YouSaid · the spoken record

Tudor

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS TUDOR

lines on the record: 85
first: 1968-09-24
most recent: 1986-09-24
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

“In 1988 we observe the 150th anniversary of the final phase of the ending of slavery in the British Empire. In 1989 we shall rejoice in the 350th anniversary of the founding of our Parliament, which except for periodic elections has met continually since 1639. These events we regard as important milestones on our way to national development; and my delegation pledges to the Assembly that our country will continue to welcome to our shores all those for whom human dignity, tranquility and order are the outstanding characteristics of our human family.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“This annual general debate is in my view most important, for it provides a splendid opportunity for those who desire, as strict guardians of the Charter of the united Nations, to give an account of their stewardship and to become firm craftsmen of world peace. I have shared with this Assembly some of the experiences Barbados has had in its practice of government and some of its perspectives in its survey of existing world problems. Our presence here also offers us an opportunity to deepen our faith in the Charter of this body? to meet with colleagues and explore avenues for productive co-operation among our several countries. In 1987 Barbadians celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of their political independence. In 1987 we also celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the social revolution that initiated our orientation to nationhood.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Under lethal attack are the lives of hundreds of millions of young people and the civil order of every known society. Small island societies, like ours in the Caribbean, are particularly vulnerable to this fast-spreading menace since we are dependent upon a successful tourist industry and are ill-equipped to counter the sophisticated methods now being used by traffickers who ply this nefarious trade. The Government of Barbados thoroughly condemns this sinister enterprise and pledges its full support to the United Nations efforts to arrest the flow of illegal drugs. Barbados is also willing to co-operate with all States in the exchange of information and the institution of such measures aimed at the mutual protection of our societies.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Our concern extends as well to other troubled areas of the world: to Afghanistan and the violence being done to its ancient civilization; to Kampuchea, where innocent civilians daily pay the price for an ideological conflict; to the Koreas, where the demonstrated desire for reconciliation and unity is being frustrated by a boundary; to the Persian Gulf, where a fratricidal war has taken a toll which defies calculation. We trust that good reason will eventually prevail in the efforts now under way to end tensions in all of these areas. And we are calling for direct negotiations between the relevant parties, since we are convinced that those directly involved are best equipped to find the solutions to their specific problems. The manufacture and consumption of illegal drugs have now reached the proportions of an international crisis.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The situation in Central America is cause for disquiet in our region. Barbados wishes once again to record its support for the Contadora process and the work of the Lima Support Group. We call on all parties to dismantle all obstacles to the peacefully negotiated settlement of outstanding disputes. We observe with satisfaction the extension of the democratic process within the region and we trust that its continuance will lead to the consolidation of genuine good-neighborliness and hemispheric solidarity.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is unnecessary to say that any serious attempt at improving the operation of the united Nations should concentrate only on the working of the Secretariat. Member States must be prepared to accept some of the blame or credit, as the case may be, for the present situation. Non-payments, late payments and withholdings can in no way be attributed to the Secretariat. The political and other pressures that influence the selection of staff could hardly be countermanded by the Secretary-General who is himself appointed by Member States. The lack of co-ordination in the system could hardly have been achieved without the concurrence of Member States which are by and large represented in all the specialized agencies. Let us not tackle the mote before we have dealt with the beam.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“So amid all of the deliberation, consultation and negotiation, two things seemed to be accepted by all of us: first, that it is important for all of us to settle this matter quickly and quietly; secondly, that whatever happens, the United Nations will never be the same again. My delegation believes that the report represents an excellent foundation on which to develop a series of reforms with a view to cutting the fat, tightening the belt, firming the muscle and generally improving the health of the Organization. Beyond that, a package of reform, based on that foundation, might even lead to an improved process of decision-making that would satisfy the interests of all Member States, complying with the concept of universality and generally uphold the principles embodied in the Charter.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is our hope that the new round will be able to agree on concrete measures to bring about the standstill and roll-back of protectionist measures and will address all outstanding aspects of the international trading system. The report of the Group of High-level Inter-Governmental Experts, which reviewed the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, has generated a level of attention and concern unprecedented in recent times. And with good reason. Because what is at stake is the very existence of this Organization and the way in which it functions.