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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“The North, though ostensibly the beneficiary of this system is still grounded by the malaise of inflation, economic stagnation and recession—problems that were supposed to be endemic only to the South—so a restructuring of the economic structure will benefit the North as much as it will benefit the South. 60. The attempt to restructure the present economic order should not be approached with slogans or threats of deprivation. That will yield nothing but a lot of hot air. Hot air will not satisfy hunger in the South, nor will it strengthen the shrinking dollar. The situation must be approached in terms of co-operation, not confrontation. 61. The restructuring of the present economic order is a formidable task. It is not one that can be approached without preparation and rethinking by both the North and the South.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It is against this background that I wish to state the urgent need for a resumption of the North-South dialogue in a meaningful manner. The first phase of the North-South dialogue has come to an end, and, while it is neither fair nor accurate to call that phase a total failure, it has produced little but despair in the South and aloofness in the North. 57. In the first phase of the North-South dialogue some new slogans came into being. Slogans hamper progress, as they give rise to a situation of confrontation, which is of no use to either side. 58. It is clear beyond doubt that the existing economic order is both outdated and lop-sided; it is inequitable and unsatisfying, to both the North and the South. 59.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Borders and boundaries seem to pose a challenge to international security and stability. Jockeying for power and position has never been so subtle and scientific. To add to all this, the explosive potential of economic imbalance and paradox is perhaps far greater than has been realized or conceded. 55. The poor, the hungry, the undernourished and the unemployed need immediate relief. We cannot ignore their interests. In human terms, their interests are at the very core of our concerns, because for politicians to lose their sense of humanity is for them to lose the very reason for their existence. In political terms, similarly, their interests are paramount because the continuance of desperation and frustration must eventually raise tensions and hopelessness to the point at which only a violent release is possible. 56.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“There are several enemies: want, hunger, disease, enmity, environmental pollution, unemployment, the waste of precious resources on destructive armaments, inflation—all lurking behind the fact of international paradox. And, just as the enemy is manifold, so too are the results of its activities, which strike rich and poor nations alike. 54. There is a certain pessimism in the air about the inability of the world community to resolve disputes that have now become almost a permanent feature of international life. I do not fully share that pessimism because I believe that in our times we must find solutions to these issues. When I say that, I am not unmindful of the conflicts and confrontations that seem to surface day by day. There is a fresh wave of unrest, suspicion and tension sweeping across the continents.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“My appeal to representatives today is that all of us accept the third option and strive relentlessly to improve the human condition and not just reduce it to a jumble of platitudes. 53. This is particularly applicable at a time when the North and the South do not seem to know precisely how to get moving again in their faltering efforts at togetherness. The reason for this diffidence is understandable. A common struggle is simpler to mount when a discernible common enemy can be identified, attacked and eliminated. The campaign is more difficult when the enemy cannot easily be identified. Who, for instance, can draw a route map leading straight to the source of monetary imbalance? In fact, the enemy we face today is not a single enemy.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“And if today's politically independent nation-States find themselves in economic disarray that, too, is partly the result of another international paradox: the survival of economic domination despite their political freedom. 52. These paradoxes can be viewed from an esoteric perspective, providing hours and days of delight to academics and pundits who pile libraries high and deep with sophisticated but unfeeling descriptions and analyses of the human condition. They can, on the other hand, be set against a background of political confrontation, or, to put it differently, in a perspective of "we" and "they". Neither approach is helpful. There is a third option, however: that of seeing the situation in human terms and attempting to remedy it, also in human terms.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Cynics sometimes say that decolonization has actually unleashed acute problems and disorder in newly independent States. This argument, in fact, is sometimes used to justify the existence of a few racist and colonial redoubts in the world today. The existence of these pockets of outmoded political forms is in itself a paradox. Yes, these pockets must go. 51. In our times there cannot be, and should not be, one man un-free or one inch of land occupied by an aggressor or colonial Power, whether in the Middle East, in southern Africa or in any other part of the world. Quenching the thirst for freedom is more essential and more satisfying than accepting some artificial form of order superimposed by the might of a distant metropolitan Power.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“A scholar has calculated that on the eve of the Second World War some 80 per cent of the world's land mass and 75 per cent of the world's population was in one way or another actually under the control of colonial Powers. Let us not quibble over figures. The facts of the colonial period are too much a part of history to need debate. In the same way, the facts of decolonization are beyond dispute. 50. From the late 1940s, when India and Sri Lanka became independent, to the 1970s the world has seen the rapid dismantling of empires, Over a hundred nation-States took, their places in the family of man, and we need not wait for history to assure us that the role and influence of the United Nations and the non-aligned movement in this process were strong and decisive.