YouSaid · the spoken record

Collins

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS COLLINS

lines on the record: 156
first: 1982-09-24
most recent: 1991-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

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“We continue to believe that real security can be found only through a co-operative approach, which seeks to build confidence between nations and to remove the fear of attack by eliminating the means of waging war and, in the first place, nuclear weapons. Ireland continues to be a strong and unqualified supporter of the Treaty on the Mon-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We believe that the degree of consensus reached on a wide number of issues at the recent Fourth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty will strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime as a whole.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In our view the most appropriate way to do this is to enhance and develop the process established by the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) as the framework for lasting peace and co-operation in Europe. It is clear that the decisions to be taken at the next summit meeting in Paris in November will be of fundamental importance in this respect. We hope indeed to make significant progress here in New York next week in the preparations for that summit. Recent events in the Middle East have against demonstrated that despite positive developments in East-West relations, international stability is threatened by an adversarial approach to security, which often finds expression in increased armaments as well as in efforts to obtain possession of dangerous weapons of mass destruction.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is taking place freely and democratically, in full respect of the relevant agreements and treaties and of all the principles defined by the Helsinki Final Act, in a context of dialogue and East-West co-operation. We wholeheartedly welcome those developments and are pledged to support them in appropriate ways, both by bilateral action and through our membership of the European Community. The overall positive trend is encouraging and suggests that it is possible to establish new relationships to replace the mistrust that has dominated Europe for almost 45 years and the confrontation between two fully antagonistic and mistrustful alliances. The artificial division of Europe must give way to unity based on mutual trust and the recognition of the common European identity and interdependence.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We welcome the continued improvement in East-West relations and the genuinely revolutionary developments in Central and Eastern Europe. The political and social order established as an outcome of the Second World War has been overturned by the clearly expressed will of the people, expressed initially through peaceful mass demonstrations and restated through the democratic elections that have taken place. In most of those countries moribund political and economic systems have been replaced by vibrant new democracies that are now being consolidated, while reforms are under way to bring about market-oriented economic systems. An important symbol of such changes is the rapid process of German unification. This unity is a positive factor in the development of Europe as a whole and of the European Community in particular.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In December 1989, Ireland ratified both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. At the same time, Ireland acceded to the First Optional Protocol to the former Covenant, which permits complaints by individuals. I therefore reaffirm Ireland's wholehearted commitment to the principles enshrined in those Covenants and the practices they imply. Throughout the world, there are still some countries where the human rights situation is less than satisfactory, where political and social systems continue to exist in which human rights and fundamental freedoms are violated. Irish public opinion continues to follow with concern the threats to human rights that still exist.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“If the United Nations is to carry out the expanded functions in prospect in the peace-keeping area, it must be given adequate resources to do so. Proper funding, clear guidance and the political will of the membership are all necessary in full measure to ensure a sustained effort. We have a challenge before us to emulate the efforts of past years in order to make the United Nations system relevant in the promotion of peace and democracy internationally. The promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms is inscribed in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Sights, as well as in the two international Treaties on human rights, which guide so much of our work in this field.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Their motivation to serve the higher interest of peace and stability is and should be beyond question. Every effort must be made at the political level to ensure that that commitment is not in vain. If I dwell on this, it is because my country has, when asked, given liberally, and because we believe in the importance of this role. In particular, Ireland has participated in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since its establishment in 1978. That has not been without human cost. Thirty-one Irish soldiers have died while on service with UNIFIL, 11 of them by hostile fire. Our involvement, however, will continue as a concrete expression of Ireland's support for bringing peace to Lebanon.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The long hoped-for emergence of agreement between the parties in Cambodia and the positive moves to peaceful resolution of the conflicts in El Salvador and the Western Sahara should present the Organization with an early opportunity to consolidate its expertise in election monitoring and to further the democratic tradition in areas where it has been lacking in the past. The peace-keeping role of the United Nations continues to attract a high level of interest and is likely to do so for the foreseeable future. If peace-keeping is to be retained as an integral part of the peace-making activity of the Organization, it must - I repeat, must - be accorded adequate political and financial support. The mandate given to our peace-keeping forces is never an easy one. Our forces operate under difficult, indeed often hostile conditions.