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Hillery

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106

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1969-09-24

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1972-09-24

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un-general-debate

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1. “If the Council thought right to set up the Force and to extend the mandate every three or six months over the past seven years, it should have decided on means to pay for it or should now remedy that defect -which only it can do. 143. Last year the Assembly adopted the historic Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security [resolution 2734 (XXV)] aimed at the strengthening of peace and security of all peoples and increasing the effectiveness of the United Nations in this most important part of its work. That Declaration will be nullified if the financial aspects of peace-keeping are not put right very soon. Whatever the problems of principle are, it is now time to find a compromise solution, if we are serious about international security.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

2. “141. The United Nations has had limited successes in bringing about the end of conflicts, but even its powsr for limited action has been eroded steadily by a simple lack of money. No wonder a spirit of cynicism has spread when all the nations of the world cannot agree on providing the sums of money it needs, sums which are insignificant in comparison with our expenditure on war and defense arrangements. Putting the financial system right is primarily the duty of the permanent members of the Security Council, for it is with them that power resides. The problem derives from differences of principle. 142. But there is surely an element of paradox in the fact that, when the Security Council set up one peace-keeping mission-the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus-it decided that its costs should be met from voluntary contributions.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

3. “The Security Council's oease-fire resolutions of June 1967, resolutions 233, 234 and 235 (1967) and its resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 provide the essential framework. 140. The break-down of peace talks under Ambassador Jarring acting as the Secretary-General's Special Representative is a set-back; but we must hope that the search for peace between the parties can be intensified, bearing in mind that the Secretary-General has said-and this is all too apparent that time is of the essence. I do not wish to minimize the difficulty of this task; I realize the almost superhuman efforts of tolerance, of forgiveness, of justice and of compromise which wili be needed to reach even the beginnings of such a settlement, but we know, too, that failure might mean the widening of the conflict to a point that none of us dares contemplate.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

4. “It is the ardent hope of my Government that the political solution, based on reconciliation, in Pakistan, of which the Secretary-General speaks, can be realized; and also that the refugees in India'-and we are dealing here with a number of refugees which much exceeds the population of my country and of very many Members of the United Nations-that these refugees who place such an enormous burden on India can return without fear to their homes in East Pakistan. The Irish delegation will be happy to be associated with any action to that end by the Assembly. 139. The Middle East continues to hold terrible dangers, but at least fragile peace has been established for some time though no peaceful and agreed solution is yet in sight.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

5. “As the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands has said: "The machinery available to the international community at present cannot essentially facilitate or promote the universal observance of human rights" [1948th meeting, para. 94]. My delegation joins with the Netherlands delegation in hoping that this Assembly will, as a step in the right direction, decide to create the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as recommended by the Commission on Human Rights. 138.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

6. “And here may I say that my delegation was impressed by the observations on this topic by the Secretary of State for External Affairs of Canada last week [1944th meeting], and those of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium on 4 October [1950th meeting], who hoped that peace-keeping institutions are conscious of the need for imaginative studies on the development of pacification procedures in domestic disputes. 137. This is indeed a problem, to which the Secretary- General has elsewhere called attention, when he speaks of the "violation of human rights within the frontiers of a State" [A/8401/Add.l, para. 147], a problem which he says has been almost daily in his mind during his time as Secretary-General.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

7. “I am only too conscious that we have here a problem which, as U Thant said in his letter to the President of the Security Council on 20 July, and again in his introduction, highlights the conflict between the principles of the territorial integrity of States and self-determination, a conflict which, in his opinion "has often before in history given rise to fratricidal strife" [ibid., para. 185]. The formal conflict on these Charter principles seems to us a matter to which the Organization could well and usefully devote attention.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

8. “177-191], What he says conforms, I believe, to the views generally held throughout the world. They closely reflect the opinions expressed in the Irish Parliament when the matter was debated there some months ago. In particular my Government, and the Irish Parliament, agree with his statement that a solution depends on a political solution based on reconciliation and that this is an indispensable prerequisite for the return of the refugees now in India [ibid., para. 184]. 136.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

