YouSaid · the spoken record

Ako-Adjei

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102

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1958-09-24

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1961-09-24

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3

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un-general-debate

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1. “If we are to measure up to our responsibilities with credit and with honour, the situation would demand of us the courage, the breadth of vision and that magnanimity of outlook which are so essential as a useful basis for constructive thinking. 94. Let us learn to live together with our fellow men in harmony and in mutual trust and truth. 95. Let us reorganize our international life on the principles of universal brotherhood and expand our consciousness into higher conceptions of human good, 96. In the cause of this noble ideal we shall dedicate our efforts and exercise our highest endeavour. Together we shall move forward with steady confidence towards the future.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

2. “The delegation of Ghana will continue in its efforts to explore, in consultation with other delegations, the elaboration of an interim arrangement, whereby the powers and functions of the office of Secretary-General will continue to be exercised along the lines I have indicated. 91, As we work together in this Assembly in finding solutions to the compelling problems of our time, we are encouraged by the knowledge that we are working in the best interests of humanity. 92, The enormity of these problems imposes upon us a heavy responsibility. It is a test of our endurance. But it also provides us with an opportunity to demonstrate our faith in action' and to prove the nobility of our spirit. 93.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

3. “Nkrumah, in his statement to the General Assembly on 23 September, proposed that while the post of Secretary-General should be retained;, it is essential that three Deputy Secretaries- General should be appointed. 87. This proposal still remains the policy of the Government of Ghana in this important matter. 88. The sudden death of Mr. Dag Hammarskjold has raised a problem which was not foreseen when the Charter was drafted sixteen years ago. 89. There is need for reaching agreement on an interim arrangement so that the powers and functions of the Secretary-General could continue to be exercised by a competent authority appointed by the General Assembly for that purpose until the substantive issue is ultimately settled. 90.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

4. “The membership of this world Organization has nearly doubled with the admission of new States, which have acceded to independence in Asia and in Africa during the past sixteen years. 84. It is admitted on all sides that the political realities of the world today make it necessary that the Charter of the United Nations should be revised, and that the structure of the Organization itself should also be reconsidered in the light of the changing circumstances of our time. 85. This would mean a reorganization of the structure and functions of the United Nations Secretariat, so that it can be made to reflect more realistically the political complexion of the world today based on an equitable geographical representation of the membership. 86. With regard to the Secretariat, last year the President of Ghana, Dr.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

5. “About half of the total number of States Members of the United Nations, including Ghana and even the United Kingdom and the Scandinavian countries, recognize the Government of the People's Republic of China and have diplomatic relations with that Government. 80. We believe that the United Nations would benefit immensely from the presence and participation of the People's Republic of China in the work of this world Organization. 81. The delegation of Ghana is of the opinion that the continued exclusion of the People's Republic of China from the United Nations is detrimental to the interests of humanity and to the maintenance of world peace. 82. Significant political developments have taken place in the world — especially in Asia and in Africa — since the United Nations was established in 1946. 83.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

6. “This was due to the attitude of the United States, whose delegation had always succeeded in rallying enough support for their policy to prevent a debate on this important issue. In our view, the Chinese Nationalists in Taiwan do not represent the Chinese people. Perhaps they represent only themselves. 78. We believe that the Government of the People's Republic .of China is the lawful Government of the Chinese people, and that the logic of the situation demands that the representatives of that Government should be allowed immediately to occupy the Chinese seat in this Assembly as well as in the Security Council. 79.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

7. “And the delegation of Ghana will insist that the General Assembly should consider whether, in these circumstances, the Union of South Africa should not be expelled from membership of the United Nations. 76. Distinguished representatives may wish to know that the proscription of official United Nations documents as "objectionable literature", to which I have drawn their attention, appears in the Official Gazette of the Union of South Africa as Gazette Notice No. 814 in issue No. 6694, published on 26 May 1961. 77. For ten years, the General Assembly has been prevented from discussing the question of the representation of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

8. “Any person in the Union of South Africa, or in the Territory of South-West Africa, who is found in possession of a copy of this official document of the United Nations, which contains President Kwame Nkrumah1 s speech, is liable to a sentence of five years' imprisonment, or to a fine of £1,000, that is approximately $3,000, or to both such fine and imprisonment. 74., This is the first time that an official document of the United'' Nations which contains a statement made by a representative of a Member State has been treated by the Government of another Member State with such contempt. 75. This action of the Union Government is an affront to the United Nations as a whole.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

9. “The Union Government has started to classify certain types of United Nations documents, which are unpalatable to them as "objectionable literature". For example, the South African Government has classified the speech which Osagyefo the President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, President of the Republic of Ghana, made to the General Assembly on 23 September 1960, as "objectionable literature". This speech of President Kwame Nkrumah appears in document A/PV.869 in the Official Records of the United Nations.^/ 73.”

