YouSaid · the spoken record

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14
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1946-09-24
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1947-09-24
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2
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un-general-debate

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  1. “That is the only way in which we can prevent a new catastrophe from destroying for ever our spiritual achievements, accumulated throughout the centuries at the cost of torrents of blood. It is we, the representatives to this General Assembly, who are called on, with God’s help, to avert the twilight of our civilization.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  2. “Overwhelming fear, the dread of being attacked, might make aggressors of people who would never be prepared to go to war except in legitimate defence of their rights. The fear of new armaments, and particularly of the atomic bomb, may be the direct cause of another war. It is therefore necessary and essential not only to achieve universal disarmament, but also to create a body with supreme international authority to inspect and control the production and use of atomic energy. Now, neither disarmament nor control of atomic energy would I be sufficient in itself tot preserve peace. To attain that end, it is imperative to suppress our selfish desires, practise tolerance, and abolish hale for ever.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  3. “The Assembly should be the genuine and democratic representative of all the peoples of the earth. It is just as necessary to eliminate the veto from the Charter as to make obligatory the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, for all Members of the United Nations. Speaking of the powers of the General Assembly, I cannot omit paying tribute to the brilliant statesman who, at San Francisco, fought with such tenacity and energy to make the Assembly a feme deliberative body. I need scarcely say that I am referring to Mr. Evatt, Australian Minister of State and a true champion of the rights of small nations. We do not share the view of certain, pessimists who regard another world war as inevitable. We do believe, however, in the possibility of mother armed conflict if we continue to foment the fear of war.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  4. “The rule created to prevent a majority from systematically imposing its will has been converted into an arbitrary privilege of which one country has availed, itself to impose, with or without reason, its decisions and its views on the rest of the Members of the United Nations. The veto has been used on various occasions by this State as base coin with which to purchase advantages for itself, without the least regard for the general interests? of the United Nations. The veto which recently prevented the admission of the new democratic Republic of Italy to the United Nations was not only an injustice, but an extreme abuse of that privilege. Obviously, the Charter must be amended. The General Assembly must be granted more authority and wider powers.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  5. “Such an absurdity was bound to lead to the breakdown of the Security Council. Cuba was afraid, even at San Francisco, of such a breakdown, and said so repeatedly. It showed its aversion to the privilege of the veto in the only way in which it considered it could do so, namely, by voting against the inclusion of that privilege in the Charter. Time unfortunately, has proved it right. On more than one occasion, the veto has made it impossible for the Security Council to take action to ensure peace and security. It has turned it into a useless organ of the United Nations.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  6. “What happened at that Conference to lead to the changing of such a wise view? That is a question very few people are qualified to answer. A veil of mystery still envelops the secret agreements made on that occasion. We can, however, affirm, that it was there that was conceived the unanimity rule commonly referred to as the privilege of the veto. Thus appeared, for the first time, the germ that has destroyed the harmony of the United Nations. Under this rule, the policeman to whom President Roosevelt referred does not just have to go to the town hall and call a meeting to obtain the necessary arrest warrant. The unanimity rule, included in the Charter at a late stage, gives him a much more difficult task. It compels him to obtain the unanimous consent of all the principal members of the police force before he can arrest the felon.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  7. “Three years ago a great man, whose name we shall always pronounce with veneration and respect, the then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, speaking in favour of the Dumbarton Oaks agreements, used certain words which I may, perhaps, be permitted to recall to you: “The Security Council of the United Nations must have the power to act quickly and decisively to keep the peace, by force if necessary ... I live in a small town and I therefore always think in terms of a small town. A policeman would not be a very effective policeman if, when he saw a felon break into a house, he had to go to the town hall and call a town meeting to issue a warrant before the felon could be arrested.” That was President Roosevelt’s view on 21 October 1944, a few weeks before the Yalta Conference.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  8. “As soon as the first atom bomb fell on Hiroshima, mankind entered, perhaps without knowing it, upon a new era which requires new concepts and new ideas. With the opening of the atomic era, the Charter of the United Nations has become an anachronism. From that moment it needed to be amended and revised to adapt it to the new era in which we live. Relations between States need to be regulated by a new international juridical order. All States must surrender a part of their sovereignty in order to form a common fund of sovereignty which shall be recognized and respected as a supreme world authority. Unrestricted sovereignty must give way to the new concept of collective sovereignty. Without that, collective security cannot exist.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  9. “The Republic of Cuba comes to the General Assembly of the United Nations ready, as always, to offer its unconditional co-operation in anything which may contribute to the maintenance of peace and security throughout the world. Convinced that this aim can be fulfilled only by an organization capable of maintaining legal order under a supreme international authority, the delegation of Cuba intends to do everything within its power to strengthen the frail Organization we created in San Francisco. To delude the world would be criminal. It is our duty to tell it the truth. The Charter of the United Nations, as drafted in San Francisco, is not an adequate instrument for maintaining peace and security.”

