YouSaid · the spoken record

TINDEMANS

lines on the record: 200
first: 1982-09-24
most recent: 1988-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-general-debate

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“This is yet another area in which the regional and subregional approach is of particular value, because it makes it possible to take into account the specific nature of problems that do not occur in the same guise in all parts of the world. In Africa, for example, refugees do not as a rule wander beyond the territory neighbouring their home country. 233. Hence, co-operation among neighbouring countries is the best way to create conditions for a satisfactory and long-term settlement of the problem, either through repatriation to the home country or through integration into the host country. In this respect, development projects designee to strengthen the infrastructure of host countries are of particular importance. 234.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The flow of refugees and the displacement of populations are particularly acute problems in Africa. Such movement endangers the economic and social structures of many States. It also frequently disrupts good-neighbourly relations between countries. 231. The first International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa, held in 1980, made it possible to undertake a preliminary study—obviously incomplete— of all aspects of this vast problem. The second conference, to be held next July at Geneva, should provide an opportunity to go beyond emergency planning and mere survival and to conceive lasting solutions. 232.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The tragedy Chad is experiencing today and the terrible problem that crisis is inflicting upon the OAU demonstrate how difficult it remains to achieve this goal. 229. Belgium profoundly believes that the best way to solve disputes between African nations lies in their cooperation within the OAU, and we hope that that organization will be able to meet the challenge and to obtain the agreement of all its members to respect the legitimacy, that is to say, the African legitimacy, of its decisions. 230. One of the principal dramas in the world today is that lived daily by thousands of refugees throughout the world. Together with other regions—such as South-East Asia—Africa, where ethnic groups often spill across borders, is especially affected by this plague.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“If the Organization of African Unity were to disappear or become powerless because of the crisis affecting it today, that would represent a severe blow for each country belonging to it and for the whole of Africa." 227. Thus, my country has followed with genuine anxiety the crises that have affected the activities of that organization to the extent that on two occasions they have actually prevented it from convening its summit meeting, thereby appearing to threaten its very existence. It was with genuine satisfaction that Belgium saw the heads of State and Government overcome the conflicts and differences of opinion among themselves and meet last June at Addis Ababa in an attempt to make negotiation prevail over confrontation. 228.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Among the guiding principles of Belgium's proposed African policy, I should like to mention the following: "Belgium genuinely wishes to forestall anything that could contribute to the division and weakening of the African continent. . . This means that it must try to promote inter-African co-operation and that it must conduct an active policy, not only towards Africa as a whole, but also towards inter-African organizations, whether they be continental or regional or whether they cover economic, political, cultural or other areas." The same document goes on to state in particular, with regard to the OAU: "We cannot . . .but acknowledge that it has played a positive and undoubtedly irreplaceable role for the African continent...”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It goes without saying that the Geneva negotiations, whether on Euromissiles or on strategic arms, although held within a different context, are also the focus and concern of my Government, affecting as they do the very existence of our peoples. 225. In the context of this regional concern I have just touched upon, my country attaches an equal importance to developments in the various regions of the world. The African continent nevertheless commands in Belgium a particular, if not exclusive, attention. That is why last February the Belgian Government approved a fairly lengthy document that attempted to define as systematically, coherently and exhaustively as possible the objectives, principles and means of implementing policies my country wishes to pursue with regard to Africa. 226.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Having overcome the crisis with which they are confronted and which their member States are facing at this very moment, they could for the benefit of all play a larger part in solving the world crisis that weighs on all our economies and create conditions enabling the North-South dialogue to be pursued in a more determined manner than hitherto. 223. In the same spirit I wish to stress the great importance Belgium attaches to the negotiations at Vienna on mutual and balanced reduction of armed forces in central Europe, as well as the Conference on Confidence- and ; Security-building Measures and Disarmament in Europe that will soon be convened, first at Helsinki and later at Stockholm. 224.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It is in this perspective that Belgium has several times suggested from this rostrum—as it did last year— that the United Nations might adopt a regional approach in such areas as disarmament, the promotion of human rights or in the economic field, and that this be done, if necessary, in co-operation with the multilateral institutions of the regions concerned. 221. We must restore the spirit of multilateralism to its full vigour at both the world and regional levels and; thereby ensure a close connection between them. 222. With regard to the region to which my country belongs, I would favour the European Communities' taking this course.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The former has become, to an increasing degree, an inevitable complement of the latter. 