YouSaid · the spoken record

Peacock

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS PEACOCK

lines on the record: 165
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 1980-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“Australia will continue to work for the end of the deplorable policy of apartheid. The point is approaching when patience will run out within South Africa itself and when increasing resort to violence will be seen by many as their only option. Let us hope that that point will not be reached. Let us hope that reason and responsibility will prevail. 246. Australia is deeply concerned by the problem of refugees throughout the world—in Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia. We give full support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in his efforts to alleviate the distress and to promote the resettlement of the dispossessed peoples. My own country has a proud and continuing tradition in settling refugees from many continents and countries. 247.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We urge the parties to carry their negotiations to fulfilment and to bring an end to the present tragic situation which has brought the whole of southern Africa to the brink of ruin and war. 244. As a member of the United Nations Council for Namibia, Australia has actively sought a peaceful and lasting solution to the question of Namibia. The Australian Government gives its full support to the consultations being carried on between the representatives of the five Western countries and the South African Government and strongly hopes that those consultations will resolve the current impasse. It is crucial for stability in southern Africa that agreement be reached on the Secretary-General's proposals. 245. There remains, of course, the problem of the policies of the South African Government.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We hope that debate on the Cyprus issue at this General Assembly will provide the impetus for further progress. 242. Australia is deeply concerned at the continuing tragic loss of life as a result of the conflict in Zimbabwe. There have been too many wasted years and wasted opportunities. The agreement reached at the Meeting of Heads of Government of Commonwealth Countries in Lusaka in August provides a new opportunity which must not be lost. Australia fully supports that agreement which we hope will carry the parties to settlement. 243. The presence of the principal parties to the dispute at the Rhodesia Constitutional Conference recently convened by the United Kingdom Government is encouraging.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The Australian community has been enriched by the arrival of large numbers of immigrants and refugees from Lebanon and other parts of the region and we share their heartfelt concern that no effort should be spared to bring peace to the region. 241. The plight of the people of Cyprus is also a matter of the greatest concern to the Australian community. We whole-heartedly support the continuing role of the United Nations and of the Secretary-General in particular in efforts to bring peace to all the people of Cyprus. Australia welcomed the resumption of intercommunal talks in June 1979, following the agreement between President Kyprianou and Mr. Denktag, itself based on the Makarios-Denktas guidelines,16 but we greatly regret that those talks have not progressed.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We therefore base our policies on the need for negotiations starting from the principles of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Israel's right to exist within secure and recognized boundaries must be accepted. The legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to a homeland alongside Israel, and their corresponding responsibility to live peacefully with all their neighbours also must be recognized. 239. In this spirit the Australian Government continues to offer its support to any efforts to reach a settlement acceptable to all parties concerned. We hope that all will turn away from statements, actions and policies which are prejudicial to the search for a comprehensive peace. 240. In thinking about the Middle East we should not ignore the sufferings of the people in the ravaged and divided land of Lebanon.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I now want to consider some of these issues in more detail. We are all familiar with the long history of the Middle East conflict and with the disappointments which have characterized it. Australia has supported the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. We see it as a first step towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. We understand the fears and concerns of others and appreciate that a solution of that region's problems depends on factors not yet settled or dealt with in the current negotiations. In this context, Australia regrets the current policies of the Israeli Government in relation to the establishment of settlements in the occupied territories. 238. It is essential to devise a peace which satisfies all interested parties—and which puts an end to terrorism.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Peace-keeping machinery not only protects future generations from the horrors of war, it protects people now from the threat of conflict caused by rivalries and fears from the past. 236. Australia has maintained a firm tradition of sup-port for the peace-keeping operations of the United Nations. We see our contributions to peace-keeping, in Cyprus, the Middle East and Kashmir, as direct contributions to the cause of peace. Our offer to contribute to the proposed United Nations Transition Assistance Group in Namibia has been made with quite the same conviction. But peace-keeping forces do not of themselves generate lasting peace. Parties to conflicts must be persuaded to negotiate, as they are now doing in London in relation to Zimbabwe, as certain of them are doing in the Middle East, and as they must continue to do in Cyprus. 