YouSaid · the spoken record

Huq

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS HUQ

lines on the record: 160
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 1981-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“Owing to the vagaries of nature, they are often faced with food crises and with the unhappy compulsion of diverting part of their scarce resources to meet the food deficit, thus further slowing down the rate of agricultural development. A world food security system is thus an imperative need. 123. The existing economic order is clearly unsuited to contemporary world needs and is ineffective in remedying the malaise of the chronic economic disequilibrium which is detrimental to the interests of both the poor and the rich countries. The restructuring of the existing economic system is, therefore, an imperative in the global interest. It cannot be overstressed that the New International Economic Order aims at raising the quality of life of the peoples all over the world.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Though the increased income resulting from the recent rises in oil prices represents no more than an insignificant fraction of the income of the industrialized countries, a disproportionately high burden has been placed on the developing countries, which have been doubly hard hit, having to pay higher prices not only for oil but also for imports from the industrial countries. 122. Food-deficit countries like Bangladesh are faced with the additional dilemma that, though they have the potential for doubling or even trebling their food production through the increased application of the new technology requiring such inputs as fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides and the like, investment in such inputs is growing at a slow pace because of the resource constraint.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Tenthly, prisoners of this anachronistic economic system, the industrialized rich countries are being increasingly driven away from the free-market economy to protectionism, through tariff and non-tariff barriers, in their agonizing struggle against inflation, recession and unemployment and against the paradox of unwelcome deficit for some and surplus for others, with its deleterious effect on the over-all economic situation. 121. Eleventhly, the crisis, grave as it is, is further aggravated by two other crucial problems, namely, energy and food.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Eighthly, even if the objectives of the projected growth rate in the developing world, as indicated in the last World Bank report," were to be achieved, some 600 million people would still remain trapped in absolute poverty by the end of the century. 119. Ninthly, in relation to combined gross national product, official development assistance has declined from 0.52 per cent in 1960 to 0.31 per cent in 1977. Ironically enough, there is a net outflow of resources from the poor to the rich countries. 120.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Fourthly, the share of the developing nations in merchandise exports has fallen from 24 per cent of the world total in 1960 to 21 per cent in 1976. 115. Fifthly, the indebtedness of the poorest nations has increased from $29.6 billion in 1970 to $44.6 billion in 1977 and is projected to increase to $64.5 billion by 1985. 116. Sixthly, in 1970 the debt service of the poorest nations accounted for 14.9percent of their exports. It is estimated that this will rise to 17.4 per cent in 1980. 117. Seventhly, measured in real per capita terms, the least developed countries as a group actually recorded a decline between 1970 and 1977 in such key areas as gross domestic production, agricultural production, manufacturing output and import volume. 118.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The inequitable character of this system and the grotesque distortions it produces in the growth pattern are evident from the following illustrative facts. 111. First, the developing countries, particularly the least developed among them, while commanding only one third of the world's resources, have to bear the entire burden of the world's poor numbering over 800 million, over 600 million of whom live in the least developed countries. 112. Secondly, for 1 billion of the world's population, the per capita income remains as low as $150—and is much less in real terms—as compared to the per capita income of over $6,000 for the population of the industrialized countries. 113. Thirdly, the population of the developing countries is over 2 billion but their share of the production of manufactured goods has now declined to 7 per cent. 114.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The level and quality of international co-operation did not match the needs of the developing countries, which also discovered that they did not have free access to the world stock of science and technology or to the world's markets, trade and resources. The development efforts during the last three decades indicate certain constraints embedded in global factors. It has now become more abundantly clear than ever before that the problems of poverty,- disease and hunger in the developing countries cannot be effectively resolved as long as those countries remain shackled to an economic order built during the colonial times and designed essentially to subserve the colonial pattern of production and trade. The existing economic system is clearly both unjust and outdated.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Bangladesh lays special emphasis on the unique problems created by geological and geomorphological factors in some countries and the application of the principle of equity in the solution of such problems. 110. As I earlier observed, the widening disparity between the rich and the poor nations of the world has assumed such an alarming magnitude that economic polarization stands out as the most serious threat to peace and security in the contemporary world. The expectation raised during the initial years of the era following the Second World War that through international co-operation the newly emerging countries could reap the fruits of advances in science and technology, telescope time and attain within decades the level of growth the industrial countries had taken centuries to achieve did not turn out to be true.