YouSaid · the spoken record

VELAYATI

lines on the record: 590
first: 1982-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
sittings or episodes: 13
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

“We must acknowledge that in many instances the United Nations has even gone so far as to contribute to the legitimization of such methods. Is it not true that, in practice, the maintenance of the status quo and even submission to changed situations created by acts of aggression have become the general rule in international relations? Law based on human values and justice should play the determining role in relations among members of the international community. In this connection, the world arms race makes sense: it is a race to reach military superiority - qualitatively and quantitatively - in order to establish favorable situations through the use or threat of force. Another example of submission by the United Nations to the logic of force is inherent in its Charter and in the procedural mechanism of the Security Council.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Today, the logic of force and the order of domination govern international relations, and it is for that reason that we should be concerned about international peace and security. The United Nations has not only been inactive in the face of such a threat, but it has even in many instances acquiesced in them. Today, the balance of power rather than the rule of law has been accepted as the basis and only possible method of safeguarding security, not only nationally, but regionally and globally as well. The recourse to the threat or use of force, aggression, the occupation of the lands of others by force and the infringement of sovereignty are all being utilized without being met by any serious opposition on the part of the United Nations and other international forums.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The creation of specialized agencies, the initiation of South-South co-operation and the adoption of the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order have been among the most important and comprehensive of these initiatives. Although more than 12 years have passed since the adoption of the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, it has not met with any success owing to the staunch opposition of the industrially developed countries. Under-development has paved the way for neo-colonialism. At the same time, the success of the big Powers in enslaving other nations has been due mainly to the fact that within the international community no just order prevails in relations to guarantee the national security, independence and territorial integrity of Member States.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Today colonialism no longer exists in most of the countries which have gained independence. This is a praiseworthy and valuable contribution. However, it is unfortunate that the old colonialism has been replaced by a more dangerous one, namely, neo-colonialism, which has forced many newly independent countries into yielding to the multi-faceted domination of powerful countries. It is of paramount importance that we go to the root causes of this problem and see why neo-colonialism has been so effective. There is no doubt that technical and industrial backwardness, coupled with economic underdevelopment, have been decisive in paving the way for the establishment of a new system of domination and neo-colonialism. The efforts made by the United Nations in this respect have been substantial, although unsuccessfully in many cases.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Now, many people in the world pose the questions, "what has the United Nations done so far?" and "what services has this Organization, with great publicity, expenditure and structural changes, offered for the benefit of the international community?" We are of the opinion that certain achievements have been made by this Organization. First, favorable ground has been established for international communications in all fields, from the political and economic to the cultural, scientific and technical. This has in turn helped to form the view of a unified international family for the whole of humanity regardless of differences in race, color, culture or language. Secondly, success has been achieved in combating colonialism. Resolution 1514 (XV) was a loud outcry by man against colonialism.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Complicated links are formed among the members of this family, and the clash of their interests and motives has led to further sophistication. Meanwhile the United Nations is the only organ which can make a substantial contribution to the establishment of a wise and just order for this troubled international family. The crucial and heavy responsibility of this Organization, therefore, should not be undermined. In order to have a clear view of the path we must take in future and to correct our mistakes, we are obliged to consider the achievements of the United Nations in the past four decades in the light of the realities prevailing in the world today.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“I have great pleasure in extending to Mr. Choudhury of Bangladesh our congratulations on his well-merited election as President of the General Assembly. I am confident that his wise guidance, as well as his cultural and intellectual experience, will enable this Assembly to become an initiator of decisions significant for the human community, decisions leading mankind to worship and obey one God and to prevent aggression and the domination of some by others. The intergovernmental and international infrastructure has undergone dramatic transformations, thanks to the development of modern communications. We are new faced with a new phenomenon, namely, the international community, or international family.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“How will God and history judge us when we witness the deaths of tens of thousands of people from starvation and deprivation and still spend a great amount of our wealth and natural resources on a lunatic arms race? Can humanity take any pride in centuries of cultural and intellectual advances in view of such diabolical crimes? I hope this fortieth anniversary of the United Nations will be marked as the beginning of the end of the miseries of mankind; an anniversary for the deepening and consolidating of human bonds, the development of bilateral relations, the establishment of peace, the negation of domination and aggression and the securing of justice throughout the world.