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The United Nations role in the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts in the past year must be recognized as a significant step forward. The United Nations has a legitimate task in the establishment of international standards for free and honest elections. The electoral success scored in Namibia justifies the unstinting efforts of the Organization over the past 25 years to bring freedom and democracy to that country, Nicaragua is yet another example of how well the Organisation can perform in that sphere.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We shall not cease in our efforts to secure their rights to exit from those two countries if they wish. We insist that the rights of Irish and other citizens be respected. The Gulf crisis has demonstrated the importance of the United Nations. This is the forum where the collective will of the international community can be expressed in the interest of the maintenance of international peace and security. This is where we can establish the parameters for a more secure and stable world order, now that the cold war can be assigned to history, h good beginning has been made in very difficult circumstances. The capacity of the United Nations to act in such situations is the central element necessary to provide the assurances we all need.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The international community must make clear that behaviour such as Iraq's invasion of Kuwait is absolutely unacceptable. Without respect for international law, none of us is safe. Through the United Nations we must effectively reassert the rule of law. With our partners in the European Community, Ireland fully supports the Security Council resolutions already adopted in relation to the crisis in the Gulf. The safety and welfare of our citizens who have found themselves caught up in the situation in the Gulf as a result of having been in Kuwait or Iraq at the time of the invasion have been and will remain a priority for my Government. In concert with our partners, we are doing everything possible to deal with the difficulties caused to Irish citizens by Iraq's actions.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“An extraordinarily high degree of consensus has been achieved among members of the Security Council and of the United Nations as a whole. We all subscribe to the principle of the inadmissibility of using force to settle disputes between States. It has been possible to reach a convergence of views on the steps to be taken to counter the use of force in this instance. Ireland believes that it is of the greatest importance that a political solution be found through the full implementation of all the resolutions of the Security Council. Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait and the legitimate government of that country must be restored. Until then, the economic and political pressure brought about by the Security Council measures must be maintained.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“A State Member of the Organisation, a leading member of the Hon-Aligned Movement and the Arab League, has attacked another by force, overwhelmed it and purported to annex it in flagrant breach of international law and of the most basic provisions of the Charter. We are therefore now faced with a most serious question. Can our system of collective security, of common action against any Member State that commits aggression, function as it was intended to? And if it does not, or if the will of the international community to uphold a system of order and justice end law between nations falters, who then will defend the weak against the strong? In the face of Iraq's aggression, the Security Council has taken action that is both decisive and unprecedented in the history of the Organisation.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Disarmament became a serious possibility and regional conflicts began to be addressed. Most dramatically of all, Germany, divided in 1945, has moved toward unity in response to the democratic wish of the German people and with the full goodwill of the international community. It has been a time of hope, notwithstanding the many serious problems that remain in international life. With the end of East-West confrontation, we had begun at last to emerge into a truly post-war world where the institutions of international order established after the Second World War could function as intended. Now, suddenly and unexpectedly, that hope is challenged and those institutions face a most serious test.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The year that has elapsed since we last met here in the General Assembly has been a truly memorable one in international life. In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and in the Soviet Union» a great impulse to freedom and democracy welling up from below transformed political and economic systems frozen in place since the end of the Second World War. As those great changes gathered pace, the rift driven through the European continent two generations ago began at last to heal and the confrontation between hostile alliances - the most dangerous in all of human history - began to lose its purpose and to wind down. For a year now, each remarkable change has been a prelude to even greater change and to new and wider opportunities. East-West confrontation eased and turned increasingly to co-operation.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I should like at the outset to extend my sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the Assembly, and to your country, Malta. I know your wisdom and expertise will guide us in a most efficient manner through our work. Our thanks go to the outgoing President, Mr. Garba of Nigeria, who presided so ably over the forty-fourth session. I also wish to record our thanks to the Secretary-General for his continuing efforts for an enhanced role for the United Nations. The Foreign Minister of Italy, Mr. De Michelis, has already addressed the Assembly on behalf of the twelve member States of the European Community. My Government fully endorses the views contained in that statement, which are supported by all member States of the Community.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We know that the heritage of future generations is threatened and that action has to be taken soon to protect our environment. We know that an unchecked arms race is not adding to our security but taking from it. We know that assault on the human rights and dignity of the individual in any country is an assault on us all. We know that we cannot sit passive and uninterested as regional conflicts and tension continue and fester. And we know that the problems of the poor and the underdeveloped will not solve themselves without new and better directed support. We must begin to move closer to the goal of a more just, more secure, fairer and cleaner world and we now have a real opportunity to work for progress towards those aims through this organization.