237.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We further hope that, once work has been completed in the Committee on a comprehensive test-ban treaty, the nuclear-weapon Powers will give serious consideration to proposals for a cut-off in the production of fissionable materials for nuclear weapons. This would be a major step to ending the nuclear-arms race and reinforcing non-proliferation, and would represent further real progress in the search for conditions in which mankind can be freed from the threat of devastation and destruction. 235. In considering the conditions for maintaining international peace and security, we must pay particular attention to the areas of conflict and tension. Through its peace-keeping machinery the United Nations has played an important role in containing otherwise dangerously volatile situations.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We also believe that the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation study, which examined supply assurances, has put forward some useful ideas on possible common approaches to non- proliferation conditions to apply in nuclear trade. 233. The Committee on Disarmament in Geneva, during its first year of operation, has devoted considerable effort to elaborating possible new arms control instruments. Australia, as a member of the body since the beginning of this year, has welcomed the opportunities that membership has conferred to bring new perspectives to the work of the Committee. We look forward to helping the Committee produce concrete results as it pursues its work. In particular, we hope that 1980 will see agreement obtained on measures of nuclear arms control and on radiological and chemical weapons. 234.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We hope that countries which have not acceded to the non-proliferation Treaty will reassure the international community by affirming their acceptance either of full-scope safeguards on their nuclear industries or of some other binding and verifiable commitment. 232. Non-proliferation objectives have also been enhanced by the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation, which concludes early next year. There has been significant agreement on a range of problems previously the subject of controversy. Useful ideas have emerged which could lead to important new institutional barriers to proliferation, including, for example, schemes for international plutonium storage and international spent-fuel management.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Increasing membership contributes to the benefits which the Treaty provides for regional and international security and, of course, for stable international trade and co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 231. The global non-proliferation scene and international nuclear co-operation could, however, be seriously damaged by the emergence of a situation in the Indian subcontinent, which shattered the fragile constraints against proliferation in that region. Australia regards this with very great concern. The risks of proliferation in southern Africa and the Middle East are also most disturbing.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It will also give further reassurance that nuclear programmes in non-nuclear-weapon States were directed exclusively to peaceful purposes. 229. The second Review Conference will provide a timely opportunity to lend weight to the objectives of the Treaty, to review its operation and to take account of the concerns of new parties. Australia, as a firm adherent to the principles of non-proliferation, will continue to play an active role in the preparations for the Conference. 230. Australia is encouraged by the fact that the Treaty continues to display its relevance and its value by attracting new States parties. The accession of Indonesia and Bangladesh was a welcome development.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Australia also attaches great importance to the earliest possible conclusion of negotiations among the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom on the terms of a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty. The submission of the text of a treaty to the Committee on Disarmament before the second Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1980 would advance consideration of the issues and make a significant contribution to the success of that Conference, and we urge the three negotiating Powers to work towards this end. 228. A test-ban treaty will inhibit the further development of existing nuclear arsenals. It will be an additional pillar of the international non-proliferation regime by providing a new avenue through which countries can renounce nuclear weapons.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The creation of conditions which will strengthen international security and give the world the confidence that it can live in peace is vitally important. 226. The continuing process of strategic arms limitation between the United States and the Soviet Union is absolutely fundamental to the maintenance of the global balance and the prevention of nuclear war. The signing of the second SALT treaty was the most important step forward in arms control during the last year. We still look forward to its early ratification and implementation. We expect it to provide a basis for further quantitative and qualitative controls on the nuclear arsenals of the super-Powers in a future agreement to be reached at the third round of SALT. 227.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We are also co-operating closely with other countries of the region on a bilateral basis. Emphasis has been placed on the possibility of establishing energy systems suited to the particular needs of these countries. This entails developing available conventional resources and appropriate alternative technologies. 