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

“Significant action in order to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as their means of delivery is a subject that should be taken up as a matter of priority during this session of the General Assembly. Control of conventional-weapons sales is a natural corollary of this process. I would voice the hope that the action of the Community and its member States which was announced at the last European Council in Luxembourg, with a view to establishing a register of weapons transfers, will be broadly supported in the General Assembly. Among those disputes which have been hanging fire for a long time now the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is undoubtedly the most destabilizing for peace in the world. The elimination of the Iraqi menace has provided a momentum which may gradually pave the way to final peace in that region.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This rebirth would not be complete if substantial progress were not made towards disarmament and an increase in security for all. In Europe in recent months the last medium-range nuclear missiles have been destroyed. The START Treaty which was signed in Moscow between the Soviet Union and the United States is only intended to be the initial step in a more significant reduction of central nuclear arsenals. For that reason, an agreement on the final elimination of chemical and bacteriological weapons is even more urgent. The Gulf war - I would venture to hope - has convinced each and every one of us of the frightful risks involved in the presence of a dictator of the ilk of Saddam Hussein.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Furthermore, every man and woman, wherever they may reside, should have the right to individual recourse against any violation of his or her fundamental rights before the International Court of Justice. What State would be willing to shirk such obligations at the risk of being outlawed from the family of nations? In this context, we must unreservedly support non-governmental organisations which are so courageously fighting for respect for the freedoms and dignity of men and women. Faced with governmental inertia, the initiatives of the non-governmental organisations are often decisive. In the light of. what I have just said, I vesture to assert that we are now definitely on the way towards a rebirth of democracy and then also of our Organisation.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Nevertheless, legislation in the field of human rights should not be regarded as an end in itself. It is through specific actions, such as those initiated through the Commission on Human Rights, that progress can truly be made. Among possible orientations I should like to recall for the Assembly's consideration the proposal I made a few days ago in Moscow during the CSCE meeting on the human dimension. That proposal is designed to improve the opportunity to enlist the assistance of special rapporteurs to investigate conflicts. As I see it, this is something that could be done at the request of a specific number of States, even without the agreement of the State involved.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In the light of the International norms we have set ourselves through the Covenant, there is another lesson that needs to be learned: an adaptation, unthinkable a short time ago, is nowadays absolutely essential: I am speaking of the duty of humanitarian assistance which was first applied at the time of the Kurdish tragedy. This duty necessarily means that we must rethink our whole concept of the principle of non-interference in a country's internal affairs. Similarly, the emergence of a new concept - that is, the duty of democratic intervention recently advocated by Mr. Michel Rocard - is along the same lines. Respect for the commitments undertaken in our Charter, which remain our fundamental law, as well as those subscribed to through numerous subsequent texts, should now be capable of sanction.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is abundantly clear that, in view with what has been happening in the Soviet Union and in Yugoslavia, State structures that are maintained by force alone have hardly any chance of survival. Peoples cannot coexist if there is no freely expressed will. The tragedy of the three Baltic Republics should make this abundantly clear to us. On the other hand, through the accentuation of national identities we will witness the emergence of new nations and perhaps even unexpected re-unifications. Germany, Yemen and, shortly, the two Koreas strengthen my conviction that artificial divisions will finally meet the same fate as any constructions that go against nature.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“At present it is an accomplished fact. For our Organization, which since its creation has been bedevilled by that antagonism, a new era has been ushered in. The Gulf war has brought to the fore the Security Council's possibilities for action on the basis of consensus among the five permanent members. Naturally, for those who, hitherto, have made capital out of the impotence of the United Nations, the future looks rather uncertain. The winds of freedom will no longer be checked. In Africa, in Central and Latin America, in Asia, the creative forces of democracy, freedom and reform will finally eliminate the last oppressive regimes which are at bay because they have been condemned. Dictators of the world, it is midnight.