YouSaid · the spoken record

Volio Mata

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS VOLIO MATA

lines on the record: 42
first: 1951-09-24
most recent: 1952-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“All that we can do is to bow down before God and ask for His divine inspiration, that He may move the hearts and illumine the minds of the leaders of the peoples old and new, who must be dedicated to the service of peace and the betterment of mankind, 118. I cannot conclude without a thought and a prayer for those who, undaunted in spirit, have laid down their lives on the battlefields of Korea, with the picture of their native, land and the vision of their dear ones before their dimming eyes. I cannot conclude without reverently recalling the sacrifice of the thousands of mothers and wives who anxiously await the return of the gallant defenders of the peace. I cannot conclude without paying a warm and fervent tribute of lasting admiration for the heroic young men who are fighting, not to win a war, but to win the peace.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The Organization of American States and the Charter of San Salvador hear witness to the fact that, where there is no prejudice and where good faith and intellectual honesty are brought to bear, the problems of mankind are amenable to conciliation and settlement. It is our hope, our firm conviction, that the international relations among the twenty-one American republics will remain fraternal, regardless of the political changes that have occurred or may occur. 117. We wholeheartedly endorse the principles of the United Nations Charter, particularly in regard to human rights and the attainment of a better, fairer and more decent life for all. Above all, we earnestly desire the strengthening of peace. Every moment that passes brings with it stark tragedy, the loss of yet another life, sorrow and tears for millions of human beings.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“My delegation has adhered and will adhere to the general policy of the American States, not only because we consider that our hemisphere is the spiritual refuge of mankind, but because we believe that our country, in which there is no imposition of extremist political doctrines, no racial discrimination, no struggle to maintain foreign ideologies, is in a privileged position to offer itself to a world at strife as an impartial conciliator of differences. 115. I should like to refer in this connexion to the action of Mexico and Peru in offering their good offices for the settlement of the Korean conflict through the proposal of the President of Mexico, Miguel Aleman, who is just about to complete his term of office and the conciliatory measure proposed by that great jurist, Mr. Belaunde. 116.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In doing so, we have been conscious of the small size of our country and the modesty of our contribution, but proud of the moral strength of our position, since every aspect of Costa Rica’s democratic life is consistent with the provisions of the Charter, and because it is our absolute conviction that in Costa Rica all human rights are respected, the purest democracy is practised and all international commitments of whatever kind are honoured. 114.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We are therefore very much in sympathy with the draft convention on political rights of women8 which is to be considered by the General Assembly at its seventh session, although we reserve the right to request the clarification of certain points in article 3 of the draft. 113. My delegation wished to place on record Costa Rica's policy with regard to its international relations, the discharge of its treaty obligations and its position as a Member of the United Nations.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Our Civil Code of 1888 had freed women of all the legal restrictions affecting their persons and the management of their property to which they had been subjected since the beginnings of Roman law. Under my country's new Constitution, which came into force on 8 November 1949, the development of legislation in favour of women was completed; women were granted the right to elect and to be elected on the same conditions as men. At our next elections, Costa-Rican women, who have gallantly taken their place in the battle for human freedom, will exercise the right to vote without restriction.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In the meantime there was a rise in coffee prices which, for no good reason, had been at an extremely low level. When the Bank finally decided that we could have $3 million for our schemes, the offer was not accepted. In the three years which had gone by, the additional income received as a result of the rise in the price of coffee had been $30 million — ten times the amount of the loan offered. This additional income enabled our Government, which has managed the country's financial affairs with great care and in an irreproachable manner, to obtain the necessary funds to finance the plans I have mentioned itself. 112. My delegation wishes now to explain briefly its position with regard to the rights of women. My country was one of the first on the American continent to grant women equal civil rights.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“This is merely a matter of justice; the inhabitants of the backward areas should be given a fair return for their labour in order to enable them to achieve a more decent standard of living and to finance their own development plans. This, in turn, will mean an increase in the consumption of those manufactured goods which the developed nations have to market abroad in order to operate their mass production facilities to capacity. 111. My small country, whose coffee exports provide its principal source of income, has just had an experience which confirms what I have said. Early in 1949, negotiations were started with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a loan to finance certain economic development plans. The Bank was slow in reaching a decision.