224. My earlier reference to uranium was in the context of its use as a valued energy resource. But Australia is deeply conscious that there are alternative and awesome uses to which it can be put. With substantial resources of uranium, Australia undoubtedly has a special responsibility to ensure that it is used for the betterment of mankind and not for its annihilation, 225. The continuing imperatives of maintaining peace and security must remain uppermost among the challenges facing the world community in the next decade.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Australia is prepared to bring a constructive and realistic attitude to the issues involved. We see ourselves as having particular responsibilities. Australia is well placed as regards indigenous energy resources, and we are a net energy exporter. We have abundant coal and natural gas reserves, and our vast uranium deposits are now being mined. While developing these resources, we have also increased support for energy research and development and have promoted energy conservation and inter-fuel substitution. We have been active in furthering international cooperation in a variety of bilateral, regional and international arrangements. 223. Australia has given particular attention to the needs of the developing countries of our region. We are working actively in ESCAP and in the Commonwealth Regional Consultative Group on Energy.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“This transition is bound to be protracted and, in many countries, quite painful. But the need to embark upon it is imperative. 220. I am convinced that we will fail in the task that confronts us if energy producers and consumers adopt confrontational attitudes. Interdependence is a basic and intractable feature of the global energy scene. Indeed, if the so-called energy crisis taught us any thing at all it is that we must establish a realistic basis upon which a consensus can be built. 221. No country can ignore the world-wide consequences of what is happening. There is now, as ministers of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development have recently warned, a real danger that, without responsible policies by oil consumers and producers alike, the energy situation will seriously damage the world economy. 222.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“For this reason Australia will be asking the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board to consider a draft resolution— similar to the one that we introduced at the fifth session of UNCTAD—on the related issues of inflation, protectionism and structural adjustment. 218. Energy issues are now also recognized as crucial to economic growth. Significantly increased prices of certain energy resources and doubts about their supply have hindered economic development and have set back efforts for economic recovery. This is a matter of particular concern to all energy-deficient countries, particularly the non-oil-producing developing countries. 219. Recent events have re-emphasized the urgent need to implement policies aimed both at conserving oil and at adapting economies to the necessity for using alternative energy resources.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“An open world trading system needs the dynamic of increased trade flows based on comparative advantage—flows which have been most noticeably stimulated in recent years by the newly industrializing countries. If the international trading system is to realize its full potential and bring benefits to the international community as a whole, we must prevent the erection of further obstacles to trade. At the same time, we must make progress in dismantling existing protectionist barriers. 217. Australia will continue to press these items in the relevant international forums. We see these issues as essential elements in the establishment of a better and more just international economic order.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“215. A significant number of developing countries— several of them in Australia's region—have now emerged as important exporters of manufactures and services. The increasing diversification of those countries' economies and their movements away from import-substitution strategies have laid a basis for large-scale expansion of output and increasing trade specialization. While this development presents a major competitive challenge to the industries of many developed countries, there are also substantial opportunities mixed in with it. We should all be seeking to associate ourselves with their growth and together aim to share the benefits of the expanding trade flows that they are generating. 216.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“They frequently involve wage and export subsidies and supports, instead of positive adjustment measures. They lead to efforts in both the manufacturing and agricultural sectors to maintain inefficient and unproductive operations and obsolescent industries. 213. The task of dismantling protectionist measures is quite formidable; adjustment cannot be instantaneous. But we should not be deflected by narrow sectional interests. We must recognize that adjustment measures also open up new opportunities. 214. In Australia's view the developing countries must be given greater access to world markets for their exports. Only last week my Government announced a new series of initiatives aimed at improving the developing countries' share of Australian trade. These measures include the further expansion of the Australian system of tariff preferences.