YouSaid · the spoken record

MacEACHEN

lines on the record: 104
first: 1974-09-24
most recent: 1983-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“We must reinvigorate our multilateral institutions in practical ways, and, certainly, Canada is prepared to join in activities aimed at reaching that goal.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Another basic obligation of membership is that Member States must pay their assessed shares of United Nations budgets and resist the temptation to refuse selectively to pay their shares of certain parts of those budgets. Otherwise, the system will be undermined. 76. This week, many heads of State and Government, including my own Prime Minister, are conferring here in New York. They have not lost faith in the multilateral institutions we have so painstakingly constructed. The United Nations system may be far from becoming, as some would hope, a world government which can enforce its decisions. But it is also far from being dominated, as others would have us believe, by a "tyranny of the majority". We must dig beneath these slogans.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“If the United Nations system is to deal effectively with the panoply of current issues, we the Member States must not stray from the basic ground of the system. Universality of membership remains fundamental to the viability of the system. As stated in Article 4 of the Charter, membership in the United Nations should be open to all peace-loving States which accept the obligations contained in the Charter, and this description certainly applies to the Republic of Korea, which, in its reaction to the calamity of 1 September and in its other actions, has demonstrated clearly its sense of responsibility and its desire for peace. 75.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“However, if the system is going to keep pace with new developments and technologies, legal considerations will have to take precedence over political objectives. 73. Fourthly, the United Nations system is also actively facilitating international co-operation in coming to grips with the most persistent problems facing society. One innovative proposal, which will be considered by the General Assembly at this session, is for the establishment of an international commission on the environment. The commission would address one of the major challenges facing the international community by studying the impact of economic and social development on the world's environment up to and beyond the year 2000. 74.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Secondly, slow but steady progress has been made, since the approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, towards the creation of a body of international treaties, mechanisms and procedures which should eventually cover all flagrant violations of human rights. No Government can claim any longer that human rights abuses are solely within their domestic jurisdiction. The work of the United Nations in human rights goes hand in hand with its efforts in the co-ordination of humanitarian assistance to refugees and in cases of natural or man-made disasters. 72. Thirdly, the United Nations system remains in the vanguard of the progressive development of international law. Pioneering legal regimes have been established in crucial fields such as the law of the sea, outer space, civil aviation, telecommunications and trade.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We should, however, balance our natural concern with these problem areas by recognizing and giving wider publicity to the ongoing achievements of the United Nations system. Too often what has been accomplished has been taken for granted. I should like to cite a few examples. 70. First, the United Nations specialized agencies continue to spearhead international co-operation in many vital technical areas. ICAO is the more recent case in point. It is important for us to ensure that the specialized agencies succeed in preventing extraneous political issues from diverting them from their principal tasks. 71.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The same concern—to make existing institutions work better—has prompted the efforts by my country within the Governing Council of UNDP to achieve a more assured system of funding for that institution and to reinforce its role as a central fund for all United Nations technical assistance activities for development. We likewise attach importance to the current triennial review of the operational development activities to the United Nations system. This review provides an opportunity to reassert a coherent sense of purpose and direction to practical co-operation between North and South. 69. I have emphasized the most difficult issues of peace and security and economic co-operation.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“There is now a greater spirit of realism in consumer- producer relations that offers some hope for pragmatic discussion of oil and related concerns in the coming years. 67. The international community has spent far too much time trying to devise new machinery and not enough in making what we have work better. I am encouraged by the pragmatic direction that the debate on reform of the international financial system has taken. The Commonwealth Study Group's report on challenges for the world's financial and trading system represents a most useful recent contribution to this debate. Many of its recommendations are aimed, in the first instance, at bringing about greater multilateral co-operation within the parameters of the present institutional system. 68.