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The still unexploited wealth of these areas is essential to the industrial countries, just as the trade, capital goods, machinery, capital and technical assistance of the latter is essential to the under-developed countries. The future economic structure of the world must be based on the stabilization of prices at a fair level, the equitable distribution of raw materials and exports and a more far-sighted economic policy more in accordance with present-day standards. 110. My delegation considers that the payment of fair prices for commodities exported by the under-developed countries is one of the most effective means of promoting their economic and social advancement. It will enable the backward countries to receive additional resources without being obliged to solicit humiliating credits or onerous loans.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We believe, however, that, if not from a sense of solidarity with mankind as a whole, then at any rate from motives of self-preservation, the industrial Powers must understand the need for ensuring world economic stability by establishing new consumer markets and materially strengthening the countries which are collaborating in the interests of peace and against aggression. All the under-developed countries are gradually becoming aware of their own potentialities and of the important part they have to play in the solution of the problems of mankind and are therefore demanding fairer and more satisfactory treatment in their relations with the industrial Powers.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The co-operation afforded by United Nations agencies — the support given to plans for the economic integration of Central America is but one example — has been one of the most outstanding achievements of the Organization and one which should give ground for hope to those of little faith. 109. We consider that the economic development of the backward areas is the key to the economic stabilization of the world, which must logically lead to the strengthening of peace and social well-being.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Thus it was possible to eliminate the obstacles which inevitably accompany any attempt to unify the economies of different countries, A committee of the Ministers of Economy on Economic Co-operation in Central America has now been established, and, under its guidance, commissions of ECLA and the TAA are studying the basic industries which should be integrated, analysing the possibilities of a complete hydroelectric development, planning a new Central-American transport system by sea, land and air, and studying plans for a Central-American technological institute, intended to increase productivity by adapting the technology of the advanced counties to local conditions. Various other schemes of great importance to the future of our countries are also under consideration.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Nevertheless it was only When ECLA gave its full co-operation that these countries could begin to examine these plans scientifically and objectively, without giving rise to suspicions that an attempt was being made to benefit the economy of one country to the detriment of another.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“As chairman of the delegation of a Central- American country, I should like at this point to make special mention of the support we have received from such bodies, and in particular from ECLA and the TAA, in the preparation and study of plans for the economic integration of the Central-American isthmus. Our countries have long felt the need for such integration. It was realized that if modern methods of production were introduced under individual programmes of economic development for each of the republics, they would be handicapped by the limitations inherent in excessively small economic groups incapable of offering adequate markets for expanding agricultural and industrial production.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The United Nations, through the Technical Assistance Administration and through its specialized agencies, in particular through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Economic Commission for Latin America, has begun to carry out the tremendous task of developing the economically backward countries and has examined many aspects of such fundamental problems as production, nutrition, the equitable distribution of raw materials and the mechanization of agriculture. 108.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Various factors, among them, for instance, the industrial revolution and the growth of industry, inflation and the cold war among the great Powers, have further aggravated this chronic poverty, which has been made more acute by the steady rise in the cost of living. Naturally, this reduction in the purchasing power of the people has been a factor making for social unrest. Paradoxical as it may seem, all the peoples living in a state of poverty, illiteracy and disease are potentially rich. All that is needed is the resolute co-operation of the great industrial Powers for their natural and human resources to be developed fully and to become a major factor in the social progress and economic stability of the world. 107.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“The right of peoples to self-determination, personal freedom and respect for human dignity are the basic principles of the life of nations; in the same way economic and social advancement is essential if individuals are to achieve a higher standard of living. That advancement, of course, is much more urgent in the under-developed countries. We cannot afford to overlook the fact that almost 1,600 million men and women in the under-developed countries live in the direst poverty, while the 400 million more fortunate inhabitants of the world have made substantial gains in the first half of this century.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“To a great extent, the conflicts and the anxiety which trouble the world today are due to the repression, in various ways, of the legitimate aspirations of the peoples to have governments of their own choice; and to form homogeneous political units without artificial and arbitrary divisions which impair their right of self-determination. If those who are forging the destiny of mankind are truly in good faith, all the points of friction and all the obstacles which hinder the progress of men towards the fulfilment of their destiny and towards the greatness which: can be achieved through peace and understanding must be swept aside. 