YouSaid · the spoken record

Jonsson

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS JONSSON

lines on the record: 100
first: 1966-09-24
most recent: 1970-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“According to the Charter, the United Nations is not supposed to intervene in so-called internal affairs; but it should be made possible for the United Nations to give effective assistance to such minorities or to open up avenues to enable nations that want to give assistance on humanitarian grounds to provide such assistance. But the most poignant and painful thing is when a small, or. relatively small, minority suppresses a great majority and allows the majority not even the barest minimum of human rights. It is saddening that that is the case in many places. Nothing human should be outside the interest of the United Nations. Nihil humanum a me alienum est was once said, ages ago, although in a different context, but it should certainly be one of the principles underlying the activities of the United Nations. 10.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The most obvious example of this nature is the war in Nigeria, where the smaller party to the conflict is being starved, to boot. The starvation affects the public in general, both children and adults, and they are dying, reportedly, by hundreds and by thousands from malnutrition and privation. And people who are quite willing to provide aid are being prevented from carrying out their freely offered assistance. 9. The same applies to the Kurds, although in a different way, and it is a sad thing to affirm that no one can intervene effectively on behalf of the oppressed.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The clashes between Israel and the Arab States seem to become sharper and more serious every day and, consequently, all the indications are that war may again break out soon. Without doubt it is considered possible for peace to be maintained in the Middle East provided the great Powers whole-heartedly support the measures of the United Nations to prevent the outbreak of hostilities, which, it seems, once started could have unpredictable consequences. But it is also clear, as the situation is today, that the tiny United Nations forces in the area are altogether powerless. 8. It is possible to mention other examples where the hostilities are not, however, hostilities between States but rather civil war between divided nationalities or different tribes. In such cases the United Nations is in a difficult position to intervene.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Let us not confuse this train of thought with the war in. Viet-Nam. That conflict will, of course, not be settled until the great Powers that are parties to it, directly or indirectly, come to an agreement among themselves. And generally speaking, I would like to echo the remarks of the Secretary-General, U Thant, when he said recently in a speech that the great Powers do not strongly enough support the all too feeble measures taken by the United Nations to strengthen universal peace. The noble purposes of the United Nations to promote peace will, of course, never be achieved if they do not enjoy the whole-hearted and undivided support of the great Powers, to the’ exclusion of any extraneous interests. 7.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“I have recently seen remarks attributed to a distinguished personage to the effect that it is tragicomic that a world which can afford to maintain, in all, 20 million men under arms at a yearly cost of $120,000 million cannot afford to maintain a peace-keeping force of 20,000 men under the United Nations, at a cost of approximately $120 million—which represents, proportionally, one per thousand of the current military expenditures. On an earlier occasion I had the opportunity to describe from this rostrum the sad experience of those who are expected to take measures or undertake actions but have no executive power [1579th meeting]. And the United Nations is no exception; the United Nations has to have the executive power to implement its recommendations—a strong police and peace-keeping force. 6.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“The usual method is to apply sanctions against the party which disregards United Nations recommendations, but in most cases—I would almost say always—the result is that these measures become ineffective. 5. The United Nations has also established peace-observer units for the purpose of ensuring compliance with recommendations of the General Assembly and the Security Council. These observers have certainly achieved some success in their work, but, regretfully, it has been all too small a success. These peace-keeping forces have not been numerous enough and their authority has been too limited. They have also been in financial straits and there is no agreement as to how to defray their costs.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Resolutions are introduced here and recommendations are approved, even with an overwhelming majority of all the Members, but a party or the parties to the dispute completely disregard the recommendations, whereupon the efforts of the United Nations are finished, the matter remains at issue and we are back where we started. There-are numerous and flagrant examples of this process. 4. Admittedly, it is not possible to expect the United Nations to settle disputes to which the great Powers are parties, directly or indirectly, but there are many other situations which have arisen and which in normal circumstances should lend themselves to a solution.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“There are military conflicts in many places and there is danger of the outbreak of armed clashes in still others. The purpose of the United Nations is, according to the Charter, first of all to bring about adjustments or settlements of international disputes, and in particular to suppress acts. of aggression and remove threats to the peace. 3. But what possibilities are open to the United Nations to work for that purpose and to attain it? The Charter says this should be done by peaceful means in the first instance and without the use of armed force. But what has experience shown the result to be?”