YouSaid · the spoken record

Hannibalsson

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS HANNIBALSSON

lines on the record: 116
first: 1988-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“In this connection, Iceland favours the establishment of a permanent office of inspections and investigations and hopes that such an office will help to ensure that allegations of fraud, waste and corruption are investigated expeditiously. Now, more than ever, there is an opportunity for the United Nations to adapt to the positive political developments of the recent past and to revamp its structures from within. Let us join forces in building a stronger United Nations, a United Nations which embodies the ideals of its founders and remains at the same time responsive to the basic needs of people everywhere.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Since the last review of the membership of the Security Council took place, there has been a substantial increase in the number of States Members of the United Nations. At the same time the Council has, especially in recent years, increasingly assumed the role envisaged for it in the relevant provisions of the Charter. The time is therefore ripe to review the Council’s membership. The goal of such a review must be to make the Council more representative and thus, indeed, more effective. I would like to welcome initiatives taken recently to streamline the structure of the United Nations and to make its daily operations and management more effective. This is necessary in particular in order for the Organization to regain the trust of its Member States.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, the time has now come to review the activities of the United Nations in this field. The goal must be to ensure that peace-keeping operations serve the purpose for which they were intended and that their mandates are specific and more limited in time. In this connection, the idea of a United Nations stand-by force that would enable the United Nations to act swiftly when crises arise should be carefully considered. The existence of such a force would enhance the credibility of and respect for the Organization. Meanwhile, Member States must live up to their current obligations and pay their assessed contributions to peace-keeping operations in full and on time. At the outset of my speech I referred to the need for the United Nations to be responsive to change.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“This applies to both global perspectives and support for regional initiatives. The systematic acquisition of nuclear warheads, ballistic missiles, and chemical and biological weapons by a number of States is a matter of serious concern to the international community. Non-proliferation should be given priority and efforts made to ensure that the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is both universally adhered to and indefinitely extended. It is also to be hoped that the present moratorium on nuclear testing will eventually be succeeded by a comprehensive and verifiable test ban. Peace-keeping operations are among the areas where the Organization has enjoyed considerable success. The result is that Member States have placed increasing demands on the Organization.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We who are gathered here at the General Assembly representing the citizens, our countries’ consumers, cannot and must not allow special-interest groups to block the negotiations in the few strenuous final steps needed to reach the goal before the end of this year. Issues of social and economic development, of human rights and of environmental protection are part and parcel of the notion of extended security, which we are all getting accustomed to in the aftermath of the cold war. Arms control remains, however, a very important element of post-cold-war security. The success achieved in nuclear- and conventional-arms control in recent years represents a historical turning-point which must be exploited for the long-term advancement of global peace and stability. Here, the United Nations is singularly well placed to assume a more active role.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Economic reform, the environment, job-creation and investment, to name but a few, are issues that affect and are affected by international trade. A successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round, which now seems to be within reach, would dramatically improve our ability to deal with those problems through international cooperation and trade. A failure, on the other hand, would be a fatal blow to the multinational trading system and to GATT. Protectionism would again raise its ugly head and conflicts would erupt, with disastrous consequences for the world economy. GATT’s business is therefore the world’s business. The Uruguay Round represents a tremendous opportunity to revitalize world trade. All countries stand to gain from this. The biggest gain will accrue to the developing countries and to economies in transition.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“To stimulate social development, we need, among other things, economic growth. The liberalization of world trade is the single most important vehicle for world economic growth. The growing importance of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is clearly manifested in the 36 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session flood of new accessions and the overriding importance attached to the Uruguay Round by the Governments of the world. Since the end of the cold war, GATT has achieved an even greater role in international relations; countries in transition see it as a vital venue for their relations with each other and for their integration into the world economy. In the last few years political walls between cultures and nations have been demolished. Trade barriers must not, however, be allowed to replace iron curtains.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Iceland hopes that the world summit in 1995 will serve to bring issues of social development into sharper focus and highlight, in particular, the plight of the more than one billion people living below the absolute poverty line. In this connection, I would like to draw special attention to the growing problem of world population control, which could have serious social, economic and environmental repercussions if not properly managed in the decades ahead. Around 90 per cent of the predicted world population growth between now and the end of the first quarter of the twenty-first century is expected to occur in the developing countries, placing enormous new strains on their resources. Against this background, the decision to convene an international conference on population and development in Cairo next year is to be welcomed.