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is caught up in a crucial conflict the outcome of which cannot leave any of us indifferent. The Yugoslav crisis brings to the fore questions which we cannot ignore. As I recently recalled at the CSCE meeting dealing with the human dimension, which is still going on in Moscow, the self-determination of peoples is quite clearly neither a panacea nor the only prescription for dealing with crises like these. The logic of the Republics shut up within their own frontiers contrasts with the logic of peoples and minorities who find themselves living in large territories with vague boundaries. From these three crises and dangers there are lessons to be learned. First and foremost, the end of a polarised world. We had already noted this for some time as the antagonisms between the United States of America and the Soviet Union became blurred.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Thus the tidal wave that spread from Budapest and Prague 24 months ago has swept away the Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain and, finally, the Soviet totalitarian colossus. Henceforth, at least in Europe and perhaps for the first time, the words of liberty and democracy have the same meaning and connotation in Madrid as in Prague, in Rome as in St. Petersburg. A third source of profound concern and danger is represented by the recent tragic turn of events in Yugoslavia. A factor of stability during the long period of the cold war and the unchallenged leader of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, Yugoslavia is at present in the grip of domestic upheavals which conjure up the phantoms of the past and the ghosts of conflicts we thought had been laid to rest once and for all. Yugoslavia is on the edge of an abyss.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“I am referring to the military operations in the Gulf. For its part, the Soviet Union has been a constant source of tension and disquiet in the course of the past year. The absence this year of our old colleague Eduard Shevardnadze recalls to mind the circumstances that surrounded his resignation at the head of Soviet diplomacy. We are aware now that the departure of this most eminent of the foreign ministers of the Soviet Union indeed coincided with the inception of a period of instability in the Soviet Union that was likely to compromise the promises, the accomplishments and the dividends reaped at the end of the cold war. Thanks to the men and women in Moscow and St. Petersburg, an oppressive system which has been bankrupt wherever it had been established has today been destroyed once and for all.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Joint Presidency-Commission missions from the European Community visited the Turkish-Iranian and the Turkish-Iraqi frontiers where the Kurdish people are congregated. The concept of "security zones" initially mooted in April during an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Luxembourg and 24 hours later formulated here at our Organization's Headquarters with the assistance of the Secretary-General remains, in the light of the enormity of the tragedy, an operation that is full of promise for the future. I venture to state that never in the course of the last 20 years of European political cooperation have the Twelve been able to react to events with such promptness and concerted mobilization of effort. The Community could not, on the other hand, act where it had no authority to do so.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The 12 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Community were the last ones to confer with our Secretary-General in Geneva before he departed for Baghdad. Upon his return they were the first to be informed of the insurmountable intransigence of the Iraqi dictator. As President Jacques Delors recalled at the time, "We must bear in mind that we should not pay for peace at the price of shame." Since the very inception of military operations, the Luxembourg presidency has in all circumstances been able to provide and maintain full and frank dialogue with all parties to the conflict. The ministerial troika of the Twelve has never travelled so extensively. They were present immediately after the war in Damascus, in Tripoli and in Tehran.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“As emphasized by the Secretary-General in his report, we can descry in the world situation, at one and the same time, a degree of peril and of promise. During the period under review, it has been Luxembourg's honour to preside over the work of the European Community for the first half of this year. We cannot fail to note that during those six months the world has witnessed a war of exceptional scope and has witnessed the collapse of one of the super-Powers and, finally, seen the resurgence of the old demons in the Balkans. As far as the Gulf is concerned, may I recall from this rostrum that the readiness of the Twelve to embark upon a dialogue with Iraq as a last-ditch effort on the basis of the Security Council resolutions was both sincere and total.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Our traditional meeting this year in New York is taking on particular significance because of the simultaneous admission of the two Koreas, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, as well as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to membership in our Organization. This has accentuated the universal character of the United Nations. The last page of the post-war period has now been written. The wounds caused by its crimes can now be allowed to heal. Without prejudice to the analysis given by my colleague, Mr. Hans Van Den Broek on behalf of the European Community and its member States, I should like in my turn to dwell on some of the lessons which can be learned from the evolution of international relations during the past 12 months.