   1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

10. “Distinguished representatives are already aware of the operations of the "apartheid" laws in South Africa and also in the Territory of South West Africa for which the United Nations has responsibility. The existence of this system is a perpetual threat to peace and security in Africa, and to harmony and tranquillity in international relations. 72. However, there is another danger to which I wish to direct the attention of representatives in this Assembly. In addition to their flagrant disregard for human rights and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Government of the Union of South Africa has now embarked upon a policy to undermine the authority and prestige, and also to paralyse the activities, of the United Nations in Africa.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

11. “We hope that the United Nations will give every assistance to the Central Government of the Congo in its efforts to restore law and order in the country and maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Congo as it was before the accession to independence on 30 June 1960. 69. In the Union of South Africa, more than 10 million people, constituting the overwhelming majority of the population, including Africans and persons of Indian and Pakistani origin, continue to suffer humiliation in their struggle against the pernicious system of "apartheid". 70. A small but well organized minority of people of Dutch descent have appropriated unto themselves the main organs of State power, which they use in oppressing the overwhelming majority of the people to the lowest level of human degradation. 71.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

12. “They have flooded Katanga with heavy modern armaments of all kinds. "The object of these powers is clearly to maintain a puppet regime in the Province of Katanga in absolute defiance of the General Assembly and the views of the Government of the Congo and of the decisions of the Security Council. "In the opinion of the Ghana Government, a ceasefire based upon a de facto recognition of a separatist State would have fatal consequences on international order and on the prestige and the very future of the United Nations. "There should therefore be no cease-fire in Katanga until that Province has been absorbed completely into the Congo as a unitary, sovereign and independent State." 68.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

13. “"The Government of Ghana has already drawn the attention of the United Nations General Assembly this year to the supply of Fouga Magister Aircraft, made in France for Belgium under a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Agreement, to the rebel forces in Katanga. According to the information of the Government of Ghana, these very aircraft are attacking at this moment the Forces of the United Nations. "By the decision of the United Nations, the Forces sent to restore order and secure the independence and territorial integrity of the Congo were lightly armed and were not furnished with military aircraft. "Certain powers from outside the African Continent, who are intent on destroying the prestige of the United Nations and on maintaining colonial rule and exploitation in the African Continent, have taken advantage of this.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

14. “The statement,* which has been circulated, is as follows: "There is a serious danger that owing to the sudden death of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the temporary military set-back of the United Nations Forces, a cease-fire will be arranged in Katanga before the main objectives of the United Nations action in Katanga, namely, the maintenance of the unity and territorial integrity of the Congo, has been secured. "Ghana fully and completely supports the action taken by the United Nations in Katanga. The Government of Ghana considers it essential that all Member States of the United Nations, and particularly those from Africa, should come to the immediate aid of the United Nations. The United Nations Forces may have suffered a military setback, because they have been opposed by large numbers of mercenaries.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

15. “We are therefore happy that the Congolese Parliament has reconvened and that a new Central Government has.- emerged. If the unity of the Congo is to be maintained, it is essential that the secessionist movement should be arrested, and that the Province of Katanga should remain as an integral part of the national territory of the Congo. 67. The position of the Government of Ghana, with regard to the United Nations operations in the Congo, and especially with particular reference to the secessionist movement in Katanga, is clearly indicated in a statement which the President of Ghana, Osagyefo the President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, recently sent to the President of the General Assembly.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

16. “We hope that before this session closes in December we shall have the opportunity of welcoming the new Republic of Tanganyika also to membership of the United Nations. 65. So far as the situation in the Congo is concerned, Ghana has always held that no outside authority can force the issue or impose ready-made solutions of Congolese problems upon the Congolese people; that those peoples alone can solve such problems. To this end, we have always advocated the reconvening of the Congolese Parliament so that the elected representatives of the Congolese people may deliberate upon their difficulties and devise their .own solutions. 66. In Ghana we say that we prefer self-government with danger to servitude in tranquillity, and the same applies to the Congo.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

