YouSaid · the spoken record

JACKSON

lines on the record: 295
first: 1978-09-24
most recent: 1989-09-24
sittings or episodes: 10
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

“Significant also was the assurance that both parties would refrain from any action whatsoever which might make more difficult or impede the peaceful settlement of the controversy. 226. While the Secretary-General pursues his initiatives, Guyana believes that these assurances, if fully honoured, can themselves also contribute to the creation of a regime of peaceful relations between Guyana and Venezuela. 227. In the past, Guyana has always been unswerving in its commitment to achieving the goal of a peaceful settlement of the controversy and has honoured every agreement relating to our border with Venezuela. I wish to assure the Assembly that Guyana intends to continue so doing.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In accordance with article IV of that Agreement, the Secretary-General has been requested to choose a means of peaceful settlement from among the various procedures set out under Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations. 225. To facilitate the more effective discharge of his duties and responsibilities under the Geneva Agreement, the Secretary-General has sought certain assurances from Venezuela and from Guyana. These were the subject of a communiqué which the Secretary-General issued following a visit of his emissary to the two countries in August last. The communiqué recorded inter alia the assurance that both parties would adopt all measures that might be necessary in order to foster and maintain the most favourable climate for the effective application of the Geneva Agreement.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“When the Prime Minister of my country addressed the Assembly during the thirty-sixth session and when I did so at the last session the facts of this issue were adequately presented. Those facts remain a matter of historical and public record, and they cannot be altered by wishful thinking. Realities are not created by whims and fancies. 224. Last year I made certain proposals before the Assembly, proposals fully in accordance with the Geneva Agreement of 1966 for the involvement of the International Court of Justice, the Security Council or the Assembly in the search for a peaceful settlement of the controversy. The Foreign Minister of Venezuela rejected my proposals summarily. I am glad to say, however, that another stage of the Geneva Agreement has been reached.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We desire most ardently to free ourselves of this burden which we bore even before our independence and to remove this canker from relations between ourselves and our western neighbour. We wish to rid ourselves and our region of the potential for conflict which is inherent in this Venezuelan claim and the manner in which it has often been pursued. 222. Contrary to what the Foreign Minister of Venezuela sought to imply in his address to the Assembly, Guyana, which has made no claims to Venezuelan territory, continues the search for a solution which would bring to an end the controversy that has arisen as a result of Venezuela's unilateral and inexplicable decision to declare null and void an internationally binding agreement. This agreement is the Arbitral Award of 1899, on the basis of which our boundary with Venezuela was settled. 223.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“I have sought to construct my statement on what I perceive to be a universal search for truth, understanding and peace. I have eschewed detailed references to some situations of conflict, actual and potential. However, certain unfortunate distortions of substance and of interpretation concerning my country and the historical course of relations between Guyana and Venezuela made by the Foreign Minister of Venezuela in his statement at the 5th meeting oblige me to respond and to set the record straight. 221. The struggle to preserve Guyana's territorial integrity never ceases to engage the energies and the attention of its Government and people because of the untenable claim to over two thirds of the country which Venezuela has been actively pursuing.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Critical to our quest for peace is the overwhelming need for the removal of ideological concerns from the international economic agenda, for such concerns serve to spread the tensions of super-Power rivalry to the areas of development and international economic co-operation. We must all—all of us—respect chosen developmental paths and refrain from waging ideological warfare in economic terms. Pluralism of development strategies is and must be respected as a concomitant of ideological pluralism. 219. The intrusion of ideological concerns into international economic co-operation is made more unpalatable by increasing resort to discriminatory measures. The incidence of vetoing funds from multilateral institutions must be discouraged and deplored. 220.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Let me also express the hope that those regional organizations and arrangements which still maintain exclusionary provisions in their charters and in their operations will make the necessary accommodations. One example which springs to mind relates to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America, the Treaty of Tlatelolco. The States parties to that Treaty gave an undertaking to the Assembly to remove impediments. Guyana still awaits definitive action in this regard. 217. Another development for peace has been the movement among countries of the South to develop co-operation among themselves. This is a development which should be encouraged by the international community. 