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Of course certain constructive measures taken by the United Nations' and the Secretary-General to channel economic assistance to the famine-stricken people of Africa in the past year are to be appreciated; but this aid, plus the voluntary assistance provided by some countries, is far too little to meet the real needs of the African people. The Islamic Republic of Iran has, as a duty, extended a helping hand, but, unfortunately, because of problems emanating from the war imposed on us, assistance has not readied satisfying levels. Here I deem it necessary to draw the attention of other countries to this human responsibility which all of us must shoulder. How can we justify the poverty, hunger, famine and deprivation of large numbers of people in an era identified with progress and development?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Apartheid is a tunnel that bypasses all the intellectual, cultural and ethical achievements of mankind and links the 20th century to the dark ages of the past. The assistance granted by imperialism, particularly by the United States of America and its satellites, both in overt and covert forms, strengthens and fortifies this horrendous tunnel. The ruling clique in South Africa, supported by imperialism, has not only engaged in the shameless arrest and indiscriminate murder of the leaders of the anti-apartheid campaign but has also stepped up its acts of aggression against the front-line countries. Not only the South African aggression but also the political realities and, more particularly, the economic situation of the African continent deserve our greater attention.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the political crisis in South-East Asia, especially in Kampuchea, can be overcome only on the basis of the wishes of the peoples of that area and in an atmosphere free from great-Power intervention; the Islamic Republic of Iran also supports the aspirations of the Korean people for the unification of their country. On other continents, we must condemn the military occupation of the Argentinian Malvinas Islands and voice our strong support for the struggle of the people of Western Sahara for independence, and for the decisions of the Organization of African Unity and the united Nations in this respect. Although the United Nations attitude towards the problem of South Africa is clear in comparison with other issues, what is happening in South Africa is a disgrace to humanity.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Have these talks resulted in anything but entertainment for world public opinion and diverting it from the original question which was supposed to be the unjustified continuation of the occupation of Afghanistan? This problem can be solved only through the unconditional and Mediate withdrawal of the occupation forces, non-replacement of these troops by other imperialist forces, voluntary return of all Afghan refugees to their homeland, respect for Afghan national integrity, and the determination of the future of Afghanistan by the Afghan people themselves.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Due to certain reasons, however, there seems to be no tangible change in the position of the occupying party. This is what the Islamic Republic of Iran predicted from the very beginning, knowing that the absence of the true representatives of the Afghan people and the conditions set by the occupying forces for immediate withdrawal, had doomed the entire exercise to failure. But the United Nations, which already had the experience of dealing with similar issues for nearly 40 years, has not paid due attention to these two negative factors in these talks. Thus, we may ask, what is now the justification for the continuation of the talks?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Otherwise aggression against independent countries and intervention in their affairs, and imposition of illegal jurisdiction, such as the so-called mobile sovereignty in the Persian Gulf and other areas granted to the United States fleet by the United States pirate Government itself, will continue unabated. The United States is also intervening in the internal affairs of Nicaragua and El Salvador and continuously tries to expand its hegemony over Latin American countries in political, military, and economic matters. It is with regret that we have to mention other sensitive issues receiving similar treatment by the super-Powers in the United Nations. The ongoing talks on Afghanistan is one such issue. Five years have passed since talks commenced under the auspices of the United Nations aimed at ending the occupation of Afghanistan.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The Muslims of Palestine, having learned this lesson whole-heartedly, continue their struggle to regain their usurped rights, and no plots may weaken their resolve for the liberation of Palestine and driving the big Powers out of their homeland. In reviewing the record of the United Nations and its affiliated organs, we sometimes come across certain encouraging signs, such as the verdict of the International Court of Justice at the Hague on American aggression against Nicaragua. The value of this decision is more clearly recognized when we see the United States declaring that the ruling was outside the jurisdiction of this universally recognized international court. Such equitable decisions by united Nations organs should be strongly supported and helped to become dominant in the Organization.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The latest raid on • Tunisia by the latter-day Nazis occupying Palestine, which was carried out in complete harmony with the United States, serves as another reminder to certain reactionary, compromising elements in our region, that retreating before an aggressive enemy will only make it more violent. It demonstrated once again that the Zionist regime knows no limits for its aggressions and that all Arab and Islamic countries are potential targets for the future invasions of this satanic regime. In other words, this latest act of aggression is the proper reward for those who at this very rostrum uselessly praised the Israeli and American regimes.