Good morning,

I would like to thank the organization of the Munich Conference on Security (Wehrkunde) for kindly inviting me to take part of this panel. My warmest greetings to all of you with us today in this session, entitled Managing instability: global challenges and the crisis of global governance.

Very specially, let me greet and congratulate my fellow panel members: the Japanese Defence Minister, Yasukazu Hamada; the German Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble; I also welcome Strobe Talbott, former member of the US Department of State and President of the Brookings Institution. Also with us are Kenneth Roth, the Director of Human Rights Watch; the political scientist, Joseph Nye; and Kishore Mahbubani, the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

I am very pleased to participate with all of you in this panel as part of the Conference on Security.

I believe that the subject proposed and the composition of this panel are highly significant and that we shall develop a very fruitful analysis. The challenges of governance in the 21st century require us to adopt diverse approaches and to make a variety of contributions and responses, both institutional and in many other areas and disciplines, some of which are represented on this panel (defence, national security, civil society, academics and research, and international politics).

All these areas influence and contribute to shape the consensus that is needed to maintain a holistic, systematic and effective perspective within the International Community. Thus, we shall emerge strengthened from the present crises and we shall create and consolidate the new institutions that are needed for today’s world and for that of the future, and which will be applied within ever more complex international relations. This complexity, and the pressure of time that are imposed to us, exceed the bounds of the setting in which most of our international institutions were created after the Second World War.

We are now entering a new era, at a turning point in history, and we bear a special political and historical responsibility, that of reshaping the global order. We must undertake a period of reforms, from a position of political consensus and with the inclusion of new actors, to promote confidence and to strengthen the values and principles on which the International Community relies on.

In the analysis of international relations, many researchers and experts have made use of scientific theories to explain their complexity and to go beyond traditional analytical and descriptive approaches. The application of concepts such as complexity and uncertainty, with respect to the international system, is one of the great challenges currently facing those responsible for international policy making.

Murray Gell-Mann, the great American physicist and Nobel prize winner, affirmed that all systems, including the international one, are complex adaptive systems which acquire information both about their surroundings and about the interaction between the system itself and those surroundings. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle states that it is impossible to know both the exact position and the exact velocity of a particle at the same time – and this principle could be applied to our world reality. We often find ourselves in a situation in which it is difficult to determine, at the same time, the reasons, the positions and the possible reactions of an international actor before an unexpected event, because if we attempt to identify and influence one of these variables, this very intervention may alter the others.

The French scientist, Théodore Monod, considered chance to be the key element in all research. The most determinant positive chance in the international arena is that of effective political agreement, which may produce a weakening of extremely negative viewpoints. The absence of creativity and positivism will only lead to the inadequate management of reality, never to its transformation.

Nowadays, meeting new challenges is a more complex task than it used to be. We no longer see conventional wars, and conflicts are not resolved by treaties between the victors and the vanquished. We find that classical methods of coercion are no longer sufficient, and that actions require an approach that combines political, social, religious, humanitarian or environmental dimensions. The international system of the 21st century must implement appropriate mechanisms for dealing with unpredictability and uncertainty.

In today’s international politics and diplomacy, we should be able to determine probable sequences of events and to prepare possible responses. We need to accurately identify diverse elemental particles (i.e. political, economic and environmental factors), determine their scope of action and combine these with positive, committed chance – that is, the political action taken by governing bodies.

This complex, uncertain outlook should not undermine our enthusiasm in searching for models for the creation of a system of global governance that is capable of addressing global challenges with creativity and effectiveness. Such challenges range from the fight against poverty to the use of nuclear weapons and the threat of climate change, and all of them are of vital importance to the future of mankind and the planet itself.

Processes of globalization may have negative side effects, as shown by economic and financial crises and the persistence of hunger and poverty, they require vigorous responses and resolute commitments. The reshaping of the international order will be truly global and successful if all the actors take part in it. In this respect, we must be aware of political changes taking place, in the west and in the east, in the north and in the south; we must include many more technical considerations in the decision-making process; we must make use of social networks as tools for empowerment, and at the same time we must listen more closely to the young people of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to term this new phase, which opens up before us in 2009,  a global constitutive moment. In Spain, we believe that it is necessary to look beyond the current difficulties to address this constitutive moment in a spirit of confidence and optimism for the future.

This global constitutive moment is not limited to the consideration of individual issues, but refers to broad sectors of international relations. For this reason, in addition to economic governance, we must consider political and security-oriented governance and the management of new global challenges.

In order to re-establish economic and financial governance, we must incorporate regulatory and control mechanisms. Civil society throughout the world is calling for pro-active intervention in globalization by the politicians, and this has been highlighted by political leaders in all five continents. In Spain, we have always recognized the creativity of free enterprise and of the market, but we have also maintained that the role of the State is essential to uphold the role of law and to defend fundamental values.

This comprehensive approach has led us to become the eighth largest economy in the world, according to World Bank data. I believe that the G20 meeting held in Washington should set a precedent for advancing a process of far-reaching reforms of mechanisms for regulating the international economy, based on principles such as transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, as well as solidarity and respect for the environment. Spain is prepared to shoulder its responsibility in this process .

We must also reinforce governance regarding political and security issues. The initial aim is to increase our own security, that of the nation States, but we are aware of the dependence of the latter on many different international scenarios. After centuries of bitter warfare, Europe and other areas in the world have enjoyed over 60 years of peace. So, in Europe we know that peace among peoples can be achieved – Kant’s “perpetual peace” - and we also know that it generates economic, social and cultural benefits, while at the same time leading us to disarmament. Unfortunately, large parts of Africa and the Middle East are still suffering the ravages of war, and here in Europe we must make all possible effort, with both local and external actors, to change this situation. 

