YouSaid · the spoken record

Lafer

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS LAFER

lines on the record: 48
first: 1960-09-24
most recent: 1992-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“In Brazil, as elsewhere in Latin America and other regions, bold and necessary reforms have been set in motion to eliminate obstacles to development, to economic competitiveness, to technological progress and to the free exercise of innovation and entrepreneurship based on the market. Brazil joins other nations with an open mind, aware of the need for creative adaptation to new realities and convinced that new challenges require a vision of the future endowed with generosity.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Brazil views the ongoing work on the restructuring and revitalization of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations as eminently relevant. It should lead to greater efficiency, together with a wider scope for international cooperation for development. An agenda for peace cannot overlook the agenda for development. Ultimate success in this enterprise requires a realistic willingness to endow the United Nations with the necessary instruments and the prospective vision to make this universal forum the core of collective efforts for the improvement of relations among peoples and countries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“As an academic institution, the centre will provide an international research and exchange forum for the application of decisions adopted at Rio. When I spoke about the dichotomy between the real and the ideal necessary for the construction of a new order, I referred to the great opportunities for cooperation among nations to solve problems in the areas of peace and security, democracy, human rights, development and environment. The world expects the work of the Organization to be concentrated on those priority areas. The capacity for joint action by the United Nations must spring from the voice of each and every Member State. That action becomes all the more legitimate as the basic decision-making process grows more representative and more democratic.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We expect that, at the present session, the developed countries will announce initial plans to give effect to the goals of the Conference. Equally crucial is the availability of technology to developing countries, so as to ensure the feasibility of established programmes. Action or follow-up measures are also necessary in other areas; among these I stress the development of small island States and the convening of a negotiating committee on desertification. Brazil wishes to make an additional contribution to the accomplishments of the Rio Conference by offering to host an international centre for studies on sustainable development. We count on public and private support for this initiative, which was welcomed in a resolution adopted at the Conference and for the implementation of which we have already laid the groundwork.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This is the "spirit of Rio", which we hope will guide the United Nations in other areas as well: mutual confidence among States, a willingness to act decisively with a view to achieving common goals, and the grandeur of joint endeavours in devising forms of enhanced cooperation in line with norms defined democratically and on the basis of consensus. This session of the General Assembly is called upon to address the task of taking the first steps in implementing the conclusions of the Conference and in honouring the commitments entered into at Rio. We therefore attribute great importance to the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Sustainable development requires new and additional financial resources on an adequate and predictable basis, as reflected in chapter 33 of Agenda 21.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“That and all the other achievements of the Conference were made possible thanks only to the unprecedented engagement of the community of nations at the highest level, allowing for the consideration of problems of universal interest through the equal participation of all countries. Let me stress this point: The Rio Conference was exemplary in that it brought to a higher level the practice of democracy in international relations, thus strengthening multilateral diplomacy. At the Conference, all countries - large and small, rich and poor gave proof that they were and are capable of linking their own specific interests with larger, more general interests.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“President Fernando Collor stated that "The world has decided to assemble here to address no more, no less than the life itself on the surface of the planet." The Conference concluded that we cannot allow the persistence of social imbalances in the current international system marked by inhuman situations of poverty and by the coexistence of want and waste. As stated by the Brazilian Head of State, as President of the Conference, "We cannot have an environmentally sound planet in a socially unjust world". The Rio Conference therefore fostered an awareness of the fact that development must be sustainable. Sustainability requires due attention not only to environmental but also to economic and social factors.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The significance of these instruments will be even more evident over time. Adherence to the principles that have been agreed upon and prompt ratification of the two Conventions will usher in a new era of international cooperation. The Rio Conference set up a new paradigm, a new social contract, on the basis of the fundamental concept of sustainable development. It established as a primary concern the need to ensure the most rational balance between legitimate development goals, on the one side, and the preservation of the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations, on the other. Sustainable development is the contemporary expression of progress. It is the basis for a new international environment and development order. In welcoming the Heads of State and Government who honoured us with their presence.