YouSaid · the spoken record

HAMEED

lines on the record: 292
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 11
sources: un-general-debate

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“When I addressed the Assembly in 1988, I suggested that we project our vision beyond this building, and beyond the resolutions and speeches, to focus on the impact of our work on the millions of people we represent. It would be wise to remind ourselves that the maintenance of world peace is multidimensional and the United Nations political agenda must go hand in hand with its development agenda. Our nations are all travellers together on the road to the future. How will the future judge us? It will not be by our military victories and parades of power, nor by our eloquent debates and sophisticated slogans. We will be judged by our success in turning weapons into tools of development, in banishing poverty, hunger, disease and ignorance and in learning to live in a sustainable environment in harmony with a fragile and finite world.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In the thick of the conflict we have maintained the flow of food, medical and other supplies, and services such as education and health to the affected areas. Many have acknowledged that this is an exceptional achievement. On the economic front, the Government has steadfastly followed open economic policies since 1977. As a result, Sri Lanka is today well on the road to attaining newlyindustrialized-economy status. Foreign investment recorded a quantum jump last year, clearly reflecting investor confidence in Sri Lanka’s economic stability and predictability. It is our firm conviction that in a multi-ethnic, multicultural society, sustained economic growth is the best defence against divisive forces.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Government has never wavered from its objective of seeking a political solution to the North-East conflict. I myself have spent some 14 months negotiating with armed groups, to find a peaceful solution acceptable to all. During these 14 months, there was peace in the North and the East but, unfortunately, at the end of this period these groups broke off negotiations for reasons undisclosed to me. I also presided for one and a half years over the All-Party Conference, which examined the question of a political solution for over eight months. A Select Committee of Parliament, chaired by an Opposition Member of Parliament, has been working over many months to reach a political settlement. Thus the search for a political solution continues.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“At the same time, however, they must not concentrate on their own problems to the exclusion of a balanced result for all participants in the negotiations. Sri Lanka is an island nation with a unique commitment to social welfare. For many years, it needed virtually no budget for defence. When terrorism broke out in such force, many thought Sri Lanka would disintegrate. Forty-eighth session - 1 October l993 39 Most recently, the world was shocked by the brutal assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, the duly elected Head of State. This act of terrorism, aimed at destabilizing the country, was confounded by the peaceful transfer of power within 24 hours, thus vindicating the strength and maturity of Sri Lanka’s constitutional and democratic system.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“All the needed assistance must be provided for these new States to complete their journey to democracy. But this must not be achieved at the expense of other developing countries. In South Asia, we have embarked on policies of export-led growth and trade and foreign-exchange liberalization. We have done so despite the severe effects on us of unfavourable trends in commodity prices and protectionist measures in the markets of developed countries. Our efforts at national and regional levels will succeed only if there is a reciprocal commitment to free-trade policies at the international level. In this connection, it is imperative that the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations be concluded soon, in a fair and just manner. We hope that the industrialized countries will be able to resolve the issues that divide them.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Economic interdependence is a global reality. We reiterate the Non-Aligned Movement’s appeal to the developed countries to consider favourably the call for a new compact on development between the North and the South, a new liberal democratic partnership for global economic solutions. There is now a relative abundance of liquidity in private markets. Access to these resources is not easily affordable for the developing countries because of the private market rates. A mechanism is therefore needed to bridge what is available and what is affordable. Such an initiative is most urgent in view of the economic difficulties facing developing countries. Furthermore, today there is increased need for global economic cooperation owing to the emergence of many new States.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The commitment of the Sri Lanka Government to ensuring the human rights of all our citizens is central to all our policies, and we will maintain our policy of candid cooperation with the United Nations. The dictates of humanitarian law must be respected. Where economic sanctions are invoked as a tool of punitive action, let us ensure that the humanitarian needs of the people of the country involved are fully protected. Neither the end of the cold war nor the new thrust of economic liberalism has in any way diminished Sri Lanka’s commitment to non-aligned principles. At the Jakarta Summit, there was a consensus that the political campaigns against racism, colonialism and apartheid had now been largely completed. The central unresolved issue of our time remains the economic disparities between the developed and the developing countries.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Yesterday, we commemorated the third anniversary of the World Summit for Children. Within SAARC, we have already set ourselves certain attainable mid-decade goals for meeting the basic needs of the children of South Asia. We welcome the World Conference on Women in Beijing as an opportunity to focus world attention on issues related to women and development. As an island nation, Sri Lanka has special interest in international endeavours to create a new legal regime of the oceans. In 1971, the declaration of the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace was proposed by Sri Lanka. The world scene has since changed and the time has now come to examine new, alternative approaches. Yet another regional initiative by Sri Lanka is the Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Conference (IOMAC), a cooperative endeavour to develop the region’s marine resources.