YouSaid · the spoken record

POOS

lines on the record: 313
first: 1984-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
sittings or episodes: 11
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“This will also require the continued courageous reform of its structures and working methods. We can have no lasting peace while peoples are subjected to abject poverty and famine and while they have no hope for progress towards greater justice and equality. Cooperation and trade: these are the two foci of a single policy, which must be followed. In the past few years my Government has doubled the aid it designates for development and cooperation. We are in favour of the swift conclusion of a balanced agreement in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Such an agreement can provide at the world level a new impetus to trade and economic relations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“There is an indissoluble link between respect for human rights and the promotion of democracy. Within the United Nations system this link takes concrete form in the Organization’s growing activities in the area of technical Forty-eighth session - 29 September l993 33 assistance and international supervision of electoral processes. I support the proposals by our Secretary-General to broaden these support activities to include the establishment of a free press, political parties and an independent judiciary. In this context, I welcome the decision taken by President Yeltsin to organize free elections in order to ensure democratic legitimacy for all State bodies in Russia. The United Nations must also increase its activities in the economic, social and environmental areas.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The preservation of peace and the promotion of democracy and the rule of law go hand in hand with the protection of human rights. Over the years, our Organization has succeeded in developing and progressively codifying human rights. But that is not enough; we must also see to it that these rights are better respected. The annual reports of organizations involved in the defence of human rights show that we are still far from attaining that objective. We are pleased that the Vienna Conference on Human Rights allowed encouraging progress to be made. The universality of human rights was clearly affirmed. Specific proposals were made for ensuring broader knowledge of human rights, promoting them and respecting them. It is now for this Assembly to approve those proposals, including the establishment of a High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Measures such as fact-finding missions, the use of rapid alert systems, the establishment of a rapid deployment group, and a reinforcement of the roles of regional organizations could all be very useful in preventing conflict. Once a conflict has been unleashed it requires a much more costly intervention to ensure the restoration of peace. New cooperation is developing between the United Nations and regional organizations, which will increasingly be called upon to carry out peace-keeping functions at their level or to support and supplement United Nations activities in the area of collective security. The WEU, of which my country currently holds the presidency, is in the course of defining its role in peace-keeping operations. NATO and the CSCE are doing likewise.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“I pay tribute to all those who serve the cause of peace and in particular to those who have lost their lives during these actions. We have a duty to ensure better security for personnel. Luxembourg, itself born as a modern State of an international treaty guaranteed by the Powers of the time, is particularly sensitive to the need for security and the need to preserve the peace. It has therefore contributed actively to United Nations peace-keeping operations, sending military personnel and making suitable financial contributions. My Government intends to continue this cooperation in the future. Luxembourg also firmly supports the efforts to step up United Nations activities in the area of preventive diplomacy. These efforts must be increased.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The European Community and its member States, where necessary assisted by the Western European Union (WEU), are ready to contribute to implementation of the agreement, in cooperation with the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Sanctions could be lifted when the various Security Council resolutions on the former Yugoslavia have been implemented and when a satisfactory solution to the problem of minorities has been found. Overall, our Organization’s peace-keeping activities have reached an unprecedented level. Almost 80,000 Blue Helmets, military and civilian, are in the field in an unparalleled number of humanitarian missions and peace- keeping operations.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The situation in the former Yugoslavia is still extremely disturbing. Every day we see on television the barbarism that accompanies "ethnic cleansing" and the bloodstained dismemberment of Bosnia and Herzegovina -a country which was once an example of ethnic and religious coexistence. The agreement between the three Bosnian parties, which has yet to be finalized, is admittedly complex and far from perfect. Yet it has the merit of opening up the prospect of putting an end to terror and violence. It offers a comprehensive arrangement for emerging from the crisis. Its success, which is far from being assured, presupposes a real desire on the part of the three parties to reach agreement and to carry out and abide by what is signed.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“32 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session In South Africa further decisive progress is being made towards the definitive abolition of apartheid. I welcome the agreement on setting up a transitional body to draw up a provisional Constitution and prepare for free elections in April 1994. Only a shared determination and close cooperation between all the parties will make it possible to stop the deadly violence which continues to kill and which jeopardizes the process of reconciliation. Significant progress towards restoring democracy and towards national reconciliation has also been made in other countries in Central America and in Africa. Those achievements, however imperfect, are encouraging, and demonstrate the role that our Organization can play in preserving peace and consolidating democratic regimes.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In Haiti a firm policy of close cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) has led to an agreement which provides for the restoration of democracy. In El Salvador the assistance of the United Nations was decisive in putting an end to the civil war and recommencing the construction of a civilian society and the process of national reconciliation. Free elections in which all Salvadorians will be able to participate are to be held next year. In Somalia, however, intervention by the United Nations has demonstrated the limits of armed intervention in a tribal civil war in the absence of a political agreement and a cease-fire. Nevertheless, the difficulties encountered in Mogadishu should not make us forget that the United Nations made an essential contribution to combating the famine.