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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“But the United Nations remains mankind's best hope as we seek to bridge the distance in understanding between the nations and peoples of the world.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Man has delved into the depths of the ocean and stretched human horizons to the far reaches of outer space. Man has walked on the moon. Distance and space have been conquered. The concept of the global village is practically a reality. But if science and communications have shrunk distances and provided the physical means of bringing people to one another at speeds unthinkable four decades ago, it is a sad commentary on our times that nations and peoples must nevertheless feel so apart from each other in political and economic terms. Nations and peoples seem to get further from one another, even as science has brought them closer in physical terms. The United Nations is no world government: we are all independent States.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka's own views have been conveyed to the Secretary-General, including our views on the need for increased regional co-operation in dealing with this menace. Only a concerted international effort could control, let alone eliminate, international terrorism. Unless the international community takes urgent practical action, the very values that this Organization holds dear will be in grave peril. During the 40 years of the United Nations existence, the world has witnessed 140-odd conflicts, with an estimated human toll of 20 million lives. It is nevertheless a tribute to our political leaders that a major global confrontation has been avoided. Scientific and technological developments have advanced far beyond what was considered possible 40 years ago.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“That group carries out its operations through the concealed land-mine, the sudden bomb and the hidden assassin's gun. With the assistance and co-operation of friendly countries, the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency J.R. Jayewardene, is continuing his efforts to achieve a political settlement. It is our earnest hope that these initiatives will lead to the resolution of the problem. Terrorism is not confined to Sri Lanka alone. International terrorism presents a challenge to all civilized life and values. International terrorism has established an unholy alliance with the illicit international trade in narcotics and with other criminal activities. This year the General Assembly will have before it for consideration and action the report of the Secretary-General on measures to prevent international terrorism.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka's own position on that exercise has been conveyed to the Secretary-General. We strongly favor the establishment of an ad hoc committee at the United Nations to help clarify the issues involved without dismantling the present Treaty System. Permit me in conclusion to volunteer a few remarks on developments in Sri Lanka, about which so much has been written. Sri Lanka is an integrated multi-communal, multi-linguistic and multi-religious nation with a unitary Constitution. Certain strains have developed between one ethnic minority and other communities. As a practicing democracy, the Government of Sri Lanka is totally dedicated to a negotiated political settlement. But a small group of terrorists have launched a gruesome campaign of death and destruction and have rejected the democratic process.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is our hope that all preparatory work for the Conference can be completed to enable the convening of the Conference with the participation of all permanent members of the Security Council, the major maritime users and the regional States. We convened the First Conference on Co-operation in Marine Affairs in Colombo in July of this year. That Conference was born of the conviction that regional co-operation was the best means of realizing the potential of the rich resources of the Indian Ocean for the development of the region. It is expected that a policy-level conference will take place in Colombo next year further to develop the achievements of the meetings held this year. The General Assembly will this year continue its consideration of the Antarctic Treaty System.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We support the non-aligned initiative for the convening at an appropriate time of the third special session on disarmament as the challenging means of reaching a consensus on concrete and practical measures on disarmament and of revitalizing the multilateral process. In our own region of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, with other non-aligned countries, has striven for a vital measure of disarmament - the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a zone of Peace. The Indian Ocean States have already, in 1979, accepted seven principles of agreement for the implementation of the Declaration. The United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean has worked towards the convening of a conference on the Indian Ocean to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, next year.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We are also happy to note that the Conference on Disarmament has for the first time set up an Ad Hoc Committee to commence work on the question of the prevention of an arms race in outer space, an initiative in which Sri Lanka took an active part both in this Assembly and at the Conference. We are encouraged by the agreements embodied in the Final Document of the Third Review Conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which concluded last week. We hope for their early implementation, and in particular for a positive response to the call on the three depositary States and the other nuclear Powers to commence early negotiations for a comprehensive test ban. We should therefore rededicate ourselves to multilateralism in disarmament negotiations.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We earnestly hope that the forthcoming talks between the leaders of the two major Powers fill provide an impetus to building confidence between them and contribute to the over-all goals of disarmament and to the security of all nations. The need to facilitate the complementarity of bilateral and multilateral efforts towards disarmament need not be over-emphasized. We have acknowledged that in this nuclear age security through disarmament cannot be the preserve of a few. It is our view that it is the concern of the many. The report of the Conference on Disarmament to this session contains preliminary formulations of provisions o£ a future convention on chemical weapons signifying the fruits of multilateral efforts at Geneva.