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Last year, during the period of our chairmanship, Sri Lanka guided SAARC in several new directions. These included poverty alleviation, the establishment of the South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), the South Asia Development Fund and a Charter for Children. In Sri Lanka’s view, SAARC should now extend its horizon beyond economic and social cooperation. With a view to sharing our regional experience with the international community, Sri Lanka supports the subject of poverty alleviation as a major theme for consideration at the forthcoming World Social Summit. It is our firm conviction that structural adjustment programmes in developing countries must provide a safety net for the poorest of the poor until the fruits of economic growth are widely distributed throughout society.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Most recently, the Security Council itself had to lend its authority to resolve the border 38 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session dispute between Kuwait and Iraq, and we support all relevant Security Council resolutions in that regard. Let me now turn to South Asia, my own region, consisting of seven States and accounting for over 1 billion people. Some 12 years ago, I had the pleasure of inaugurating, in Colombo, the first meeting to launch the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Since then, it has been a matter of constant satisfaction to note the steady development of regional cooperation in South Asia. Today, we had the pleasure of hearing the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, current Chairman of SAARC, under whose able leadership SAARC is moving forward.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“However, in order to command the widest possible support, the United Nations must operate on the basis of an acceptable set of guiding principles. With regard to national disputes, United Nations intervention must be considered only upon the request of the Member State concerned. Indigenous peace efforts must be encouraged and respected. Regionalism has received a new impetus. The United Nations should extend its fullest cooperation to these regional trends and initiatives. A lingering obstacle to regional unity is the question of border disputes. The Non-Aligned Movement has made useful proposals in this regard, including the suggestion by Sri Lanka that a border disputes commission be formed.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Today it is widely recognized that security can no longer be reduced to military considerations alone. Security must take account of economic crises, poverty, hunger, mass migrations, international terrorism and environmental pollution. These developments require the revitalization of the United Nations. In 1995, the United Nations will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. The founding principle of the United Nations - the sovereign equality of all States - remains valid today. The Secretary-General has emphasized this principle in his report "An Agenda for Peace". The principle of sovereign equality must be put into practice if the bold proposals in "An Agenda for Peace" are to succeed. As the transition to a new global order continues, the United Nations will come under greater pressure to live up to its ideals.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Since 1991 world defence spending has been set on a downward course. We must bring about a successful conclusion to the 1995 conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Sri Lanka is pleased at the recent successful conclusion of the Convention on chemical weapons. At the same time, genuine disarmament must also incorporate measures to reduce the flows of conventional arms. The uncontrolled movement of arms and explosives to extremist fringe groups threatens to destabilize small countries. In a similar context, Sri Lanka wishes to draw the Assembly’s attention to the initiative to enforce an international ban on the use of mines in warfare. The tragic consequences of mine warfare are visible in the thousands of amputees in many parts of the world and call for urgent international attention.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is a situation which has shocked the world. It is clear that the international community is still incapable of rising above narrow and parochial considerations. It is vital that an early solution be found which will meet the aspirations of all the parties concerned. We have watched with alarm the rising tide of racism in many countries, which violates the very foundations of their cherished goals and objectives. It is not relevant here to diagnose the causes, but these dangerous and ugly trends must be checked. This is not just a challenge to Governments alone. All men and women of good will must join together to fight this evil. The implementation of recent arms-limitation agreements and the shelving of plans to extend the arms race into outer space have enhanced the prospects for genuine disarmament.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“We hope that the interim arrangements now being worked out will lead eventually to a comprehensive and durable settlement of the Palestinian problem in all its aspects. In South Africa, the Non-Aligned Movement’s resolute opposition to apartheid and its advocacy of a free, democratic and non-racial South Africa stands vindicated. As President Nelson Mandela described it last week, "the countdown to democracy" in South Africa has begun. Cambodia, a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, is now free. We welcome this development and congratulate the United Nations on its role. These developments certainly give us encouragement and hope. But this does not mean that the world is now free from tension and disputes. The situation in Bosnia gives grounds for a vote of no-confidence on the political leadership of our times.