17. “In the interests of peace and security in Africa, we call upon Portugal to stop its military aggression and repressive measures against Africans in Angola and to grant national independence immediately to the people of that country. 62. The Government and people of Ghana are happy in the knowledge that the national liberation movement in Africa continues to prosper; that the emergence of new African States occurs with ever-increasing rapidity. 63. On 27 April last our sister country, Sierra Leone, gained its independence. We look forward with pleasure to welcoming this new State to membership of the United Nations. 64. We are also happy that, early in December, Tanganyika also will gain its independence.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

18. “Ghana invites all other African States in this Assembly to join in the effort to expel Portugal and the Union of South Africa from membership of the United Nations. In the final declaration adopted at the recent conference in Belgrade, the non-aligned countries demanded: . . that an immediate stop be put to armed action and repressive measures of any kind directed • against dependent peoples to enable them to exercise peacefully and freely their right to complete independence and that the integrity of their national territory should be respected. Any aid given by any country to a colonial Power in such suppression is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations".”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

19. “Our information is that more than 100,000 innocent Africans — men, women and children — have been killed by the Portuguese in Angola in the last few months. I would emphasize that the dead include old men and women, and even children. These barbarous operations continue unabated. 61. The delegation of Ghana subscribes to the view expressed from this platform last week by my friend, the Foreign Minister of Senegal, that Portugal, and the Union of South Africa as well, should be expelled from membership of the United Nations. Such action is necessary because Portugal and the Union of South Africa have refused flagrantly to carry out their obligations under the Charter, or to co-operate with the United Nations in carrying out resolutions of the General Assembly.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

20. “The situation in Angola continues to deteriorate. The Government of Portugal continues to commit inhuman atrocities, and every day large numbers of innocent men and women are killed by the most barbarous and oppressive measures. On the orders of the Government of Portugal, the Portuguese Army and the colonial oppressors in Angola have begun a campaign aimed at liquidating every African in Angola who can read and write: the aim is to kill all educated Africans in the country so that the nationalist movement will be deprived of enlightened and effective leadership in its struggle for independence. 60. In Angola it is a crime for an African to be seen riding a common bicycle. Indeed, .to be found in possession of a bicycle, whether riding it or not, is to be shot and killed on sight.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

21. “This is the danger against which the new States in Africa must stand guard if they are to maintain their sovereignty, independence and freedom of action in all things affecting their national interests and the over-riding interests of all African peoples. 58. The war in Algeria is now in its seventh year and the end is not yet in sight. We believe that France can never win a military victory in that country. We urge it, therefore, to accept the realities of the situation and concede to the Algerians the national independence and sovereignty to which they are entitled as of right. We shall continue to give every encouragement and support, material or otherwise, within the limits of our resources, to the Provisional Government of Algeria until victory is complete and the people of that country become free and independent. 59.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

22. “In the light of African nationalism the colonial Powers have realized, and admitted, that the time has come for them to withdraw, to concede independence to the African people. They try, however, to use all possible means of depriving the new African States of the real substance and meaning of their national independence by such devices as military pacts, economic and cultural agreements and the granting of scientific and technical assistance in the form of recruitment of personnel from among their' own nationals. 5?. This new technical assistance device could be used to exploit the newly-independent States of Africa in an even more subtle and devastating manner than the mechanism of colonialism itself.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

23. “In pursuing this high objective, Ghana invites all peace-loving peoples to support the cause until victory is achieved and all Africa has become free and independent. As Osagyefo the President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, President of the Republic of Ghana, has often stated: "We regard our independence to be meaningless, unless we are able to use our freedom to help in the total liberation of Africa from foreign rule". To us, the concept of African freedom, independence and unity is a cardinal act of faith and not merely a matter of national policy. It is a basic principle of our constitution — the fundamental law of our State. 56. With the accession of African countries to national independence, there has come another danger, more subtle in its allurement than colonialism itself. This new danger is neo-colonialism.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

24. “Colonialism is the cause of war and conflict among nations and is, therefore, the greatest danger to world peace. Africa, of all the continents, is the only one where colonialism still holds sway over millions of people, people subjected to the worst form of human degradation. For our part, we would emphasize yet again that Ghana is dedicated to the complete eradication of colonialism and foreign rule on the continent of Africa. It is therefore prepared, at all times, to give encouragement and support, material and otherwise, within the limits of its national resources, to nationalist movements and Freedom Fighters engaged in various parts of Africa in the struggle for independence and self-determination. 55.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