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Unless developing countries are able to sell their goods and products at remunerative prices, they will be hard pressed to pay their international debts; and no amount of rescheduling of debts, no amount of new lending to consolidate all debts and no amount of the reduction of interest rates will address the fundamental causes of the debt crisis facing them. Such measures have their place, but only in the short term to relieve pressure on developing states. My Government therefore believes that the long-term solution to the debt crisis depends on the reactivation of a vibrant international trading system. In this connection we are pleased at the recent decision, reached in Punta del Este, on the start of the new round of global trade negotiations.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Such actions, whether resorted to by States, organizations or individuals, are crimes and, as such, are punishable under the laws of most countries. In a year of peace, such as this one is proclaimed to be, it cannot be irrelevant for the international community to a-i>eal for restraint and moderation in all political disputes so that differences may, wherever possible, be reconciled by discussion and consensus in preference to the use of violence as a means of solving political disputes. My delegation believes that durable solutions to the problems of the world economy can be found only through a partnership between developed and developing States.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“There is an understanding that the destruction of either party is not a prerequisite to peace, and there are signs, now emerging, which appear to indicate a willingness on the part of both sides to talk with each other, if a formula can be found for adjusting the problems of representation. This is a time for boldness and all the delegations to this forty-first session of the General Assembly should press forward towards it. I pledge the support of my delegation to this end. My delegation also condemns the deterioration in international conduct and wishes to see terrorism halted in the shortest possible time. We are persuaded that no political objective is worthy of support if, in furtherance of it, it becomes necessary to put innocent lives at risk.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The principal ingredient of peace in the Middle East is the courage to accept two realities which contentious rhetoric cannot conceal. One such reality is that Israel exists. As such, it has the right to live and to live with others in peaceful security in a world of peoples. But the Palestinian people present us with our second reality. They too exist, and they too have an undoubted right to their own home, and they too ate entitled to exercise their legitimate rights in that national territory. My delegation believes that, in an atmosphere of good will and moderation, the edifice of peace in the Middle Bast can be completed.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is now nearly 70 years since the League of Nations entrusted to the Union of South Africa responsibility for preparing Namibia for political independence. But, not content with its subjugation of black South Africans, the architects of apartheid have stealthily embarked on the annexation of Namibia. In blatant betrayal of international trust, they have openly defied the efforts of the United Nations to rescue Namibia and t- y claim with audacity that the issue of Namibia is now an internal matter for the Government of South Africa. The Government of Barbados has declared its support for the efforts being undertaken by the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and it calls on the international community to pressure South Africa into ending this disgraceful hijacking of the Namibian people.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We also pay a tribute to the Congress of the United States, which only yesterday, in recollection of its own country's early revolutionary traditions, rescued the honor of the American people from the fetid embrace of the racist regime. Likewise, my delegation pays a tribute to the steadfastness of the front-line States. The peoples of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Angola and Mozambique must be regarded as full allies in this struggle. Those States must be strengthened by the provision of markets for their goods and by the establishment of such machinery as would strengthen their economic and strategic interests. Nowhere is South Africa's contempt more noticeable than in its treatment of the people of Namibia.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The regime is therefore an international outlaw. A South African black cannot vote. He cannot decide where he will live. He cannot choose where he will work. He cannot dive into a swimming pool before he looks at a sign, He exercises no choice in the education of his children. He cannot move from one place to another without a pass book. It is this odious system that blacks can no longer endure in their own country. To destroy it, they are willing to surrender their lives, for even if dying is their only passport to freedom, they intend to be free. My delegation pays a tribute to the courage of those States which have chosen not to hide behind the sufferings of the African majority.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Nearly all of them are inhabited by dark-skinned humans, simply because the white populations of the globe had, for various historical reasons, not only organized themselves into sovereign States in previous centuries but in most cases included within the confines of their States territories and peoples from other continents. Thus, it was left to the twentieth century to witness the upsurge of nationalism and the channeling of that nationalism into the creation of new States across the continents. However, the regime in Pretoria is not part of that historical phenomenon. It is, rather, a mutation of the historical process, for it is the successful effort by a white minority, whose right to live in South Africa cannot be questioned, to have escaped British colonialism while fully inheriting its legacy.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“If the black regime promised to reform apartheid and to share power with the whites, would there not be a contemptuous roar of disgust and scorn from some States represented in this Assembly? I really do not need to apologize for any feeling of discomfort I might have stirred, for the scenario I have just depicted would not, simply because the colors are reversed, change this delegation's attitude to racism. Racism in any form, practiced by anyone, is odious and detestable. More than 100 new States have come into being since 1945.