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Sri Lanka welcomes the new Member States admitted to the United Nations this year. We thank the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his dedication and courageous leadership in meeting the challenges of peace and development that lie ahead. Forty-eighth session - 1 October l993 37 It is four years since I last addressed the Assembly. Our hopes voiced at that time for the post-cold-war global order are now being realized, although there are problems of instability in the international arena. The current international political trend gives us fresh hope of relations being conducted between States in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Regarding Palestine, Sri Lanka has welcomed the mutual recognition between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It gives me great pleasure to see an eminent son of Guyana guiding this forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Sri Lanka and Guyana have a long tradition of cooperation at the United Nations, in the Non-Aligned Movement and in the Commonwealth. Sri Lanka also expresses its appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, who presided over the forty-seventh session of the General Assembly. Before I proceed, may I take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka, to express our profound sorrow over the terrible tragedy that has struck the people of India in the wake of the devastating earthquake this week. I bring best wishes from His Excellency Dingiri Banda Wijetunga, President of Sri Lanka, and best wishes for the success of this session of the Assembly in its endeavours for world peace.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“When we speak of the United Nations or multilateral approaches, we must project our vision beyond this building, beyond the delegates' desks and national name plates, beyond the microphones and earphones and beyond the resolutions and speeches, and focus on the impact of our work on the millions of people we represent. The fact is that the fate of each nation is intrinsically fused with the fate of the entire planet. This is not so merely in the negative sense in that a common nuclear threat hangs over all of us. In a positive sense, the political, economic and ecological well-being and development of each nation has to be pursued in co-operation, rather than at variance, with others. Our planet's resources are finite and even the most economically developed State cannot pursue unilateral policies in isolation from the rest of the world.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Arguments and appeals based on justice, equity and human compassion have been advanced in this forum to bring peace where there is violence and conflict, security where there is tension and fear, development where there is deprivation and want. If then these arguments, backed as they are by the injunctions of the United Nations Charter, need further justification, there is the pragmatic logic of necessity - the compulsion of mutual interest. We are all links in a chain of human and national interdependence. The prospect for human survival and development will be only as strong as the weakest link in that chain.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I am confident that with the innate wisdom of the people of Sri Lanka, enriched by a unique historical tradition of over 2,000 years and drawing on the religious philosophies flourishing in the country, Sri Lanka will press forward with the irreversible process of the healing of past wounds and the rehabilitation of the injury inflicted on our nation in human, political, social and economic terms. A period of peace and stability in which development can be accelerated is what our people richly deserve. And they will secure it for themselves through our democratic process, rejecting violence and anarchy. The imperative of international co-operation, which is really what multilateralism is all about, applies to political and security issues, to economic and environmental issues and to social and humanitarian issues.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Thus, the fundamental restructuring of our post-colonial policy to accommodate the aspirations of all sections of our people for direct and active participation in the governing of our multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious nation will have been completed. In the last few months, we have, in the tradition of our parliamentary democracy, held elections to seven of the eight Provincial Councils In July four by-elections to Parliament were held, and this month another; and in December of this year a new President will be elected to succeed His Excellency President J. R. Jayewardene, who completes his constitutionally stipulated two terms of office. The democratic process is therefore as active in our small country as it has been since 1931, 57 years ago, when universal adult franchise was introduced in Sri Lanka.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We look forward to the transformation of this political will into concrete action through a genuinely global venture as an exemplary exercise in multilateral co-operation. In Sri Lanka where we have over the past few years had to withstand and overcome grave threats to our sovereignty and territorial integrity and face violent challenges to our cherished democratic institutions, we have still to banish the ugly phenomenon of violence and terrorism. The 13th Constitutional Amendment devolving a substantial measure of power from the centre to the provincial councils will have been fully implemented when elections to the North-Eastern Provinces take place in November.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We believe that this venture could benefit further from the infusion of material and technical support from all sources. Last year the international community participated in observing the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, declared by the United Nations on the initiative of the Honourable R. Premadasa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The proposal by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) for a global strategy for shelter to the year 2000, formulated in response to a consensus call by this Assembly in resolution 42/191, is the next logical step in our collective endeavours to meet the shelter needs of deprived millions. The widespread support enjoyed at the Economic and Social Council this summer is indicative of the political will to forge ahead with necessary material support.