218.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Such organizations are to be found everywhere, and the dynamism which the people of their member States ascribe to them attests to the constructive role which multilateralism can play in international relations. That is why we can only regret the studied efforts of some major Powers to bypass these organizations by advancing so-called theological positions. At the same time we need to recognize that regional efforts can be maximized when they are supportive of our Organization, for the Organization is based on the principle of universality, not of exclusivity. Let me therefore here and now whole-heartedly welcome Saint Christopher and Nevis as our newest Member State. 216.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Our Movement has always assigned a central role to the United Nations as a harmonizer of competing interests and has consistently maintained that there is a viable alternative to a system of international relations based on bloc politics, on hegemony and on spheres of influence. The political and economic programmes of action which the Movement articulated at its conference at New Delhi provide a coherent and internally consistent strategy for making the peaceful coexistence of States and social systems a real possibility. 215. I suggest that, equally, in charting the way forward we should take cognisance of the role of regional and subregional organizations.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“From its inception the Movement has placed in the forefront of its activities the pursuit of policies which could mitigate conflicts, promote independence and facilitate the building of a lasting infrastructure for peace. The Movement has since attracted more States to its principles and policies. It has been an influential factor in international relations. The important role of the Movement is now so widely acknowledged that States which for one reason or another cannot be direct participants in its activities assiduously seek to influence the outcome of its deliberations, sometimes malevolently. 214.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Guyana reaffirms its solidarity with and total support for the people of Belize and for the preservation of their national patrimony and their right to build their society within existing frontiers. 212. Elsewhere new regional conflicts, some internal in origin and others arising from rivalries between outside States, are proving intractable. Guyana adds its voice to the call for an early end to the costly war between Iraq and Iran, and we urge all States, large and small, never to abandon the methods of the peaceful settlement of disputes and controversies. 213. In assessing the state of international relations today and the prospects for the future, a tribute must be paid to the contribution of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“When they met at Port of Spain in July this year, the heads of Government of the Caribbean Community expressed deep concern over the situation in Central America. They observed that the crisis faced by the peoples of this region was rooted not in East-West ideological rivalry but in deep-seated social and economic ills . They appealed to the contending parties to engage in direct dialogue and expressed support for the efforts of the Contadora Group to bring peace to the area . That position should, I suggest, be endorsed by this Organization. 211. The independence and territorial integrity of Belize are still threatened by neighbouring Guatemala.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We must now therefore intensify the struggle against the racists of South Africa. How much longer, I ask, must the people of Namibia, led by SWAPO, and those in the international community who support their valiant struggle be subjected to the prevarications and machinations of the Pretoria regime? How much longer can the oppressed people of Namibia and South Africa place their faith in words of support uttered by some Members of this Organization when their very deeds buttress their oppressors? 209. Even as we bring to bear our collective strength to tackle those old problems, we are confronted by new situations of turbulence, situations the causes of which can lead, if not properly understood, to new tensions creating instability beyond the narrow focus of their origins. Central America is a most poignant case. 210.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The Palestinian people, led by the PLO, still suffer the nightmare of being a nation without a State, with the restoration of their national rights unfulfilled. 207. The tragedy of some divided countries remains. In Cyprus foreign occupation continues despite initiatives by the Secretary-General undertaken on the basis of the decisions of the Organization. We should persevere with our efforts to restore the unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus. Likewise, the people of Korea remain divided notwithstanding the communiqué of 4 July 1972 and the constructive proposals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 208. No one can deny the Organization's most helpful role in its support for peoples that have struggled against colonialism and apartheid. Our achievements have been remarkable; we should be proud of that record.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Is that not more than enough for legitimate defence needs? 205. The utilization of vast resources for the acquisition of massive amounts of armaments has direct and far- reaching consequences for the development of the developing countries. Continued global and regional tensions have led States to divert resources from urgent developmental activity to military expenditure. It is thus imperative that collectively we seek to reduce such tensions and, more specifically, to work resolutely for the achievement of disarmament. 