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka calls on all parties to co-operate with the Secretary-General in his latest initiative so that a just and lasting settlement can be achieved in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. In Central America, too, independent States face external intervention and destabilization attempts which threaten their very survival as sovereign States. Sri Lanka fully supports the noble endeavors of the Contadora Group to restore peace and stability, as well as mutual confidence, among the States in the region, irrespective of their social or political systems. Every year we deliberate and make pronouncements on the urgent need to achieve our common security through a well-charted process of disarmament. We are agreed that there is no alternative to disarmament.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In Cyprus a communal issue has been tragically exploited to justify the invasion of the Republic by foreign forces and this has led to the de facto partition of that country. External intervention cannot be justified nor can it be condoned on any grounds, even cm the grounds of concern for kindred communities in other states. Sri Lanka have consistently called for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus, and pledged respect for the country's unity, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aligned personality. The unilateral declaration of independence in 1983 by representatives of one of the two communities was illegal and should be rejected by the international community. Those unilateral measures have only rendered an eventual settlement in Cyprus more complicated and difficult.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka has always expressed its support for a political settlement that would include the withdrawal of foreign troops and guarantee full respect for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aligned status of Afghanistan and ensure scrupulous observance by all States of the principles of non-intervention and non-interference in its internal affairs. Sri Lanka supports the desire of the Korean people to reunify their homeland peacefully, through direct dialog, without foreign inference and in conformity with the principles of the North-south statement of 4 July 1972. In the meantime, it may be prudent to examine whether the process of reunification would be expedited if the principle of the universality of membership of the United Nations were extended to the Korean people.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka supports all efforts aimed at a comprehensive political solution which would lead to the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Kampuchea. This step is vital to the restoration of normalcy and the creation of a climate of confidence and understanding in South-East Asia. Tension looms large in South-west Asia because of the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan. We have carefully watched the constructive efforts made by the Secretary-General to find a political solution. We hope that an early solution will be found that will enable the Afghan refugees to return to their homes in safety and honor.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Sri Lanka declares its solidarity with the Government and people of Lebanon, we call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon and reaffirm our full support for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. Sri Lanka is gravely concerned over the tragic continuation of the conflict between Iran and Iraq, two fellow non-aligned States with whom we enjoy excellent relations. It is our fervent hope that bilateral and multilateral efforts at a settlement of this wasteful war will bear fruit and that a solution acceptable to both parties will be found soon. In South-East Asia the presence of foreign troops in Kampuchea has hampered the development of mutual confidence and good relations among the States of the region.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“This Peace Plan has been reaffirmed at the Extraordinary Summit Meeting held in Casablanca in August this year. Sri Lanka has consistently taken the position that Israel must withdraw from all occupied Arab and Palestinian territories. Israel must dismantle the illegal settlements it has set up in the occupied territories. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, must be a party to any negotiation that would lead to a settlement of the Middle East question. The agony of Lebanon is not an isolated phenomenon, but a pact of the Middle East question.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Similarly the essential prerequisites for a settlement of the cluster of issues in the Middle East are not difficult to identify. The States of the region cannot expect to live in peace and security until the central factor of regional instability, the core of the Middle East problem, the question of Palestine, is faced squarely and solved justly. The inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people must be restored, including the right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland in safety, their right to self-determination and their right to establish an independent sovereign State without external interference or coercion. Sri Lanka expresses support for the Arab Peace Plan adopted at the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference held in Fez in 1982.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The same forces which animate and sustain the South African regime hold Namibia in captivity. Namibia is clearly a colonial issue. It is twisted and needlessly complicated and linked to extraneous issues. Independence for Namibia has nothing to do with East-West rivalry. It has nothing to do with the dispute between conflicting ideologies nor with the question of Cuban troops in Angola. Resolution 435 (1978) remains the charter for Namibia's independence. This is a comprehensive blueprint for Namibian independence. It has been accepted by all parties concerned, including the South west Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). To prolong the agony of Namibia is to court more bloodshed and suffering and to devalue the credibility and standing of this very Organization.