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We sincerely believe that peace can be restored in the region by strict adherence to the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States and non-interference in one another's internal affairs. We hope that all foreign troops will be withdrawn from Kampuchea and that conditions will be created to end the conflict there and to enable the people freely to choose a Government without external interference or military presence, 109. As a developing country with a long seaboard, Bangladesh is closely following the prolonged negotiations going on in the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. We are, however, strongly of the view that the interests of the developing countries should be adequately appreciated and safeguarded.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It is the sincere wish of Bangladesh that both communities in Cyprus should live in peace and harmony. We warmly welcome the 10-point agreement reached in May 1979 between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus under the auspices of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim., We would appeal to all, both inside and outside Cyprus, to encourage the leaders of the two communities to hold meaningful and constructive discussions leading to a mutually acceptable agreement so that both communities can live with freedom and dignity in a federated Cyprus. 108. We view with concern the unfortunate developments in the South-East Asian region.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“As a token of its commitment to such steps, it has recently signed the Treaty - on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. 106. Bangladesh believes that peace and security would be promoted by the creation of zones of peace in areas like the Indian Ocean, South and South-East Asia, the Mediterranean and so on. It may be noted that Bangladesh participated actively in the recently concluded Meeting of the Littoral and Hinterland States of the Indian Ocean, held in New York in July last. We hope that the recommendations of the meeting regarding the expansion of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean to include the super-Powers and the major maritime users will facilitate the necessary preparatory work for reaching an international agreement for the maintenance of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace. 107.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The Final Document of the tenth special session assigns highest priority to nuclear disarmament, together with measures for the reduction of armed forces and conventional armaments. That document, along with the programme adopted at the recent meeting of the Disarmament Commission, is a positive step forward and will, we hope, create the necessary atmosphere to induce the superpowers to negotiate with the non-aligned countries for achieving general and complete disarmament. 105. As enjoined by its Constitution, Bangladesh is wedded to general and complete disarmament. It has also consistently advocated the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones as an effective measure of disarmament as well as of non-proliferation.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We, however, strongly condemn the attempt of the racist minority regime of South Africa to impose a puppet regime in Namibia in contravention of United Nations resolutions, in particular, Security Council resolutions 345 (1976) and 435 (1978). The Bangladesh delegation also denounces the detention and arrest of SWAPO leaders and appeals to all Member States to refrain from recognizing the illegally constituted, so-called "national assembly" in Namibia or assisting it in any way. 104. Bangladesh welcomes all efforts towards disarmament, including the recently signed strategic arms limitation treaty. We, however, believe that the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, which was devoted to disarmament, provides a good basis for ending the escalation of the arms race.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“As required by the United Nations resolutions, which Bangladesh has consistently supported, lasting peace can be secured in the Middle East only by the complete withdrawal of Israel from all illegally occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, and the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and the recognition of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. 103. In like manner, there can be peace in southern Africa only through the transfer of power to the genuine representatives of the people of Zimbabwe and Namibia and the ending of racial discrimination and apartheid in South Africa, We commend the Lusaka initiative and the British efforts and wish for a speedy resolution of the Zimbabwe problem through the transfer of power to the true representatives of the people.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“This new emerging profile of the international community and the trend of its thinking favour the strengthening of the United Nations system for the establishment of the rule of law in international relations and for securing global peace, stability and progress. 101. In our view, many of the challenges and problems posing a threat to peace and security can be resolved through our united action and through the implementation of the United Nations resolutions and decisions. 102. For ages, Moslems, Christians and Jews have lived together in the Middle East. All canons of justice and morality demand the restoration to the Palestinians of their inalienable national rights, including their right to a State of their own.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The crisis facing the contemporary world is thus essentially a product of a material and utilitarian system without a moral basis. The ills that plague our world stem not from lack of resources but from lack of a political will to reorder our political and economic system on the foundation of the universal human and moral values. 100. We are clearly standing on the brink of a precipice. We see, however, the stirrings of the world conscience. There is an emerging awareness that the crisis is grave and we must move in concert to overcome it. This is a concern that is shared by the overwhelming majority of nations, cutting across the boundaries of race, religion, geography, politics, economics and ideology and including many nations from the East as well as the West, from the North as well as the South.