206. There are other situations in respect of which the Organization's efforts have not yet led to durable solutions. The Middle East situation festers dangerously. Instability and tension in the region have grown worse since Israel's invasion of Lebanon last year.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It therefore stands as a sad testimony to the constraints imposed upon international economic cooperation. 203. The capacity of the developing countries to promote their development is thus considerably restricted. The continuation of this condition could accentuate social pressures. It could also give rise to upheavals to an extent that adversely affects domestic and regional peace and renders more difficult the recovery of the economies of the industrialized countries themselves. 204. Those considerations apart, it is difficult to reconcile human need with human waste and foolhardiness. How do we justify expenditures in excess of 600 billion dollars cash year on instruments of death and destruction while there is incessant argument every year over the allocation of a few billion for multilateral financing for development?”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We demonstrated both at the recent Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, at New Delhi, and in the Buenos Aires Platform adopted at the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 3 our willingness to advance new strategies for enhancing international co-operation. Serious attention was given to the problems which beset the international economy, more particularly the burgeoning debt problems, the burning question of money and finance and the protectionist measures against the exports of developing countries. Regrettably, these reasonable positions did not stimulate appropriate responses on the part of the industrialized countries. 202. The sixth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which focused on some of these issues, was noteworthy for the lack of convergence of views.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“A few years ago the prospects for international economic co-operation seemed brighter, and this was contemporaneous with the growing realization of the interdependence of economies —in trade, money and finance, and commodities. Today, unfortunately, there is a marked tendency for some major Powers to eschew the imperatives of multilateral cooperation. Instead, there are increasing attempts to place multilateral institutions at the service of narrower national interests and to frustrate their role. Some may ask if these attempts do not subvert the very objectives of those institutions. 201. The developing countries, whether acting individually or in concert, have been staunch advocates of equitable and mutually beneficial economic relations.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Too often, countries which proclaim adherence to the principle of territorial integrity are themselves in breach of that very principle. Too often, countries which profess commitment to development are acting to the detriment of the poor. Too often, countries which portray themselves as advocates of disarmament are escalating the arms race, thereby raising the threshold of fear. Too often, countries while preaching peace are stoking the Ores of war, and the language of reasoned discourse becomes consumed in the process. 199. In sum, there is a widening and alarming gap between rhetoric and action. The result is that the fabric of peace is imperilled. 200. Nothing so dramatically symbolizes the fragile nature of peace as the parlous nature of the international economic situation. But this need not be so.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“There have been vast and fundamental changes in the international system since the creation of the Organization. The quantitative expansion of its membership has given rise to qualitative changes and has rendered more complex the harmonization of relations between States and between regions, complexities also manifested in the relations between competing social systems. Despite these changes—or perhaps because of them—after 38 years the dreams, hopes and aspirations of people have remained essentially unchanged. 197. Yet crises in international relations proliferate; in fact, there is an air that can be described as crisis-mongering. While new flash-points erupt, old situations continue to defy solutions. 198. Too often, countries which espouse non-intervention practice intervention in one form or another.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In the face of the deteriorating world situation, the Secretary-General has called for a recommitment of all States to the principles of the Charter and has sought to enhance the Organization's ability to discharge its responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security and for the strengthening of international co-operation. His expressions of concern are so timely and telling that support for them should require no prompting, for they deal in essence with the survival of humanity. Regrettably, however, the collective response to the Secretary-General's observations has not matched the gravity of the situation which his concern reflects. We owe it to him and to ourselves to give greater attention to his proposals during this session. The Secretary-General knows that he can rely on Guyana's support. 196.