YouSaid · the spoken record

PAZHWAK

lines on the record: 242
first: 1958-09-24
most recent: 1973-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“In that resolution it was recommended that a set of special provisions should be urgently considered and implemented in order to ensure the right of land-locked developing countries to free access to and from the sea, and to provide the international assistance necessary to remedy their special situations. 37. It is our hope that the subject of these resolutions will be given urgent attention and consideration at this session. 38. In conclusion, Mr. President, the Afghan delegation places itself at your disposal and at the disposal of all members of the Assembly for co-operation in the work ahead. We look forward to the realization of our wish for a successful twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly under your guidance.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In that resolution the Conference recommended that international economic action should be given top priority and that top priority should be given also to the urgent implementation of the programmes adopted by UNCTAD at its third session and by other international organizations, especially in the area of trade, and that efforts should be exerted towards formulating and implementing new measures in all fields. It also requested the speedy implementation of the various resolutions and decisions adopted by the United Nations and its related agencies, as well as the continued review of the implementation of the measures. 36. Another resolution was adopted which I would like particularly to mention, with respect to the special-measures related to the particular needs of land-locked developing countries [see A/9330, p. 77].”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The burden of heavy external debts on the economies of developing countries is increasing while the flow of external assistance is decreasing in proportion to the growing needs of the developing countries. Meanwhile, the arms race, as I mentioned before, continues to absorb large sums of capital. 35. We support the very important decisions unanimously made in Algiers, with special emphasis on the essentiality of giving more consideration to the group of countries referred to as the least developed. The Conference of non-aligned nations adopted a resolution with respect to special measures in favour of these countries [see A/9330, p. 81].”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Here I shall mention only that the failure of the first United Nations Development Decade and the unsatisfactory application of the recommendations adopted at the third session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [UNCTAD], together with the disappointing results of the years that have elapsed since the coming into force of the Second United Nations Development Decade, means that the International Development Strategy [resolution 2626 (XXV)] cannot be viewed without profound anxiety. We note with regret that the attitude of some of the developed countries has not in any way been conducive to an international economic order in compliance with the target set for the International Development Strategy.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The item I am referring to is entitled: "Reduction of the military budgets of States permanent members of the Security Council by 10 per cent and utilization of part of the funds thus saved to provide assistance to developing countries" [item 102]. We note with satisfaction the timeliness of the Soviet Union's initiative and hope that it will be supported by all peace- loving and progressive countries and that meaningful measures will be taken in this regard by the General Assembly. 34. Regarding the economic situation, we shall take the opportunity to deal with most of the questions related to it when they come before the Second Committee.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The political declaration of the summit Conference of non-aligned nations noted this with concern. It noted: "that the flow of conventional arms to non-nuclear States, which is a threat to the security of non-aligned countries and which gives rise to tension in some regions, is continuing" [A/9330, p. 17]. And then the summit Conference demanded that an end be put to the flow of such armaments. 33. Referring to one of the items that has been proposed for discussion at this session, I should like to say that the delegation of the Republic of Afghanistan welcomes the item proposed by the Foreign Minister of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during his statement in the general debate [2126th meeting, para. 131].”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“But we are no less concerned about the stockpiling of conventional arms and the flow of such arms to other regions. There is no doubt that the security of smaller — particularly non-aligned — countries is threatened by conventional armaments. In our region the balance of power is already seriously threatened by important stockpiles of conventional weapons that can be acquired only by countries with privileged geographical or political positions, by countries which belong to a military alliance, or by countries which have acquired financial strength. 32. I had that situation in mind when I stated at the summit Conference of non-aligned countries in Algiers that the recent acquisition of enormous quantities of sophisticated conventional armaments is a matter of grave concern to us.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It is evident that peace will remain precarious without the full participation of all countries in all matters of world peace and security. 30. We have arrived at the right time to expect and urge the international community to direct its efforts towards complete disarmament. We welcome the success of the various stages of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. We wish to see the machinery of the United Nations' fully used in all matters of disarmament and to see this session of the General Assembly make a decision as to the date and venue of the World Disarmament Conference. We hope that the present session of the General Assembly will prohibit nuclear tests in all environments and pay special attention to the question of nuclear disarmament. 31.