YouSaid · the spoken record

KYPRIANOU

lines on the record: 376
first: 1964-09-24
most recent: 1983-09-24
sittings or episodes: 9
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

“A number of developments are likely to occur during, the next few months. There are many items on the agenda. All of these items are important, but some are bound to receive special attention at this session. Among such items is the question of the representation of China. That issue, which has been regarded until recently as a perennial one, now appears to be nearing solution. There is going to be a full debate on that question very soon, and I therefore consider it unnecessary to go into the matter at any length at this stage.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“No one can question his right to relinquish his post after such a long, hard and trying, but successful, period of service. He has carried on his shoulders for 10 long years an immense burden of responsibility in a manner that has won for him universal respect and admiration. In paying a tribute to the Secretary-General, I submit that we should fail in our duty to the United Nations if we were not to request him once again to reconsider his decision and carry on with his mission. While we shall continue to benefit from his experience and his advice in the time that lies ahead, we still wish to remain with the hope that he will accept our request to stay on. In this connexion, I fully endorse the remarks on this score made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary in his statement this morning [1964th meeting]. 114.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“UThant is the man who has devoted himself to the cause of the United Nations, who has for 10 long years been the dedicated servant of humanity and whose faith in the United Nations has never been shaken, despite the very many adversities with which he has been faced. Through his work and his deeds he has proved that idealism and adherence to principles should not be looked upon as something different or contrary to the so-often advocated need for realism. U Thant has proved that moral principles and moral standards cannot be divorced from a realistic approach to various problems. Foresight and vision would help to convince everyone that this is so. It would indeed be a great blow to the United Nations were U Thant to give up his post, as he has announced he will do.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Above all, there is the overwhelming necessity to fulfill the basic prerequisites for lasting peace and security: equality, universal freedom and universal justice. 112. Mr. President, as has already been suggested, this year's session of the General Assembly may prove to be a historic one. You will be required to guide the Assembly in its deliberations on many crucial issues. Some evidence must be offered to the world to the effect that what was said and declared last year in this hall by the leaders of the world was not simply an empty promise not meant to be fulfilled but an earnest of our readiness and determination to act. 113. We shall again be inspired this year by the wisdom, the rare personality and the experience of our Secretary- General, for whom it is not possible to find enough words of praise.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“This should be done on the basis of and in accordance with the accepted standards of international behavior and in conformity with the principles of the Charter, which, in theory, no one in this Organization has ever questioned. It must be stressed that quite often the real and basic purpose of the United Nations is being undermined because its Members-at least some of them-are not honest or courageous enough to accept these principles and criteria in practice. From now on we must more scrupulously protect the honor of the United Nations. Otherwise its achievements will decrease and its failures "will mount, to the detriment of humanity. We are living in a world of many and compelling necessities-necessities that must be met without delay by the international community acting together in harmony.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Not forgetting the experience of the past, from which many lessons have been and can still be derived and which must have a great bearing on our attitudes in the future, we must still strive for what we describe every year as a necessity: we must strive to strengthen the United Nations, As we have often said, we should look upon the United Nations not merely as a forum from which to air our grievances, or as a place from which we can freely disseminate propaganda, or as an arena in which to quarrel and argue for the purpose of scoring points for home consumption; on the contrary, we must look upon it as the place in which differences should be smoothed out, problems resolved, crises averted and conflicts eliminated.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“To pay lip-service to the principles of the Charter and to the authority of the United Nations is a form of behavior which was tolerated too much in the past and which should not be tolerated any more in the future. If the United Nations is to become our effective, collective organ for peace and security in the world, as was originally envisaged and as we once again confirmed 25 years later, we must all act always in accord with its rules and principles and not permit deviations and violations, whatever their reason and whatever expediency may lie behind them. 111.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Nor do some serve the cause of the United Nations in any way when they come to this rostrum full of praise for the Organization while outside it they describe it as a "house of illusions" or signify, in any other manner by words or by deeds, their lack of respect for the United Nations, thus illustrating-to put it mildly -their inconsistency. They cannot be allowed, without consequence, to break the rules and to boast of being false to their commitments. 110. We have to choose between international anarchy and t'-.e rule of international law, and it is the United Nations which provides the basic and elementary set of standards of international behavior and conduct.