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The first contributor of funds, the European Community and its member States, is prepared to increase cooperation on behalf of a population that must be helped to emerge from poverty and build a more dignified and prosperous future. Our Government will participate fully in that effort. Thanks to the United Nations, peace was restored in Namibia and Nicaragua three years ago. Today in Cambodia the effort led by the United Nations has enabled the people of an ancient culture, humiliated by decades of bloody oppression and foreign occupation, to participate on a mass scale in free and open elections. By consolidating a State of law and national reconciliation, the country will be able to rebuild itself.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In a region devastated by more than 40 years of war, violence and hatred, a window is now opening on a more peaceful and democratic future. The still fragile dynamic that has been created must be strengthened without delay. This can first be achieved by the conclusion of peace agreements between Israel and its neighbours: Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. The Government of Luxembourg encourages the leaders concerned to overcome the last obstacles and to open the way to normalization of their relations with Israel. The Israelis and the Palestinians must then act together and in good faith, with the solidarity of the regional and international community to implement successfully the agreement on autonomy in the occupied territories, the first step towards a comprehensive settlement.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“The Government of Luxembourg expresses its deep satisfaction over the agreement on mutual recognition and the agreement on the autonomy of occupied territories concluded between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. We should like to pay tribute to those who forged the agreements, in particular Prime Minister Rabin, his Foreign Minister Peres and President Arafat. They have given the world a lesson in courage and clarity of vision and in political realism as well. The developments we have witnessed are of a historic significance comparable to that of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. They fundamentally change the facts of the Middle East; they have launched a process of reconciliation in order to put an end to an explosive, untenable and unjust situation.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“New instruments are to be defined next week at the summit of the Council of Europe. The plan for stability in Europe is part of this same approach. Thirdly - and this is the most important action to be taken - we must do everything possible at the national, regional and international levels to strengthen democratization and to promote protection for human rights. It is on the basis of these principles, focused on the free expression of peoples and the development of democratic structures, that the United Nations has proposed solutions and agreements to resolve the conflicts which are being submitted to it in ever-increasing numbers.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It leads to explosions of violence, armed aggression, acts of terrorism and unspeakable suffering for the civilian populations. Forty-eighth session - 29 September l993 31 Ethnic conflicts are proliferating in all regions of the world. In Western Europe itself, it can be seen in the resurgence of racist and xenophobic incidents. As a challenge to the primacy of law and to respect for human rights, extreme nationalism constitutes a threat to the international order. A clear and coherent strategy is necessary to respond to this challenge. First of all, education with regard to tolerance should be renewed; and, secondly, legal protection for minorities must be ensured. The principles and rules drawn up in this area by the Council of Europe and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe might suggest some solutions.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“In some cases, this has led to the destabilization of entire regions following upon rivalries between neighbors, ethnic tension and religious fanaticism. Nationalism is of course not in and of itself evil. It is in some sense a logical manifestation of feelings of pride and self-confidence which can finally express themselves after long years of oppression during which free speech was forcibly repressed. But once the legitimate expression of this regained pride of a people is transformed into open hostility towards everything that is different, then nationalism carries within itself the seeds of grave danger. Extreme nationalism can be seen in many places, whether it be in the territory of the former Soviet Union or the former Yugoslavia, where it has found its most intolerable expression.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“Willy Claes, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, yesterday expressed the views of the European Community and its member States. I shall therefore be able in this statement to focus on a few matters of particular concern to my Government. Three years ago, from this very rostrum, we welcomed the end of the East-West confrontation and its corollary, the end of the threat of nuclear annihilation. Throughout the world, democracy and respect for the state of law were progressing in a most encouraging way. But given developments in the last few years, it would seem that we should somehow dampen our enthusiasm. Changes in the balance of forces between the Powers that dominated the old order have allowed nationalism and regionalism to develop.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“First of all, I should like to extend to the President of the General Assembly at this forty-eighth session my sincere congratulations on his election. He was unanimously supported for this position because of his excellent qualities; and his election is also a tribute to his country, Guyana. Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, our Secretary-General, also deserves our wholehearted thanks and appreciation for his constant and resolute efforts in implementing the decisions of our Organization and applying the principles of our Charter. The already very broad universality of the United Nations has been further strengthened - and I welcome this - with the admission of six new countries: the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Eritrea, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Monaco and Andorra. Mr.”