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We are mindful of the vital role of trade in the process of global economic development and of the contribution which export earnings can make to relieving severe strains on the payments balance of many countries. These efforts require our attention and resolve. 66. There is another area where co-operation must be nurtured. This is producer-consumer co-operation on petroleum. Repeated energy price shocks have been an important cause of accelerating inflation, lower real growth, the debt crisis and the muting of the North-South dialogue. We are now facing an opportunity for producers and consumers to work together, as a reflection of overwhelming common interests, in conservation and assurance of supply and a fair, stable long-term price.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We have today deposited our instrument of ratification of the Agreement Establishing the Common Fund for Commodities. 65. In trade, the task ahead for our Governments and international institutions is to work together to carry out and monitor the commitments we have already made. It is positive action, not just pledges, that will build confidence in the trading system and contribute to economic recovery. Canada is actively supporting efforts in GATT and elsewhere to monitor commitments to resist protectionism. If individual Governments are to resist protectionist pressures, they need to know that they are engaged in a genuine collective effort and are not simply standing alone.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“To turn this partial and uneven recovery into one that is durable and widespread, we shall need action on many fronts. Continuing efforts are essential to reduce interest rates. In responding to the debt problem, we must ensure an adequate flow of funds to the debtor countries to support their adjustment efforts. Adequate official funds must be made available through IMF and the development institutions, especially to the low-income countries, while commercial banks must continue to play an important role in international financing. The needs of the International Development Association are particularly acute. For its part, Canada has recommitted itself to increasing Canada's official development assistance to 0.5 per cent of the gross national product by 1985 and to make best efforts to achieve 0.7 per cent by 1990.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Developing countries have adopted courageous adjustment programmes to restore their payments equilibrium. International financial institutions and bilateral donors have kept open the flow of resources for development. The GATT ministerial meeting compelled Governments to take a hard look at their own behaviour and elicited renewed commitments to the open multilateral trading system. At the Williamsburg summit the major Western nations agreed on the vital interdependence of the world economy. The developing countries, seriously affected by the world recession, must be full partners in global recovery. 64. There is, of course, no room for complacency. As I stated at the session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at Belgrade, there are no quick fixes to problems which are deep and ingrained in the world economy.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The series of meetings beginning with the joint IMF/IBRD meeting at Toronto in September last year and moving on to the first ministerial meeting in 10 years of the parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and then to the Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non- Aligned Countries at New Delhi and the Summit of Industrialized Countries at Williamsburg and to the sixth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has been an exhausting but worthwhile experience. 6? These consultations have encouraged mutually rein forming national action in a number of sectors. There has been a welcome drop in inflation and nominal interest rates. In the debt area, we have seen an outstanding co-operative effort in handling major simultaneous rescheduling. IMF has performed with vigour and resilience.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Since the Second World War, Canada has attached special importance to the development of international verification mechanisms and has assigned a high priority to research in this area. We have been making available increased funding for research which will help in the technical and practical aspects of verification. We hope that by sharing the results of our work through the Committee on Disarmament we shall make a real contribution to the Committee's effectiveness. 59. Multilateral institutions face the same challenges in the economic as in the political sphere. We have started to meet the challenge. International co-operation has been strengthened through the most intensive round of high- level economic consultations in several years.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The Working Group has been given the task of undertaking, immediately at the outset of 1984, intensive negotiations on the text of a convention. 58. Canada's concern with the need to eliminate chemical warfare is of longstanding. It goes back to the First World War, when Canadian forces were subjected to the first massive gas attack. Since then, technological developments have made chemical weapons even more pernicious, as events in South-East Asia in recent years have unfortunately demonstrated. It would be a real achievement if a draft convention on chemical weapons could be agreed upon by the end of 1984. We recognize also the absolute necessity of verification if we are going to make real progress in international disarmament and arms control negotiations.