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Today, I again evoke that sentiment, applicable not just in Northern Ireland but in so many situations worldwide. If our discourses at this annual debate of the General Assembly do anything to enlarge understanding or to help lower those barriers, they will indeed have proved worthwhile. The United Nations proved its value as the forum in which all questions of global concern should be resolved. The opportunity exists to make further progress in putting into practice many of the principles of the Charter which up to now have been only imperfectly observed. We note gratefully that many of the tensions and rivalries that have bedevilled the conduct of international relations over the years are now part of the past. We are therefore faced with a unique opportunity.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We say directly to the unionist leaders that there is nothing to be lost - neither self-respect nor political advantage nor integrity of position - by meeting with us to discuss together how we can share our island. The gain will be for all the people of Northern Ireland who long for leadership out of the present political impasse. We will address the period ahead with the same unswerving commitment to a resolution of the problems of Northern Ireland that informed our approach to this Organization 20 years ago. On that occasion, the then Irish Foreign Minister emphasized that "Differences in political outlook or religious belief need not set people apart ... the real barriers are those created by fear, suspicion and intolerance".”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Both the British and the Irish Governments, as well as both sectors of the community in Northern Ireland, have responsibilities in this regard. For our part, we must - as we do - strive to understand that mix of emotions, interests and loyalties from which unionism draws its character and strength. We have continually to remind ourselves of unionists' fears. We have to ensure that our friendship is not mistaken for threat, and our genuine concerns dismissed as one-sided complaints. The Irish Prime Minister - the Taoiseach, Charles Haughey - has repeatedly made clear that the Irish Government wants to enter a new dialogue with unionists. Our door is open, and we stand ready to advance to meet our unionist colleagues in mutual respect and friendship.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I believe that the Anglo-Irish agreement - recently fortified by the review of its workings - plays a crucial role in this regard. But the effectiveness of the agreement as a framework for reform, co-operation and political progress must be developed continually by both Governments. Likewise, the differences that, inevitably, will arise from time to time between Dublin and London in the operation of the agreement must be tackled resolutely and overcome, and the two Governments must, together, demonstrate their firm commitment at all times to moving the Agreement forward. Never has there been such a vital need for innovative and creative thinking within, and about, Northern Ireland, never has there been greater urgency about translating such thinking into practical steps forward.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We have had to register our deep concern at the involvement of members of the security forces in the most serious of crimes, including murder, and at the growing evidence, in recent weeks, of collusion between members of the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries. We have also had to protest at decisions, within the past year, to allow soldiers to resume service after they had been found guilty of most serious crimes in Northern Ireland. We have raised these concerns with the British Government in the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. We are convinced that only the most effective and urgent response can repair the damage done by these recent developments. Despite such set-backs, we must continue to work for political progress.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Although a legacy of economic discrimination is not easily shaken off, with determination on the part of all involved it must, and will, be. As fundamental as economic equality must be confidence on the part of the community generally in the essential even-handedness of all the instruments of government, including the administration of justice and the operation of the security forces. If that confidence is absent, there will inevitably be an erosion of moral and political authority. My Government has consistently pointed to the need for the security forces in Northern Ireland to win the trust of the nationalist community. In particular, we have focused, over the past year, on the urgent need to address the problem of harassment of the nationalist community by elements within the security forces.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“It was the total, and well-founded, absence of that confidence on the part of the nationalist minority in Northern Ireland that formed the background to the fateful events of autumn 1969. Many of the basic civil rights demands articulated then have received a response in the 20 intervening years. More have been answered since the signature, in 1985, of the Anglo-Irish agreement, which has as one of its basic objectives the achievement of equality of treatment for all. In the past year, for example, new fair-employment legislation for Northern Ireland has gone on the statute books, and we now look to the effective implementation of that legislation. However, action on the economic front has to be sustained, and equality in the distribution of economic resources has to be developed.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“It is a society divided by radically different interpretations of history, different senses of identity, and different aspirations for the future. The very complexity of such conflicts defies any simple solution. There is no easy formula for harmonizing memories and reconciling aspirations. A minimum first step, however, is to seek to identify those elements that are essential to an enduring solution. The fundamental prerequisite for progress is equality. Its presence nay not guarantee a resolution of the problem, but its absence will surely mean that a settlement will continue to evade us. Only on the basis of equality can we conduct an open-minded dialogue leading to reconciliation. Confidence in the essential fairness and equality of the system is fundamental to any healthy society.