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Organization's universality has been buttressed by the admission of Namibia and Liechtenstein, which I warmly welcome, and soon, I hope. South Korea. Certainly, we would not be at this point were it not for the Secretary-General and his decisive action. I wish once again to pay a tribute to his qualities and his tireless mediation efforts in the service of peace. I wish in conclusion warmly to congratulate you. Sir, on your unanimous election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. I am sure you will guide our work to success.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In Namibia, the United Nations concluded, in exemplary fashion, a process leading the Namibian people to independence. The flawless organisation of free elections was the key to that enormous success. In Central America the United Nations has contributed greatly to calming the situation by sending observers of the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ОGСА), by monitoring elections in Nicaragua and by demobilizing contra forces. In the future it will have a special task in Cambodia, and after that perhaps in Afghanistan. In Western Sahara there is new hope that a referendum can be organised. The United Nations provides a framework for the needed intensification of international co-operation to fight drug trafficking and poverty and to protect the environment.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In this regard, the industrialised countries, which account for the consumption of 70 per cent of world primary energy and fossil fuels, must shoulder special responsibility. National accounting systems should be adapted to reflect, in the national product, the cost of conservation or replacement of natural resources, such as forests, water and fertile land. They should also reflect the devaluation of natural resources as non-renewable assets. I welcome the new spirit that we see in international relations. There is no doubt that this Organisation is a direct beneficiary. Its credibility and its ability to act have been reinforced to a considerable extent. Never has the United Nations been so sought after to resolve the world's problems.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The Ministers of 93 countries who met in London at the end of last June decided to go beyond the objectives o£ the Montreal Protocol and to ensure that the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions that destroy the ozone layer are stopped before the end of the century. I welcome in particular the agreement to establish a fund to assist the developing countries to acquire the necessary technology to stop these emissions. Energy efficiency and energy savings in general must be at the very heart of a new strategy, which is justified also by recent events in the Gulf. I hope that the next world conference on climate, to be held next November, will be able to agree on this objective and on guidelines for a framework convention on climatic change. This convention, with the necessary protocols, will be open for signature at the 1992 Conference.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Fresh impetus must also be given to population policies to be conducted at the national and international levels. The rich countries must help those with high birth rates to Implement these policies. The depletion of the ozone layer and the accumulation in the atmosphere of gases that produce the greenhouse effect could gradually increase temperatures, with the obvious disastrous consequences. Given this alarming picture, now is the time to take action. The European Community must establish an agency for the environment, and that agency must be open to other European countries also.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide, which is a function vital to our planet, is diminishing rapidly. The world population, which is now more than 5 billion, will increase by about 960 million this decade, compared to 842 million during the 1980s. How will we be able to feed these new people? The food capacity of the planet is already stagnant or is actually decreasing. In Africa and Latin America, per capita food consumption is now lower than it was 10 years ago. Each day about 250,000 children are born, but about 40,000 die of hunger or malnutrition. All countries represented here, especially the richest, must constantly try to remedy this scandalous situation. It is for the World Summit for Children to propose the necessary measures.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I refer to the destruction of the natural environment, which makes life on Earth possible. The question of the protection of the environment is central to the daily concerns of us all. Major international conferences have been devoted to this question. They have all contributed to the preparation of the world Conference on the Environment and Development, which is to be held in Brazil in 1992. This Conference will seek to face up to the enormous challenges posed by damage to the biosphere and to ecosystems, and by degradation of the environment, the effects of demographic pressure, the depletion of resources, and the extinction of species. Tropical deforestation is increasing. The area affected this year is 17 million hectares, as against only 11.3 million hectares in 1980.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Using a more realistic, more balanced approach, it stressed, in particular, in a novel and encouraging way, the need for better use of human resources and respect for human rights. Mindful of the importance of increasing assistance for co-operation and development, my Government decided to double the volume of its aid by 1994. The Government of Luxembourg continues to attach great importance to respect for human rights. It is still concerned by the flagrant violations of those rights throughout the world. It is up to our Organisation to be increasingly vigilant in monitoring the strict universal implementation of existing instruments. Particular attention should be given to the rights of minorities, the rights of women and the rights of children. A problem of another kind is threatening the survival of mankind.