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Having submitted a substantive working paper on this subject in 1982 Canada has continued its research programme on both the legal and technical aspects. We urge the establishment of a working group early in the 1984 session and are prepared to co-operate fully in the detailed examination of the issues. 57. The Committee on Disarmament did make significant progress in the area of chemical weapons. Thanks to the co-operation extended to the Canadian chairman of the Committee's Working Group on Chemical Weapons, we now have for the first time a complete document which outlines the elements of a convention on the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and on their destruction.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“At the same time, we must ensure that multilateral negotiations, under United Nations auspices, serve to reinforce the arms control and disarmament process. Machinery already exists for this purpose, but it has to work more effectively. The Committee on Disarmament, for example, has shown mixed results over the past year. 55. I regret that a working group on arms control and outer space was not established this year by the Committee on Disarmament. Prime Minister Trudeau warned us at the twelfth special session, devoted to disarmament, that "we cannot wait much longer if we are to be successful in foreclosing the prospect of space wars". This issue is urgent if we are to succeed in keeping outer space off limits to weapons of war. I commend the Committee's Group of 21 for their recognition of this urgency. 56.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“I call on them to make clear, in unambiguous terms, their readiness to accept the right of all States in the area, including Israel, to exist in security and peace. 53. Questions of disarmament and arms limitation have become the central preoccupation of our time. Negotiations between the major Powers have yet to show significant progress. President Reagan's announcement yesterday provides some encouragement that movement may be possible on the question of intermediate-range nuclear weapons. The proposals he advanced are an important step forward and demonstrate a constructive flexibility on the United States side which, we hope, will be matched on the Soviet side, 54. The major Powers have the paramount contribution to make in disarmament and arms limitation.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Foreign troops must withdraw unless they are present at the specific request of the legitimate Government of that country. We must all actively support, through the United Nations and by any other means open to us, the search for a just solution based on national reconciliation. 52. Nor can we allow events elsewhere to deflect our attention from the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nothing has occurred in the 12 months since we last gathered to lessen the burning need for a lasting solution which assures the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to a homeland in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. I encourage all parties to exercise restraint. I call on Israel to rethink its policy on settlements. I urge all parties to enter into genuine negotiations.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“But assistance to these countries will be effective only once they have jointly decided to reject outside military involvement. A common effort of this sort could help to restore the political stability and confidence without which programmes for development cannot succeed. 51. Perhaps no issues have more frustrated this Organization than the successive crises in the Middle East. The situation in Lebanon has been particularly tragic. We hope that the cease-fire just arranged will hold. The internal problems of this country have been complicated by others in the region who have chosen, at Lebanon's expense, ruthlessly to pursue their own interests on Lebanese soil. Canada strongly supports Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“There has been some response both from Nicaragua and Cuba but, as yet, no dialogue nor any decrease in military activity. This is essential if an effective settlement in Central America is to be achieved. Canada would support concrete proposals by the Contadora Group to stop the process of militarization and to verify and monitor the progressive withdrawal of all foreign military personnel from the region. 50. Canada is committed to supporting these regional mechanisms. If renewed efforts by the five countries of Central America could lead to agreement among them on a common approach to economic and social planning, Canada would increase its contribution to the necessary regional infrastructure projects. We are more than willing to continue to help all countries there to solve their problems by themselves.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“For this reason we have welcomed the initiatives of the Contadora Group, working with the five countries of Central America to find a path toward reconciliation. We are convinced that lasting solutions to the region's problems can be arranged only by the countries of the region—that approach is fully consistent with the Charter of the United Nations. The Contadora initiative provides a basic framework for stability and co-operation within which the root causes of the region's problems can be attacked more constructively than by military meanings. 49. One factor critical to the success of the Contadora initiative will be a positive response from all parties to President Reagan's welcome offer of verifiable demilitarization.