“Symbiosis: Culture of Peace, Nature and Human Rights”

Ambassador Whyte Gómez,
Ambassador Cedeño Molinari,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to express my gratitude for the opportunity to speak to you this evening as you commemorate the 68th anniversary of the abolition of the army in Costa Rica.

In December 1948, Costa Rican President José Figueres Ferrer made a mark on history when he took a sledgehammer to the military headquarters in San Jose. Smashing a hole in its wall, he announced the abolition of the army and pledged to redirect military spending to health and education. With this blow, Costa Rica became the first state to constitutionally abolish its armed forces and living proof that it is possible to “beat swords into ploughshares”. Over these last 68 years, Costa Ricans have reaped the fruits of a peace dividend as additional investments flowed to education, health and the protection of the environment. Today, Costa Rica benefits from one of the highest living standards in the region.

This commitment to demilitarization gives Costa Rica a vital voice in world affairs. Since 1948, over a dozen countries have followed its example by disbanding their armed forces. Costa Rican leaders have taken the lead in promoting regional and international initiatives for peace, including the Arms Trade Treaty. In 1987, the Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured this commitment when it awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to former president Óscar Arias Sánchez for the peace plan that paved the way to end the civil wars then raging across Central America.

Costa Rica’s story is particularly poignant today as we are currently living through a global arms build-up. In 2015, global defence expenditures totalled nearly 1.7 trillion US dollars, more than was spent at the end of the Cold War. This spending spree represents more than two percent of global GDP and comes with serious opportunity costs at a time of pressing challenges. In the short-term, relief agencies are struggling to respond to the fallout from wars and natural disasters. In October, for example, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported an 11.9 billion US dollar funding gap to care for the 96.6 million people in dire need of aid worldwide. In the medium-term, the ambitious goals set by the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development require funding. Developed states, for example, have pledged a combined 100 billion US dollars a year in climate finance by 2020 to help developing states adapt to a changing planet. Investing just a fraction of world military spending in climate change action and sustainable development would dramatically improve our chances of making our shared home safe for future generations.

As you listen to tonight’s performance by Maestro Manuel Obregón I trust that you will be inspired by his country’s lesson to us all: demilitarization is possible and it will free up the resources much needed to build our common future.

Thank you very much.