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“While we welcome the positive tendencies manifested in relations between certain big Powers, we cannot at all dismiss lightly the concern of the small countries of the world. Evidently there seems to be an inclination towards bypassing the United Nations, in which the small nations form the majority of the membership and represent the interests of the majority of the people of the world. From our point of view, detente, like peace, is indivisible. 29. We were very impressed by the statement of Mr. Walter Scheel, the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, in which he said that "universality also means universality of obligations" [2119th meeting, para. 154] and that "detente, is not meant to be exclusive..." [ibid., para. 157].”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“My delegation reiterates its support for the right of the people of Angola and Mozambique, as we did in the case of Guinea-Bissau, to sell-determination and independence, and shares the view that the continuation of the policies of apartheid by the Government of South Africa and its extension to Namibia has now reached a point which can no longer be tolerated by the international community. We fully support the aspirations of the liberation movements in the defence and restoration of their undeniable rights. 28. A basic characteristic of the present international situation is a relaxation of power politics in some areas and persisting crises and manifestations of power politics in others.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The apparent failure of the United Nations to implement its own resolutions concerning the elimination of the colonial administration of Portugal and to put an end to the inhuman and repressive policies of apartheid in South Africa, as well as to the illegal racist minority regime of Southern Rhodesia, can be construed only as a disturbing example of non-co-operation by certain countries with the United Nations, countries that are Members of this Organization. 27.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The classical form of Western colonialism is perhaps gradually drawing to an end, but, regrettably, the domination of certain peoples and territories, quite often by countries which themselves have suffered from colonial occupation, continues. This state of affairs creates tensions and causes concern and anxiety. The imperialistic designs of Western Powers during the heyday of their colonial advance created artificial frontiers without regard to the rights of the peoples. 25. These legacies of the colonial era persist in some regions, impeding the development of a better understanding among nations. Vestiges of Western colonialism should be terminated without the tensions that would hamper friendly relations among countries and peoples. 26.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Here, in this Assembly, we emphasize once again that the unanimous recommendations of the non-aligned nations should be endorsed by all Member States. 23. There is no need for us to explain at length the policy pursued by my Government with regard to the elimination of colonialism and the securing of the right of peoples everywhere to self-determination and independence. This policy is well known. We shall always remain at the vanguard of the struggle against alien domination and colonialism. 24. Colonialism comprises all forms of alien domination, and not only that which is referred to as Western colonialism.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Our position on the question of the Middle East and our full support of the Arab cause and the aspirations of the people of Palestine for the restoration of their undeniable rights has been made clear on all occasions and in all international gatherings. 22. At the last summit conference of non-aligned nations, we called for the strongest measures to be taken in connexion with the implementation of the Security Council resolution, including the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinian people as a basic prerequisite for the establishment of a lasting peace in the area. We emphasized the necessity of the individual and collective measures to be taken against Israel, not only by the non-aligned nations but by all Member States of the United Nations, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The occupation of the Arab territories by Israel and the toleration of the acquisition of land by force does not imply the toleration of injustice to the Arabs alone, but threatens the very security of all small countries in all regions of the world. It is inconceivable to expect any peace in' the Middle East unless the Israeli forces are withdrawn from the occupied Arab territories. 20. It is true that nothing really effective in peace-keeping can be achieved without, the unanimity of the big Powers. But it is most difficult to understand the position of some big Powers that demur from implementing and enforcing the very decisions for which they have voted. The resolution on the Middle East unanimously adopted on 22 November 1967 [Security Council resolution 242 (1967)] is a classic case of this ambivalence. 21.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The most strategic region of the world is still in a state of war. The resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly remain unheeded. All peace efforts to head off a conflict have virtually come to a standstill. The creeping paralysis of the mandatory resolutions of the Security Council — and not only with respect to the Middle East, but also concerning vital decisions taken on Rhodesia, the Portuguese colonies and the situation in South Africa — is eating away at the very foundations of the United Nations as the custodian of both the rule of law and the goal of peace. Peace efforts, particularly those made by the non-aligned nations, have been vetoed and the prestige of the United Nations is threatened even as a symbol of international morality. 19.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“We have strong traditional .bonds of friendship with India and Bangladesh. We are desirous of strengthening further these bonds in the interest of mutual co-operation and permanent peace in the region. 16. In the wider sphere of international relations, the Republic of Afghanistan will adhere to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and will continue its unfailing support of its aims and objectives. 17. We shall pursue our policy of political, economic and cultural co-operation with the third world. We are most desirous of following our policy of mutual respect and friendliness with all nations of the world, big or small, near or far, east or west, without discrimination against anyone. 