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Permit me at this stage to refer to two initiatives in the area of development co-operation in which Sri Lanka is deeply involved. Sri Lanka took an initiative in the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee in 1981 which called for a study of marine resources and their development potential in the Indian Ocean region. In January 1987, following careful study and preparation at expert level, the Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Conference was held at ministerial level in Sri Lanka to formulate a broad co-operative framework for developing the marine-affairs capabilities of the Indian Ocean States. A standing committee has since been established to guide its programme. We see this as an essential step in consolidating the benefits of the Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“A challenge for international economic co-operation is before us at the mid-term review of the Uruguay Round in Montreal this December by the ministerial session of the GATT's Trade Negotiations Committee. Concomitant with economic co-operation between developed and developing countries, economic co-operation among developing countries is also vital. The agreement on a global system of trade preferences reached recently is a step in the right direction, and could not only strengthen the base for economic development but also help reduce the existing over dependence on developed countries. The adoption of the agreement on the global system, signed by 48 countries, was a historic step, and it is important that those that have not yet signed and ratified the Belgrade agreement do so soon.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The commitment of major import markets to promoting easier access for the exports of developing countries is one which needs to be fulfilled with greater devotion and sincerity. Specifically, a measure o£ true understanding would be a rollback of current non-tariff barriers coupled with other measures to improve market access. Strict compliance with the standstill and rollback commitments reaffirmed at Punta del Este is vital to the success of the Uruguay Round. Developing countries should also be given credit in the Uruguay Round for unilateral measures of trade liberalization taken under programmes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Allied to this, and assuming great significance, are the complex trade negotiations of the Uruguay Round, which concern a variety of issues of crucial importance, particularly to developing countries. These include tropical and natural-resource-based products, tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and textiles and clothing. Unfortunately, the pursuit of unilateral trading gains has led to some trading entities callously bypassing the regulations and principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In sectors most crucial to developing countries seeking export markets, for example in the field of textiles and clothing, deviations from GATT principles are clearly evident.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In respect of the debt issue, furthering the consensus achieved at the seventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it was proposed in the Conference's trade and development report that the current inadequate strategy of domestic adjustment and new lending be complemented by a wider recourse to consensual, orderly and systematic reduction of interest charges as stock of debt, in particular by debt forgiveness. The assumption behind those proposals is that countries benefiting from debt reduction could strengthen policies to improve efficiency of investment and achieve a substantial improvement in the export performance of indebted countries.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Global economic co-operation in real terms has been in a state of virtual atrophy. In roost developing countries the development process has been seriously handicapped, and in some even reversed. Real interest rates have swung upwards. Exchange rates have been fluctuating. The prices of primary commodities have drastically slumped and protectionist measures in certain import markets have aggravated their overall impact in developing countries. Development assistance has been reduced. The debt burden has had a debilitating impact on the economies of developing countries. Only a rational concerted effort on the part of the entire global community can help re-order the prevailing insecure economic situation.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Within South Africa the situation has deteriorated, with inhuman racist laws continuing to violate all norms of civilized behaviour, and with the ruthless security forces indulging in mass arrests and detention and causing injury and death to innocent civilians. Outside its borders, South African forces have committed acts of aggression against independent neighbouring African States whose only offence has been the defence of their sovereignty and freedom and the championing of the anti-apartheid cause. International pressure on the apartheid regime must continue to be increased. Comprehensive mandatory sanctions, to be imposed by the Security Council, have been declared the most effective peaceful means of dismantling apartheid. Let me now turn to the international economic scene.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Sri Lanka salutes the Namibian people's struggle for self-determination and national independence in a united and undivided Namibia. It is our sincere hope that independent Namibia will occupy its seat in the community of nations in the near future. The recent developments, which have led to talks involving Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States are welcome in that they seek a negotiated and peaceful settlement of some issues of conflict in the region. As in Namibia, so also in the entire southern African region, the apartheid policies of the Government of South Africa foster violence and conflict.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It is Sri Lanka's position that settlements illegally established must be dismantled and demographic changes thrust upon the occupied territories must be rendered null and void. Sri Lanka supports the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East called by the General Assembly in resolution 35/58 C as а means of a achieving a just and comprehensive solution to the complex of issues that is called the Middle East question. It is essential that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, participate in the Conference on an equal footing with all other parties directly concerned in the Israeli-Arab conflict. The path to Namibian independence has long since been charted by Security Council resolution 435 (1978).”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In respect of Kampuchea, direct negotiations have brought hopes for an abatement of tensions infecting the entire region. The Djakarta meeting held in July this year brought together all parties concerned.. Sri Lanka is pledged to support and reinforce the Djakarta initiative. In the Middle East the continued denial of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people persists as the root cause of the unrest in the region. The uprising in Israeli-occupied territory has acquired heroic proportions, and brutal attempts to suppress it have only strengthened the resistance to the occupation. A just, durable peace that guarantees security for all States and peoples in the region, including the Palestinians, can only be ensured by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Palestinian and Arab territories.