YouSaid · the spoken record

Rogers

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS ROGERS

lines on the record: 58
first: 1982-09-24
most recent: 1984-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

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“As we approach the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, let us pledge to preserve and strengthen the Organization so that it emerges stronger and more responsive to the needs of the kind of world we are in the process of creating.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“209. Our vision of the usefulness, indeed the necessity, of the United Nations is not clouded by the criticisms the Organization has attracted during its 39 years of existence. The list of accomplishments of the United Nations far outweighs the amount of criticism it receives. Indeed, the United Nations reflects the aspirations and frustrations of many nations and groups all over the world. We share the Secretary General’s view that "one of its great merits is that all nations—including the weak, the oppressed and the victims of injustice—can get a hearing and have a platform even in the face of the hard realities of power” 210.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“All our efforts to fashion a world order would be meaningless in the aftermath of nuclear war. We call on the international community, and the nuclear Powers in particular, not to shirk their responsibility to humanity but to work strenuously to save us all from the unspeakable horrors of nuclear devastation. 207. Belize's policies coincide with those of the Movement of Non-aligned Countries and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as with the approach adopted by the Commonwealth of Nations. We reaffirm our commitment to those organizations. 208. My delegation commends the Secretary General for his untiring efforts to streamline the Organization in the face of great odds, for his report on the work of the Organization—a forthright, frank and realistic report—and for his faith in the vision expressed in the Charter.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“On the international scene, our policies of peaceful coexistence, good neighbourliness, non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States, nonviolence and the peaceful settlement of disputes are aimed at promoting international peace, security and cooperation among nations. They are aimed at assisting in the establishment of a just and equitable international economic and social order in the world, with respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings among nations. And they are intended to protect and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize, to broaden our international recognition and to consolidate our nationhood. 206. We have an abiding interest in the continued existence of the planet Earth.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Belize joins the rest of the international community in deploring the continuation of the unfortunate war between the nonaligned States of Iran and Iraq and imploring them to put an end to war and begin the task of reconstruction and reconciliation. 203. We remain concerned at the situation in Afghanistan and look forward to a negotiated political settlement that does not prejudice the independence, sovereignty and nonaligned status of that country. 204. As a minor actor on the international stage, Belize has no pretensions to considerable influence in world affairs. Our domestic concerns are limited to the consolidation of our independence, to building a durable and enduring democracy, to extending the fruits of development and a better life to all our people, and to offering every Belizean a dignified existence. 205.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Efforts to discourage the acceleration of that process serve only to delay the final outcome but cannot prevent it. We reiterate our support for and solidarity with SWAPO in the heroic struggle for the liberation of that country. 200. The suffering continues in South Africa, where the racist apartheid regime arrogantly, and with seeming impunity, persists in trampling on the rights and dignity of the majority black population. We condemn the trickery and sleight-of-hand being attempted by the racist regime under the guise of constitutional reform designed to defy world opinion and divide the oppressed people of South Africa. 201. While recognizing the right of Israel to exist, we recognize equally the right of the Palestinian people to forge their own destiny in their own homeland on their own territory. 202.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We maintain our solidarity with Guyana and support for its right to exercise sovereignty over all its territory, and are encouraged that the Secretary General has become involved in the search for a suitable settlement of the controversy. We wish him well in this effort and respect the assurances from both sides concerning the maintenance of a climate conducive to a favourable outcome. 198. We continue to support the United Kingdom in its efforts to find an honourable settlement that will not infringe upon the rights of the people of the Falkland Islands to decide their own destiny, and we call on the new Government of Argentina to resume negotiations without preconditions that would be prejudicial to the islanders' rights. 199. The independence of Namibia is inevitable.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Passive acceptance of this state of affairs by friendly States in the region is a contribution to the slowing down of the development process in Belize and runs counter to protestations of friendship and regional cooperation. 196. Nearly a year has passed since the tragic events in Grenada traumatized the Caribbean and caused such deep disquiet among our Caribbean sister States and in the larger international community. Our Commonwealth family has agreed that the time for recriminations has passed and that all possible efforts should be made to assist the Grenadian people to reconstruct their shattered country. We view positively the announcement of free and fair elections, to take place in December, and we commit ourselves again to respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of that Caribbean country. 197.