YouSaid · the spoken record

Sorsa

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS SORSA

lines on the record: 68
first: 1976-09-24
most recent: 1988-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

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“It is only logical that my country, for its part, wants to be useful to the Organization and thereby help to serve the needs of Member States. The Finnish Government continues to pledge its allegiance to the Charter and to joint efforts to promote the vital objectives of our Organization. That we can best do by pursuing our long-standing policy of neutrality and by a consistent search for reconciliation, dialogue and negotiation. That, then, is the Finnish credo in this forum. The General Assembly is embarking on its work on a positive note. Let it demonstrate that the world community is united in the search for peaceful co-operation and dialogue. Let it become testimony that Member States want to see the United Nations effective and strong, and to assume responsibility for it.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In our view, assessed contributions should be paid in full and on time. The unilateral withholding of contributions undermines multilateral co-operation. Despite some positive signs in the financing of the Organization, the United Nations continues to operate with inadequate income. The Secretary-General has appealed to Member States in order to secure the financing of United Nations activities. He is, in particular, referring to the new challenges that the Organization is facing in peace-making and peace-keeping. If additional expenses have to be met, Finland, for its part, will be prepared to participate in joint action to help. It is clear to my Government that by its work the United Nations continues to demonstrate its usefulness every day. We need the world Organization.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We pay a tribute to the Secretary-General for his implementation of administrative reforms. We realize that the cutting of costs may sometimes lead to improved overall performance. However, regardless of the level established in any given year for the United Nations budget, there are certain principles regarding the financing of our joint undertaking that in our view must always be respected by all. The United Nations Charter is a treaty between sovereign States, which have agreed to abide by certain obligations. Among these are rules that specify how decisions are taken and how costs are shared. The United Nations may sometimes have implemented programmes that Finland has not supported, but we have never doubted that it is our legal obligation to contribute our share to cover the costs of all legally established programmes.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Some two thirds of Finnish bilateral assistance is directed towards African countries. Compared with the 1986 figures, Finland's assistance to the programme of multilateral financing institutions benefiting Africa has more than tripled this year. In the future too, sub-Saharan countries will remain major recipients of Finnish development assistance. Continued stress will be placed on co-operation with the countries of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference. The costs of the United Nations are not high. I will not repeat the various comparisons that have been made with the costs of other human activities. Nor will I attempt to calculate the usefulness of the United Nations in quantitative terms. Finland demands efficiency in the administrative and financial functioning of the Organization.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The budget proposal for 1989 now before our Parliament contains appropriations for official development assistance representing 0.7 per cent of our gross national product. Thus, Finland will reach the target set by the United Nations. The United Nations Programme of Action for African Recovery and Development 1986-1990 was reviewed just before the beginning of this session. Finland has actively supported the United Nations Programme and has continued to stress the importance of the development of African agriculture, measures against drought and desertification, human resources development and policy reforms. The necessary domestic structural adjustment measures in Africa can be sustainable when complemented by external assistance in a spirit of partnership.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Renewed emphasis on such development objectives as poverty reduction, population policies and environmentally sustainable development is called for. At the same time, an assessment of the relationship between domestic policies and international support measures is required. Consideration at this session of the preparation and elaboration of an international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade offers an opportunity to that end. It is a challenge to the whole international community which Finland, for its part, is ready to take up. Over the past years Finland has been one of the few industrialized countries that have rapidly and substantially increased the volume of their aid.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We are convinced that the negotiations in the context of the Uruguay Round and the work carried on by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UMCTAD) will enhance possibilities for a better external environment in the field of trade, which will be beneficial to both developing and developed countries and to their peoples. A positive development is the entry into force of the Common Fund for Commodities, which will give a new impetus to the important worn of UNCTAD in this area. As the 1990s approach, the international community should consider comprehensive measures which take into account the changing circumstances in the international economic environment. The debt crisis affects us all.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We need a strong and effective United Nations system, with all its components, if we are to succeed. We expect that the process of reforming the economic and social structures of the United Nations will be continued so that concrete results are achieved. That is an essential element in the process of restructuring the United Nations as a whole in order to improve its ability to meet present and future challenges. The future of world economic development is closely related to the creation of -a better environment for world trade.