YouSaid · the spoken record

LLOYD

lines on the record

256

first

1953-09-24

most recent

1959-09-24

sittings or episodes

5

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

1. “Vyshinsky spent considerable time in attempting to prove that South Korea had committed the original. aggression in Korea. On 21 September [438th meeting], he said he was not going to reiterate all his old arguments but simply wished to produce one piece of evidence to show that South Korea had intended to attack North Korea. Well, whatever may have been said by Korean leaders on either side before the attack took place, the fact is that North Korean troops in large numbers did cross the thirty-eighth parallel at many places on 25 June 1950. This was reported by the United Nations Commission. Frontier incidents are one thing, but a full-scale offensive of this nature, which could only have been planned months ahead of the moment when it was staged, is quite another. However, like Mr. Vyshinsky, I do not intend to develop this theme.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)

2. “Small countries and, indeed, large countries will be encouraged to stand up to pressure only if they know that there is a world authority, backed by powerful States, able and willing to go into action quickly should an acknowledged act of aggression be committed. 67. It was in accordance with this conception that the great decision of 27 June 1950 [474th meeting] was taken by the Security Council — one of the decisive decisions, in our view, in the history of the world — and it was in discharge of this obligation to resist aggression that fifty-three nations subsequently endorsed that decision in the Assembly, declaring North Korea to be an aggressor; that sixteen nations sent combatant forces to Korea; and that various other Member States helped in a variety of ways. 68. In our debates in the First Committee, at the last session, Mr.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)

3. “I would weary this Assembly indeed if I attempted to state our views upon all the interesting points raised in the speeches made in this debate. I do, however, wish to say something about what we regard as the roles of the United Nations and then to examine some of the dangers to peace at the present time and to consider what this particular session of the General Assembly can do to help. 66. To my mind, the primary responsibility of the United Nations is to work for a situation in which aggression will be unlikely or impossible. If, in spite of these efforts, aggression should nevertheless occur, it is of the utmost importance that the United Nations should be prepared to take, or to authorize, action against the aggressor.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)

4. “We all rejoice that after these three years of warfare and two years of negotiation the fighting has stopped. The toll of human lives has ended and the risk of the conflict’s spreading has been avoided. It would be wrong to forget how real has been that risk, certainly since February 1951. 64. But our heartfelt thankfulness at the armistice does not blind us to the fact that there are still many difficulties ahead. Fighting nourished from behind the Iron Curtain continues in Indo-China. Terrorist activities on a large scale are taking place in Malaya and other parts of the world. We here already know something of the difficulties of translating a Korean armistice into a Korean peace. Certainly there is no shortage of problems still to be solved. 65.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)

5. “May I also state that I deeply regret that the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, is not here to speak to the Assembly in the general debate on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom. He is happily in the concluding stages of his convalescence, and I say without fear of contradiction that the whole world will have cause to rejoice when his wisdom and experience are once again at the service of the cause of peace. 63. I agree with those speakers who have pointed out that we meet for this session of the General Assembly in circumstances substantially different from those of the last three sessions. In 1950, 1951 and 1952, large-scale hostilities were taking place in Korea at the time of our meetings — large-scale sea, land and air operations causing heavy loss of life and great destruction.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)

6. “60. It is not simply to conform to convention that I open my speech with a reference to Mrs. Pandit’s election as President of the General Assembly. It has given the United Kingdom delegation great satisfaction and pleasure that she should be elected to this high and honourable office, not only because of the honour which is thereby conferred upon her country, but also because of her own outstanding qualities. We congratulate Mrs. Pandit and the Assembly and wish her a most distinguished term of office. 61. I should also like to join in the good wishes which have been extended to our new Secretary- General upon his assumption of his most important office. The United Kingdom Government is very happy that Mr. Hammarskjold should be the chief officer of this Organization. 62.”

   1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)