Speech by Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota on the occasion of the Diplomat Day Ceremony – Brasília, June 17th, 2013

Today, we officially welcome yet another group of graduates, the Oscar Niemeyer class, from the Rio Branco Institute into the Brazilian Foreign Service. My warmest welcome to you, as you formally join the Brazilian Foreign Service.

I would like to congratulate you on the path you pursued to arrive at this point. I would also like to congratulate your families, as they share the joy of this moment.

Dear graduates,

In the work that you will be carrying out - or, rather, that you already carry out - as diplomats, you have both the responsibility and the privilege to represent a country that, at the beginning of this new century, has asserted itself as a democracy focused on sustainable development, with economic growth, inequality reduction, and environmental awareness; as an actor that lives in peace and favors dialogue; as a multicultural society increasingly engaged with the world.

A country whose Government has achieved tangible results on the path towards the eradication of poverty and, currently, envisions new horizons in terms of social welfare, ever-higher educational standards, scientific and technological advances, non-negotiable respect for human rights. A country built with full citizenship rights as its main objective.

In your service, you will be representing a country that reflects the same values and priorities in its foreign policy as those that are pursued in domestic policy. A country, which under your guidance, Madam President, projects itself in the world in an open and pluralistic manner, reflecting the openness and plurality of the Brazilian society itself.

Madam President,
In 2011, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of San Tiago Dantas.

Last year, we marked the 100th anniversary of the death of the Baron of Rio Branco.

This year, I wish to mention that, five decades ago, another distinguished Brazilian Foreign Minister, João Augusto de Araujo Castro, gave a memorable speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Araujo Castro, one of the craftsmen behind the Independent Foreign Policy, pointed towards a new pathway beyond ideological polarizations of the Cold War. A pathway that was built on an agenda comprising the ‘Three Ds’ that would become well-known: Development, Disarmament, and Decolonization.

Three decades later, in 1993, another Brazilian Foreign Minister, endowed with a no less sharp discernment of the dynamic of our changing times, proposed a reinterpretation of the ‘Three Ds’ policy.

Also before the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Celso Amorim, wisely honored by this Oscar Niemeyer class, revisited Araujo Castro’s concepts, recalling that the fight for decolonization, which remains relevant, can be better translated, in our days, by the valuing of democracy.

Celso Amorim therefore updated the ‘Three Ds’, and we can now speak, with him, of Development, Disarmament and Democracy.

As I digress, I would also like to mention, always from a historical standpoint, that ten years ago, under the leadership of former-President Lula and then-Foreign Minister Amorim - in his second term as Foreign Ministry at the time -, we established a set of objectives and initiatives which continue to help the structuring of our work as diplomats to date. It is a platform that includes:

- a strengthening of our commitment to regional integration, with specific attention being given to each of our neighbors, especially within MERCOSUL, UNASUL, and more recently, CELAC;

- a watchful eye regarding the accelerated changes in the distribution of economic and geopolitical power at a global level, changes that bring us closer to the other members of fora such as IBSA and BRICS;

- the global projection of our diplomacy, with an emphasis on the creation of new and effective partnerships with the developing world, particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, as well as in the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific;

- the modernizing of our agenda of dialogue and cooperation with the established global economic centers, such as the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Oceania;

- the engagement with multilateralism on its various fronts - trade, finance, environment, social, peace and security.

This platform has been consolidated and updated under the guidance of President Dilma Rousseff by: (i) increasingly occupying spaces at the global stage; (ii) continuing to contribute to the major political and conceptual discussions of our days; (iii) defending specific interests through strengthened relations with a growing number of partners in trade, investment, innovation; and (iv) deepening regional integration.

One of the concrete ways in which Brazil has been occupying spaces is the election or nomination of Brazilians to important international posts, demonstrating that Brazil has leadership to show in a broad range of issues. Without trying to be exhaustive, I would like to mention the selection of José Graziano to the post of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Bráulio de Souza Dias to Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; Roberto Caldas and Paulo Vannuchi to the Inter-American Court and Commission on Human Rights; and, most paradigmatically, Roberto Azevêdo to the World Trade Organization. These achievements reveal our proposing capability in fields as diverse as food security, human rights and trade and economic cooperation.

It is possible to assert that there is no international strategic discussion in which the footprints of the foreign policy of Brazil are not present: from the democratization of global governance structures and the consolidation of the concept of sustainable development, at Rio+20, to the impact of currency fluctuations on trade, and political and moral issues concerning the protection of civilians in situations of conflict, to mention but a few examples.

At the same time, dividends gained from the increase in the number of Embassies and the establishment of intergovernmental relations with all members of the United Nations are clear. These dividends extend beyond the strictly political sphere, which is itself intrinsically important: the expanded reach of diplomatic actions also represents a greater capacity to support the private sector and other actors in the Brazilian society with interests going beyond our borders; improved conditions for identifying trade and investment opportunities; broader and better exchange of knowledge, including under the aegis of the Science Without Borders program.