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The presence of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus, for example, has prevented a recurrence of intercommunal fighting and has helped to maintain law and order. However, there is still no solution to the fundamental problems of the island. The Secretary-General and his representative have recently provided useful ideas on how a settlement can be reached. But until the parties themselves are prepared to make a serious commitment to negotiations, no just and lasting settlement can be found. Peace-making must be seen to go hand-in-hand with peace-keeping. 48. Of course, the alarming course of events in Central America continues to preoccupy us. Political solutions to the region's problems are slow to emerge.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, and of Kampuchea by Viet Nam, persist in defiance of the Assembly's resolutions. The countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, as recently as last week have made constructive proposals aimed at a solution to the Kampuchean situation On Afghanistan, the Secretary-General and his personal representative have made an effort to get a real dialogue going. The achievement of an equitable solution, however, will require the demonstration of a greater sense of responsibility on the part of the Soviet Union. 47. Canadians have participated in 15 United Nations peace-keeping forces and observation teams. Peacekeeping can be an important part of promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It cannot seek unilaterally to reshape the region; boundaries and sovereignties must remain inviolate. 43. Secondly, the President of Angola has reaffirmed that his country has no desire to rely on foreign troops or keep them on its soil once Angola is no longer threatened. Measures to strengthen confidence and lessen tensions between those directly concerned are urgently needed. 44. Thirdly, the implementation of resolution 435 (1978) during 1984 is the essential step. Without this, there cannot be peace in the region. Those who seek peace will meet this challenge. 45. A fourth step should follow. UNCTAD is at present studying Namibia's economic and social needs. The international community will need to provide assistance to an independent Namibia, and Canada stands ready to play its part. 46.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“There is no excuse now for further delay. South Africa's pre-condition for implementation, the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola, cannot legitimize its illegal occupation of Namibia. The question of principle is clear. Namibia should have its independence regardless of what happens or does not happen in Angola. 41. The Secretary-General has spelt out the political realities very clearly in his report to the Security Council further disastrous consequences will result if we do not quickly reach the stage of implementation, and reaching this stage will require a determined effort by all concerned and particularly by those directly concerned. 42. The first step is clear. South Africa must end its incursions into Angola and its interventions there.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“These are not revolutionary steps. They can be taken on the basis of existing authority and by reallocating resources. But they would be useful and concrete and would facilitate the tangible progress on specific problems that is so urgently required. The Secretary-General has shouldered his responsibilities in an exemplary fashion. He does not, however, possess supernatural or, alas, supra-national powers. We, as Member Governments, must also shoulder our responsibilities. 39. The Secretary-General has just reported on one problem crying out for a solution—that of Namibia. It is almost five years to the day since the Security Council adopted resolution 435 (1978). The outstanding issues regarding its implementation have, in substance, been resolved. All the parties have made concessions to achieve this result. 40.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The ineffectiveness of the Council in dealing with the Korean Air Lines incident demonstrates once again the need to find more flexible and creative ways for Council members to address disputes. I would hope that agreement could be reached among Council members on the following specific measures: First, the Secretary- General should be encouraged to make greater use of Ms authority under Article 99 to bring current or potential crisis situations to the attention of the Council. To do this, he requires a greater fact-finding capacity. Secondly, the Council should meet informally to avert potential crises by examining incipient disputes during /n camera sessions with the Secretary-General. Thirdly, the Secretary- General requires additional personnel and resources for more effective use of his good offices in the resolution of disputes. 38.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“And the Canadian Parliament also demanded that "the Soviet authorities immediately offer full and generous compensation to the families of all victims, including Canadians". The text of this resolution was distributed on 13 September as a document of the Security Council and is available to all United Nations Members. 35. Canadians are dismayed by the continuing failure of the Soviet Government to respond to official Canadian communications on this matter. A TASS report is an insulting response to a reasonable request for information. 36. One United Nations agency, ICAO, is undertaking an urgent and impartial investigation to determine the facts of the tragedy. It is also reviewing ways of preventing a recurrence of this tragedy. Canadians expect the Soviet authorities to co-operate fully with ICAO. 37.