Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional
Unida Nicaragua Triunfa
SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR LUIS ALVARADO AT THE FIRST VIRTUAL SESSION
OF THE FORUM ON CHALLENGES FOR INTER-AMERICAN LAW IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC
IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, D.C.
MAY 11, 2020
Thank you very much Mr. President.
The Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua appreciates the presentations made by the distinguished panelists invited to the First Session of the Weekly Forum on the Challenges facing Inter-American Law in times of the Covid-19 Pandemic and takes due note of their presentations.
The various regions of the world and in particular the Americas face a pandemic that does not respect borders, territories, or respect people, so it is of paramount importance that the design of our public policies is aimed at respecting the principles of Inter-American Law, in particular human rights, in order to preserve the life, health, safety, and integrity of the human person, under a holistic approach that allows for solidarity and regional and international coordination and cooperation to face up to the crisis caused by Covid-19 and its consequences in the short, medium and long term and thus be able to give an effective, forceful and sustainable response as a region to this scourge.
It is about a more cooperative approach that gives way for the unity of the peoples of the world, an approach devoid of any desire for dominance of power and submission to other nations, which has the human person as its foundation and essence and its preservation as a species and central actor in the divine plan of God's creation.
As Pope Francis said in his homily on May 4 of this year, “It is important to unite scientific capacities, in a transparent and disinterested way, to find vaccines and treatments and guarantee universal access to essential technologies that allow all infected people, in all parts of the world, receive the necessary medical attention”.
It is inadmissible that in these times of pandemic, aggressions, incorrectly called sanctions, economic and financial blockades, protectionist practices and human rights violations against the peoples and nations of the world by the great powers continue to be maintained.
It is inescapable compliance that the principles and norms of International Law are respected, and that international peace and security are no longer endangered and that all acts of aggression and breach of peace are suppressed once and for all.
We respectfully call upon these great nations of the world to put down their hegemonic attitude and vision over other peoples, refrain from resorting to the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and replace it with a human, Christian and friendly attitude among nations based on respect for the principle of equality of rights and that of self-determination of peoples that results in the strengthening of universal peace, so broken today.
There are numerous calls made by the international community and personalities, such as His Holiness Pope Francis and the UN Secretary General, among others, for the cessation of war, wrongly called aggressions, sanctions and blockades against sovereign nations.
The Nicaraguan people continue to raise their voices to demand the cessation of the aggressions, wrongly called sanctions, against Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other countries of the world, which continue to be applied, as a result of an arbitrary, illegal and unjustified policy that curtails peace, security, the well-being and the right of these nations to their legal equality and to the exercise of their free self-determination in the concert of nations.
As countries that respect the Charter of the United Nations, we must be determined to preserve succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in the fundamental rights of man, in the dignity and value of the human person, in equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.
In the field of Inter-American Law, the Charter of the Organization of American States establishes that international law is the norm of conduct for States in their reciprocal relations; and that international order is essentially constituted by respect for the personality, sovereignty and independence of the States and by the faithful fulfillment of the obligations emanating from the Treaties and other sources of international law; and that the good faith of governing the relations of the States among each other.
Only the faithful fulfillment of these principles can restore the pre-eminence, credibility and strength of Inter-American Law in the region and make it an irreplaceable instrument for the achievement of international peace and security, progress, security, and sustainable development in the post Covid-19 crisis, in each of our countries.
The Government of Nicaragua will continue to advocate for the strengthening of international peace and security, and will continue to give prominence and strengthen full respect for the norms of International Law, the UN and OAS Charter and the principles of Inter-American International Law.
Thank you very much Mr. President.