YouSaid · the spoken record

Kennedy Simmonds

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS KENNEDY SIMMONDS

lines on the record: 51
first: 1987-09-24
most recent: 1990-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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 are vulnerable to aid, sea and land pollution originating outside of our shores. The highest calling of the United Nations is to facilitate the peaceful development of all nations and to mobilise the community of nations to improve the quality of life of people everywhere. For this noble ideal to be realized, the world must have peace. Let us stand firm against aggression, exploitation and suppression, so that peace may be won and the world can direct its attention and its massive resources to the development of people everywhere. There is no higher ideal to which the United Nations can aspire.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We are vulnerable to hurricanes, as demonstrated by the devastation suffered by Saint Kitts and Nevis from the winds of Hurricane Hugo. In this regard, I take this opportunity to express the eternal gratitude of the Government and the people of Saint Kitts and Nevis for the assistance which was rendered by States members and related institutions of this Organization. We are also very vulnerable to every fluctuation in economic parameters far removed from our shores, like the crisis in the Gulf. We are vulnerable to the adventurism or terrorists, like those who held the Prime Minister and Cabinet members of Trinidad and Tobago hostage in July this year. We in the Caribbean provided humanitarian assistance and we were prepared to supply military assistance if it was required.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The world needs all the peace and conciliation it can find. We support the continuation of the dialogue between the two Korean Governments in the firm belief that it can lead to peace and reunification. My delegation reiterate its call for both countries on the Korean peninsula to become States members of the United Nations as a positive step to enhancing their dialogue towards reunification within the Organization's structured and sympathetic framework. The international community is so preoccupied at this time that the concerns and aspirations of small island nations may not occupy a position of prominence on its agenda. However, I must endeavour to keep the development concerns of this unique group of nations before the members of the Assembly.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We call for dialogue between all parties in Cambodia to continue until a settlement is reached, and my Government is of the view that in the interim the status of Cambodia at the United Nations should not change. Closer to home in our Caribbean region we are deeply concerned about the unstable situation which continues to exist in Haiti. Clearly, political events have made it difficult for meaningful economic development to proceed. We in the region will continue to support all efforts to facilitate the holding of free and fair elections. I express the hope that the forces of influence inside and outside Haiti will do everything possible to help, and nothing to hinder, Haiti's transition to electoral democracy. Saint Kitts and Nevis applauds the attempts at rapprochement between North and South Korea.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is only by the elimination of apartheid that South Africa can hope to re-enter the family of nations. My country, Saint Kitts and Nevis, while recognizing that progress has been made, calls for the maintenance of all sanctions against South Africa, of December 1989, and recommend that the international community continue to assists the South African people and support the front-line States. It is cause for deep concern that peace and justice continue to elude the people of Cambodia. The people of that war-torn country must be allowed to enjoy the right to self-determination without external interference. We continue to demand that all foreign troops be removed from Cambodia and that any such withdrawal be verified and ensured by the presence of an international Peacekeeping force.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Clearly Mandela's release, the unbanning of the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), and the start of the dialogue all represent encouraging signs that change may well be on the horizon in South Africa. We are saddened by the violence in the black townships of South Africa. That may not, however, be taken as an excuse to maintain the status quo. We in Saint Kitts and Nevis will not be, and we call upon all nations to not allow themselves to be, lulled into tacit acceptance of aparteid by token gestures of conciliation. Apartheid is an evil and abhorrent system which propounds the superiority of one man over another based upon the colour of his skin. There can be no compromise with apartheid. All men are created equal - that is a universal truth.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I pay tribute to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), which played a vital role in the Namibian electoral process, facilitating a fundamental improvement in Namibia's political climate, setting the stage for the reality of free end fair elections, and reflecting the commitment of the Namibian people to independence. The struggle was hard and long and the freedom of Namibia today is a tribute to the people of Namibia and to this family of nations. Even in South Africa a glimmer of hope has lit the scene. My Government and people welcome with great joy the release of Nelson Mandela. We marvel at his remarkable fortitude and his eschewing of bitterness in spite of the enormity of his ordeal.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“They must no longer be allowed to terrorise the lives of our young people, threaten the security of the region, subvert our youth, rape our society and retard the future of generations. The global war against drugs must be declared during this forty-fifth session and all our Governments and peoples must enlist. Although the current tensions continue to dominate our consciousness, and indeed hang like a pall over our deliberations, we must not forget the progress that the Organisation has helped to make. I welcome a free Namibia into the family of the United Nations.