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Does the split blood of the innocent Lebanese people not cry out for the conviction of those regimes in the region whose compromised positions were revealed in the so-called Jordan-Palestinian proposal? Are the statements made in the Assembly by certain heads of States promoting the infamous policy of "compromise and capitulate" to the usurper Zionist regime, not intended to bury the cause of the Palestinian people forever? We declare here that the treacherous efforts by the Amman-Baghdad-Cairo axis for recognition and legitimization of the usurper Zionist regime are doomed to failure. We are convinced that the Islamic Ummat will in time confront this aggressor and restore its stolen rights in Palestine, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Lebanon, Egypt and now Tunisia.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The Iraqi regime has been a good disciple of Israel. It has simply followed the Zionist regime's practices in the violation of international law while paying no attention to the international consequences of its actions. Is it not, therefore, the time for the United Nations to seriously change direction as far as its procedures and practices are concerned, in order to turn itself into an instrument for the execution of its Members' will to end such violations? Do the disasters inflicted on the people of Lebanon and Palestine during the last twelve months not make a fundamental change in the performance of the United Nations a necessity? Do the bloodstained roads and by-roads of Lebanese villages point to anything but the' inaction of international organizations, especially the United Nations?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Despite all this, from among all questions and problems treated by the United Nations, there is scarcely an issue for the settlement of which the total performance of the United Nations has been so insignificant. As a result, the Zionist regime, supported by United States imperialism, has with impunity and without even lessening the scale of its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people with regard to the views of the United Nations, continued to destroy the human, cultural, historical and economic resources of the Palestinian nation more rapidly. There are no limits to the evil consequences of this bitter fact. The Zionist regime has in fact, become a model of aggression, teaching potential aggressors in the world how to violate people's rights and how to ignore the reactions of the United Nations.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The minds and souls of some 1 billion Moslems throughout the world are anxiously preoccupied with this question. No part of the world has ever witnessed so much cruelty, aggression, occupation and usurpation of people's rights for so long a time. No other international issue has ever drained so much of the financial and economic resources of so many countries. Perhaps in no other area has international .'Law been violated to such an amazing extent. No other regional problem has ever involved so many different countries around a single issue. And on no other issue, when there was a flicker of hope for curbing aggression, has the United States of America so frequently used its unjust right of veto in order to expand and strengthen the criminal Israeli acts of aggression.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“I believe that one thing is quite clear: the actions of the Iraqi regime in the last few months alone demonstrated that that regime spared no effort to bring oil exports and navigation by the littoral States of the Persian Gulf to a complete halt, and by doing this it was aiming at creating an economic oil crisis which would encourage the super-Powers to interfere in our regional affairs. One problem that may serve as a proper criterion for the evaluation of the executive power, the range of effect and the stance of the United Nations in the settlement of world problems is the question of Palestine. I believe that the United Nations has issued more resolutions and statements and organized more seminars and meetings in the case of Palestine than in that of any other problem.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We have no choice, therefore, even if we have to go through fire and water, but to extinguish it for ever. The Islamic Republic of Iran is therefore determined to continue its just struggle for the full realization of justice, and by this, we mean circumstances in which the aggressor is properly punished and long-term peace and security in the region is firmly guaranteed. Any other solutions would only result in the payment of heavier prices in the future by us and other countries that have suffered from Iraq's aggression in the past.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Five years have passed since the Iraqi aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Each new year a new series of violations of international law by the Iraqi regime was added to that aggression. The statements and documents of the Secretary-General's missions to the Islamic Republic of Iran for the investigation of Iraqi war crimes, despite the fact that they revealed only small parts of those crimes, must have removed all traces of doubt from the minds of those who sincerely wish for the establishment of a lasting peace in the region and must have convinced them that that unscrupulous regime is not to be fully trusted. Those who simple-heartedly recommend an armed cease-fire must know that, if we put a lid on this fire temporarily, it will at a later date flare up in a far more destructive and devastating manner.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Between 3 November 1983, when the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran reported the deployment of chemical weapons by Iraq, and between 26 March 1984, when the United Nations Mission to Iran submitted a report on the use of chemical weapons to the Security Council, and 25 April 1985, when the Security Council indirectly condemned the Iraqi regime for this crime, there were two intervals of 18 and 12 months respectively. How is this period of inaction rationalized? Can it be considered acceptable for the Security Council, as an international organ for the investigation of aggression that threatens world peace and security, to be the last party to take a stance on such a horrifying issue? And, even now, can anyone be certain that the Iraqi regime will not use chemical weapons again?