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Last June Brazil hosted the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was the largest diplomatic event in the history of the Organization and set new patterns of international understanding and cooperation. We worked creatively to face the challenges of the present and boldly in the preparations for the future. The Rio Conference was not aimed at simply reorganizing this or that aspect of economic activity or of life in society. It was aimed, rather, at reshaping the very notion of development, to conceive it on a more rational, more just and more generous foundation that of sustainable development. The Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, the Declaration on Forests, the climate Convention and the biodiversity Convention outline a legal framework and a political project of paramount importance for international cooperation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We trade with all regions of the world and we are modernizing our economy through trade liberalization and openness towards the world economy. Negotiations with foreign creditors have produced positive results. Science and technology today represent the crucial variable of economic success. Promoting their dissemination and ensuring greater transparency and equity in the access to knowledge is fundamental for development. That is the spirit that guides the Brazilian initiative now under consideration in the United Nations Disarmament Commission, aiming at the definition of non-discriminatory and universally acceptable principles to regulate international transfers of sensitive technologies for peaceful purposes.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We must therefore prevent protectionist pressures linked to short-term parochial interests from undercutting the negotiating effort of the Uruguay Round, inspired by free competition and the multiplication of benefits. The difficulties and sluggishness inherent in the process of multilateral-trade liberalization should not prompt us to opt indiscriminately for self-contained regional blocks. We see, and would like others to see, regional-trade liberalization as a form of creating additional opportunities for international trade as a whole, without inflicting losses on third parties. This is how we view the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), the regional basis for our competitive integration in the international economy. Brazil is a global trader.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Just as our societies cannot coexist with the marginalization of parts of their population, so the new international society we seek to build cannot coexist with the marginalization of entire peoples. The interdependence of the world economy paradoxically highlights the shortcomings of global cooperation. The gap between the North and the South is widening before our eyes. This situation cannot persist. We must work together to foster economic growth in all countries. There will be no peace or security so long as such disparities continue to distort the international system. In an increasingly open and interdependent international community, the leverage from international trade is extraordinary.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Equality can be genuine only when there is respect for diversity, where there is respect for heterogeneity. Policies of racial segregation, by any name, will always be hateful. The idea that a nation or a social group is somehow superior because it is ethnically homogeneous is flatly wrong. The world has not lived through the horrors of a world war, the anguish of 45 years of the cold war and the hardship of conflicts that have offended the conscience of mankind to witness now the resurgence of the spectre of xenophobia, of exclusive nationalism, or of ethnic, cultural or religious intolerance. We cannot allow the concept of nationhood to serve as a cloak for the practices of oppression. Brazil, as a multiracial country proud of its roots, rejects outright attitudes that are inimical to the human race.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We maintain an open dialogue with international organizations governmental and non-governmental and we have acceded to the main legal instruments on this matter. To be assured of success in our endeavours, we further need constructive international cooperation to address better the perverse consequences of extreme poverty and to equip democratic States with conditions to reinforce their preventive and corrective actions in these areas, where serious violations of individual rights still occur. One of the most urgent tasks of the United Nations will be to promote in all countries a strong campaign against all forms of discrimination. It is high time we reaffirmed the classic concept of tolerance as an essential constituent element of life in an enlightened society.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Respect for human rights must be universal in scope, just as the 1948 Declaration is universal and just as the provisions of the basic covenants and conventions on this matter are universal. In short, human rights must not be violated under any pretext whatsoever. The full enjoyment of individual rights requires material conditions of social and economic organization grounded in the idea of justice. The holding in 1993 of the World Conference on Human Rights, as well as the proposed world summit on social development, will provide opportunities to strengthen the protection and the promotion of human dignity. The Government of Brazil is doing everything in its power to protect and promote human rights.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The improvement of international cooperation to ensure adequate and effective treatment of world-wide issues, such as those of humanitarian, developmental or environmental character, is to bf: pursued within the basic principles of international law, foremost among which is respect for State sovereignty. Fortunately, a new perception has evolved in the field of human rights that focuses on the need for special protection for the most vulnerable groups in each country. Cultural, religious and ethnic minorities, women, children, refugees and immigrants are social groups frequently exposed to intolerance and to the abuse of their most basic rights. We must strive to bridge the gap between what is achievable and what is desirable.