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Since his assumption of office Mr. P6rez de Cu6Har has demonstrated qualities of fair play and diplomatic finesse which I have already experienced. His commitment to peace and his rigorous employ of the patient ways of diplomacy are attributes which command universal admiration. Indeed, this commitment to peace has found expression in his profound concern for the effectiveness of the Organization. 194. The perceptive analyses in the Secretary-General's reports last year and this year have highlighted the need for new operational arrangements and modalities which will free the institution from the constraints imposed by an earlier bipolar world and make it more responsive to today's realities. The Secretary-General's overriding concern is to make the Organization function properly as an instrument of peace and development. 195.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“That is why, Sir, it is matter of especial pride for Guyana that you, Jorge Illueca, an eminent son of our region, a distinguished scholar and diplomat of Panama, are presiding over the deliberations of this session. May I, with your permission, on a more personal note advert to the deep and abiding friendship which you and I have developed over the years as we have worked together, here and elsewhere, in the cause of freedom and independence. I pledge to you Guyana's full and unstinted co-operation, particularly in our capacity as one of your Vice-Presidents. You succeed Mr. Imre Hollai of Hungary, who guided the affairs of the thirty- seventh session with calm, skill and efficiency. We wish you every success. 193. It is a fortunate circumstance that at this time the Secretary-General also hails from our region.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“People therefore looked upon this Organization as a repository of their hopes and their aspirations to live in peace as free peoples, able to determine their own political, economic and social goals, free from external interference and intervention. They also expected that, so that the Organization could be fully effective, those States which violated the purposes and principles of the Charter would be subject to the full force of its provisions. 192. In fashioning that framework for harmonious relations among States, the States of our region, Latin America and the Caribbean, made a most significant contribution. Our States played a vanguard role in the elaboration of the Charter of the United Nations and in the promotion of peace based upon the rule of law and the principles of equity.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“190. Mr. President, the Assembly convenes at a time when international relations are increasingly characterized by tensions and turmoil, fear of nuclear disaster and widespread concern about troubled economies. In view of this grave situation, it is not inappropriate for me to recall the circumstances which led to the creation of the United Nations and the expectations which this engendered. 191. The outcome of the 1939-1945 war reinforced the convictions of peoples of the victor nations and others that military conquests, colonial exploitation and economic deprivation were irreversibly in retreat and would be ended for all time.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“As my President said in a statement on 5 October 1982 in Brasilia: I believe the time is ripe for us to examine once again the possibility of establishing a United Nations security force with sufficient authority and strength to forestall aggression and prevent disputes from degenerating into armed conflicts. Man's impulse is to survive and to live in peace with his fellow man. Our task as representatives of Governments is to give effect to this impulse. The pursuit of this task requires us to undertake serious dialogue, to act in concert, to adhere to the norms of international law and to make a reality of peaceful coexistence. History, I suggest, would indeed be unkind to us if we did not seek to build a world that is safer and in which justice prevails.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We owe it to ourselves and to the Secretary General to ponder seriously his assessment of the international situation, his views on the crisis of confidence facing the United Nations and the various ideas he has submitted for reinvigorating the process of multilateral diplomacy. We believe that the opportunity to do so which this session provides should be fully utilized. Guyana supports his proposals. We are particularly interested in his argument for a role for the Security Council which emphasizes a preventive, rather than a reactive, orientation.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Despite its imperfections, the United Nations system still offers mankind the best hope for international relations based on the rule of law. In his courageous report on the work of the Organization the Secretary General not only has analyzed the weaknesses of that system but has also made constructive proposals for the improvement of its vitality and the enhancement of its effectiveness. The decline in its authority and the credibility dilemma facing the United Nations are as much functions and consequences of certain deficiencies of the system as of the growing propensity of an increasing number of nations to marginalize the Organization or to ignore its decisions.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“We trust that Venezuela would be prepared to do likewise. Let me repeat what my Prime Minister said at the thirty sixth session of the Assembly: We have no other wish than that of establishing a regime of peace, harmony and friendship with the people of Venezuela, with whom we share aspirations for a just and satisfying life and with whom we can together make a contribution to our development and that of our region and our continent. To that goal Guyana remains committed. In the complexities which beset the international community the nonaligned movement continues to play an influential and beneficial role. As we speak out against intervention and interference, the nonaligned are aware that external efforts to divide and subvert us will continue. But we must stick resolutely and uncompromisingly to our principles and our policies.