9. “The representatives of the Republic of China, deprived of real power in China, have continued to exercise the rights of a permanent member and have done so with a moderation and balance that have been exemplary. But this is an unreal situation. We should regret the departure of those who have loyally tried to serve China and the Charter, but it is a question of deciding who is in reality representing the people of China. The future relations between Taiwan and mainland China are, and obviously must be, a matter for peaceful negotiation. 135. Conflicts also rage or threaten within the framework of the Organization, between or within Member States. The Secretary-General's introduction devotes a section to events in East Pakistan and the consequences of those events [A/8401/AddJ, paras.”

   1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

10. “we must ensure that the United Nations is representative of all the Powers which have a special role in this respect and we should not enshrine in our practice policies which lack realism." [1879th meeting, para. 40.] It seems clear that this great Power will not come to this Organization while a rival Government claiming the same jurisdiction continues to be represented here. 134. China, as a great Power, was properly given one of the permanent seats on the Security Council, the organ of this Organization with the right to make decisions binding on all Member States, and where the realities of power were recognized by permanent membership and the right of veto. That the People's Republic of China should sit there is now recognii. ii by all the other great Powers without exception.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

11. “The other controls the island of Taiwan. It does not claim to be the Government of an independent Taiwan, indeed it refuses to sanction any formal partition of China into a so-called mainland China and a State of Taiwan. It also claims to be the Government of all China, including Taiwan. 133. On the rights and wrongs of that great civil war it would be inappropriate for me to speak. The fact remains that the People's Republic of China emerged from that war and its Government rules over mainland China and more than 700 million people. They must be heard. Moreover, the People's Republic of China has also a special importance as a nuclear Power, and, as my Prime Minister said here last year, ..”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

12. “It is our business in the United Nations to seek out and strive to end tyranny, whatever form it takes whether the form of colonialism or racialism, of apartheid or master- race theories, or of economic exploitation-which has plagued the earth for too long. 132. To do this duty of ours, we must represent all countries, great and small. The President has expressed the hope that this Assembly might be remembered as an Assembly of universality [1934th meeting]. That is obviously not possible while the representatives of China, with one quarter of the world's population, remain outside this Organization. This is a great problem. Twenty years ago China was divided in civil war. Two Governments remain which claim to be the Government of China. One of them, the Government of the People's Republic of China, controls all mainland China.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

13. “And, while it seems clear that the national effort in the conservation of resources and the environment must be primary at this stage, global effort will certainly also be necessary. International co-operation is still in its infancy. My Government sincerely hopes that the Stockholm Conference will provide helpful guidelines for action on a global scale and will likewise stimulate action by each of us in a national context. 131. None of these noble efforts can succeed while we devote so much energy to war and preparations for war. But, however devoted we are to the need of peace, the shadow of war will be there if we do not seek to end the causes of war. We all know that injustice breeds violence. It is our duty to prevent and eliminate injustice and tyranny.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

14. “Several previous speakers have called attention to the progress which has been made within the last 12 months on issues which have been the cause of division in Europe. Like them, we welcome the treaties concluded between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviet Union, on the one hand, and between the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland on the other. We also welcome the recent Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin between the four big Powers which will, we hope, shortly be completed. These developments have much enhanced the prospects of convening, with an assurance of success, the conference on security and co-operation in Europe. 130. We are preparing for another conference which affects all of us, the Stockholm United Nations Conference on the Human Environment to tackle pollution and environmental problems.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