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Still, we are confronted with breaches of human rights all around the world. In the follow-up to the Conference on Human Rights, we must address such breaches squarely and focus attention on ensuring greater respect and accountability by Governments for the protection of human rights. This means, among other things, devoting more resources to this field as a reflection of the political commitment of Member States. Increased resources are required if the Centre for Human Rights is to be able to provide effective advisory services and human-rights monitoring. At the same time, Iceland would like to support the establishment of the post of high commissioner for human rights. The determination of our countries to promote social progress and better standards of life is an important commitment embedded in the United Nations Charter.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We would therefore strongly support transforming the Rio Declaration into an "Earth Charter" before the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations two years hence. All nations have an obligation not only to protect and preserve the environment, but also to promote human rights and foster social and economic progress. The United Nations Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna last June was a world event of major significance. The results of the Conference, especially when seen in the context of improvements in the international political climate in the recent past, give us reason to hope for a more effective implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms everywhere. For the first time ever it appears that the majority of countries in the world now pledge allegiance to the principles of democratic rule of law.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Government of Iceland is greatly encouraged by the results of the most recent round of consultations, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, directed at addressing problems which have prevented certain industrialized countries from becoming parties to the Convention. We are hopeful that at the next round agreement will be reached on the framework of negotiations which will enable the early entry into force of the Convention with universal participation. As early as 1989 Iceland emphasized in this forum the need for a new international instrument, an "Earth Charter", which would define the responsibilities and rights of nations with respect to the environment. My Government regrets that an agreement on such a charter was not reached before the Rio Conference.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“As a nation overwhelmingly dependent on marine living resources, Iceland has supported efforts to establish an international regime to govern all aspects of the uses of the oceans. Iceland participated actively in the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1985. Iceland believes that the Convention provides for a widely acceptable regime for the rational exploitation of the world’s marine resources and establishes rules for a wide range of uses for the seas, thereby reducing the potential for conflict among States in this field.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Together with Argentina, Canada, Chile and New Zealand, Iceland has submitted a draft convention that seeks to deal on a global level with the conservation and rational management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks. Consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the draft convention calls for increased regional cooperation in the establishment of conservation and management measures and elaborates mechanisms for the enforcement of agreed measures. My Government will continue to work with all other interested Governments to achieve results at the next session of the Conference, results acceptable to all fishing nations, both distant-water States and coastal States.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The action programme contained in Agenda 21 of the Rio Conference provides a sound basis for our individual or joint activities aimed at sustainable development. It does not, however, cover all activities harmful to the environment, including pollution of the marine environment from land-based activities and the depletion of marine living resources in many parts of the world. While the programme contains important recommendations pertinent to these Forty-eighth session - 27 September l993 35 issues, the main responsibility for developing global action to protect the marine environment and to conserve its living resources has been delegated to other forums, including the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Iceland has participated actively in that Conference.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Restoring the environment and attaining sustainable global development are among the most challenging tasks facing the world community today. The outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro last year, has brought those tasks into sharper focus. The subsequent establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development was an important step in facilitating international cooperation for the effective follow-up and implementation of the outcome of the Conference. However, declarations, strategies and action plans are only as good as their implementation. If the credibility of the United Nations in this area is to be maintained in the wake of the Rio Conference, we must make sure to obtain real action and results.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Since then the world community, and their European neighbours in particular, have reached out and offered cooperation and help in the ongoing reconstruction of those Republics. The Baltic States have, for their part, demonstrated their willingness to live up to the highest standards of democratic societies. They adhere to international instruments and are members of organizations that are fully capable of monitoring their respect for international obligations in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. I should like to express my Government’s hope that negotiations on the departure of all foreign military forces from Estonia and Latvia will soon be successfully concluded and a clear timetable established. The recent departure of foreign forces from Lithuania should set an example.