UN General Assembly
1996

initiatives to combat the curse of corruption, which is an enemy to development, investment and charity in society. In Argentina, sustainable development goes beyond academic discussions. The growing deterioration of the ozone layer in the southern hemisphere has affected the daily life and health of the population of southern Patagonia. Argentina, in cooperation with other countries in the region and the United Nations system, has assumed a leading role in reducing the risk level for the affected populations by establishing five ozone-layer monitoring stations in our national territory, incorporating them into the world multilateral environmental monitoring system. We strongly hope that the international community will join us in this effort by taking the necessary actions to cooperate in protecting the atmosphere. In our subregion, the southern cone of the Americas, Argentina, together with its neighbours, has played a significant role in eradicating distrust, in resolving border problems, in promoting physical and economic integration and in fostering political cooperation, all of which have generated an exemplary framework for cooperation and convergence. On the basis of political and economic stability, we