15. “In this connexion, my Government continues to follow closely all developments calculated to create a favorable climate for convening the conference on security and co-operation in Europe, which, if successful, will greatly assist in furthering world peace and security in conformity with the provisions of the Charter and the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security [resolution 2734 (XXV)], adopted with virtual unanimity at the twenty-fifth session of the Assembly. We have in the past made known our active interest in the conference, while pointing out that careful preparation beforehand is essential to ensure positive results and obviate the risk of failure of a far-reaching initiative which is bound to attract world-wide attention. 129.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

16. “But at the same time, as the Foreign Minister of France said here on 28 September, the very structure of the Community keeps it from becoming inward-looking [1942nd meeting, para. 46]. Indeed, we see in the Community and its evolution an important instrument for the promotion of detente between all European countries, east and west. And this detente is bound to lead to a co-operation in several areas which, we are convinced, will promote the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. 8 Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and O-her Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof [resolution 2660 (XXV), annex]. 128.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

17. “From that misery a new Europe has arisen. Great rivalries have been resolved in friendship and co-operation, and the anxieties they provoked stilled, 126. One of the most imaginative initiatives taken in Western Europe, after economic stability had been restored largely due to the generosity of the United States, was the creation of the European Economic Community. 127. There is now every reason to believe that the Community will shortly be enlarged by the accession of four more countries, including my own. This is a prospect which my Government warmly welcomes, for, while the economic aspects of the Community are of course of the very highest importance, its objectives go much further in calling for co-operation in many other fields.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

18. “One of mankind's victories has been the war against malaria, so that 1,000 million people now live in areas from which it has been eradicated. 124. How much more could not be done if the $200,000 million spent each year on armaments could be put to useful purposes. We may well ask, when we realize that only 3 per cent of that amount is spent on aid to developing countries. Whatever the problems that face us, however deep our passions may be, they cannot justify a threat of nuclear war. When Pope Paul came here at the twentieth session at the invitation of U Thant he bade us listen to the call of humanity: "Never again war, war never again! "[1347th meeting, para. 33.] 125. We Europeans have for many centuries known the evil results of war. In this century Europe has twice seen unparalleled devastation.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

19. “These last may lead to some reduction in future production, This is perhaps poor consolation when we realize that the two super-Powers have enough nuclear weaponry to destroy each other and all the rest of us and enough automatic systems to continue the salvos over the corpse of humanity. Was there ever such a waste "f human effort? 123. For poverty and the diseases of poverty continue to threaten two thirds of mankind in this Development Decade. And yet the scientific and technological basis exists for an abundant world food supply. The Secretary-General has told us that by promoting the uses in less developed areas of new types of cereals and legumes was can help 300 million children grow up healthy in mind and body [A/8401/AddJ,, para. 74/.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

20. “Governments, systems, ideologies and institutions come and go, but humanity remains," [Ibid., para. 146.] It must give us pause when we realize that that last sentence could be proved false. Humanity remains, but easy means now exist to wipe humanity off the face of the earth. There have been, and there are, disarmament talks. There has been progress. There have been six major treaties. These include the partial test-ban Treaty, the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [resolution 2373 (XXII), annex] and the agreement to prohibit nuclear and mass- destruction weapons on the sea-bed, and the great Powers have agreed not to place weapons of mass destruction in outer space. And then there are the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

21. “U Thant has been a man of peace. It is a very difficult thing to be, for it demands the exercise of that most difficult of virtues, tolerance. We all have strongly held beliefs and we are quite sure we are in the right, it has been said that there are neutral countries but no neutral men. U Thant is too imbued with philosophy and religion to be neutral in human issues. But he has striven to see both sides of the various problems which affect us and he has, despite the experience and ^o doubt the frustrations of a decade in office, affirmed his faith in humanity. 122. I have been moved especially by two sentences of his report: "I feel more strongly than ever that the worth of the individual human being is the most unique and precious of all our assets and must be the beginning and the end of all our efforts.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

