Argentine president calls for global agreements at UN to reduce insecurity

Argentine President Alberto Fernández spoke on Tuesday at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where he called on member states to “work on global agreements that guarantee democratic stability, peace, and coexistence.”

The president expressed gratitude for the solidarity Argentina has received from around the world following the recent assassination attempt on Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, which “not only affected public tranquility but also sought to change a virtuous collective construct that will be four decades old next year.”

“In 1983, we recovered democracy and began a long historical cycle in which different political forces alternated in government,” Fernández said, according to a statement from the Argentine presidency.

The head of state said that Argentines “value democracy as a model of social development that demands respect for others in their diversity.”

And he added: “I am sure that fascist violence masquerading as republicanism will not succeed in changing this broad consensus to which the vast majority of our society adheres.”

In this context, he also affirmed that “indebted nations suffer much more from the effects of the established system. Argentina is one of them,” he said, thanking “the countries that have supported and continue to support us in the complex process of renegotiating our external debt.

In another part of his speech, the Argentine president addressed food security, asserting that “we must guarantee it to all the inhabitants of the planet. We cannot get through this period with famine.”

Fernández linked this situation to the responsibility of the state and society to preserve the environment.

“Just as we are obliged to strive for development that benefits all people, the environmental situation of our planet urgently requires firm and decisive action for the benefit of future generations,” he said.

Fernández then addressed Argentina’s claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, a group of islands in the South Atlantic, and called on “the United Kingdom to heed the international community’s call and end this anachronistic colonial situation.”

The president affirmed that “we live in a world where injustices and inequalities are increasing, risks to democracies are growing, peace is breaking down, and insecurity is growing.”

“Humanity is in danger. Argentina humbly appeals to all countries of the world to create a new global paradigm that ensures prosperity and social justice,” Fernández said.

This was the first time the Argentine president addressed the UN in person, as he did so only virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.