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“In their attempt to preserve an inequitable economic order and protect a life-style based on high consumption, they find themselves in the preposterous situation, on the one hand, of inflation and recession and, on the other, of mounting expenditures for armaments, the rapid depletion of non-renewable resources, the pollution of the environment and growing ecological hazards. While the economic disparity between the two parts of the world continues to widen, both are in a desperate economic situation with inevitable repercussions for the peace and security of the world. 99. It will appear from this brief analysis that the world is being inexorably driven politically, economically, militarily and morally to a point of catastrophic explosion, which, unless arrested in time, may turn into an all-consuming holocaust.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Tragically enough, this arms race is spreading to engulf other areas of the world, thereby threatening the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of nations which are either in-adequately armed or totally unarmed. The rule of law is yielding increasingly to international anarchy. 98. The economic scene is equally alarming. Two thirds of the world's population, impoverished by two centuries of colonial exploitation, are in a grim struggle to meet their basic human needs. Ironically enough, the remaining one third, representing the rich industrial nations, are also fighting a hopeless economic battle.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Armed with its military might, an otherwise small country such as Israel can, with impunity, continue its illegal occupation of the Arab territories and indulge in acts of naked aggression, violence and terrorism in total defiance of international law and the will of the international community. In like manner, racist minorities can continue to flout world opinion and trample upon all canons of justice, morality, freedom and human dignity to prolong their repressive rule over the majority of the population through the brutal use of force, as in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The international community is also a helpless spectator at the frightening escalation of the arms race, although the arsenal which has already been built up by the great Powers is enough to destroy our planet many times over.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The nations of the world became more interdependent than ever before; the specific goals of the majority of our nations were also more well defined. 96. There was, however, a gradual swing in the mood of the nations of the world, throwing up many challenges to the dream of the founding fathers of this world body. Formidable among them are the ideological polarization, the intensification of power rivalry, the escalation of the arms race, the persistence of colonial subjugation and racial discrimination, the widening areas of tension and conflict and, overshadowing all these, the widening gap between the rich and the poor nations. 97. The world of today is evidently in great disarray and is faced with many distressing paradoxes.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The creation of the United Nations in 1945 symbolized the hopes and aspirations of a war-ravaged world for lasting global peace and stability. In the years immediately following the Second World War, the prevailing mood was one of clear optimism and of determination to achieve the twin goals of global peace and progress. The motto was to "build peace in the minds of the people and banish poverty, disease and illiteracy'. The striking recovery of war-torn Europe and Japan, the resurgence of the nations of the third world and their emergence as independent, sovereign States, advances in science and technology and rapid developments in the means of communication were epoch-making changes on the world scene. As a result, bipolarity was largely replaced by multi-polarity in international relations.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“In like manner, efforts were made to promote friendly relations with our other neighbours in the region, such as Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka; and relations with these countries are growing in strength. Fraternal relations and co-operation with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and other Islamic States in economic, cultural and other areas were further widened and deepened. As a bridge between South and South-East Asia, Bangladesh has made every effort to strengthen its traditional ties of friendship and co-operation with the countries of South and South-East Asia and the Pacific region. Bangladesh also sought both to expand and to diversify its foreign relations by developing mutually beneficial relationships with other countries of Asia and other continents. 95.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Guided by these principles, my Government has endeavoured to promote and expand its friendly and co-operative relations with all peace-loving nations of the world. Tangible progress achieved in that direction can be briefly summarized as follows. 94. An agreement was signed with India to resolve the 25-year-old problem of the sharing of the Ganges waters. Efforts are now under way to evolve a long-term arrangement in this regard to the mutual satisfaction of both countries. Following the agreement with Burma signed in July 1978, the repatriation of nearly 200,000 Burmese refugees is almost completed. Both these agreements are the demonstration of good-neighbourly relations among our countries and contributed to peace and stability in the region.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The well-spring of motivation for the rapid political and economic changes in Bangladesh lies in the resolute and determined will of our people to overcome difficulties and move forward along the path of stability and progress. 