25. “On behalf of the Government and people of Ghana,, we take this opportunity to make a solemn appeal to both the Soviet Union and the United States and to every other country, to stop the testing of nuclear weapons. In our view, nuclear science and nuclear technology, which man has been able to develop in this century, should be used only for peaceful purposes, and not for the arts of war and mass destruction, 54. In our view, colonialism is the greatest evil of the modern world, the source of all the troubles which presently afflict mankind. It is the root-cause of the desire to possess arms and therefore the root-cause of the arms race and the problem of disarmament. Colonialism and neo-colonialism are a perpetual threat to the peace and security of the world.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

26. “We consider it unfortunate that the Soviet Union should have found it necessary to resume nuclear testing, thus giving the United States an opportunity or pretext also to resume nuclear testing. 52. In our view, it is not really important whether nuclear weapons are tested in the atmosphere or whether they are tested underground. The essential point is that, whether in the atmosphere or underground, the devices tested are weapons intended for fee mass destruction of human life. 53. We protest against the manufacture and the testing of nuclear weapons generally, whether by the Soviet Union or by the United States, or by any other nation in the world.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

27. “In rallying to participate in this great endeavour, there was no need to wait until all the non-aligned States in the world had agreed to attend the Conference. Time was of the essence, and the gravity of the situation required courage and vision and men of action to take the initiative before it was too late. 50. While the Belgrade Conference was in progress, the Soviet Union exploded a nuclear device, we are told, in the atmosphere. The United States immediately reacted and declared its intention to resume the testing of nuclear weapons. This decision was, in fact, carried out underground by the United States. 51. At the time the Soviet Union exploded its nuclear device in the atmosphere, the President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, President of the Republic of Ghana, expressed his shock and his horror at the resumption of nuclear tests.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

28. “This, in brief, is the historical background of the Conference of Non- Aligned Countries which was held in Belgrade from 1 to 6 September 1961. 48. The organizers of the Conference, as well as the Heads of State or Heads of Government who attended, had r. j illusions about the enormity of the responsibilities involved, nor did they pretend to have in their possession any ready-made answers or solutions to all the problems which afflict mankind in our world today. In fact, the States who met in Belgrade did not claim to be the only non-aligned 'or non-committed countries in the world. There are other non-aligned and non-committed States, who were not able to attend the Conference for several reasons. 49. The important point to emphasize is that there was a duty to be performed — a service in the interest of humanity.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

29. “York, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the United Arab Republic, President Tito of Yugoslavia, President Sukarno of Indonesia and Prime Minister Nehru of India, met together on several occasions and exchanged views. 47. As a result of their meetings, they presented a joint draft resolution^ to the General Assembly in which a solemn appeal was made to the United States and to the Soviet Union to come together in order to reduce the high tension which was then prevailing in international relations. It was later agreed by these five leaders that it would be useful if a conference was organized at a later stage on a wider basis to give an opportunity to the Heads of State or Heads of Government of other non-aligned countries to participate in this effort to ensure peace.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

30. “It is with a realization of this urgent need to be of useful service in the cause of the common good that a number of non-aligned States, including Ghana, recently held a conference in the city of Belgrade to discuss some of the major problems in current international affairs and to explore possible avenues for a solution of these pressing problems. 4i"5. The Belgrade Conference has a history which originates from the session of the General Assembly of the United Nations held last year. Representatives, who were here last year, will remember that several Heads of State and Heads of Government attended that r, session. Taking advantage of their presence in New J!”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

31. “We have no reason to doubt the sincerity of either one of them., However, a deep sense of distrust and suspicion exists, and this sense of suspicion has made it difficult for these two giant nations to agree on the basic issues for the preservation of peace in our time. 44. In this great Power conflict, we believe that the various States, which are not aligned nor committed to either one of the great Power blocs, have an important and significant part to play in bringing about stability and understanding among the nations in the maintenance of peace and security in the world. 45.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

32. “The danger facing the world today is heightened by the concentration of weapons of destruction in the possession of the two great Power blocs, namely, the Western Alliance, held together by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), on the one hand, and the Eastern Alliance of socialist countries, held together under the Warsaw Pact. In reality, the struggle for ascendancy between these two Power blocs is a struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each of these two countries professes its dedication to the cause of peace and security in the world. 43. The Government of Ghana believes that both the United States and the Soviet Union are sincere in their professions of peace.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

33. “There is a lag between our scientific and technological advancement, on the one hand, and our social life, or inter-human relationships, on the other, the situation is, indeed, a poor reflection on our age. If mankind is to survive, and if millions of ordinary people throughout the world are to be assured of a steady advance towards higher standards of living, it is essential that we must all work together to find lasting solutions to the problems of war and peace. 41. This is why the problem of disarmament appears to us to be the most important problem in our world today. The Government of Ghana believes that every effort should be made by the United Nations to ensure complete and general disarmament in its various manifestations. This should include agreement on the cessation of the manufacture and the testing of nuclear weapons. 42.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