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The failure of many developed countries to control domestic inflation has unquestionably had a severely adverse impact on developing countries, which look to the developed world as the market for 70 per cent of their exports and as the major source of capital and development assistance. Sound anti-inflationary policies—a necessity if we are to achieve sustained economic growth—must be adopted by all countries. 212. There is, I believe, a fundamental link between inflation, protectionism and the relative lack of progress in structural adjustment in many of our economies. Higher inflation rates have led to defensive protectionist policies. Such policies bring with them distortions through misallocation and inefficient use of labour and capital.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We are naturally concerned, in particular, that the opening of any global negotiations on a wide range of interrelated issues should not hold up ongoing negotiation on them in other more specialized forums—for example, in UNCTAD on the Common Fund and on international commodity agreements. 210. In addressing the constraints on growth, my Government has put special emphasis on the current high levels of inflation, with its damaging effects on development, on employment, on exchange rates and on trade flows. Unless controlled, inflation brings in its wake economic disruption and social disintegration. Its worst effects weigh most heavily on the poorest members of our communities. 211.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“This is on the understanding that the Committee of the Whole Established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174 will be able to draw up a programme for negotiations setting out, in an acceptable form, the priorities and the modalities for the negotiations and their relationship with ongoing negotiations on these issues in other forums. We would want to be sure that the projected global interrelated negotiations should be carefully approached so as to ensure, as far as possible, practical progress on the complex issues involved. Such progress will inevitably come by stages and not necessarily in an interlocked, interwoven fashion. We must seek to move forward wherever we can, and some areas will of course be more susceptible to forward movement than others.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“This has been the basic concern behind our practical approaches at the fifth session of UNCTAD and our initiative at the Meeting of Heads of Government of Commonwealth Countries meeting in Lusaka to have a study made of constraints on growth. The stalemate in the present dialogue must be broken. 209. Australia has considered carefully the proposals put forward to launch global negotiations in the United Nations, open to all Members, in certain important areas which are central to the North-South dialogue. We are prepared to accept in principle the proposals for global negotiations.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The international development strategy for the third development decade will be a particularly important matter for the special session. We owe it to our own people to ensure that the special session produces a practical and action-oriented strategy. Ways of giving impetus to the real factors of growth must be found. The strategy must identify national efforts and commitments and clearly establish objectives in relation to economic and social development. Above all, it must present realistic ways in which all countries can work for the achievement of these objectives. 208. Australia, for its part, has been taking stock of how these relationships, and in particular the North- South dialogue, can be made more productive.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Australia has shared these problems, understands their impact on developing countries and is committed to their resolution. 205. The international community must face these problems squarely. We must not shrink from the responsibilities we all share. Next year's special session of the General Assembly will provide a major opportunity to come to grips with the constraints on growth to which I have referred, and that opportunity must be grasped. 206. We expect the special session to undertake a thoroughgoing assessment of the lessons of the 1970s and to initiate a bold and imaginative response to the challenges of the 1980s. That response must entail a renewed interest in a more efficient and more equitable international economic order. 207.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It would be reckless and inhumane to overlook the fact that some 800 million people in the developing world still live in absolute poverty. 204. The challenge we now face is that after some 25 years of unprecedented growth—a process in which many developing countries shared—the economies of most countries are now faltering. Steady rates of growth have been broken and governments are hard- pressed to restore them to the previous levels. Growth in trade, which had been running at 8 per cent in the 1950s and the 1960s has fallen by half. Inflation, unemployment and protectionist measures have emerged as major problems for the developed market-economy countries. This has had serious consequences for the developing countries.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Energy problems emerged as one of our most serious concerns. Demands for the establishment of a more efficient and more equitable international economic order have been among the more compelling pressures for change. International concern to limit the catastrophic potential of the arms race has continued unabated. Particular emphasis has been given to human rights and the issues of social justice. 202. These issues will also dominate the agenda of the 1980s. However, whereas in the 1970s we began to grasp and to adjust to the changing realities involved, in the 1980s we will face the daunting task of finding solutions. 