18. The situation in the Middle East is a great source of concern to Afghanistan.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“With regard to our relations with Pakistan, I must say that, regrettably, our political differences regarding the issue of Pakhtunistan and the restoration and respect of the inalienable rights of our Pakhtun and Baluchi brothers, remain unsolved. 14. The question of Pakhtunistan, which has emanated from a refusal of Pakistan to recognize the legitimate demands of over 7 million people separated by the military force of a colonial Power from their fatherland. Afghanistan, is a national issue. We shall seriously endeavour to find a peaceful and just solution of this problem. A just solution is one that would conform to the best interests of Afghanistan and Pakistan in bringing peace and progress to the entire region. We believe that any solution should be sought on the basis of the will of the people and on international justice. 15.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It will seek the strengthening of amicable relations with all peace-loving countries in the economic, technical and cultural fields. 13. The new Government attaches the utmost importance to maintaining and creating relations based on the principles of justice, mutual respect and neighbourliness with countries with which we share the same region. The good neighbourly ties of friendship with our neighbour to the north, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, are unfaltering. We have friendly and sincere relations with our other neighbour; the People's Republic of China. We have always had neighbourly relations with Iran. I sincerely reciprocate the friendly remarks of the Foreign Minister of Iran in his statement in connexion with the relations between our two countries.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The founder of the Republic, Mohammad Daoud, in his statement of 23 August 1973, said: "It is evident that economic and social progress are closely linked with fundamental reforms and the establishment of a true democracy. . . . Therefore, Afghanistan, keeping in view the changes in the world, should have a progressive domestic policy." 12. In the international sphere, Afghanistan will remain a peaceful country and will consistently follow the policy of peaceful coexistence with countries pursuing different social systems, and will firmly continue its policy of non-alignment and non-participation in any blocs or military pacts. It will maintain its adherence to and respect for the Charter of the United Nations.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“9. Since ours is mainly an agricultural country, the new regime, as a major step in its programme to bring about fundamental progress, will institute land reforms in the interests of the majority of the people. 10. In the social field, the situation is in no way compatible with contemporary conditions in the world. Therefore, new programmes for social reform are contemplated, particularly for improving working conditions and the standard of living. A progressive and democratic labour law will be sought to secure the protection of the individual and social rights of industrial and agricultural workers. New and effective steps will be taken for creating equal opportunities for Afghan women in all spheres of life: economic, social, political and cultural. 11.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Therefore, the new order has the full and sincere support of the majority of the people. As soon as a new constitution is promulgated, one that will reflect the true aspirations of the people and will extend democratic rights and liberties for the progress and evolution of society, elections will be held in accordance with its provisions, based on the principles of democracy. 8. To overcome economic backwardness, the Government is determined to take new measures as rapidly as possible to bring about basic changes, to create a national economy through effective planning based on modern science and technology and founded on the principle of full sovereignty over its natural resources. Great importance is attached to the encouragement of national industries, handicrafts and arts and to their protection against competitive foreign products.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The objectives of the newly created republic, supported by the genuine aspirations and democratic traditions of the Afghan people, are to promote the material and spiritual development of its people and to create a new society founded on justice and equality for all citizens without any discrimination, to allow all Afghans to participate fully and responsibly in the affairs of their country, and to curb the forces that have hitherto hampered the realization of these aspirations. The Republic aims at establishing a trustworthy security within the country that would permit sound and positive economic, social and cultural reforms, and pave the way for political, economic and cultural advancement. This requires the mobilization of all available resources and energy in all fields in the interest of the people. 7.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The sacrifices endured by the people of Guinea-Bissau in their protracted fight against colonialism have not been in vain. It is a source of gratification for us to witness today the great victory achieved by the liberation movements in Guinea-Bissau in establishing their independence and in freeing their country from alien domination. We wish the people of Guinea-Bissau success and prosperity. 6. On 17 July 1973, a great fundamental, institutional change took place in Afghanistan. The monarchy was abolished and a republic was proclaimed.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“We are confident that their joining the United Nations contributes to the strengthening of this Organization and peace and security in the world. They have already set an example in the field of international relations by their policy of peace and conciliation. In fact their admission will enhance this spirit in the world Organization. 4. I wish also to extend the congratulations of the Afghan delegation to the delegation of the Bahamas on its admission to membership in the United Nations. The admission of the Bahamas exemplifies a triumph of the will of people in the process of self-determination, a cause which Afghanistan has consistently supported in all parts of the world. 