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“As a disadvantaged developing nation, Belize grapples daily with the facts of underdevelopment: declining export earnings for our sugar and other primary products, high interest rates and the subsequent lessening of foreign exchange available for purchases from the industrialized world. While we have initiated policies to stimulate economic growth, countries such as ours rely heavily on concessionary arrangements and technical and other assistance from international and regional organizations and institution?. 195. We regret, therefore, the deliberate policy of exclusion that prevents Belize from participating in the Organization of American States and its institutions, in the economic initiatives designed for the Central American region and in financial institutions established to assist the development of our part of the world.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that, for reasons extraneous to our development needs, Belize often finds itself excluded from regional and hemispheric initiatives designed to improve the economic conditions of our region. 193. As a Central American State, my country is not immune from the results of the conflict in the region. While not a participant in the conflict, we are a recipient of some of the inevitable tragic results, including the need to give refuge, at great sacrifice, to thousands of displaced refugees fleeing from the theatre of civil war. Motivated by our human duty, Belize provides a safe haven for our brother Central Americans in our society. 194.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Because of this, we welcomed the initiatives of the Contadora Group in searching for regional solutions to regional problems. We congratulate the countries of the Contadora Group on their positive efforts towards a peace agreement and look forward to early acceptance and implementation of the agreements by the countries of the region. For our part, Belize supports the principles and concepts put forward in the new Contadora accords. 192. Belize thanks all its friends and allies who, in this world of interdependence, work together with it to advance the economic development and social progress of its people and the peoples of the region and the world.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We hope that our continuing discussions will bring it to the realization that the way to strengthen the ties between our peoples begins with recognition of our independent existence as a State, respect for our sovereignty and acceptance of our historical borders. Belize continues to agonize over the deteriorating situation in our region of Central America. We express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the area and our readiness to assist in every way in the search for peace and stability. We regret the introduction, with the resulting damaging effects, of considerations of an East West configuration. 191. We support peaceful solutions and adhere to the principle of non-intervention in conflict situations.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“To perpetuate the fiction that Guatemala is negotiating with the United Kingdom over Belize is unreal and unproductive. We invite Guatemala to abandon this fiction and to recognize the State of Belize. In this way, we can move forward with realism towards a solution. 189. It is equally fictitious to pretend that Guatemala can strengthen its ties with the people of Belize as long as there exist the institutional distrust and disrespect inherent in their reluctance to accept Belize's independent existence. I can assure the international community that the people of Belize are as united now as they have ever been against the false claims of Guatemala over our territory.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We invite the Government and the people of Guatemala to move away from the archaic and anachronistic attitudes of the past, to acknowledge the exercise of the right of the Belizean people to self-determination, to respect our land and sea borders, to recognize the new State of Belize and to accept its sovereignty. 187. The failure to recognize Belize adds special impediments to negotiations between our two sovereign States. The Government of Guatemala must recognize that authority over Belize is vested in the Government of Belize; therefore, negotiations over Belize must be with the Government of Belize. It is the Government of Belize—and only the Government of Belize—that has and can exercise the authority to conclude a settlement with the Government of Guatemala. 188.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We invite Guatemala to face the reality that the self-determination of the Belizean people, after years of struggle and constitutional evolution, culminated in the process of decolonization and separation from the Administering Authority and the emergence of a new nation in Central America. Belize did not have two colonizers. The independence of Belize could not have been a unilateral grant from the United Kingdom; it was the result of a legal and constitutional process. This fact is recognized by the United Nations, the Charter and principles of which Guatemala's spokesmen profess to respect; and Belize is recognized by all the nations of the world, except Guatemala. 186.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We are enriched by the friendship of the Central American nations with which we share a common geography, common aspirations and a common destiny. We thank them for their friendship, their support and their cooperation. In return, we ask them to recognize our God-given right to determine our existence as a nation for ourselves, free from external threat and domination, sovereign over all our territorial treasures. 184. To our neighbour State of Guatemala, which persists in claiming our land, Belize reiterates its willingness to negotiate with good faith and determination to find a just solution. Such negotiation, however, will not be predicated on the presumption on the part of Guatemala that it has any rights over independent Belize. The independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize are not for negotiation. 185.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It needs the help and understanding of older nations, especially those concerned with the peace and stability of our region, if we are to fulfil the promises of the fruits of independence for our people and continue to be a free and independent nation, sovereign over all our territory. 