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“More and more countries are moving to take measures and sanctions to express in practical terms their repugnance of the present regime and the system it maintains. The non-aligned States and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) have maintained a consistent opposition to apartheid. This growing international trend will continue to gather momentum until eventually the entire structure of apartheid is brought down. The dismantling of apartheid would be expedited if those possessing the powers of persuasion and pressure over the South African regime intervened without any further delay and halted the further hemorrhage of the African nation. Action under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter could bring an end to apartheid and the injustice and human suffering it causes in South Africa.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The prospects of an international economic order based on equity, justice and co-operation seem to be far off. As we gather at the united Nations for this annual collective survey of the world situation, tumultuous events are unfolding in South Africa. That country's turmoil has rarely been so intense and widespread as it has been in the last few months. The repressive acts of the white minority regime have been extended to affect even little children. But the resistance and determination of the people of Africa to be free has not been shaken by the severity of the measures that have been imposed,, Day by day international opinion is being awakened into a realization of the moral and physical atrocities of apartheid.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We can render this fortieth session more than symbolic if we seize the potential for peace and build on those areas where results appear possible. History, as Arnold Toynbee often saw it, is a succession of challenges and responses, and it is the solemn duty of the international community to respond to these challenges to enable the construction and maintenance of a fair and just society. The promise of economic co-operation on a global scale has been turned down by those who have the economic muscle. Unilateralism and myopic economic competition seem to be the order of the day. The negotiating tables for the restructuring of international economic relations stand bare and unattended. The microphones of dialog have been abruptly stilled.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“On behalf of the people and the Government of Sri Lanka, let me express our profound grief at the heavy toll in human and material terms claimed by the earthquakes which tragically struck Mexico last week. Our hearts reach out to the Government and the people of Mexico at this hour in their heroic endeavors towards rescue, recovery and rehabilitation. The session on which we have embarked is important, not only because it marks 40 years in the life of the United Nations, but also because the current international situation holds prospects for a decisive breakthrough in questions which had seemed intractable in the past. It is our view that no situation is completely bereft of hope; no issue is so bleak to be incapable of solution.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“At the outset, let me congratulate Ambassador de Piniés on his well-deserved election as President of this historic fortieth session of the united Nations General Assembly. His long and varied association with the United Nations and its system, as well as his reputation as one of Spain's most experienced diplomats, is well known. Sri Lanka has excellent relations with Spain and, on behalf of my delegation, I assure him of our fullest support and co-operation in the tasks ahead. Our appreciation is due in large measure to Ambassador Paul Lusaka of Zambia, who during the thirty-ninth session demonstrated rare diplomatic skills and capabilities in preparing the way for this fortieth session.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We must therefore guard against a sense of resignation, which would lead either to despair and apathy, on the one hand, or to an aggressive and callous pursuit of narrow interests, on the other. Both extremes are dangerous. 308. Recently, the Secretary-General described the option before us as between unilateralism and multilateralism. The United Nations is composed of 159 independent nations, each with definite commitments to its people. In exploiting the full potential of this great Assembly for building greater global harmony and understanding, we should ensure that all States, irrespective of differences in size, economic strength and military muscle, command equal acceptance, respect and dignity in the demonstration of the Organization's will.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The United Nations, in keeping with agreed international instruments, should once more urge and, indeed, ensure that all States co-operate more closely with one another, especially through the exchange of relevant information concerning the prevention and combating of international terrorism and the conclusion of special treaties, in particular to ensure the extradition or prosecution of terrorists. We believe that the United Nations should take effective steps to establish machinery to implement agreed measures against international terrorism. 307. It has been my privilege to represent Sri Lanka at several General Assembly sessions. The perspective that presents itself at this session, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, is neither worse nor better than that of the last few years.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Last year the General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution which called on all States to fulfil their obligations under international law to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting or participating in acts of civil strife or terrorist acts in another State [resolution 38/130]. 306. The President of Sri Lanka has proposed concerted action by the international community through the United Nations to eradicate international terrorism.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“These terrorists, who constitute only a small minority within the Tamil community, direct their violent campaign not only against the majority community and security forces but also against innocent civilian members of the Tamil community who are committed to a united multiracial Sri Lanka. 