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“This was brought home to us most forcefully in the past week by the utterly senseless killing of 10 young British army bandsmen in southern England. The perpetrators of this atrocity stand condemned by both the British and the Irish Governments and peoples and by world opinion. But our human sympathy for the victims of violence, instinctive and deep as it is, and our unqualified condemnation of its perpetrators are not in themselves sufficient. As public representatives, we have a responsibility to work actively and imaginatively to achieve political solutions to the underlying political problems. Central to the situation in Northern Ireland are some of the same elements that are at the heart of a number of conflicts elsewhere in the world.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“dialogue between all States, with a view to achieving a universally acceptable convention. We hope that there will be the widest possible participation in this process. For 20 years - since August 1969, when the Irish Government made an urgent plea for the involvement of the United Nations to stem the tide of violence that threatened to engulf Northern Ireland - successive Foreign Ministers of Ireland have reported annually to the General Assembly on developments in that troubled part of our island. Twenty years on, the situation in Northern Ireland remains of central concern to my Government and continues to claim the attention of the international community. The conflict in Northern Ireland is, first and foremost, a human tragedy. We must never lose a sense of the sadness and loss that lie behind statistics of death and injury.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In the is process, developed and developing countries alike will be able to commit themselves anew to decisive and effective co-operation to achieve lasting solutions to the problems of the developing world. Together, we must work to make the 1990s a decade of genuine development. No discussion of global questions can be complete without reference to the seas, which cover the larger part of the Earth's surface. The Convention on the of the Sea is milestone in the history of international law-making and co-operation, which must not be allowed to fail. Universal acceptance of its provisions still eludes us because some elements relating to the regime for the sea-bed nave not found general acceptance. We believe, however, that there now exists a climate that opens the way for.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“If, out of dire necessity to provide food or to repay debt, developing countries choose environmentally unsound path, we will all suffer. Damage to the environment anywhere in the world affects us all. It would be tragic if the developing countries were to repeat the mistakes of the developed world. We can avoid these environmental consequences only if we tackle with determination the problem of underdevelopment. The United Nations system can play an important role in furthering the economic advancement of developing countries and in strengthening economic co-operation for the benefit of all. Several important conferences devoted to development, including a special session of the General Assembly, are being convened. The fourth international development strategy is being elaborated.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We cannot manage the welfare of this planet if we ignore the well-being of those of its people who are denied its fruits because of underdevelopment.' We must move towards bridging the deep divide between rich and poor countries, between developed and developing. The 1980s have in many cases been a lost decade for many countries which is why we call for an urgent reduction of debt. The resolution of the problems of the world's developing countries will not occur overnight. It can come about only if sustained efforts on their part are supported by the international community. Those of us in the more developed countries should not imagine that we are insulated from the problems created by underdevelopment.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The Organization is, in fact, as the Secretary-General has pointed out, increasingly called on for this. Shortly, under United Nations supervision, the people of Namibia will elect their first independent Government. Other elections or referendums are proposed or are possible in several other areas beset by tension. The attitude towards elections has also begun to change in many parts of the world where democratically elected Governments have not been the norm in the past. We should carefully consider the possibilities for greater United Nations involvement in this process. There may also be a role for the United Nations in undertaking related tasks in the furtherance of democracy, perhaps through the promotion of international standards for free and honest elections.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The parties to regional conflicts have clear responsibilities which do not end with the deployment of United Nations peace-keeping forces. The United Nations peace-keeping role was designed not to replace, but to facilitate, the peace-keeping obligations of those parties. If the obligation to move beyond a mere cessation of hostilities is accepted, we, the Members of the United Nations, should be prepared to entrust further responsibilities to our Organization. I hope that we might see the role of the United Nations develop further in the direction of peace-promotion by encouraging the conditions in which democracy can grow and flourish. There is scope for greater United Nations involvement and more use of its expertise in election-monitoring.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Afghanistan, Iran-Iraq and Namibia have shown the essential role that the United Nations and only the United Nations can play in the resolution of regional conflict. Allow me for a moment, however, to reflect on what I might term the problems of success. The dispatch of peace-keeping forces should be seen as a first step only in the resolution of conflict. It is not an end in itself. Without the necessary political will to reach a settlement, there is a great danger that the peace-keeping role of the United Nations may be seriously eroded. The peace-keeping function, as it exists today or as further developed, requires the firm financial commitment of all the Member States. It is vital, not least from the point of view of political credibility, that the financing of peace-keeping be put on a sound footing.