5. My Government welcomes the independence of Guinea- Bissau and declares that it has been recognized by Afghanistan.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Added to these qualities of Latin America, your personal qualifications and your vast experience and knowledge confirm us in our belief that under your guidance this session of the General Assembly will fulfil its great responsibilities. 2. I should like also to extend the sincere felicitations of the delegation of Afghanistan to Mr. Trepczynski of Poland, who skilfully guided the work of the General Assembly during its past session. 3. It is with great pleasure that we welcome the admission of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic and greet them in the family of nations. We have traditional friendly ties and relations with the great German people. The history of our relationship is one of close co-operation in the economic and cultural spheres.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“1. It is a great pleasure for me to congratulate you. Sir, in the name of the delegation of Afghanistan, on your unanimous election to the high office of President of the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly. We are extremely happy to see that this year the work of the General Assembly will be directed by an eminent son of Latin America, a continent whose people have always stood steadfastly at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and emancipation. Their long history has always demonstrated their determination to associate themselves with all progressive forces for building a world free of discrimination and injustice.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Basically, it all comes to a renaissance of the great faith the founding nations enunciated in San Francisco. We must restore faith in our people, faith in ourselves and a rededication to the Charter which has already done so much to alter the concepts and perspectives of modern man. We must close this gap between ourselves and this new man. We must regain our partnership with him in the great epic of our times: the renaissance of the human race.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Since this problem is not yet before the United Nations, I shall once again express the hope that the new Government of Pakistan, fully aware of the aspirations of these people and having realized the gravity of the situation, will not add to our disappointment as in the past by refusing to deal with it in accordance with the accepted international standards regulating such disputes, on the basis of the undeniable right of peoples to self-determination. 41. This Assembly session offers us an opportunity of facing new problems, the new forces, the new trends in our swiftly evolving world. They are many and complex. They include ourselves. They must be our profound preoccupation as a prelude to the next session, when we shall embark on a programme of celebrating our great anniversary and landmark.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“This is a cause that, as Members know, Afghanistan has supported for all peoples everywhere, and naturally we cannot do less for a territory that was a part of our country, usurped by a colonial Power, and a people that is our own people. 40. Pakhtunistan is not a small problem. It involves the legitimate aspirations of more than 7 million people. It is the largest territory in Asia demanding the right of self-determination. it is a serious and explosive problem, fraught with the possibility of grave consequences.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“At the last session of the General Assembly I spoke of the serious situations of international concern affecting the people of the Asian continent [1690th meeting]. I expressed the hope that a peaceful settlement of the disputes would be found in an amicable solution of the problems causing them. We are still deeply concerned about those situations in which Afghanistan is not directly involved; but we are directly involved in the high tension between the people of Pakhtunistan and the Government of Pakistan, fraught as it is with danger for the future peace and security of that region. 39. The cause of the people of Pakhtunistan is a legitimate and just cause based on the right of peoples to self- determination and the fulfilment of the aspirations of peoples to determine their own fate and future.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We hope that Member States may begin to think in terms of this triptych for a new concept of inter-relationship between economic development, disarmament and security. 36. However, it must be emphasized that as long as the political crises and wars and disputes continue to plague relations between nations in any region or continent, to speak of peace and progress or collective understanding for any purpose, in any form, will remain far from realistic. 37. Speaking for my country, I am happy to state that our own relations are friendly with our neighbours, with all countries on our continent, and indeed on all other continents. It is with great regret that I have to mention one excepticn. 38.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“On the basis of these axioms — accepted as United Nations truths — perhaps the entire continent may embark on a constructive era of economic rehabilitation and development only on the broad base of an all-Asian formulation as the alternative to the rivalry of blocs and rival groupings. 35. In this pattern we may be able to implement what our Secretary-General, U Thant, calls a disarmament decade. Rightly and financially it is inseparable from the decade of economic development; the two are as complementary as the right arm is to the left. In the same way the two are inseparable from continental collective systems which, unlike strategic blocs, have no need for excessive armaments.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Here, where seemingly, the fate of war and peace is to be decided in the future, and is already being fought out in what was once called the Indo-China sector, where tensions simmer between Pakistan and India, between China and the Soviet Union, between China and India, between Pakistan and Pakhtunistan, it is essential to ponder the political structure most conducive to the economic and social development of an entire hemisphere. 