182. As a young nation, we wish to live in peace and harmonious cooperation with all our neighbours. We cherish the example of good neighbourliness that characterizes the relations between Belize and Mexico, our larger northern neighbour, with which we share land and sea borders. We also cherish the relationship of trust and understanding developed over the years with the nations of the Caribbean community which share with us a common history, culture, language and experience. 183.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“These principles allow us to operate the economic system in such a way that the material resources of the community are distributed to serve the common good and ensure adequate means of livelihood for all; that labour is not exploited, or forced by economic necessity to operate in inhumane conditions; and that there is opportunity for all to advance on the basis of merit, ability and integrity. 181. But we recognize that it is not an easy task to maintain these noble principles in difficult political and economic circumstances. There must be a daily struggle to keep our freedom, our independence and our sovereignty intact and secure. A nation three years of age is an infant nation.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“At this time, the people of Belize are on the threshold of both local and national elections, under the provisions of a Constitution that guarantees universal adult suffrage to all citizens aged 18 years and more. 179. In a region of the world where violence and civil strife seem endemic, where human rights and human values are often mortgaged for political advantage or ideological impulse, I am proud to speak for a nation that has no political prisoners in its gaols, that recognizes that men and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and upon the rule of law. 180. Our policies of government are based on principles of social justice.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Both our nations are the product of the ideals promulgated in the landmark decision of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960—a testimony to the potential for world transformation inherent in the United Nations. 176. The fact that this potential has not as yet been more fully realized is a comment on the absence of moral and political commitment among those with the authority and the influence to translate for the benefit of their own peoples the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations for the benefit of all peoples. 177. We welcome the admission of Brunei Darussalam as the 159th Member State of the Organization and offer it our friendship and cooperation. 178. Belize begins the fourth year of independent life as a functioning democracy in the Central American and Caribbean region.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We are fortunate indeed, Sir, to be approaching the end of the fourth decade of the life of the United Nations under the distinguished presidency of a man such as yourself, a man of experience and stature closely identified with your own land, Zambia, your continent, Africa, and your constituency, the world. It is my particular personal pleasure to congratulate you on behalf of my country, Belize, and on my own account on your election to steer the deliberations of this session. 174. You follow in the footsteps of another great friend of Belize, President Jorge Illueca, of Panama, whose conduct of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly's difficult and at times awesome agenda assures him posterity's recognition as one of the eminent statesmen of Latin America. 175.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We share the concerns so lucidly expressed in his report on the work of the Organization, issued on 12 September 1983. It is only by ensuring that the United Nations remains the most effective instrument to provide peace, security, stability and justice for all that we can guard against the constant threat of extinction hanging over mankind. 30. But we are confident that where mankind faces the choice of creating or destroying, reason will prevail and life will be triumphant. This is the hope of the United Nations. This is the promise to our children.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“All of us stand to benefit from an early world economic recovery. All of us, developed and developing countries alike, have a reason to stimulate the process of international economic negotiations for the establishment of a new international economic order. No one of us can solve these problems in isolation. 28. We have every confidence that the collective interests of the world community dictate the imperative need for it to join together in this task and avail itself of the tremendous capacity of the United Nations to institute the framework of global negotiations for the restructuring of international economic relations. 29. My delegation commends the valiant efforts of the Secretary-General to discharge the awesome functions of his high office.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Countries like Belize continue to hope that these efforts will result not only in academic discussion, but in positive action. In the mean time, we husband our resources and structure our development programmes to achieve the optimum benefits from our productive capacity. 26. We fully recognize the interrelation between our own national policies for development and the existing world situation. Our main export is sugar, an industry which employs some 25 per cent of our working population. With limited access to modest preferential markets, we are forced to sell a significant proportion of our production at a downward fluctuating world market price that often requires increased production for smaller returns. 27. AM of us have a stake in the reversal of the present economic situation.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Declining export earnings, high interest rates and the resulting loss of foreign exchange availability have a disastrous effect on the economies of the poorer countries. Added to this, the protectionist policies followed by some developed countries and the many obstacles imposed on our countries to deny us access to international money markets deepen the already acute problems faced by many in the developing world. Much effort has been expended by the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and various other international and regional groupings of North-South and South-South configurations to come to grips with the solution of pressing problems of economic disparity, but to date no significant progress has been achieved. 25.