For me, a better democracy is a democracy where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.

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

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.

The respect for human rights is nowadays not so much a matter of having international standards, but rather questions of compliance with those standards.

Having experienced personally and through my family the tragedy of Chile is something always present in my memory. I do not want events of that nature ever to happen again, and I have dedicated an important part of my life to ensuring that and to the reunion of all Chileans.

Today it is time to give the government a new lease of life and this new phase which is as demanding as it is inspiring requires renovated energy and new faces.

The current global landscape is quite different from the not-too-distant past. The process of globalization has intensified, and the world is moving towards new forms of governance.