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“On Friday last Guyana proposed to Venezuela that our two countries, in fulfilment of that Agreement, seek to agree on an appropriate international organ to choose a means of pacific settlement. There are a number of organs of a regional nature, some of which may not be acceptable to Venezuela and others which may not be acceptable to us. However, there are three organs of such a wide international character that in our opinion any of them should be acceptable to both parties. These organs are: the International Court of Justice the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations. We are therefore now suggesting for the consideration of the Government of Venezuela recourse to one of those organs. It is Guyana's belief that their international character recommends them as suitable. We put our confidence in them.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Unfortunately, Venezuela not only challenged our competence to suggest the International Court of Justice but persistently refused to consider our proposal for a judicial settlement. As a consequence our two countries are now, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Agreement, required to consider the selection of an appropriate international organ to choose the means of settlement. From the inception of the Geneva Agreement in 1966 there have been repeated violations of it by Venezuela. I have already alluded to some of them. Notwithstanding those provocations, Guyana remains willing, in keeping with its policy of respect for legally binding treaties and peace and good neighborliness, to continue to honor the Geneva Agreement and to fulfil its obligations under it.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The most important one is the Arbitral Award of 1899, which all parties, in ' eluding Venezuela, had by an earlier treaty agreed to accept as a full, final and perfect settlement. Pursuant to that Award, as I stated earlier, the boundary was demarcated on the ground and registered in a separate Agreement in 1903. There is also the Geneva Agreement of 1966, which has as its purpose the solution of the controversy which has arisen as a result of the Venezuelan contention that the Arbitral Award of 1899 is null and void. Under the Agreement Guyana and Venezuela were required to choose one of the means provided in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations for the settlement of the controversy. Venezuela proposed negotiation; we proposed judicial settlement, and recommended the International Court of Justice.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Does Venezuela deny that in June last year, as we were preparing for a global conference on new and renewable sources of energy, its Foreign Minister wrote to the President of the World Bank opposing the construction of a hydroelectric facility in the Upper Mazuruni region of Guyana on the political ground that the proposed dam was to be located in the area claimed by Venezuela and that it was not economically important to Guyana? And can it deny that such action was after the World Bank had itself assessed the project as being economically and technically feasible? Is that not economic aggression? There are several international treaties and legal instruments that relate to the border between Guyana and Venezuela.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The Venezuelan Foreign Minister also asserted that there has been no aggression by Venezuela against Guyana. I cannot permit that statement to go unchallenged. Indeed it must be categorically rejected. Let the record speak. Can Venezuela deny that its troops are still in occupation of Guyanese territory that it violently seized in 1966? Can Venezuela honestly and I stress the word honestly deny that there have been numerous violations of our air and land space by Venezuelan aircraft and armed forces? And what of Venezuela's actions against us in the economic field. Can Venezuela deny that it has been endeavoring to dissuade Governments and organizations both in the developed and in the developing world from participating in Guyana's economic development, especially in that part of our territory that it claims'?”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“On the contrary, to give but a few examples, oil has recently been discovered there; our long established gold and diamond mines are developing as centers of economic activity; and there has been an intensification in the evaluation of our uranium potential. And Venezuela knows this. With these activities and the potential which exists, can we accept Venezuela's portrayal of the Essequibo as a land without exploitable mineral resources. And are we to understand that its claim to this land, whose people are moreover of a different culture, is motivated simply by a desire to redress an historical wrong. We are convinced that the Venezuelan territorial claim is an unjustified attempt to satiate a thirst for the land and resources of ethers.