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“1. Madam President, my delegation congratulates you wholeheartedly on your election to the high office of President of the General Assembly. We see in this a recognition both of your high personal qualifications and of the contribution and positive role of your country in the United Nations. It is also a tribute to Africa, to all the new countries of your great continent, and to the important role which women are playing and will play in our common effort to build a better world for our children. 2. The United Nations is today faced with great problems. The United Nations is always faced with great problems, and yet in most cases there are very limited possibilities, and sometimes none at all, to find solutions to these problems.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Many of the problems facing us may never be solved in an ideal manner, but I feel confident that many will be solved, and will be solved only through our concerted efforts within this Organization. Every problem solved, every task completed, is a confirmation of the right of existence of the United Nations and of the indispensable role it plays as an instrument of peace and conciliation. 93. Throughout history, the nations of this world have lived and developed through a series of strifes and wars which in turn have influenced the lives and the way of thinking of individuals as well as nations. No wonder, then, that it will take some time, perhaps a long time, and much work to establish a new and better world order. That task requires patience, much patience. What the United Nations need most is just patience, and work, and goodwill.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The re solution on this question envisaged that the group should submit its report to the General Assembly at its twenty-third session, but the task is both comprehensive and complicated and I doubt whether we have allotted enough time for its completion. My Government deems it essential to allow the group ample time to complete its work and, if necessary, to extend the time originally allotted to the group. This would seem well Justified by the magnitude and broad ramifications of the whole question of developing and conserving marine resources. 92. The United Nations is today facing new challenges and new tasks all around the world. Let us, however, not expect too much too quickly of our Organization. Undue optimism, without due regard to the hard realities of international life, is a poor guide on our way to new achievements.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the ominous depletion of these important resources he halted and that the spawning grounds be afforded adequate protection. Everyone should understand the logic of wisely husbanding such an important resource of nature wherever It is found in the world's oceans. 91. These considerations brought forth a large measure of support in the Assembly, which decided [resolution 2172 (XXI)] to establish a small group of experts to assist in the preparation of a survey, inter alia, on the exploitation and development of marine resources, with due regard to the conservation of fish stocks. This group is already proceeding with its task in this field.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“But in times of peace, our second main objective is to secure a decent living standard for all nations of the world. Above all, we must banish the spectre of hunger from the face of the earth. 90. During the twenty-first session of the General Assembly, proposals were put forward which focused our attention on the immense unused food resources of the sea, on the one hand, and on their dangerous over-exploitation in certain areas, on the other hand. Attention was drawn to the fact that the fish stocks of the North Atlantic and adjacent oceans are rapidly diminishing. However, the resources of the sea provide exactly those nutritionally valuable foodstuffs — namely, proteins — which are in greatest scarcity in the developing countries.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“We therefore supported, last year, a draft resolution submitted by Italy and other States which aimed at the establishment of a committee to try to work out proposals for possible ways and means of bringing the People's Republic of China into the United Nations without prejudicing the continued membership of the Republic of China. We shall continue to support efforts aimed at exploring this possibility further. 89. In my intervention in the general debate at the last session of the General Assembly [1430th meeting], I drew attention to the second most important role of the United Nations, Its primary role will, for a long time to come, be the prevention of war. This is rightly the main objective, because what is the value of prosperity or material possessions in time of war?”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My Government has not supported, and will not support, any resolution that calls for the admission of the People's Republic of China, on the one hand, and the expulsion of the Republic of China, on the other hand. This does not mean, however, that we oppose the admission of the People's Republic of China. On the contrary, we are fully aware of the dangers inherent in the present unnatural state of affairs, namely that in which a country which holds one fifth of the population of the world still stands outside this Organization and appears to have become increasingly isolated from the world community.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Now, at long last, we can welcome a definite step forward in the presentation try the United States of America and the USSR of identical texts of a draft treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. 87. My country, Iceland, has for centuries been unarmed. Therefore we have every reason to welcome all efforts towards disarmament, especially all reductions and limitations of nuclear weapons. Hence we rejoice at the prospect of effective international control being established under a non-proliferation treaty. Such a treaty will constitute a real milestone in true international co-operation. 88. The admission of the People's Republic of China to membership in the United Nations has been debated in this Assembly for several years now.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My Government voted for the resolution, although in our view a more effective way perhaps would have been for the General Assembly to request the International Court of Justice to declare its opinion on the issue of whether South Africa had forfeited its Mandate. I am in no doubt as to what the judgement of the Court would have been. As it is, however, the General Assembly has itself terminated the Mandate. 