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The strengthening of democracy on a planetary scale represents therefore a decisive contribution to the building of a more peaceful international system. An unquestionable value in the domestic order, democracy also projects itself as an organizing principle of the international order, through the strengthening of multilateral diplomacy and the search for a broad participation in the international decision-making process. Brazil is convinced that relations among States must be governed predominantly by incentives to cooperation and not by disincentives. That amounts to promoting a positive and not a negative agenda for international relations, an agenda that must be negotiated in a democratic manner.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Security and disarmament are only means to achieve the highest goal to which mankind truly aspires the goal of peace. Peace, not as the mere absence of war, but as an affirmative value, peace as a state of satisfaction in which relations among States can be ruled by law and disputes settled by peaceful means. Peace must be linked to cooperation, of which justice is an integral part, for common interests are rooted in a balanced relation among States. It is widely acknowledged that there is a close link between the democratic system of government and the inclination of States towards peace, and conversely, a link between authoritarian regimes and a greater propensity to conflict. The values inherent in democracy pluralism, majority rule, tolerance, consensus, the rule of law extend naturally to the external affairs of the State.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“This represents a balanced agreement on non-proliferation with equality of rights and obligations. We have banned chemical and biological weapons from our territory through the Mendoza Agreement, which we concluded with our neighbouring States. We have thus advanced the application of the convention on chemical weapons, which sets down uniform rules of disarmament and verification binding on all signatories. We hope similarly universal and non-discriminatory disarmament conventions will be concluded in the future. Regarding the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, we welcome the opportunity to work with our partners on both sides of the ocean in a process of dialogue and joint endeavour aimed in particular at the protection of the marine environment.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The issue of disarmament has been momentarily overshadowed by that of security in the wake of the unstable situations which followed the collapse of global confrontation. The progressive reduction of arms stockpiles, especially of weapons of mass destruction, remains, however, fundamental. Much has indeed been accomplished in the field of disarmament, yet much remains to be done. Brazil and Argentina have jointly entered into an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the application of safeguards. With Argentina and Chile, we launched an initiative to ensure the full entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America the Treaty of Tlatelolco. The entry into force of the Treaty of Tlatelolco will make Latin America the first nuclear-weapon-free zone in the world.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Now that the Council is being called upon to play an increasingly decisive role, there is a clear need for an in-depth discussion of the representative nature of its composition, the scope of its competence and the powers of its members. We should consider, with prudence no less than with foresight, such readjustments as would permit the Council to discharge its functions in a more representative manner. Brazil is prepared to contribute constructively to this effort, taking fully into account the institutional balance among the organs of the United Nations provided for in the San Francisco Charter. The contribution of Brazil to United Nations peace-keeping operations reflects our commitment to implementing the principle of collective responsibility.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is essential to avoid the temptation of a selective application of the provisions of the Charter. The instruments for the maintenance of international peace and security must not serve to consolidate imbalances based on power relations, which are not more legitimate because they are real. The fundamental attribute of legitimacy consists in the all-encompassing perspective of humanity. It is of paramount importance to uphold the provision of the Charter whereby the maintenance of international peace and security is the collective responsibility of all Member States. In carrying out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council acts on behalf of all Member States of the United Nations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In addition to the concepts related to the means of tackling conflict situations, we should also seek to define the logical corollary of preventive peace-building, namely the forestalling of crises deriving from economic and social factors. To that end, we must strengthen the role of the United Nations, not only in restoring peace and security, but also in fostering economic and social progress. Other elements should therefore be added to those put forward in the "Agenda for Peace", such as the promotion of a more just international economic environment, full respect for human rights and the rule of law, general and complete disarmament, and the democratization of international relations based on sovereign equality and the non-use of force.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Brazil will contribute actively to their consideration at the present session of the General Assembly. The "Agenda for Peace" comprises timely issues, such as preventive diplomacy, peace-making and post-conflict peace-building. Such innovative concepts are, by their very nature, still fluid. They open up new perspectives which remain to be explored, albeit cautiously, as befits an encounter between unknown realities and bold and imaginative ideas. The dream of a better world cannot, however, be excluded from the debate. Though realism is the starting-point of all political action, it should not be taken as its final objective. Justice is the ultimate value that should, in the final analysis, permeate the concept of order. Peace-building is a continuous task and an evolving process.