203. As we move into the 1980s it would be reckless to ignore the difficulties which now cloud prospects for global economic growth.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Through this work Australia and the United Republic of Tanzania continue to demonstrate a mutual concern to extend basic human rights to all peoples. My delegation offers him its full co-operation in discharging his many responsibilities as President of the General Assembly. 199. It is always a pleasure to welcome new Members to this- Organization and, on behalf of the Australian Government, I was happy to become a sponsor of the admission of Saint Lucia, a fellow Commonwealth country. 200. The end of a decade is an occasion for reflection and for the drawing up of balance-sheets. In many respects the 1970s marked a turning-point in international affairs. It was a decade in which many of the assumptions of the past were found to be inadequate. The international agenda has been drastically altered and new issues have come to the fore. 201.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It gives me particular pleasure to address the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, meeting as it is under the presidency of Ambassador Salim. The Australian Government and successive Australian representatives to the United Nations have known his capacity, his energy and the vitality of his ideas, assets which we are confident he will be able to employ in the coming year for the benefit of the Organization as a whole. Australia's membership in the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, in particular, has provided us with the privilege of co-operating closely with him in the important work of the United Nations in the field of decolonization.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“President, in the important tasks that lie ahead your own role will be one of particular importance. On behalf of my Government, I should like to congratulate you on your election as President of this thirty-third regular sessions of the General Assembly. Your election reflects the standing of Colombia in the world community and your own valuable contribution to international affairs. You may be sure of the effort that my delegation will make to assist you in fulfilling the heavy responsibility of guiding our work to a successful conclusion.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We cannot expect to come here and find ourselves always in agreement. But we should expect to leave in greater agreement. If harmonization is to be achieved, the machinery available to us at all levels in the United Nations needs to be kept in good repair and its reputation must remain in good standing. Only the combined membership can impose quality controls on the Assembly's decision. 61. In many areas the United Nations has succeeded in suggesting standards to be observed by all Governments and in all communities. In far fewer cases has it succeeded in setting an example by its own conduct. We can be grateful that there has been some success in the control of international crises. But the one crisis that cannot be risked is a crisis of confidence in the United Nations itself. 62. Mr.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“They have been given new prominence and priority this year. Others to some extent still subject to delimitation, especially in the fields of international economic relations and human rights, demand additional agenda space. We can take heart that they continue to be brought to the United Nations. We are jointly responsible for ensuring that Governments are given further incentives to make proper use of this world body. 60. Such incentives cannot be provided without a realistic perspective of our activities in the United Nations from year to year. It is a Charter purpose that the United Nations should be a as centre for harmonizing national actions. Clearly, the present Organization is an imperfect instrument for that purpose, but the imperfections are those of its Members as well as institutional.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We have a long record of receiving and assisting refugees from many parts of the world. We are doing what we can to help with the present problem and by the middle of 1979 we shall have received more than 20,000 refugees from the lndo-China area alone. However, the limited nature of the international reaction to the problem has caused growing concern to Australia, its ASEAN neighbours and traditional countries of resettlement. A broader based international response is needed and we look to a wider group of Member States to do more to support the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in assisting and resettling these people. 59. I began by referring to the accelerating activity of the United Nations. Issues long defined, and no less urgent for that, remain before us, especially those of southern Africa and disarmament.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The success of ASEAN and the South Pacific Forum in furthering the interests of their members encouraged Australia to propose that a regional dimension be added to the Commonwealth. As a result of the Commonwealth Heads of Government regional meeting held in Sydney last February, working groups are now being set up in the fields of energy, trade, narcotics and terrorism. Their activities will supplement-not replace, but supplement—and further encourage regional co-operation. 58. However, the region of South-East Asia is not without its problems, some of which pose considerable difficulties for Australia and its neighbours. I would join other speakers in referring to the large number of refugees from the lndo-China area. There should be no doubt about Australia's attitude.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The South Pacific Forum and the South Pacific Commission have responded to the needs of the island States in the fields of economic development, health and social welfare. The United Nations should work closely with these and other regional bodies in these fields. 