304. The terrorist group finds refuge, training, sympathy and even encouragement on foreign territory, posing a rising threat of destabilization of the country. 305. Terrorism has its sordid international ramifications. International co-operation is therefore vital in dealing with and eliminating international terror-ism.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is a sad commentary on international relations that the aberrations of small States are sensationalized and blown up to massive proportions. 302. The President and the Government of Sri Lanka have been working, despite set-backs, to find a political solution to the problems we face. An all- party conference, in which the majority groups as well as the minority groups are represented, is meeting under the leadership of the President and is striving to find solutions that will meet with the acceptance of all concerned. 303. Meanwhile, motley groups of terrorists who seek to impose, through violence and terror, a separate State based on racist grounds have made the application of the democratic process much more difficult.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“There can be no contextual application of these principles, no limiting qualifications, no extenuating arguments to justify threat, pressure or subversion. These principles apply universally, be it in Sri Lanka's own area of South Asia or in the distant region of Central America. 301. Sri Lanka is a democratic, multiracial, multi-lingual, multi-religious country. We are committed to the rule of law. We respect the rights of the individual. The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or language. Historically, we have been a model of communal harmony for centuries. The communal disturbances of July of last year were therefore a tragic development in the life of our nation. Attempts have been made by certain ill-motivated parties outside Sri Lanka to pillory us and to place us permanently in the dock.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Some joined mutually exclusive military alliances; some opted for neutrality; and many committed themselves to a policy of non-alignment. In post-war times, many States have had to endure threats to their independence and freedom. It is important to note that those affected have been mainly small States: Cyprus, Kampuchea, Afghanistan. 300. It is therefore relevant in this connection to recall the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and to reiterate that the territory of no State should be permitted to be used for the preparation or commission of hostile acts against the territory of another State.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Sri Lanka has consistently supported the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aligned status of Cyprus. I should like to emphasize that no State should use its armed forces to interfere or intervene in the internal affairs of another State on any grounds. Interference and intervention on the grounds of ethnic interests and affinities with people in other States should be severely checked, in the interest of international stability. Aggression remains aggression even when wreathed in expressions of concern for the welfare of kindred racial or religious groups elsewhere. 299. In the aftermath of the Second World War, individual States, depending on differing perceptions of their defence needs, followed different strategies.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is hoped that the Contadora process will help ensure the preservation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of those States and bring stability and security to that region. 297. 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 South-North Joint Communique of 4 July 1972. 298. In regard to Cyprus, we support the endeavours of the Secretary-General to encourage meaningful intercommunal talks in order to effect a viable settlement which will bring peace to the Republic of Cyprus. No settlement is possible without the unconditional withdrawal of foreign forces from the northern section of Cyprus.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Although the respective situations in Afghanistan and Kampuchea have each a separate and distinct complex of circumstances at root, Sri Lanka believes that a just and lasting peace is not possible in either country unless it is founded on a comprehensive political solution in which the indispensable elements would be the withdrawal of foreign forces and guarantees to ensure the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the respective States. TP Secretary-General's efforts to find solutions to these questions require the full support of the international community, particularly the parties directly concerned. 296. The instability and insecurity sensed by the States of Central America cause us concern.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is our firm view that, like the PLO in Palestine, SWAPO in Namibia constitutes the van-guard of the struggle by a majority people against the tyranny of a racist minority. For Namibia, a comprehensive peace plan already exists in the form of Security Council resolution 435 (1978) but, because of the intransigence of South Africa, this remains unfulfilled. Sri Lanka rejects the linkage of extraneous issues, such as the presence of Cuban troops in Angola, with Namibian independence. 294. In South Africa itself, the apartheid regime has sought to foster so-called constitutional reforms to tighten its grip on the majority people of South Africa. Sri Lanka expresses its solidarity with the majority people of South Africa in their legitimate struggle for a non-racial democratic society in a united, non-fragmented South Africa. 295.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“These rights include the right of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland, the right of self-determination and the right to establish an independent State in Palestine. In the settlement of this question, the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, must participate in full measure and on an equal footing with other parties. Sri Lanka has been happy to host at Colombo a resident mission of the PLO with the full diplomatic status of an embassy. 292. Sri Lanka is greatly concerned about developments in Lebanon and calls for full respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon within its internationally recognised boundaries. 293.