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Home / Awards / Path to Peace Award / 1999 THE PATH TO PEACE AWARD RECIPIENTS 1999 - His Excellency Dr. Carlos Saúl Menem 
His Excellency, Dr. Carlos Saúl Menem was born in Anillaco, situated in the historical northwestern region of Argentina. It was from this region that the Catholic faith first arrived to the country. His father, Saúl, arrived in Argentina from Syria in 1912, and was joined two years later by his mother, Mohibe Akil. President Menem attended primary and secondary schools in his province. In 1955 he received his law degree from the National University of Cordoba. President Menem began his public work while attending law school. From 1955 to 1973, he was actively involved with the National Justicialist Movement which, at the time, was illegal due to the coup d’état of 16 September 1955. Because of his activities in this regard, he was arrested for political reasons in 1956. In 1962, he was elected representative of his hometown district of Castro Barros. In 1963, he was nominated as Governor of the province, but was forced to withdraw in the primaries as a result of being banished by his party. On 11 March 1973, he was elected Governor of La Rioja province with 67 per cent of the vote. In 1974, on behalf of the governors of all the provinces of Argentina, he offered the farewell address to President Perón, who died on 1 July. On 24 March 1976, after the military coup d’état that overthrew the Constitutional Government of Mrs. María Estela Martínez de Perón, Menem was once again arrested for political reasons and remained so until 17 February 1981. Once democracy was re-established in Argentina, Dr. Menem was elected again as Governor, on 30 October 1983. He was re-elected in 1987, having received 63 per cent of the votes. On 9 July 1988, following the primaries of the Justicialist Party, Dr. Menem was nominated candidate to the presidency of Argentina. He was elected President on 14 May 1989, inaugurating his mandate on 8 July of that year. In 1995, President Menem was re-elected, having obtained 50 percent of the vote. President Menem’s leadership was the catalyst for achieving stability and transformation of Argentina’s economy, in order to adapt to current global trends and requirements. The legal establishment of Argentine Peso convertibility led to the elimination of hyper-inflation which, in 1989, had reached 5,000 per cent, pushing the nation’s economy toward bankruptcy. As a result of the currency’s recovery and the growth of safe investments, the Argentine economy today enjoys monetary stability. In 1995, the inflation rate of Argentina, at 1.6 per cent, was the second lowest in the world. These important macroeconomic developments were complemented by deep structural transformations in the national economy through State reform, which permitted the privatization of public services, eliminating one of the main sources of deficit for the national budget. Additionally, the abrogation of many State regulations regarding economic activity eliminated monopoly practices and privileges which stunted the free development of economic forces. Since 1990, the GDP grown 39.3 percent, and investments 120.7 per cent. Toward the further insertion of the nation’s impact on the international scene, Argentina’s international policy emphasized peaceful co-existence among peoples, human rights and democracy, taking a strong stance against totalitarianism. This was clearly proven by Argentina’s strong defense of democratic institutions in the inter-American field as well as at United Nations. In this regard, the Argentine Government supported the re-establishment of democratic Government of Haiti in 1994. Similarly, Argentina was a strong defender of the 1991 Santiago Compromise, protecting democracy in the region and the democratic clause of MERCOSUR, which placed the maintaining of constitutional rule above trade and customs practices. Toward the defense of international peace and security, Argentina has joined the countries of the world at United Nations. To this extent, in compliance with Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, Argentina participated in military operations in the Persian Gulf in order to re-establish the sovereignty of Kuwait. Argentina has also participated in peacekeeping missions in other countries, such as Croatia, Cyprus and Angola. As far as bilateral relations are concerned, Argentina has strengthened its relations with the United States and, in 1990, re-established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. In the regional field, Argentina joined Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in 1991 to celebrate the Asunción treaty which created the South Common Market (MERCOSUR). Among the principal guidelines orienting Argentine foreign policy, President Menem has stressed as paramount the safeguarding of ethical and moral principles which have been defended by the Holy See in international forums. In defending these principles, such as the protection of human life from the moment of conception, protection and promotion of the family and the fundamental dignity of the human person, Argentina is in agreement with the Holy See, sharing as it does, a Christian vision of the human person and society. This has served as a foundation for close collaboration between Argentina and the Holy See in international conferences and organizations, particularly at the United Nations. To this end, President Menem has increased Argentina’s involvement in international meetings in order to achieve, in collaboration with the Holy See, that international instruments resulting from those meetings, emphasize the human person as the center of international action, and to discourage initiatives which contradict man’s dignity, such as abortion, euthanasia or moral relativism which fails to recognize the family as the natural environment for human