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Meanwhile, there are outstanding examples of cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and other organizations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Western European Union (WEU) and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in the implementation of Security Council resolutions with regard to the former Yugoslavia. In Iceland’s view there is a need to develop these relationships further. Suffice it to say that NATO’s readiness to employ military force for the relief of Sarajevo and for the long-term implementation of the Geneva peace plan would serve the interests of the international community and should therefore be welcomed and encouraged. Two years ago we welcomed the three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as sovereign Members of the United Nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The parties to the conflict must be brought to realize that a solution can be found only through peaceful means. Iceland also attaches importance to the effective functioning of the war crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Those responsible for atrocities must be brought to justice. As the conflict in the former Yugoslavia has exposed the present limitations of regional structures, the United Nations has assumed responsibility for reintroducing peace and stability in the area.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Iceland, for its part, has already abolished the embargo on trade with South Africa. Sadly, we face continuation of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, not least the tragic situation prevailing in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It serves to remind us that ethnic conflicts can no longer be regarded as the sole responsibility of individual States. The inhumanity perpetrated on innocent civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other former Yugoslav Republics has reached a point where the international community must act, and decisively, with all the resources provided for in the Charter of the United Nations. My Government fully supports the negotiations sponsored by the United Nations and the European Community, and looks forward to an early agreement and implementation of the Geneva peace plan.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I am referring to the courageous statesmanship of the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, in moving decisively towards democratic elections to Parliament. As the only democratically elected representative of the Russian people, President Yeltsin deserves the vigorous support of the outside world in carrying out his far-reaching programme of reform. A different area offering a glimmer of hope is South Africa. My Government welcomes recent progress towards genuine democracy in South Africa, including the decision to hold free and fair elections next year. The international community should now speedily heed the call of Mr. Nelson Mandela, made from this podium last week, for the removal of all economic sanctions, an action Iceland hopes will serve fully to normalize the status of South Africa in the community of nations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“While paying tribute to the vision and bravery of Israeli and Palestinian leaders, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Government of Norway on its initiative in bringing the ancient adversaries together at the same table, and I also commend the Governments of the United States and Russia for their valuable mediation. It is now up to the world community to provide the political support and the economic aid for reconstruction so vitally needed to keep the process alive. The Nordic Governments, for their part, have 34 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session already decided to participate fully in that endeavour. This is a process which cannot be permitted to fail. The world community has recently witnessed another bold step forward, which, hopefully, also marks an important contribution to international peace and stability.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The landmark peace agreement recently signed between former adversaries in the Middle East should be a source of encouragement to all nations. We are being reminded of the ancient truth that where there is sufficient devotion and will among the parties concerned, there is also a way to solve even the most intractable issues. My Government welcomes the historic accord between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. We hope that the mutual recognition of the two parties will yield further agreements in the region, paving the way for a comprehensive peace settlement.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“But this is none the less hardly the time for members of the community of nations to congratulate each other. There are regions of the world where terrifying carnage is still taking place before our very eyes. Deterioration of the environment, while highly uneven in gravity and scope, is a long way from being reversed. Human-rights abuses continue in many places on an appalling scale. And while the threat of a worldwide nuclear catastrophe may have passed, there is a dangerous proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, bringing uncertainty and new instabilities in its wake. Now is clearly the time to rise above these issues that divide our Assembly and to concentrate our efforts on dealing with such challenges effectively.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“If we do, we may indeed succeed in building a Platonic city in speech, a United Nations which would stand only a limited chance of ever being actualized, but the down side would be to risk undermining the trust invested by the public in our Organization. On the bright side, a number of recent developments have helped the United Nations in translating its basic vision into reality. Breakthroughs have taken place in regional conflicts which have been a thorn in the side of the international community for several decades. Governments have increasingly come to recognize the growing threat to the ecosystem of our planet. The protection of human rights is no longer seen as the exclusive domain of the nation State. Last but not least, mankind has moved further away from the brink of nuclear Armageddon. Those are considerable accomplishments.