    1947-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 2 (1947)

  10. “Cuba does not intend to take any initiative on this matter. But should this question be raised, the Cuban delegation pledges itself to offer a formula consistent with the principles of the Charter, and in accordance with the dignity and the patriotism of the Spanish people. May God enlighten and guide our deliberations, and enable us to achieve positive benefits toward the peace and welfare of humanity.”

    1946-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 1 (1946)

  11. “It would therefore be not only useless, but harmful, to repeat the same errors. We must ensure, by all means, that the smouldering Spanish problem does not become the bone of contention between East and West. We must make sure that any action on this matter will preclude partisan aims and be based purely on democratic ideals. The Spanish-American countries are especially entitled to raise their voices in this vital question. It is our conviction, and allow me to put the greatest emphasis on these words, that no true Spaniard will ever resent as an intervention in the internal affairs of his country, any action on the part of the Spanish-American nations intended to assure the happiness and the peace of the Spanish people. The Spanish question is now under the jurisdiction of the Security Council.”

    1946-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 1 (1946)

  12. “The term “peace-loving States,” mentioned in Article 4 of the Charter is not only ambiguous but likewise ridiculous. One of Cuba’s principal aims is a United Nations with a truly universal character. This is why we particularly deplore the absence of certain States whose presence among us would contribute effectively towards our ideal of a world ruled by international law and justice. There is another problem which will come before this Assembly for consideration and which especially concerns Cuba and the Spanish-speaking countries, namely, the Spanish question. So far, the measures taken by the United Nations against Franco have ended in complete failure. These measures have in fact accomplished the exact reverse of what was intended: instead of overthrowing Franco they have strengthened his regime.”

    1946-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 1 (1946)

  13. “Also, we do not believe this to be an opportune moment to go into further details on the veto question, because our delegation has reason to hope that a cordial and friendly solution may be found for this vitally important problem, thus avoiding bitter debates on the floor of this Assembly. As regards the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, we consider that all Member States must submit to the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court, in order to avoid its acceptance by certain States in such a conditional way as to nullify that acceptance. With respect to the Article which deals with membership, it is our considered opinion that specific mention must be made not only of the necessary conditions for admittance of new Members, but also of the indispensable requisites for continued membership in the Organization.”

    1946-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 1 (1946)

  14. “The Cuban delegation earnestly hopes that the debates in the General Assembly will be carried on in a cordial spirit of mutual understanding. Likewise we feel confident, in the event that this Assembly decides to revise the Charter, that we shall have before us the following objectives: 1. Modification of the voting system in the Security Council, eliminating from it the veto privilege; 2. Making compulsory the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice; 3. Revision of the Article which refers to the admission of Members to the Organization. I shall not here express the reasons for which Cuba is asking for the elimination of the veto, privilege, because this will be explained when the motion presented by our delegation is submitted to debate.”

    1946-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 1 (1946)