219. In realizing its calling for universality, the Organization has brought together an ever-growing number of States which do not constitute a homogeneous cultural unit. Quite the contrary, the traditions and values to which they are devoted offer quite varied shades of opinion that are sometimes quite considerable. Hence, the difficulty for the Organization to define, in many respects, what a French scholar recently called "a universal law which each can recognize because each recognizes himself in it". 220.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“They are meant first of all to show that the Charter has provided the means necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security and that it contains a multitude of means and procedures which make it possible to achieve that fundamental purpose. My remarks are also intended to stress that this whole arsenal of means at our disposal is of no use if Member States do not have the determination and the sincere desire to have them put into effect and if they are not ready to subordinate national selfishness to the needs of the common interest. In this respect, special responsibility obviously lies with the most influential Members, and particularly with the permanent members of the Security Council. 218. The crisis of multilateralism has erupted on both the regional and the world levels.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Preventive action should be taken essentially within the Security Council, for example through periodic meetings to review flash-points and tensions in the world, through regular reports by the Secretary-General on the situation, through fact-finding missions, and through strengthening the means by which the United Nations can act in cases of conflict. The Secretary-General himself has suggested this, in his speech at the Dag Hammarskjold Scholarship Fund luncheon on 15 September, in which he pleaded for a "re-evaluation of United Nations peacekeeping". 217. The suggestions I have just made are far from being exhaustive or exclusive.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“This, however, will be possible only to the extent that Member States, especially those to which the Charter entrusts a special share of those responsibilities— the members of the Security Council—are willing to make use of those means. 216. For its part, the Belgian Government supports all efforts and proposals aimed at strengthening the application of the principles laid down in the Charter which do not entail amendment or modification of that document. Specifically, we believe that the study of measures for the prevention of threats to the peace deserves priority attention.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The considerable activities undertaken by the Secretary-General throughout the past year and his determination to be present, either personally or through his closest colleagues, at the centre of all potential and existing conflicts are a demonstration of his determination actively to play his vital role and are an exhortation to States in their turn to shoulder their own responsibilities. 215. As for the Security Council, its President has summed up the present state of its work on this question. He has confirmed that the Charter provides the Organization with all the means necessary for carrying out its mandate.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Last year's appeal by the Secretary-General met with the widest possible response, and this led to the unanimous adoption of resolution 37/67, whereby the General Assembly gave him its total support and invited him to continue his efforts towards strengthening the authority which the United Nations should be able to exercise. 213. At the thirty-seventh session, from this very rostrum, I referred to the importance which should be attached to the preventive role assigned by the Charter to the Security Council and to the Secretary- General. 214.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In all branches of the Organization concerned with disarmament—whether the First Committee, the Disarmament Commission or, above all, the Committee on Disarmament at Geneva— debates are marked by sterile confrontation, as a result of which each party finds itself back at the starting-point with nothing—or at most very little—concrete having been accomplished. 211. Certainly, there is no lack of proposals. But what is missing is a translation of those proposals into specific measures able to create that degree of mutual trust without which disarmament is really impossible. It is for this reason that Belgium attaches such importance to the possibility of verification of the conventions whose conclusion we are considering; the means of verification must become more stringent as the matter to be supervised becomes more important. 212.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The existence of the United Nations, founded as it is on the multilateral approach to international relations, is, however, becoming more and more indispensable. 209. Yet it is that approach which is now being called into question. Multilateralism is in a state of crisis, and the Secretary-General, in last year's report as well as in the one just submitted, has made a perfect diagnosis of the reasons why this is so. 210. This serious crisis, which could be fatal for international society, has manifested itself in many areas. In particular, it affects what is done—or rather what is not done—in one area to which we attach the highest priority: that of disarmament.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Our populations are beginning to wonder with anxiety about what uncontrollable situation, what possibly irremediable catastrophe, we are leading them to. At the same time they cannot fail to notice that the machinery designed to restore peace and security is not working. Thus, public opinion in our countries is quite naturally asking, "Why is the United Nations not taking action? What purpose does it serve?" 208. If we do not succeed in changing this situation, we shall have to be careful lest the growing disillusionment of our peoples turns from today's scepticism into indifference, or even hostility, towards international organizations in general and towards this Organization in the first place.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“203. While I regret that the hour is late, I should like to discuss in depth a few questions which I believe should be a matter of particular concern for the General Assembly. 