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Changes on the world stage have taken place with almost dizzying speed in the last four years. The most important of those changes, the passing of the cold war, has created new opportunities for the United Nations and has raised expectations among the peoples of the world at large. At the same time, the world itself has in many ways become more unpredictable, placing serious obstacles on the path of long-term planning. To escape this quandary, there is a need to take a balanced view of what the United Nations can and cannot be expected to do. We must moderate ambition with reality. We must not divorce the words we use from the actions we are willing to take.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In extending the reach of the United Nations, we serve the basic goals for which our Organization was brought into being; for the rule of law, freedom and the dignity and worth of the human person are ideals common to all men, irrespective of their cultural or geographical surroundings. But the simple reach of the United Nations must not be confused with its comprehensiveness as an institution. Therefore, as we recommit ourselves to the basic objectives inscribed in the United Nations Charter almost 50 years ago, we must also maintain the flexibility necessary to readjust our structures and working habits accordingly. The question how to maintain the cohesiveness of the United Nations amidst the myriad - and at times conflicting - demands being made of it presents itself nowadays with particular force.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Let me begin by congratulating the President, on his election to his high office. I wish him every success and pledge to him the full support of my delegation. It gives me pleasure to welcome the new Member States which have joined the Organization since the beginning of the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly - the new Member States of Andorra, Eritrea, the Czech Republic, Monaco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovakia. With 184 Member States - and even more prospective Members - our Organization is able to claim for itself a higher degree of universality than ever.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Let us be mindful of his observation that States Members of the United Nations are fortunate in having been given a second chance to create the world envisioned in the Charter, a chance denied with painful consequences the members of the League of Nations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Now more than ever, the United Nations has the potential to become a more credible and effective world Organization for the benefit of all humankind. But the moment must be seized. There is a need to revamp the United Nations from within, to consolidate the Organization politically and concentrate on more effective management. This is necessary, not least in order for the Organization to regain and maintain the trust of its Member States. Furthermore, we must adapt the United Nations to the new demands posed by the growing number of Member States, the radical changes on the international scene and the growing interdependence of States since the Second World War. The Secretary General's recent report entitled "An Agenda for Peace" points the way.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Drug abuse is a global problem which threatens the security and stability of many countries and is a serious social problem in most countries of the world. The drug problem is'a multi-faceted one. We must continue to fight, with real solutions which touch on all its facets, including ways to diminish demand, production and trafficking. Drug-trafficking is increasingly an organized crime, victimizing mainly our youth. More effective leadership, based on a more definite mandate from the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, is clearly called for. In my opening words, I referred to a time of remarkable opportunities for the United Nations. Before concluding, I feel it is appropriate to return to those unique circumstances in the context of the tasks and challenges ahead.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The oceans are not only a crucial part of the respiratory system of our planet but also an indispensable source of food for mankind. The requirements of basic human subsistence make it imperative that the living resources of the sea remain available for human consumption. Moreover, marine resources could become one of the most important assets of developing countries as they strive for sustainable development. Iceland therefore particularly welcomes the unanimous decision taken at the Rio Conference to convene an international conference to address the prevention of marine pollution from land-based sources. As pollution endangers our natural environment, so there are other noxious influences which threaten to corrupt our societies from within.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“On the contrary, findings earlier this year which show a further depletion of ozone in the stratosphere are of great concern. Recent disclosures of massive discharges of radioactive waste and other hazardous materials into the Barents and Kara Seas from the former Soviet Union could also be an indication of an ecological time bomb. These and many similar dangers have made the Earth appear smaller than ever before and demonstrate the need for enhanced international cooperation and stronger national commitment to environmental protection. Turning to the follow-up to the Rio Conference, Iceland considers the prevention of marine pollution, as well as efforts to ensure sustainable utilization of all marine living resources, to be of fundamental importance.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At the present growth rate the human race is likely to double in less than half a century. Obviously, all nations, rich and poor alike, owe it to succeeding generations to cooperate in achieving a major revision of social policies in the field of population control. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro was a landmark event, as was evidenced by the wide participation in the Conference. Its achievements provide a sound basis for further work. In order to safeguard our planet from otherwise-inevitable ecological disaster, we must agree on targets and measures that will lead us towards sustainable development. During the past year there have been no indications that the state of the global environment is improving or that we have managed to turn the tide.