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“This exercise of the veto was callously irresponsible. It prevented the Council from taking action to preserve the safety of international civil aviation. 34. Canadians continue to be outraged by the tragedy of 1 September. On 12 September the Canadian House of Commons unanimously condemned "the unwarranted attack on and destruction of the Korean airliner on the orders of Soviet authorities". The House of Commons demanded "a full and truthful explanation of this brutal act from the Soviet Government". It demanded that "the Soviet Government co-operate fully in any impartial investigation under the auspices of the United Nations and of the International Civil Aviation Organization to prevent any repetition of such a tragedy".”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The key is the Security Council and the way in which the Secretary-General works with the Council and the members work with each other. Council members have been seeking ways to make the work of the Council more effective. It will be unfortunate if political realities prevent any significant improvements. We count upon the members of the Council, particularly its permanent members, to exercise their responsibilities on behalf of all Member States. 33. Is it naive to demand an enhanced spirit of cooperation and acceptance of responsibilities in the Council? One wonders, in the light of recent events. The world will not soon forget that the Council was prevented from taking action on the destruction of a civil aircraft by the Soviet Union. We cannot write off this particular Soviet veto as a harsh fact of life.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We measured expectations against realities and, to no one's surprise, found ourselves wanting. We recognized that we were in the midst of what the Secretary-General called, in his reports a "crisis in the multilateral approach in international affairs". We unanimously agreed on the imperative need to strengthen the role and effectiveness of the United Nations. We have not yet succeeded. It is now time to move from high-sounding generalities on which we can all agree to specific measures for strengthening the multilateral system. 31. The reputation of the United Nations is widely measured by its contribution to peace and security. We must turn around the current perception that the United Nations cannot respond forcefully to crisis and conflict. We must make more creative use of the existing provisions and mechanisms of the Charter. 32.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“27. I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I assure you of the full co-operation of the Canadian delegation in the discharge of your duties. You can count on our support in your efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the Assembly, a concern which you emphasized last week in your opening address. 28. I would also like to welcome Saint Christopher and Nevis as the 158th Member of the United Nations. St. Kitts is a hemisphere neighbour, a Commonwealth partner and a close friend to many Canadian visitors. 29. We meet at a time of heightened tension. The urgency of many world problems has intensified since last year. The need for a dynamic United Nations has never been greater. 30. One year ago the Secretary-General inspired us to take a hard look at the Organization.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The present crisis demands intelligence and will. Intelligence must lead us to a more profound Understanding of political and economic forces; our will must reside in commitment to those national con¬cessions dictated by our mutual dependency. We cannot, must not, allow mutual antagonisms or self- absorption to divert our attention from the full range of difficulties which we face, and which we must face together.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“He has put forward several innovative sugges¬tions, in particular directed at a more effective Security Council. He has himself undertaken to play a more direct role in bringing urgent matters before the Council. These specific proposals and the Secre¬tary-General's commitment to administrative stream¬lining are very welcome and should be encouraged. Pragmatic reforms must be made or the United Nations will lose its validity as a forum for interna¬tional negotiations, not only for the promotion of peace and security but also for the shaping of our, economic future. 124. The aims of the institutions we have invented are under considerable and potentially crippling strain. We must rededicate these institutions and the driving force of our determination must be a sense of shared vulnerability. 125.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In Namibia, the United Nations has worked cut a balanced settlement plan which should bring Namibia to independence peacefully, and has obtained for that plan general acceptance. The substantial progress that has been made must be attributed in part to the dedication and constructive approach of the front-line States and the South West Africa People's Organization [SW/1PO]. We hope that remaining problems will be quickly resolved. 123. The appointment of a new Secretary-General has come at a time when the United Nations is facing unprecedented problems and when the need for insti¬tutional reform has become obvious. In his first report on the work of the Organization, the Secretary- General has addressed this need in direct and specific terms.