December 7, 2023
New York. From New York (USA), the President of the Republic, Daniel Noboa Azin, moderated the open debate of the United Nations Security Council, on December 7. At this meeting, Ecuador continued the proposal that France presented 14 years ago under the theme of threats to international peace and security by granting greater existing instruments and tools.
Given the problems triggered by the illicit activities of criminal gangs, such as the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, migrants and people, which disproportionately harm women and girls, the president expressed: “We must have a comprehensive approach on the part of the of the United Nations where the Security Council acts within its powers in favor of the peace of the entire international community.”
In the case of Ecuador, the wave of transnational organized crime and its links with armed groups threaten the rule of law, state control and border security. That is why President Noboa reaffirmed that his Government will prioritize the support of international cooperation and will deploy all efforts in the border areas and inside the country to confront violence: “I believe in a State whose first objective is to reduce violence and return to progress, a custom ,” he said.
Latin America and other regions of the world are also experiencing problems due to the connections created between organized crime and insurgency; threats cause instability and are the basis for border conflicts.
For this reason, the president assured that the Council can and must exercise its responsibility in a cooperative manner, whether it is a traditional threat or an emerging one, promoting the increase in capacity cooperation and technology transfer to overcome the challenges that present security and cybersecurity threats.
Likewise, early warning mechanisms, crime prevention efforts and the promotion of criminal justice must be part of these efforts to maintain peace and are key in cases of security sector reform.
President Noboa, when moderating this open debate of the United Nations Security Council, also indicated that Ecuador as an elected member of the organization has the responsibility of strengthening the efforts undertaken by other delegations to prevent armed violence. Therefore, this December 15, an open debate will be organized on the threat that diversion, illicit trafficking and misuse of weapons represent to peace and security.
At the end of his speech, the Head of State referred to the rates of violence that Ecuador is experiencing: “For my Government and for me, personally, there is an outstanding debt since during the elections we had a presidential candidate murdered. Likewise, in two caravans we had armed attacks and almost every day, for the last 60 days, we have had death threats against the ministers and their families. Peace is a debt, it is a debt that we owe to our voters, many of them young people and women.”
Therefore, Noboa urged that he will do everything in his power to serve the groups most affected by violence, and asked the international community to support this cause.
Finally, in his capacity as president of the Security Council, the Ecuadorian president gave statements to the press. He reported that after the debate the Security Council reaffirms its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and highlights that states are primarily responsible for preventing and combating transnational organized crime, as well as how to fight against terrorist acts, among other resolutions. Furthermore, he emphasized Ecuador’s firm position in favor of peace and ceasefire in conflict zones.
Ecuador assumed the presidency of the Council after 31 years; Therefore, the country’s participation in this debate marks a historical precedent and is consolidated into an international platform to position the country’s innovative vision of security.