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“These conclusions and this commitment were repeated again this year, the first session of the General Assembly to be held since our solemn re-dedication last year. It is, therefore, our duty not only to continue to make progress but also to make progress in the right direction and at a quicker pace. But, again, the responsibility lies squarely and solely with the Members. The Members must decide to abide strictly and invariably by the rules and not merely to invoke them when it suits their own interests and not to ridicule the United Nations and its noble task when its rules do not permit them to pursue selfish interests of their own.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The fact that we have all agreed that the failures of the United Nations and its shortcomings are exclusively the fault of its Members, the fact that we have all recognized and praised the achievements of the United Nations however limited they may be, the fact that we once again pledged ourselves to the United Nations and its principles, and the fact that from this very hall a message was sent to the world asking it to maintain its faith in the United Nations and to continue to hope for its final success-all of this amounts to a renewed and firmer commitment meaningfully and genuinely to do our utmost faithfully to discharge our obligations and to advance the purposes of the United Nations. 109.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Despite the frustrations of the past and the pessimism which was so prevalent over the last few years in regard to the inability of the United Nations to deal in a satisfactory and effective manner with a number of serious problems, it was a good omen and a promising sign that the importance and the authority of the United Nations was generally acknowledged and accepted. This was, in fact, the message which was conveyed to the world from this hall last year. 108.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“What we did last year, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary, was to pledge ourselves solemnly to provide the cure, which, if we wish to avail ourselves of it, is within our reach. Last year, as we have been doing every year, we praised the achievements of the United Nations, which are by no means insignificant, whether in the political, economic, technical, legal, cultural, scientific or humanitarian field. In drawing up the balance-sheet of the achievements and the failures of the United Nations, whatever differences and variations may have been observed in individual assessments, the unanimous conclusion was that much more must be done, and indeed can be done, by the United Nations. 107.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“In so doing we reiterated not only our conviction regarding the usefulness of our Organization and our faith in its principles, but also our resolve to do our utmost individually and collectively to make the United Nations succeed in the interest of humanity as a whole. 105. It was admitted by everybody that it is the Members of the United Nations who are to blame for its failures and it is the Members who can make tLe United Nations succeed. It is the Members who must show respect for the United Nations by fulfilling their obligations under the Charter. It is not necessary to expand any further on that point, for it has been stressed so many times. No cure can be found by merely repeating the diagnosis. 106.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“He will be presiding over a session of the General Assembly which might prove to be a landmark in the history of the United Nations, not only because of the renewed effort to promote its universality, but also because of the valid and justified expectation that some significant decisions may be taken and significant progress made as a result of the almost unanimous will, so strongly expressed last year, to take concrete steps towards the furtherance of the purposes and the attainment of the goals of the United Nations. 104. We all deemed it appropriate, last year, while celebrating that historic event, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, to assess the failures and the achievements of the United Nations.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“In joining with all the speakers who have preceded me in expressing to the President of the General Assembly my warmest congratulations on his election to this high office, I trust that my remarks will not be taken as a mere formality. I extend to him my very sincere wishes for his success in his most difficult and delicate task, which still lies ahead.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“102. To be one of the last speakers in the general debate, which is about to be concluded, entails both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages lie in the fact that, by having listened to so many distinguished and well-informed speakers, one finds it easier to form precise opinions on issues whose intricacies and details are, by their very nature, not all known or not well known to some of us. The disadvantages, on the other hand, are even more obvious, in the sense that one runs the risk of repeating most of the things which have already been said, discussed, stated and analyzed. Being conscious of this, I shall try to limit myself to what I consider to be some of the most essential points. 103.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The United Nations, which is about to complete a quarter of a century of life, has not had much success — not through any fault of its own — in realizing the hopes and aspirations of humanity, which have appeared and sounded so close and attainable, while man has leapt into space and conquered the unattainable. This can also be a cause for optimism. If man has reached the moon we can and must attain our objectives on earth: We have to repeat ourselves in expressing the hope and the expectation that both the great and we the small, by complying with our responsibilities and’ our obligations and by translating our words into deeds, will find and take the path leading to our objectives, leading to peace, so that mankind may at long last land safely on its own planet’s sea of tranquillity.