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The behavior of the Iraqi regime is the example par excellence of this bitter fact. Could the members of this international body not ask the Security Council why, with the numerous cases of violation of international law by the Iraqi regime in its aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout the course of five long years, it has sufficed to condemn the use of chemical weapons, and that with a one-and-half year delay after their first deployment and without even mentioning the name of the culprit?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Does all this negligence not point an accusing finger at those who urged Iraq to invade Iran and, in addition to arming that regime to the teeth, helped consolidate its occupying forces in our country through the adoption of such notorious resolutions? Now we ask those with the right of veto in the Council which always veto any decision that apparently goes against their interests how they expect us not to oppose what we consider to be absolute injustice. We have often declared at this world Assembly that when responsible international authorities, especially the Security Council, do not show proper, timely reactions to violations of international law - as was the case when Iraq invaded Iran and imposed an unwanted war on two nations - this only encourages the aggressor in its aggression.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Why did the Security Council, despite its precedents in other international disputes, not condemn the flagrant aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran by Iraq at the very beginning of the imposition of war on two nations, and why is it not ready to do so even now? Why did the Security Council not denounce the Iraqi regime as one that resorted to force for the settlement of its alleged dispute with a neighbor and unilaterally abrogated all bilateral agreements between the two countries? Why did the Security Council, despite its well-known behavior in other international disputes, not request the withdrawal of Iraqi occupying forces from our country in its first resolution on this war?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We believe that, despite a slight modification of its unjust stance about this war in its last statement, the Security Council is still far from fulfilling the obligations entrusted to it by the United Nations Charter. I should like to use this opportunity to remove certain ambiguities that may, because of a devotion to or for any other reason, remain in the minds of some representatives. We are sometimes asked why we do not respond to the proposals for a cease-fire or negotiations for the peaceful solution of the conflict made by the Security Council. We think that the way to answer this question is by the Security Council's answering a few other questions.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“But it is regret..able to have to admit the bitter fact that it was only our limited retaliatory actions backed by the support of millions of our people on the memorable day of Qods - "Jerusalem Day" - which made the Iraqi regime reduce its futile raids on residential and civilian areas. This is not to say that we do not appreciate the very sincere efforts of the Secretary-General, but we are of the opinion that as long as the whole of the United Nations and its organs do not co-operate with the efforts of the Secretary-General, the unilateral actions of the victim of aggression remain the only means of stopping or reducing aggression. Allow me to go over the record of the Security Council and its behavior towards the Iraqi regime that has, as we have already explained, endangered international peace and security.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We are certainly not happy to have reached this regrettable conclusion. The repeated violations of the agreement of 12 June 1984 banning raids on residential and civilian areas by the Iraqi regime illustrate the fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran has had to pay a very heavy price, under most trying circumstances, in abiding by this agreement unilaterally. The price includes some 6,000 civilians who day and night have been subjected to indiscriminate bombardment by Iraqi warplanes and the partial or total destruction of more than 50 towns. As we were paying such a heavy toll, we expected the United Nations to employ all levers at its disposal to stop these inhuman crimes.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“However, for the reasons already cited, and according to resolution 3314 (XXIX) on the Definition of Aggression adopted by the General Assembly in 1974, the Iraqi crimes in its aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran are international crimes and, for this reason, it should also be an international obligation to react to these crimes and to punish the war criminals. The reason for the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to persuade international organizations, and especially the United Nations, to take preventive and punitive action against the Iraqi regime is precisely because these international organizations are duty-bound to do so; but experience has, regrettably, shown us that the only effective way to counter Iraqi aggression is through the use of force.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The 1925 Geneva Protocol banning the use of chemical weapons; the 1949 Geneva Conventions relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War; the Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War; the Annexed Protocol of 1977 to the 1949 Conventions; the 1907 Hague Convention respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land; the 1972 Convention concerning the natural and cultural heritage; the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning maritime pollution and free navigation; the 1944 Chicago Convention; the 1970 Hague Convention concerning the safety of civil aviation; and scores of other international conventions and resolutions to which all Members of this world community have unconditionally committed themselves in order to respect humane considerations in time of war -have they not all been created to improve upon the law of the jungle during wartime?