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The state of the environment will not be improved unless the detrimental consequences of human activities are not systematically taken into account. That is one of the central ideas of the concept of sustainable development discussed in depth during the forty-second session of the United Nations General Assembly. It is necessary that the work already started towards sustainable development within the United Nations system by intensified. Finland's strong belief in multilateralism has been repeatedly stated. Only global multilateral efforts can help us to bridge the dangerously wide, and widening, gap between rich and poor. Environmental and developmental concerns make us focus on the interrelated problems where multilateral co-operation, and especially the United Nations, has a decisive role to play.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In the security field relevant experiences have been gathered, for example by observers on peace-keeping missions. The systematic collection of data related to the verification of agreements in the disarmament field could be a logical step in expanding the useful functions of the Secretariat. I have now spoken mainly of the political tasks of the Organization, of the management and settlement of disputes. The magnitude of the work performed by the United Nations appears even more striking when the activities pertaining to economic and social issues and human rights are also taken into account. My country will continue to do its share in those United Nations activities as well. Combating the ever-increasing degradation of the environment will be one of the greatest challenges to mankind during the coming decades.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Member States should be willing and able to use the agencies and organizations in the United Nations family more effectively. The multilateral approach is necessary if we want to have an effective ban on chemical weapons, if we want to monitor nuclear testing everywhere, and if we want to make more progress in the urgent task of limiting conventional weapons. In our opinion the United Nations could also usefully assume an increasing role in the field of verification of compliance with disarmament and arms-control agreements that have been concluded. Verification is tantamount to the collection of information and the comparison of that information with certain pre-established rules and standards. Such tasks are already successfully handled by certain agencies in the United Nations system.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We would also hope that the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), which is now meeting at Vienna, would soon agree on a continued and enlarged process of confidence-building and disarmament in Europe. Disarmament has become one of the principal concerns of the Organization. Finland took the third special session devoted to disarmament very seriously. We made a number of proposals and worked hard for them and for a successful outcome of the session itself. We regret that it was not possible to reach consensus on a comprehensive concluding document. However, a number of important initiatives were introduced at the session, and the collective efforts of Member States with regard to disarmament must continue. In order to promote disarmament.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In that process the need for sufficient financial reserves for peace-making and peace-keeping should also be dealt with. This is more urgent than ever now when the lack of financial predictability threatens the very launching of peace-keeping operations. For Finland, as a major contributing country, this is of special significance. Finland welcomes the progress made in the negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States that has led to agreement on the elimination of their land-based intermediate-range and shorter-·range nuclear missiles. We look forward to concrete results in the continuing negotiations with regard to the reduction of long-range strategic nuclear weapons.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“My observations do not mean that Finland is in every respect satisfied with the experience gained heretofore in United Nations peace-keeping efforts. The use of military personnel contributed on a voluntary basis by various countries for peace-keeping in the service of the United Nations is intended primarily as a temporary measure. Its purpose is to create better conditions for the political task of peace-making. Yet we have seen that too often the United Nations troops have become the guardians of a status quo in which no meaningful political progress is taking place. A better common understanding of the basic goals and principles of peace-keeping is needed. The United Nations peace-keeping activities should be put on a secure financial and political basis. A comprehensive review of peace-keeping is now called for.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Where spectacular success has not yet been possible the role of the United Nations has often remained one of helping to keep the precarious peace or of continuing to encourage and facilitate a political dialogue. My country is always willing to support such work. By providing personnel for the United Nations good-offices mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan and for the United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group, Finland tries to do its part in helping to implement the agreements reached this year under United Nations auspices. Finnish soldiers are now serving the United Nations in all the ongoing peace-keeping operations. We are ready for the next one, the one we had expected would have begun many years ago, namely to help in Namibia's quick transition to independence. .”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), as well as the right of the Palestinians to self-determination, must form the basis for a final solution. Likewise, progress is not possible without recognition by Israel and the Palestinians of each other's rights. An international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations constitutes the best way to achieve a negotiated settlement. The convening of such a conference, which is almost universally desired, is long overdue. It is not difficult to find other examples of problems in respect of which patient work carried our within the framework of the United Nations deserves to be rewarded with success.