206. The first among them, I think, is undoubtedly the question raised by the report submitted to the Assembly by the Secretary-General. Once again, he has had the courage to denounce, sincerely and straightforwardly, the weaknesses of the Organization and to suggest how they might be remedied. 207. The proliferation of crises, the constant deterioration of the international situation, and the aggravation of tensions, particularly between the super-Powers, and their impact on regional conflicts—which are becoming ever more frequent and ever more serious—are all giving rise in every one of our countries to a growing malaise.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It is not surprising, there¬fore, that the primary concern of the founders of the United Nations at its birth were the protection, the dignity and the fulfillment of man, and that in drafting the Charter and establishing its institutions they made man the centre of their concerns. We must remain faithful to that original, basic concern, and we must give priority to the accomplishment of this task that has been bequeathed to us. Let us remember that all of us here are the servants of mankind and of its dignity, and that mankind must constitute for all of us in our joint action the measure of all things.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Lastly, could we not envisage the simultaneous participation of such personalities in the institutions of the regions from which they come and in international institutions, or is this Utopian? 267. The Organization was created in the aftermath of a ghastly war that was the result of the dissemination of ideologies whose principal characteristics were contempt for and enslavement of humanity. Those ideologies plunged our universe into a nightmare which lasted for 15 years. When it ended the world found itself rent apart, bloodless and lifeless, and mankind was for a long time traumatized by the horrors it had perpetrated and suffered.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“I think it would be desirable first of all for States to make an effort to designate, within existing organs or institu¬tions, internationally recognized personalities in the field of human rights and to give them a status that would, like that of the magistrates I mentioned earlier, ensure their total independence. Such personalities already exist in those bodies, but their independence is not always safeguarded. Furthermore, I think it would be useful if some of those personalities could participate in the work of more than one monitoring body, in order to establish among them a personal link of co-operation prior to the establishment of institutional Sinks.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In a Utopia an independent body of magistrates would be estab¬lished to ensure the harmonious implementation of human rights all over the world while taking local circumstances into account. This body of magistrates would hold itself aloof from the partisan interests that are so dear to States, with their present egoistic outlook. 266. The way that co-operation between States has evolved within the Organization makes this vision still rather remote. I should like to suggest, however, that a number of practical measures could be taken progressively to bring us nearer to that goal.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“On the whole, would it not be preferable to have a well-defined number of rights accepted in the different regions of the world that are effectively and fully respected, rather than to have a long list of theoretical rights? 264. In the same context, one may wish to give more extensive thought to the organic links which should be established between on the one hand the regional monitoring machinery over human rights—and I am happy to see that they are expanding not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world—and on the other hand the international monitoring devices, whose role could be reviewed in relation to their new link with regional mechanisms. 265. Secondly, more effective protection of human rights should, it seems to me, take into account the diversity of the international machinery.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“However, we must admit that in most of the cases these safeguards produce only meager results, either because they are not binding, or because of the small number of those who have adhered to them. The causes of that deficiency are numerous, but I believe that they can be narrowed down essen¬tially to two. 263. In the first place, if it is true that human dignity is universal and that each human being has the right to enjoy his fundamental rights without discrimination, it is also true that the positive expression of this human dignity may vary, depending on time and place. Our sense of reality requires us to take these dif-ferences into account and to achieve a more effective protection of certain rights, a better result based on concepts which are less vague.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Therefore, beyond doubt, the initial responsibility for ensuring respect for these human rights is primarily the duty of each State within its own territory. Nevertheless, the international com¬munity should not only endorse those fundamental rights; it should also be able to guarantee their observance. 262. It is not enough for States to endow themselves with the means to implement human rights. They need also the political will to employ these means and to allow a procedure of recourse in cases of omission or shortcomings, or what could be described as "errors" of interpretation of international norms, by the respon¬sible national authorities. The international community has already established different forms of monitoring with respect to human rights.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“That is why Belgium, together with its partners in the European Community, is wholly in favor of beginning the global negotiations. A new North-South dialogue can succeed only if it results in a satisfactory outcome for all groups. Without such a dialogue, that inter¬dependence in the future will be accompanied by growing insecurity and antagonism between nations. 260. Belgium, for its part, would like to see new forms of co-operation substituted for those risks, allowing us to overcome the crisis and bring about a common responsibility for world interdependence. 