85. If South Africa now persists in turning a deaf ear to the lawful decisions of this Assembly, the United Nations must promulgate these decisions in a new and more effective way. 86. The question of disarmament has been dealt with in the Conference of the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament at Geneva for a number of years without much success.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The third major issue before the present session of the General Assembly is the question of South West Africa — a much debated issue at the twenty-first and fifth special sessions, if still an unresolved one. The subjugation by South Africa of the native population of the country can no longer be doubted. The facts of the issue are well known. 83. It is a long-standing conviction of my Government that the policy of apartheid is both alien and odious to the great majority of the world community and in clear contradiction to the ideals of the United Nations Charter. 84. By a near unanimity the United Nations General Assembly, by resolution 2145 (XXI), terminated the Mandate under which South Africa administered the Territory.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My Government does not approve of territorial gains by military conquest. But, regarding this vital point, I agree with the Minister of External Affairs of Canada [1569th meeting] that a withdrawal must be related to the other basic issues involved. 81. The position that my Government has therefore adopted is that all the points I mentioned must be interconnected in a final peace settlement, if one is striving for a lasting peace in that troubled area. And I want to emphasize that the peace negotiations must first and foremost take place directly between the belligerents, although they might be held under the auspices of the United Nations or some other neutral body. 82.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“In the opinion of my Government such a settlement must include the following elements: first, recognition of the State of Israel and of the independence and territorial integrity of all the nations of the area, and the end to any claims that a state of belligerency exists: second, respect for, and the guarantee of, the rights of all nations to innocent passage through international waterways; third, a just and equitable solution of the refugee problem—General Assembly resolution 2252 (ES-V) on humanitarian assistance, which my delegation co-sponsored, has duly emphasized the paramount importance of solving the plight of the refugees; fourth, an arrangement which will take into account the rights and interests of the three great religions in Jerusalem. The fifth and final element would be the withdrawal of Israeli forces.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Here, the existence of the United Nations proved of decisive importance in bringing about a cease-fire acceptable to both sides. That crisis, however, has not yet subsided, as a state of war still exists in the area. 80. The state of belligerency must now be brought to an end. We must all co-operate in bringing about an atmosphere which will make it possible for Israel and the Arab countries to reach a settlement and to remove the causes of war.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“My Government would like to appeal to all parties to the conflict to abandon their attitude of mistrust, to make a new effort, to take a step further in order to convince the other party of its good faith and its sincere wish to end the war and to make peace. All possibilities, however remote, must be explored in the pursuit of a lasting peace in Viet-Nam. 78. One person whose sincere dedication to the cause of peace is an inspiration to all of us is our eminent Secretary-General, U Thant. I take this opportunity to express to him the thanks, appreciation and full confidence of my Government. We are all indebted to U Thant for his untiring efforts in furthering the ideals of the United Nations. 79. Another major conflict with serious repercussions was the war between Israel and the Arab States in June this summer.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“It would seem that any or all of these proposals could form a satisfactory basis for sitting down at the conference table and starting discussions on a cease-fire and a peaceful settlement, if only the mutual lack of trust displayed by the belligerents could be overcome. 76. The Government of the United States has repeatedly declared its willingness to sit down at the conference table and to scale down military operations in order to facilitate such a step, provided that the Government of Hanoi would make some similar move or give some indication of its willingness to start peace talks. The Hanoi Government, however, has given no assurances and has made no conciliatory gesture that has satisfied the United States Government. 77.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The fighting goes on with ever-increasing fury despite the fact that everyone, indeed the warring partners themselves seem to agree, or at least to admit, that there can be no military solution to this conflict. All agree that a way must be found to bring the conflict from the battle-field to the conference table, in order to bring about a political settlement. Yet many peace overtures and appeals for the reduction or cessation of hostilities have either gone unheeded or met with little success. The Secretary-General has long since put forward constructive proposals which could have formed a real basis for the cessation of hostilities and for the initiation of peace talks. Other, or similar, proposals have been put forward by several Member States.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“A major conflict that has proved beyond the means of the United Nations to stop is the war in Viet-Nam. That war has been fought, in different forms, for more than two decades, and no break in the hostilities is, unfortunately, foreseeable in the near future. That tragic situation has been extensively discussed in the general debates of this Assembly, year alter year, without any tangible results. Meanwhile, the list of casualties seems endless: soldiers and civilians, women and children on both sides are killed or maimed. The material waste is enormous and the very basis for the existence of the Viet-Namese people is gradually being destroyed.