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Paradoxically enough, peace on earth still remains a dream, while what was a dream, the conquest of space, has come true. So we repeat ourselves in expressing our disappointments and our hopes. The situation gives rise to pessimism because, despite the achievements in space, in science and - in technology, we are still unable to solve the problems on our own planet. Despite all those achievements, we have not been able to make any substantial progress towards achieving the objectives of mankind. We are entering the Second United Nations Development Decade.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We must try to live up to its real meaning. We must grasp the extent of this great achievement of man turning fiction into history and realizing a long cherished dream. If we realize the importance and extent of this achievement, if we think of man’s ability and immense progress in technology and science, we can more easily acknowledge that there is no justification for not being able to turn our planet, which is only a small particle in the universe, into a land of happiness for all those who inhabit it. 185. We have to use more positive approaches consistent with the moral values demanded in this space age. We have to be governed by the spirit of today and of tomorrow and not look at the world and at each other through the eyes, the superstitions and the shortsightedness of the past.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“They all point in one direction and one direction alone: we must all strive towards the same goals, with hard deeds and not merely with noble words, towards universal equality, towards universal freedom, towards justice for all, towards non-discrimination, towards self-determination for all, towards mutual respect. All these are synonyms, all these are the prerequisites for our basic and final objective, the objective of the United Nations, that of lasting peace in the world. 184. If the American astronauts went into space and landed on the moon and left behind them the message that “we came in peace for all mankind”, it surely means that mankind can and must find the means and the strength to achieve this goal of peace on this earth. The message which was left behind on the surface of the moon is very significant.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“International action, United Nations action, is now necessary, because the pollution of the environment has become a rapidly growing threat, nationally and internationally; it is necessary too because most forms of pollution cross national boundaries and many countries suffer because of dangerous pollution in other countries. There are many other problems — political and non-political — which call for action political and non-political. All the problems, great and small, political and non-political, whatever their nature and definition, point in one direction and one direction alone, namely that of the need for better understanding in the world, that of accepting the reality of interdependence in its real meaning, in every field, and that of making the United Nations really effective in carrying out its great task.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We believe that it is the responsibility mainly of the rich to do their utmost in that direction for it is also in their own interests in the final analysis. There are the problems of nutrition and education, and the role of the United Nations may become greater in this field as well. There are other important political problems to which have not referred, some of which are on our agenda. 183. There are problems connected with youth throughout the world, with their duties and their responsibilities today and in the new world which will emerge tomorrow, a subject to which special attention is being rightly paid this year. There is the problem of human environment which has been growing in importance.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In this respect one might mention as an example the exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed, to which the Prime Minister of Malta referred earlier, and which could appropriately be made through the United Nations, so that an additional source of revenue might be provided for the Organization — apart from any other valid reasons for doing this. There are still many problems connected with the economic and social injustices. In this also, as in many other cases, we believe that the United Nations must be utilized more effectively for the purpose of remedying these situations. There is the question of bridging the continually increasing gap between the developed and the developing countries.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“That is one of the fields where theory, in the form of declarations, covenants and conventions, is waiting to be put into practice in the interests of justice and peace. There are a number of issues relating to the strengthening of the United Nations. There is in particular the need for its more efficient functioning and co-ordination as well as for its more efficient financing and for the more orderly growth of its regular budgets and those of the specialized agencies. The United Nations should be enabled to acquire reliable sources of revenue independent of the contributions of its Members.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Any such concept is furthermore contrary to the requirements of peace and all United Nations principles and specific pronouncements on the subject. 182. I have dealt with some of the problems which appear to be high on the list of priorities for solution. There are many other problems, in the political as well as in other fields, some of them extremely important indeed. There is the question of the application of and respect for human rights and in this connexion much has been done, but much more will have to be done. We urge the ratification and implementation of the United Nations human rights covenants [resolution 2200(XXI)] and we think that additional measures should be taken to ensure the application of human rights everywhere and the removal of racial prejudice and discrimination.