261. The establishment and the general recognition of rights designed to protect the fulfillment of the indi¬vidual and his integration within the community are undoubtedly a great victory for civilization over despotism.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Underdevelopment was already one of the scourges of our world; the financial crisis of today makes its elimination even more difficult. As far as the dialogue with the developing countries and the global negotiations are concerned, it should be noted that economic interdependence in the world has steadily increased. However, the slowing down of economic activity and the disruption of the international monetary system have seriously affected the volume of transfer of financial resources from the wealthy countries to the poor countries. That has resulted in a further deterioration of the economies of the least-developed nations, already strongly affected by the rise in oil prices. 259. That interdependence should lead each group of countries to view the revival of the world economy as a vital objective based on mutual interest.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“One cannot sufficiently underline that absolute neces¬sity. My country is profoundly convinced that the United Nations, and more specifically the Economic and Social Council, could and should undertake this task by making recommendations to the General Assembly, to Member States and to the specialized agencies concerned, in accordance with the principles of the Charter. 257. May I recall in this connection the support that Belgium is giving to the action undertaken by the Director-General for development and international Economic Co-operation, Mr. Ripert, to strengthen and deepen the general economic debates in the Economic and Social Council. Those debates, by improving the co-ordination of economic policies, could provide a new impetus to international eco¬nomic activity. 258.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The picture of the international economic situation today does not give rise to an optimistic outlook; everywhere one hears only of stagnation, unemployment, interest rates, fluctuations in the exchange rates, and deficits in the balance of payments. Peace and international security are the primary goals of the United Nations, but we should never forget that millions of unemployed people throughout the world follow our debates and wonder what the Organization is doing for them. 256. The economic crisis makes it incumbent upon the Organization and the specialized agencies to take all possible measures to mitigate the havoc caused by this depression, which is both cyclical and struc-tural, and to use every means at their disposal to alleviate the present situation as quickly as possible.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We have attributed that insecurity to the enormous over-capacity for mutual destruction, whereas in fact its roots lie in the increase in tension, of which the arms race is but a symptom. Our first priority, to ensure the security of States, is therefore the establishment of a more favorable political climate based on confidence, a sense of reality and good faith. Tension must be reduced before nations are disarmed. That is essentially a political undertaking, which is within the purview of the General Assembly at the thirty-seventh session; I urge it to succeed where the special session on disarmament has failed. 255. Economic progress is also one of the main objectives of the United Nations.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“With the holding of the second special session of the Assembly devoted to disarmament, the year 1982 seems to mark a new phase in this particular area, which is at the centre of our endeavors and affects the universal conscience to an ever greater extent. If the essentials of the disarmament effort could have been preserved, particularly the achieve¬ments of the first special session, in 1978, whose Final Document remains the solid basis on which to build our future efforts, it would be vain to try to hide the fact that the results of the special session of 1982 fall far short of our expectations. 254. We have tried to check and even reduce the increase in arms at a time when the sense of insecurity was increasing in the world.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Several are of such a scope that solutions can only be found on a global scale. Thus a heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of all of the Members of the Organization, and particularly on the great Powers which have special authority in the Security Council. From their consensus and their sincere understanding with other nations there should emerge a better functioning of the Organization and a better guarantee of the establishment of an ultimate climate of lasting peace. 252. This joint action, supported by the political will and commitment of all the Members of the United Nations, should allow a transformation of the present situation of uncertainty and crisis into a climate of mutual confidence, a necessary prelude to the estab¬lishment of an era of peace and universal justice. 253.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“I subscribe to this proposal which moreover, meets the purposes of the Organization without requiring any amendment of the Charter. 249. I should like to stress in that respect the essential role which is vested in the regional organizations. They are in a better position to appraise and to judge the level of tension or possible discord which exists in their regions. If such be the case, they can help you in preparing your informational report and advise you on the nature of the actions that may be con¬sidered and of the measures that may be proposed to the Security Council. 250. Thus it becomes clear that the right to take preventive action should be considered as a duty the better to serve the objectives of the Organization. 251. The problems that confront human society today are numerous.