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Suppose there were in that country a situation in which 4 million blacks ruled 24 million whites in the same way as in the reverse situation we see today, would we hear that sanctions would hurt white babies? Would there be a policy of constructive engagement with the black minority regime? I wonder - I dare hardly suggest it, but I wonder -would there not be world-wide pressure to destroy such a black regime by incessant disruptions of the black—controlled economy, by a trade embargo, by sabotage and by concentrated and concerted intelligence activity? And - here is the litmus test -would such a regime be allowed to imprison the white nationalist leader for 25 years on the unproved ground that he was a Communist? That is not all.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“In the first place, if the situation is such that the application of harsh measures against Pretoria can harm only blacks and not whites, and if this is a reason for hesitating to apply pressure, then apartheid is being endorsed as an unconquerable system, and unwillingness to tackle it is yet another concession to the theory and practice of white supremacy. Therefore, the reason given is blatantly racist. Secondly, if it is true that a determined assault upon that regime will be particularly detrimental to the interests of the blades, should not the nature and scope of the assault be so planned that the regime and its closest supporters share some of the perils facing the blades? I should like to imagine an entirely different scenario.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The real danger in this situation is that those States that fumble aid hesitate in their policies towards Pretoria may themselves - I believe quite unconsciously - have been smitten by a mild attack of racism. I say unconsciously because anxiety to achieve a good end is often tainted by traces of self-righteousness. So those that resist the application of full sanctions against Pretoria express their concern that black babies will starve. I do not sneer at that sentiment, because what they fear is quite possible. It is therefore necessary for me to address this issue with some seriousness.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“When, therefore, my delegation raises its voice in this Assembly to promote or defend human rights, it is not because we wish to interfere with other people's privacy or to dictate how they should live, but because we are persuaded that such a dispensation is the firmest foundation for the preservation of peace. My delegation therefore regards the rapid extension of human rights to all peoples not now enjoying them as an activity to which the whole wide world must rapidly turn. The regime in Pretoria - contemptuous, arrogant - has systematically deprived South Africa's majority of the means they require to achieve human dignity. The outrage felt by Barbados at this has already been voiced throughout the corridors of this Organization.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Opposition to government is not only possible in the ordinary sense but is safeguarded in the Constitution, which recognizes the right of a citizen to be believe what he wishes and to assemble with other citizens to criticize and oppose Governments so long as this is done within the bounds of law and common decency. Other freedoms are institutionalized - freedom to hold, possess and bequeath private property, to worship one God or none at all, and to organize. Now I cannot say that this system is superior to all others. I merely assert that it is inferior to none.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The context in which the people of Barbados address the question of human rights is empirical and not theoretical. We have no authority in our country except that which is lawfully constituted. Those who administer the legal system are not the same persons as those who make the laws.No citizen can be punished or deprived of his freedom except he transgressed a known law, and because of this there are no prisoners of conscience in our country, there is no detention without trial and no exemption from the rule of law. Constitutional authority in our country is exercised only by those upon whom it is lawfully conferred in free elections in which citizens, either individually or in political associations, choose their Governments.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It now comprises 13 States, from the Bahamas in the north and from Belize in the north-west to Guyana in the south. In a dozen years of maturity the people of the Caribbean have grown increasingly assured that their development will come not from the over-zealous exercise of nationalism but from the patient and contiguous pursuit of inter-territorial co-operation. I have made references to regionalism to suggest that the solution to what we now regard as the modern problems of man may well have its source in regional movements. Regionalism, we believe, can be a potential counterweight to the politics of superiority which holds that weak States should be silent and should be manipulated at will. It can engender renewed interdependence among States and beat back the retreat from multilateralism which we are witnessing these days.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Equal praise is due to the members of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN), whose initiatives have already produced some easing of tensions in a region from which conflict has seldom been absent. We also welcome the timely movement in the Pacific States to place firmer bonds around their common interests. In this hemisphere, Barbados, by virtue of its association with the Organization of American States (OAS), has acquired an enlarged perspective of our regional potential as neighbors once thought distant have become the staunchest of allies. Of particular significance, however, is the regional integration achieved by Caribbean States over the last decade. The Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, had its beginnings in the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed in 1973.