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“He also asserted that Guyana refuses to understand the need for this correction because it wishes to enjoy the fruits of British colonial imperialism. Guyana hardly needs to reject these pejorative Venezuelan asseverations. Moreover, our reputation as an anti imperialist nation is well known. The anti imperialist policies my country pursues are in accordance with the tenets of the nonaligned movement, of which it is a full member The Foreign Minister of Venezuela, in disavowing any motive of covetousness and expansionism, and in persisting in his country's territorial claim, asserts that no exploitable mineral resources have been discovered in the Essequibo region, which Venezuela claims.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“It was tendentious and selective in its account of history. Last year, in addressing the Assembly my Prime Minister, Mr. Ptolemy A. Reid, laid bare the history of our relations with Venezuela. The nature of those relations has been profoundly affected by a Venezuelan desire to redraw the boundary between our two countries, a boundary which was settled by Treaty in 1899 and demarcated on the ground between 1901 and 1905. The Foreign Minister of Venezuela stated that Venezuela's claim is based neither on territorial ambition nor on covetousness of the wealth of others but on the need to correct an historical wrong perpetrated against it. And this Venezuela asserts as the successor to Spanish colonial imperialism.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Indigenous impulses for change are being violently confronted by a tandem force of local interests and their external supporters. Deliberate policies of pressure and intimidation are implemented, policies aiming at ideological conformity. Guyana firmly believes that a system of peaceful and stable relations in the Latin American and Caribbean region must of necessity be premised or? an end to all types of economic pressures and political interference and on respect for ideological pluralism. The Caribbean must be made a zone of peace. In his statement to the Assembly at the 5th meeting, the Foreign Minister of Venezuela adverted at length to the relations between our two countries. Unfortunately that presentation contained egregious distortions; it was contumacious, and it bordered on calumny.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Likewise the people of Korea deserve our support for the peaceful reunification of their territory without outside interference. Guyana continues to urge the implementation of the provisions of the 4 July 1972 joint communique? And the more recent constructive proposals advanced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. We are particularly concerned about the continuing war between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We call for strict implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council relating to this matter, in particular resolutions 514 and 522. Central America and the Caribbean indeed, Latin America is a state of ferment. Threats of destabilization and armed intervention are mad in relation to Central America and the Caribbean.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“At the same time, South Africa must show full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring independent African States. Within South Africa itself, the system of apartheid must be condemned. The members of the international community individually and collectively must desist from giving the racists in South Africa support to maintain their oppressive policies. Unhappily, the tragedy of a divided Cyprus remains, despite the fact that the Assembly in its resolution 3212 set an adequate framework for the withdrawal of foreign troops and the reconciliation of the communities in the territory. Guyana gives every encouragement to the Secretary General to continue unceasingly in his search for an urgent solution. We also support the proposals made by the President of Cyprus before the Assembly.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“There has undeniably been a quickening of the conscience of peoples to the urgent need to terminate the Palestinian diaspora and to bring about the creation of a homeland for the Palestinians in Palestine, as envisaged by early resolutions of the Assembly. Let me repeat the position of Guyana: the acquisition of territory by force cannot be condoned; the Palestinian people, led by their authentic representative, the PLC, must have their national rights restored; and all States in the region should be enabled to live in peace and security. We must be equally firm in dealing with the racist entity in Pretoria. The independence of Namibia must be achieved in conformity with Security Council resolution 435 and there must be no question of further conditionality’s. South Africa must be made to vacate Namibia and to do so quickly.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“It is indeed a sad commentary on the position of some major Powers that in the face of a clear demonstration of the public throughout the world in favor of disarmament, these Powers have not exercised the necessary political judgment to facilitate agreement on the various disarmament issues and the preparation of a comprehensive programme on disarmament. The recent horrors which accompanied the ruthless Israeli invasion of Lebanon and senseless slaughter of innocent men, women and children in west Beirut heighten the necessity for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Middle East situation and the Palestinian question.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“But even as we resolve to banish intervention as an instrument of policy in relations among States, it becomes imperative to strengthen and advance the process of collective security and disarmament. The second special session devoted to disarmament, held here last June, did not realize the high hopes of our peoples for a world free from the specter of the catastrophic uses of the destructive weapons at man's disposal. This happens at a time in which we witness the proliferation and perfection of a plethora of weapons systems possessing mass destructive capability.