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The stark fact is that within whatever form of society one may live, the wonders and successes of the scientific age leave large segments of the population untouched. 49. In political terms, ours is considered the age of decolonization, and rightly so. In the nineteenth century, the greater part of the world's land mass and of its peoples was drawn into the fold of imperial hegemony. That was the extent of colonialism in formal terms, with unequal treaties signed and large areas of patrimony ceded. In less formal arrangements, where colonial power was exercised without a permanent colonial presence, the extent of subjugation was wider and deeper.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Building technology has progressed to the point where a prefabricated apartment can be assembled in slightly over 30 minutes. New strains of miracle cereal have produced undreamed-of increases in the world's food production. 48. Yet the numbers of human beings who are hungry, malnourished, inadequately housed and poor are counted not in hundreds or in thousands, but in millions. Even more paradoxical, the very societies that nurture millionaires, fast cars, streamlined hospitals and opulent housing are at the same time the scene of sky-scraping living costs, galloping inflation and explosive unemployment. Forget the labels of the North and the South, forget the labels of East and West.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“For instance, ours is widely described as the scientific age, an age in which the wonders of science and its handmaiden, technology, are considered capable of solving almost any given human problem. Unfortunately, however, the advantages of the scientific age are not universally felt, as speakers at the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, held at Vienna from 20 to 31 August, rightly pointed out. The result is a paradoxical mixture of success and failure, of imbalance side by side with growth. Man glories in his conquest of outer space, and in the excitement of successful journeys to the moon. Today's medical technology enables a medical technician to complete simultaneous tests on a single sample of blood.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“During the past two and a half years, it has been my privilege as Chairman of the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries to visit many countries and to discuss international affairs and international strategy with a wide range of the world's political leadership. The overriding impression I have gathered during those discussions and inquiries is that of an international paradox, the coexistence of hope and despair; achievement and stagnation; precept and reluctance to practice it. The result is a reeling of disharmony—a sense of unfulfilled obligation, of unfulfilled expectation. This is true of almost any aspect of human endeavour in our times. 47.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We are happy to report to this Assembly, two-thirds of whose membership is drawn from the non-aligned movement, that Sri Lanka has been able to uphold that sacred trust deposited with us by the membership of the movement and to hand it over at the expiration of our office, as my President, His Excellency J. R. Jayewardene, the out-going Chairman, said in his address at Havana, "un-tarnished and undiluted". 45. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all for the support that had been rendered us to ensure that Sri Lanka carried out its responsibilities in the most constructive manner. We wish the new Chairman, the Re-public of Cuba, every success. 46.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“During the three years of our stewardship, the movement faced many challenges, and some of those challenges threatened the very foundation of the movement, but Sri Lanka is proud that we were able to keep the unity of the movement intact in the face of serious bilateral disputes that arose within the membership. 44. When Sri Lanka assumed the chairmanship in 1976 there were 86 members, and on the threshold of our handing over the movement after three years the membership had grown to 96. This is also a paradox, because every time we met the prophets of doom predicted that it would be the last time we would be meeting. Today, the movement is a dynamic factor in the conduct of international affairs. It has become the un-challenged, the uncontested and the unquestioned official spokesman of the people of the third world.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I make my comments in the hope that the full potential of the United Nations can be realized within our lifetime in the various aspects of human effort that add up to the sum total of human life. The political, social and economic aspects of human life are all part of our Organization's responsibilities, and they all deserve equal attention. They require attention, moreover, in a practical down-to-earth manner, devoid of polemics, rhetoric and sterile theorizing. 43. As representatives here are aware, it was Sri Lanka's pride and privilege to be the Chairman of the non-aligned movement for the last three years—an office that we handed over to the Republic of Cuba only two weeks ago.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“If the only purpose served by our annual visits here is to participate in a mind-broadening exercise, then the General Assembly, and indeed the United Nations as a whole, is achieving considerably less than its founding fathers intended. 41. My comments should not be mistaken for carping criticism. I speak as a fervent believer in the United Nations, as one who is convinced that, at this time in the history of mankind, if the United Nations did not exist we would very soon be going about the task of setting it up. I speak, moreover, as the Foreign Minister of a country whose foreign policy has consistently emphasized the need to respect, strengthen, and work within the ambit of, the United Nations. 42. I make my comments in this spirit.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The growth of the membership of this Organization underscores its universality, which is an objective set forth in the Charter itself and without which the authority and effectiveness of our Organization would be seriously eroded. 