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Therefore, Sri Lanka welcomes the decision of the Governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq to co-operate with the Secretary-General's representative to reach a comprehensive, honourable and enduring solution to that tragic conflict. There are positive indications to be seen in the question of Cyprus as well, for which the United Nations once more can claim some credit. An essentially domestic inter-communal issue in Cyprus has been aggravated by the foreign occupation of part of its territory and by illegal unilateral actions towards separatism. However, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, talks have been resumed between the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the representative of the Turkish Cypriot community with a view to resolving the Cyprus problem in all its aspects.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Since we last met the United Nations has succeeded in its negotiations in respect of Afghanistan, with the conclusion in April of this year of the Geneva Agreement. Sri Lanka congratulates the statesmanship displayed by all parties that made the agreement possible and hopes that that will remain in evidence during the implementation. We look forward to the conclusion of a comprehensive settlement of all issues to the satisfaction of all the people of the Afghan nation. Similarly, in the Gulf conflict too the conciliatory mechanisms of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, have proved their efficacy. It has been Sri Lanka's consistent position that that wasteful war should be ended, and a solution acceptable to both parties must be found.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Following the 1971 Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace, States of the region held a conference in 1979 that adopted seven principles of agreement for the implementation of the Declaration. Those included the non-use of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the freedom of peaceful navigation. Considerable work on issues of substance relating to the conference has already been accomplished by the Ad Hoc Committee. A consensus has been patiently built up now for the conference to be convened at Colombo at a date not later than 1990. Sri Lanka, particularly given the vastly improved international climate, expects that the concerned States will abide by the consensus.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Considerable achievements have also been made in work between the two major chemical-weapons possessors, and we have noted the initiatives announced in this forum last week. This session of the General Assembly will consider the question of preparing for the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons scheduled for 1990. As a State party to the Treaty, Sri Lanka naturally has a keen interest in facilitating a successful review of the obligations under that Treaty in all their aspects. We hope that agreement could be reached at this session to formulate a smooth preparatory process. A disarmament exercise that began as a Sri Lankan initiative with the support of non-aligned countries has long since acquired both regional and international dimensions.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The existing legal regime now applicable to outer space has played a significant role, but, given the rapidity of technological and strategic developments, it is insufficient to prevent the emplacement of weapons in outer space. My delegation will make every effort at this session of the General Assembly to continue with our initiatives to build the necessary consensus and move forward in this vital area. The recent use of chemicals weapons has been universally condemned, sustained negotiations have been pursued in the Conference on Disarmament towards the conclusion of a treaty banning the development, production, stockpiling and use of all chemical weapons. Some important issues remain unresolved, while the settlement of others has been delayed unduly.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The purpose envisaged in the 1963 Partial Test-Ban Treaty is not to regulate and thereby condone testing below a certain threshold but to eliminate decisively all testing. As a parallel measure to discussions in the Conference on Disarmament Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Yugoslavia have requested an amendment conference of States parties to the 1963 Treaty to consider its conversion into a comprehensive test-ban treaty. The Foreign Ministers of the countries members of the Non-Aligned Movement who met at Nicosia last month have endorsed that initiative. A collective approach has been sought in the Conference on the Prevention of an Arms race in Outer Space, the common heritage of mankind which should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Nevertheless, the session recognized, but failed to document, the interdependent nature of the broad spectrum of global issues and the need for multilateral co-operation in their solution. If time ran out before a consensus document could be finalized, it must only mean that the exercise must continue on the basis of the many valuable proposals and ideas presented during the session. In the Conference on Disarmament, the sole multilateral negotiating body of which Sri Lanka is a member, the hope of multilateral negotiations on a range of nuclear items has been frustrated. No progress is recorded in the report of the Conference, for example, on the priority issue of negotiating a total ban on nuclear testing.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, a few months ago, offered the first major international forum for an assessment of international security and disarmament issues in the light of these new developments. Despite a greatly improved context of international relations in comparison with the first and second special sessions on disarmament, the third special session belied our expectations. The nexus between bilateral progress and multilateral advance did not prove to be automatic. The third special session's failure to produce a consensus final document seemed contrary to the hopeful developments of the time. In a sense, we have witnessed an encounter between bilateral approaches and multilateral demands, but the encounter has not been as discouraging as in the past.