shared prosperity". He also referred to the situation in the Mediterranean countries, a region that must have "opportunities, prosperity and stability" and, on Sub-Saharan Africa, Sánchez stressed that it is a continent that Spain wants to accompany "in its own search for prosperity and progress".

Sánchez also addressed the situation in Afghanistan and insisted on the need for countries to "tackle the humanitarian crisis and prevent further destabilisation in the region" because, as he warned, "Afghanistan cannot become a new refuge for terrorists". Spain, firmly committed to the pursuit of international peace and security, actively participates in United Nations, NATO and European Union missions abroad.

Defending the international order based on rules and institutions is a strategic priority for the Government. For this reason, in 2020, Spain, together with Sweden, presented a document in support of making the Declaration of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations a reality, strengthening the multilateral system in the face of the great global challenges and building a more peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable world.

In this respect, the president stressed that the European Union must assume its leadership role "to develop greater strategic autonomy and strengthen security and defence policies. Sánchez also mentioned "Spain's will to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance", a commitment that is evidenced by the fact that Spain will host the next NATO Summit in 2022.

During his speech, Sánchez strongly defended democracy and human rights and recalled the work carried out by Spain to evacuate Afghan collaborators and people at risk, especially women and girls. "We must put the rights and freedoms of thousands of women and girls at the centre of our priorities, because no society can be sustained by the advancement of only half the population, while the other half remains subjugated," said Sánchez.

"There is no racial, cultural or historical reason that justifies the mutilation of freedom. That is why democracy is the only way forwards. There is no doubt that democracy is the most effective system for improving people's lives, for increasing their prosperity, for creating opportunities", concluded the President of the Government of Spain in his speech at the United Nations.

Non official translation