At the regional level, by definition our priority, we continue to consolidate the South American region as a zone of peace and cooperation, with an irrevocable political commitment to democracy, deemed as an essential requirement for the processes of integration currently underway. Additionally, with our closest neighbors, we continue to promote a zone of economic growth with social justice, where economic relations are employed towards our shared purpose of inclusive development. In this aspect, MERCOSUR already represents an "acquis" of great practical significance. The bloc has grown and become stronger with the accession of Venezuela as a full member. Bolivia signed the Accession Protocol in order to become a full member as well. The President of Ecuador publicly announced the intention of his country to follow the same path. And Guiana and Suriname are in the process of becoming Associate Member States. As we value MERCOSUR - the accomplishments of which bring decisive benefits to our industry and create quality jobs -, we keep working with a view to the future. We keep working to do better and more. And, beyond MERCOSUR, and having it as our starting point, it is worth highlighting that we have pursued economic and trade integration with our entire region, which has been the destination of the largest share of our manufacture exports. Under the auspices of ALADI, we have negotiated a set of agreements that cover, or will cover in the near future, nearly all of our trade in our part of the world. This has already become a reality we must manage and upon which we will continue furthering our interests.

These new fronts opened by our foreign policy, in our region and in the world, have gained special resonance in our interactions with Brazilian society as a whole: with the Congress, with the Judiciary, and with a number of segments of our society who now seek increased participation in international affairs.
Specifically with regard to our interactions with civil society, which are already frequent ones, we have been working towards its institutionalization.
Opening dialogue channels and knowing how to listen and to be understood are an integral part of the democratic government led by our President.
The experience of the Rio+20 National Preparatory Commission, greatly valued and appreciated by all who participated in it, spurs us on to continue pursuing such a dialogue. That experience has encouraged us to attract civil society as a whole and, I would say, the young in particular, to the great debates concerning Brazilian foreign policy.
Before the end of the year, Madam President, I will put forward a project, currently in the making, to establish a permanent forum with a view to enabling further dialogue about our foreign policy with the civil society.

It is clear that expanding our presence in the world brings new responsibilities to Itamaraty.
I should like to make a point of emphasizing our duty to assist Brazilian nationals abroad. The enhanced relations that Brazil achieved with other countries accentuate the importance of consular activity. It is with great pleasure that I pay tribute to the staff, whose work is often challenging and unnoticed, who strive to ensure that, whenever required, the best possible support is given to our fellow citizens abroad, along with the appropriate respect for their rights.

Madam President,

Colleagues of every generation,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A few words on the choice by this year’s graduates of Oscar Niemeyer as their Patron and Celso Amorim as their special honoree.

Here in this Palace, it is easy to praise the great architect.

As the years go by, Niemeyer’s talent has gained increased recognition, and he has become an inextricable part of Brazil’s image abroad, where he also succeeded in distinguishing himself.

Among his various other achievements, he was part of the select committee of 11 architects that designed the plans for UN headquarters, a landmark in the urban landscape of New York City. Therefore, not only did Niemeyer help build landmarks in Brazil, but he also helped to build the image of Brazil abroad, the true image of a country that embraced modernity, brave enough to dream of new ways of living.

Celso, my colleague and friend of so many years - as Foreign Minister, you have set an example which remains as a reference for all of us.

Your profound knowledge of dossiers, your experience, and your vision of the grandeur of Brazil and its place in the world are all indelible marks in the legacy you have left as Foreign Minister.

You, the graduating class, could not have chosen a better figure to honor in your graduation ceremony.

My dear graduates,

There is no lack of challenges, obstacles, and tense situations to your discernment, preparation, tenacity, imagination and serenity.

During a conversation I have recently had with a group of Rio Branco Institute students, I stated that diplomacy is a career that involves the whole character of a person: a knack for initiative, building relationships, dealing with the unforeseeable and adversity.

Intellectual development with appropriate rigor in your analyses and statements are features that undoubtedly will remain essential to the quality of your performance in the various tasks which will be assigned to you. But your willingness to face challenges, your courage and determination in promoting the values and interests of Brazil are equally essential.

I wish to conclude with a quotation by the Mozambican writer Mia Couto, who, a few days ago, was awarded the 2013 Camões Prize by President Dilma Rousseff and President Cavaco Silva.

In a conference for lecturers and students at a school in his native country, this icon of Lusophone literature stated, and I quote,
‘You are young. To be young is an inherent condition, effortlessly experienced. More than simply being young, be different. May you bring with you the unexpected, the novel, and the historically productive. [...] [Do not] be young people with old souls. [...] Our future as a nation can only be built with boldness, vitality, and an infinite respect for others.’

Thank you very much.