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“This is the responsibility which should be assumed by those States which sat in San Francisco and declared their commitment to a new order in the world. In the field of regional co-operation the States of Europe, with their history of bloodshed, have led the way with initiatives in this particular endeavor r. The steady growth of European regionalism must suggest to the world that enmity need not be perpetual and that swords may indeed be beaten into ploughshares. We salute too the efforts, painful though they be, which African States have made towards the unity of their continent, and I am confident that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) will ride over all those obstacles which such efforts encounter and become in time the strong voice of Pan-African integrity and pride.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We watch bemused as the ritual of destruction is rendered before us in th?, litany of acronyms that are both cryptic and cruel: SAM, MIRV, SDI and, quite fittingly, MAD. Indeed we watch as what is now so glibly called an arms race is destroying all around us the norms essential for international fraternity. We watch as mortal danger and fear settle over the heads of the less powerful and the weak. And we watch as the earth's atmosphere, mysterious and good, is steadily and systematically despoiled. So the signs around us are ominous. But I do not believe that our doom is inevitable. What I do believe is that the noble experiment which this Organization reflects was not attempted in' vain. The members of this body need to ponder in earnest the ideals of its Charter and do what is necessary to free the world from the menace that draws near.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We will be friends of all,, satellites of none." The Government and the people of Barbados remain unimpressed by the enticements of hegemony, un-seduced by the bias of ideology end undaunted by any coercion from any quarter. Barbadians have learned from their history as an island community that there is a special challenge which nature presents to those on small islands. Prom our island outpost in the waters of the Caribbean we see much that is at enmity with peace - famine and poverty, disease, injustice, oppression and terror. These war with peace because they are the enemies of growth and development. The most imminent menace to peace in our times is the arsenal of destruction which is deployed over the globe.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is also fitting for me now to pay tribute to your distinguished predecessor, Ambassador Don Jaime de Pinies of the Kingdom of Spain, for the high level of proficiency with which he managed the deliberations of the momentous fortieth session, from which many noteworthy decisions emerged. Peace remains the cornerstone of the foreign policy of Barbados: peace in the Caribbean, peace in this hemisphere, peace in the world. Two decades ago the first - and now again - Prime Minister of the newly sovereign State of Barbados, the Right honorable Errol Barrow, standing at this rostrum proclaimed to all the foreign policy of our country in words which I feel compelled to repeat: "We are exponents of the diplomacy of peace aid prosperity.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“I should in ray first words, Sir, express pleasure at your election to the presidency of the forty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly. May I therefore, on behalf of the Government and the people of Barbados, extend our warmest congratulations on the fitting honor conferred upon you. Our countries, Bangladesh and Barbados, have much in common: a fraternity in the Commonwealth and our aspirations as new and developing States. Bangladesh's firm resolve in the face of great odds is a sterling example of sovereign integrity. I should also like to express my pleasure at the return to office of the Secretary-General, whose restoration to health and his customary vigor is most welcome.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“My Government welcomes your timely gesture and offers to you all its resources for the undertaking of this urgent business of bringing peace to an African country. My delegation, further, invites all States to give public support to your efforts, with the same unanimity which summoned you to preside over the destinies of this Assembly with such grace and distinction.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“My delegation, therefore, earnestly appeals to all our brothers in Nigeria to lay down their arms and hasten to the conference table. We also urge the contending nations in the Middle East to seek, in a spirit of compromise, an early settlement to a dispute which has for so long impoverished their countries and permitted the great Powers to keep these countries in pawn and, at the same time, to fight their own wars by proxy. 84. You yourself, Madam President, have given this Assembly an inspiration to continue the search for peace. In placing your indefatigable service at the disposal of both sides in the Nigerian conflict, you have taken an initiative which deserves the whole-hearted support of the General Assembly.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Their effective application will be best achieved through the knowledge that the safety of each is dependent on the safety of all, and by the exercise of good faith which is more valuable than the most binding treaties, especially treaties in which, in the words of Thucydides: ”The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” 83. We should not delude ourselves that the resources needed for development can be effectively mobilized, unless existing conflicts which threaten world peace can be speedily terminated and potential conflicts smothered before they develop. If we cannot do this, the resources which we wish to command will continue to be dissipated in military adventures, which in themselves increase the chances for a third world war.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Far from proving a satisfactory solution to this pressing problem, the performance of the 1960s, so often referred to as the decade of development, has been for many developing countries a decade of disillusionment. We are persuaded that the forthcoming decade of development will be no less a disappointment and that the intentions of Article 55 of the Charter will be no nearer fulfilment, unless there is sufficient political willingness on the part of those countries whose dynamism, power and resources are greater, to come together and rescue the hundreds of millions of humans in Asia, Africa and Latin America from their long torment. 