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The European Community President has already mentioned our concerns for the observance and restoration of human rights in a number of countries. We would like to emphasize that Ireland has been deeply saddened by events in China since June. The violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations and the series of arrests and executions which followed have left a deep scar. Irish public opinion has followed with concern the renewed threat to human rights in some countries of Central America. Effective action must be taken by the Governments concerned to end abuses, to bring those responsible to justice and to put in place political structures which will make those abuses a thing of the past. The United Nations role in peace-keeping has been greatly enhanced in the last two years. Ireland has been proud to play a Cull part in these efforts.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We firmly believe that it is only through deepening and strengthening the admittedly fragile ties on the Korean peninsula that tension can be reduced. In 1989, it is anomalous that the Korean peninsula is not represented in the United Nations, and we hope that this anomaly can soon be rectified. The observance of human rights has a central place in any consideration of the state of the world. It can no longer be isolated or hidden behind national boundaries. Human rights are now a permanent and legitimate aspect of international relations. My Government welcome this evolution. Nevertheless, it is clear that there are Governments which engage in massive violations of human rights. Their conduct is an affront to the inherent dignity of man and the conscience of humanity.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Ireland is honoured to be associated with this process through the participation of Irish personnel in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group. I take this opportunity to reaffirm our support for the Secretary-General and his Special Representative in fulfilling their roles. The next step - in November - is the holding of elections in which the Namibian people must, without intimidation, be free to express their sovereign will. We are encouraged by recent initiatives towards national peace in Angola, and we also welcome indications of moves towards a settlement based on negotiation in Mozambique, There is, in the coming year, an opportunity for a general improvement in the situation in southern Africa. This opportunity must be grasped.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In the most recent elections, black South Africans were again denied any voice in the political structures of their country. The elections were the very embodiment of discrimination. It is hard to consider them as the prelude to the abandonment of apartheid. Yet nothing less will do. We note the declared awareness now being displayed by the South African Government of the need for reform. It is long past time for real and meaningful change in South Africa. The South African Government must delay no longer in abolishing apartheid and in working with all the people of South Africa to build a society based on equality and justice. In Namibia, the long-delayed process of independence has begun under United Nations auspices.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Nobody has a right to hold innocent people hostage; nobody has a right to visit so much suffering on people who have no involvement in, and no responsibility for, the causes allegedly being served. To those who hold these hostages and to those who may be in a position to influence these people, my appeal is a simple one.' "Free the hostages now". In South Africa the shameful repression of the black population continues unabated. Bans on black political organizations and the black trade union movement remain. The detention of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners continues despite numerous appeals for their release. Many representatives of the Mass Democratic Movement have recently been arrested and remain in detention.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We welcome the efforts currently being undertaken by the three Heads of State of the Arab League, and the indications that a settlement may at last be in sight which will guarantee the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon, and see the introduction of significant political reforms and the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese troops - except, of course, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The continued capture and holding of hostages is deeply distressing. Many families have been stricken? my own country has not been spared. among the hostages being held is an Irishman, Brian Keenan, who had been working in Beirut as a schoolteacher.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Our hope is that the independent Palestinian State proclaimed unilaterally last year will become a reality, as a result of an international peace conference under United Nations auspices. All the parties concerned - including the Palestine Liberation organization, whose role in representing the Palestinian people we have recognized - must participate directly in that conference. We have all been appalled at the devastation which many years of conflict have wreaked on Lebanon.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The policy of repression is not only unjust, it is also unsuccessful. Only a political solution can end these deep-seated problems. We welcome the steady evolution of the Palestine Liberation Organization's position towards a political settlement of the Arab-Israeli problem. We also welcome the new momentum it has given to the peace process. A comprehensive settlement of the conflict must guarantee security for all States in the region and self-determination for the Palestinian people. Within the framework of a negotiated peace settlement, it is for the Palestinian people to decide how it wishes to exercise its right to self-determination. We will be contributing what we can in the coming months to the efforts of the Twelve to advance a comprehensive settlement.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Conflicts and tension persist in several regions, and there is still widespread human suffering and economic devastation. Conflicts in a number of countries and regions, including Afghanistan, Cambodia and Central America are causing much pain. Ireland shares the concern which the presidency expressed and the determination of the Twelve to play a constructive role in helping resolve these terrible problems. I would like to add some thoughts on two areas of conflict which are an affront to our conscience and sense of justice. I speak of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the inhuman system of apartheid. In Gaza and the West Bank, a heavy toll has been exacted on the Palestinian people, often the very young, in their resistance to occupation. We are dismayed by the methods used in attempting to quell the disturbance by force.