1993-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 48 (1993)
“It is prepared to work together with all those who are interested in promoting human development; transparent and honest management of public affairs; the participation of all, and above all of women, in the development process; and,in a general sense, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The tasks.before our Organization are numerous and most significant. A major process of transformation and restructuring lies ahead. Three years from now, we shall be marking the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. Let us hope that by that time we shall have established a revitalized Organization, one that can effectively shoulder the responsibilities that the peoples of the world are so eager to entrust to it.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Agenda 21 opens up a vast field of work in all areas of the environment and development. Progress needs to be made in this respect on the national, regional and international levels, with the participation of all players in society and in particular of non-governmental organizations. Poor countries must accept the fact that environmental protection is not a luxury; and rich countries must ask themselves if and to what extent their means of production and consumption are compatible with the demands of sustainable development. The future of the planet cannot be jeopardized by national egoism. My Government has decided to increase substantially the amount of aid earmarked for humanitarian assistance and development cooperation.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“My Government believes that the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio, was a historic event. It is true that not all our hopes were fulfilled and that many of the decisions taken lack clarity and courage. But who could deny the importance of the preparatory work and the awareness which it brought about? A world-wide process was launched. Major political commitments were made at the highest level. However, the real battle still lies ahead. The convention on climate change and the convention on biological diversity still must be ratified and implemented; above all, they must be finalized and finely honed. The negotiation of a convention on desertification still remains to be dealt with, and international cooperation on the protection of all forests- which is essential is still undefined.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Jan Eliasson was appointed, and the establishment of a central revolving fund of $50 million now enable the United Nations to cope more effectively with humanitarian crises. Luxembourg welcomes the broad democratization movement developing throughout the world. It involves political changes which are often painful, complex and difficult, but they are necessary in order to build a better future. A growing number of Governments involved in such processes are requesting electoral assistance from the United Nations. Given the particular importance of free and honest elections, I believe the United Nations should continue to strengthen its capacity for acting in this area. I also propose that the United Nations cooperate with other international organizations with experience in this field in particular, the Council of Europe.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I welcome the agreement reached last June between President Bush and President Yeltsin concerning a drastic new reduction in strategic nuclear arsenals. The forthcoming conclusion of negotiations concerning a Convention on chemical weapons marks a fundamental step in the international effort to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction. I hope that all members of our Assembly will approve the Convention without reservation and will immediately sign it. Our Assembly has recorded significant progress on the basis of another initiative of the European Community. This relates to the measures decided on to strengthen United Nations coordination in the area of emergency humanitarian assistance. The creation of the post of Emergency Relief Coordinator, to which Mr.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The establishment of a revolving reserve fund would substantially strengthen that basis. Meanwhile, all countries must agree to meet their financial obligations without delay. At its last session our Assembly adopted a resolution (resolution 46/36 L) concerning the establishment by the United Nations of a universal and non-discriminatory Register of Conventional Arms. Luxembourg hopes that during this session the technical procedures required can be determined and that the Register will become operational by the beginning of next year. The United Nations will thus be making an important contribution to the necessary global transparency in arms transfers and to the vast disarmament movement, which must continue.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Today the United Nations is disarming adversaries and gathering and destroying weapons; reforming governmental institutions which are not up to their tasks; repatriating refugees; clearing mines; monitoring elections and respect for peace agreements and human rights agreements; and providing humanitarian assistance and aid to refugees. It is an honour for my Government to be able to contribute to the United Nations Protection Force in Yugoslavia, admittedly modest in absolute numbers, but nevertheless representing 10 per cent of my country's army. The cost of peace-keeping operations has considerably increased, and their importance demands that there be not the slightest delay in payment. The United Nations must be in a position to prepare, launch and carry out such operations on a sound financial basis.