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We must respect our pledges to the world's half billion persons with disabilities and recommit ourselves to the objective of creating equal opportunities for all people. In the past few years we have become increasingly aware of the interrelationship between the state of the environment and advances in human rights and social development. As was already noted by that distinguished representative of the best tradition of European humanism, Willy Brandt, 12 years ago: "It can no longer be argued that protection of the environment is an obstacle to development. On the contrary, the care of the natural environment is an essential aspect of development". The success of efforts to deal with global environmental problems and a long-term strategy to achieve sustainable development will depend in large part on how we manage population growth.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Among the most important commitments embodied in the United Nations Charter is the determination of our countries to promote social progress and better standards of living in conditions of greater freedom. But over the last 10 years social conditions in a number of countries have actually declined. More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty. What is needed is for all nations represented in the Assembly to rise above their disagreements and act together to relieve the plight of those living under conditions of abject misery. Iceland supports, therefore, the proposal to convene a world summit for social development in 1995. This year marks the end of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons. The implementation of the objectives of the World Programme of Action has, when all is said and done, been disappointing.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Both players must shoulder their responsibilities towards the rest of the world. The issues that remain unresolved are not of a nature to justify yet another postponement, which would in fact mean the end of the Uruguay Round. We cannot afford to let the Uruguay Round founder on the unjustified claims of a rural minority for protection and subsidies. The contribution of agriculture to gross domestic product has dropped drastically in the developed world, but support for and protection of agriculture has increased. Free-trade forces in manufacturing and services are more advanced than they are in agriculture, and it is noteworthy that in recent years subsidies to manufacturing in the developed world have declined.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It would, of course, hardly be realistic to expect all 108 participants in the Uruguay Round to be equally satisfied with the results. The essential point, however, is that a general agreement that all can live with is now within reach. As the Director-General of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), Mr. Dunkel, recently pointed out, "the Uruguay Round is a single undertaking. The results are to be seen in an overall, integrated package. There is no pick and choose"- A reasonably satisfactory groundwork has been laid for the years ahead. The future stability of world trade now hinges on two of the main players, the European Community and the United States. If they can reach agreement, the Uruguay Round will soon be concluded. If they do not, there are turbulent, even chaotic times ahead.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At a time when the virtues of free trade are extolled by East and West alike and the importance of having a clear and predictable framework for world trade is greater than ever, it is paradoxical that the Uruguay Round, launched more than six years ago, should be running two years behind schedule and even be in danger of imminent collapse. At stake are billions of dollars worth of world trade, as well as countless new job opportunities. We cannot afford to give up. Surrender would stall growth in the industrialized countries and slow down the integration of the developing countries and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the world trade system. We have to introduce the principles of free trade that have served us so well in industry into hitherto protected sectors, such as agriculture and fisheries.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At their meeting in Bornholm last month the Prime Ministers of the five Nordic countries emphasized that the earliest possible withdrawal of foreign military forces from the three Baltic States would contribute to the stability of the region as a whole. Iceland welcomes the recent accord on a troop pull-out from Lithuania by August next year, and hopes that the agreement will herald an orderly, complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops from all three Baltic States. Such anachronisms notwithstanding, the passing of the cold war has, on the whole, created new openings in the areas of economic, social and environmental cooperation. This applies not least in the area of trade.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Moreover, we must draw proper lessons from this unfortunate and disastrous experience and spare no effort to ensure that our Organization can respond in a timely and more effective manner to catastrophes like the one in Somalia. Returning to Europe, we find that parts of the legacy of the last 40 years have not yet been successfully eradicated. Last year we welcomed the three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as sovereign Members of the United Nations. The continued stationing of foreign troops on the soil of those countries without their consent and in the absence of a firm timetable for withdrawal remains, however, a source of serious concern.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The relevant measures of the Security Council, including sanctions imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, must be scrupulously adhered to. In this context, Iceland welcomes the results of the recent London Conference and looks forward to its follow-up in Geneva. Tragic circumstances in the former Yugoslavia must not, however, be allowed to divert our attention from the deplorable situation which currently prevails in war-torn and famine-stricken Somalia. A quarter of Somali children have already died from malnutrition and disease this year, and a million more are similarly at risk in the coming months. Effective international coordination of relief efforts, including improved coordination between all relevant United Nations bodies, is the key to any improvement of the situation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“In a brutal conflict like the one we are witnessing in Bosnia and Herzegovina there are always shades of grey between black and white. No single party can be assigned sole responsibility. However, the territorial gains made by one of the parties, its overwhelming military superiority and the ethnic origin and number of refugees are uncontested facts which eloquently speak for themselves. All efforts unilaterally to change internationally recognized boundaries must be unreservedly condemned, as must the barbarous practice of "ethnic cleansing"- At the same time, all parties to the conflict must be brought to realize that a solution can be found only through peaceful means and not on the battlefield.