34. “We have met at a critical period in world history,, Today, as never before, the nations of the world live under the shadow of war, and mankind is even threatened with the prospect of total annihilation from the face of this planet. 39., While the capacity of the human intellect has been expanded into regions of thought, hitherto unexplored in the history of learning, and while the scientific achievements of our age have widened the consciousness of man in his efforts to unravel the secrets of the universe, it appears that mankind has failed to learn the most elementary of all lessons — namely, how to live in this world with our fellow men in peace and in harmony. 40.”

    1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)

35. “If we are to have peace, security and stability in the international community, then we must all grow into full realization of this fact. 51. We should all agree among ourselves to fight against these real enemies of mankind, to eliminate them from our national as well as international life, and to establish a new system of human relations, a new society and a new conception of human good, based on freedom, justice and truth. 52. This, in our view, is the greatest challenge of our times.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

36. “Within the framework of this reasoning, we hope that this Assembly will examine in a serious, constructive and courageous manner the several proposals which have been put forward as possible solutions to the gloomy and depressing question of disarmament. 49. The Government and people of Ghana believe that, in spite of the complexity of the problems which confront us in modern international life anti the high tensions which exist in different parts of the world today, there is still hope for the survival of mankind in the cosmic scheme of things. 50. We believe that man is not the enemy of his fellow men. On the other hand, man is the complement of his fellow man. The real enemies of mankind are ignorance, disease, poverty and squalor, which now exist in modern society.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

37. “On the general question of disarmament, we believe that fear and suspicion are the real bases of conflict and misunderstanding among the nations of the world today, and especially between the United States and the Soviet Union. To eliminate this basic fear and suspicion, it is necessary that the nations of the world make every effort to disarm themselves through the process of negotiation and mutual agreement. 47. We believe that, apart from the normal requirements for internal security, there is no need for the accumulation of large stocks of armaments, nor for the maintenance of large defence forces by any State. 48.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

38. “Secondly, we maintain that no State, including France, should test nuclear weapons anywhere on the African continent, because we, the Africans, want peace in Africa and in the world. And thirdly, we appeal to France not to conduct any nuclear tests in the Sahara Desert, because such tests will endanger the lives of all human beings in the Sahara region and in Africa generally, including the lives of all French people and other Europeans or non-Africans who now live in Africa. 45. We believe that this is a view with which no peace-loving people will have any good reason to quarrel. We hope, therefore, that, in the name of humanity, the Government and peace-loving people of France will listen to our appeal, and abandon their intention to conduct nuclear tests in the Sahara Desert. 46.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

39. “The Government of Ghana is also confident that all leaders of opinion in the African territories which at present form part of the Franco-African Community, will share the apprehensions which the Government and people of Ghana have regarding the decision of the Government of France to carry out atomic tests in the Sahara Desert." 44. I wish to make the position of the Government of Ghana quite clear in this matter. In the first place, we maintain that the nuclear Powers, namely, the. United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, or any other Power, should stop manufacturing nuclear weapons, and should not even test those they have already manufactured, but should rather destroy such weapons.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

40. “"The Government and people of Ghana are confident that a decision by the Government of France to refrain from making nuclear., tests in the Sahara will be eloquent testimony of the desire of the French people to make a positive contribution towards eliminating the dangers inherent' in the present competition in nuclear bomb production between the great Powers. Such a decision to refrain from any action that threatens the lives and the future of the African peoples will serve to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the African Territories and the people of the French Republic. "In making this appeal, the Government of Ghana is confident of the full support of the Independent States of Africa.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

41. “"In support of our appeal, the Government of Ghana invites the attention of the Government of the Republic of France to the resolution adopted at the Conference of Independent African States held in Accra in April 1958, which called upon the great Powers to discontinue the production of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons and to suspend all such test to, not only in the interest of world peace, but also as a symbol of their avowed devotion to the rights of man. The Conference viewed with great alarm and strongly condemned all atomic tests in any part of the world and, in particular, the intention to carry out such tests in the Sahara.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