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The United Nations is now ensuring the implementation of peace agreements in El Salvador, Angola and Cambodia. It is contributing to calming the serious conflicts in Somalia and Yugoslavia. At present in Cambodia and Yugoslavia the United Nations is carrying out two of the most important operations in its history, involving a total of more than 40,000 personnel, both military and civilian. The growing diversity of the tasks entrusted to our Organization highlights its ability to adapt to different situations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Unfortunately, all too often the diplomatic action of our Organization, sometimes in cooperation with regional organizations, such as the European Community, is not followed up. Too many cease-fires have been broken recently, too many embargoes on the delivery of weapons have been violated, for us to remain indifferent to such flouting of international law. Never before has the United Nations made so many tangible contributions to the cause of peace and reconciliation throughout the world. Nothing emphasizes the new credibility and effectiveness of our Organization more than the dramatic increase in its peace-keeping operations in recent years. Thirteen such operations were carried out before 1987. Thirteen have been launched since 1987.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The Secretary-General has a crucial role to play in this respect. We could also make better use of the potential of the International Court of Justice to resolve disputes between States. The second area is that of the make-up and functioning of a genuine system of collective security. The United Nations must be in a position when necessary to act very quickly, especially in cases of aggression or threats of aggression by one country towards another. To do this it must have available at very short notice the necessary human and material resources. Certain countries I mention in passing, France and the United States - have already responded very positively to the invitation in this regard by our Secretary-General. The third area is that of the means for establishing peace.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I must obviously express our views concerning the work now going on within the United Nations. First, I should like to express to our Secretary-General my full appreciation of his excellent report entitled "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), which he presented at the beginning of the summer. It contains important proposals on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping. The new international political situation is favourable for stronger United Nations action, which I hope to see, particularly in the following three areas. The first is preventive diplomacy, which would assist us in anticipating and avoiding the outbreak of new conflicts. Would it not help the proper management of international affairs to ensure more active and systematic use of the various means for such diplomacy?”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Iraq must cease all military action and all other repressive measures against the civilian population. In South Africa, the halt of the work of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) has been most disappointing for my Government. Together with our European partners, we call on all the parties concerned to resume it as soon as possible in a constructive spirit. The problem of violence can be solved only if the police show restraint and if all political movements give categorical instructions to their members definitively to renounce the use of force. I congratulate the Security Council on its resolution 772 (1992) of 17 August, which allowed for the sending to South Africa of a number limited, it is true of United Nations observers to examine ways to strengthen the machinery for the transition towards a non-racial democracy.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“With regard to the problems of the Middle East, we are very gratified at the more conciliatory spirit motivating the new Government of Israel, at the gestures that have already been made by that Government, and at the willingness expressed by the Syrian authorities to conclude a peace agreement. It must be understood, of course, that negotiations for the establishment of an interim regime in the occupied territories can in no case come up with a result short of the Camp David Accords. With regard to Iraq, we continue to demand that the existing regime implement all Security Council resolutions as rapidly as possible. The Iraqi Government bears full responsibility for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in particular, because it has not yet implemented resolutions 706 (1991) and 712 (1991).”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It was united action rather than division that enabled the European Community to secure a new instrument the Maastricht Treaty for the purpose of pursuing their policy of integration, but with respect for national identities. In this regard, I should like to welcome the decisive step that the people of France took by saying "Yes" to the Maastricht Treaty, which my country ratified two months ago. Luxembourg has always been in the vanguard of European integration. From experience it knows that the key to its wellbeing and its security lie in the Community and that only together with its partners can it exercise its sovereignty fully.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“It seems to me that the world conference on human rights to be held next year in Vienna could provide the appropriate framework for an attempt to define certain fundamental rights of minorities and, if possible, to codify them in a new legal instrument. If it were possible, in addition, to establish machinery for an independent forum to verify, at the request of a wide group of people, respect for these minimum rights through the legislation of a given country, that would help to avoid armed conflicts in the future. In the last analysis, the problem of minorities can be resolved only if all peoples living in a territory can be made to feel that they belong to one family so that they put emphasis on that which unites them rather than on that which divides them.