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“To that end we have set as our highest priority the task of putting our own house in order. We do this through the democratic process of our independence Constitution. We put emphasis on obedience to the laws of God and the laws of our nation and we are mindful that by faithfully doing our human duty we guarantee to others their human rights. Every small effort we make in our societies to improve the condition of our citizens has a positive effect on the global effort to realize a fundamental transformation of international structures, to ensure a better life for all the inhabitants of our one world, the planet earth. 24. Economic conditions among our developing countries continue to be subject to the economic fortunes of the developed world in an imbalanced and inequitable ratio.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We reiterate the call for a political settlement in Afghanistan, on the basis of the withdrawal of foreign troops and full respect for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aligned status of that country. 22. Belize has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in an effort to contribute to the effectiveness of this most important breakthrough in international co-operation for the benefit of mankind. We urge those countries which have not yet done so to sign this historic agreement. 23. While we are deeply concerned over the tensions and confrontations that exist in our region and in other parts of the world, the people of Belize are acutely aware of their own role in advancing the work of continuing creation.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We cannot accept that the independence of Namibia continues to be delayed for reasons totally unrelated to the liberation of that Territory. 18. While recognizing Israel's right to exist as a State, we cannot ignore the plight of the Palestinian people, who are deprived of the exercise of their right to their own homeland on their own territory. 19. We cannot condone a situation that forces the Lebanese people to live in daily fear for their safety, in a virtual state of siege. 20. We join in the universal appeal to the non-aligned States of Iran and Iraq to put an end to war and move positively towards an honourable, just and enduring peace through negotiation. 21.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We note the involvement of the Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful and just settlement of the controversy and join him in urging the maintenance of the most favorable climate for the effective application of the Geneva Agreement .2 17. We in Belize cannot ignore the fact that justice and fundamental rights are still being denied to many of the world's peoples. As a nation whose people have historic links with the continent of Africa, we in Belize cannot ignore the suffering of the black majority in southern Africa, where the racist Pretoria rulers cynically pursue their policy of on the One hand, while on the other hand herding ethnic majorities into bantustans, in mockery of the Africans' real need for freedom and independence.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“They also inform our conduct of international affairs, where the basic rules are respect for the right of peoples to self- determination, non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States, non-violence and the peaceful settlement of disputes. 15. With regard to the situation in the Falkland Islands, Belize continues to maintain its well-known policy based on the principles of self-determination, the non-use of force and the peaceful settlement of disputes. 16. Belize once more reaffirms its support for our sister Latin American and Caribbean nation of Guyana in its efforts to consolidate its independence and sovereignty and to preserve its territorial integrity in the face of a claim on its territory by its larger neighbour.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“My delegation made our position clear in a letter to the President of the Security council in September' and we reiterate it today. 13. Great rhetoric is expended in the quest for international peace while those with the capacity to ensure a durable peace rush headlong into building up their arsenals for war. 14. The foreign policy of the Government of Belize coincides with the policies of the Non-Aligned Movement. These policies guide us with regard to our legitimate right and aspiration to be free from relations of subordination and dependence and to shape our own destiny according to our own national aims and objectives.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Steps toward peace and political and economic stability in Central America cannot be made by force and military might. Violence does not solve problems. My delegation feels that a political and negotiated solution is the best way to reduce tension and to give back to the people of the region some hope that they can resume a normal life. In this we support the work of the Contadora Group in its difficult task of restoring peace and prosperity to our region. 12. Because our foreign policy promotes non-violence and the peaceful means of settling disputes, we condemn the use of violence, especially the despicable type of violence which killed innocent victims in the commercial airliner destroyed by a military Power.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Refugees are not isolated in camps and insulated from the mainstream of Belizean society. Our integrative approach is to involve them in the life and the work of the community, to help them contribute to food production and give them some hope for tomorrow. None of us abandons hope that some day they will be able to return to their own lands and their own homes. However, a large influx of new people inevitably causes severe strains on the limited infrastructure of any developing country; and in Belize the strains are placed mostly on areas where we can least afford to be weakened: in employment, in medical and health facilities, in the school system and in housing. If we are to continue and cope effectively with this situation, Belize will require more positive assistance from international agencies. 11.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Yet we recognize that Central America is experiencing today the groaning and yearning for a new liberation, after centuries of power and economic imbalances that have left us a doleful legacy of poverty, inequality and unfulfilled expectations. 