93. Bangladesh welcomes every effort aimed at advancing the process of detente, the limitation of armaments and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in every part of the world. In the context of these cardinal principles of our foreign policy, Bangladesh has made persistent endeavours in recent years to promote peace and stability in the South Asian region through the creation of a climate of mutual trust, understanding and co-operation, on the basis of respect for sovereign equality and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The restructuring of the administrative services in order to gear them to serve a welfare society, land reforms and decentralization of the Government and the planning machinery, and the mobilization of the people for direct participation in all development efforts are among other revolutionary changes now under way. Following the completion of a two-year approach plan, a five-year development plan within the framework of a 20-year perspective plan will be launched next July. The focus of the strategy of the plan is on the achievement of economic self-sufficiency and the raising of the quality of life of the people, with the top priority assigned to agricultural production and population control.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“As a new emerging nation in this multi-polar world, with its many divergences, we have found the non-aligned movement to be a useful means of steering clear of Power rivalry and the consequent conflicts and controversies, thus ensuring both independence and balance in our foreign policy. 92. Since I had the privilege of speaking before this Assembly last year, Bangladesh has been passing through a quiet and peaceful revolution under the leadership of President Ziaur Rahman. With the election of a Parliament, the nation's sovereign law-making body, on the basis of adult franchise, the country's transition to the democratic process was completed in February last.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“As a developing country, Bangladesh is fully conscious of the benefit it stands to derive from this world body and also its responsibility in safeguarding the interests of the world community, both political and economic. It is in this spirit that we have always urged that the decision-making process of the United Nations system should be more adequately democratized. 91. From its very inception, Bangladesh has been committed to a non-aligned foreign policy based upon the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the peaceful coexistence of all States, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, non-use of force and the peaceful settlement of all disputes.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I should also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our sister Members of the United Nations for electing Bangladesh to the Security Council. It has been and will continue to be the endeavour of Bangladesh to justify the confidence thus reposed in it by upholding the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter and serving the cause of peace, freedom and justice. 90. Total adherence to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter is to us more than a commitment. It is enshrined in our Constitution. Ever since the admission of Bangladesh as a Member of the United Nations, it has been our consistent effort in concert with the vast majority of the Member States to work for the greater interest of the world community.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Kurt Waldheim, our sincere appreciation for his total dedication to upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and his exemplary perseverance in strengthening the United Nations and its organs as an instrument for reducing tension and promoting global peace and stability. We also commend him for his forthright and penetrating report on the world situation during the year under review 88. With the rest of the world, Bangladesh mourns the death of President Houari Boumediene of Algeria and President Agostinho Neto of Angola. As leaders of their respective countries and as dauntless freedom fighters, they have both left a deep imprint on contemporary world history. 89.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Your election to your high office is indeed a tribute to your outstanding personal qualities and wide-ranging experience, as also to your great country, the United Republic of Tanzania, with which Bangladesh has close ties of friendship. We assure you of our fullest co-operation. 86. I should also like to express our deep appreciation to the President of the last session of the Assembly, Mr. Indalecio Lievano of Colombia, for his valuable contributions. His wise guidance and leadership proved to be of immense benefit to the thirty-third session of the General Assembly. 87. I should like to convey to the Secretary-General, Mr.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The members of my delegation and I deem it a great privilege to have the opportunity of participating in the deliberations of the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We bring to Members the warm greetings of the people of Bangladesh. 84. We are indeed very happy to welcome Saint Lucia as a member of the family of the United Nations. We sincerely hope that the admission of Saint Lucia as a new Member will add to its strength and also to that of the United Nations. 85. Mr. President, on behalf of the Bangladesh delegation and also on my own behalf I offer you our warmest congratulations on your election as the President of this session of the Assembly.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“On this occasion Bangladesh reiterates its most genuine desire to participate constructively in the process of forging true co-operation and understanding, to maintain the most open and fruitful relations with all nations of the world and to strive together in the common task of ensuring for all countries—small as well as large, poor as well as rich—peace, security and progress based on the principles of freedom, justice and equality.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We have done so in all humility and in the belief not only that the United Nations serves the interests of the developing countries but also that the latter have a conscious duty and a responsibility to contribute to the furtherance of its objectives. We also believe that the fundamental principle of sovereign equality stipulates that all countries be given equal opportunity to be represented in the organs of the United Nations. 193.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“In the thirteenth place, international co-operation must be strengthened to prevent and alleviate natural calamities. The United Nations should explore the possibility of converting the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator into a full-fledged international disaster relief agency. 