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Serious debate is required and serious decisions need to be taken, and the United Nations is well placed to move the world's Governments into action. Several important international conferences on the environment are planned, among them the London Conference next year of the parties to the Montreal Protocol, which offers an opportunity to take more stringent measures to protect the ozone layer. The European Community has a specific responsibility in that area, and Ireland, which will hold the Community presidency during that period, will work to the best of its ability to promote significant progress. Despite a greater spirit of peace and an easing of international tension between East and West, instability and turmoil continue to affect the daily lives of many people. For many, the guns of war have not been silenced.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“There is a need - a vital need - for a new sense of international responsibility on the part of the countries that operate these vessels in face of dangers undreamt of in previous times. We hold this planet in trust not just for ourselves and for future generations of mankind, but for all life. The health of the Earth depends on a fragile balance. We do not know the consequences of upsetting that balance and upset it at our peril. The preservation of the health of the planet demands global co-operation. We must all promote and develop the rational, non-polluting use of the Earth's limited resources, and we must encourage the replenishment of the natural heritage with which we have been blessed.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The danger is particularly acute in the narrow waterway of the Irish Sea, where the submarine traffic of several nations is intense. Already, there have been many incidents involving damage to fishing vessels by submarines travelling submerged. It is true that these are international waters, and in the present state of international law such vessels may pass freely through them. But with Chernobyl and its effects felt throughout Europe fresh in our minds, it takes no more than a little imagination to picture the disastrous consequences for neighbouring countries such as mine if one of those submerged nuclear reactors should meet with a really serious accident in narrow waters such as these. In the face of such serious dangers, it is not enough in my view to be concerned only about rights of passage established in another era.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The world community has to see a real prospect of an end to this scourge and we call for a serious effort towards that objective. Threats other than those posed by the arms race and armed conflict have developed in a more subtle fashion. The damage to our environment now constitutes a danger to the entire planet. The Earth's very atmosphere is threatened by our activities. Life-giving resources are being destroyed by erosion, desertification and the devastation of tropical forests. Our rivers, lakes and seas are being poisoned with oils, chemicals and long-lasting nuclear waste. Pollution from nuclear-weapons establishments and the danger arising from accidents involving nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed vessels and a further dimension to the threat. My Government is particularly concerned at the potential hazard of nuclear submarines.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We are disturbed at the failure so far to agree a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty. We welcome the agreement by the United States and the Soviet Union to make progress towards ratification of less far reaching agreements and to negotiate further limitations. We urge them to proceed to a complete ban. This is especially important as we approach the 1990 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear weapons. The initiatives announced by the United States and the Soviet Union from this podium earlier in the week open the possibility of significant progress in ridding the world of chemical weapons. We look to early multilateral agreement on the complete elimination of these weapons of destruction.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Nothing short of the most deliberate and large-scale dismantling of forces and armaments seems likely to end the arms race. And until that happens, we will continue to live under the threats that those weapons pose. We are, of course, greatly encouraged by the declared intentions of the two super-Powers to cut their strategic nuclear weapons by half and by the progress being made towards conventional disarmament in Europe at the Vienna negotiations. Progress in those negotiations must be accelerated. There is, however, a danger that the reduction in weapons numbers may be compensated for by the adoption of new and sophisticated weapons which are even more lethal and destabilizing than those in the arsenal at present. That would be a travesty of the disarmament process and must not occur.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“There is a need, therefore, to widen the scope of our concern so that all nations will begin to benefit from the winds of political change. The United Nations is well placed to help in that process. Threats to the very survival of life on our planet are the most immediate global challenges. They call for new international commitment and determination. The curbing and reversing of the arms race and averting the threat to the global environment rank as' challenges of unparalleled importance. The arms race continues. Despite some modest improvements, enormous financial resources continue to be deployed, and wasted, in the quest for greater sophistication and superiority. Our enthusiasm for the current progress being made in arms-reduction talks cannot obscure that basic fact or relieve our concern.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“For example, abuses of human rights affect large sections of the population of Romania and have caused large numbers of the Turkish ethnic minority to flee Bulgaria. The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe process has already been fruitful and has benefited Europe, and it must have a central place in any consideration of the situation in Europe as a whole. We will continue to urge that all parties live up to the commitments they have freely made. East-West relations, however, cover only one sector of the concerns of the world community. Our focus on these issues, understandable though it may be, should not lead us to ignore or neglect the legitimate concerns of the rest of the world. There must be no doubt that these concerns, too, will have our attention.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)