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We hope that this tragic dispute will come to a speedy end, bringing peace once more to the peoples of Iraq and Iran and security to the region. 291. The Middle East as a whole continues to be an area of tension. Numerous international gatherings held under the sponsorship of the United Nations, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference have identified the key elements of a Middle East settlement, and international consensus has been established on these elements. It is clear that the question of Palestine is the core of the Middle East question and that no just or viable settlement is possible without the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab and Palestinian territory and the restoration of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“An initiative in disarmament of special significance for Sri Lanka is the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace. The States of the Indian Ocean, the great Powers and the major maritime users of the ocean are engaged in an exercise of co-operative endeavour to convene the Conference on the Indian Ocean at Colombo next year. The Conference itself will not establish a zone of peace overnight but will chalk out the essential principles and the appropriate modalities, mechanisms and machinery for the establishment of the zone of peace. 290. One of the natural extensions of the Indian Ocean is the Gulf, where two non-aligned Islamic States with which Sri Lanka has the closest of relations, Iran and Iraq, are in conflict.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The nuclear deterrent theory, which is advanced as a means of securing peace, is being perilously maintained at constantly rising levels of armaments, increasing, rather than reducing, the threat of a global confrontation. Sri Lanka will always welcome, there-fore, any initiative to promote dialogue and negotiation on the priority questions of disarmament in order to break down dangerous barriers of doubt and suspicion, particularly between the super-Powers. 288. The oceans and the land mass of this planet have long been fouled by the contaminants of militarization. Now even man's last frontier, outer space itself, faces the ultimate pollution of the arms race. Sri Lanka hopes to continue at this thirty-ninth session an initiative pursued at the last two sessions for the prevention of an arms race in outer space. 289.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The Antarctic continent must remain free of militarization and international confrontation. The resources of that vast continent should be developed equitably, rationally and safely. Sri Lanka supports a comprehensive study of the entire Antarctic system and the establishment of an ad hoc committee for that purpose. 287. In political terms, international tension has risen and in some areas has led to situations of confrontation and conflict. Relations between the two major defence alliances have been deteriorating, and a dizzy acceleration of the arms race has been one alarming fall-out. The nuclear dimension of the armaments race bodes ill for all mankind.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“A genuine and enduring recovery of the international economy requires, in brief, a global effort. 285. Only a truly international effort within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea can ensure that the full bounty of the oceans is developed for the benefit of all mankind. The developing countries need to acquire capabilities in marine affairs, particularly in science and technology, which can be best advanced through the establishment of a well-planned and co-ordinated programme under the United Nations to operate at the global and regional levels. The Indian Ocean, which is bounded by Africa and Asia, requires special emphasis in this context. A co-operative United Nations inter-agency effort would be timely and invaluable for realizing the benefits of the new ocean regime. 286.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Otherwise, the budgets of developing countries would in turn collapse—for example, from the failure of export revenues. Countries would then be faced with an impossible choice between curtailing their development programmes, on the one hand, and, on the other, risking inflation by printing the money needed to finance their budget deficits. A second emergency requirement would be an IMF facility to meet the international debt problem. Finally, there is the need for IMF to create special drawing rights in the required measure. An irrefutable case has been made for this by numerous organizations and authorities. This gains special weight during a period when recovery in the developed countries is as delicate as it is and when inflation has declined.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It would be idle, however, to pretend that such initiatives would yield fruit in time to insulate the developing countries against the impact of any collapse of the current bout of recovery. What is required to moderate the resulting chain reaction of collapse within the third world is adequate and flexible methods of balance-of-payments financing. This can come about today only from long overdue reforms in the Bretton Woods institutions—namely, the IMF and the World Bank. There must, at a minimum, be put in place a facility that would provide unconditional and substantial-enough finance when countries experience an external shock such as a collapse of commodity prices. The facilities available today are notoriously inadequate. 284.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is our responsibility to prepare our countries for ways of coping with the eventuality of another depression. Everyone in this forum is aware of the fact of global economic interdependence; and any recession originating with the developed countries cannot fail to have damaging consequences for developing countries as well. 282. The long-term strategy surely is to strengthen economic linkage within the third world so that we become less vulnerable to disturbances emanating from economic policy failures in the developed world. A third-world bank, or bank of the South, is one solution that has been advanced, and this is currently under* negotiation within the Group of 77. 283.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“But there is every reason to believe that the recovery of the last year may not prove to be durable. 