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Other Member States, immeasurably bigger and richer than Iceland, have failed to give their share, although some of them have made vague promises to the effect that they would do so. My Government is therefore inclined to think that the best solution might be the drawing up of detailed rules under which all the Member States of the United Nations would be required to contribute according to their means. Proposals that have been put forward for devising a system of appropriations should therefore be further studied and elaborated. 74. Of course, a United Nations peace-keeping force cannot settle all conflicts that arise, for example, when the great Powers clash on important issues. But it has proved able to cope with minor incidents and it can play a vital role in preventing the outbreak of hostilities. 75.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“And even though these forces have been small in size and have laboured under limited terms of reference, they have, in more than one instance, succeeded in containing situations and preventing armed conflict. But although these emergency forces have been very limited in size, funds have been lacking for their maintenance. This has undermined the whole financial basis of the United Nations and still does so. This situation must be speedily remedied. In my Government's opinion, the experience of the last three years shows that to rely upon voluntary contributions for the maintenance of peace-keeping forces and operations is too precarious. In response to the Secretary-General's appeal for voluntary contributions to help overcome the deficit, my Government in 1965 contributed approximately half a dollar for every inhabitant of my country.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The Secretary-General makes proposals and the General Assembly adopts resolutions which the party or parties concerned think nothing of ignoring in certain well known cases. It is this situation which has brought to my mind the recollection of my own country's history. 72. I do realize, of course, that it is preferable to solve all disputes by mutual agreement and, fortunately, the United Nations has frequently succeeded in concluding such agreements. We must not, however, let this divert us from recognizing the importance of effective executive power vested in the Organization. 73. The United Nations peace-keeping forces have been a step in the right direction.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“The result of this marked imbalance of power was internal strife and the gradual disintegration of lawful order. When conditions were approaching the stage of civil war, in the middle of the thirteenth century, the nation lost its independence and suffered foreign domination for centuries. 70. One can safely assert that if the old Icelandic Parliament, the remarkably advanced code of law and the highly developed judiciary system had been coupled with commensurate executive power, strong enough to prevent internal strife and enforce decisions of the high court, the course of my nation's history would have turned in another direction. 71. I have dwelt on these old memories for the very reason that, to my mind, the United Nations is in some respects in the same predicament as my own nation was some eight or nine hundred years ago.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“A nation is weak and will not prosper unless its Government is endowed with the necessary executive power. The same applies to international organizations. 68. In this connexion, I am reminded of the history of my own country. There, a Republic was established more than 1,000 years ago, in the year 930, The Althing, or Parliament, was endowed with the judiciary and the legislative powers, but the executive arm of the State was non-existent. 69. It did not take long until the defects of this system became apparent. Local chieftains, who maintained their own forces, soon refused to abide by lawfully pronounced judgements and took, so to speak, the law into their own hands. This followed from the fact that all central executive power was lacking for enforcing the laws of the land.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Historic background, national pride, chauvinism and old enmities are elements which prevent the disputing parties from reaching across the conference table in a spirit of conciliation and accepting the compromise that often offers the only possibility of a, successful settlement and a lasting solution of the problem at hand. 67. Another thing which often thwarts our efforts is the simple fact that the United Nations can do no more than our Governments are prepared to do themselves. We know only too well that the United Nations has not been able to implement resolutions adopted by a large majority because the executive power is lacking within the Organization. An illuminating example of this is Assembly resolution 2145 (XXI) on the question of South West Africa.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“Ambassador Pazhwak of Afghanistan, for the skill and the dignity with which he directed the deliberations of this Assembly through three difficult sessions. 66. Our Organization has endeavoured bravely to live up to the aims and ideals of the Charter. One must admit, however, that it has not always attained those aims; but where it has failed, the reason has certainly not been lack of goodwill or persistent effort on this highest level of international diplomacy. The real reasons lie elsewhere. One reason is that too often, much too often, nations disagree on how questions of international importance should be resolved.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“63. Mr. President, allow me, on behalf of the Icelandic delegation, to express my sincere felicitations to you upon your unanimous election as President of the twenty-second session of the General Assembly. 64. My Government welcomes this first election of a representative of the socialist countries of Eastern Europe to this high office. In our view, it both constitutes a confirmation of a gradual and gratifying relaxation of tension between East and West and will in itself, we hope, contribute to an increased understanding and co-operation between countries with different economic and social systems. 65. I take this opportunity also, Mr. President, to pay a tribute to your predecessor.”
