YouSaid · the spoken record

De Abreu Sodre

lines on the record: 93
first: 1986-09-24
most recent: 1988-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“This year we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is tragic that we are still unable to settle together the problems affecting, in vast areas of the world, the most elementary rights of mankind: the rights to life, health, shelter, food and work; in sum, those rights which assure the development and well-being of peoples. Whereas in the task of building peace the day of hope is dawning upon the world, the struggle for development remains in frustrating darkness. It has been said that development is the new name for peace. If that is true, the Assembly cannot fail to measure up to the challenges of our times and to heed the urgent calls for justice and dignity.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We were taken aback to see the most ¿¡table and predictable rules of international trade and international law being violated unilaterally. Therefore, conditions seem ripe for the General Assembly, responding to the appeal the President made in his inaugural statement, to relaunch on an effective, realistic and constructive basis, without resorting to rhetoric or recrimination, the North-South dialogue, without forgetting the great frustrations this endeavour has entailed so far. The General Assembly is meeting at a good moment to change the course of history; to steer it in safer directions; to intensify the progress made in the fields of peace, the settlement of disputes and disarmament; and to reappraise and reinvigorate the already weakened international economic co-operation.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Nor can we accept that the developed countries should ignore the commitments they solemnly made when the Uruguay Round was launched and demand concessions from developing countries in exchange for revoking protectionist measures. Moreover, it must also be acknowledged that legislative initiatives in some of the main trading countries are in essence clearly hostile, not only to international trade, but even to the scientific and technological capacity of the developing countries. My country, for example, is now under the threat of trade retaliation, simply because we - in accordance with international law and with the letter and spirit of agreements to which we are parties - have encouraged, in our own territory, research into and development of pharmaceutical products.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Proposals clothed in euphemistic language, such as "voluntary export restraints", cannot disguise the old formulas of protectionism and the spoliation or trade partners, formulas which are always at the root of the most serious recessions to shake the international economy this century. It is our hope that the present multilateral negotiations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade will make it possible for international trade to enter into a new cycle of expansion, on a more just and balanced basis. We cannot accept that the concept of trade without frontiers should be invoked to deny third-world countries the special, differentiated treatment they should receive.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“That is why we are convinced that only if and when the developed countries adopt appropriate policies shall we be able to reduce interest rates and improve the outlook for trade in debtor nations. Unfortunately, the erratic policy on international interest rates in recent years has thwarted the economic development of a whole generation. This policy has turned international trade into a complementary source of the reserves needed simply to service the external debt, with obvious adverse effects on expanding or even maintaining our economies' capacity to import. This sad state of affairs has been made all the worse by a battery of constraints imposed vertically - from top to bottom.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The share of developing countries in the developed market economies shrank from 28 per cent in 1980 to 19 per cent in 1987, whereas that of the developed countries grew from 63 per cent to 71 per cent in the same period. In real terms the participation of developing countries in world exports suffered a decrease of approximately 25 per cent between 1963 and 1986. And something is terribly wrong when one notes that, due to the burden of external debt, the developing countries have to transfer abroad a great amount of the resources they so badly need for their economic development. Brazil has, in the past few months, managed to reach with its private and government creditors a global agreement on the rescheduling of its external debt. We ate therefore keenly aware of the burdens weighing down on our economy.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It is therefore sad to note that we American, Asian, African brothers still suffer from the same horrors and the same desolation that so badly afflicted our forbears. While we have done away with wars, we have not yet been able to banish hunger, which is spreading endemically in pockets throughout the continents. We are all the more ashamed to see that hunger is present in and close to the most plentiful societies man has ever known. Something is terribly wrong. The real growth of production in developing countries fell from an annual average rate of 5.5 per cent in the 1970s to an average of less than 3 per cent in the 1980s.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We have only to look at this Assembly, as we meet for the forty-third consecutive year, to see that we are nations sharing universal principles and ideals. Whereas the hostilities of the Second World War had plunged us into the most hidden depths of terror and desolation, the seeds sown in San Francisco bore fruit in the Americas, in Asia, in Africa and in the Middle East - throughout the world. They are here, united, the nations which 50 years ago found themselves on opposing sides of the battlefield. They are here in this very place, united, the nations which in the following years achieved their independence, which was to a great extent the fruit of the same seeds of democracy sown in San Francisco. Are we less united than before? No. We are more united then before, but not as united as we wish to be in the future.