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The initiative that the Security Council should take, by virtue of its preventive role under the Charter, presupposes, however that it would be informed in time about the development of the interna¬tional situation and that, in particular, its attention would be drawn to the real dangers that the existence of certain sources of tension in the world might lead to. 248. The Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues, under the chairmanship of Olaf Palme, has produced a report which is excellent. This report proposes that you, Mr. Secretary- General, be entrusted with the task of presenting periodically a concise report on the evolution of the international situation with the precise aim of indicating what action should be taken to ensure that dissension among nations does not lead to violent confrontations.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the constructive role you wish to play, which is fully in accordance With the Charter. Indeed, Article 99 of the Charter provides that the Secretary-General "may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security". 247. I also believe that reactivation of the preventive role entrusted to the Security Council by the Charter, together with the prerogatives of the Secretary- General, constitute the most appropriate measure to ensure that increase in tension in certain parts of die world does not lead to confrontation, violence, or even war.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“That decision would be likely to promote a dialogue directed to a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. There was, moreover, a proposal made to that effect in January 1982 by the President of the Republic of Korea, which could constitute an adequate and equitable basis for discussion. 246. The question of the functioning of the Security Council deserves our full attention also. You, Mr. Secretary-General, in your sombre but accurate analysis of the present evolution of the international situation particularly emphasized the main obstacles to the activities of the Organization anxious to redress this situation, you informed us of the steps you intend to take and of the remedies you would like to see applied. I support those proposals.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Elleman-Jensen, the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the 10 member States of the European Community, I need deal only briefly with four questions. The first one, based on the specific proposals advanced by the Secretary-General, concerns the functioning of the Organization. The three others relate to the essential aim of combining our efforts to defend man and his dignity. I shall address myself to questions of disarma¬ment, the promotion of the North-South dialogue and the global negotiations, and the monitoring of respect for human rights. 245. With respect first of all to the universal task of the United Nations and the active role it must play in the Held of peaceful settlement of disputes, it seems to me highly desirable that the simultaneous admission of the two Koreas to the United Nations be con¬sidered.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Only this type of effort will allow us to achieve that the Secretary-General has assigned to us as the most urgent aim: the return to the principle of collective action for peace and security which is enshrined in the Charter, so as to make the United Nations better equipped to carry out its essential task. I wish to state this forcefully, because I, too, believe that without an efficient collective security system, the small and the weak will have no secure means of defense or protection. 244. In the light of these considerations should like to deal with a few aspects of the international situa-tion. In view of the remarkable statement made at the 8th meeting by our colleague, Mr.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The third order of priority has the following aims: first of all, scrupulous respect by each of our States for the Universal Declaration of Human Right; then, the acceptance and the implementation by the same States of all of the rights generally accepted as indispensable for the political, moral, cultural, social and economic fulfillment of human beings—I have in mind here, inter alia, the freedoms and rights of trade unions—and lastly, there must be resolute co-operation among all countries against terrorism, whose blind violence threatens all people. 243. The definition and the implementation of these tasks have to take place in the context of a determined effort to ensure respect for the Charter and to allow the machinery of the Organization to function as it should.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We must act vigorously to reopen the North-South dialogue in order to establish among ourselves efficient interna¬tional co-operation which will ensure for all the fruits of economic development. We must improve and adapt our programmes of action and of economic development in the light of the critical evolution of the world economic situation. We must also fight poverty, wherever it is rampant. We must concern our Iives not only with those who are the poorest in the poorest countries but also with those who, in each of our Spates, do not have access to the benefits of society, to schooling, to participation in the production process, health benefits and housing, who have been described as the "fourth world". 242.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The first order of priority seems to me to include essentially the following: first, the solution of so-called "local" conflicts, which are so numerous and on such a scale that they are turning our planet into a planet at war, together with an effort to end the civil strife which is tearing so many of our countries apart; secondly, an increased effort in the limitation, control and reduction of all kinds of arms and of the arms trade; thirdly, the prevention of international confrontations. 241. The second order of priority is aimed at developing between our States the mutual aid and co-operation which alone can provide a stable basis for international understanding and peace.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The first is war, or the threat of war, including civil war, which has become increasingly cruel and deadly through the ever-greater sophistication, multiplication and wider commercial distribution of armaments. Then there are poverty and hunger, which are, to be sure, characteristics of underdevelopment, but which—let us not delude ourselves—are not the exclusive domain of those countries which we call the poor countries. Finally, there is oppression and the violation of the most elementary human rights. 