42. “"Motivated as we are by the spirit of humanity, which we believe (the Government and people of the French Republic share with us, we feel it our duty to speak not only for the people of Ghana, but also for all the African peoples throughout the Continent of Africa. In doing so, we believe that we reflect the sentiments of all peace-loving people throughout the world, and that this appeal which we make to the Government of France is in conformity, with the efforts which statesmen are at present actively making to find a lasting solution to the dangers involved in the accumulation of atomic weapons and the testing of such weapons which, if not arrested, will ultimately annihilate civilization and the whole of mankind.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

43. “"We base our appeal upon the warning of scientists that such tests as we understand the French Government have in mind to make over the Sahara, will bring dangerous and disastrous consequences to the lives of the inhabitants of the African Continent, and particularly the inhabitants of the whole of the western region of’ Africa, including the inhabitants of the territories which now form part of the Franco- African Community. "The Government and people of Ghana are confident that the Government and people of France will appreciate the horrors and terrible effects which nuclear explosion in the Sahara Desert will engender, and that the Government of France will therefore take heed of this appeal by the Government of Ghana and will refrain from any action which will bring misery and destruction to the African people.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

44. “In a note verbale dated 2 June 1959, the Government of Ghana appealed to the Government of France to abandon the proposed testing of nuclear weapons in the Sahara Desert, in the following terms: "The Government of Ghana is very deeply alarmed over the French Government's proposed explosion of atomic bombs over the Sahara. As an African State bordering on the Sahara region, and conscious of our responsibilities not only towards our own citizens but also towards the inhabitants of the African Continent, the Government and people of Ghana appeal to President de Gaulle, as head of the great Franco-African Community, to abandon the carrying out of such tests in the Sahara.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

45. “We sincerely trust that the various parties concerned in the Cameroons will realize the spirit of the attitude we have adopted in this matter, and will agree to work together in the best interest of their own country and for the cause of peace, prosperity and unity of the African peoples. 42. I now turn to the question of nuclear tests in the Sahara. If was in pursuance of the policy of positive neutralism that the Government of Ghana took the initiative of expressing our strong protest against the proposed testing of nuclear weapons by France in the Sahara Desert. 43.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

46. “We hope, therefore, that the Prime Minister of the Cameroons and his Government may consider it essential and find it convenient, in the best interest of the new State and the welfare of all its people, to adopt measures in the very near future consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and the wishes of all sections of the people of the Cameroons. 40. We also hope that, as an act of statesmanship and magnanimity, the Prime Minister may declare a general amnesty so as to allow all the men and women who were exiled from the country during the period of foreign rule to return to their national home and to take part in the normal political life of the new State. 41.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

47. “Deplores the present situation in the Territory and calls upon the Government, and the opposition in and out of the Territory, to come together in the interest of their country and to find a just solution to their differences so that the Independent Cameroons will be able to take its rightful place among the Independent African States and the nations of the world. "4. Offers its good offices to search for appropriate means for bringing about this objective. "5. Failing that, appeals to the conscience of the world and the Members of the United Nations to support all efforts to bring the matter before the next session of the General Assembly of the United Nations." 39. However, the time available is very short.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

48. “The elections will also provide the United Nations with an opportunity of establishing a clear principle and procedure for the attainment of independence by Trust Territories for which the United Nations has ultimate responsibility. 38. On this matter the recent Conference in Monrovia unanimously adopted the following resolution: "The Conference of Independent African States "1. Welcomes the independence of the Cameroons which will become effective on the 1st January 1960. "2. Considers that free elections under United Nations supervision before independence is the most effective and democratic means of solving the present crisis, in strict conformity with the objectives of the International Trusteeship System. "3.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

49. “We are happy that on 1 January 1960 the Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration will become an independent State. 36. As we have previously indicated; it is our view that free and democratic elections should be held in the Cameroons before independence. We believe that such elections would help to establish peace and security in the new African State and would ensure to the new Government a large fund of goodwill, both national and international. This is essential, because it will enable the Government to proceed with confidence add courage with the programme of progressive national reform and reconstruction which usually confronts a new State immediately after attaining independence. 37.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)

50. “Appeals to the United Nations to fix a date for the independence of the territory of South West Africa." The Government of Ghana stands by this resolution, and my delegation would wish to urge that the United Nations should explore all possibilities for a just solution of the question of South West Africa. 34. In adopting this view, I wish to emphasize that the Government of Ghana does not deny or in any way underestimate the need or feasibility of juridical action in the International Court of Justice. We believe, however, that given good will, co-operation and understanding on all sides, perhaps the necessity for any such juridical proceedings may not even arise. 35. Next, I should like to turn to the Cameroons under French administration.”

    1959-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 14 (1959)