YouSaid · the spoken record

THORN

lines on the record: 229
first: 1969-09-24
most recent: 1980-09-24
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“Now, we have to implement the decisions adopted, to infuse the will to act and to offer the means to do so to the United Nations organizations concerned, as well as to all the other institutions which, both nationally and internationally, are dealing with developmental problems. 70. The countries of the European Community will no longer be able to take refuge behind the absence of world-wide solutions in order not to move forward, but they will not accept criticism concerning the regionalism of their aid on the part of those that stick solely to bilateral aid. 71. In regard to the environment, over and above national issues there are the needs of mankind which transcend the borders of States and require rational international cooperation on a world-wide basis.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“But is it not true that public opinion sometimes tends to expect too much from great conferences of this kind? After all, the achievement of tangible results in a field so complex and controversial requires persevering and continuous co-operation based upon a common political will. Moreover, I feel that what harmed that session of UNCTAD was that an attempt was made to discuss and resolve every tiling simultaneously. 69. Nevertheless, it would be unfair to minimize the results obtained at that session, which recognized the need to have the developing countries participate in the rearrangement of the international monetary system and to devote special attention to aid to the least developed countries. The session likewise made possible a better understanding of highly varied problems posed by development.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“A Community which is the greatest commercial power in the world, even if it is not the least fragile, has the right, indeed the duty, to affirm its own identity and to deal on a footing of equality with the other industrialized States concerning economic, commercial and monetary problems without there being any question of any prior conditions either way, and this with the sole purpose of reaching settlements satisfactory to all the countries concerned. 67. Such a Community has the special duty to take the greatest account of the needs of all the countries of the third world and most especially of those who have been our partners from the very first. 68. The third session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development fUNCTAD], held in the spring in Santiago, Chile, did not, unfortunately, live up to expectations.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The meeting of the heads of State and Government of the nine countries of the expanded European Economic Community, which will take place in Paris in two weeks, will, I hope, lay down the essential guide-lines for the future of the Community and will, I am sure, give a decisive impetus towards increasing unification which can never be synonymous in our minds with falling back upon oneself, but, on the contrary, means opening towards the outside world. If Europe is to have greater weight, it will have to shoulder even more clearly its responsibility, first vis-a-vis the developing countries, but also vis-a-vis other industrialized countries.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Certain problems, as must be recognized, have become particularly acute on a regional plane, and it is frequently easier to arrive, at least in the first stage, at valid solutions applicable in a restricted area before extending or generalizing the solution on a world-wide basis. 65. It is in that light that for decades my country has been taking part in all efforts at co-operation and integration capable not only of bringing about economic progress but also of guaranteeing more stability for our own continent. Beginning with the Union economique belgo-luxembourgeoise and including the Benelux Economic Union, we have from the very first taken part in the building of integrated Europe. 66.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Improvements in the means of transport and communication, the development of industrial, commercial and financial networks throughout the world and the continuing progress of science and technology are such that States are becoming ever-more interdependent notwithstanding their sovereignty. This means that an increasing number of problems can no longer be solved within a strictly national context and, accordingly, international organizations have been given, and will increasingly be given, new tasks. 64. It is evident that the machinery for international and multinational co-operation is not sufficiently perfected to permit of the immediate solution of all these problems at the world level.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It is therefore essential to adopt political decisions internationally in order to modify the situation and to make it possible at last to make available for peaceful purposes the extraordinary resources that might thus be liberated. 62. I should also like to express the hope that the work that has been going on for many years to give peace-keeping operations a more solid basis will soon be crowned with success. Public opinion in our countries can no longer understand why a program for the use of forces in the service of peace cannot be concluded after such lengthy discussions and such important negotiations. 63. The general mission of a world organization encompassing more than 130 sovereign countries becomes increasingly more complex and difficult for a multitude of reasons.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Of course, progress has already been made in the limitation of arms by virtue of international treaties which prohibit certain forms of nuclear tests and limit the production of certain types of nuclear or biological weapons, especially on the bilateral level, where the United States and the Soviet Union have concluded the first treaty whose purpose is to limit the production and the use of certain strategic arms. 61. But we are also bound to note that more than 10 years of negotiation in the field of disarmament have produced only extremely modest results if one recalls that since 1960 more than $2 million million has been used for the manufacture of all sorts of war material.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This pessimism which the situation has inspired in me and in many others should be a stimulant to action, not a brake on it. 59. The serious events to which I have just referred-be they encouraging or depressing-have this in common: they highlight the very small influence exercised in the past or being exercised at present by the United Nations. We are bound to acknowledge that there is still a very difficult road ahead in regard to bringing about international security through the adoption of effective collective measures for the purpose of preventing or removing threats to peace, repressing acts of aggression and reaching a peaceful settlement of disputes or situations which might lead to conflicts. 