Monday, 19 September de 2016
Información para la Prensa N°: 311/16

         Heads of Delegations and friends:

         We are gathered here to look for concrete responses to the largest migration crisis of recent history.

         Migration movements are not a new phenomenon. A year ago we acknowledged the importance of migration for the development of economies within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the images that we have witnessed in recent years are painful and a cause for concern.

         Every day we hear news about people who suffer and die trying to escape violence, persecution and poverty.

          We cannot and we must not be indifferent in the face of this scenario. It is time to take action.

          In Argentina, immigration was one of the main engines of the economy in the early days, and it has certainly determined our social, political and cultural organization.

          Immigration is part of the DNA of the Argentine society. It is difficult to find a person of my generation whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents did not migrate to Argentina from a foreign country. Many of them did so to escape wars and famine. In other words, they were refugees.

          In Argentina, Christians, Jews and Muslims peacefully co-exist. We are an open society that is enriched by its diversity.

          Argentina has the largest number of migrants within the region: thousands of people from Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile and Peru have been perfectly integrated into our country in recent years.

          I am proud to know that, in a world in which differences and conflict reign, Argentina is an example of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and, above all, solidarity. As stated by the Secretary General, the international refugee and migrant crisis is not about figures: it is about solidarity.

           Mr. President, we must once more recall the spirit of solidarity that first united these Nations.

          Today we all have the opportunity to be part of a joint solution to this problem.

         Argentina has a strong humanitarian commitment. For more than 20 years, the General Assembly has acknowledged the contributions made by the White Helmets Commission.

Argentina is no exception. In May, an Argentine mission travelled to Lebanon to provide its assistance in a Syrian refugee camp.

          Argentina also has a Humanitarian Visa Programme that facilitates entry for people affected by the conflict in Syria. Under this Programme, they are granted a resident permit and the same civil rights that every Argentine citizen has, so that they may have access to a job and education for their children.

         All of this requires team work. Only with the help of all the sectors of society will truly inclusive and plural development be possible. In Argentina, we count on the support of a large Syrian-Lebanese community, as well as of civil society organizations and religious institutions, which accompany us in this process.

           Ladies and gentlemen, people do not become refugees by choice. They flee their countries because their lives are in danger. They escape even though they know that fleeing is dangerous. 

         Major transformations are achieved step by step. In this scenario, the UN proposes a path to follow, and Argentina is determined to pursue that path with all of you. You can count on us, now and always.

          Thank you very much.