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The solution to the problem of minorities can be based only on the following principles: rejection of the idea that frontiers can be changed by force; the granting to national minorities of special status ensuring respect for their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identities; the adoption of arrangements for cross-border cooperation to enable these minorities to maintain close contact with their compatriots in neighbouring countries. In this respect, it seems to us that Italy's solution for the Haut Adige/South Tyrol is exemplary. The establishment, by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, of the machinery of rapporteurs for human rights, as well as the post of commissioner for minorities, should make possible the early identification of potential nationality conflicts and the search for means of prevention.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“As the representative of a small country that owes its existence to the principle of self-determination, I am clearly not in a good position to deny this right to other peoples. However, I must make the point that, where several types of population are closely linked, the application of this principle is not sufficient to resolve the problem of nationalities As we have seen, it can serve as a pretext for attempts at conquest and at the annexation of territory, as well as at the forcible expulsion of minority populations, and even the extermination of such peoples.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“I make a solemn appeal to all the peoples of the former Yugoslavia to support energetically the efforts of those leaders who wish, fully, unreservedly and without any hidden agenda, to implement the measures defined at the London Conference on 26 and 27 August. Only in that way can peace and prosperity be re-established. Only on that basis can an equitable solution be found to the problem of nationalities or minorities the problem that gave rise to this conflict, just as it was at the basis of the bloodshed which, unfortunately, continues in certain areas of the former Soviet Union. With regard to this extremely complex problem, I should like to make some further observations.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We believe that the United Nations should consider what measures it might undertake to ensure that famine is no longer used as a weapon in the civil war raging in the Sudan. The continuing tragedy in Yugoslavia is of the most profound concern to the people of my country. Unfortunately we are witnessing a resurgence of most of the criminal practices of nazism, including even the horrendous "ethnic purification" applied to persons from a different sociological group. The problems raised by the presence of minority populations in the republics of the former Yugoslavia cannot be resolved by military intervention; they can be resolved only through negotiated arrangements modelled on those proposed in November 1991 by the European Community.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“We are confronted, on one hand, by an overwhelming drought, that has afflicted all of eastern and southern Africa and, on the other hand, by the lack of organization in the production and distribution of foodstuffs,that has resulted from civil wars. In the Sudan and in Somalia, the European Community has continued, over the last few months, to intervene with the parties involved to ensure that those parties will allow and guarantee the distribution of international food aid. It is indeed outrageous that a government or armed factions should interfere with this operation. I am glad that our Organization has sent military forces to Somalia to guarantee food distribution. My country is contributing to all these efforts by providing financial assistance which, per capita, is among the greatest in the world.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Clearly, I subscribe to everything that was said by the representative of the State which occupies the presidency of the Council of Ministers of the European Community, so I shall limit myself to stressing several issues that are of particular concern to the Government and people of Luxembourg. Two tragedies giving rise to the utmost concern are occurring at present. I refer to the famine in certain parts of Africa and to the civil war in Yugoslavia. Both of these show once again that the international community's right to humanitarian interference in regional conflicts can no longer be called into question. The famine in Africa threatens the lives of an extraordinarily large number of human beings, and it must immediately be at the focus of our attention.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“The decisions he has taken and the proposals he has put forward since the beginning of the year make it fitting for me to pay tribute to him for his lucidity, courage and resolve to make of the United Nations an organization that is capable of answering the challenges of our time. I welcome the representatives of the 13 new countries that have joined the United Nations since the beginning of this year, bringing the number of Members to 179. Last Tuesday my colleague Douglas Hurd put forward the positions of the twelve member States of the European Community concerning the major problems that confront the international community at present.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“At the outset I should like to convey to the President of the General Assembly my heartiest congratulations on his unanimous election. He is one of the principal architects of the advent of democracy and profound change in Bulgaria. I am certain he will guide with skill and efficacy the work of the General Assembly, which I hope will carry on resolutely in the reform of its programme and its working methods. To our new Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, I should like to express the great pleasure of the Government and people of Luxembourg on his election to head our Organization.”