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In our endeavours to find a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem our guiding consideration has been, as President Nixon said in this Assembly in another context, that “a peace, to be lasting, must leave no seeds of a future war” [1755th meeting, para. 64]. This has been and will continue to be our guiding consideration. Any solution of the Cyprus problem must allow a peaceful evolution and development, without Cyprus again becoming the scene of conflict and more bloodshed. If this is to be achieved, Cyprus must be a truly independent unitary State, without restrictions and without division in one form or another. The concept of division is contrary to conciliation and unity and would bring about new strife and a new conflict.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The Cyprus problem is well known to all of you here for it comes under the responsibilities of the United Nations. Indeed, the Charter and the principles of the United Nations and the resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly, as well as the official United Nations reports and findings on the problem, cannot be divorced from any endeavour to find a peaceful solution. We sincerely hope that despite the present difficulties it may become possible to record some progress in the talks in the not too distant future. We have been and are waiting for the right response. It was said in this Assembly by a colleague the other day, in relation to the same problem, that all concessions should not be expected to come from one side. With that I fully agree. 181.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In that respect I wish to express once again our appreciation to the United Nations peace force for its important contribution and our gratitude to the Secretary-General for his sincere interest and his continuous and most valuable efforts with regard to Cyprus. Our appreciation also goes to all the United Nations officials in Nicosia and in New York for their contribution, as well as to all the countries which are participating in or supporting in any way the United Nations peace operation in Cyprus. I would not, I feel, give a true picture if I were not to remind the Assembly of the importance of the unilateral pacification and normalization measures of my Government to which I also referred in my Statement last year and which have remained, unfortunately, without any response. 180.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The talks which started in June 1968 in pursuance of the good offices and the initiatives of the Secretary-General and to which I referred in my last year’s statement in this Assembly [1696th meeting] have continued but it would be misleading on my part if I were not to say that to our great; regret no progress of any substance has been achieved in those talks. Indeed, the differences are very serious despite the fact that my Government has done its utmost in its sincere desire to see this effort succeed. However, despite the lack of progress in the talks, we believe that they must continue. The peaceful atmosphere to which I have referred and which should be maintained is always, of course, an important element in the situation.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Whether the effort will now continue between the Soviet Union and the United States or whether it will be on the original four-Power basis, the effort must go on, and the services of Ambassador Jarring should more usefully be utilized by all concerned. The Middle East situation is a continuous threat to international peace. The continuation of the hostilities will not solve any problem. Battles can be won but the war cannot be won. The only alternative is a peaceful solution. 179. Before my concluding remarks I wish to make some reference to the Cyprus question. I have nothing much to report since last year. The situation on the island has continued to be, on the whole, calm and peaceful.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We have been supporting the implementation of the Security Council resolution and the mission of Ambassador Jarring, the representative of the Secretary-General. We were honoured and happy that Ambassador Jarring chose Cyprus to establish his headquarters. We have in the past, we do now and we shall in the future extend to him any facilities and any assistance that he may require in pursuing his mission. We believe that Ambassador Jarring’s mission should continue and everything must be done, especially on the part of the great Powers, to support and strengthen it. The initiative of France in calling upon the three other great Powers to co-operate with it in their capacity as permanent members of the Security Council is a most constructive and praiseworthy initiative in every respect.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“What we do wish to repeat is that in our view the Security Council in its resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 provided the answer in the circumstances and in the face of the present realities. That resolution contains many elements, the application of all of which is important if an over-all solution is to be reached. The withdrawal of the troops from the occupied territories is of course of paramount importance. No one — and least of all the United Nations — can justify in any circumstances whatsoever the retention of territories occupied as a result of war for bargaining or other purposes. The other elements of that resolution too will have to be implemented if peace is to be secured. Our position has been very clear from the beginning.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“It is no longer just another perennial issue before the Assembly, as it was so wrongly considered to be by some before 1967. It is now a war in the full sense of the word. It is a war, out of which only a greater war can erupt if a solution securing peace is not speedily reached. The underlying issues of the Middle East situation are well known to this Assembly and so is the whole background. It is a problem that has been with the United Nations from its very creation. Our views on the merits of the various issues involved, on what the problem was before the 1967 war and on what the problem is now as a result of the 1967 war are well known and are on record; it is perhaps not necessary to repeat them.