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“As a response to the inhumane racial policies of South Africa, Finland, together with the other Nordic countries, is now implementing the third common Nordic Programme of Action against Apartheid. Full economic and other sanctions are already in operation. We are now concentrating on additional measures, trying in particular to work for wider sanctions, including mandatory sanctions to be instituted by the Security Council and for increased international assistance to the front-line States of southern Africa. The continuing stalemate in the long-standing conflict of the Middle East is in striking contrast with events in other parts of the world. No immediate solution is in sight. Violent developments in the occupied territories underscore the need for a speedy solution to the conflict. The basis for a solution is there.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The progress made so far is promising, and it is to be hoped that the ongoing negotiations will, without delay, lead to independence for Namibia and to a durable solution in the area. Meanwhile, the world community is also entitled to react appropriately to the intolerable situation that continues to prevail in both Namibia and South Africa. In South Africa the apartheid system remains fundamentally unchanged. Finland unequivocally condemns the apartheid system as an abhorrent violation of human rights and human dignity. The need for concerted international pressure on South Africa to change its policies remains. There can be no compromise on the principle of the equality of every human being or on the need to have that principle observed in practice.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“After years of bloodshed a cessation of hostilities was negotiated on the basis of a resolution adopted by the Security Council, This achievement would not have been possible without the universally appreciated peace-making efforts of the Secretary-General. In the negotiations on a final settlement of the conflict every effort should be made to work our solutions acceptable to all. We have followed with keen interest the negotiations concerning the problems in south-western Africa and the process of independence for Namibia. Not only the peoples concerned, but the whole world community, are anxious to see further concrete results emanate from these negotiations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The results achieved this year are encouraging. For example, I pay tribute to the successful efforts made with great patience in dealing with the situation in Afghanistan. The services rendered by the United Nations in this matter have been crucial. Many uncertainties remain regarding the future of Afghanistan, hut the withdrawal of Soviet troops and the return of the refugees, together with a broad programme of humanitarian assistance, should make it possible for the people of Afghanistan to resume building its own future in peace. The cease-fire worked out between Iran and Iraq is a major achievement, both by the parties and the United Nations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Decisions on important issues should be made by consensus. A basis for such communality already exists. It is the Charter of the United Nations and strict respect for all its provisions by all nations, whether big or small, aligned, neutral or non-aligned. Today, in the light of recent experiences, nobody should deny that international problems can be treated and solved in negotiations between the parties concerned. Nobody should deny that the United Nations can also be helpful in making such negotiations possible. Nobody must forget that the United Nations, in the Charter, has set universally accepted principles for all States, and in fact has enjoined States to settle their disputes if possible through negotiations. Dialogue and negotiations constitute the very essence of an orderly conduct of international affairs.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Struggling with α serious financial crisis, and after years of soul-searching, the United Nations must re-emerge as an important factor in inter-State relations. The late President Kekkonen of Finland once said in this Assembly; "Rather than as judges, we see ourselves here as physicians". (Α/?ν.1040, p. 489, para. 10). The policies of Finland in the United Nations still accord with that vision. In fact, we believe that the whole Organization very largely follows the same precept, and should continue to do so. Acute problems may require skilful management and treatment. A strong world Organization is needed in order to make this possible. The new situation warrants a reassessment of international approaches to conflict resolution. In order to function effectively, our Organization needs a wider communality of views.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Fresh approaches can be discerned in big-Power relations. These approaches have led to tangible progress in reducing the risk of war and military confrontation in Europe. Serious international problems cannot be solved without patient work and willingness to negotiate in good faith. Our Organization is the one best suited to offer a forum for a meeting of minds and a mechanism for resolving conflicts. Recent positive developments bear witness to the fact that the many years of efforts in the United Nations and elsewhere to work our solutions to these conflicts have not been wasted. In some instances results have been achieved which a year ago seemed nearly out of reach. The United Nations must now decisively seize the opportunities offered by the existing favourable international atmosphere.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Yet the dramatic developments of the past weeks and months have demonstrated that the United Nations is still able to serve as a forum for resolute action in the interests of security and peace. The authority of the Organization has been enhanced by the recent achievements in various parts of the world. Those achievements demonstrate that the United Nations is an invaluable tool of peace-making and co-operation. This development is particularly welcome to Finland. My country has throughout maintained its firm belief in multilateral co-operation and support for the world Organization. Indeed, there is hope that confrontation is gradually giving way to co-operation. This development has been most striking in East-West relations. The dialogue between the Soviet Union and the United States has widened and deepened significantly.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Javier Perez de Cuellar, with whom we enjoy relations of deep trust and esteem, and to reiterate to him the Finnish Government's appreciation for his effort to promote the principles of the United Nations Charter and to strengthen the role and machinery of the Organization. The United Nations has often been criticized for its inability to perform the tasks entrusted to it in the Charter for the preservation of peace and security. The role of the Organization has been questioned. This criticism has not been totally unfounded. The opportunities offered by the Organization have not always been taken. The United Nations has too often been utilized as a forum for aggravating differences.