82. We know that ingenuity is not lacking in devising new methods for going forward together, and we know that resources and technology are available.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It seems to us that there is literally no time to be lost in asserting a claim to these vast potential riches on behalf of all mankind and we hope that this Organization, acting as the conscience of the international community, will be able to offer a constructive substitute for marine imperialism and oppose those who would wish to fish in troubled waters. For these reasons my Government firmly supports the internationalization of the sea-bed and the ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. My delegation will also lend its support to any convention which prohibits and outlaws the improper use of the seas and oceans for military experimentation. 81. My Government has consistently deplored the fact that the world’s wealth is so inequitably distributed.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“This is, of course, a matter of prime importance for an island-State like Barbados, and we look to the United Nations as the sole forum in which the matter can be debated and discussed with a view to removing this important resource from the catch-as-catch-can arena of power politics. It would be disastrous if the juridical anarchy over marine rights, which prevailed in the seven-teenth century, were to be allowed to prevail in this century in the areas under the sea. We know that it is only a question of time before large-scale exploitation of the sea-bed begins, and the technologically advanced countries are obviously the best equipped to glean the rich prizes which are waiting to be gathered from the ocean floor.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Not only are the rich becoming richer, but they are acquiring an astonishing variety of keys by which to unlock even further riches. Unless this process is rationalized, the day may soon come when poor nations will be permanently consigned to the role of helots. The Consensus of Viña del Mar, to which my Government was a signatory, sets out this danger very clearly in the fields of trade and aid. It is a danger that takes other forms as well, and my Government is especially proud that it was the initiative of a mini-State, Malta, which led this Organization to undertake, for the first time, a study of the uses of the sea-bed and the ocean floor. 80.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The small and under-developed countries need a greater and more imaginative effort by the Organization to help close the gaps. We wonder, for example, how many technicians from the under-developed areas of the world contributed to the success of the American moon shot, and to many of the other brilliant achievements of science in other developed countries. I do not know the figures and we do not grudge the developed countries the use of these talents. I make the reference merely to point to one of the underlying and perhaps insoluble difficulties inherent in under-development, which was first highlighted by a leading, if somewhat unorthodox, economist many centuries ago: “Unto every one that hath it shall be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.” 79.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It was an event full of significance for all humanity, and it demonstrated, in the most dramatic way possible, the tremendous progress which mankind has made towards mastering his environment. It was also a dramatic demonstration of the distance that separates some nations from others; the distance that has been described as the “technological gap”. It is a fact of life that the world is divided into the rich and the poor. It is our understanding that it is one of the major concerns of this Organization to find the means of harmonizing these discrepancies so that all may live in peace, independence and prosperity together. What seems to us to be happening, year after year, is that not only the “gaps” are growing, but totally new gaps are being created. 78.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“For example, my delegation would like to see this Organization make a start on long-range economic and social planning for such territories, even if only by way of blueprints. This would serve to show up the deficiencies of the administering Powers in this respect and help to focus international attention on the real needs of the peoples. We hope that the administering Powers will eagerly co-operate in such a project. If they do not, and if they content themselves with the Pavlovian reaction regarding intervention in matters of domestic jurisdiction, then the international community will be able to draw the obvious conclusions. 77. The whole world applauded the scarcely believable achievement of the United States in landing a man on the surface of the moon.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Every single territory in that area which is waiting on the threshold for full self-determination is an eloquent argument for creative and imaginative action by this Organization. We would suggest that the time has come to put an end to the rather rigid and doctrinaire approach to decolonization in which the United Nations now seems to be deadlocked. We do not think it enough to demand of the administering Powers for the traditional accounting of their stewardship. As we see it, the Organization is sufficiently experienced, and the Secretary-General’s authority and prestige sufficiently strong, to permit the Secretariat to play a more active role in the psychological decolonization of the peoples for whom the Organization has a clear moral responsibility. 76.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“My delegation is perverse enough to believe that world peace and security are better guaranteed by the accession of new States, however small, than by the unconscionable use of a device by which the great Powers protect their special interests. 