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The United Nations has been successful in the progressive development and codification of human rights. But setting standards is not enough. We must also ensure that they are respected. It is in that spirit that Iceland looks forward to next year's World Conference on Human Rights. We sincerely hope that the final outcome of the Conference will be a stepping stone towards a more effective implementation of human-rights standards all round the world. While the ice cap of the cold war has melted, national and ethnic rivalries have been rekindled, creating new dangers of regional instability. Ominous seeds of future intolerance and violence may have been sown through the appalling human-rights abuses and outright atrocities committed in some of the States of the former Yugoslavia.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“A great deal has been achieved, raising hopes for the future of our Organization. But this is not the time for complacency. There are still serious stumbling blocks on the road to genuine peace and security. Overcoming them requires redoubled efforts by the world community and individual States. Reductions in nuclear arsenals, already agreed, will take years to accomplish. In the meantime, proliferation of dangerous weapons will continue apace, unless measures are taken to combat this menace effectively. Should our combined efforts fail, we may face a paradoxical situation in which the world becomes less dependent on nuclear weapons but at the same time more unstable and more militarized. Furthermore, violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms are still taking place on a large scale.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Forty-four years after the establishment of the State of Israel, Israelis and Palestinians are finally sitting at the same table and negotiating their differences. Setbacks notwithstanding, important steps have been taken by the Government of South Africa to abolish the notorious system of apartheid. Not least among the positive aspects of recent events is the growing recognition of the legitimate role of the United Nations in upholding collective security. In only four years the total of new United Nations peace-keeping operations has equalled the number of such operations over a period of 40 years previously. Clearly, however. United Nations peace-keeping will be viable only as long as the political will to deploy peace-keeping forces is matched by the resources to sustain them.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The draft Convention on chemical weapons, adopted by the Conference on Disarmament earlier this month, represents another major step towards the eventual elimination of all types of weapons of mass destruction. The deterrence of war, a guiding principle of the cold war, is giving way to a different demand: the preservation of peace. As the emphasis shifts from military to economic and political means of obtaining security in effect from strategy to diplomacy the United Nations should also be given increasing scope for action. Diplomacy is bringing gains in regional disputes that have long been major issues on the United Nations agenda. In the Middle East a historic breakthrough has taken place with the initiation of the peace process started at Madrid.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It is a chance none of us can afford to miss. Since the last session of the General Assembly important strides have been made towards the establishment of a safer and more predictable international environment. Progress has been substantial in the area of arms control and disarmament. For over 40 years the peoples of the world have been haunted by the spectre of nuclear holocaust. Owing largely to the fundamental changes that have taken place in the former Soviet Union, the role of nuclear weapons is quickly diminishing. The announcement by Presidents Bush and Yeltsin last June of dramatic cuts in the strategic arsenals of their countries was an important milestone in this regard.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I wish to join previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Ganev on his election to the presidency. I am glad to see this important office occupied by a representative of one of Europe's new democracies. This year 13 new Members are joining our Organization: nine former Soviet republics as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and San Marino. Iceland sincerely welcomes them all and looks forward to working with them in this forum in the future. The present is in many ways a time of remarkable opportunities for the United Nations.' The continued improvement of the international situation has over the past year inspired our Organization with a bold new optimism. We now have a realistic chance of breathing new life into the United Nations Charter and working in concert for the betterment of the world we live in.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Or, in the words of that great, stubborn humanist, President Landsbergis of Lithuania, "The independence and inherent dignity of the human spirit shall prevail".”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He must now exercise the political will to lead them to a successful conclusion. In my opening remarks I referred to the historic transformation of central and Eastern Europe. I believe it is not over-Eurocentric to state that recent events in Europe have been of global political and economic importance. But, more than this, they demonstrate to the whole world that the human spirit is indomitable. The triumph of democracy, which in itself entails respect for human rights, constitutes a clear message to the oppressed everywhere: that theirs is not a hopeless cause, since even the mightiest totalitarian means of oppression did not suffice in the end to quell, subdue or restrain dissent or opposition.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)