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The painful experience of certain democracies undermined by violence, guerrilla war, socio-economic disorders and persistent under-development is proof of this. The establishment of political institutions guaranteeing pluralism and a democratic transition requires great effort and tenacity. Apart from the organisation of periodic fair legislative elections, structures must be established allowing for the real participation of all in development and an equitable distribution of national resources. There is close interaction between democracy and development. It is not possible to have one without the other; the one strengthens the other. At its special session in April the General Assembly reached an important consensus on the new contours of international economic co-operation.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We hope that negotiations with a view to a new constitution creating a united, democratic and non-racial South Africa will got under way soon. A month ago the five permanent members of the Security Council agreed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cambodian problem. That agreement offers a real and unique chance for the restoration of peace in that country, too long torn apart by war. We must avoid any return to the practices of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, which were responsible for the extermination of several hundred thousand Cambodians. I am delighted that, allowing the Djakarta meeting, the Cambodian parties were able to accept that agreement, which is to be ratified at the next Paris Conference. Neither democracy nor the market economy is a miraculous panacea.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Thus we welcome the return to democracy in Chile, the holding of free elections in Nicaragua, and soon, it is to be hoped, with the assistance of the United Nations, in Haiti. The Namibian people, which is finally free, has chosen a pluralistic democratic system. Mozambique and Angola are preparing to follow suit. Others are giving serious thought to it. Likewise, it is with satisfaction that we are following developments in South Africa. Considerable progress has been made, thanks to the now policies of President de Klerk, has kept his promise by legalising the opposition movements and by releasing Nelson Mandela and lifting the state of emergency. We also take note of the promise of the Government to release all other political prisoners and to declare an amnesty for those in exile.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Additional considerable funds could thus be used to solve social, educational, health, environmental and development problems. The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), of which the States of Europe, the United States and Canada are participants, has played a fundamental role in the future of Europe. Its structure, its rules and its action should set an example for other regions of the world. The compelling aspiration o£ peoples to freedom and to control of their own destiny does not stop at the borders of Europe. In Asia, Latin America and Africa it is mobilising more and more people every day and encourages them to demand the same rights and freedoms.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“At a time when ideological rivalries of the past are giving way to new relationships based on a shared conception of society, on trust and a spirit of partnership, the maintenance of powerful armies has become irrelevant in Europe. The events of the past few months have quite naturally accelerated the disarmament movement. A first agreement will soon be concluded in Vienna on the reduction of conventional forces in Europe as veil as on a significant set of confidence- and security-building measures. At this very moment, foreign troops are leaving the territories of countries in which they were stationed against the will of the people. Seductions in troops and military expenditures - at times drastic - have been decided upon, or are being envisaged.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Hew economic and trade agreements have been negotiated or will soon be negotiated between the Community and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. We do not underestimate the difficulties that the transition from a bureaucratic centralized economy to a market economy occasions for all these countries. These are in addition to the frustration and insecurity felt by peoples who, more often than not, have to confront a worsening of the employment situation and their standard of living. It is in order to overcome these difficulties that the Twelve have taken the initiative, within the Group of 24, to set up major aid programmes immediately. Furthermore, the negotiation of association agreements of an entirely new type will highlight the new potentials of these countries.