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The foreign policy of Brazil stresses these twin dimensions in its response to the new international situation and stresses them through a creative adaptation and vision of the future. These concepts, we think, are appropriate as we consider the items on the agenda of the General Assembly. The starting-point for a rethinking of the international system lies in the acknowledgement that peace, security and disarmament are inseparable. The suggestions put forward by Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali in his document "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277) lend new contours and an enlarged scope to discussions on the role of the United Nations. All Member States should participate in an in-depth consideration of the provocative and creative suggestions put forward by the Secretary-General.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is in that spirit of democratic civility that Brazil intends to participate in the process of reorganizing the international system. The unprecedented historical crossroads at which we find ourselves calls for a new agenda, an agenda embodying an awareness of the present and a vision of the future. The drafting of this agenda must take into account all the dimensions of value. All values have to be susceptible of fulfilment and are inexhaustible. To subsist, they must be translated into normative and social reality. However, the fulfilment of values in history does not exhaust their content. For example, we can and may always obtain more freedom and more justice.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In a democracy the rules of the game relate to the sharing and limitation of power. Government must belong to the many, so that it can resist imposition by the few. Power must be constrained by law, so as to avoid the arbitrary discretion of those who wield it. The acknowledgement of these rules aims at the qualitative transformation of life in society the passage from the realm of violence to the realm of non-violence achievable by the taming of power through law. This is what confers on the law an irrevocable ethical content. In the realm of public international law, this ethical content finds its expression in the peaceful settlement of disputes, since its procedures for choosing among available options for action seek precisely to dispel the fears that derive from the rule of violence.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In conformity with its commitment to dialogue and cooperation, Brazil wishes to make its contribution to the common task of ensuring the equitable fulfilment of the historical aspirations of mankind. Brazil takes pride in its diplomatic tradition. With 10 neighbours and nearly 17,000 kilometres of borders, all of which were peacefully negotiated, Brazil's destiny is civil and fruitful coexistence with all countries. The democracy we enjoy today at the domestic level is an assurance of unity and stability. It teaches us to accept the diversity and divergence inherent in a pluralistic society. It permits us to face crises and vicissitudes within the rule of law and the strict boundaries of constitutional order. At the same time, democracy encourages us to uphold its principles and methods in our relations with other nations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“On the one hand, societies are embracing standards and practices that are well on the way to becoming universal, as witnessed by the strengthening of democracy and human rights, of sustainable development and of free enterprise and market integration. On the other hand, we witness the rebirth of nationalism and ethnic strife, religious fervour taken to extremes and forms of discrimination which multiply tension and threaten world peace. The United Nations, and in particular the General Assembly, should serve as the natural point of convergence for the various trends that shape the complexity of our time. That complexity requires building a new international order based on the democratic participation of all States, as stressed by the Secretary-General in his report on the work of the Organization.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Today the role of reason in the search for a way out lies in resorting to historical experience to promote those values which may ensure better and higher ways of life in an organized society: freedom, democracy, human rights, sustainable development, justice and peace. In times of change it is important to stop and think about the values and concepts that lie at the foundation of international relations. The process I have described gives rise both to hopes and to concerns. It reflects the interaction of centripetal forces that tend towards the universal and of centrifugal forces that call attention to diversity.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Nor does it bear comparison to a theatrical play whose plot and outcome are known to the author and the performers in advance but which the audience discovers only as the play unfolds. The most pertinent metaphor for understanding the lessons of history would be that of a labyrinth. Conceived of as a labyrinth, history unfolds unpredictably. This, however, does not deny the rational creativity of man and of peoples. Rational creativity lies in identifying by trial and error the blind alleys in the maze of collective experience, while trusting that there are exit points and struggling to reach them.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Brazil welcomes the representatives of the new States Members of the United Nations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. My country wishes to explore the possibilities of cooperation with the new Member States. The opening of the general debate requires that we should call forth national and regional aspirations without losing sight of our concern for the universal. It requires that we should seek to fulfil our individual identities in a harmonious whole, that should we be both effective and just. Historical change should not be viewed as the chaotic workings of nature, which, like a storm, are beyond control.