22. “It is our very great loss that we must fear we shall soon no longer have the personal guidance of 'U Thant in these efforts of ours. I say personal guidance, for even when he will lay down his office-despite, I am sure, the unanimous wish of this Assembly that he should stay-his courage, his words, the attitudes he has taught us and his tolerance will remain to guide and inspire us. His most recent achievement, in the comprehensive, thoughtful, objective and challenging introduction to his report on the work of the Organization [Al84QllAdd.l], has given a picture of 10 full years, of failures and accomplishments- and of the frightening problems facing humanity. If we can follow his advice, if we do not squander the years before us, we will be able to produce a better balance sheet at the end of the next decade. 121.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

23. “We must remain unshaken in our resolve that those which have not yet achieved independence, or have had it snatched from them, must be given this right, this essential condition-as freedom is an essential condition-for progress. Political freedom is not everything-though perhaps only those who have ever lost it know fully how precious it is. The great tragedies of poverty, of economic exploitation, of the threat of war, of the rivalry of nations, of a polluted environment remain. Political freedom will not of itself solve these problems. But at least no nation should have to remain a helpless prisoner, unable to do anything to try to solve them, or to join with others in trying to solve them, and resign itself to seeing its future decided by outsiders. 120.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

24. “It is my pleasant duty to join in welcoming three new Member States, Bhutan, Bahrain and Qatar, Together they are further encouraging evidence of the spirit of freedom which has animated this Assembly from its beginnings. My delegation looks forward to happy and fruitful co-operation with them. We shall be most happy to vote this afternoon for the admission of Oman, 119. The United Nations has striven to establish the right of all nations to political freedom and a voice in the council of nations. In this it has achieved great success, the number of newly independent States which are Members of the Organization being now greater than the number of States which signed the Charter.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

25. “116. I should like, Sir, on behalf of the Irish delegation, to add my warm congratulations on your election as President of the twenty-sixth session of the General Assembly. The Assembly has chosen a President who knows how to bear wisdom lightly and, in electing you to this high honor, has paid tribute to you as a distinguished leader and statesman of your great country, a country of rich cultural "diversity in unity" and one which has such an important role in the affairs of your region and among all the nations. 117. I am happy to join in the universal tribute that has also been paid to. Mr. Hambro, the distinguished representative of Norway, whose patience, skill and dynamism were so brilliantly displayed as President of the twenty-fifth session of the Assembly. 113.”

    1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)

26. “The question, we genuinely believe, is one which is a proper concern of the United Nations, involving as it does infringements of the principles of the Charter. 79. Before concluding I wish to say how deeply touched the Irish delegation was by the very friendly reference to our problem made by the Foreign Ministers of France [1763rd meeting] and Iceland [1762nd meeting], two countries for which the Irish nation has a warm sympathy arising from ties of kinship and of intercourse extending over many centuries. 80. I conclude by expressing the most earnest hope that the deliberations of this session of the Assembly will be a source of encouragement and help to resolve their last outstanding problem between two close neighbours.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

27. “Because of our direct interest in these questions, it would be only natural that the British and Irish Governments, both Members of the United Nations, should consult and work together in the spirit of the Charter in order to arrive at a just and lasting solution. 78. If I have spoken at some length about the problem of Northern Ireland, the reason is that the partition of our country, a historic unit, has been a constant — indeed a major — preoccupation of our people, whether at home or in the many lands in which great numbers of them now reside. That my Government has felt constrained to raise the matter formally now is due to the gravity which the situation has assumed in these last months.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

28. “Wilson referred to “the real duty of all those in Northern and Southern Ireland, without propaganda and with a genuine desire to solve the problems, to get together and solve the Irish problem so that” — as he expressed it — “we can all express our warm blessing to them for solving it“. 77. These are generous sentiments. At the same time we must not overlook the fact that the ultimate responsibility for the present situation in Northern Ireland rests in London. The British Government has recognized this. It is our earnest hope that the British Government will persevere in its determination to see that the necessary reforms in the North — the reforms which are required by the United Nations Charter — are speedily and irreversibly effected and that they will soon come to deal with the root cause.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