1967-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 22 (1967)
“For that reason I have taken the time of this Assembly to discuss it.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“We have been able, in times of peace and in times of war, to provide others with abundant and nutritious food. But we have always followed the basic principle of not depleting the fish- stocks and protecting the young and growing fish in order to secure continued, natural fishing with increasing rather than decreasing yields. It seems to me that an international effort for that purpose is needed. I can see no organization more likely than the United Nations to take the initiative in the matter. The United Nations must again pay attention to this question, as it has done previously with good results. 19. We in Iceland feel very strongly that we can contribute most to the welfare of humanity by urging international co-operation for constructive exploitation of the riches of the oceans. We feel that the matter is urgent and important.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Fisheries may not seem a very serious problem on the world scene, yet they are an important element in the war against hunger, which must be one of the major tasks of the United Nations now and in the future, We are all occupied by the crises of the day which frequently are so difficult that the United Nations seems powerless to resolve them—or at least some of them. But some of the less pressing questions, with which the United Nations can deal much more effectively, may in the long run become great issues of our time. 18. I shall make no proposals at this time, but I do take the liberty of pointing out that the problem of conserving the resources of the sea does exist, and requires solution. The Icelanders have been a fishing nation for centuries.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Mesh regulations have not given sufficient protection for the stocks in the area, so the next step obviously must be to make arrangements for a further reduction of the fishing effort, particularly with regard to small immature fish. As far as international co-operation through the Atlantic Fisheries Commissions can save the situation, such action should be started without delay. All aspects of the problem and ways and means for solving it are now under study in my country. Experience has shown that these problems can be solved through international co-operation. At any rate, I would repeat that the record shows that the United Nations can count its work in that field among its constructive and valuable achievements. 17.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The stocks of cod in the Barents Sea, Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland areas all show more or less clear signs of over-exploitation. The cod stock around Iceland can be taken as a typical example. Already in 1952 the first steps to protect that species and others were taken through the closure of several important nursery grounds and that area was extended in 1958. Those measures have been of undeniable value for several species, but, as far as the cod is concerned, the conclusion is inevitably that the measures taken were insufficient and came too late. Scientific investigations show that a substantial part of the present catch consists of small, immature fish taken outside the present fishery limits.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“Although that is a fact, it must at the same time be realized and admitted that further work is required and that the existing methods and solutions must be further utilized and fortified. 16. In many areas of the oceans of the world intensified fishing and more effective fisheries techniques have resulted in diminishing yields per unit of effort. The development in some of the big fisheries in the North Atlantic gives rise to great concern. There has been a substantial increase in the fishing effort in the years since the war, but that has not been accompanied by a similar increase in the total catch and in several cases there has been a marked decrease in the total catch. That holds particularly true for the stocks of cod in the North Atlantic Ocean, which is the most important species of demersal fish in that area.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“In that field a great deal of work has been done by the United Nations — in the Sixth Committee, in the International Law Commission and in United Nations-sponsored international conferences held at Rome in 1955 y and at Geneva in 1958 and 1960. When that work was started, coastal jurisdiction over fisheries was disastrously inadequate and, in the case of Iceland, for instance, depletion of fish-stocks was imminent. Through the work of the United Nations in that field, twelve-mile fishery limits became overwhelmingly recognized as a general rule and valuable coastal resources were saved, at least temporarily. The value of that work in the United Nations deserves mention.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The second fact, no less a cause of anxiety, is that the introduction of new and advanced technology in fishing has Increased the danger that the fish-stocks can no longer withstand such exploitation. Already there are unmistakable signs of depletion, for example in the North Atlantic, where in many areas the catch per unit of fishing effort has diminished even if the total catch has grown, owing to greatly increased participation in the fishing. That is a real danger, if it is not forestalled. The United Nations has previously dealt with that problem and I should like to call attention to the fact that action may again become necessary if over-fishing is to be prevented. 15. One of the problems with which the United Nations has successfully dealt is that of the Law of the Sea.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“In this respect, two important facts have come to light: in the first place, a large percentage of the fish catches in many parts of the world is used for animal fodder instead of for direct human consumption. From discussions with Dr. Sen, Director-General of FAO — a specialized agency in the United Nations family which has done very useful work — I have learned that FAO is interested in changing this situation. For that purpose we must have technical and scientific research, and this must have our support, for the benefit of those who suffer from lack of protein. I have no doubt that this work will lead to great results if it is given sufficient support.