34. In such a structure we consider that foreign intervention is fraught with the greatest danger of setting off a new power struggle. Here, unlike in Europe, the ruling principle of peace must begin with the principle of self-determination of peoples as the major point of orientation.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Ours is primarily the problem of under-development in the lands where people are hungry and poor and restlessly striving for a slight improvement in their meagre livelihood. In this situation there is little margin for an extravagant division into military blocs, even for purposes of security, and their inevitable arsenal of armaments. Here, the strategic approach constitutes absolutely the wrong basis for the economic development which the countries of the region so desperately need. 33.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It has been able to exercise a restraining influence over Governments. But wars involving the most precious convictions of man run beyond the control of governments and become the crusades of peoples on the highest level of reckless emotions; and this kind of war may not be amenable to the usual United Nations restraints. The United Nations must nip in the bud any attempt to revive this kind of war by eliminating its causes. 31. We are always concerned about the concepts of security. In this area the winds of war, like hurricanes, shift their direction. The centre of gravity of war now appears to have shifted from Europe to Asia, but with different problems. 32. In Europe the conflict was one involving power and hegemony, and at times colonization. In Asia the causes and roots of the conflict are more economic than political.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“I stated that if such a war took place, Israel would be responsible. 29. On 20 August 1969 the world heard with dismay and grief of the burning of the sacred Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest of shrines to the Islamic peoples in all lands and a historic landmark to all religions and all faiths. This tragic occurrence ignited the hearts of Islamic peoples everywhere. 30. My point here is to draw some lesson from this unhappy development for the future peace and security of the world. Religious claims are one category of war into which the United Nations must not allow itself to be dragged as an arbiter — and for a very sound reason. Even in political and ideological tensions the world Organization has its. obvious limitations and, within them, has achieved much in the prevention of conflict and in halting its spread.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“As in the case of war for territorial conquest, we thought that religious wars — the most dangerous, the most fanatical and the most intransigent of all wars — were a part of a long buried past never to return. But now it appears that we are about to suffer a serious relapse into history. Claims to the Old City of Jerusalem have been made on a basis of biblical law and quasi-religious narratives. On 3 July 1969 I appeared before the Security Council [1485th meeting] on behalf of my Government, along with representatives of other delegations, in the Council’s deliberations on the occupation of Jerusalem. I raised the warning that the claims made to Jerusalem on so-called religious grounds, apart from any other aspects of the issue, dangerously opened up the flood gates for a reversion to religious war.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“This Assembly should administer an unmistakable and decisive rebuff to such policies. 27. The past year has also seen new and more extensive violations of human rights in the colonies, in occupied lands, in war-ridden lands and other lands. It is here that the United Nations, in its failure to go beyond the enunciation of general principles, has sustained an immeasurable loss of prestige. Accordingly, my delegation will support the creation of a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a first step in the future development of an international enforcement structure. 28. We are also concerned over the rise of a new type of war.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We have even heard a big Power, a permanent member of the Security Council, a major custodian of the Charter and a praetorian guardian of the peace, accord that right to a belligerent nation, generously at the expense of the territory of other Member States — a right which, incidentally, this big Power has repeatedly renounced for itself. 26. There is no need for me to discuss the juridical aspect of conquest by force of arms; the truth here is self-evident. All I wish to say on behalf of my delegation is that if this throwback to the dark ages is permitted an inch of compromise, then we shall plunge the world back into the days of Genghis Khan whose footprints are still on the soil of my country; then no nation represented in this hall will be safe from the ancient greed of the wars of conquest.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“While in our vast agenda we are about to add over one hundred more resolutions to the archives of the past, it might be useful to establish a small group or committee on the presidential level to concern itself with the problems and possibilities of increased implementation. Such a group might approximate the “wise men” formula utilized in other international circles. 24. We are gravely concerned with certain retrogressive tendencies in world political developments in the past year, which not only by-pass the Charter but promulgate policies in direct contravention of the most basic principles of our Organization. 25. In recent months we have heard the enunciation of the right to the military conquest of territory and to the right of annexation of foreign lands.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Since then what we call public opinion has undergone mental and psychological changes. I am not sure that we have established a line of contact with these new forces. In the area of human thinking also, science and technology have made valuable strides. Therefore it may well be that the new psychological forces could become one more item on the agenda of our Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development, recalling the famous UNESCO dictum that wars and peace begin in the minds of men. In the meantime we may safely assume that our “peoples gap” problem is chiefly the problem of non-implemented resolutions.