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We deeply regret that the Conference was not able to adopt the text of the Convention by consensus. No State can remain aloof from the regime, and we must not be swayed by any attempt to undermine it. 121. The United Nations has succeeded in making human rights violations a legitimate subject of interna¬tional scrutiny and it is significant that the Secretary- General has identified human rights promotion as a priority area. Canada will support the Secretary- General in these efforts. Effective procedures must be worked out to deal with flagrant violations of human rights. 122. A role of critical importance for the United Nations is the peaceful resolution of disputes. How¬ever maligned the Organization may be concerning its efforts to resolve disputes, it can achieve notable successes.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We must also vigorously reaffirm the singular contribution that the United Nations has made to the development of international law. As the Secretary-General explained at length and with eloquence in a statement delivered last month in Montreal, the United Nations plays a unique and absolutely essential role in the promotion of the rule of law. It is only the United Nations, with its virtually global scope, which has the capacity to play that role. 120. This year the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea succeeded in producing a profound achievement: a comprehensive constitution for the oceans of the world. The Conference could not have produced such a comprehensive convention without the active support and participation of all nations during the long years of negotiation.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Within the United Nations, crisis management capacity has been called seriously into question by divisions within the Security Council, by erosion of the constitutional division of authority between the Security Council and the General Assembly and by a cycle of ineffectual resolutions. We have seen an increasing tendency to introduce extraneous polemical issues in the specialized agencies, with adiminution of their effectiveness and credibility. Official spokes¬men of key States Members of the United Nations have expressed scepticism regarding the Organization. To counter attacks on the United Nations from within and without we must more closely bind our policies and our behaviour to the principles expressed in the Charter.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Canada has chosen to contribute to the arms control and disarmament process by concentrating on the vital issue of verification. We are doing this through participating in the international seismic data exchange and by substantially increasing research in verification. I would appeal to other Member States to consider how their particular circumstances and resources might be drawn upon to contribute to the arms control process. It is basically the same question as with development: given the need for selectivity, what can you contribute? 118. I have evoked today a set of perplexing and interrelated economic and political problems. What is the United Nations capacity to respond to these? The question is an urgent one, because the United Nations and the specialized agencies address virtually the entire range of human concerns. 119.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The world had high hopes for the second special session of the General Assembly on disarmament. When the session ended and no final agreement on a comprehensive programme of disarmament had been reached, there was much disappointment and frustra¬tion. However, a disservice is done to the special session and to the United Nations as an institution if it is simply dismissed as a failure. Of course the results were disappointing, but then the expectations of many were probably unrealistically high given the prevailing international climate. Moreover, in this climate it is essential that the campaign for nuclear disarmament be waged at the negotiating table. My country strongly supports the present negotiations in Geneva to limit and reduce the level of nuclear arms. 117.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We are encouraged however by the proposals made in January this year by the President of the Republic of Korea seeking dialogue and reconciliation, without conditions, and we hope for the greater integration of the peninsula into the inter¬national community. 115. The extent to which local or regional conflicts draw their energy from mutually antagonistic ideo¬logical systems is also cause for considerable concern. In recent years the breakdown of detente and an increasing anxiety over the unpredictability of events have fuelled public fears of nuclear war. Our peoples fear that everything is at risk: the economic and technological systems which sustain us, the political and social systems which underpin them and the very biosphere which permits the existence of life itself. 116.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Events in Poland remain an object of our particular attention, not only because of concern for the basic rights and freedoms of the Polish people but also because of serious implications for stability in the heart of Europe. 113. In Afghanistan and Cambodia we witness agonizing, protracted and deplorable military occupa¬tions which are in sharp contradiction with the aims and ideals of the Organization and the Charter. The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia continue to violate the sovereignty of their victims and to ignore resolutions adopted by the General Assembly. Once again this year draft resolutions are before the Assembly on Afghanistan and Cambodia. I urge all Member States to support these draft resolutions. 114. The Korean peninsula has long been an area of tension and concern.