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“And the Security Council, which has been rebuffed by the Iraqi regime with respect to its latest statement banning the use of chemical weapons, knows perfectly well that, by this, the Iraqi regime is simply saying that if the Islamic Republic of Iran does not agree with conditions set by this regime -which only serve to consolidate its aggression - then Iraq will be authorized, whenever it so chooses, to violate with impunity all international regulations and conventions that bear its worthless signature.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Forty years after the establishment of a world Organization which was created after the bitter experience of two world wars in order to prevent future anti-human barbarism, a regime with a five-year record of constant aggression declares most shamelessly that it will only accept "total war or cease-fire" in the context of its aggressive objectives. I am convinced that the Assembly fully understands the true meaning of this Iraqi regime's slogan.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Allow roe to ask members of this Assembly if they know of any international law or humanitarian norm that has not been violated by the Iraqi regime, whenever it could physically do so, for the consolidation of its aggression. If the answer is positive - and the whole world knows that it is - would this single case not be sufficient proof for the Members of the United Nations, and other organizations established to protect peace and security, justifiably to feel that they are left defenseless and alone to face external aggression?”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Do not let it become the venue of final deception, since other solutions, whatever they may be, will, alas, not be peaceful. What I have said so far about the United Nations is not a product of subjective analysis; it is, on the contrary, the direct result of what the Islamic Republic of Iran has actually experienced in the last few year's.. The indifference and feeble reactions of the United Nations - and especially those of the Security Council - to the repeated acts of aggression by the Iraqi regime against Iran have given the world a very unfavorable impression of the United Nations in dealing with international tensions and crises.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The economic gap between the first and the third world is widening all the time. Human life on earth is being seriously threatened by an increase in nuclear arms. We should know, however, that all the problems which the world community expects the United Nations to solve, have not come to us from outer space. Rather, they are the direct consequence of the actions of the countries and regimes whose representatives are present here. Our basic problem lies in a lack of political will in this Organization, which results in the adoption of useless resolutions as substitutes for the realization of the aspirations of human communities. The United Nations is the last place for finding peaceful solutions to the crises of a deeply-troubled world.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“As soon as a number of countries show resistance in an international organization, every possible political and financial pressure is directed against that organization. This is exactly the sort of development we witness in the case of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In our belief, one of the goals of the Member States on this fortieth anniversary of the United Nations should be a decisive struggle against imperial-minded Powers that attempt to dominate the smooth operation of the international Organization. The United Nations is undoubtedly facing many problems today. Our world, in spite of all the technical and scientific advancements, is suffering from an increasingly wide range of political, economic, cultural and social crises.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The rate of progress in the disarmament talks, in comparison with the speed of the arms race, is a matter of concern. The direction of these talks should undergo fundamental change and incentives for the arms race should be reduced. A most important consideration by the world community is the absence of an authoritative international body capable of implementing justice in time of conflict. Peace is a sacred word, but the administration of justice precedes that. The existing value system of the United Nations should be reviewed in order to remove this fundamental shortcoming. The qualitative and quantitative development of international organizations is absolutely essential to the present social life of the international community. But the more this need is felt, the more the big Powers become interested in influencing matters.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The jurisdiction of the Secretary-General, particularly in relation to those conflicts which threaten international peace and security, should increase in such a way that bilateral discussions among the members of the Security Council and the ill wishes of the Powers which benefit from conflicts, do not create impediments for the Secretary-General and the Secretariat in finding just solutions for these conflicts. The United Nations should seriously work out means to guarantee and oversee the implementation of existing international laws, particularly those pertaining to universal human behavior at a time of war. Finding effective punitive measures for those who use force to settle their disputes is among the fundamental duties which should be entrusted to the United Nations.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The super-Powers' carelessness towards the problems of the world community and the international tensions that they create on the strength of their arsenals do not leave much hope that humanity can live in a nuclear-free world in the future. The world community, however, expect their talks -this time to go beyond another boring repetitious show and to bring about some tangible results for the actual reduction in arms and prevention of nuclear war. The United Nations role in preserving international peace and security should undergo a drastic transformation. If these changes require a new definition of obligations, there should not be any hesitation in redefining the United Nations Charter and reorganizing this Organization.