40. Those of us who make the annual pilgrimage to the opening session of the General Assembly must have all realized by now that our journeys are in grave danger of turning into a kind of political tourism. For a long time, pamphlet writers have assured their readers that travel broadens the mind. Perhaps it does. On the other hand, I should like to think that those of us who are entrusted with the task of formulating and implementing the foreign policies of our respective countries were endowed with this responsibility because we had already showed more than passing familiarity with the affairs of the world.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Our gratitude is due to him and is offered in full measure. 38. Previous speakers have commented on the continued assistance the international community has received from our Secretary-General. Let me reinforce those comments, on behalf of my Government and myself. Mr. Waldheim's erudition, his willingness and ability to hold the balance between contending parties and his calmness under the most difficult circumstances are widely recognized. We admire and appreciate his efforts to strengthen the role of the United Nations in world affairs and we pledge our continued cooperation. 39. It is with pleasure and pride, too, that Sri Lanka welcomes Saint Lucia as a Member of this Organization.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We are aware of your outstanding contribution to the success of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and we are confident that you will bring the same skills and dedication to bear on the proceedings of the General Assembly. Your election as President at a comparatively early age adds to the distinction. 37. Allow me to pay a tribute as well to my friend and distinguished colleague, our outgoing President. I need hardly recall that he presided over the work of the General Assembly at a trying period in the history of this Organization. He acted with firmness and fairness, contributing decisively and effectively to the conduct of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I should like to begin by offering my congratulations and felicitations to you, Mr. President, on behalf of my delegation, on your election to the high office of President of the thirty- fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly. Our two countries, Mr. President, share a common historical tradition, although we inhabit different continents. Together, our nations have contributed to the growth or African-Asian solidarity, on which the structure of the non-aligned movement was built. We are fellow-members of the Commonwealth. More intimately, we have had occasion to appreciate your sense of internationalism, your judgement and your unflinching commitment to the cause of peace and harmony, both in this august Assembly and in the working bodies of the non-aligned movement.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Not to do so would be a shameful betrayal of the mandate given to us by our people. It is in this spirit that I, coming as I do from a democratic socialist country, Sri Lanka, which is both a small and a developing nation, have placed before you some thoughts on how we in Sri Lanka see the present state of international development.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Why is it then that we persist in this exercise? Why is it that we continue to make these statements, adding to the enormous volume of paper that is already produced by the United Nations? 163. I wish to say, in all humility and modesty, that for us the small nations, the weaker nations, the poor nations, the United Nations General Assembly represents a unique forum. It is a forum where what we say echoes throughout the world. We speak here in the hope that some of our words may get through, so that the hopes and aspirations of the men, women and children of third-world countries will register in the consciousness of the leaders of the world. We are here because our people have sent us here. We speak here to articulate the problems, hopes and fears of our people.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“And we hope that the deep concern expressed at the break-down of the work of the Committee will give impetus to the search for a mutually acceptable and productive basis for the continuation of its work. 162. This is the second occasion I have had to address this distinguished gathering in my capacity as Foreign Minister. I must admit to knowledge of the existence of a growing body of cynical opinion which views the statements made by Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the United Nations as a ritualistic exercise. We arrive here every year; we say what we have to say, and we disperse. The words we utter do not, and indeed cannot, change the course of international events. More importantly for us in the poorer countries, the words we speak do not accelerate the development process in our countries.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We are disappointed that the Committee has not been able to perform the functions that were entrusted to it. Great concern has been expressed by representatives of third world over this break-down in the work of the Committee. At the same time, we note that those countries that had certain problems or difficulties regarding the work and mandate of the Committee have expressed a sincere desire to find a method whereby the Committee could resume its work. 161. We reiterate our firm belief that dialogue and negotiations on the New International Economic Order should take place within the United Nations system and that the Committee should be in a position to enter into negotiations.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Without in any way prejudicing the common fund, Sri Lanka has proposed to the non-aligned countries the creation of a better co-ordinated information system with regard to trends in prices and supplies of at least those key commodities which bulk large in international trade. The proposal has already been earmarked for study by a group of non-aligned countries, and we hope that it will gain the attention of the Assembly at this present session. 160. Much has been said in this forum about the New International Economic Order. The General Assembly at its last session set up the Committee Established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174, otherwise known as the Committee of the Whole, where the dialogue and negotiations on the New International Economic Order could take place.