60.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“We are convinced that only determined action by all the nations can bear fruit, just as we are convinced that that solidarity is in the interest of all the Member States. 57. I must add that my Government condemns equally vigorously blind reprisals which produce innocent victims. Moral law must always prevail over so-called requirements of security and must prohibit the taking of the smallest risk that one will miss the target and kill even one innocent person. 58. Terrorism and reprisals are a vicious circle which has a chance of being broken only if an over-all settlement of the problem of the Middle East is reached, a settlement which must, of course, extend to the Palestine refugees-and I have constantly repeated that it is dangerous and wrong to neglect or underestimate this aspect of the problem.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Jarring, in whom my Government again expresses its confidence -and States or groups of States may make suggestions for a settlement or offer their good offices in order to bring the parties together; but the principal responsibility remains and will always remain that of those parties. 56. The events of past weeks, the terrorist attacks and the reprisals offer little room for optimism. The Government of Luxembourg condemns terrorism in all its forms and deplores the innocent victims that it has produced. I was in Munich at the time of the massacre in September and I was horrified by the violence inflicted upon innocent victims. We are therefore prepared for our part to associate ourselves with all actions that may be undertaken to repress terrorism, be that here or in any other, more restricted context.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Negotiations, direct or indirect because we are all anxious to spare the susceptibilities of all the parties concerned seem to me to be an elementary course, and probably the only course, to reach a valid compromise. Those who oppose negotiations must seek inspiration from other recent experiences of the great Powers which I have already mentioned-and derive confidence from the dynamism of negotiations. To wish to get the last possible concession before actually negotiating is an attitude which is, in my estimation and on the basis of history, unrealistic. Organizations such as ours-through the intermediary, for instance, of the mediator Mr.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“My Government remains convinced that the basis for a settlement remains the principles set out in Security Council resolution 242 (1967) and here, again, I can only subscribe to everything that Minister Harmel said from this rostrum this morning [2054th meeting] which must finally be implemented either totally or, if that is not possible, at least step by step. 55. On the contrary, we see, unfortunately, on the one hand the Arab States refusing to negotiate and adhering to an attitude that leaves no way out, an attitude of "all or nothing", instead of recognizing that everywhere in the world only negotiation has made it possible to achieve solutions to conflicts. And on the other hand we see Israel, for its part, deliberately or through the simple passage of time, daily consolidating its position in the occupied territories.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“I express the profound hope that efforts towards an equitable peace will no longer be held back by considerations of tactics and prestige and that each party will at least scrupulously respect the rules of war and simple humanity, both in regard to prisoners of war and to the prohibition against striking civilian targets and endangering the lives of civilians. 54. Another trouble spot in the world with respect to which our Organization has, regrettably, thus far displayed almost total impotence is the conflict in the Middle East. Innumerable hours of debate in the General Assembly and the Security Council and numerous resolutions have been devoted to various aspects of this dismaying problem without, as must be acknowledged, any solution having really come closer.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“While I can at last express my satisfaction at the positive development in what is traditionally called East- West relations, I am, however, particularly sorry to note the persistence of serious conflicts which take the form of open or threatened hostilities in Viet-Nam and in the Middle East, in spite of all the efforts to bring about peace which have indeed already resulted in a substantial withdrawal of military forces and military experts. 53. As regards the Vietnamese conflict, the slow pace of the Paris negotiations must cause despair to a people that has endured the ravages of war for more than 30 years and whose country is slowly undergoing total destruction.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“As the representative of a very small European country which twice in the twentieth century suffered terribly from confrontations between its great neighbors, I am particularly happy that there are new prospects for Europe to be entirely peaceful, turned towards cooperation and, indeed towards competition in the economic, social and cultural fields, but at last with no further recourse to force or even to the threat of force. 52.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This climate of detente and co-operation has already made possible considerable progress towards a return to a normal situation in the heart of Europe thanks to the Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin and to the considerable improvement in relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Similarly, the ratification of treaties prohibiting the use of force between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Soviet Union on the one hand and the Federal Republic of Germany and your country, Mr. President, on the other, augur well for the conference on security and co-operation in Europe, the preparatory work for which is to begin shortly in Helsinki. 51.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“If one considers the present international situation other developments which seem to us to be encouraging cannot fail to be noted. The most striking event in this respect seems to me to be the detente which has appeared in the relations between the United States of America and both the Soviet Union and China. We must rejoice to see the leaders of the great Powers giving ever greater priority to dialog and to the search for common grounds of agreement and co-operation. Our international community as a whole welcomes this desire to avoid as far as possible confrontations which are too often due to considerations of prestige and power and to the desire to settle their disputes peacefully. 