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In the great majority of developing countries Members of this Organization, the dire facts continue to cry out for creative decisions which might break the stalemate that has been keeping those countries on the verge of collapse. We must no longer delude one another with rhetorical phrases and concepts. It is high time we openly admitted that a strong uneasiness is corroding the foundations of international economic co-operation. Almost half a century has elapsed since we declared ourselves United Nations and, united, undertook to follow a common set of ideals among which was the fight against misery and hunger. One commitment was to halt the degradation of the most cherished values of our civilizations, irrespective of origins or beliefs. What has happened to us? Have we become less united than we were then?”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“But the recurrence of incidents in areas of tension and the paralysis, which we hope is temporary, in the process of dialogue and understanding create a feeling of uncertainty as regards the future of Central America. As a member of the Contadora Support Group, Brazil hopes that a less tense international atmosphere may come to make it easier for the countries of the region to attain their objectives of peace and development. Although there is progress on the political scene and signs of a future world free from war and truly committed to achieving lasting peace, the international economic, situation still troubles our spirits and challenges our minds.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The Brazilian Government reiterates the need for respect for the rights of the Palestinian people, for Israel's complete withdrawal from the territories occupied since 1967 and for all States of the region to be able to exist in peace within internationally recognized borders. With those goals in mind, we continue to support the holding of an international conference on the situation in the Middle East, with the participation of all interested parties, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. The apparent standstill of peace progress in Central America is viewed with concern by Brazil. It cannot be denied that the Esquipulas Agreement contributed to alleviating tension and that new hopes emerged with the Agreement.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Brazil has underlined the need for strict respect for the territorial integrity of its South Atlantic neighbour, Angola, and for an immediate end to the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa. We regret that the odious practice of apartheid continues on its absurd course. The people and Government of Brazil long for the day when Namibia joins the community of independent nations. Peace and security can be assured in that region, so close to us, only when the odious institutionalized racism is eradicated. In the Middle East repeated scenes of violence, which have shocked world public opinion, confirm that the self-determination of the Palestinian people in their own territory is an essential condition for solving the crisis.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“May I stress the extraordinary relevance of the United Nations in this initiative, as from the joint action of all members of the Security Council - over which Brazil had the honour to preside at that time - in consultation with the Governments of Iran and Iraq and with the constant, timely and balanced mediation of the Secretary-General. In southern Africa, progress in the negotiations between Angola, South Africa and Cuba, with the mediation of the United States, augurs well for a peaceful and just solution to the question of Namibia under resolution 435 (1978), adopted 10 years ago by the Security Council. We hope that this will be the first step towards normalizing the situation in the southern part of the African continent through the elimination of all sources of tension and conflict.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I have no doubt that the conclusions of the Rio de Janeiro meeting will receive widespread support from States Members of the United Nations. The signing of the Geneva agreements and the beginning of the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan have rekindled hopes for a future of peace and development for that country. We commend the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Mr. Diego Cordovez, for the United Nations participation in this process. We would only have wished that the entering into force of the mechanism for verification and control of the agreements, with the good offices of the United Nations, had been implemented only after due process. The cease-fire between Iran and Iraq, welcomed by Brazil, brought the prospect of peace and economic reconstruction to the Gulf region.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We are concerned that, in spite of repeated appeals from this Assembly, negotiations have not yet begun on all aspects relating to the future of the Malvinas Islands. We believe it necessary that concrete measures be adopted, in particular by the militarily significant States, in order to ensure the non-introduction of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and the reduction of foreign military presence in the Zone of Peace and Co-operation. Ample possibilities exist for joint action in favour of development. We found significant points of common interest in the preservation of the environment, in the need to avoid the dumping of toxic wastes and in the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The loyal and fruitful co-operation between the two countries belies the myth of a nuclear race in Latin America. The constructive purpose inspiring Brazil's foreign policy led to the convening of the first meeting of States of the Zone of Peace and Co-operation of the South Atlantic, which was held in Rio de Janeiro last July. Part of a region which is assuming its own identity, founded on deeply shared interests and perceptions, the South Atlantic countries were able to explore further the many paths of open dialogue among equals offered by the Declaration of the South Atlantic as a Zone of Peace and Co-operation. Our views coincided on important issues. We support the efforts for peace-building in southern Africa.