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We hear many views on what the United Nations might be, a forum, a mere diplomatic mart or the builder of nations and their future well-being. But I think that we can all agree that the one thing the United Nations, of all institutions in the world, can never be, is what is contemptuously called in our new world “The Establishment”. The United Nations can never be the “Old Generation”. Its Charter functions, based upon principles of a new and better world, give it a force and built-in leadership of the new world which no Government, however benign or liberal, can rival. I am afraid that the United Nations is doomed to the role of either “Perpetual Youth” or “Gradual Eclipse”. 23. This poses a problem for an organization whose centre of power at its founding was the older generations. Youth was then largely in military uniform.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“This may well be a warning to us that if we do not enforce the decisions of our own making somebody else will — and it will not. be with the peaceful transition we envisage. If we stand still, as so many of our frozen resolutions testify, it is obvious that the world does not. Not only the people on the streets, but also the scientists in their laboratories have stepped up their tempo in the elaboration and production of new weapons, so that the snail-pace progress made in disarmament is wiped out by the new weapons, just as in developing economies inches of progress are erased by the population explosion. 21. Thus if we establish a true ratio between gradual progress and the big leap of current events, we shall see that gradualism means standing still, and standing still means, in fact moving backwards. 22.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Impatience is the pulse-beat of the day, and the so-called revolution of rising expectations has moved far beyond mere expectations to urgent demands, yes, sometimes even reached for the impossible; and is the impossible so remote when hundreds of millions have seen with their own eyes the landing of men on the moon—and soon, we are told, on Mars or Venus? 19. For the past two years we have witnessed an enormous acceleration of the world revolution rotating into the future. We have seen the rise of youth as a new political force, with its own new rhythm of accomplishments, clamouring for action where previous generations have marked time. Everywhere new and old societies are seething cauldrons of threatening violence in more insistent demands for social justice. 20.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It would appear that in recent years this Organization with its record membership, its vast agenda, born not out of a misguided spasm for resolutions, but under the pressure of a changing world, moving too fast for the “haves” and too slowly for the “have nots“, has generally become divided into two schools of thought. Those who enjoy the monopoly of power — economic and military, psychologically and logically — constitute a phalanx of gradualism. The others make up the camp of the “forward-march”. Government policies in the United Nations appear to be shaping up along the lines of this division. 18. But for the hundreds of millions of impoverished in Latin America, in racist-bound Africa, in war-ridden Asia, and even for many people in the wealthier nations, the pace of gradualism appears to be no longer acceptable.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Resolutions that are by-passed and defied are not necessarily adopted in vain; they carry with them a stubborn moral content of their own, with a penetrating force that begets implementation by somebody along the corridors of time. It is not the resolutions that alienate people from our influence, but our failure to implement them, to make them come to life, to give them the flesh of reality; it is our supine surrender to those who ignore them that has created the confidence gap regarding our Organization. If we fail to close this gap between decisions and action we shall certainly not close that other gap between the rich and the poor nations. 17.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It has also been said that we have lost the man of today because we have lost contact with reality, that we have adopted phantom resolutions whose words vanish like ghosts with the first ray of morn, that we have adopted decisions without regard to the voice of minority opposition, or to the prospects of their being implemented. 16. It is true, of course, that many resolutions remain unimplemented. But to blame the laws because they are not observed puts the problem upside down. The concept that the consensus of the majority must yield to the will of the minority poses a new kind of veto — a voluntary subordination, a tribute to power, without the responsibility of the veto under the Charter.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The youth who at the turn of the century demonstrated for flag and country today riots for the principles of universal peace and social justice. 14. No, this is definitely not a world of turtles and ostriches, but the world of man — man caught in the spokes of forward-moving forces — man on the move, but certainly not in a reversion to the past. From all we hear and see about us it is man in a conversion to the future. In this orbit he is neither a nationalist nor an internationalist. Perhaps he is basically the eternal explorer, seeking a sense of direction out of his dilemma; and if he has lost his contact with the United Nations, the supreme radar of that direction, it is because he is propelled by forces with a speed which gives our past the illusion of standing still. 15.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It is the view of my delegation that either we find the answer to this problem or we shall move blithely ahead with more plans and more resolutions, in tiresome restatements of the repetitious resolutions of previous years. 13. One popular explanation is that we are going through a period of reversion to nationalism: that people, turtle-like, have put out their necks, looked at the big, wide world, and then have drawn back into their nationalistic shells, with a kind of ostrich blindness to pre-world isolationism. But while true to a degree, that theory does not square with the world we see around us. Never was there so little of the old symptoms of nationalism, the spirit of chauvinism and flag-waving; never was there so much preoccupation of peoples with peoples, never so much of the world-view of things.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)