280. As a recent study of a Commonwealth expert group on the international debt problem has indicated, the recovery owes virtually everything to the build-up in the last two years of unsustainable budget deficits through expansionary policies in a single powerful economy. It is therefore inherently fragile in not being sufficiently broad-based. At the same time, the thrust of economic policy elsewhere has been profoundly recessionary. In a word, over-expansion on one side and over-restriction on the other is the combination of macro-economic policies that needs to be corrected if the current recovery is not to turn down once again into a deep depression. 281.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Sri Lanka welcomes the entry of a fellow Asian State—the State of Brunei Darussalam—to the United Nations and wishes it well. Brunei Darussalam, with its long history and traditions, its resources and its location, could play a considerable role in the life of the international community. 278. In a survey of the international landscape, both political and economic, an overall impression of bleakness is unavoidable, making the imperative of international co-operation all the more compelling. 279. In the economic sphere, the prospects of a global, co-operative approach to restructuring inter-national economic relations are dim, and economic disparities between nations have heightened. A climate of economic recovery among the developed countries will, of course, provide grounds for some optimism as regards restructuring.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“275. It is with great pleasure that I extend to you, Sir, the warm congratulations and good wishes of Sri Lanka on your unanimous election as President of the thirty-ninth session of the General Assembly. Zambia and Sri Lanka, founder members of the Movement of Non- Aligned Countries and fellow members of the Commonwealth, have enjoyed the most cordial of relations. We have admired your negotiating skill and witnessed your gentle but firm use of the gavel at many United Nations and non-aligned forums. Sri Lanka is therefore pleased that you, a distinguished son of Zambia, will guide us through this session. 276. My delegation wishes to place on record its appreciation of the admirable manner in which the outgoing President of the General Assembly, Mr. Jorge Illueca, conducted the business of the thirty- eighth session. 277.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The goals to which an individual Government dedicates itself and the manner in which it seeks to ensure for its people conditions conducive to the development of their collective national identity take place within the overall context of international relations. The international environment must therefore be one which provides adequate peace and security so that Governments may be unhindered in articulating the aspirations of their peoples. Therefore a duty lies on each of us to strive for the creation and preservation of such an environment. The Charter is the only international instrument which provides a comprehensive blueprint for the creation of such international conditions. We must therefore rededicate ourselves to the purposes and principles of the Charter, individually as well as collectively.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In short, under no circumstances can we or will we accept the division of the country. It was in reaffirmation of this that the Parliament of Sri Lanka adopted a Constitutional amendment which requires of its citizens allegiance to a unitary State. I shall conclude these remarks with the assurance that the Government of Sri Lanka will continue without reservations its efforts to restore communal harmony and to ensure for all its people the rights and guarantees which have been clearly set out in our Constitution. The Charter of the United Nations is the basic framework under which all nations must function. The principles embodied in the Charter are relevant not only to the conduct of inter-State relations but also have a vital bearing on the internal affairs of States as well.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“On the other hand, the representatives of the Tamil minority proclaim to the outside world that their civil and human rights have been violated, and therefore their answer is a separate State. Perhaps this dissatisfaction of both the majority and the minority communities is in itself evidence that the Government has been both balanced and impartial in its handling of this difficult question. I have taken much time in this narration of the background and events that have brought us to this sorry pass. But 1 cannot leave this forum without stating unreservedly that for the Government and people of Sri Lanka —and among these people I include the overwhelming number of the minorities in our population—the independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of Sri Lanka are not negotiable.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The media's desire for sensation in similar situations is not unknown, but certain non-governmental organizations, basing themselves on accounts, have sought to put Sri Lanka on trial and have depicted this unfortunate ethnic conflict as one between the Government and the Tamil people. A Government which has taken into custody over 5,000 people suspected of rioting, looting and breaking the law could hardly be accused of condoning or of being a party to this violence. No Government in independent Sri Lanka has tried harder to resolve this problem by accommodating the claims of the minority Tamil community. On the one hand, the Government has been severely criticized by the majority Sinhalese community for the efforts and concessions it has made.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Certain sections of the foreign media made the unfounded allegation that the Government itself had turned a blind eye or had even condoned this violence. The fact is that during the first three days a section of the armed services was reluctant to open fire and to enforce law and order against the rioters and looters, who claimed that they were avenging the deaths of the 13 men of the armed services. Governments in other parts of the world which have undergone similar experiences know only too well the delicate nature of such situations. In such an environment, when the administration and law-enforcement machinery hangs by a flimsy thread, one wrong move could invite only greater chaos. That President Jayewardene was able to bring such a difficult and delicate situation under control within a week has been barely acknowledged.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)