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We are encouraged by recent expressions of positive views made by several developed countries, .particularly at the last Development Committee meeting in Washington concerning the common fund, and we would naturally welcome the establishment of that fund on a generally agreed basis, without driving the developing countries to establish a fund through the mobilization of their own resources.. 20 Group of Experts on Mineral and Energy Exploration in Developing Countries. 21 United Nations Negotiating Conference on a Common Fund under the Integrated Programme for Commodities. 159.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The lessening of exploration risks resulting from such a multilateral fund could, in turn, permit the negotiation of better terms between countries and investors in the development phase. Directly within the ambit of the activities of UNDP are the group's suggestions for the improvement of facilities and coverage of the United Nations Revolving Fund for Natural Resources and I would urge the General Assembly's endorsement of both sets of proposals. 158. The vexed question of the common fund has still not been resolved except in so far as a commitment to principle is concerned. We therefore attach' the greatest importance to a successful conclusion of the meeting21 now scheduled for 14 November this year.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The report of the expert group20 which resulted points out, for example, that on certain assumptions the financing requirements for the exploration of petroleum between now and 1990 could be in the range of $US 12 to 25 billion in the oil-importing developing countries alone [see A/.33/256, para. 10]. 157. A wide range of mutual interests could be served by a suitably devised multilateral financing mechanism-estimated by the expert group to require' at least $US 500 million [ibid., annex, para. 83] —that would go into areas of further exploration and wildcat drilling which have been a traditional preserve of multinational corporations. It would also continue to provide an expanding export market for oil-exporting developing countries.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Modifications of this proposal are possible and desirable with respect to both the amounts and the terms of the finance to be raised. It is, moreover, an open question how far the desired expansionary impact of the proposal on the world economy can be adequately achieved if it is tied too rigidly to project finance. The decision of the IMF Interim Committee of the Board of Governors on the International Monetary System last week to allocate 4 billion special drawing rights in each of the next three years—that is from 1979 to 1981—is welcome in the present context. 156. This same broad objective—namely, the development of the relevant degree of mutuality of interest within the international community—was the intent of my remarks last year on the question of natural resources exploration.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“As it happens, not long after the relevant resolution was passed in the United Nations General Assembly [resolution 32/176], there was presented to the Intergovernmental Group of 24 on International Monetary Affairs at its meeting on 28 April this year in Mexico a proposal for a long-term recycling facility to 19 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-second Session, Plenary Meetings, 12th meeting, paras. 1-36. finance purchases of capital goods by developing countries. That proposal was also placed on the agenda of the relevant United Nations expert group, as well as on that of the Development Committee of IMF and IBRD. Unfortunately, the United Nations expert group was unable to devote sufficient attention to the proposal. 155.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It was with a view to exploring ways and means of enhancing, diversifying and making more stable the long-term flows of investment funds that, in my address to this Assembly last year, I suggested possibilities for action in two areas: first, better facilities for exploration for natural resources, including petroleum; secondly, the diversification of investment channels that will become possible through a revival of the idea of multilateral investment insurance or reinsurance mechanisms and other forms of guarantee facilities. Their total impact would be expected better to utilize global excess capacities.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It has been accepted, for example, for quite some time now that, in the absence of mechanisms for recycling the balance-of-payments surpluses warranted by the world's economic potential, actual growth must inevitably be well below capacity. In a sense, the relative degree of ease with which the international banking system has so far coped with the recycling problem of recent years has distracted attention from more durable attempts to translate short-term liquidity into long-term investment. 154.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Meanwhile, in the absence of purposeful action on the kinds of interrelated issues discussed at the Conference on International Economic Co-operation, the world economy has continued to stagnate. Unemployment in the member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is in excess of 17 million. The defensive reflex action of each developed country to raise prevailing levels of protection can only deprive developing countries of access to markets. The collective effect of such action can only result in the worsening of stagnation. If, in addition, international credit becomes curtailed, then the world as a whole is bound to face unprecedented levels of unemployment. 153. Yet it is not difficult to see areas of mutual interest common to developing and developed countries alike.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Our participation in the World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, held in Geneva in August this year, was based on the premise that human rights, like peace, are indivisible. We support an integral and comprehensive approach to the question of human rights, which must be viewed in the national, social and economic context. 