106.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“In association with the other Central American republics, my delegation is carefully considering the possibility of putting an end to the misuse of the veto to the extent that it erects a wall of discrimination against all those nations which are entitled to become Members of our Organization, giving it added strength and prestige in the world. It is an incredible fact that, because of the intolerance of certain parties, the promises of the signatories of the Moscow Declaration of 1 November 1943, in particular as regards the treaty of peace with Austria, have still not been carried out. It is no less incredible that free general elections have not yet been held throughout Germany to settle the question of its unification under a truly democratic regime. 105.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“It would be paradoxical to recognize, the right of certain peoples to self-government while denying other peoples, legally constituted and democratically organized, the right to belong to the association of free peoples who make up the United Nations. I need mention only one case — Italy, which, although a peace- loving and democratically constituted nation, has been denied the right to join the United Nations because of a whim expressed through the misuse of the veto. The misuse of the veto destroy the democratic nature of the Charter, since it places fifty-five Member nations in a position of inferiority with regard to the five great Powers.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“My delegation will therefore support any measure designed to achieve the ends set for in Article 73 of the Charter. As we have said on many occasions, it is our desire that colonialism and political domination should be brought to an end, provided that the peoples concerned have the cultural and economic capacity for self-government to ensure that they will not become the victims of their own rulers or, the prey of any other nations greedy for conquests. That is our position with regard to the right of self-determination of peoples, the fundamental principle established in Article 1, paragraph 2, of the Charter. 104.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Just as the war in Korea has been the war of all nations and individuals who support the principle of freedom and categorically condemn aggression in any form, so the rehabilitation of Korea will be the duty of all those who hold that the world must be freed from want and suffering. 103. This brings me to another point: without economic freedom there can be no political freedom. While poverty exists, there can be no genuine peace. The United Nations has before it another great problem: the question of the self-determination of peoples. The fate of those peoples and their living conditions have ceased to be the exclusive concern of the metropolitan countries; under modern international law, these matters are of common interest. This is also shown, incidentally, by the relevant provisions of Chapter XX of the Charter.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Furthermore, the Soviet Union agreed to the voluntary repatriation of prisoners of war in fifteen treaties signed between 1918 and 1921. 102. My delegation feels in duty bound to lend moral support to these draft resolutions in order to help to bring to an end one of the most absurd and destructive wars known to history. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Korea said, the war has left 10 million persons homeless and destroyed 98 per cent of the country's towns and 80 per cent of its villages. The Korean people have undergone untold suffering, and even after peace has been concluded the United Nations will be faced with the tremendous problem of unification and rehabilitation.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“At the request of President Aleman, the Mexican delegation suggested [A/C.1/731] that every Member of the United Nations should receive its quota of prisoners of war, and the Peruvian representative proposed [A/C.1/732] the appointment of a neutral commission which would send the prisoners to the countries of their election. 101. If the Soviet Union really wishes to bring the war in Korea to an end, it cannot object to either of those proposals which, despite Mr. Vyshinsky's charges to the contrary, are wholly consistent with the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Convention. What is more, the USSR representative’s objections have no moral foundation, since at this very moment German and Japanese prisoners of war are still being detained by the Soviet Union.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Acheson, in a sincere desire to end the fighting, opened the door to the discussion of any proposal aimed at settling the prisoner-of-war problem, provided it did not violate the principle that no prisoner may be repatriated by force either to communist China or to North Korea. Consequently, unless the Soviet Union accepts the principle of no repatriation by force, a new commission, such as that proposed by Mr. Vyshinsky, will be useless. If, on the other hand, the Soviet Union accepts the principle, we see no need for a new body.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“This draft, showing the sincerity of those efforts, calls upon the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China and upon the North Korean authorities to avert further bloodshed by having their negotiators agree to an armistice which recognizes the right of all prisoners of war to an unrestricted opportunity to be repatriated and avoids the use of force in their repatriation 100. Even the USSR representative, Mr. Vyshinsky, despite his legal dialectics, had to agree that the only obstacle to the signing of an armistice was the prisoner-of-war problem. The representatives of Czechoslovakia, the Ukrainian SSR and Poland later did the same. In the. speech to which I have referred, Mr.