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Our determination as a nation to fight the menace of drugs remains strong and unswerving. We have tightened law enforcement and enacted l stiffer penalties. We have benefited in a small measure from the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) in areas of law enforcement and training. We require more assistance in reducing demand through preventive education, health care and rehabilitation. There is a need for continued international co-operation to combat the cultivation and trafficking of these illicit substances, to eliminate the demand, to intensify efforts in the field of public information, health and education, and to develop programmes for rehabilitation. The drug traffickers, the narco-terrorists, must be stopped at all costs.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is clear that if our tourism industry is to grow and contribute meaningfully to the economy, then as island communities we must protect the seas and oceans which give life to our important marine resources and our coastal areas. The prevention and clean-up of ocean pollution, however, require international co-operation and the willingness of the international community to respond quickly to calls for assistance. The whole issue of the environment is a major subject which can be properly addressed by developing countries only with the assistance from the United Nations and also directly from the developed countries. Another area of grave concern in relation to our quality-of-life objective is the serious harm that illicit narcotic drugs can cause to this and succeeding generations of young people.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Now that the industrialized countries have achieved outstanding levels of development, the environment notwithstanding - and we all share the adverse effects - they should be prepared immediately to make additional resources available to developing countries for the protection of the environment, while ensuring that projects designed to achieve sustained and sustainable development can proceed. In Saint Kitts and Nevis we place a high premium on the implementation of land-use policies that would enhance food production, ensure food security and improved nutrition, and thus improve health and industry. we are striving now to diversify our formerly monocultural economy. Tourism is an important part of that programme.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Some animal-rights groups will malign the good name of a whole nation of farmers whose crops are systematically destroyed by monkeys, leading to extreme frustration, loss of income, a depressed and disenchanted sector and depletion of foreign exchange. We must be rational in our approach to the environment. Sustained development and effective environmental protection must be complementary and not competitive. Linkages must be forged between industry and environmental protection to attain an improved quality of life. In short, the environment must not be used as a scapegoat or as an excuse further to stultify the aspirations of developing countries.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This is the case to such on extent that many projects in developing countries are either delayed or denied because either the industrialised countries or the multilateral agencies have concerns about the impact of these projects on the environment. Philosophically, this may seem to be a reasonable approach. However, it must be viewed against the background that most, if not all, of the problems we worry about today are caused by the industrialized countries, which, in order to achieve their developmental objectives, place development first and the environment last, and sometimes nowhere at all. We hear about the greenhouse effect now because the industrialized countries have been cutting down their forests for decades. It is they who accumulate nuclear waste and toxic waste. It is they who have polluted rivers and seas.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I congratulate the Government and people of Kenya as the proud hosts of this symbolic first session. Saint Kitts and Nevis will follow the work of the Committee and would wish to participate in the plans of action that derive from its work. My Government and people would greatly value the assistance and collaboration of UNESCO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNSP) to promote environmental education and training for the 1990s in our schools and to incorporate environments1 literacy into our national strategies for educational advancement. It is clear that the world is more sensitive today to issues relating to the environment .”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“First, I wish to commend the activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as they continue to provide our countries with the desired technical assistance in such environmental development programmes as water-quality protection, water and sanitation, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. I also wish to applaud the work of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which held its first session in Nairobi in August this year.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I applaud the efforts of the Secretary-General to endeavour to find a peaceful solution and trust that he will succeed. In the light of the present crisis it almost seems pointless to seek to address all the issues of concern to my country as well as to other developing countries. It is difficult to avoid wondering if anyone in the developed countries would be 1istening at this time. However, the issue of development and the environment is so fundamental to the achievement of our improved quality of life that I must address it and hope that my message will be heard.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We are not only at the mercy of the elements, but we face the risk of being swallowed up by larger end more powerful nations. Our only protection against this eventuality is either the military support of friendly neighbours or the indignation and punitive sanctions of the international community. Our vulnerability is further demonstrated by the seriously adverse impact which this crisis in having on the economy of our country in that fuel prices have skyrocketed; the cost of generating electricity has escalated significantly and, hence, the cost of pumping water from our wells has also risen, and inevitably, the cost of imports has risen, leading to a greater outflow of foreign exchange earnings, while at the same time assistance from the industrialised countries will no doubt be further decreased.