151. The insignificant progress in the negotiations for the New International Economic Order has been very clearly brought out in the Belgrade Declaration adopted by the non-aligned Foreign Ministers. The one body that sought to negotiate a package deal encompassing the principal issues at stake-namely, the Conference on International Economic Co-operation—ended in miserable failure. 152.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We call for the effective implementation of United Nations resolutions which call for respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus and non-interference in its internal affairs. 149. We are greatly disturbed by the recent developments in Lebanon, which is a member of the non-aligned movement. Therefore I wish to make an appeal on humanitarian grounds: I appeal for an immediate cease-fire and urge that no party involved should attack civilian targets, but should allow the supply of food to the sick and the wounded and to the civilian population. 150. A special word on human rights, which figure so prominently in the Belgrade Declaration, is relevant. Sri Lanka stands resolutely on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We earnestly hope for an end to the inhuman practice of apartheid and await the day when majority African rule is a reality in South Africa. The true course of history cannot be diverted. The just cause of the African people must triumph. It is surprising that we still have among us those of whom it may be said that they have eyes but see not and ears but "hear not. 147. The tragic irony is that these minority racist regimes refuse to see their inevitable end. They seek instead to perpetuate themselves. By doing so, what do they hope to gain? How long can they cling on? Their stay is temporary. We salute the courageous nationalist forces in those countries for their heroic struggle; they are not far from their goals. 148. I Would be failing in my duty if I did not refer to the situation in Cyprus.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“With regard to the Declaration on the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace [resolution 2832 (XXVI)], Sri Lanka is glad to note that the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean is recommending to the General Assembly that a meeting of the littoral and hinterland States be held in New York, from 2 to 13 July next year [see resolution 32/86], We believe that the next step should be the early convening of a conference. 146. The attention of the world is focused now on the great continent of Africa. The final phase of the struggle of the African people against colonialism and minority racist domination has gathered momentum. We look forward to the total elimination of colonialism and racism from Namibia and Zimbabwe.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“With regard to the Middle East, we are disappointed that all our efforts so far have failed to ensure the return of all occupied territory and the restitution of the inalienable national rights on the Palestinian people. 144. We are aware of the developments that have taken place with regard to the Middle East question since the Belgrade Conference. Those developments have now become the subject of serious study by Member States and by members of the non-aligned movement. However, we wish to reiterate our position, which has been made clear in this forum and elsewhere. It is our view that the solution to the Middle East question should be in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the decisions of the non-aligned movement. 145.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“These principles and objectives constitute the framework for a new world political and economic order which the non-aligned seek to usher in. They are the principles of self-determination, independence and the equality of nation States, freedom from all forms of domination and pressure, international peace and justice, and mutually beneficial co-operation. These principles will ensure the creation of conditions for all nations to live in dignity and prosperity. 142. These principles are not merely of academic value, for their application, be it to the situation in Africa, that in the Middle East or that in the Indian Ocean, is clearly evident in the Belgrade Declaration. They are non-aligned positions which the Government of Sri Lanka endorses. 143.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We believe that the era of an international system based on unequal exchange is over. The fact that so many nations of the world belong to the non-aligned movement and the desire on the part of newly liberated countries to join the movement are ample testimony to the validity of the principles of the movement. It is also significant that no member of the non-aligned movement has expressed a desire to leave the movement. 141. The non-aligned movement has never pretended to be a solid monolith. Indeed, we have specifically rejected the idea of a bloc. Two thirds of the world's countries and peoples belong to the non-aligned movement, and we go forward to the Sixth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, to be held in Havana in 1979, confident of the future.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Sri Lanka is proud that at this crucial juncture of the history of non-alignment the responsibility was placed on it to be Chairman of the movement. We are dedicated to the course of strict non-alignment. I referred earlier to the non-aligned movement's initiative on holding a special session on disarmament. This is one of the many achievements that the non-aligned group of nations has recorded in its history. We look forward to greater achievements. Our aims are in complete harmony with the aims of the United Nations, and indeed the efforts of the non-aligned strengthen the role of the United Nations. We seek to democratize the decision-making process in international affairs. The non-aligned movement stands resolutely for a system of complete equality and justice in all spheres.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We recognized that those attempts to challenge the unity and progress of the movement stemmed from a fundamental recognition that the movement has grown into a formidable factor on the international scene. 139. What the 87 nations achieved in Belgrade represented a major reaffirmation of the fundamental principles of non-alignment and the basic unity of the non-aligned countries in their commitment to those principles. The non-aligned movement was not diverted by bilateral disputes that had unfortunately arisen among them. The Belgrade Declaration [A/33/306, annex I] stands, therefore, as a remarkable and courageous document. We stand united for a new system of international relations based on true independence and non-interference in internal affairs and for equality and justice in relationships among countries. 