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The first round will seek to work out the final stages of economic and monetary union; the second will seek to strengthen the political structures of the Community and its member States. We believe that it is by this increasingly tight integration in all fields that the Twelve will build a solid nucleus for a future stable, peaceful European order for the future. But this integration cannot stop at the member countries of the European Community alone. This intra-community process is inseparable from a structural reinforcement among all the European States, a new economic space has to be established between the member countries of the Community and the member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“An historic occasion has thus been given to the continent of Europe, an occasion which should lead to the establishment of an era of peace and prosperity. It is up to the summit of the Group of 35 in Paris to usher in this new chapter in European history. However, to ignore relations with peoples on other continents would be for us Europeans a serious mistake. Mindful of their responsibilities in this decisive phase of its history, the European Community and its member States decided to speed up and deepen the process of unification. The single internal market will be achieved in 1992. It will be beneficial not only to the member countries but also to third countries. Two rounds of intergovernmental negotiations will get under way at the end of this year and will be continued during the nest quarter under the chairmanship of Luxembourg.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“For the first time in 40 years there were free elections in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe that led to the establishment of new, fully representative governments. Political and economic reforms of unprecedented magnitude were brought about to put an end to this dominating ideology and an ineffective economic system. I am delighted that Germany will be reunited in a few days. At long last the division of Europe has been ended. For the first time in their history all the peoples of Europe that share the same cultural heritage are able to organize their relations on a basis of common values, political pluralism, the periodic organization of free elections, the primacy of law, respect for human rights, and respect for the principles of the market economy.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The explosive character of the general situation in the Middle East forces us, nevertheless, to intensify our efforts to move towards the solution to the problem of Palestine. However, the collapse of the Berlin wall last November caught the imagination of the entire world. It was the death knell to the European and world order defined in Yalta and based on confrontation and ideological antagonism, accelerating the dynamic of change brought about by the policy of glasnost and perestroika. That event sent out shock waves to the borders of the most far-flung parts of Europe, and even beyond. One by one, the old non-representative regimes crumbled, giving way to the pressure from the man in the street and aspirations to liberty and democracy.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The restoration and the maintenance of peace naturally raise other questions. The first is that of security in the Gulf region, which has been jeopardised by the presence of dictatorial regimes that profess exclusive ideologies and that are backed up by powerful armies. This proves once again that the accumulation of military arsenals does not enhance security; quite the contrary. We should give fresh impetus to our efforts at disarmament and international arms transfers. Iraq's act of aggression cannot be justified by the impasse in which the question of Palestine finds itself, nor by the frustrations - that we understand - to which it has given rise in the Arab countries, particularly among the Palestinians. No linkage between the two questions can be allowed.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“After all, did they not play a decisive part 10 years ago in unleashing another war? Did they not without hesitation use chemical gases to eliminate in cold blood thousands of Kurds in their own country? They are intransigent and their only concern is to get us to accept a fait accompli. The constant violations of embassies in Kuwait are unprecedented in history. The detention of thousands of foreign nationals as hostages exceeds all acceptable norms. This violence, this cynicism remind us of the fascist practices that went on throughout the 1930s. Let us not forget that they were tolerated for too long and finally led the world into the Second World War. History will not pardon us if this mistake is made again. The United Nations must therefore emerge victorious from this test of strength.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Above and beyond the resolution of this conflict, what is at stake is respect for the principles of our Organisation and even, I would go so far as to say, its credibility. We must unite to deter anyone who might in the future be tempted to venture upon a similar adventure. The conflict has created extreme tension and has exposed the Gulf region, already sorely tested by eight years of war, to a terrible catastrophe. We must focus attention on the suffering of the people of Kuwait and of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers who have fled Iraq and Kuwait, most often in tragic circumstances. Incalculable economic damage has been inflicted, or Kuwait in the first instance and on the other countries in the region as well. The entire world has been effected. The Iraqi leaders have to assume a very weighty historical responsibility.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Furthermore/ it will contribute to the financing of military operations conducted in the region by certain of its allies within the framework of the United Nations mandate. We welcome the unanimity and determination the international community has shown in expressing its disgust at this violation of international law. The speed with which the Security Council acted demonstrates that. The Council has developed a new ability to act. The unreserved implementation of Security Council resolutions should lead to a solution of the conflict through the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Iraqi forces from Kuwait and the release of all nationals of third countries. Meanwhile/ all Member States of the Organization must scrupulously implement the comprehensive and binding embargo against Iraq.