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Let me congratulate you. Sir, and the Republic of Bulgaria upon your election as President of the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session. Your experience as a respected political leader and jurist augurs well for the success of our deliberations. I wish to acknowledge the work of Ambassador Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia and his inspired and constructive presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session. I present my compliments to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose election was supported by Brazil from the beginning. His experience and statesmanship, which I had the occasion to witness at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, will certainly stand him in good stead in the exercise of his high office.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Racial persecution is contrary to the spirit and the purposes of the United Nations, and Brazil, with the civilized world, most vehemently condemns it. 17. This session opens in an atmosphere of anxiety. Public opinion is fearful lest the men responsible for their Governments may not find the formulas conducive to peace. Antagonisms are strong and deep-rooted. Allow me to conclude with the earnest hopes of the people of Brazil, and I trust of the entire world, that the wisdom of the statesmen present here may find the way, not to unify thought and action — an impossibility — but to allow each one in his sphere to respect his fellow man and make possible coexistence with a just peace.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Brazil has always supported all recommendations presented in the United Nations opposing the policies of segregation based upon differences of race, colour, or religion, which are repugnant to the conscience of the Brazilian people and are clearly condemned by the Charter. Brazil submitted a draft resolution to the Council of the Organization of American States expressing repudiation of any and all forms of racial discrimination and segregation, a proposal which was adopted unanimously by the American States. In this connexion, I wish to recall that Brazil subscribed to and ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations [resolution 260 (III)].”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Some important steps were taken with the creation of the Special Fund at the thirteenth session of the General Assembly [resolution 1240 (XIII)], and that of the Committee for Industrial Development at the twenty-ninth session of the Economic and Social Council [resolution 751 (XXIX)]. But there still remains on our agenda the question of establishing a development fund with resources for financing and expanding the economy of the under-developed countries where over a billion human beings await the social justice to which they are entitled. We are certain that the capital development fund will win full acceptance in the Assembly. 16. The Brazilian Government, together with various other countries, this year sponsored the request for including in the agenda of this session the item referring to racial discrimination.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“And here we extend our sincere and wholehearted welcome to the States newly admitted to the United Nations. 13. In Suez, also, with hundreds and hundreds of Brazilian soldiers, we are paying the price of peace in the hope that the Middle East may reach a peaceful solution of coexistence, in a spirit of mutual respect and self-determination. 14. If peace hinges upon the criterion, as we have pointed out, of a previous, preliminary, basic understanding, economic development has yet to find the means to attain it. 15. It is encouraging that one of the items to be considered by the General Assembly is that entitled "Economic development of under-developed countries", a problem that has been of concern to us since the establishment of the United Nations.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“And it behooves me here to say a special word of praise and encouragement to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Hammarskjold, who, with patience, courage, devotion and impartiality, has faithfully interpreted and forcefully expressed the yearning for peace which lies behind the anxiety with which the people of the world look upon the dangerous and delicate situation in the Congo. 12. Brazil, through officers of its air force, is participating in the effort being made by the United Nations to maintain law and order in the Republic of the Congo. Bound by cultural and historic ties to the peoples of Africa, conscious of the geographic affinities, and the heritage of blood which link us with the nations of the black continent, the Brazilians follow with extreme interest the awakening of their African brothers.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“But the United Nations is, none the less, humanity’s great hope today and constitutes, with all its serious limitations, the best instrument for diplomatic negotiations and the most perfect mechanism for maintaining the peace that we have been able to devise to date. The vigour, energy and speed with which the Security Council acted in the crisis involving the Congo are proof of the Organization’s real possibilities. With the Council paralysed by the veto, an emergency special session of the General Assembly was immediately called under the provision of the “Uniting for peace” resolution [377 A (V)]. At that session, which ended two days ago, the Assembly approved without a negative vote the resolution [1474 (ES-IV)] that will make it possible for the United Nations to continue its activities in the Congo without disruption or delay.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Brazil supports the efforts to achieve international disarmament by realistic means in technically studied and effectively controlled stages. The accumulation of funds through decreases, in expenditures for arms, linked with a percentage of resources that more highly developed countries could lend to this fund would instill life into the field abandoned and forgotten by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Finance, The United Nations will win everyone’s heart the day it enters upon the path of ample, generous programmes of co-operation that will promote the social well-being and economic progress of nations. 11. In the United Nations fifteen years of existence, we have not succeeded in creating genuinely effective instruments of economic co-operation, nor has international peace been consolidated.