74. There is a basic distinction to be made between self-determination of peoples and membership in the United Nations, and too many of the arguments which have been advanced in favour of a caste-system of States seem to ignore this. In our view, the Organization must be very careful that its consideration of the genuine problem posed by the emergence of very small States does not slow down the urgent process of decolonization. 75. In the Caribbean, we are only too familiar with this question.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“My delegation also believes that even if such States choose not to join this Organization, they should still be entitled to full enjoyment of its services and resources. 73. In short, we must look forward to a world assembly of equals. It is perfectly true that the great Powers do not relish this, but that is only because each of them has its own reservations about the usefulness of this Organization. Each of them can resort to the veto when this device is judged to be convenient. The middle and small Powers enjoy no such luxury, but must contain their impotent fury at the use of this strange mechanism which makes some States more equal than others.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We even provide for their defence in criminal cases, if necessary. Each citizen has access to the best education and the best medical care we can provide, 72. Since our foreign policy is an accurate reflection of our domestic system, it would not be possible for us to accept an arbitrary distinction between sovereign States, a distinction at variance both with the Charter and with the principles of our own Constitution. We feel that the people of the Seychelles or of Nauru have as much right to exercise their sovereignty in this Organization as any other Member State, and we also feel that it is incumbent upon all of us to devise the appropriate machinery to enable this to be done without placing onerous burdens on these States.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“My delegation cannot support the doctrine of limited sovereignty, which is now becoming so fashionable, since we believe that this Organization has within it resources enough to accommodate all those sovereign States whose Governments express their desire to be guided by our Charter. 71. Those who feel that the little State has no place in a world assembly of equals, are doing harm to a sound democratic principle. In my own country and among my own people, our whole philosophy of government rests on the principle that the ordinary man, the little man, is entitled to all the opportunities for development which the Constitution and the economy of our country provide. We have no second class citizens and we take particular care to see that all our citizens have free access to the highest courts in our country.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“On the other hand, it is tempting to imagine that the new limelight will perhaps help to illuminate some of the less-known aspects of the Charter, such as Article 1, paragraph 2, which I take the precaution of quoting verbatim: “To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples...” If the debate on mini- States can help in strengthening international concern for the self-determination of peoples, my delegation will be among the first to welcome it. It has certainly not escaped the attention of my Government that the “mini-State” question has arisen in the very year in which no newly independent countries are seeking admission to this Organization. Some great Powers apparently want to close the Ark even before every species of animal is safely in.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Will they be left, isolated from the mainstream of international concern, to be swallowed up by larger, more powerful neighbours who will then answer every inquiry about their fate with a bland reference to Article 2, paragraph 7? Will a new doctrine evolve for an international concept, by which any group of people with a population smaller than X thousand, inhabiting an area of less than Y square miles, and with a per capita income of less than Z dollars, would automatically fall below the horizon of international concern? 70.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Although sometimes the smaller countries may be justifiably criticized for what has been called “posturing”, it is very rare to hear of occasions in which their posturing has caused widespread devastation of human lives and property or systematic deprivation of human rights. 69. Now that the publicists are tiring of the miniskirt, the mini-State has taken over the limelight. Speaking as the representative of an unabashed mini-State, I am not certain whether to be frightened or pleased by this sudden prominence. It is frightening, in terms of our hopes for a world of increasing interdependence, when we think of some of the implications of this new fashion. For example, what will happen to some of the very small and scarcely viable territories when the mini-State debate is over?”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Of course, the true answer is that the United States and Great Britain are not presently disposed to take concrete, effective and practical steps to dispossess South Africa, even though they are fully aware that such steps would have the moral backing of virtually the entire international community. But somehow, that is never the answer which “public opinion” receives. 68. That is not to say that my delegation considers that it is the exclusive business of the so-called great Powers, or the medium Powers, or any other group of Powers, to look after the security and advancement of the world. That is the business of the entire international community. We must not deny the very special responsibilities of the more powerful countries in nearly every matter that goes to the heart of the world’s peace and prosperity.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“There is a certain irony in recalling that in the debate on Namibia held in this hall a little over two years ago, it was the representative of the United States who called on the international community to take concrete, effective and practical measures in order to implement the Assembly’s resolution on what was then called South West Africa. The unwary must be asking indignantly why the United Nations has never responded to that eloquent call. No doubt, as a result, the Organization has declined one more notch in the public opinion of which you spoke, Madam President.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)