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Acheson, United States Secretary of State, in his brilliant and temperate statement [380th meeting] gave a clear and convincing review of the situation in Korea, The United States, together with twenty other nations, has submitted a draft resolution [A/C.1/725] approving the efforts of the Unified Command to achieve a just and honourable armistice to bring an end to the fighting in Korea, and in particular the principle followed with regard to the question of the repatriation of prisoners of war.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“My delegation will not seek to play a leading part, but will modestly collaborate in the solution of the critical problems confronting the world — from the war in Korea, to the colonial question, as well as the difficult social problems of a changing world, the self-determination of peoples, the violation of human rights, racial discrimination and plans to speed the economic development of the under-developed areas — which will determine the future of mankind. 99. The war in Korea monopolizes the attention of the world. The anguished hearts of millions of men and women pray to God to enlighten the minds and hearts of those who hold in their hands the fate and the lives of thousands of men. The contending parties have gradually narrowed down the discussion. Mr.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Moreover, realizing that there can be no lasting peace while poverty exists, we shall give our moral support to schemes to improve the living conditions of the peoples of the under-developed areas, emphasizing the inescapable duty of the strong to help the weak. Lastly, conscious of the fact that the Western Hemisphere is one of the positive hopes of mankind, and knowing that the countries which make it up are united by geography, history and common ideals, my delegation will be guided in its policy by the principle of continental, solidarity whose great achievements point the way to a better future. 98.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“My delegation’s position, reflecting the conviction of the Government and people of Costa Rica, is clear and unambiguous: we shall resolutely support any measure aimed at strengthening democratic achievements and further safeguarding absolute respect for human rights, and we shall oppose anything which would amount to oppression of the minds or the lives of men. In short, we shall always be on the side of the true democracies. We wish also to affirm our earnest desire for the restoration of peace. We shall therefore support any resolution, proposed by those who hold the fate of mankind in their hands, aimed at achieving a speedy and final settlement of the armed conflicts by which the world is bedevilled.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Full production strength can be devoted to the service of suffering mankind once the clouds of war have disappeared. In this way, the common effort of all the peoples of the earth would lead to the creation of a better world. The problem of war, if considered in its true perspective, is not a problem of religion, of language, of economy or of territorial divisions; it is the problem of all mankind. Let us call on the sublime inspiration of the Almighty so that He may illumine the illustrious minds of the peat statesmen in whose hands lie the destinies of the world on that, invested with spiritual strength and mutual tolerance, they may lay the foundations of peace, which is the supreme desire of mankind anti can create art eternal oasis of happiness and well-being.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The western hemisphere is giving the world an example worthy of emulation. No element of discord exists between the nations comprising it, the relations between them being governed by the principles of the Organization of American States inspired by the statutes of the United Nations Charter. Recently, the Charter of San Salvador was signed which, inspired by the same principles, constitutes an instrument of harmony and spiritual union between the five sister Republics of Central America. There exists between all the countries of the hemisphere a close spirit of co-operation and an ever-present desire to make of the American continent a source of wealth capable of mitigating the suffering of the world and a factory which would work unceasingly in the service of mankind. 163. While hunger and misery exist there can be no genuine peace.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Let it suffice to say that over 2,000 million dollars have been allocated among forty-three countries of the world under a technical assistance programme. Only last week, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund published a report on the way in which it is investing its budget. Food and medical assistance have been supplied to more than six and a half million children in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan and other countries of Asia. More than six million children have been examined, almost half of whom have been vaccinated against tuberculosis. Many others have been treated against malaria, and millions of children in all parts of the world are daily receiving milk and other food. This is an instance of effective work accomplished by the United Nations. 162.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The General Assembly should have greater powers in order to embrace all those organs of security such as the North Atlantic Treaty, the Organization of American States, the Tripartite Security Pact between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and the security pacts concluded by the United States with Japan and the Philippines, so that each of these bodies may immediately, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, be able to check any attempted aggression. 161. Worthy of mention as a means of co-operation in the joint effort for the maintenance of peace are the various provisions for granting assistance to under-developed countries and for succouring the needs of the world.