Chile has changed. The people have become more mature and they are more conscious of their rights. They want to participate and have a say about things such as if and where a power plant can be built.

There does not have to be trade-off between growth and social protection. A democracy does not mean much if it doesn't respond to the needs and will of its people.

We have had scarce investment in women... One of my tasks is that everyone spends much more on women.

We have to make sure that women's issues are an essential element on the agendas of all heads of state, all governments.

In any area of the UN we ... have to agree on certain language that can represent the same spirit, but that can be accepted by everyone.

The United Nations should become a proactive agent in the dissemination of democratic principles.

I was not born in a home where there were stereotypes. So that was very useful because it gave me the sense of possibilities, of flying, if I may say, of making my hopes and dreams a reality.