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We believe that the United Nations cannot protect the third world, through the establishment of a new economic order, against the export of economic crises by the industrial West, unless these efforts are coupled with parallel efforts to decrease the pace of the arms race. This can only be achieved by the united, synchronized attempts of all the developing and non-aligned countries against obstacles created by the super-Powers in their bilateral and multilateral disarmament talks. However, the super-Powers' persistence in the arms race and their continued efforts to excel each other, make their motives for the future Geneva talks highly suspicious.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We are of the opinion that the correlation between the sharp rise in the debts of the third world countries and expenditures on arms is in no way accidental. In other words, the third world's deep economic problems stem from the price the developing countries have to pay for the insane arms race of the big Powers. This correlation is established either indirectly through the export of economic crises from the industrial countries to the third world, or directly through the creation of political tensions in various regions, resulting in an increased demand for armaments. We should admit that although the efforts of the United Nations and the Secretary-General to slacken the arms race have been conspicuous compared to other activities of this Organization, yet most of the measures ratified have, in effect, been vetoed by the super-Powers.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In spite of the fact that colonialism today does not rob the economic resources of these countries and does not swallow their human and intellectual potential through direct military presence in the colonized territories, nevertheless the imposition of inescapable economic conditions on the nations of the third world by controlling markets which set the prices of new materials and industrial products, is the principal cause of the deepening gap between the poor and the rich. Unfortunately the heavy cost of this is primarily borne by the third world. In the past year, we witnessed the debt crisis - which was exacerbated by an increase in the interest rate in the industrial countries - drag many of the debtor nations to the verge of economic bankruptcy, and arms expenditures broke all previous records.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The obvious consequence of this process is an increase in demand for arms and weapons on an international level, the flourishing of the arms markets and merchants of death and intensification of the arms race, as a result of which potential aggressors are often persuaded actually to employ their well-stocked arsenals; and the reinforcement of this vicious circle can only end in the total destruction of all the human and economic resources of our planet.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Violation of international laws and norms, especially when questions of international and national peace and security are concerned, is on the increase in variety, quantity and quality, and those human communities which find themselves defenseless in the face of transgressions and aggressions are inevitably drawn to certain unilateral measures and arrangements in order to prepare themselves to confront all sorts of external aggression. The frequent violation of international law discourages the human community from formulating new regulations or improving existing international laws. The majority of international treaties and conventions lack any international executive guarantees.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“And the destruction of this fundamental principle would be tantamount to nullification of all mankind's achievements over the decades in the form of international laws and conventions designed to enable men to live without destructive wars and to assert the rights of nations in all social fields. I must declare here unequivocally that there is an increasing and alarming trend for aggressors against the rights of nations to attack this fundamental principle.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“More significantly, since the foundation of the United Nations, more than 20 million human lives have been lost in the course of some 140 international disputes. Certainly the United Nations has made efforts to prevent or contain such disastrous incidents, but unfortunately existing statistics show that the United Nations efforts have, for a variety of reasons, failed to achieve any substantial results. I do not suppose that I need to emphasize the fact that the obligation to respect one's commitments is the most primary and fundamental basis for every international agreement. There is no doubt that this principle is the basis of all international laws, agreements and organizations.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“When we note that from the time of its inception up to September 1985 the Security Council has issued sane 570 resolutions on important international crises, most of which never affected any situation; when we can see very few highlights in the performance of the Security Council; when we consider that the Security Council has failed to put an end to any significant international crisis; when we know that the Security Council's record even in reducing international tension and restricting wars within the framework of existing international laws is insignificant, we are bound to reach the inevitable conclusion that the Council's structure does not logically correlate with the philosophy of its foundation and that it must therefore be replaced by another international apparatus to carry out the important obligation of preserving international peace and security.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is manifestly clear that the Charter cannot logically make such unjustifiable exceptions of a few countries as far as this fundamental principle is concerned; by having done so it has made a dead letter of its most basic principle and thereby eliminated all operative guarantees for the execution of the decisions of its Security Council.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)