The Government of Spain has no doubt that the new United States Administration, under President Barack Obama, will make a fundamental contribution to world peace. But this is a collective task, in which Americans and Europeans must work side by side. And side by side, too, with Ibero-america and Africa in constructing an Atlantic axis of peace and progress – of a New West.

In order for peace to prevail, the UN Security Council must play the central role specified for it in the UN Charter. Although there exist different positions regarding its reform, I am sure that the main criterion that will eventually be applied is the one set out in Article 23 of the Charter: the members of the Security Council must be elected with "due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the other purposes of the Organization". Greater contributions in this respect require greater participation within the Council.

In these early years of the 21st century, we have still not managed to achieve the ambitions of disarmament that were born after the end of the Cold War. An effective policy of disarmament and non-proliferation (currently of vital importance, when there still remains the danger of terrorist groups gaining access to weapons of mass destruction) would constitute an effective instrument for security and for increasing trust.

International terrorism will continue to be one of the fundamental threats in our time. In this case, too, the necessary response is that of greater unity and global governance. We can and must regain the spirit of international solidarity that flowered spontaneously after the attacks of September 11th, cooperating through multilateral frameworks and initiatives which, like  the Global Convention against Terrorism, are aimed at addressing this phenomenon in all its complexity, placing above all other considerations that of strict respect for human rights and international laws.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
At present, the world is undergoing conflicts both old and new, although the paradigm continues to be that in the Middle East, because it contains elements from the past (peace, territories, sovereignty, etc.) together with new ones, such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and religious radicalization. Moreover, this conflict influences and determines to a considerable extent the development of international relations. The use of military means alone is not the way to reach a solution where a global approach is needed to encompass political and diplomatic action. This reality obliges us to reconstruct the dynamics of negotiation in order to banish violence forever from our world, which is bleeding of incomprehension and pain.

A few weeks ago, at Sharm-el-Sheikh, we renewed our commitment to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict and to work for the reconstruction of Gaza. There have been over fifty years of suffering and desperation, fifty years of calling for a definitive solution, fifty years of the inability of the international community to achieve a peaceful, viable state of Palestine, to put an end to the violence and the terror against Israel, to reactivate the Madrid Process, which began 20 years ago, or to consolidate conversations between Syria and Israel.

Our Arab and Israeli friends know that we shall always support them in their quest for peace and security in the region. The EU has an important role to play in this effort and I believe that NATO, together with other actors, could be called upon to play a role in resolving this conflict, which must not be allowed to remain at an impasse any longer.

The  European Union and NATO must work jointly to  maintain peace and security. Both organizations are aware of the need to adapt their instruments to the global challenges they face in the 21st century.  This fact underlies the importance we grant to the dimension of security and defence in the EU. And also the importance of our considerations regarding the possible updating of NATO's Strategic Concept. I believe the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit next April will provide a good opportunity for opening up the debate as to how the Alliance can adapt to the world of the 21st century.

This updating of the Strategic Concept must be based on the understanding that security should be broad-based, indivisible and cooperative. Such broad-based security must include the “global approach” that we are already seeking to apply in EU and NATO peacekeeping missions, with the necessary involvement of many and diverse actors. Such security must be indivisible, taking into account the legitimate security interests of all involved, and thus promote mutual trust. And such security must be cooperative, founded upon multilateral frameworks of dialogue and cooperation.

Global governance would not be complete without including in the equation the creation of a fairer, more sustainable world order, one more committed to basic human rights. As well as the traditional threats and risks, there are other global menaces which are of more diffuse origin but affect us all. Extreme poverty not only affects human, regional and global security, provoking unstoppable migratory movements. It is also an affront to the dignity of those excluded, and shames the conscience of the developed world. In the interrelation between the challenges of hunger and poverty, and the global economic model and security, we must also consider the degradation of the environment and the effects of climate change, which, logically, are interwoven with the concept of human security.

At this point, I believe it is time to speak also of cultural governance. President Obama’s speech reflected the multicultural nature of the United States, and the end of an era, raising hopes for the development of intercultural dialogue. The world is intercultural. In this respect, the United Nations Organization has taken a decisive step with the creation of a new pillar – the intercultural pillar, and an instrument, the Alliance of Civilizations, that is receiving more and more support every day.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Spain is responsive to the new framework of global governance and is fully involved in the resolution of global challenges, though its steadfast social and political commitment, arising from its geostrategic position in the world. We are located at a geographic and historical crossroads, between Europe, America, the Mediterranean and Africa. And we maintain a long-standing tradition of ties with Asian countries, a tradition that has been renewed in recent years. Spain seeks to become a global actor, committed to global governance.

Spanish society has provided irrefutable evidence that it is generous and open to the world. The Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has increased Spain’s official development assistance more than that of any other country, and has provided concrete evidence of its commitment to international peace; moreover, it has welcomed millions of migrants from all over the world, and has promoted interregional dialogue through initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations, and with our partners in Africa and the Americas.

When this Security Conference meets again in 2010, Spain will, just a few weeks before, have begun its six-month Presidency of the European Union. I trust that when we do so the Lisbon Treaty will be fully implemented. Nevertheless, be that as it may, we shall demonstrate, once again, our commitment to building a Europe that is ever more closely integrated and prepared to work with the United States and other partners to achieve solutions to common challenges. Europe must trust more in the future in order to become a coherent global actor, with a model equipped to provide suitable responses to the challenges of global governance.

For all these reasons, Spain stands willing to assume its responsibilities in global decision-making forums, and I can assure you that we are well aware of the compatibility between national interests and those of the international community. National policies based on isolationism and protectionism are ineffective in achieving global governance, being only a mirage reflecting mistrust and a distorted, obsolete image of the way ahead for the international community and for humankind.

Thank you very much.