191. Finally, the fourteenth factor is the expansion of international co-operation in the field of energy resources through both policy measures and institutional arrangements. 192. In reaffirming our support for and commitment to the United Nations Bangladesh has submitted itself as a candidate for election as one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“In the eleventh place, adequate emphasis must be placed on the role and status of women and on their full participation in national development and in the decision making process. 189. Twelfth, there is a need to increase the availability of and access to food-stuffs through appropriate structural transformation and technological innovation. While the v creation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development has been a remarkable achievement in the provision of necessary assistance to increase production, an area of major significance is the attainment of food security through the establishment of world-wide food and grain reserves, which could be tapped at times of sudden production short-falls and price increases. 190.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Ninthly, there is the vital need to harness and mobilize the vast human resources of the developing countries for productive use, thus generating more employment and more production of goods and services to be shared by the world community and thereby enriching the quality of life of people throughout the world. 187. Tenthly, socio-economic structures must be transformed, with particular stress on agrarian and rural development, the distribution of wealth and the means of production through greater decentralization at the grassroots level to ensure the democratization of the political and economic decision-making power and the promotion of self-management and local leadership. 188.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Finally, an important activity in this field is the facilitating of the growth and diversification of their export trade in manufactured and semi-manufactured goods. 185. The eighth factor is the application of science and technology, which also lies at the root of the developmental process. The proper training of personnel to identify, select and manage future technology, the building of institutions adapted to indigenous technology and the transfer of appropriate technological processes are crucial priorities in this field. Of particular importance will be the preparations for and the holding of the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, scheduled for 1979. 186.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The seventh factor is the need to find ways and means to improve the export-earning potential of developing countries through their own efforts and through the expansion of trade with each other as well as by giving them greater access to the markets of developed countries through the progressive liberalization of tariff and non- tariff barriers. Of primary importance is the stabilization of their earnings from the sale of raw materials by means of commodity agreements and the establishment of a common fund. Equally important is the need to strengthen the arrangements for financing the balance-of-payments difficulties of the least developed countries by granting less rigorous terms and helping them to meet long-term trends, and particularly through the solution of structural problems.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Fifthly, the wasteful use of resources, including the mounting expenditure on armaments, must be eliminated and such resources must be diverted to developing countries for productive investments. 183. Sixthly, international policy governing the transfer of financial resources must be redefined with particular attention paid to the needs of the least developed countries and the most seriously affected developing countries. Crucial priority must be assigned to resolving the problem of the third world's accumulated debt, among other things by rescheduling existing liabilities and by tying debt repayment to real resource transfers and the conversion of outstanding debts into grants. 184.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Thirdly, basic human needs must be satisfied in the comprehensive sense through the eradication of poverty, hunger, disease and Illiteracy, and the highest priority must be assigned to this task for concerted action by the international community. 181. Fourthly, developing countries must strengthen their capacity for greater self-reliance, both individual and collective, not only in terms of self-sufficiency but with a view to broader diversification of resource use and as part of an integrated strategy to secure the transfer of resources and technology. The results of the United Nations Conference on Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries, held recently in Buenos Aires, cannot be overemphasized in this connexion. 182.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Bangladesh believes that, among the essential elements that need to be incorporated in any future plan for the evolution of a new world order, specific attention must be devoted to the following factors. We believe that these factors are particularly relevant to the formulation of the international strategy for the third United Nations development decade. 178. The first is scrupulous respect for the rule of law and the non-use of force in international relations, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. 179. The second is strict adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter by all Member States, and the observance of the resolutions of the United Nations. 180.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Thirdly, we must seek the integration of all nations into the decision-making process. No society, whether national or international, can ignore even its weakest link without affecting its cohesion. Fourthly, we must work for the consolidation of our unity and mutual co-operation, not merely by the affirmation of principles, but also by meaningful and practical programmes of action and the will to translate them into reality. Finally, it is our collective task to use our combined national power so as to create and not to destroy, to enter into dialogue and not confrontation, to build peace and 10 abjure war, and to advance human welfare instead of aggravating human suffering. 