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Most dramatically, bilateralism, involving principally the Soviet Union and the United States, led to the conclusion of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - INF Treaty - widely accepted as the first real measure of disarmament, as distinct from the mere control or limitation of arms. The Moscow summit meeting also brought forth agreement that further bilateral efforts would be exerted towards the reduction by half of the super-Power strategic nuclear arsenals and towards a step-by-step halting of nuclear testing. The international community has welcomed these developments with enthusiasm.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Three years ago, with considerable enthusiasm, we commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations. A year later, hardly had the euphoria of that celebration evaporated than we were confronted with the prospect that the United Nations might not even be able to survive, because of budgetary constraints. International diplomacy, never at a loss for words, diagnosed this situation and described it as a crisis for multilateralism, a crisis brought about by unilateralism. Unilateralism seemed to be prevailing over multilateralism.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Let me at the outset, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, extend to Mr. Caputo of Argentina, our sincere congratulations on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at the forty-third session. My delegation would like to assure him of our support and full co-operation in the tasks ahead. Our appreciation is also due to Mr. Peter Florin, who discharged his duties as President of the forty-second session with skill, devotion and responsibility. We applaud the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations peace-keeping forces as richly deserved recognition of the impressive record of the United Nations in keeping peace throughout the world. We congratulate the Secretary-General and his dedicated team on this fitting tribute.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Recent developments in some areas have augured well if not decisively bringing about solutions, at least offering in their wake promises for the future. Patient efforts over a sustained period have had a beneficial cumulative effect, ushering in new hopes, nurturing fresh optimism and yielding new avenues to overcome the failures of the past. These efforts must continue within the framework of the United Nations if decisions ate to command the confidence of the international community and to stand the test of time.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We strongly condemn these actions that seek to destabilize independent countries through such cold-blooded acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. Every year we gather here in New York to examine the international situation and to consider what our collective wisdom has to offer in dealing with issues of common concern to us. Pessimists may say that we are cataloguing failures of the United Nations and indulging in rhetoric. The measure of success or failure of the United Nations will depend on what we, the Members of the United Nations, would wish the Organization to be. For small non-aligned countries like Sri Lanka, the moral authority of the United Nations and its Charter and the international accountability it entails are important bulwarks of our security and independence.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“What is particularly tragic is the in this situation to the international consensus that would bring independence for Namibia - Security Council resolution 435 (1978) - has not been Implemented. South Africa's strategy to buy time has prevented freedom for Namibia. The obstacle to Namibian independence remains South Africa's intransigence. The courageous struggle of the people of Namibia, under the leadership of the South West Africa people's Organization (SWAPO) must reach its inevitable conclusion/ and the international community must hasten this process. Beyond South Africa and Namibia, apartheid has spawned unbearable horrors on the front-line States, such as the massacre of civilians in Mozambique earlier this year.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Racial bigotry that has been cynically institutionalised and piously justified in the system of apartheid displays the worst in man. What inspires us in this otherwise bleak situation is the spirit and determination of the majority people of South Africa to resist oppression, to endure suffering and overcome subjugation. Repression has only strengthened their resistance and reinforced their drive for freedom and majority rule. Comprehensive mandatory sanctions are internationally accepted as the most effective means to dismantle the ugly system of apartheid. Sri Lanka reiterates the call for the release of Nelson Mandela and others so that they can be brought into the mainstream of political life. Apartheid has also kept Namibia captive.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Sri Lanka supports the desire of the Korean people to reunify their homeland peacefully, through direct dialogue, without foreign interference and in conformity with the principles of the North-South Statement of 4 July 1972. Foreign troops have occupied a portion of the Republic of Cyprus, bringing about a de facto division of the island and exacerbating the internal issues concerning the relationship between the two communities in the Republic of Sri Lanka fully supports the call of the Heads of State of the Non-Aligned Movement for the immediate withdrawal of all occupation forces as an essential basis for the solution of the Cyprus problem. The situation in South Africa offers a curious mix of the best and the worst in human endeavour.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The international community must appreciate the wishes of the Governments of this region and respect their desire to develop their societies politically and economically in accordance with the aspirations of their peoples. Closer home, the situation in South-East Asia has been adversely affected by developments in Kampuchea. South-West Asia likewise has been affected by developments in Afghanistan. In both situations, Sri Lanka has consistently called for the withdrawal of foreign troops and affirmed the right of the peoples in the respective countries to resolve their problems and determine their political destiny without outside interference, pressures, subversion or coercion.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)