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The decision made by President José Sarney to take part in that session, along with other Heads of State or Government, attests to the firmness of Brazil's stand in favour of the cause of disarmament and of its open and effective discussion in the relevant bodies. So strong is our people's repudiation of weapons of mass destruction and so firm our purpose to develop nuclear technology exclusively for peaceful ends that the following precept is embodied in the new Brazilian Constitution; all nuclear activities in Brazilian territory will be permitted only for peaceful purposes and subject to approval by Congress. This same spirit, already enshrined in the Treaty of Tlatelolco, prevails in the understandings between Argentina and Brazil in this field.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The elaboration of power schemes geared to redefining and freezing a vertically structured world order deserves nothing but condemnation. The difficulties encountered during the third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament illustrate the concern I have just voiced. The impossibility of obtaining a document based on consensus, only a few months after the first treaty on nuclear disarmament in history was signed, clearly indicates the magnitude of the obstacle hindering the participation of the international community as a whole in deliberations concerning its own survival.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“To plead internal laws, or alleged national interests, in order to avoid compliance with obligations under international law violates the essential principle of pacta sunt servanda, which is a basic rule of civilized coexistence among nations. The adventure of unilateralism cannot be replaced by self-contained bilateralism or selective multilateralism. Negotiations on matters of interest to the whole world community require the participation of all countries, large or small. Talks on peace and economic development, in particular, cannot be made into an empty exercise whereby power pays homage to law. Regrettably, the atmosphere of dialogue which now brings the super-Powers closer together has not resulted in an effective readiness to widen the field of multilateral understanding.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“They also embodied in their new charter the greatest aspiration of our continent - the integration of Latin America. The world, unfortunately, has come to realize how absurd is the unilateral ethos underlying the illusion that power - military, political, economic or technological power - could generate a just or even a merely stable international order. Strength cannot give birth to law, much less to peace and justice. This is what the Charter of the United Nations - and in particular its preamble - tells us. Nevertheless there persists a disturbing tendency on the part of certain countries to place their national law above international law, both in political and in economic matters.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Reaffirming its historical adherence to the highest ideals of international life and faithful to the will and the nature of its people, Brazil has inscribed in its new Constitution, which is about to be promulgated, the fundamental principles of its foreign policy; national independence; priority for human rights; the self-determination of peoples; non-interference; equality among States; the peaceful settlement of disputes; the defence of peace; repudiation of terrorism and racism; and co-operation among peoples for the progress of mankind. The representatives of the Brazilian people, when expressing in the Constitution the central demands and concerns of their own society, were perfectly attuned to the aspirations of the international community.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“As the representative of a nation which has always sought the establishment of a just and democratic world order based on the participation of all, I must stress that the task of transforming the world will be complete only after the strengthening and consolidation of co-operation for economic and social development. In this respect, unlike the remarks I have just made on the world political situation, my words today will not differ in substance or in tone from those of my previous statements. Because of the lack of progress in international economic relations, Brazil once again brings to the Assembly a message of apprehension, of disappointment, and renews to the developed world its proposals and claims.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In looking at the clearer skies on the world political horizon, I reaffirm my reverence for the United Nations and my belief in the effectiveness of its instruments. If the world is better today than it was yesterday, we must give credit for that to the decisive contribution of the United Nations. We still have before us, however, unfinished and challenging tasks to accomplish in obedience to the provisions of the Charter, Obstructions remain to eradicating apartheid, solving the Middle East crisis, putting an end to the suffering of the people of Lebanon and bringing peace to Central America. It is my hope that at the next session of the General Assembly we may note further progress in our quest for peace and harmony among peoples.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The United States and the Soviet Union have finally reached a concrete agreement on disarmament. Their leaders are to be commended for this historic feat. Some regional conflicts, the protagonists worn out by the tragic toll of death and destruction, now see the dawning of a peaceful solution. In previous speeches I have condemned the recalcitrant attitude of South Africa in blocking the process of independence for Namibia, the violence which seemed to have taken hold for good in the Gulf region and the transgression of the principles of self-determination and non-interference in Afghanistan. Today it is comforting to change my words of warning and criticism to bear witness to the promising outlook for peace efforts aimed at putting an end to those conflicts.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“His untiring efforts in building peace and strengthening the United Nations make him worthy of the appreciation of the whole international community. When I addressed this Assembly for the first time three years ago there prevailed in international affairs grave forebodings and repeated violations of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. The language of confrontation between the super-Powers was becoming sharper owing to the use of advanced military technologies capable of spreading the risk of nuclear war to outer space. The persistence of localized tension and disputes frustrated the efforts to attain of the ideals of peace and security. As I return here today I find that the world situation has improved somewhat. The practice of East-West detente, which seemed condemned to oblivion, has been reborn.