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“At the outset I should like to convey to you. Sir, my most sincere congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly, which is a tribute to Argentina, whose commitment to peace and international co-operation is known to all of us here. It is a country to which Finland is bound by ties of warm friendship. We know your experience and your abilities, and we are certain that with your leadership this session will be a truly fruitful one. At the same time I want to express our sincere appreciation to the President of the forty-second session, Mr. Florin, for the excellent manner in which he discharged his responsibilities. I should also like once again to pay a tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Let us not lose sight of the chances to redress what has been neglected. Let us use our resources wisely for the purposes for which the United Nations was created. In a changing world this Organization must be responsive to the changing needs of mankind, whether they arise from the need for security, economic and social development, or human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“A sound financial basis cannot be established unless all Member States demonstrate their willingness to meet their financial obligations. Assessed contributions to the United Nations budget cannot be made conditional on national requirements regarding the Organization's performance. The United Nations is our common mechanism in our striving for common goals. Administrative effectiveness is a necessary, but not an adequate, condition for achieving those goals. Adequate conditions are created only by the willingness of the Member States to make full use of this mechanism. Let us make good the commitments and promises we, the Member States, made to this Organization at its commemorative session two years ago. Let us be frank enough to recognize its failures and weaknesses, as well as its strengths.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“All organizations should, in fact, periodically submit their activities to close scrutiny. Rather than a singular event, this should be seen as a continuous process, in which viability in substance and efficiency in administration constitute an entity. The United Nations is no exception. A thorough self-analysis should involve a discussion on such modifications as may be deemed necessary. Decisions should follow. The entire process should focus on the strengthening of the operative capabilities of the Organization in the opinion of my Government, the United Nations as an Organization should strive for maximum effectiveness, based on a stable and reliable financial basis. The former cannot be achieved without the latter.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, has analysed these issues in a profound manner. Both the World Commission report and the environmental perspective prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) convey the same message to us: that economic growth and more equitable development are not only necessary but also possible without endangering the natural resource basis. The Government of Finland endorses the recommendations in the environment perspective and the principles In the World Commission report. Sustainable development should be one of the guiding principles in the activities of the United Nations system and of other international organizations. It was Important that last year's extensive debate on the efficiency of the United Nations resulted in a consensus.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Finland, for its part, has carefully studied its possibilities of promoting the Programme. At the multilateral level, Finland has constantly emphasized the urgency of a more effective response by international organizations and financial Institutions to African economic and social needs. Some 60 per cent of our bilateral aid is now directed to Africa. Over-exploitation of natural resources and the consequent deterioration of the environment have altered globally important life-support systems, and the basis for our economic and social development is severely undermined. The threat to our environment has put our very survival at stake. These issues stand out clearly as a major concern on the International political agenda. The World Commission on Environment and Development, led by Mr.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The problem of debt servicing by the developing countries should be further studied in the global context. When channelling the increased capital assistance, the needs of the most vulnerable countries should be properly addressed. Against this background, Finland welcomes the positive outcome of the Seventh United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Its final act must be translated into concrete actions at the national level and in the appropriate organizations. The economic and social situation in Africa will be reviewed at this session of the General Assembly for the first time since the adoption of the United Nations Programme of Action for Africa in May 1986. Finland considers it important for the international community to show determination in the implementation of the Programme.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The social costs of the necessary adjustment policies in developing countries ought to be recognized by the international community. We welcome the recent increase in the activities of international financial institutions designed to alleviate their worst effects. The debt problem continues to be an impediment to growth in the developing world, it is a major reason for the further deterioration of the living conditions of the poorest of the poor. The heavy debt burden complicates the readjustment of the economic policies of these countries. Structural adjustment programmes and other efforts to improve domestic resource mobilization, including a more efficient use of investments, are not bringing about instant results because of the debt servicing payments.