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“In the absence of specific and adequate sanctions, action by the United Nations can have little practical effect, especially in the case of those aggressive nations which are not inclined to pay serious attention to verbal warnings. 159. The action of the United Nations should in all events bear the clear stamp of universal co-operation, as in the case of Korea, on the battlefields of which the generous blood of the free peoples of the world has been shed. 160.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The Security Council should have greater powers of control and of investigation, particularly in those places which have come to be known as the “explosive areas”, such as the Balkans, the Middle East, Indo-China, etc. 158. In this connexion, we have before us the case of Yugoslavia, which has submitted to the Assembly complaints of provocation by the Soviet Union and its satellites [A/1946], as well as other similar cases. The verification of such complaints should take place by means of impartial commissions competent to take speedy action and, most important of all, to recommend appropriate sanctions if such complaints prove justified.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“It has, furthermore, an unshakable faith in the moral authority of the United Nations. The United States representative’s appeal for progressive disarmament and control by means of inspection of atomic energy and weapons merits considered and careful study by the General Assembly and, in particular, by the representatives of the four great Powers. On the other hand, the USSR proposal [A/1944] to declare that the conditions of the North Atlantic Treaty are incompatible with membership of the United Nations would seem to have the deliberate aim of proposing the impossible, so that it will prove unacceptable. 157. The Security Council, despite General Assembly resolution 377 (V), impeded as it constantly is by the use of the veto, does not possess the necessary authority to intervene with the requisite speed or as effectively as it should.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“All this does not in any way mean that the countries of the world cannot all enjoy the right to live together with one another in peace; on the contrary, the hope of mankind is rooted in the desire that all should live under the sign peace. 155. United States Secretary of State Acheson, in interpreting the world’s cry, has asked for a reduction and control of armaments. Although he himself considers that that is not enough to guarantee peace, a number of measures have been suggested that may help to achieve that objective. 156. The Costa Rican delegation, inspired by unswerving principles of peace and universal harmony, cannot but support whole-heartedly any practicable measures which would ensure world peace, since it does not itself claim to point the way to any particular course or to offer any solution.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The free nations of the West are ready to raise a bulwark of peace against aggression from whatever quarter it may come. For that fundamental reason and in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter, the North Atlantic Treaty has come into being, not for aggressive purposes but as a defence against aggression. To establish peace by destroying this treaty, as has been cleverly suggested, can never be a success. The peace-loving nations which, by reasons of their democratic structure, cannot but be vulnerable, must build a force capable of resisting the sudden attacks of covetously aggressive nations, so long as the latter continue on that path. 154. History, it must be remembered, repeats itself.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“An early peace in Korea will not only stem the flow of blood with all its attendant sorrow and ruin, it will also make possible a calm and early analysis of the pressing problems of the Far East. 151. It is a source of deep regret that thousands of human beings are being daily removed from their homes to fill concentration camps and the hateful slave labour camps. Such violation of human rights cannot be compared with the unfortunate fate of two coloured men who paid with their lives for crimes they committed in sunny Florida. 152. The peace of the world depends on the firmness shown by the democratic nations and on mutual understanding of rights and obligations. But above all, it depends on the action and resolution of those who today, enjoying the hospitality of immortal France, are forging the destinies of a better world. 153.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“For that reason we cannot but regret that obstacles are being placed in the way of the revision of the full peace treaty with Italy and that that great nation, with its long tradition, is unable to enter into all the privileges inherent in membership of the brotherhood of nations. For that reason, too, we regret that the new Germany is unable, by means of an election supervised by an international commission, freely to express its right to unite in order to participate under genuinely democratic conditions in the community of nations. 150. For the same reason it is to be deplored that the delaying action of which we are aware has held up the establishment of peace in Korea, where on 25 June 1950 a peaceful people saw its frontier on the 38th parallel violated by the sovietized forces from the north.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Although my country is small, it has been our high privilege to cherish constantly through the years the ideal of respect for freedom and the effective observance of human rights. No iron curtain along our frontiers prevents open scrutiny of our truly democratic way of life. That gives us the moral right to support in thought and in deed any thesis that will answer the anxious heartfelt cry of millions of human beings for lasting peace, aiming at respect for one another and mutual tolerance. 148. So long as there are peoples living under conditions of slavery, whatever its form, and peoples that are denied their rights, whatever their nature, no lasting peace can be achieved. 149.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)