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“The world spends at least $100,000 million per year on armaments, while the industrialized countries have in the last ten years spent only about $40,000 million on aid, assistance, investments, etc., for the under-developed areas of the world. It is inconceivable that armaments, garrisons, and armies should be done away with; this Virgilian scene is chimerical. But the arms race can be brought to a halt, by applying the resources thus saved to economic development. Why, then, not adopt in a special conference a system whereby the Powers would pool their savings effected by an arms reduction and turn them into a United Nations international development fund? It would be very difficult to devote, in addition to the large sums turned over to this fund, an equivalent sum to armaments as well. It would mean paying twice.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“In this connexion, a relevant role can be played, vis-à-vis the major protagonists in the current political scene, by the lesser, anti-war Powers, which can become the impartial interpreters of the world’s desire for peace. Attempts to modify the order existing today will merely delay the establishment of an understanding which is indispensable if the world is to look forward to disarmament, peaceful coexistence, and an end to the cold war. The stalemate in efforts to achieve disarmament stems from the lack of mutual confidence. Why not negotiate this point of departure right now? 10. The problem has another aspect, which the President of Brazil has constantly stressed? only economic development can consolidate peace among nations.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“This premise is the acceptance by each one of the reality, just or unjust, of nations with regimes, ideologies, and organizations, not as we would wish them to be, but as they are today. This acceptance must be accompanied by the pledge of non-intervention, direct or indirect, by one ideology in the sphere of another. How can we aspire to disarmament, cessation of the cold war and unrest, if there is fear that some countries wish to destroy or dominate others? So long as the principle of the status quo of the present political geography among the existing politico-ideological organizations is not accepted, we shall waver between the cold war and the prospect of catastrophe.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“The only feasible path leading to a solution of the problems of our age is that of permanent negotiation, the persistent determination to continue to negotiate. The United Nations is not a super-state, but is, rather, an affirmation that the world must live in a continuous patient, constant state of negotiation. It is a mechanism that offers maximum opportunities for meetings and lines of compromise. Although it is true that this process of negotiation may always entail the risk of a stalemate, it is equally true that it is the only means for arriving at solutions that will assure the survival of mankind. 9. Nonetheless, to attain this state of peaceful coexistence that we are all seeking, a basic premise, a point of departure, must be fixed.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Only two abstentions were recorded, and we hope that these will shortly disappear. 7. What is the real meaning of this consensus of opinion among the American countries in the United Nations? It means that America has its politico-social policy defined and adopted, and staunchly defends it. But this definition does not exclude respect for the ideas of others, particularly since intransigence is impossible today. 8. Indeed, peaceful coexistence of peoples is an imperative in our time. The development of nuclear weapons has ruled out war as an alternative instrument of policy. Faced with the inadmissibility of resorting to war as a solution, the world is confronted with the necessity of settling through negotiation those differences that separate nations.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Its basic aim, is to lay the foundation of a close economic solidarity among the nations of the continent, so that, in the spirit of the ideals of peace, freedom and democracy which characterize our political philosophy, it may be possible to foster the economic and social progress of Latin America as speedily as possible. 6. After the close of the Costa Rica conference, the American nations assembled in Bogota, where the nineteen countries of the continent again accepted collectively a plan for social progress submitted by President Eisenhower, as well as measures to promote their economic development, within the objectives of Operation Pan America, Thus, the Latin American countries reaffirmed their desire to solve their dramatic problems of economic growth without sacrificing the ideals of freedom and respect for human dignity.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Nineteen nations of this hemisphere solemnly reaffirmed that the regime accepted by the American peoples as compatible with their traditions and collective aspirations is that regime characterized by the free expression of thought, by free elections, by the separation of powers, by the limitations upon the terms of elective office, and by respect for civil liberties and human rights. At the same time, these nineteen nations declared that they attached quite as much importance to the need for economic development of their peoples as to these political aspirations. It was with this preoccupation in mind that the President of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek, proposed the plan now known as Operation Pan America.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)
“Mr. President, I am deeply gratified and honoured to be able to congratulate you, in the name of Brazil, upon your election to the presidency of the fifteenth session of the General Assembly, Our fifteenth session will, no doubt, be one of the most important held by this Organization; and the guidance of its activities requires a dependable helmsman of acknowledged capability and impartiality, as is the case with Your Excellency, to whom I wish to renew my tribute. 4. Only a short time ago the American, nations held in Costa Rica one of their most important conferences of foreign ministers. The most significant outcome of this conference was the affirmation of solidarity of the countries of this continent with regard to the principles and ideals that have formed the basis of our peoples aspirations. 5.”
1960-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 15 (1960)