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This was the time for nations to beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Once again the attention of the world community has been diverted by conflict. Once again we are brought face to face with the reality that conflicts and global tensions are the enemies of development The invasion and occupation of Kuwait , a member country of the United Nations, by Iraq is an illegal act of aggression. My Government joins in the worldwide condemnation of this illegal act and further supports the United Nations resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. We recommend that every effort be exploited to bring this crisis to a peaceful resolution. This crisis in the Gulf highlights again the vulnerability of small states.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We were of the view that small island developing countries could now be seen and appreciated as presenting difficult problems peculiar to their geographical status and that, at last, a universal effort could be focused on finding and implementing lasting solutions to these problems. This was the time for the massive resources which hitherto were going into the production and proliferation of nuclear, conventional, chemical or bacterial weapons of destruction to be diverted on a grant scale into a new world war -a war on the production, trafficking and use of narcotic drugs, a war on atmospheric, marine and land-based pollution, a war on under-development, a war on disease, illiteracy, ignorance and poverty. This should have been a global war waged under the banner of the United Nations, and with the full support of its entire membership.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Freedom began bursting out all over, and in Latin America and in Eastern Europe democracy descended like rain upon a thirsty land. The Berlin Wall, like the wall of Jericho, came tumbling down; and Germany, so long divided, now stands upon the threshold of reunification, a beacon of hope for all divided people to follow. While the prospect of peace around the world would obviously be welcomed by all nations, amongst developing countries, and more so among island developing countries like Saint Kitts and Nevis, there was a special feeling of elation. We felt that at last the developed countries could be able to focus their attention seriously on the plight of the developing nations.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“These are the objectives with which every member nation of the Assembly can identify and which they can readily support. They are objectives which every small developing country in the world would hold dear. Until recently the odds against a small developing country achieving sustained success in realising all of these basic and essential objectives were monumental. Until recently super-Power tensions and the arms race, regional conflicts, ideological divisions all conspired to divert the attention of the world away from the plight of the poor and disadvantaged people everywhere. Then suddenly hope burst upon the world like a flower in Moon. The two super-powers -the United States and the Soviet Union - embraced, and the world breathed a sigh of relief.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“My government, from the outset, established as its primary objective - raisan d'etre - the improvement of the quality of life of our people. In pursuit of this mission, we sat ourselves certain sectoral objectives, which included/l enhancement of the rate of economic growth; continuation of the our programme of economic diversification, and the general transformation of the structure of the economy so that the rate of economic growth might be stable and sustainable over the long term; containment of the rate of inflation; provision of increased employment opportunities for our people; satisfaction of the health, nutritional, educational, housing and other socio-cultural needs of our people; and provision and maintenance of adequate physical infrastructure for the convenience of the public at large, and to facilitate trade, industry, tourism and agricultural development.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is with a profound sense of admiration that I pay a tribute also to our distinguished Secretary-General, Javier Peres de Cuellar, for his untiring efforts to bring about resolution of the dangerous conflicts that beset the world community. On behalf of our delegation, I extend a warm welcome to the Organization's newest member state, Liechtenstein, which has supplanted Saint Kitts and Nevis as the smallest nation in the United Nations. This addition to our membership emphasizes that the United Nations is alive and provides the opportunity for all countries, great and small, to contribute to the making of a better world. I address the assembly just five days after the seventh anniversary of the independence of my country.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I welcome this opportunity to extend to you, Sir, the congratulations of the delegation of Saint Kitts and Nevis on your election to the eminent post of the President of the General Assembly at its forty-fifth section. Your election is a clear reflection of the high esteem in which you are held and of the complete confidence placed in you by your colleagues. My delegation is particularly pleased to welcome you to this position as the representative of the fellow island nation, and pledges its fullest co-operation as you guide the critical deliberation of this body. I also express the hearty congratulations to the outgoing President of the General Assembly for the skilful guidance of the Assembly through the critical issues that commanded its attention during the last session.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The world is so closely knit and interdependent that conflicts or tensions anywhere and of whatever nature affect us all, because we are citizens of one world. We are our brother's keeper, and as brothers we are equal. The United Nations is like a great lens which is made to capture the powerful but diffuse rays of the sun and distil and concentrate them into a unified force directed into any selected focal point. The United Nations can and should attract the diverse energies, resources and creativity of all the nations and concentrate them into a unified powerful force to be focused upon the various problems that beset mankind. I am convinced that in this way effective solutions compatible with the preservation of human dignity can be achieved.