1992-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 47 (1992)
“Perez de Cuellar, to whom the Luxembourg Government extends its deep gratitude. I have been able to ascertain, through my numerous personal and official contacts, the lofty commitment of the Secretary-General. His departure will inevitably leave a void. May those who tomorrow assume the daunting task of carrying on the torch be inspired by the example set by Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Secretary-General shortly to be appointed by the General Assembly will thus have a vast field of endeavour to organise and structure in order to prepare the United Nations for the year 2000 Our Organisation, confident of its renewed capacity to act, should have a range of effective tools capable of safeguarding international peace and security, meeting the many socio-economic ills, helping States in their difficult process of democratic and economic transition and, finally, promoting respect for human rights and the primacy of law in international relations. These are the challenges which will face the new Secretary-General and those who will be assisting him. The new Secretary-General will be able to draw on the exemplary work done at the head of the Organization by Mr.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Reforms must necessarily be made in the operations of the Secretariat, making more efficacious the means of action at the disposal of the Secretary-General. The recent session of the European Council, in the light of experience gained from recent international catastrophes, called for strengthening of the coordinating machinery for emergency action undertaken by the United Nations. Steps should also be taken to strengthen the role of the United Nations in the prevention of conflicts.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It must be noted that for some years now the Security Council has been acting with exemplary efficacy and in close cooperation with the Secretary-General. The number of peace-keeping operations has increased. It is surely striking that last spring four new operations were launched in the Gulf, in Western Sahara, Angola and El Salvador in less than two months. The exercise of restructuring the economic and social sector of the United Nations has been successfully initiated, and the President of Luxembourg was very pleased to have been able to submit the not inconsiderable contribution of the Twelve. The task of making reforms in the work of the General Assembly should be carried out in such a way as to rationalize that work and make it more significant.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“If we consider all the elements, we can easily see once again that the concept of security is by no means simply military; it also encompasses socio-economic systems and values. The European Community, in keeping with its aspirations and its interests, is seeking to provide itself with the ways and means for shouldering its responsibilities. Political union and economic and monetary union are essential if Europe is to participate in the construction of tomorrow's world. The action of the Twelve has already provided a striking example of what it can do at the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which it has now become the linchpin. The work of renewal in Europe cannot fail to have an effect in our Organization.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“I do not know whether it will exist one day, since no one has really thought about it so far. Nevertheless one thing does seem to me to be essential and therefore deserving of our attention at this end of the twentieth century: the world is being transformed at an unprecedented rate. A number of oppressed peoples are aspiring to the benefits of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Dozens of new democracies have come into being in recent years. They are asking for cooperation, open markets, credits, the rescheduling of debt and political dialogue. They all wish to have their share of progress. Currently the world is still largely dominated by protectionism, waves of uncontrolled immigration, xenophobia, the upsurge of nationalistic extremism, racism and elitist ideologies.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“With the end of the East-West rift the concept of a third world as a separate political entity is in its turn becoming blurred. Having rid ourselves of totalitarian ideologies which have fallen into bankruptcy everywhere, we are now collectively involved in a single economic system which I am convinced will, in the long run, make it possible for all people on Earth to be emancipated. In this context I must emphasize that there can be no lasting development unless there is scrupulous respect for environmental concerns. It is my hope that at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held next year, the number of decisions taken will exceed the length of the speeches made. In recent times we have heard a great deal about a new world order following on the Gulf war.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Such respect is essential if development is to flourish and there is to be economic growth. The lessons learned in recent years from Central and Eastern Europe go well beyond the European continent. The functioning of democratic representative institutions, the primacy of the law, and political pluralism are all essential if there is to be a favourable basis for economic development. The Community has spelt out these requirements in a number of provisions of the Lome Convention. This approach is also to be found in the agreements negotiated with the countries of Latin America and Central America. They were reaffirmed in Luxembourg during the first half of this year at the meetings which the Twelve held with the Gulf Co-operation Council as well as at the meeting with the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Indeed it is only Europe that can offer them economic prospects; neither the Soviet Union nor the United States can do so. Naturally such prospects can exist only in the context of a Middle East which has resolutely embarked on the road to peace. In the light of the tremendous distress of millions of persons in various parts of the world, urgent action needs to be taken. In the case of these extreme cases of underdevelopment it appears inevitable that the international community has a duty to assist them. In view of what has been learned in recent years I would venture to state that there is a very clear link between democracy, human rights and development. Respect for fundamental freedoms and the rules of democracy can no longer be regarded simply as a legal or even a moral imperative.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The whole range of problem surrounding this conflict can henceforth be taken up in a new spirit. The terms of settlement should naturally be based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Their full implementation is a duty that gives us every reason unreservedly to support James Baker's Initiative, with which Europe quite naturally associates itself. A great deal of discussion has been devoted to the place of the Community at the peace conferences table. As I said earlier, it appears to me to be pointless to dwell endlessly on proving the usefulness of the presence of the Community, which has 343 million citizens and which is separated from this hotbed of tension by a single sea. The markets on both banks of the Mediterranean are complementary. This is of course equally true for Israel and for its Arab neighbours.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)