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Mr. President, a tradition dating back to the early days of this Organization confers upon me the privilege of being the first speaker, at the opening of our debate, to convey to you, my colleague and friend Dante Caputo, my warm and friendly congratulations on your election as President of the forty-third session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. I am certain that you will do honour to that high office with the same qualities that have marked your steady leadership of Argentine diplomacy. I should also like to express my appreciation of and respect for Ambassador Nita Barrow, distinguished representative of Barbados, whose merits enriched our choice for the direction of our work. I once again pay a tribute to the outstanding diplomatic talent of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Javier Perez de Cuellar.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“This is the road that will lead to progress and prosperity for our people, in growing harmony and closer co-operation with all friendly nations.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Along with this optimism and hope, however, I cannot disguise my disappointment and even indignation at the imbalances and inequities which persist on the international economic scene· Recent progress in the political field is not being accompanied by advances in the struggle against misery and poverty. On the contrary, the insensitivity and unyielding attitude of the developed countries are increasingly evident on issues of trade, finance and the transfer of technology My country is currently experiencing a time of crucial importance for the definition of its political and institutional directions. We are about to approve a new constitution within the framework of perfecting our democratic way of life. Brazil is ready to continue along the road to peace and construction.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I wish to reaffirm before this world forum the importance my country attributes to the agreements for integration and economic co-operation concluded with Argentina and Uruguay at the beginning of last year. These are instruments of truly historical significance which attest to our fraternal determination to grow together, to strengthen our democratic institutions and to contribute to the success of the greater undertaking, which is today closer to realization than it was yesterday: the Integration of Latin America as a whole. My words here today have expressed greater optimism and hope than I voiced in this forum last year. This attitude can be explained in the light of some positive aspects of the current International panorama.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The decision of those countries, arrived at last month in the city of Sao Paulo, to begin to hold periodic meetings at the presidential level is an indication that the process of regional co-ordination begun in Rio de Janeiro has rapidly matured. In fact the Group of Bight is an integral part of a process of broader regional understanding, another of whose multiple facets is to be found in the renewed efforts towards the integration of Latin America, which Brazil, as well as other countries of the region, has been fostering in various forums such as the Latin American Association for Integration, the Latin American Economic System, the Latin American Energy Organization and the Cartagena Consensus.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In Brazil's judgement the results of the recent steps taken in the quest for a peaceful solution to the Central American crisis indicate that the countries of the region are themselves in a position to find ways to put an end to the conflict which concerns and affects all of Latin America. To accomplish this it is essential that all other countries with ties or interests in the region avoid displaying any attitude that might render such solutions non-viable. The same ability of Latin America to find its own solutions to the problems of the continent is corroborated by the creation of the Permanent Mechanism for Consultation and Political Co-ordination, instituted as a result of the fruitful experience acquired over more than two years of successive contacts among the eight countries which make up the Contadora and Support Groups.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“On behalf of my Government I wish to praise the important understandings arrived at on 7 August last in Guatemala. On that occasion the Heads of State of the five Central American nations gave a clear and historic demonstration of political will to resolve the conflict. Brazil deems the accord signed then to be one which offers a unique opportunity to guarantee peace in the region. To that end it has lent its active and interested contribution to the understandings which resulted in the decision, adopted on 22 August in Caracas, to set up an international commission for the purposes of verification and surveillance.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The initiatives of collaboration which are being implemented between Brazil and Argentina In particular, will assure the mastering of the nuclear cycle without the development of atomic weapons in our continent. This common purpose was highlighted in the exchange of correspondence between Presidents Jose Sarney and Raul Alfonsin when the announcement of Brazil's mastery of the technology for enriching uranium was made public. The fact that Latin America is showing its ability to find practical and creative answers to its own problems is most encouraging. In this regard I should like to cite the example of the dynamic action which the Contadora Group has been 'taking, with the political backing of the Support Group of which Brazil is a member, in its quest for a genuinely Latin American solution to the conflict in Central America.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“As President Sarney stated on 4 September, when he announced Brazil's mastery of the technology for enriching uranium, Brazil cannot forgo broad and unrestricted access to the entire range of available scientific knowledge and its practical applications. In this connection I wish to reiterate my country's commitment to use nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful purposes. This commitment not only is beyond dispute but also is supported by the positive effects which Brazil's technological advances in this field, together with those of its sister nations, are producing, to the enhancement of increased co-operation and mutual trust in Latin America.