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Equally important, efforts must be intensified now to grapple with the problems at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. More than ever the tragic events of the last few months illustrate the need for a just and permanent solution which assures the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to a homeland in the West Bank and Gaza, and the right of Israel to exist in security and peace. Important proposals for such a solution have recently been made. The United States proposals of 1 Sep¬tember in particular offer opportunities for progress which should vigorously be pursued. 112. Other arenas of conflict continue to contribute to the generally high level of international tension.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“These terrible events show us in stark fashion the price that must be paid when one strives to resolve political problems by military means, when disputes among nations and peoples and political factions replace negotiations, when one misuses or disregards the instruments that the international com¬munity has established to settle disputes and prevent human suffering. 110. I should like to stress that Canada staunchly supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and that it endorses the Security Council resolutions which call for Israel's withdrawal from west Beirut and the whole of Lebanon. No foreign force should remain in that country without the full consent of the Lebanese Government; otherwise that ravaged country will never know stability again. 111.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Canada believes that the text of a compromise resolution worked out at Versailles represented a significant step in the effort to find a formula for launching global negotiations. I regret that it has not been possible to find a basis for real negotiations. 108. Economic problems are all the more vexing and potentially dangerous because they are bound up with serious political instability. Political instability pro¬duces consequences extending far beyond the imme¬diate region in which conflict has erupted. In a shrinking world local vulnerabilities and tragedies become the common concern of us all. 109. We have witnessed the long agony of Lebanon and, but 10 days ago, the horror of the massacre of Palestinians.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We should all—national donors and multilateral agencies alike—rationalize deployment of available resources for maximum possible effect. The best results can be obtained from this process of com¬pulsory selectivity only if donors focus on areas of special national expertise and resources. Canada has chosen to concentrate its efforts in three particular areas which draw upon considerable national experience. These are the food and agricultural area, energy, specifically petroleum exploration, and human resources. 107. Another response to shrinking resources should be to make full and timely use of every opportunity for enhanced co operation. In this connection, I am disappointed with the lack of progress made on global negotiations since the Versailles Economic Summit in June.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“That organization has been enormously beneficial in promoting world economic growth in developed and developing countries. Any serious weakening of GATT through beggar-thy-neighbour policies would have the ultimate effect of making beggars of us all. GATT can and should be strengthened. 104. Canada will chair the 1982 annual session of the GATT Contracting Parties, which will be held at the ministerial level in November. We regard this session as a significant test of our collective determination to manage an interdependent system. 105. Intense preoccupation with domestic economic concerns also confounds our attempts to persevere with development assistance programmes. What should be our response to the inescapability of shrinking resources? How do we face the difficulties in generating increased development assistance flows? 106.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“That is why Canada supports a substantial increase in quotas during the Eighth General Review. 102. Secondly, the current economic situation has meant that development assistance has become even more essential for a number of developing countries and it is important that bilateral and multilateral flows continue. We welcomed the agreement reached at Toronto to ensure an adequate level of funding through the life of the Sixth Replenishment of the International Development Association (IDAVI). 103. The tendency to turn inward economically is also exerting strain on the multilateral trading system. Protectionist sentiment arising from economic disloca¬tion is difficult for all Governments to deal with, my own included. But it is absolutely essential that we manage these pressures collectively to avoid under¬mining GATT.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The consequence has been an increasing ten¬dency towards economic parochialism. Pressures for short-term relief put at risk the multilateral system and narrow the longer-term prospects for all of us. These pressures must be resisted. 100. The collective response to the current economic situation was extensively discussed at the annual meeting of IMF and the World Bank held recently in Toronto. I was encouraged by the determination of participants at that meeting to treat economic problems as matters of common concern requiring common action. 101. I should like to underline two important themes. First, the magnitude of the financial difficulties many of our countries face makes it imperative that IMF should have adequate resources to ensure that it can continue to play its vital role in promoting adjustment in member countries.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)