Speeches
in Signing of Agreements
Signing of Institutional Cooperation Agreement
Words by CVR President
Ambassador Arné Rodin,
UNDP representative
Kim Bolduc
Ladies and gentlemen,
We know well now that democracy cannot take root and become consolidated in
society if there is no minimum acceptable degree of justice in it. Among
other things, this means that when a society that has experienced acute violence
processes wishes to carry out a real democratic transition it must, among
its inescapable obligations, restore justice that was relegated in the years
before. In many cases, this implies to begin by elementary activities, which
are at the same time complex, such as recovering truth regarding human rights
transgression and abuse generally committed against the most helpless, vulnerable
and humble members of society. Democracy cannot be built upon indifference
or oblivion.
By virtue of this, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
knows it can trust in the understanding and support of important
democracies in the world. Thanks
to them, complying the tasks the State and Peruvian society have charged
it with is not chimerical, but a very real possibility.
As we know, our mandate, a large and complex one, is referred
to an essential issue, restoring justice in our country concerning
human rights abuse committed between 1980 and 2000. Of course,
we are not to recover judicial justice. It is rather a strict
moral content justice that starts by finding out the truth
and eventually tends to dignify the victims.
The Swedish government’s generosity expressed in the
cooperation agreement with the Truth Commission we sign today
strengthens this trust in us. We cannot forget that Swedish
democracy has a long and well-known tradition of human rights
custody. Its voice to defend the victims of established powers
and de facto powers is very recognizable worldwide. Therefore,
the generosity with which its diplomatic mission in Lima has
received the Truth Commission is not a surprise. This reception
is expressed in encouraging words we highly appreciate and
also in concrete cooperation activities such as the ones formalized
in this agreement.
The Swedish government aid will be useful for carrying out
several critical tasks for the compliance of our mission. It
will permit us to strengthen our capacity of reaching the Peruvian
population with an appeal message and also with our investigation
activity.
Our Commission will not be able to comply with its tasks
if it does not manage to involve the whole society in its endeavor.
Therefore, the support the Swedish government is providing
us is particularly valuable for our communication and education
activities. By broadening our call and making of our work a
participatory activity, we will also be helping to disseminate
democratic habits in a country supported on citizen presence
and commitment.
Because of all this, I wish to deeply thank the Swedish government
represented by its diplomatic mission in Lima on behalf of
the Commission. I also wish to particularly thank you, ambassador
Rodin, for the warmth with which you have received our projects.
The back-up we receive from exemplary democracies such as the
one you represent renews our hopes of leading our mission to
a good end.
Salomón Lerner Febres
President
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
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