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In this work we rely fully on the goals and objectives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is our policy to increase out contribution to assist in the alleviation of the world refugee situation. The problems of the world economy are a matter of serious concern. Despite progress in strengthening the prerequisites for global growth, economic development in the industrial countries is slower than anticipated. In the developing countries depressed levels of export earnings, high real interest rates, ever-mounting debt service payments and shrinking inflows of financial resources harass economic performance and weaken development prospects. The avoidance of another recession and the restoration of sustained growth require determined and urgent policy changes in both developed and developing countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“A clear demonstration by all Member States of their willingness to give full political support to the United Nations peace-keeping efforts and to pay their assessed contributions remains indispensable. The United Nations has agreed on an impressive body of internationally recognized human rights standards. Yet we are daily witnessing violations of human rights in many parts of the world. Perhaps in no area of United Nations activities is the gap between promise and performance more evident than in that of human rights. It is our common responsibility to ensure respect for them. The vulnerable situation of the millions of refugees and displaced persons in different parts of the world calls for action by the international community and by individual countries. Those in need of international protection and assistance must be helped.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Finland believes in regional solutions to regional problems. We welcome the process that the Guatemala agreement represents and are prepared to make our appropriate contribution to its support. Where conflicts beset nations the United Nations must be ready to render its services for the restoration of peace. The development of United Nations peace-keeping has been one of the most successful achievements of this Organization, Finland is particularly honoured by its involvement in these operations for over 30 years. Peace-keeping operations should be carried out under a clear mandate from the Security Council, with the full support of its members and on the basis of satisfactory financial arrangements.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Intensive efforts are needed to bring about an agreement on the principles and the mandate of such a conference. I am pleased to see that efforts towards such a conference continue. The war between Iran and Iraq has continued for seven years. Under the leadership of this Organization the international community has intensified its efforts to end this immensely destructive war. The latest reports from the area underline the urgent need to search for the means of terminating the conflict, which, if it continues, may have the potential for detrimental world-wide repercussions. Central America suffers from violence and social instability. After years of effort, all five Governments of the region have now agreed on a plan, including a cease-fire and social reconciliation in the spirit of democracy.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“At present a substantial part of Finnish bilateral development assistance is already going to those States. The South African Government also bears full responsibility for the situation in Namibia. The Government of Finland rejects the linkage of the application of resolution 435 (1978) with extraneous matters. We have repeatedly condemned all of South Africa's unilateral actions and dilatory tactics. The situation in the Middle East remains of serious concern to the world community. A just, lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute can be achieved only through negotiations on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. An international conference could make a major contribution towards that end.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Apartheid cannot be reformed: it must be abolished. We have demonstrated our preparedness to carry out concrete measures against apartheid. The Finnish Parliament has enacted a law which forbids all trade between Finland and South Africa. The law entered into force on 1 July this year. The Finnish Government continues to believe that mandatory international sanctions in accordance with Chapter Vii of the United Nations Charter should be imposed on South Africa. Such concerted efforts would pressure South Africa into real change. Together with the other Nordic countries, we continue to work towards that end. A decision on sanctions must be coupled with increased assistance to the front-line States and to the countries of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC).”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Delegations of 35 states are at present convened in Vienna for the third follow-up meeting of the CSCE. Finland expects concrete results both in the implementation of already agreed provisions and in the form of further commitments. The central dimensions of the CSCE - security and confidence-building, economic co-operation and human contacts - all need to be strengthened. The CSCE process has great potential. This process is not directed against anyone but works for the good of all, both in Europe and elsewhere. The way by which South Africa is governed represents precisely what the United Nations was designed to oppose: insecurity, injustice and discrimination. The United Nations must intensify its efforts designed to bring about the eradication of the inhuman and immoral system of apartheid.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We emphasize that all military Powers should show responsibility and restraint in the northern parts of Europe. Our well-known initiatives regarding the establishment of a Nordic nuclear-weapon free zone and the benefits of added trust and confidence in the maritime areas in the North relate to that concern. We hope that the favourable developments in Central Europe will not adversely affect the stability on the flanks of Europe. The Stockholm Conference, held within the framework of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), adopted last year a significant s t of confidence-building measures. The adoption of those measures marks a step towards greater openness in military matters. We expect more steps to follow as the Conference resumes its work.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“All nations, big and small, nuclear and non-nuclear alike, share a legitimate interest in and an inescapable responsibility for international peace and security. Here again, this Organization is at the focus of a common endeavour. The Conference on Disarmament, with its broad agenda, offers ample possibility Les for multilateral negotiations on the prevention of the arms race as well as : an extension to new areas. In order to make its own contribution to the multilateral disarmament ,Finland has recently advanced ideas on two areas which also offer opportunities for the United Nations. One area is verification of disarmament agreements; confidence-building is the other. On regional disarmament, Finland speaks against developments that in cui view might upset regional stability in Europe.