140.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We support the OAU position on Zimbabwe and Namibia, and we look forward to the day when the Patriotic Front in Zimbabwe and SWAPO in Namibia will, as the true representatives of their people, enjoy their right to govern their countries. We welcome, in this connexion, the admission of SWAPO to full membership in the non-aligned movement. 138. Later in July this year 87 non-aligned nations, all of which are Members of the United Nations, met in Belgrade at the Foreign Minister level. It was a Conference that was preceded by a considerable amount of adverse publicity. That publicity highlighted bilateral differences among the non-aligned members in an attempt to create the impression of disunity and disarray. As the Chairman of the non-aligned movement, Sri Lanka viewed those assessments with great concern.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“We hail the success of the OAU Assembly and applaud its conclusions [see A/331235 and Corr.1] as a sharp rejection of the beginning of a new scramble for Africa. The African position on the questions of colonialism, apartheid and racism emerged united and unshakable. The leadership given by that meeting to the peoples of Africa constitutes a firm determination to keep foreign intervention outside the African continent. We admire the resolution of African problems by the Africans themselves, as symbolized in the proposals made for the solution of the Western Sahara question and for the normalization of relations between Angola and Zaire.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“In a special appeal to all Heads of State or Government, our President sought their support for the creation of a world disarmament authority within the United Nations system.18 We hope that that proposal and the many others that were laid before the special session will receive the serious consideration of those who have been entrusted with the task of studying this problem. We feel that the conscience of mankind has now been stirred to a point where it is realized that practical and urgent steps must be taken to curb the threat that armaments pose to mankind. 137. Two months ago the largest single regional group of both the United Nations and the non-aligned movement met in Khartoum.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“However, we feel it has opened the way to a serious examination of the problem and to the adoption of practical measures that could help in realizing the ultimate goal of general and complete disarmament under effective international control. 135. The special session has also made possible the reform of the machinery for accelerating the process of disarmament. We welcome the revival of the United Nations Disarmament Commission and the reconstitution of the Committee on Disarmament, of which Sri Lanka is one of the new members. In both bodies we shall contribute whatever is within our capacity to help the advancement of the cause of disarmament. 136. Sri Lanka's concern over the problem of the arms race and the threat it poses to mankind has been expressed by the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency J.R. Jayewardene.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Year after year we have in this Assembly discussed the threat to peace that arises from the arms race and the qualitative and quantitative escalation of armaments. We met in this Assembly last May in the tenth special session to discuss the question of disarmament, the problem of greatest concern for the future of all mankind. The reactions to the results of that special session have been many and varied. Sri Lanka, together with the other non-aligned countries, had agitated for the special session, and Sri Lanka had the privilege of introducing, on behalf of the non-aligned countries, the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the special session [resolution 32/88J. The results of the special session have only partially satisfied us.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“There was the tenth special session, devoted to disarmament, in May of this year; the fifteenth ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity [OAU], in Khartoum in July, the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries, in Belgrade, also in July; and, finally, the World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, in Geneva in August. 133. To my mind, those four Conferences symbolize the genuine efforts of the third-world countries to restructure the world political order,, No doubt it will take more conferences before we see the reality of a new international society. But we have come a long way from the time when the voice of the third world was unheard, unnoticed and unheeded. 134.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Detente, in our view, means the acceptance of peaceful coexistence, not just in limited areas of the world for limited periods by a limited, number of countries, but throughout the whole universe in which we live. We believe that detente should not be overthrown; and we believe that it cannot survive by being limited to particular areas or particular groupings. 132. Looking back at the momentous events of the past year I see four international conferences as being of vital political importance to those of us who belong to the third world.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The agenda that will occupy the General Assembly at this session includes the issues that are of major concern to the international family. For several years mankind had, after bitter experience, worked out arrangements in various stages for the stabilization of peace. Those efforts gave rise to an improvement in the environment of international relations. However, in recent months we have been unwilling witnesses to a deterioration in this climate. The period of detente witnessed some relaxation of tensions, but now detente seems to be threatened. The question is therefore legitimately asked, Are we returning to another cold-war era? We hesitate to answer in the affirmative. It is our hope that this interruption in the relaxation of tensions we are witnessing is only a temporary one.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)