177.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“If we believe that peace is indivisible, we have to bear in mind that peace and prosperity are also indivisible. It has become more essential than ever before that the world community collectively prepare for the future and commit itself to a rational use of world resources, keeping in view the priorities on a global basis. 176. What, then, are some of these priorities for the future? First, Bangladesh believes that a cardinal imperative is to ensure that sovereignty and genuine freedom of action should not be compromised by external interference from any source whatsoever. Secondly, we must together carry the unfinished revolution forward so that the great majority of people may emerge from bondage into freedom, from exploitation to economic emancipation, and from dependence to self-reliance.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Burgeoning hopes for a settlement engendered by the historic North-South dialogue have now all but receded on virtually every front, first in the 18-month long negotiations in Paris and subsequently in their resumption through the Committee Established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174. Wide divergences continue to be reflected as between the pronouncements and actions of developed countries. 175. In renewing our commitment to the establishment of a just and new international economic order, we in Bangladesh have a vision for the future. It is a vision which embraces all nations. It is a vision of a world free of hunger, disease and illiteracy, a world free of fear. We believe that we can achieve such a world in this century. But this can come about only if all of us work in concert and with determination towards this goal.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Despite two decades of persistent endeavour through dialogue and negotiation and the adoption of such significant instruments of co-operation as the International Development Strategy to the Second United Nations Development Decade [resolution 2626 (XXV)], the Declaration and Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order [resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI)] and the consensus achieved at the seventh special session of the General Assembly [resolution 3362 (S-VI1)], only inconsequential progress has been made in meeting the crucial needs of the third world.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It cannot be overstressed that the new international economic order aims at raising the quality of life of the peoples all over the world; its aim is certainly not to undermine the quality of life in the rich countries. To say this, however, is not the same as equating the quality of life with a life-style based on wasteful consumption, the predatory depletion of non-renewable resources, the pollution of the human environment and the creation of °n ecological imbalance. 174.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Prisoners of this anachronistic economic system, the industrially rich countries are being increasingly driven to protectionism through tariff and non-tariff barriers in their agonizing struggle against inflation, recession and unemployment, with its deleterious effect on the quality of life of their people. 172. The existing world economic order is, therefore, clearly unsuited to contemporary world needs. It is detrimental to the interests of both the poor and the rich countries. The restructuring of the existing economic system is, therefore, an imperative in the global interest, since the search for peace and political stability is intimately bound up with the settlement of the crucial economic issues of our time. 173.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Secondly, for 1 billion of the world's population the annual per capita income remains as low as $US 150 in terms of 1976 prices—which will be much less in real terms—compared to the per capita income of over $US 6,000 for the population of the industrialized countries. Thirdly, the share of developing countries in world industrial production, which was a mere 8 per cent before, has now declined to 7 per cent. Fourthly, the debt liability of the low-income countries rose to 200 per cent of their export earnings in 1976 and the total external indebtedness of developing countries today stands at $US 220 billion. Fifthly, ironically enough the international assistance programme under the existing scheme of things also has a colonial flavour inasmuch as it is resulting in a net outflow of resources from the poor to the rich countries, 171.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It is stifling the growth of the developing countries of the third world and impeding their progress in attaining their development potential by denying them fair access to world resources, world markets and world trade. It deprives them of a fair opportunity of, deploying their vast manpower for productive employment. It continues to widen the inequalities between the rich and the poor nations. 170. The iniquitous character of this system and the grotesque distortions it produces in the growth pattern will be evident from the following illustrative facts. First, despite the development efforts extending over two decades and a half, the world population living in absolute and abject poverty has risen to 800 million and constitutes 40 per cent of the 2 billion population of developing countries, according to a recent World Bank report.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“A nation-wide campaign has been mounted for the mobilization and harnessing of the country's vast human resources for productive efforts. 168. Bangladesh's experiences in the field of development, however, indicate certain constraints embedded in global factors which call for closer co-operation among the nations of the world. 169. It has now become more abundantly clear than ever before that the problems of poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy that plague the developing countries cannot be effectively resolved as long as those countries remain shackled to an economic order built during colonial times and oriented essentially to subserve the colonial system of production and trade. The existing economic system is both unjust and outdated.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)