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“By its brutal invasion of Kuwait,, a sovereign and independent country at dawn on 2 August Iraq flagrantly violated the fundamental principles of our Charter and in particular the principle of the non-use of force in the settlement of differences between States. The people of Luxembourg joined in condemning that unjustifiable and unacceptable act of aggression, one reminiscent of the darkest moments in their own history. On 6 August our Government banned any trade with Iraq and Kuwait. It decreed a freeze on both countries' financial assets. It has begun to provide emergency assistance to refugees in the countries most affected by the crisis and is participating fully in the efforts being made by the European Economic Community (EEC).”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Never since the Assembly began to meet have we witnessed in the space of one intercessional period so many important events and exceptional political and economic upheavals. The revolution that has just occurred has worked a fundamental transformation in the geopolitical make-up of Europe and of the world. The cold war is over. We stand at the beginning of a new era. While subscribing to the statement made last Tuesday by my colleague Gianni de Michelis, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy, who spoke on behalf of the twelve countries members of the Community, I should like today to deal with a few subjects that I feel are most significant. Never has an event so directly threatened peace as has the conflict that broke out only last month in the Gulf region.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Luxembourg, therefore plays an even greater role in the United Nations because it is an active member of the European Community, Firm supporters of the Organization, small countries play a particularly useful part in it since they have experience in conciliation and because their interests generally coincide with the general interest." After that lengthy quotation, I have nothing to add. For what the Secretary-General has done at the head of the Organization, and for his presence in our country and the words he spoke there, I want simply, from the bottom of my heart, to express our complete gratitude.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Being more aware of their vulnerability, small States, or at least those of them that behave rationally, are naturally peaceful and respectful of the law. They also feel more keenly than others the need for international co-operation, which is the purpose of our Organization. Like war, isolation for them would spell suicide. Living by international trade, they are aware of the dangers of protectionism, as well as the soundness of the liberalization of trade and the usefulness of being integrated in broad economic spaces where conflicts are no longer conceivable and where everyone can profit from overall prosperity. Also, they can gauge the importance of regional political co-operation and the international co-operation which it engenders.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I should like to thank the Secretary-General for having graced with his attendance the public events that took place last April in the presence of seven prime ministers and leaders of the main international organizations to which Luxembourg belongs. This celebration enabled us to relive the progress of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the vicissitudes of history. While noting that, in 1989, the future development of our country is surrounded by more favourable conditions than in the past, we must recognize that the life of small States in particular depends more and more on international organizations. Dealing precisely with the role of small States, the Secretary-General said on 18 April in Luxembourg; "They do not need to think about the danger or cost of endless wars to realize the absurdity of all armed aggression.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I take this opportunity to welcome the very courageous and determined action that has been taken by the President of Colombia, Mr. Virgilio Barco - action that the Government of Luxembourg supports unreservedly. Before concluding, I should like to pay a just tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar. His activity at the head of the Organization, his tireless efforts at mediation and conciliation have revealed his great talent as an organizer and a negotiator. His patient and far-sighted commitment to peace has made a substantial contribution to strengthening the role and importance of the United Nations in international affairs in recent years. My country has just celebrated the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its independence.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In the case of world trade, if the Uruguay Round is successful - as we unreservedly hope that it will be - it is likely that it will create favourable conditions for an increase in exports from the developing countries. Another evil, which is equally global and equally a threat, is the illicit trafficking in drugs. I urge a resolute strengthening of international co-operation, starting with the swift ratification, by all countries, of the Vienna Convention against Illicit Traffic in narcotic Drugs and psychotropic Substances, which I have just signed on behalf of Luxembourg. It should be clear that Luxembourg, which is already participating in the working group that emerged from the summit meeting at the Arche de la Defence, will spare no effort in this field.