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We will take every opportunity publicly to proclaim our abhorrence for the system of apartheid, because it is inherently evil, and we exhort the international community and the oppressed of South Africa to stand firm in their opposition and struggle. We laud all the countries that have heeded the appeals of the various resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council and have imposed sanctions on South Africa. We are optimistic that if a persevering world unified against apartheid continues to send this signal to Pretoria the stubborn walls of apartheid must eventually crumble. We can accept nothing less than the equality of all men. St. Kitts and Nevis also reaffirms its support for Security Council resolution 435 (1978) and the United Nations independence plan for Namibia.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Yet, nearly 40 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right of peoples and nations to self-determination as a prerequisite to the full enjoyment of all fundamental human rights is still being denied. Nowhere is such violation more flagrant and agonizing than in South Africa, where the evil policy of apartheid is insensitively perpetuated and consolidated. The United Nations has been in the forefront of the opposition to apartheid, and now appears to be growing weary in its efforts to bring an end to its perpetuation. Perhaps this is the design; perhaps the design of Pretoria is continually to confront the international community with arrogant defiance and frustrate it into wearied resignation and silence. My delegation refuses to be lulled into silence on this issue.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Both countries on the Korean peninsula amply satisfy the requirements for membership. Besides, the realities of the existing deadlock dictate the need for the stimulation and maintenance of dialogue between the two sides within such a structured and supportive framework as the United Nations can provide. Finally, I turn to the question of human rights, the violation of which is another threat to international peace and security. Developing countries like Saint Kitts and Nevis are acutely aware of the premium which must be placed on human resources. Our greatest potential lies in our people, and in drawing from them the qualities of patriotism and service which can flourish only in an atmosphere which guarantees the dignity and worth of the human person.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I therefore call for urgent, concerted and constructive action to give effect to the resolutions in relation to island developing countries already adopted by the Assembly. The effective functioning of the United Nations in its various dimensions is vital to the resolution of conflicts, the achievement of peace in the world, and the marshalling of the resources of the world for the effective resolution of problems. Here we can come together to heal wounds and facilitate co-operation between nations. It is in this context that we renew our call for North and South Korea to become Members of the United Nations This is not to deny or preclude the goal of reunification of the Korean peninsula. We must, however, address situations as they exist, and not merely as we would wish them to be.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“For instance, the Commonwealth Heads of Government endorsed, in 1979, a special programme of action in favour of the smaller Commonwealth countries, and the Lomé Conventions make special provisions for these countries. However, a number of countries and institutions are clearly sceptical about the specificity of island developing countries, and some are against the proliferation of such special categories of developing countries. I say to the sceptics that the existence of sovereign island nations is a fact of life. We are real, we exist, we have a voice which is heard and must continue to be heard in international forums, and we are sovereign. We are no figment of anyone's imagination. We are here, and here to stay.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Given the high per capita cost of building and maintaining the economic and social infrastructure for small and isolated populations, small islands lack the critical mass to provide basic services economically for their populations. However, these services must be provided. People in island communities have as much right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and basic amenities as people in large metropolitan societies. Growing recognition of the conclusions regarding island developing countries is reflected in the five resolutions on island developing countries adopted unanimously by the General Assembly between 1976 and 1982. The international development strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade specifically highlights our problems. Other organizations have also begun to focus on this group.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The studies have also highlighted certain specific handicaps facing small island countries and dispelled some myths concerning them. Our handicaps are basically derived from the smallness and remoteness of most of us. They include vulnerability to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, to which islands in the Caribbean are particularly vulnerable; special transport problems, which are even more acute in archipelagic countries; highly limited internal markets; lack of natural resources; and heavy dependence on imports. These imports in turn ate financed by a small number of foreign-exchange-earning activities - commodity exports, tourism or emigrant remittances, for example.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I have so far projected a general view of developing countries. However, it has come to be universally recognized that there is within this broad framework a special category of developing countries whose problems require special consideration. This is the category of island developing countries. A number of analytical and descriptive studies, including a study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), have shown that island developing countries have characteristics distinct from those of developing countries in general. As a result, the type of development strategy regarded as appropriate in general and promoted by the United Nations may in some aspects be inappropriate for these countries in particular.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The world has risen to many a challenge in the past to provide a better quality of life for people everywhere, and the United Nations has been in the forefront of the struggle. Diseases once the scourge of mankind, like smallpox, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis, have been defeated. Once again we must mobilize; we must defeat malnutrition, poverty, drug abuse and the more recent scourge. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, AIDS, which threaten to destroy the flower of our youth who hold the keys to the future of our nations. The time has come for us to take a more humanitarian look at the world, and to divert more of its resources away from creating and proliferating the means of destruction into providing constructive and effective solutions to the problems of underdevelopment.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“For the developed countries, however, their interpretation of structural adjustment can include: reducing taxes; increasing spending on implements or war; and reducing assistance to developing countries in the grip of structural adjustment. This approach will only further increase the imbalances which exist and widen the gap between the rich and the poor countries. In the final analysis, all of us need to realize that there must be a humane side to structural adjustment. The fiscal and economic measures which are employed nationally, regionally and internationally to improve the abstract indices of growth and development must also address the educational, social, cultural and health needs of people everywhere. The real essence of development is the development of people.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In my own country Saint Kitts and Nevis, we have already embarked on a programme of diversification which expands our agricultural sector, places greater emphasis on tourism development and gives impetus to the growth of light industry, while at the same time employing greater fiscal prudence in the public sector. It is unfortunate that some - I repeat, some - experts from the developed countries have a biased view of structural adjustment. Their interpretation in relation to the developing countries is: increasing taxation on already overburdened people} reducing programmes for social and cultural developments; and cutting back on provision of employment by the public sector.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The plight of the sugar-producing countries in the Caribbean, and indeed throughout the world, cannot be addressed by platitudes or the current attitude of benign neglect. It requires the urgent serious and sympathetic consideration of the developed countries. It is clear that economic strangulation can and does lead to political instability within and between nations. Many countries find it increasingly difficult to cope with growing social and economic demands in the face of drastic adjustments. Our vigorous efforts need to be complemented by increased international assistance and co-operation. It is not enough to call for structural adjustment. This is not by itself the universal panacea. Indeed, this is already being undertaken in many developing countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The more affluent countries cannot, nor should they try, to shirk their responsibility to increase the capital resources available to the developing nations. It is the developed countries which reduce the price that they pay to us for the primary commodities we produce- It is the developed countries which increase the price of the machinery and equipment they sell to us to De used in the production of the same primary commodities, and in other vital development areas. This is the situation in which Saint Kitts and Nevis is placed in relation to its primary export commodity, sugar. The price is severely depressed. Quotas are drastically reduced. But the price of machinery to improve the efficiency of production continues to escalate.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“However, we cannot go it alone in this world where even the super-Powers recognize some level of interdependence- We are buffeted by changing conditions in the world at large, and are at the mercy of conditions over which we have no control. The debt problem can only be addressed in a meaningful way by a process of Worth-South co-operation. My delegation is highly supportive of the approach to this problem outlined here by the Government of Jamaica. This proposal calls for a longer-term structured rescheduling of debt, accompanied by the provision of additional capital resources, so that economic growth is not stultified by the burden of debt servicing, but rather continues in tandem with it.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It runs counter to the efforts of this body to alleviate the syndrome of poverty and underdevelopment crippling half of the world's population as it currently bedevils all attempts by the developing countries to bring a better quality of life to their people. I share the sentiment that a concrete solution can only be envisioned if the issue is treated as the international crisis that it is. The Assembly has had to concede that the International Development Strategy for the First and Second United Nations Development Decades has remained largely unfulfilled. As we approach the end of the Third Development Decade, the developing countries do not deny the existence of their external debt, nor shun a measure of responsibility for its solution. We realize that the primary responsibility for improving our economies rests upon our shoulders.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is then and only then that we will be able to mobilize fully the resources of rich and poor nations alike to address the serious economic problems which obstruct our attempts at achieving a better quality of life for all. Article 55 of the Charter of the United Nations recognizes that conditions of stability and well-being are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations. In turn, peace and friendly relations among nations are necessary prerequisites to the achievement of steady economic growth worldwide. The world debt problem is yet another deterrent to economic development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Our attention is focused instead on the prospects for an arms reduction agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union, mainly in relation to medium-range nuclear missiles. There is great concern about the danger of nuclear weapons, and this is certainly justified because no corner of the world can be considered safe from the fallout of nuclear explosion. While, however, we seek to prevent this potential calamity, the reality is that every day all over the world destruction of life and property is being wrought by conventional weapons. It is imperative that our forum here at the United Nations spearhead urgent and continuing efforts to achieve genuine and meaningful progress in disarmament to include all weapons, conventional and chemical, as well as nuclear.