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The emerging agreement on intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) is historic because it actually reduces existing nuclear arsenals. Its impact is felt especially in Europe, here progress is needed in the reduction of both nuclear armaments and conventional forces. It is natural for Finland warmly to welcome the intensification of the international dialogue. Pursuing a policy of neutrality, my country does not seek security in military alliances. We emphasize the value of collective action through organized international co-operation. We believe in the United Nations. Nor is it redundant, today, to renew our commitment to the United Nations, to its Charter, its principles and its goals.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Perceiving the national interest in an antagonistic manner is contradictory to collective security. For more than four decades the United Nations has stood at the centre of efforts to accommodate both the legitimate interests of sovereign nations and the requirements of collective security. Finally, after years of fear and frustration, a positive change appears to be on the way in big-Power relations. The recent agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union on crisis control, on nuclear-arms reduction and on a summit meeting seem to open a window of opportunity that should be fully utilized. A process leading to a diminished role for nuclear as well as conventional weapons in the maintenance of peace and security is indeed evolving. The momentum should not be neglected.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In the midst of its difficulties, the Organization has demonstrated the ability to resist the erosion of its authority. But that is not enough; the trend must be reversed. The General Assembly now has a particular responsibility to adopt decisions that will make it possible again for the United Nations to play the unique role its founding fathers had in mind when they drafted the Charter over 40 years ago. In that work, the annual report of the Secretary-General is a welcome harbinger of renewed faith. We all agree that awesome challenges In the areas of security and disarmament and economic and social development as well as human rights call for action. In practice, however, agreement on strategies and concrete measures often remains beyond our reach.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-second session. I am convinced that your experience and diplomatic skill will help you lead this session to a successful conclusion. I am also pleased to note that you represent a country with which Finland enjoys good and constructive co-operation. I wish to express the appreciation of the Finnish Government to your predecessor in the presidency. His Excellency Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, for the most valuable work he did in presiding over the General Assembly at its forty-first session. The Finnish Government supports the determined efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, for the benefit of our Organization.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In addition to strengthening and elaborating the concept of the new international economic order, the new strategy should reflect important ideas evolved after the adoption of the present Strategy in the series of global socio-economic conferences held or forthcoming during this decade. The results of these conferences should be woven into a single texture which would be an essential part of our approach to the problems of the 1980s. Thereby we would achieve the integrated approach to development problems which Finland has always considered to be of fundamental importance. Only by devoting our attention both to social and economic issues can we achieve our final goal genuine development, social justice and progress based not on confrontation but on co-operation.”
1976-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 31 (1976)
“In spite of the difficulties which the Paris Conference has encountered my Government hopes that the negotiations will regain their momentum and thus contribute to the work carried on within the United Nations system. While it is certainly to the advantage of all States that substantive progress should be reached in the work of that Conference, it is nevertheless obvious that in the final analysis only the United Nations can give the results of the Conference the global validity which they need to be translated into action. International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade [resolution 2626 (XXV)f has served the international community well and the principles contained therein are still valid. In particular, it takes adequate account of the need of balance between social and economic development.”
1976-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 31 (1976)
“Finland has repeatedly expressed its support of the concept of collective self-reliance, which was strongly endorsed in the economic deliberations of the Colombo Conference. Cooperation among developing countries in the economic field deserves the support of the entire international community. My Government tends to view such co-operation as a complementary part of a future world economic order rather than an alternative to a truly global set of solutions based on the principle of interdependence of all nations. We therefore also welcome the readiness shown in Colombo to pursue the negotiations between North and South. 53. My Government has also observed with interest the negotiations in the Conference on International Economic Co-operation in Paris.”
1976-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 31 (1976)
“Finland gave its support to the integrated program for commodities and to the concept of a common fund at the fourth session of UNCTAD. We look forward to a period when discussions on international economic relations and development at last move from generalities to specifics. Important as the commodity problems are in this context, the question of the debt burden of developing countries is equally in the forefront and deserves urgent attention with a view to arriving at a satisfactory solution. 52. The recent Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries in Colombo-which my Government was honored to attend as an invited guest was an important step in the ongoing discussions on international co-operation for economic development.”
1976-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 31 (1976)