50.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“normalization of relations between the two German States and, in consequence, their simultaneous admission to the United Nations. 48. I also note with satisfaction that contacts have been established between North and South Korea, and for my part I am convinced that here again common sense will triumph and the parties concerned will find a settlement which will take due account of the essential interests of the Korean people as a whole. In such circumstances that is, whenever the parties are themselves moving in the direction desired by all our Assembly must refrain from a debate which might arouse too many passions and arguments drawn from the past at a time when a page of history is about to be turned and preparations are being made for the future. 49.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Our Organization has reached an important crossroads in its history. The participation of the People's Republic of China represents a major landmark on the road to universality, and it is precisely because I want to see us persevere on this road that I hope for the speedy admission of Bangladesh. The entry of that State into the United Nations would be the logical consequence and the complete and sincere application of the Simla Agreement of 3 July 1972. 47. In our view a difficult hurdle to clear in the interest of ensuring universality is the admission of the divided States of Europe and Asia. However, I must say that I am optimistic following the encouraging developments in Germany which I hope will make it possible to bring about the.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“During this first year of his mandate the Secretary-General has been endlessly active in all United Nations fields and we can only congratulate him on the positive results which he has already achieved in so short a space of time. He has taken over the direction of the Secretariat at a crucial moment for the Organization and it is certainly appropriate that he should consider the re-establishment of the authority and the prestige of the United Nations as one of the primary objectives to be attained. It goes without saying that this task does not concern the Secretary-General alone; it is of primary interest to each of the sovereign countries which make up the United Nations, and it is only ever more complete and open collaboration among all the Member States which can give the Organization its proper place in the world. 46.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Mr. President, in addressing this twenty-seventh session of the General Assembly I am very happy to offer you the heartiest congratulations of my delegation on your election to the presidency of this august Assembly. Your unanimous choice was not only a just recognition of your great personal qualities but also a tribute to the country of great diplomatic and other traditions which you represent. We are confident that under your enlightened guidance, and I would say thanks to it, the present session will fulfill the hopes which the peoples we represent have placed in us. 45. I should like also to express to the Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim, our great esteem for the outstanding job he has already done for the Organization.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The main objective of our work should be to let this trend gain more ground each day in a climate of confidence and to add other tangible results to those which have already been achieved, especially in our political debates in this Assembly.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“More than ever, the events that we are witnessing, the new possibilities that are appearing, remind the world of the need to strive for a better balance. Nothing fundamental has been changed but and the many contacts that have occurred at the highest levels or that are about to occur are proof of this we see here and there a growing desire for strengthened stability in international relations. 143. Although wars previously led to victory and sometimes even to peace, it is clear that today they can lead neither to one nor the other. Hence there is a growing need to substitute peaceful dialog for the confrontation of weapons, to recognize a state of mutual interdependence between peoples and to arrive at true co-operation for the benefit of all. 144.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Valid solutions at the regional or national level are always infinitely preferable to the need to raise a problem in this Organization, but in the face of the impotence of the countries directly concerned, can we really remain silent? 141. Thus, to the extent that our general debate is supposed to reflect our major preoccupations in respect of problems that we see in the international arena now, we must look at the southern part of the Asian continent, where the safety of so many human beings depends on the pacifying action of the United Nations. Let the countries directly concerned understand that the outside world cannot indefinitely conceal its apprehensions in the face of what is going on in that area. Let them show proof of moderation and the kind of wisdom that their great men have taught in the past to the whole of mankind. 142.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Are considerations of national sovereignty or of security still valid when before our eyes we see the untold suffering of millions of human beings, sacrificed in the name of respect of principles that are valid in themselves, but which in this case are in conflict with elementary rights recognized by all civilized societies to the humblest of their citizens? It becomes each day more obvious that no country represented in this Organization can alone win acceptance for a solution which could be immediately applied to this situation which is fraught with future peril. Far be it from me to question the right of a country to settle its internal affairs independently.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“But time is of the essence and it does not work in favor of peace. 137. While the Middle East conflict has again this year been of great concern to us, we cannot-while not interfering in the affairs within the internal competence of Member States-keep silent before the regrettable events that have taken place on the Asian continent. 138. Can we close our eyes to what the Secretary-General has described in the course of a recent press conference as "one of the most tragic episodes in the history of mankind"? 