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Some manipulate local situations of controversy and exploit international conflicts to, serve perceived broader geo strategic interests. Further, intervention is of times designed to frustrate national liberation and the struggle against colonialism. No less problematic is interventionist behavior undertaken in pursuit of expansionist ambitions territorial, ideological and economic. Some of our countries possess enough human and material resources to ensure for their people an adequate and satisfying standard of living. Yet some of these very countries, in what can only be seen as a fit of greed, seek to covet the territory and resources of their neighbors. In pursuit of their expansionist claims, such countries disregard hallowed principles of an international legal edifice painstakingly constructed over the years.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“The most recent of these is the Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention and Interference in the Internal Affairs of States, adopted at the thirty sixth session. This Declaration represents a comprehensive instrument codifying the rights and duties of States that inhere in the principle of nonintervention. Yet, despite its existence as a well established and fundamental principle of international relations, nonintervention has increasingly been respected more in the breach. The whole gamut of interventionist techniques, ranging from overt military action to the more insidious and subtle forms of indirect pressures and destabilization tactics, has been brought into play in recent years. The motivation for intervention varies from case to case. Yet certain broad patterns are clearly discernible.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“These negative manifestations have both encouraged and facilitated behavior antagonistic to full respect for the sovereignty and independence of States small States in particular. Interventionist behavior is undoubtedly on the increase. It is at once cause and effect of the crisis in international relations, a distinguishing feature of many conflicts. The extant cases are numerous in the Middle East, in Europe, in Africa and in Latin America. Nonintervention in the affairs of other States has served as one of the main pillars and guiding principles of a system of stable international relations. The proscribing of intervention is at the core of several international instruments adopted by this world body over the years.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“If I now tum to international political relations, it is to say that these have deteriorated markedly over the past few years. The diagnoses of the malaise afflicting international relations are many and varied. They range from the crisis in the multilateral approach in international affairs to the proliferation of armaments with the concomitant incentive and urge to utilize them; the collapse of cooperative endeavors evolved in the aftermath of the Second World War so called; an increasing disregard for the fundamental norms and principles of international law; and a widespread tendency too widespread to resort to lawless conduct based on confrontation, threats and violence and, unhappily, intervention.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“It is Guyana's hope that when we meet in Jamaica to sign the Final Act and Convention, the number signatories to the Convention will be a source of great satisfaction to those whose primary motivation over the past several years has been the promulgation of just and equitable arrangements for the most effective use of the sea and the utilization of its resources for the benefit of all mankind, without discrimination. It is, not unnaturally, a source of profound concern that some States should have seen fit to stand aside from this historic effort. It is also a matter for regret that a few developed States have moreover chosen instead to conclude between them a mini multilateral treaty in defiance of the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the world's States.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“But, as has been noted on repeated occasions, economic cooperation among developing countries, South South cooperation, is but one part of the whole. It is not a substitute for genuine progress in North South relations. The quest for solutions based, on multilateral and collective methods should be pursued unceasingly. Guyana notes with satisfaction the successful conclusion of the negotiating sessions of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and the emergence of a final text which truly reflects the concerns of many who have labored long and hard establish an international legal regime for the ocean space.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“Efforts at adjustment to inflation in the developed world have had a very grave effect on its economies. All of these problems high rates of interest, mounting debt burdens and the very nature of the international financial system demand that we seek collective redress. It is our most compelling concern and one that necessitates urgent and immediate consideration. For our part, we in the developing world have been willing to seek ways and means to contribute collectively to the solution of the global problems, as evidenced in the Caracas Programme of Action on economic cooperation among developing countries. Our attempts to pool our individual strengths and resource bases and thus promote our collective self reliance are noteworthy and offer promise for the future.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)