56. Regional associations can be of great value in facilitating and developing harmonious and mutually beneficial relations among neighbours. Perhaps the most important grouping of this kind in Australia's vicinity is the Association of South-East Asian Nations [ASEAN], formed by five of Australia's close neighbours. The Australian Government welcomes the increasing confidence and economic growth of the members of the ASEAN, and we are working to achieve closer co-operation with them and their organization. 57.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The Gilbert Islands are due to become independent in 1979 and the New Hebrides in 1980. Most of our newly independent neighbours have small populations and a very limited land area, but their territories are widespread and they have substantial maritime economic zones. Their accession to independence has changed the political face of the South Pacific and has given a powerful impetus to regional co-operation. 54. Australia recognizes a special responsibility towards the new nations of the Pacific, and we shall continue our efforts to provide assistance for their development. 55. The South Pacific traditionally has been free from political tensions. We hope that this condition will continue. As I have indicated, this is an area where regional organizations are making an important contribution to the process of change.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“This also could assist the process of energy transition in the longer term. 52. It would be appropriate for me to refer to some developments in our own region. I recently attended the independence celebrations of Solomon Islands. Australia was a sponsor of the application of the Solomons for membership in the United Nations, and we warmly welcome its admission to our number. 53. Although the attention of the United Nations in the field of decolonization has focused largely on developments in Africa, we in Australia have seen the emergence of a number of new nations in the Pacific in recent years. One of the first of these was our neighbour Papua New Guinea, with which we enjoy a specially close relationship. The latest is Tuvalu, whose independence celebrations I attended last week.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It was with these considerations in mind that Australia took a modest initiative at the last session of the Assembly in submitting a draft resolution on international energy consultations. There is still no international forum for a wide-ranging dialogue on energy. 51. In the coming years Australia will be an increasingly important exporter of energy resources and we remain concerned to play an active part in fostering support for an international dialogue on energy. We firmly hold the view that the United Nations can provide a forum for broad- based participation in such a dialogue. My Government was pleased to note the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1978/61 that the General Assembly should give favourable consideration to convening a conference on new and renewable sources of energy.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“At a time of economic difficulty, when Governments come under protectionist pressures, it is all the more important that the multilateral trade negotiations should contribute to an expansion of global trade. 50. My Government believes that adjustments in the field of energy will be among the most challenging issues facing the world community over the next few decades. The world cannot continue to rely so heavily on oil to fuel its economic growth. We must begin now to develop alternative energy sources. It would be short-sighted to regard present surpluses as anything but short-term or make them the excuse for not confronting the coming problems. We are conscious of the long lead times involved in introducing new energy technologies. International co-operation in this area is essential and must be initiated urgently.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“In Australia's view, the common fund would have to be financed by direct government subscription, by deposits by international commodity agreements and by borrowings from international financial markets. We consider also that the fund should have a role in financing what we term "other measures" and we would expect the activities in this area to be directed to needs not met by other institutions. 49. Australia attaches great importance to the round of multilateral trade negotiations, which are entering a decisive phase. Final results are proving difficult to achieve. There are grounds for concern that agricultural commodities have been neglected in the negotiations, and discriminatory safeguard measures, which could seriously disadvantage newly industrialized nations, are still under consideration.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We face a full agenda over the next 12 months, including the resumption of negotiations on the common fund, the fifth session of UNCTAD and the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development. We must make a start on the preparation of the framework for a new international development strategy, a framework which can accommodate the objectives of growth and equity. 48. My Government believes that we must press ahead in a practical way with the discussion of the proposal for the common fund. Australia has been particularly active in seeking to make a positive contribution to the establishment of a common fund for commodities. In the long term, all nations would benefit from an institutional framework which would contribute to stability in commodity marketing.