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The efforts undertaken by the developing countries to create a new international economic order will produce results only if they are accompanied by effective action to offset the distortions that exist in the policy of transfer of scientific and technological knowledge. In this regard a vigorous endeavour can be noted on the part of some developed countries to seek to create a new international division of labour, but a division that would be more inequitable and prejudicial to our interests since it would thwart our legitimate right to have access to the latest scientific advances and mastery of state-of-the-art technologies.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In their efforts to seize Increased economic opportunities, the developing countries encounter the severest restrictions imposed by their industrialized fields of finance, trade in goods and services, and, especially, the absorption of state-of-the-art technologies. This is a tendency that undermines the heroic struggles of developing countries to assure their peoples a dignified and prosperous future. It is a tendency that dashes those nations' expectations of more just and equitable participation in the international economy - and more than their expectations: their irrefutable right. Brazil has no alternative but to grow. We must meet the crucial needs of a vast population which, in many strata, has known nothing but poverty and suffering. Development is not an option for us; it is an imperative.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I also affirmed then that the attempt to shape the new by using the models of the past impeded the resumption of growth and development on a world-wide basis and the formation of a more just and more equitable international system. The understanding arrived at on the problem of the foreign debt, as set forth in General Assembly resolution 41/202, is an indication of the promising headway which has been made, progress which should now be consolidated. I repeat here the firm and clear position of my country; we acknowledge our International financial. We will settle our foreign debt under fair and reasonable terms and conditions. No one can claim that Brazil has not Itself made every effort to overcome its difficulties. Brazil cannot, however, jeopardize its development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“But it is equally indisputable that other States have the right to participate in the decision-making process on problems that, although caused by some, affect all, without exception. We therefore consider it indispensable for the negotiations between the super-Powers to be linked with the efforts made in multilateral disarmament forums, especially the Conference on Disarmament, which Is entrusted with a specific mandate. I stressed in my statement at the Seventh United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the developing world has been plunged into a deep crisis, and the efforts we are making to resume economic growth are confronted with an adverse International reality, with structures that accentuate the differences instead of reducing them.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I cannot fail to point out that serious focuses of tension continue to exist there and that they are detrimental to the full realization of the objectives and principles of the decision adopted by the General Assembly. From the rostrum of this peace forum I wish also to register the satisfaction with which Brazil views the possibility of the conclusion in the near future of the first agreement in history on nuclear disarmament. If, as we all wish, the United States and the Soviet Union come to a successful understanding on medium-range atomic weapons, we shall have the first real disarmament measure, in contrast with previous agreements, which amounted to nothing more than a palliative management of the arms race. It is obvious that the more heavily armed countries bear the primary responsibility for the disarmament process.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The establishment of a zone of peace and co-operation of the South Atlantic signified the international community's recognition of the determination of the South American and African countries of the region to maintain their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to promote co-operation for economic and social development in conditions of peace and freedom. For that decision to be implemented properly, other States must co-operate in good faith. This is indispensable. The militarily more significant States are called upon in particular scrupulously to respect the peaceful statute governing the region, and to avoid extending into the region rivalries and conflicts that are foreign to it.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We also view with concern the continuing impasse in the case of the Malvinas. Brazil, which recognizes the sovereign rights of Argentina, hopes that the parties involved will heed the appeal repeatedly addressed to them by the General Assembly to attempt to reach through dialogue a negotiated settlement of all aspects of the dispute. I am pleased to note that the proposals on the subject of the South Atlantic made from this rostrum in 1985 by Mr. Jose Sarney, the President of my country, were successfully made a reality in the initiative culminating in the General Assembly's approval of resolution 41/11, of 27 October 1986.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“On the other hand, it is becoming more and more urgent to give new impetus to attempts to achieve a lasting, comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East. Brazil believes that the need to convene an international peace conference, under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of all interested parties, is becoming increasingly pressing. In this context, I reiterate our concern over the suffering inflicted upon the people of Lebanon, a country whose integrity should be respected. We are hopeful that understandings arrived at between the parties involved, with the participation of the United Nations, will quickly lead to the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the cessation of all forms of outside interference, so that the Afghan people may exercise their sovereign right to self-determination.