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is a peace plan by Central Americans for Central America. It should be given every opportunity to be effective. I call upon all combatants throughout Central America and the Caribbean to observe the cease-fire and then to negotiate in good faith for a lasting peace leading to the realization of true democracy throughout the region. Also in relation to our partner in the Caribbean Community, Belize, my delegation calls for early ratification of the Cartagena Protocol as a contribution to the lowering of tensions in the region. The fact is that the various conflicts throughout the world are being supplied with arms from seemingly inexhaustible sources. This fact, however, receives scant attention from the international community.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Those among us who value peace must not be dominated by others who readily resort to war. People everywhere, whether they be in the east or the west, in the north or the south, should be free to choose the government which best reflects their political convictions and aspirations. On the question of peace and stability on the American continent, the situation in Central America preoccupies us. My delegation is particularly concerned about the possible implications for the peoples of Central America, Latin America, and the Caribbean that a worsening of the crisis in this area may have. The Caribbean and Latin America need an economic revival, but this revival cannot come in the midst of civil wars and guerrilla activity. My delegation welcomes the peace initiative recently worked out by Government leaders of Central America.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“With respect to the situations in Afghanistan and Kampuchea, my delegation notes with sad regret that these localized occupations are no closer to an end today despite repeated resolutions that call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from these occupied territories. The hopes and aspirations of the people of Afghanistan and of Kampuchea are being sacrificed in the cauldron of these conflicts. I call upon the General Assembly to continue to register its strong support for the liberation of the people of Afghanistan. The United Nations has a special responsibility to support its Members in their efforts to preserve individual sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence, and to denounce and act against those aggressive nations that violate the fundamental rights of other weaker and vulnerable nations.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We call upon both combatants to comply with the resolution, and States members of the General Assembly to be prepared to display the political will to exert the diplomatic pressures required to elicit compliance by the belligerents. Also in the Middle East the question of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to a well-defined homeland and to a just and lasting peace is still considered the core of the Middle East conflict. However, this must coexist with the right of the people of Israel to live within secure boundaries. Here, too, strong and persistent action is needed to have all parties adhere to the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the issue.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“My delegation supports the peace initiative with regard to Iran and Iraq undertaken by the Secretary-General. The world is weary of this seven-year-old war of attrition between Iran and Iraq that has wasted vast amounts of human and natural resources. Recent events in that region clearly demonstrate the risk of the widening of the conflict, and even the possibility of super-Power involvement if the conflict continues, thereby posing а genuine threat to international peace and security. The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis fervently supports resolution 598 (1987) unanimously adopted by the Security Council in July of this year, the text of which demands an immediate cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq war.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is a sad reality, however, that our combined efforts to achieve and preserve lasting peace and freedom are constantly thwarted by adverse national and international economic conditions, regional and localized conflicts, and repeated violations of human rights. Indeed, war and the threat of war are issues which constantly demand the attention of the world Organization. However, we are not succeeding in beating the swords raised in anger around the world into ploughshares, as is so clearly set forth as a serious objective by the Organization. Too often we find that the prospect of peace is dangled tantalizingly before a world that is eager for a respite from war - a respite that would give us all an opportunity to build rather than to destroy. Just as often, we find that prospects for peace vanish like a soap-bubble blown into the air.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“My delegation cannot emphasize too strongly the importance it attaches to the role of the United Nations, in general, and to the General Assembly in particular, in recommending solutions for the peaceful settlement of international political conflicts, for the improvement of international economic conditions, and for the maintenance of human rights and freedom the world over. We firmly believe in the link established between international peace and security and political and socio-economic development. They are not mutually exclusive. They are interdependent and complementary one to the other. We, as citizens of the world community, are committed to redouble our efforts to preserve global freedom and peaceful coexistence of which we here in this body are the sole arbiters.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Your election to this post is a clear reflection of the high regard in which you are held and of the complete confidence your colleagues place in you, based, most assuredly, on your personal qualities, diplomatic skills and sincere commitment to the high ideals of the Organization, My delegation pledges its fullest co-operation, in every way possible, with your endeavours to carry out your duties during this, the forty-second session of the General Assembly. I also express congratulations to the previous President of the General Assembly on his capable handling of the critical issues that commanded the attention of this body during the last session and on his skilful guidance of the deliberations.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)