10. Although Belize shares the history of the region, we have worked hard to spare our people much of the agony of the present crisis. But as the crisis in our region deepens no country is spared the effects. In our own country, refugees from neighbouring States continuously cross our borders in search of a safe haven of peace and stability from the ravages and destruction caused by civil war. Motivated by our human duty, we accept our brother Central Americans in our midst, we make a place for them in our society.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It is this intransigence in refusing to recognize the reality of an independent Belize that prevents us from living in peace and co-operation as neighbours should. This reality means that only the representatives of the Belizean people can speak for the nation of Belize. Belize is always willing to enter into peaceful dialogue with Guatemala to work out means of living together in peace and harmony. 9. Persistence in this attitude on Guatemala's part constitutes a threat to peace in the only remaining peaceful part of Central America, a continent afflicted by the violence of strife. We share the anguish of the peoples of the continent and we wish for better times for them and for us.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We are recognized by all the nations of the world—except one, Guatemala. It is the unfounded claims to our land by this larger neighbour that prevent good and friendly relations with the Republic of Guatemala and present an obstacle to the full realization of our potential for development and for the betterment of the lot of our peoples. 7. To those who claim our land and cause us needless worry we hold out the hand of friendship. We ask that they respect and recognize our right to determine our future as a nation, free and sovereign, within the land and sea boundaries of Belize, which existed even before the independence of Central America. 8. Guatemala has never possessed any rights over Belize, neither before we became independent nor now that we are independent.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Belize is a small, developing country struggling with its own problems of underdevelopment and nation- building, in the midst of a region suffering the wider consequences of the processes of change, in a world whose chances of survival are lessened progressively with the accelerated development of the increasingly more frightening and more lethal technology of destruction. 6. Even before Belize became independent, we were a founding member of the Caribbean Free Trade Association and later of the Caribbean Community. We are also members of the Commonwealth, the Movement of Non- Aligned Countries and various other regional and international organizations. We have beneficial ties of friendship and co-operation with most of the nations of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The people of Belize and the people of Panama have a long tradition of association and friendship, and our Governments have forged a relationship of trust, understanding and mutual support that could be a model for regional co-operation. 3. We pay a tribute to the high quality of leadership displayed by Mr. Imre Hollai of Hungary, who presided over the thirty-seventh session. 4. We rejoice at the accession to independence of our brother Caribbean State of Saint Christopher and Nevis as we welcome yet another member of the Latin American and Caribbean family to the congress of the world. 5.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“1. Belize appears before the Assembly of the representatives of the world's peoples at the beginning of its third year as an independent nation of the Americas. Our independence was achieved through the struggle of our people and the support of the countries represented here. We are responding to the challenge to create a new society based on the structures of democracy that have worked so well for us, and with respect for the principles of international behaviour that have ensured the survival of the United Nations for so many years. 2. As a Central American and Caribbean nation, we rejoice at the election of Mr. Jorge Illueca, the Vice- President of Panama, to preside over the deliberations of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It gives us hope that we shall find other formulas for co-operation in other spheres of human endeavour. And what better place to devise such formulas than the United Nations? 233. The delegation of Belize feels that the Charter of the United Nations holds the key to the mechanisms to create a better world. The will to use the machinery of the Charter must be consciously strengthened. For this reason, we support the recommendation of the Secretary-General that a meeting of the Security Council be held at the highest level "to make a serious effort to reinforce the protective and pre-emptive ring of collective security which should be our common shelter and the most important task of the United Nations". Indeed, the United Nations remains the last best hope for mankind.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We recognize the co-operation of the United States Government in approving President Reagan's Caribbean Basin Initiative, and hope that the measure is a first step in a wider economic co-operation effort. We also applaud the economic co-operation and assistance efforts by the Nassau Group of countries in this hemisphere-Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. 234. Belize notes with great satisfaction that after 14 years of difficult negotiation the United Nations has finally adopted the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This Convention, which has attracted almost universal support, is perhaps the single most important example in recent times of the possibilities for co-operation in an enterprise designed for a better future.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Even those countries which had the courage to practice good husbandry and fiscal responsibility are victims of this unjust economic system, which has created the phenomenon of a liquidity crisis and a slow-down in investments. In a situation such as this, no one can win; all will suffer. And because of our vulnerability, the small, poor, developing countries suffer most. Common sense and simple equity demand a change. The cry for a new international economic order can only be stifled at the risk of total economic chaos. 233. We appeal to the industrialized world to implement bold and effective initiatives to strengthen the economic recovery efforts of our countries.