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The Committee of the Whole offers that chance and we hope that developments since its last meeting will enable the Committee to overcome its problems and take up early in the new year the substantive work which is on its agenda. Industrialization-is an example of the important matters on that agenda. Rapid changes in some areas of manufacturing have thrown into doubt a number of our perceptions about the development process. Technological advances have resulted in less emphasis on investment in countries with low labour costs and increasing investment m these sectors in the industrialized countries themselves. 47. The international community just cannot allow negotiations on international economic issues to proceed at their present pace. It is altogether too slow. There must be a renewed effort by Governments to achieve results.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The phrase itself has become hackneyed and it obscures the fact that "dialogue" seldom takes place. One cannot have a dialogue if each country or each group of countries approaches the subject from established negotiating positions. Moreover, the simple division into North and South presumes a uniformity of view on either side which simply- does not exist. The North-South distinction has dramatized the issues, but we should recognize the variety of attitudes which exist in both the North and the South and seek solutions which take account of the interests of all countries. . 46. The United Nations needs a forum in which a true dialogue can take place, a forum in which issues can be discussed frankly with a view to determining appropriate courses of action.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“There is now a greater understanding of the interdependence of our economies. But, while Governments have been able to make general undertakings, it has proved far more difficult to achieve agreement on specific action. 44. The problem has, of course, been complicated by the sluggish growth of the world economy, which has left Governments with difficult economic decisions in regard to their own national economies and in responding to international problems. The slow progress is due also to the technical complexity of the issues themselves. If agreements are to be implemented and to endure, they must be carefully and thoroughly negotiated. 45. I believe also that some of the responsibility for our lack -of success may well" lie in our approach to the North-South dialogue.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Although some progress has been made in the consideration of matters by UNCTAD, particularly the question of debt, and although the outcome of the recent United Nations Conference on Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries was encouraging, the over-all situation—to put it mildly-is far from satisfactory. The difficulty of establishing a workable framework for the discussion of these issues was further highlighted by the problems surrounding the activities of the Committee Established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174, also known as the Committee of the Whole. 43. Failure to achieve substantial progress cannot be attributed only to a lack of political will. There is abundant evidence that Governments have been prepared to make broad political commitments to the search for a more just and more equitable economic order.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We might seek to enlarge upon the method of self-criticism and self-reporting inherent in the implementation procedures of the various international human rights instruments. 41. But no matter what possibilities we pursue and what priority we give to them, we are required by recent circumstances to recognize that the United Nations must now deal with human rights issues in a fair and practical way. If it does not, we shall see its claims to moral authority eroded year by year. We are particularly conscious of this now as we commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 42. I wish now to turn to economic issues. It is a matter of great concern to my Government that so very little has been achieved in the negotiation of the serious international economic issues which confront us all at the present time.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The United Nations should act, in the human rights area, without over-rigid adherence to restrictive interpretations of Article 2, paragraph 7, of the Charter. If it could be established that the purpose of such multilateral procedures was to consult and not simply to condemn, to work for improvement, not for impeachment, then a great step would have been taken in achieving a principal objective of the Organization. 40. The visit of a working group to Chile has established a most important precedent and represents an approach which might be repeated and refined in other cases. We could also seek alternative means of enlisting the co-operation of States where human rights situations appear to require Investigation.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The unobtrusive work of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights provides a very good example. 38 As States Members of the United Nations we-must continue our search for means and mechanisms effectively to promote and effectively to protect human rights. Australia welcomed the adoption by this Assembly last year of resolution 32/130. We believe that there is a growing public expectation that the United Nations should be able candidly to consider situations where gross breaches of human rights appear to have occurred. The United Nations must also be seen to stand firm on the rights of the individual within the context of agreed international instruments. 39. The international community must have confidence that the Organization can provide workable multilateral procedures equally applicable to all and equally available to all.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)