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The number of refugees fleeing the warfare, persecution and terrorism, as well as unemployment and underdevelopment, increased from 5 million in 1978 to 14 million currently. The scope of these problems means that we must redouble our efforts. In particular, the 1990 special session of the General Assembly devoted to international economic co-operation will provide us with an opportunity to redefine the principles and guidelines for building a world that is fairer and more human. It seems that in order to remedy this situation, and to ensure lasting growth, a substantial reduction in debt and in the cost of debt-servicing would be an important initial step. Following the agreements concluded with Mexico and the Philippines, the Brady Plan could be applied on a broader scale, taking into account the specific features of each situation.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The pressure from debt-servicing, which accounts for, on average, 30 per cent of their exports, has speeded up the excessive exploitation of their natural resources. In other words, short-term economic demands have prompted many Governments not to give ecological problems high priority. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that violence is increasing - indeed, taking on alarming dimensions. In the light of the situation to which they have been doomed, a number of young people are becoming drug addicts, prostitutes and delinquents and are indulging in new forms of criminality. The food riots that have taken place in some developing countries indicate clearly that young people are the victims of the upheavals that poverty has forced upon them.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“This growth rate should be a cause of concern to us in the light of development possibilities and of the constraints that it will place upon the environment. In fact, the economic and social situation in a large number of developing countries remains disquieting. For millions of their inhabitants the 1980s have been a lost decade. This is particularly true of the countries of Latin America and of sub-Saharan Africa, where there has been stagnation and decline. Poverty, hunger and deprivation are killing 40,000 children every day. That is a shameful situation, which no one can shrug off. The simple struggle for survival has led large numbers of people in these countries to over-exploit nature.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We shall succeed in this only if the courageous campaigns conducted by a number of movements working for the protection of the environment create a collective awareness of the situation. It seems to me that this is a very favourable moment to lay the foundation for lasting growth based on a synthesis between the ecological dimension and man's economic activities, it is primarily up to the industrialized countries, which are mainly responsible for the problem, to meet this challenge, of concern to all mankind. The Organization should create structures that are sufficiently sound, flexible and effective to enable action to be taken when it is required. Simultaneously, increased attention should be paid to the rapid growth of the world population, which is increasing at the rate of 1 billion every 10 years.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“It is up to the international community at present, and therefore to our Organization, to define these priorities Pending the holding of an international conference on the environment, which has been planned for 1992. My Government agrees entirely that there is a need to draw up a model convention to define the problem and to lay down the guidelines for international action through concrete measures. The destruction of tropical forests by burning, which, in its turn, produces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, should be halted. The rights of indigenous peoples, particularly along the Amazon, who want to preserve their natural environment should be respected. A universal policy of protection and maintenance of forests should be launched.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The destruction of forests is accelerating, the desert is spreading. The erosion of the soil is threatening agricultural production and the existence of millions of human beings. The pollution of the seas and oceans, and the proliferation of toxic wastes is daily leading to new tragedies. The slow destruction of the ozone layer exposes us to ultraviolet radiation with incalculable consequences. We are therefore firmly embarked on a course which is designed to prevent further deterioration of the environment. Initiatives successfully taken in recent months, particularly by Margaret Thatcher, Ruud Lubbers and Michel Rocard, as well as the Arche summit which met in Paris last July, have provided us with guidelines which should lead to urgent action.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In the light of the considerable emotion which in recent years we have been accustomed to feel about certain countries that have little respect for human rights, I should like to add my voice to that of the international community, and call upon the leaders of those countries to put an end to repressive acts and to allow a return to a policy of openness and reform in keeping with the course of history. Over and above the conflicts and the attacks on individuals, problems connected with the protection of the environment have become subjects of priority concern for universal public opinion: the statements which we have been listening to throughout this week provide clear evidence of this awareness. More and more human beings are affected by the damage caused to ecological balances.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)