development. These views were manifested in various international conferences, such as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992); the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994); the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995); the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II, Istanbul, 1996) and the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the United Nations for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court (Rome, 1998). In these meetings Argentina maintained a principle-based position, rejecting the adoption of terminology or formulas recognizing a so-called “right” to abortion. In many of these conferences (i.e. Istanbul, Cairo and Beijing) Argentina made interpretative declarations by which it formally declared that it rejected the interpretation of the expression “reproductive health” as a basis for accepting or legalizing abortion. Another issue raised was the concept of “gender” in international conferences, particularly at Beijing. The ambiguous content of this concept regarding the distinction between man and woman was the reason why Argentina made a clear reservation that it understands the term “gender” to signify “man and woman”. Argentina’s cooperation with the Holy See in defense of life was limited not only to issues considered by the United Nations’ Third Commission (economic, environmental and social), but also in the Sixth Commission (legal) as well. In fact, during the Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the United Nations for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court (Rome 1998), Argentina endorsed the issues raised by the Holy See, that inclusion of “enforced Pregnancy” into the Statutes of the Court, without a proper definition, could be interpreted as indirectly legalizing a “right” to abortion. The joint action of Argentina, the Holy See and other like-minded States were victorious in achieving that the definition of such a crime does not contain elements allowing a right to abortion. Another relevant field demonstrating Argentina’s defense of life can be seen in the area of bio-ethics. During the consideration of the human genome issue by UNESCO, Argentina agreed with the Holy See that the human genome is part of the human person and, for this reason can not be considered as such the “common patrimony of mankind.” Such a qualification could apply to knowledge regarding the genome but not to the genome itself. Such a position has important consequences regarding the prevention of genetic manipulation. The common views of Argentina and the Holy See could also be seen in subjects related with world peace. During the 53rd General Assembly of the United Nations, Argentina co-sponsored the resolution adopted in the Plenary Session entitled “Bethlehem 2000,” by which the General Assembly calls for free access to this city for the celebrations of the third millennium of Christianity. Efforts for world peace were carried out by the Argentine Republic through programmes of humanitarian assistance in different parts of the world. In this respect, it should be kept in mind that, on 20 December 1994, the General Assembly, during its 49th Session, adopted by consensus the initiative of President Menem regarding the creation of a force of volunteers called the “white helmets,” having as its goal the fight against world hunger. Argentina’s proposal was co-sponsored by 65 States, including the five permanent members of the Security Council. This action in defense of life, inspired by the President, is not only reflected in the field of international organizations but also in a work of diffusion and clarification in national public opinion, as well as in the academic world regarding those issues. In September 1998, President Menem offered an inaugural speech in a seminar entitled “Days or Life”, organized by the Pontifical Argentine Catholic University “Santa María de los Buenos Ayres”, by its bio-Medical Ethics Institute and the Undersecretary for population of the Ministry of the Interior. During that event, which enjoyed the participation of Argentina’s highest national authorities as well as of Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, President Menem reaffirmed his commitment to defend life from the moment of conception as well as the rejection of abortion. Recently, during his visit to the Holy See on 13 November 1998, President Menem signed the Decree N. 1406/98, which established that March 25, the day of the Annunciation of Our Lord, is to be remembered as a day for commemorating unborn children. The purpose of this celebration is to remember the thousands of children who are daily victims of abortion and to reaffirm the position of the Argentine Republic against this practice. This decree is based on the need to protect the human rights of all people and of all nations. To this end, the international community has stressed that children are a subject deserving special consideration, as was reflected in international instruments such as the Geneva Declaration of 1924 on Children’s Rights, the Declaration on the Rights of the Child adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on 20 November 1959, and the Convention on Children’s Rights, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on 20 November 1989. In this regard, among the reasons for the decree, President Menem affirmed that life, our main gift, has an inviolable value and dignity and that the right to life is not an issue linked to ideology or religion, but rather is derived from human nature itself. In recognition of his outstanding service and tireless efforts in defense of human life and the family, as well as his leadership among the people of Argentine and his efforts on behalf of world peace, His Excellency Dr. Carlos Saúl Menem is honored this day with the 1999 Path to Peace Award.
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