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“If you look at a map of the world, you will reach the conclusion that the trouble spots have increased rather than decreased and that some of those which have been in existence for some time have become more dangerous as time has gone by. This is a lesson that can be learned from those problems which for the time being do not present an imminent danger and which to some people appear to have lost their significance and to have ceased to present a potential threat to peace. 178. As is natural, the Middle East situation is of particular concern to us, since we are geographically so close to the scene of this drama. Although we are not involved in the conflict we feel and clearly sense the possibilities for a wider conflict if it is not controlled now, as a matter of urgency.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Surely it cannot continue indefinitely; and we express again the same hope we expressed last year and the year before, that the war may end soon and that progress in that direction should be speedily achieved in the Paris talks, so that the people of Viet-Nam, of the South and of the North, may be allowed in peace and freedom to determine their destiny, without outside interference from any side. 176. In Latin America too there are problems. Parts of this continent have been in turmoil for too long. Problems arising either out of conflicts between States or out of other reasons and sources await solutions. 177.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In Asia there are other problems too, but all of these have been overshadowed in the past few years by what has been going on in Viet-Nam. The bombing of North Viet-Nam has ceased. This was a welcome and promising development. The United States announced the withdrawal of some troops, which even as a symbolic move should not be dismissed lightheartedly, especially in the light of the declared objective of further withdrawals. The talks in Paris, despite the original procedural difficulties, did start and have been going on for some time. All these are positive elements. Unfortunately, there has been no progress yet on any matters of substance. The war goes on, and so does human suffering; and the loss of life continues.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Let us hope that the justified warning and the determination of the Organization of African Unity, as conveyed to us a few hours ago so clearly and in such unmistakable terms by the President of the Federal Republic of Cameroon, to seek an end to colonialism and racism will create a new momentum in the United Nations towards achieving our common goals. 174. In Africa, another human tragedy which has gone on for some time, has not yet ended. I am speaking of Nigeria. This problem should also be speedily solved in a spirit of conciliation, for, apart from its grave humanitarian aspect, many and dangerous political consequences may ensue if peace is not secured as a matter of urgency. 175. Unfortunately we cannot do other than repeat ourselves on the war which goes on in Viet-Nam—repeat our views, our hopes, our wishes.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“On the same continent the process of decolonization has not yet been completed, and there are Territories — of course, elsewhere too, but mainly in Africa — which are still under the colonial yoke. Decolonization has been one of the fields in which very important progress indeed has been made in our era and in the United Nations. However, it will not be an achievement in the long run if this process is not completed. It is very discouraging and frustrating that we find ourselves obliged to repeat ourselves on these issues year after year. 173.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In Africa, where the policy of racial discrimination id apartheid is mostly practised — in South Africa, in Namibia and in Rhodesia — no progress has been made in putting an end to these intolerable situations which constitute not only a moral, legal crime and a human drama but also a constant threat to peace. How long is the United Nations going to be unable to deal effectively with these problems? How long will those who are primarily responsible continue to refuse to do something about them despite the world-wide outcry? Does anyone really believe that the world can live with these problems for ever, as most of us have had occasion to indicate previously, without paying a very high price in the end?”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Without closing our eyes to the realities of the present situation with regard to the division of Germany and to Berlin — in the political, social and economic fields — it surely cannot be forgotten that despite earlier and recent serious and responsible efforts to reduce the tension and minimize the dangers, in the light, as a matter of fact, of these very realities, this situation has all along been the main source of conflict and the main point of confrontation between the two ideologically, politically and militarily opposing sides in Europe. The division of countries, not only in Europe but everywhere, has failed to provide a satisfactory answer to the problems involved; on the contrary, if anything, it has added new problems which present a continuous potential danger to peace. This is also a reality that cannot be ignored. 172.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In Europe, where the division of the world into sheres of influence was so much felt and emphasized last year, the situation continues to be, as always, a reflection of the over-all world situation. Despite any setbacks and other negative developments, the effort to achieve a real detente in Europe must be revived in a more determined way.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“At least we can, constantly and jointly, keep reminding the great Powers what is expected of them and of their responsibilities which are inherent in their greatness and in their strength, namely, to avert a disaster by abandoning dangerous and outdated policies and approaches and by endorsing and pursuing in a meaningful manner the objectives of the United Nations. This in the end would be in their own interests also and would secure their own survival as well. 170. I wish to state, as I did in previous years, that if we refer to some of the problems existing in the world it does not mean that we wish to ignore or reduce the importance of others to which we do not refer. If we avoid dealing with all, apart from time considerations, it is also for the purpose of laying emphasis on those to which we refer. 