240. The existence of these three types of scourges seems to me to call for the establishment of three orders of priority, which incidentally are interde¬pendent.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We have forgotten that the Organization was not created by us in order to perpetuate in a new institution the habits and practices which had led to the failure of the former one. We nave forgotten the fact that we did not create it in order to have it serve as a forum for our diplomatic games, for the defense of our own interests, or for the confrontation of our rivalries. 238. What is worse, we have forgotten that we created the Organization for mankind, not for those of the East or the West, not for those of the North or the South, but regardless of frontiers, for all mankind. 239. Mankind is today the victim of three types of scourges, which unfortunately are often combined.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Moreover, I share the hope expressed by the Secretary-General when he states that "we now have potentially better means to solve many of the major problems facing humanity than ever before". Nevertheless, we find that not enough use is being made of these means. The fundamental problem does not lie in the functioning of the institutions of the Organization, nor does it lie in the application of one or another Article of the Charter or in the work methods of its organs or the actions of the Secretary- General. No—the fundamental problem rests with us, the Member States. We have too often let ourselves be swamped by immediate problems and taken advantage of by interests which are often purely national in character. 237.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“None the less, the essential goal that the sig¬natory States set for themselves at San Francisco and to which those that joined later adhered has still not been attained. I ask myself why it is that, despite its important partial successes, the United Nations has not fulfilled the hope its founders placed in it. For my compatriots, for the Government 1 represent and for me personally, this Organization is and remains the most courageous and generous attempt, and the only adequate one that has been launched since the dis¬appearance of the League of Nations, to assure the world of a modicum of order, understanding and co¬operation, without which it would not be able to survive. 236.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The work that it has accomplished is considerable. One could recall the part that the United Nations has played in decolonization. But I could also refer to its action on behalf of economic development of the so-called "new countries", the efforts it has made in the field of control, limitation and reduction of armaments as well as in nuclear non-proliferation and its initiatives to assure better understanding among nations or between groups of States from East to West and from North to South. Under its flag, the "blue helmets" have tried to come between hostile forces and to prevent the escalation of conflicts. Despite the dif¬ficulties they have encountered, their importance and the unique character of their role have not changed. 235.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Belonging to the generation which spent its youth during the tragedy of the Second World War, I am among those who, 37 years ago, enthusiastically greeted the birth of the Organization. At the end of the nightmare during which humanity suffered every possible anguish to an extent previously unequalled, States—from the largest to the smallest, from the strongest to the weakest, from the wealthiest to the most deprived, belonging to different systems— pledged to work together to free mankind from all the horrors it had just experienced, to free it from war and genocide, to free it from torture and hunger, to free it from discrimination, to free it even from the fear of all those horrors. 234. However, at a time when the shortcomings of the Organizations are being denounced, it seems important to me to recall its positive aspects.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“It reflects the uneasiness created by the growing tendency to seek solutions to crises outside the framework of the United Nations and the inability of the Organization to have its decisions implemented. We must thank you for having put on the agenda the central problem of the Organization, that is, its "capacity to keep the peace and to serve as a forum for negotiations.... its evident difficulties in doing so, difficulties related to conflicts between national aims and Charter goals and to the current tendency to resort to confrontation, violence and even war in pursuit of what are perceived as vital interests, claims or aspirations". I can tell you, Sir, that from the outset my country can sub¬scribe to every statement contained in your report. 233.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The efficiency of your actions may be much enhanced by the fact that they take place within an exceptional framework: that of the report sub¬mitted to us by the Secretary-General to guide us in our work. Mr. Secretary-General, the Belgian Govern¬ment has in the past conveyed to you the importance it attaches to the fact that you have been called upon to assume these high functions. It told you that Belgium was ready to assist you to the best of its ability in the difficult but vital task that you were assuming. Today, the Belgian Government is familiar with your report on the work of the Organization, which I would not hesitate to term a milestone for the Organization. It has come at the right moment.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Mr. President, like my colleagues who preceded me on this rostrum, 1 should like, on behalf of my Government and of myself, to convey to you our most warm congratulations on your election to the presidency of the present session of the General Assembly. Your dedication to the multilateral ap¬proach to international relations, to the authority and prestige of global and regional intergovernmental institutions and to the unique role of the United Nations constitutes the best guarantee that this session will take place in a most propitious atmosphere. May I convey to you my good wishes for the success of your endeavors and assure you of the full co-operation of my Government and myself. 232.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)