29. “We also have a legitimate concern regarding the disposition to be made by the British Government in relation to the future administration of Northern Ireland. Our views on how peace and justice can be assured in our small island are relevant and entitled to be heard. Our direct interest in this matter has been recognized publicly by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Wilson. 76. Speaking at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in January 1967, Mr. Wilson said: “I know, just as my predecessors, that no one would be happier than Great Britain if this problem were solved by agreement within the Emerald Isle. I am sure that I am speaking for everyone in expressing the hope that over the next few years we shall see an intensification of the process of coming together which has begun during the last three or four years“. And, again, Mr.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

30. “Reiterating what the Prime Minister stated on that occasion, I may say that the events of the past months have made it evident to all that while disrupting the unity of Ireland the 1920 devolution of powers has not provided a system of government acceptable, as fair and just, to very many of the people in Northern Ireland. The truth and validity of this assertion are amply demonstrated by a recent objective report. I refer, of course, to the report of the Commission appointed by the Belfast Administration and headed by the distinguished Scottish judge, Lord Cameron. The report makes clear the urgent need for change. 75. We are concerned that the grievances of so many of our fellow Irish men and women be quickly remedied and their fears set at rest.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

31. “The unity we seek, he declared, is not something forced but a free and genuine union of those living in Ireland, based on mutual respect and tolerance and guaranteed by a form or forms of government in Ireland providing for progressive improvement of social, economic and cultural life in a just and peaceful environment. 73. The united Ireland we desire is one in which there would be a scrupulously fair deal for all. Differences in political outlook or religious belief need not set people apart. They exist in most countries and they are no barrier to effective and constructive co-operation. The real barriers are those created by fear, suspicion and intolerance. 74.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

32. “It was a hope which reflected the conviction expressed some years earlier by the then British Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, that “Ireland is a nation; not two nations, but one nation“. He went on to say: “There are few cases in history, and as a student of history in a humble way, I myself know none, of a nationality at once so distinct, so persistent, and so assimilative as the Irish”. 72. I have already said that it is the policy of my Government to seek the reunification of Ireland by peaceful means. In so stating I am but echoing what has often been said elsewhere by those qualified to speak for the Irish people, and most recently by our Prime Minister a few days ago.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

33. “We believe that the division of Ireland and the present denial of human rights to the minority in the six counties are intimately interrelated, and until both issues are honourably resolved there can be no true and lasting peace. It must not be forgotten that the Government of Ireland Act of 1920, although responsible for the present situation, explicitly envisaged the reunification of Ireland. Indeed, when he formally opened the Northern Parliament in June 1921, the late King George V of England expressed the hope that this step would prove to be no more than “the prelude of the day in which the Irish people, North and South, under one parliament or two, as those parliaments may themselves decide, shall work together in common love for Ireland upon the sure foundation of mutual justice and respect”. 71.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

34. “Although the relationships between Britain and the now independent part of Ireland resulted in sovereign control by the Government at Dublin over twenty-six of the thirty-two counties of our country, that is, over three of the four historic provinces of Ireland and one third of the fourth province, Ulster, the position of the Government in the six North Eastern Counties remained one of subordination to Britain. The 1920 Act installed a régime in power in the six counties with tragic results, to which the whole world is now witness. The division of Ireland was a poor and unimaginative arrangement which, like other similar arrangements before and since, contained within it the seeds of perpetual dissension and discontent. 70.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

35. “For we are convinced that the heart of the matter lies in the partition of Ireland, which originally brought about the political structure of Northern Ireland and gave the Unionist Party there the degree of autonomous control which permitted them to discriminate against the minority. 69. The Government of Ireland Act of 1920 which established Northern Ireland — an Act of the British Parliament for which no Irish Member North or South voted — and the subsequent Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 radically altered the relationship between Britain and Ireland.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

