Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, joined President Bachelet in the open dialogue of the UN Security Council on "Inclusive Development for Maintaining International Peace and Security." The President affirmed that, "we believe that peace is a requirement for the promotion and protection of fundamental rights, and social inclusion and inclusive development are conditions for peace."
The idea of the meeting, which was also attended by Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, was to emphasize that in order to prevent conflict and to consolidate peacebuilding processes, it is essential to achieve comprehensive development at the socio-economic, religious, ethnic and territorial levels. "To understand and address these new challenges, we must adopt a multidimensional approach allowing us to understand the causes that underlie those threats," said the Head of State.
President Bachelet added that, "in Chile, we are making great efforts to bridge social gaps, which is just as relevant as promoting equal opportunities for political stability and peace."
Read the full statement by H.E. Michelle Bachelet Jeria, President of the Republic of Chile, at the UN Security Council meeting about "Inclusive Development for Maintaining International Peace and Security."
Neruda-inspired luncheon
After the meeting, President Michelle Bachelet headed a luncheon, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, offered by the Chilean mission to the United Nations, under the presidency of Chile of the UN Security Council. In charge of the culinary event was the Chilean chef, Carlos von Mühlenbrock, who created a menu inspired by Pablo Neruda's elementary odes ('odas elementales').
"At the center of this feast is our wonderful seafood, fruits and vegetables, paired with outstanding Chilean wines. It reflects the diversity and richness of our territory, the wide variety of products it offers and our closeness to the great Pacific Ocean," said the President during the gastronomic activity.
The first course consisted of salmon with a "splendid pot of maize," "celestial bodies of earth" and "peaceful green heart," as Pablo Neruda referred to corn, tomatoes and artichoke, respectively. The succeeding course was a conger chowder, a fish which the poet called "the giant eel of snowy flesh."
The main course was pork chops "with the smell of firewood" accompanied by roasted tomato, fries and onion. The dessert was a nougat of prunes and almonds, with a side of Chilean fruit.
Lunch was preceded by a cocktail where videos were shown of Chef von Mühlenbrock explaining his Neruda-inspired menu, to a soundtrack of audio recordings Chilean landscapes, which were selected by the Image Foundation de Chile.
The gastronomic activity was attended by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, along with representatives from the 15 members of the UN Security Council, and other authorities and officials of the UN Secretariat linked to the UN Security Council.