171.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“This is a most unhealthy situation but at the same time a real one. We are among those who disagree with the concept of “the spheres of influence” or “the spheres of control” and we are always ready to co-operate with anyone in opposing any such concept. We are very small. We cannot pretend that, on our own, we are in a position to influence the course of developments in the world. However, we, the small countries, all together within the United Nations, by concerted action can achieve a great deal.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“We are among those who believe that the fate of all, big and small, should be entrusted to the United Nations as envisaged by those who, after the Second World War, brought our Organization into being 25 years ago for this very purpose and in response to the strong wish and demand of a suffering humanity for peace and security, for justice and freedom, for human survival and human dignity. However, we have to admit that that is not yet the case and we have to acknowledge the realities with which we are still bound, namely, that the great issues, at least, of peace and war, of freedom and justice depend on and lie to a greater or lesser degree within the limits of the willingness or the unwillingness of the great Powers to do or not to do their duty and discharge their obligations.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The survival of humanity is at stake and will continue to be more dangerously at stake — let us not forget that wars and destruction were not the result of reason and common sense — as long as the arms race goes on, especially in the midst of so many grave sources of conflict that exist in every corner of the globe. The peace-making role of the United Nations in bringing about peaceful solutions to these problems has to be developed and greater use should also be made of the good offices of the Secretary-General who, under the Charter, has full authority and discretion exercise them, as he himself pertinently pointed out in the introduction to his annual report [ibid., paras. 176 toI79]. 169. It is true that the fate of mankind is to a large extent in the hands of the great Powers. We are among those who believe that it should not be so.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Nothing has been done in this direction, although the maintenance of peace by the United Nations is the first and primary duty of this Organization under the Charter. Even the peace-keeping functions of the United Nations are still in the stage of last-minute improvised methods. 168. It is time to make a truly determined effort to achieve agreement on an organized system of United Nations peace-keeping, which might form a basic element of an international security arrangement. We, the small countries whose freedom and security depend on international security through the United Nations, must join our efforts in strengthening the Organization as an instrument of peace and security in the world.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Prompt measures for arms control are now absolutely necessary to prevent a further escalation of the arms race and meet the growing danger from the development of new weapons. 167. The prohibition of chemical and biological warfare, already long delayed, ought not to be further postponed. It is unthinkable that enormous stocks of the most virulent germs are being accumulated and stored for intended use against the health and very existence of the human race. Progress towards general and complete disarmament, on the other hand, to be meaningful and realistically attainable will have to be accompanied, if not preceded, by an international security system organized through the United Nations, on which all countries can rely for their security.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Whether in the United Nations, or in the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva, or on a multilateral or a bilateral basis, every endeavour should be made to achieve some headway, not only in the prevention of the arms race with relation to the sea-bed and the ocean floor, not only in the prohibition of the production of chemical and bacteriological weapons or in the extension of the test-ban Treaty to include underground tests, and not only because of the very valid considerations of which we have been reminded by the Secretary-General in relation to the economic and social consequences of disarmament, but in opening at long last the door towards putting an end to the arms race and towards general and complete disarmament, which must remain the ultimate goal.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“In the atmosphere of disappointment and frustration which prevailed a new ray of hope appeared on the horizon when it became known that the two super-Powers were about to begin talks on the limitation and reduction of nuclear weapons, This welcome development gave rise to a sigh of relief. Although these talks were expected to start some time in the summer, they have not yet started. We join with all others, and with the Secretary-General in particular, in calling for the early commencement of these talks in the hope that some of the progress which is so urgently required can be made. 166.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“What is the purpose and what would be the consequences of this competition in the light of the realities of today, which those who are primarily involved in that race are the first to admit readily on every occasion, and which have so aptly been stressed by the Secretary-General in the introduction to his annual report? I quote his words: “The notion of ‘superiority’ in such a race is an illusion, as that notion can only lead to an endless competition in which each side steps up its nuclear capabilities in an effort to match, or exceed, the other side until the race ends in unmitigated disaster for all. As the spiral of the nuclear arms race goes up, the spiral of security goes down” [A/7601/Add.1, para. 28]. 165.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)