Guatemala

Mr. President,

Ri' siguan tinamit paxil kayala ku ya rutzil uwach ri uwachulew. (The people of Guatemala greet the world)

I greet you in the K'iche' language, one of the largest and most influential ancestral communities in Guatemala. Their strength, and that of the diverse peoples of Guatemala, is the foundation of our government, it is the strength of our country. It is the resounding voice of those who have not been heard, of those who have been marginalized, but who have much to say, much to contribute, who have a place in the construction of our collective future.

I am here as the result of two clear expressions of popular will. The first, a vote that flatly rejected the representatives of Guatemala's authoritarian history and corrupt past, and granted me the honor of the presidency, of leading the national effort to advance toward a future of justice, equality and progress.

The second, the defense that Guatemalan society, in its different expressions, reaffirmed and defended in the streets of the decision it made at the ballot box, when a corrupt minority attempted to impose its permanence and defraud democracy.

Our democracy would not be complete, it could not exist, without the determined and courageous impulse of the Mayan peoples of Guatemala, the Mestizo people, the Garinagu people of the Caribbean, and the Xinca people. It is a democracy that comes from the four cardinal points, from the four peoples, from an entire nation. And the role of our government is to give a sense of unity to that diversity. And to move toward a prosperous and inclusive future.

I want to express Guatemala's special gratitude to the countries, peoples and governments that stood with us, with the people of Guatemala, in this historic feat of 2023, and for the support they continue to give us in our effort to rescue democratic institutions.

And we are doing so through dialogue. A dialogue framed within a great national consensus. Something that all Guatemalans share, beyond our ideological differences, our cultural diversity, our different ways of seeing and understanding the world.

And I am certain that this forum can identify with that consensus: We cannot continue tolerating corruption. Corruption, when a few abuse what belongs to everyone in order to enrich themselves, is like an anchor that keeps us stuck in the past, that prevents us from growing, prospering, and building a society based on the common good.

In Guatemala's case, corruption has its roots in an authoritarian past of repression, political violence, and social exclusion. But we are freeing ourselves. We are freeing ourselves from the chains of the dark past, and a young, creative, vital, joyful and restless nation is emerging. A youth that does not know how to remain silent in the face of injustice and corruption. A diverse community that is building the future, a future where there is room for everyone, where opportunities multiply, where collaboration and solidarity enhance ingenuity, creativity and individual effort. Where parents sleep peacefully knowing that their children's health and educational opportunities will be guaranteed. Where work will be justly rewarded, and where prosperity will not require immoral acts, acts of corruption. Where the Earth, our Earth, will be treated with gratitude and respect, and will give us in return clean spaces in which to work, to live, to enjoy ourselves, to grow. That is the future we are building for Guatemala.

This future does not arise out of a vacuum. We have envisioned it by looking inward, toward our principles, our own values, toward our own worldview. Our government belongs to the diverse peoples of Guatemala, and it is the values and vision of these four peoples that are the instruments we have to navigate the sea of transformation.

In the same way, this forum—so important, so necessary for global coexistence and for the progress of all nations—must look inward, must return to its fundamental values and use them to navigate the complex reality we face today as a planet. It is time to rescue multilateralism, to revitalize dialogue for peace, and to take concrete action to solve the urgent problems that afflict us. Let us begin at the source: war, that horror which prompted the founding of this world forum, has once again captured our attention. It has been a permanent reality, but in the last two years it has taken on unexpected intensity. We must not tolerate it.

We must not ignore the international conflicts that affect the peace and security of all. We must not abandon hope for a world without war, for a future in peace.

Guatemala reiterates its solidarity with the nations that are suffering armed conflicts and unjustified wars. We call on the members of this Assembly to redouble regional and international efforts so that we may find peaceful solutions to disputes, based on respect for international law and international humanitarian law and for the fundamental principle of human dignity. We cannot accept any violation of the Charter of the United Nations, nor of the resolutions of the Security Council, by any member state of this Organization: neither in Ukraine, nor in Gaza, nor in Sudan, nor anywhere else in the world.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The rescue of multilateralism as a fundamental principle of the international system is an urgent necessity, and for each of the nations that make up this forum, an unavoidable commitment if we want a future of peace and progress.

Only through substantive reforms can we return to the path set out since its founding in 1945. In a multipolar world, we need new approaches that adapt to the emerging needs of nations. We support the reform of the Security Council so that it may return to a collective, peaceful and democratic approach in its action.

It is not acceptable that decisions in favor of peace continue to go unadopted because of a right exercised by a few—I am referring to the right of veto—thereby preventing forceful decisions from being taken against those states that repeatedly violate the Charter of this Organization.

We remind the members of the Security Council of their primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security, and that in carrying out their functions they must proceed in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Mr. President,

Guatemala contributes, as part of its peaceful commitment, 213 officers—military observers and staff officers—to seven United Nations peacekeeping missions, a contribution that fills us with pride. Our professionalism and field experience have earned us international recognition as one of the leading exporters of peace in Latin America and the Caribbean.

I share with this General Assembly that we are finalizing the administrative arrangements to carry out our participation and deployment of a military police contingent in the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2699 (2023). Guatemala expresses its willingness to support every effort aimed at restoring security and stability in Haiti, the first independent contemporary nation of this hemisphere, and with whom, along with all the countries of the Americas, we share historic bonds of responsibility.

We have known for a long time that an attack on human dignity, anywhere in the world, is an attack on all of humanity. That is why peace is a global imperative. We can all contribute. We must all do our part. This idea is at the heart of the existence of this Organization.

In the same vein, this Organization has an obligation to maintain and increase its cooperation to ensure the protection of migrants, displaced persons, and people who, for political, social, economic, or environmental reasons, have taken their lives to other territories.