36. “My Government has sought to create an atmosphere of confidence and friendship between the two areas of Ireland through economic and social co-operation. But this co-operation, although it undoubtedly improved the climate of opinion North and South, did not alter the basic economic and political disadvantages of the minority in the North. These disadvantages derive primarily from the institutionalized system of economic, political and social discrimination of which the minority have been the victims for the last fifty years. 68. The immediate plight of the minority is our most urgent concern.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

37. “That we nevertheless addressed two requests to the United Nations in recent weeks in connexion with this problem is due to the grave situation which developed in Northern Ireland through the growing impatience and frustrations of the minority at the persistent denial to them of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is a situation which constitutes a real and present danger to the lives, homes and livelihood of a substantial number of Irish citizens in that area and a threat to the amicable relations with Britain, to which I have just referred. But it still remains our earnest hope that the goal which the great majority of the Irish people ardently desire will be achieved by mutual consent. 67.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

38. “We have not had, nor do we now have, any wish to achieve it by force; nor would we have wished, without grave reason, to ventilate in this forum the faults of the Belfast Administration or the acquiescence up to now of British Governments in those faults. We have had no expectation of reunion through a verdict on the part of the world community. Even if such a verdict were obtainable and enforceable, we realize that it could well create a situation in which some of our fellow citizens in a united Ireland might feel embittered and alienated. We have no desire to vitiate the spirit of co-operation which has begun to grow between the two parts of our divided country or the amicable relations which have developed between the peoples of Ireland and Great Britain after centuries of strife and confrontation. 66.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

39. “In the detailed debate which took place in the Irish Parliament in July 1946 on the question of seeking admission to the United Nations it was agreed that, whereas under the Charter membership would impose serious obligations, it would be wrong to look to the Organization for national advantage only, and that it would be misleading to suggest that the United Nations would solve the vital problem of Ireland’s national reunification. That was made clear. Our Parliament unanimously recommended that the Government seek admission because of our dedication to the purposes of the United Nations and because of the great potential of the Organization for advancing the cause of peace and establishing a better world order. 65. We have ourselves sought to achieve reunification through co-operation by means enjoined by the Charter.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

40. “We have honoured the obligations of membership and we have striven to contribute to the attainment of the ends for which the Organization was founded. And the basic purpose for which the United Nations was founded was and remains, the preservation of peace. 64. We have not hitherto sought to bring before the United Nations in a formal manner our greatest political problem, the partition of Ireland, a problem at once national and international.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

41. “In that regard my delegation has noted with much interest the statement made here by the Foreign Minister of Sweden on 19 September 1969, that at the present time the principle role of the United Nations as far as current conflicts are concerned is: “...to serve as a centre for the expression and formation of international opinion, to encourage and facilitate co-operation and agreement between the States concerned and to offer the formal framework for such co-operation and agreement” [1757th meeting, para. 3]. 63. During the fifteen years since - my country became a Member of the United Nations, Ireland - has endeavoured by word and deed to prove its loyalty to the purposes and principles of the Charter.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

42. “And in the same context I may say that my delegation is of the opinion that the good offices of the Secretary-General could be of very great value in giving effect to one of the main purposes of the United Nations. I have in mind the purpose set out in Article 1, paragraph 4, of the Charter, which says that the United Nations should be “a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends”. 62.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

43. “A section of the Secretary-General’s introduction which the Irish delegation finds of particular interest is that relating to the exercise of his good offices. We subscribe entirely to his statement, against the background of earlier consideration of this point that “I have come to the clear conclusion that I am competent under the Charter to use my good offices” [ibid., para. 185]. Indeed we feel that the legitimate role of the Secretary-General in this field is in some ways broader than is sometimes conceded. 61. I may recall here the view expressed by the Irish delegation on 28 September 1967 [1571st meeting] that the Secretary-General should be entitled to appoint a special representative without necessarily seeking further authorization. This continues to be our interpretation of the scope of Article 99.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