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The richer, developed and industrialized countries are not encouraging the development of the exports of the developing countries, by their refusal to pay just prices for our commodities, which in the long run would lead to a healthy expansion of international trade for the benefit of all. Instead, they prefer to finance the imports of the third world with loans on exorbitant terms. We are now reaping the bitter harvest of this unenlightened policy. 232. Many third world countries had a higher rate of growth, but it was artificial, because it resulted in an unprecedented increase in their debt burdens. The inevitable consequences now affect us all.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“If there has emerged one clear consensus in international thinking today, it is that the world is plunging into economic disorder; that the international financial system urgently requires overhauling. 229. More and more men and women who want to work cannot find jobs. Trade is slowing down to a trickle. Commodity prices are falling rapidly exchange rates are unstable and the level of investments is very low. These conditions cause havoc among the poorer nations. Added to this, cruel protective trade barriers deny us a market for our products. The costs of servicing external debts keep soaring, and speculation runs rampant and uncontrolled in the financial markets. 230. In the face of all this, is it any wonder then that the economic struggle for poor countries like Belize is one of sheer survival? 231.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Our other neighbours in Central America and the Caribbean affirm it. The world, through the United Nations, recognizes the sovereign, independent nation of Belize. 226. We reiterate our commitment to find a peaceful resolution of differences with the Republic of Guatemala for the mutual benefit of our two peoples. But the territorial integrity of Belize cannot be sacrificed as a "quick fix" solution. Rather, we seek a permanent and lasting peace with all our neighbours-a peace based on mutual trust and respect, conducive to the continuing development of all our peoples. 227. In this same spirit Belize supports our sister Caribbean Latin American nation of Guyana in its efforts to preserve its territorial integrity, and calls on the parties to seek a peaceful solution through an acceptable international forum. 228.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Belize must, however, insist on respect for its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-aligned character. 224. The refusal, to date, of the Republic of Guatemala to recognize the reality of Belize within its long-established and traditional borders, is in open defiance of-and shows a contemptuous disregard for-the overwhelming support we have received from States Members of the United Nations. For the Republic of Guatemala to assert that they have "legitimate rights over the territory of Belize" is to reveal a blatant expansionist policy devoid of any legal, historical, or political merit. 225. No part of the territory that is Belize has ever been possessed or occupied by Guatemala. Belize belongs to the Belizeans. The peace-loving and democratic people of Belize know this.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The meeting in San Jose also declared respect for the independence and territorial integrity of States, rejection of threats or the use of force to settle conflicts, a halt to the arms race, and the elimination, on the basis of full and effective reciprocity, of the external factors which hamper the consolidation of a stable and lasting peace. 223. Belize, for its part, continues to extend the hand of friendship, and an attitude of good neighbourliness to the Republic of Guatemala. As two sovereign nations, which must inevitably live together with shared borders, we are optimistic that, together, we can work out areas of co-operation for our mutual benefit. We stand ready to take steps to resolve, peacefully, a controversy born in another century.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Belize subscribed to the final declaration of San Jose which stressed support for the principles of representative, pluralistic and participatory democracy, and concern about the serious deterioration of the present international economic order and international financial system. 221. The San Jose meeting declared its conviction that in order to promote regional peace and stability, it is necessary to support domestic political understanding that will lead to the establishment of democratic, pluralistic and participatory systems. Such understanding would lead to absolute respect for delimited and demarcated borders in accordance with existing treaties, compliance with which is the proper way to prevent border disputes and incidents, observing, whenever applicable, traditional lines of jurisdiction. 222.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We also endorse the decision of the non-aligned movement to convene an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau in Managua, Nicaragua, from 10 to 14 January 1983. 219. Because Belize shares the view that direct dialogue among democratic countries is an appropriate mechanism for reviewing the situation in their region, and seeking solutions to common problems, the Mme Minister of Belize, Mr. George Price, met in San Jose, Costa Rica, on 4 October with representatives of Colombia, El Salvador, the United States of America, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. 220.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The social unrest and tension in this part of the world are, in many ways, products of a long history of exploitation and abuses of human rights, aggravated by external pressures and disregard of the principles of non-intervention and non-interference. 217 Although we in Belize have embarked on policies and practices designed to prevent exploitation and abuse, we are not unaffected by the problems of the, region. It is incumbent on us to strive resolutely for regional harmony based on mutual respect, and for the elementary democratic right of a people to shape their own destiny. 218. In this context, Belize welcomes the initiative of President Lopez Portillo of Mexico and President Herrera Campins of Venezuela to bring peace to the region by way of a political solution.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)