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The use of force or the threat of the use of force is not only illegal but is proving itself to be ineffective as well. This holds true in the Gulf region, where the machinery of violence is out of control. It is also true in southern Africa, with the persistence of the tense climate provoked by the apartheid regime, the unjustifiable delay in bringing about the independence of Namibia and the acts of hostility and aggression perpetrated by South Africa against its neighbours. Only the intolerance, short-sightedness and unreasonableness of the racist policies of South Africa can explain the continuing existence of this situation, which is an offence against human dignity and violates the principles governing relations between States.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“There is no raising of consciousness about the drama and concerns of the nations of the third world and their right to a destiny of achievement and progress which is under constant threat. I am from a developing country that will never surrender this right and is not only convinced of the justice and legitimacy of its claims but also of the viability of its objectives in the economic and social fields. An additional cause for concern in the international community is the persistence of political crises that have been aggravated by the resort to force in violation of the United Nations Charter. Only last year I remarked to this Assembly that, where force is present nowadays, stalemates are more frequent than either victories or defeats.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Brazil believes that it is in a position to make a constructive contribution during the coming biennium in reactivating the Council's role and in settling problems that affect or can affect international peace and security. Having been honoured with the unanimous endorsement of the Latin American Group, we hope to be equally worthy of a vote of confidence from this General Assembly. The latest signs of a break in the clouds that darken the international political situation are in direct contrast to the indefinitely prolonged economic crisis. The magnitude of the challenges facing the developing nations and the total lack of progress in restructuring the international economic order are the two sides of the coin of the same deeply disturbing panorama.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The United Nations represents the awareness of mankind that only by dialogue and persuasion can differences between States be resolved amicably. In unanimously adopting its resolution 598 (1987) on the conflict between Iran and Iraq, the Security Council showed its capacity to act in a constructive way to arrive at the peaceful and negotiated settlement of disputes. This action to restore peace, in accordance with the terms of the Charter, leads us to believe that in other cases it will be possible to have recourse to the authority of the Security Council, in the same conciliatory spirit. I am persuaded that the Council's diplomatic potential should be used to the fullest extent. It was in the light of this conviction that Brazil decided to present its candidature for one of the seats allocated to Latin America on the Security Council.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Along the same optimistic lines, it should also be recorded here that there was a recent important meeting between the leaders of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic - Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Erich Honaker - an historic event that may well lead to positive developments for a mature and constructive relationship. In multilateral diplomacy there ate perceptible signs of encouraging vitality. One of those signs was the decision to create a zone of peace and co-operation in the South Atlantic - a decision of undeniable significance for the fulfilment of the principles and purposes of this Organization. There is still hope for a peaceful settlement of the conflict that for over a decade now has been raging in Central America.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“No nation or group of nations has the right to impose its own conceptions and solutions on the increasingly complex picture of international relations. No one nation should seek to isolate itself or fail to take into consideration the universal aspirations of the community of nations. I view with satisfaction the fact that the two super-Powers - by means of direct dialogue between their leaders. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev - are seeking more fertile understanding and mutual confidence which, we trust, will result to the benefit of all countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The so-called crisis of multilateralism undermines the attempt at juridical regulation of international life and saps the foundations of co-operation among States. The world will no longer tolerate structures based on the supremacy of the few and the submission of the many. Attempts to impose oligarchic schemes on the organization of international society meet with increasing discredit. There is no place any more for rigid and exclusive formulas, Manichean dualisms, or theories that arbitrarily divide up world power - theories often inspired by geometrical figures. The world will come upon better days only when the international order is made effectively democratic and, to achieve that goal, the United Nations has an essential role to play.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Choudhury, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, for the able way in which he presided over the work of the General Assembly at its forty-first session. I bear responsibility for carrying out the foreign policy of a Brazil reborn into the practice of democracy, strengthened in its commitment to the interests and aspirations of its people and open to candid dialogue at the international level. I speak on behalf of a country which is absolutely loyal to its diplomatic traditions, one that is building its future with determination, without being intimidated by the obstacles raised by the reality of the modern world. This reality, unfortunately, is independent of the will and aspirations of most of the peoples of the world and is not always in tune with the lofty purposes of this Organization.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)