Our government has committed to transforming the relationship between the State of Guatemala and Guatemalans living outside our territory, who are an integral part of our nation, and whose work is a fundamental part of our economy. We are doing so through a strategy that allows for the effective participation of the diaspora in national development, turning them into partners in projects to improve the living conditions of the families who remain in Guatemala. In the future we are building, migration is a right, an option, not a sentence resulting from a lack of opportunities, violence, or hunger.

Over the last decade, Guatemala has gone from being a country of origin for migrants to being increasingly a territory of transit and return, as well as, to a lesser extent, a destination. Our commitment is to provide dignified treatment to all persons who arrive in our territory, consistent with the treatment we demand for Guatemalans abroad.

Our State is making substantial changes in the attention and protection it provides to migrants. We have identified areas for improvement and opportunity to strengthen the management of international migration flows in a safe, orderly and regular manner.

It is my personal conviction, that of my government, and of the vast majority of Guatemalans, that all migrants deserve the opportunity of a dignified life and respect for their fundamental rights, regardless of the causes that lead them to migrate.

For this reason, we firmly believe in the work carried out through the United Nations system. Guatemala promotes compliance with the 23 objectives established in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, fostering international cooperation in the field of migration.

With that same conviction, we have welcomed 135 Nicaraguan brothers and sisters who were released from arbitrary imprisonment by their government. Our commitment is that Guatemala will always be a space of dignity and freedom for those who arrive in our territory, especially for Central Americans who are, according to our constitution, our history, and the general sentiment of our people, fellow countrymen and brothers and sisters.

Guatemala reaffirms its commitment to the fundamental principles of democracy, as set forth in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and as a fundamental principle of the political organization of our peoples.

We reject, in this hemisphere and in the world, any attempt to repress the aspirations for freedom and justice that the peoples of the world express through free and democratic processes, as is happening at this very moment in Venezuela and Nicaragua. The principles of democracy are fundamental to preserving freedom, dignity, and the inclusive and equitable prosperity of humanity.

Mr. President,

Before this General Assembly I want to reaffirm Guatemala's commitment to permanently and definitively resolving, before the International Court of Justice, the territorial, insular and maritime dispute with our neighbor, our sister country, Belize. By choosing dialogue and international legal mechanisms, we have demonstrated that the peaceful path and respect for multilateral institutions are the most effective way to resolve disputes between nations. We trust that this process will make it possible to reach a fair and definitive solution, respectful of the rights and dignity of both countries. This act is a demonstration of our faith in international law and our commitment to lasting peace, not only for Guatemala and Belize, but as an example for the region and the world.

Mr. President,

The urgency of the challenges we face compels us to take concrete action and not simply confine ourselves to rhetoric. Others before me have said that it is time to move to action.

The conflicts and migration in Central America are fueled by what we consider the most urgent global challenge: the climate crisis. It puts our systems, our economy, our food supply, and our survival at risk. We are at a critical moment for safeguarding the present generation and future ones.

Climate change is a devastating reality that affects humanity, that affects us today, but that will have catastrophic consequences for the future. Guatemala, despite being a megadiverse country, is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which cause natural disasters, floods, landslides, fires, and the rise in temperatures that we have all witnessed this year.

Our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is minimal, and yet we suffer, like few other territories, the onslaught of extreme weather events. We are adapting to this reality and reducing vulnerability in our territory.

In 2025 we will present the update of our nationally determined contribution in fulfillment of the commitments established in the Paris Agreement.

But we must remember in this forum that the responsibility to address this crisis is shared. It falls to those of us who suffer its impacts to act to resolve it, but also to those who have caused it. We urgently call on the major powers to assume the leadership that corresponds to them, as well as the moral and financial responsibility toward the nations that have suffered its worst effects.

The time to act is now! It is essential that the upcoming COP29, to be held in Azerbaijan, be a success. Guatemala's commitment to achieving that goal is total.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President:

Guatemala is changing, and that change implies a transformation of our relationship with the world. We are doing our part to contribute to the purposes of this Organization. This contribution stems from a normative commitment to the values of peace and global solidarity, but it also comes from a democratic mandate that has been imposed upon us. Our people are convinced that democracy is a necessary condition for progress and well-being.

Guatemala has a still very recent authoritarian past. A tragic past that many of you know. However, expressing our people's vocation for freedom, and with significant accompaniment from the international community, we have turned toward the promotion and defense of human rights, seriously confronting our historical problems and courageously assuming the responsibility of resolving current ones. The recent visit of High Commissioner Volker Türk and the immediate renewal of his office's presence in Guatemala are a testament to this.

Guatemala has renewed its commitment to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, with the recent adoption of the Pact for the Future, within the framework of the Summit of the Future. We are convinced that economic growth alone does not produce development. Cooperation, environmental protection, social inclusion, respect for and promotion of human dignity, and security are indispensable preconditions for development.

Guatemala is changing. We are moving toward a more equitable future, where development and progress will reach every corner of the country, especially the most abandoned populations, and where every person, regardless of origin, has the possibility of building a dignified and full life. This is a natural aspiration of all peoples. We will do our part to achieve it in Guatemala, and we will collaborate to achieve it wherever it is needed. But we are doing so because we know that the world is changing. It depends on our effort, as united nations in this forum, that this change—unavoidable and already underway—be for the well-being of our peoples and our nations. This was the vision of those who founded this Organization 79 years ago. This is the vision that must guide our efforts today as humanity.

In the spirit of the sacred book of the Maya people, the Popol Vuh, I close by saying: Let everyone rise up, let no one be left behind.

Thank you very much.