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“If the peace is lost and war breaks out, United Nations endeavours for a better life are meaningless. Therefore, its primary aim must be the preservation of peace. 13. Second to this task is, indisputably, the so-called war against hunger. It has often been stated that a large part of the human race receives insufficient nourishment for maintaining life. Special attention has been called to the fact that certain vital food ingredients, such as protein, are seriously lacking. A great effort has been made to solve this problem, on the initiative of the United Nations, but without satisfactory results. 14. The reason why I mention this is that my country, Iceland, is a large producer of fish and thus a supplier of the food most needed.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The financing of such a force should not be an insurmountable obstacle to 119 nations, since individual States maintain for themselves armies of scores of thousands or millions of men with the most modern equipment. Such a force probably could not prevent conflict between great Powers, but it should be able to forestall limited wars, which are always in danger of spreading and becoming confrontations of the great Powers, with the gravest of consequences. 11. The allocation of the cost of peace-keeping activities among individual States is, of course, a difficult task, yet not so difficult as to be impossible, as long as the will is not lacking. 12. Peace-keeping must always be the principal task of the United Nations because, without peace, everything else loses its purpose.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“During the past year, for example, Iceland contributed the equivalent of almost half a United States dollar per inhabitant of our country. Peace-keeping is one of the most important activities of the United Nations and has brought results which indicate that, in many instances, it should be strengthened still further. In the opinion of the Government of Iceland, it must be regretted, therefore, that so far some States Members of the United Nations have been unwilling to participate in this activity by making appropriate financial contributions and have thus endangered the solvency of the Organization. 10. It would be preferable for the United Nations to have at its disposal a mobile military force which could be sent wherever and whenever it might be needed to prevent the outbreak of hostilities.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“We all wish that the war in Viet-Nam could stop; that world tension could diminish, that Arab- Israeli relations could improve; that apartheid could disappear; that the standard of living could be raised in both the developing and other countries. Indeed, the United Nations is constantly seeking solutions to these problems by means of such measures as seem most likely to succeed. 8. Although, as I said, I shall not discuss these questions in detail, I should like to comment on some of them. 9. We Icelanders have for centuries been an unarmed nation, maintaining no armed forces of our own. For this reason we have been unable to contribute troops to the peace-keeping operations of the United Nations, Nevertheless, Iceland has shown its support of these activities by contributing money for this purpose.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The question of disarmament, and especially of the banning of nuclear weapons, will no doubt take a long time to solve and is not, therefore, exclusively a problem of the moment, although it is of supreme importance. 7. In short, it might be said that the solutions to these problems fall into two categories: first, prevention or de-escalation of armed conflict and, second, aid for the developing nations towards a better life — and this applies to all nations to a different degree. I shall not discuss these particular problems further. That has been done so well by speakers who have preceded me that I have little to add.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“The current problems may vary greatly, but the most important consist of preventing armed conflict between nations, either by forestalling it or, if it has already begun, by halting it. The United Nations has faced problems of both kinds, some with success, others with failure. I believe the success to be so important as to render the United Nations invaluable to mankind, in spite of the problems which it has so far been unable to solve. 5. Which, then, are the problems of the present moment? Viet-Nam; the tense International situation; the relations between Israel and the Arab States; Cyprus; Rhodesia; apartheid; the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples; and assistance to newly Independent nations. 6.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“On the other hand, it has failed in some of its tasks or been unable to achieve the desired results. No individual is perfect and able to fulfil all his ambitions, and the same applies to groups and organizations. None of them can fully realize all its expectations. When evaluating performance, one should look first at the successes rather than the failures. One task successfully completed may suffice to justify the existence of the organization which carried it out. The evaluation of an organization such as the United Nations is often determined by emotional attitudes rather than practical performance, which latter, in my opinion, should be the decisive factor in making such an evaluation. 4. The tasks of the United Nations may be divided into two groups: current problems that require immediate solutions, and long-range questions.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)
“1. This being the first occasion on which my delegation has spoken at this twenty-first session of the General Assembly, I should like to express to you, Mr. President, my sincere felicitations on your unanimous election to your important post. 2. I should like further to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the Secretary-General, U Thant, for the outstanding service which he has performed during his term of office. His performance has been recognized by all Member States, and my Government wishes to associate itself with the unanimous appeal to him to remain in his position for another term. 3. The United Nations has been functioning for over twenty years with considerable positive results which it is not necessary to enumerate at this session.”
1966-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 21 (1966)