44. “It is a problem to which no country can be indifferent and which is of special concern to all Member States operating international air services. We all know the great cost of operating regular air services and what a heavy financial burden the disruption caused by the practice of piracy in the air can place on airlines, especially those of smaller countries, not to speak of the addition to the already heavy responsibility of airline pilots and crews. The Irish delegation therefore associates itself with the appeals made by the Secretary-General for a successful outcome to the efforts being made by the International Civil Aviation Organization to remove this threat to reliable air communications and to the lives of innocent travellers. 60.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

45. “As the Secretary-General has well said, the whole situation in the area creates “a crisis of effectiveness for the United Nations and for its Members” [A/7601/Add.1, para. 65]. The Irish delegation sincerely hopes that the mission of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Middle East, Ambassador Jarring, will bear fruit worthy of the patient and persistent efforts on which he has been engaged, and that the Big Four, who have been seconding those efforts for the past six months, will enable him to bring his mission to a successful conclusion at a very early date. 59. The Secretary-General’s introduction to his annual report calls attention to the particular problem of the hijacking of commercial passenger aircraft.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

46. “That no substantial progress has been made in resolving that situation is most disquieting, bearing in mind the possibility of a recrudescence of major hostilities in the area. In that event there would clearly be a risk of the big Powers being drawn in for various reasons including the traditional strategic importance of the Middle East. It is therefore discouraging that the Secretary-General should record a marked deterioration in the situation. My Government noted with concern the anxious appeals he felt obliged to make in recent months for the exercise of restraint by the parties directly concerned and for the cessation of the many grave incidents which have unnecessarily risked the safety of the military observers along the Suez Canal.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

47. “The Irish people have watched with sadness and distress the continuation of the tragic conflict in Nigeria — a country with which Ireland has very close ties, stretching well back into the last century, through direct and continuing contacts between our two peoples. It is our hope that a just settlement of the problem will be speedily reached with the assistance of the Organization of African Unity. We most earnestly and urgently appeal to all concerned to strive, despite the political difficulties, to find ways of maintaining and indeed increasing the flow of international relief supplies so desperately needed. 58. This is the third regular session of the Assembly whose agenda contains an item on the situation in the Middle East arising out of the hostilities of June 1967.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

48. “I will confine myself here to saying that my delegation has noted the remarks in paragraph 80 of the introduction to the Secretary-General’s annual report about the uncertainty concerning the maintenance of the United Nations Force in Cyprus, the main current United Nations peace-keeping operation, because of the unsatisfactory nature of the financial arrangements. We have noted too the statements already made, in the course of the general debate by a number of speakers, about the great importance in certain situations of a peace-keeping operation, and the necessity to put such operations on a proper footing. 57.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

49. “The Irish delegation will continue to support the conclusion of a comprehensive test ban treaty and generally acceptable measures for the banning of chemical and biological means of warfare as well as the spread of nuclear and other mass-destruction weapons to the sea-bed. 56. The question of peace-keeping operations is again before the Assembly. Member States will be aware of the views expressed by the Irish delegation on this subject at earlier sessions, and of our endeavours in recent years to provide for a reliable and satisfactory system of financing duly authorized peace-keeping operations. It is not necessary for me to detail now the many arguments in favour of such a system: the matter will be debated later in the Special Political Committee and in plenary in connexion with item 35.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)

50. “It is not surprising that the Secretary-General should feel that “even allowing for the increase in the price level, this inflation of military expenditure is both startling and depressing” [A/7601/Add.1, para, 40]. Consequently, the Irish delegation strongly supports the Secretary-General’s proposal that the decade of the 1970s, already designated as the Second United Nations Development Decade, should likewise be a disarmament decade [ibid., para. 42]. Dedicating the same decade simultaneously to these two purposes will serve to bring out the link between them in terms of the best use of economic and human resources. 55.”

    1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)