Despite the crises in the world, Spain brings a message of hope and confidence to the General Assembly

With a optimistic court speech Despite acknowledging the enormous crises that afflict humanity, the President of the Government of Spain was present at the General Assembly forum this Thursday afternoon during the high-level debate of the deliberative body.

“Despite everything, I am certain that there where danger grows, what saves us also grows. That is why today I want to send a clear message of hope and confidence”, said Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón after mentioning such serious problems as the climate emergency, the food and energy crisis, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

The hope, Sánchez explained, lies in the ability of the international community to overcome any adversity.

“And the confidence in the strength of an institution like this, the United Nations, to face challenges that do not understand borders,” he said.

Sánchez deplored the invasion of Ukraine – “which takes us back to times we thought we had left behind” -, and condemned the referendums on the annexation to Russia of Donetsk, Luhansk and Khersonstating that they would constitute a violation of international law and warning that the results will never be recognized.

In this line, endorsed his country’s support for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and called on States to unite in defense of the UN Charter.

The president indicated that this war came when the world was about to enter an era of optimism after having made the greatest scientific and humanitarian cooperation effort in its history to combat COVID-19.

five challenges

Pedro Sánchez urged the Assembly to reflect on five major challenges and spoke of Spain’s contribution to responding to them: global health, the food crisis, the climate emergency, the digital transition and its implications for health and labor law, and women’s equality.

Refering to overall healthcalled to learn the lessons of the pandemic and reported that his government will contribute 15 million euros to the Fund for the Prevention and Response to Pandemics, and will disburse 130 million more to the Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

When referring to the food crisis, underscored the effect of the war in Ukraine and the suspension of grain and fertilizer exports from Ukraine and Russia, which have made the shortages, which were already exacerbated by the interruption of the supply chain during the pandemic, more crippling. To help alleviate this crisis, Spain will mobilize donations of 151 million euros and credits of 85 million over the next three years.

When referring to the climate emergency, announced that Spain will present at the COP27 climate summit an international alliance for resilience to drought, a scourge that causes hunger and poverty and to which his country is prone. That alliance would seek innovation, technology transfer and resource mobilization.

rmed and free societies

In the section of the digital transitionSánchez stressed that his country wants to play a leading role in these efforts and mentioned among the actions to achieve this the establishment of the UN Center for the Digitization of Education in the Spanish city of Barcelona. “Education is the path to a more informed, free, inclusive and equal society,” she asserted.

Of the equality of women, the head of government lamented the slow progress and setbacks of many achievements, emphasizing the increasingly frequent threats to women’s sexual and reproductive freedom in various parts of the world. At this point, Sánchez reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to gender equality and announced that he will contribute one hundred million euros over the next three years to organizations that promote sexual and reproductive rights, including UN Women.