139. When in one region of the world the numbers of refugees leaving their homes and their lands in conditions of misery and extreme suffering reach several million, is the United Nations truly living up to its vocation by confining its action to a timorous undertaking of a humanitarian character? 140.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Neither the use of military force nor the tracing of frontiers have in the past constituted, nor will they in future constitute, a step forward or a panacea. 135. We must show a true spirit of understanding, abandon attitudes which are only obstacles to an agreement worthy of the name, and avoid a resumption of hostilities which would serve the true interests of no one. 136. As for the bodies in which our Organization has put its faith for a rapprochement between the parties concerned, they should not neglect any possible chance of exploring all possible means which may lead to the expected results. Let the permanent members of the Security Council, on whom devolves so important a role in the search for a peaceful solution, spare no effort with a view to ensuring an agreement which must be reached by the parties concerned.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“We have paid special attention to the attempts made in the course of the talks between the four great Powers and the exploratory mission of the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Rogers, who took the initiative in this field. None of these initiatives, even when they sought a simply partial and provisional solution, thus far, has been successful-as we know only too well. 134. If we want to break out of the deadlock, criticism and mutual accusations will not help us in any way. The escalation of words finally leads to an escalation of violence. And in such conditions the parties involved, whose responsible leaders have confirmed their will to make peace, must realize with objectivity that they are compelled to live together for ever in the same region.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Despite the improvement we have noted in the international situation recently at different levels, despite the relaxing of tension in certain areas, we cannot still the anguish inspired in an impartial observer by the continuance of old conflicts and the possible appearance on the horizon of new tragedies. 132. We have eagerly followed the actions of the Secretary-General when, through his Special Representative, he has attempted to bring the opposing parties in the Middle East to an understanding on the basis of a common interpretation and application of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) sketching the broad outlines of a just and lasting settlement. 133.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Consequently, it would be in the interest of the great Powers to draw inspiration from these experiences, in order to expedite the current talks, to which many member States attach particular importance. 129. A series of Articles in the Charter emphasize the need to safeguard human rights and fundamental freedoms, while imposing on Member States the obligations to respect them. The duties of the Organization as such stem directly from these Articles. Here, too, the commitments undertaken limit a sovereignty which may not be exercised at the expense of the legitimate concern of the world community. 130. In order to fulfill its mission, the United Nations, through a High Commissioner for Human Rights, should make its voice felt impartially and effectively. 131.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Only a true participation by all the great Powers along the lines recognized in the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations set up by the Assembly will enable our Organization to become what we expected it to be from the very outset-in other words, an irreplaceable instrument for peace and security. 128 . In fact, whenever and as often as the United Nations has intervened, even by sending mere observers, in a dispute which had degenerated or ran the risk of degenerating into a military conflict, the worst has been avoided. Moreover, despite its shortcomings, the Organization proved to be effective in situations where we decided to make it play a useful role. The Security Council, in particular, functioned efficiently as soon - as the permanent members were in agreement.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“International public opinion follows the work of our Organization with unveiled skepticism, and that same public opinion is losing some of its faith in the political efficacy of the United Nations. This is due in part to the fact that a valid arrangement has not yet beew arrived at concerning the establishment, in time of crisis, of joint operations for the maintenance of peace. 127. We are aware of the multiple aspects of this problem. We know of its particular importance for the medium-sized and small countries that have been the victims of acts of aggression, expansion or conquest.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Its adoption enabled us optimistically to envisage the next stage-the third session of the Conference, to be held in April 1972 in Santiago, Chile, in the hope that converging measures will derive from the discussion. 125. The recent international monetary crisis, however, has made us fear that we shall go back to protectionism, to the closing of world trade (the results of which would be felt by the whole of the third world) and a reduction of over-all aid to the developing countries, as well as a serious depreciation of their exports. It is therefore essential to call on the perspicacity of responsible statesmen in order to face up to these serious threats. 126.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“As the years of the Decade go by, this enterprise, based for the most part on bilateral relations between States, must assume the nature of an essentially multilateral action. 124. The institution of a system of generalized preferences, established by the European Economic Community for industrial products from all the developing countries without discrimination, has enabled us this year to take an important step towards that objective. That scheme is in keeping with the main concern that was manifested at sessions of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in its desire to arrive at an over-all scheme of preferences, without reciprocity or discrimination, acceptable both to the developed and to the developing countries.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“In all of these fields the implementation of co-ordinated action, even of institutional joint mechanisms, appears to be more essential with each passing day. Progressively, problems of this kind go beyond the narrow framework of national frontiers and impose on the world community a need to act under concerted decisions. States for this reason must give up exercising an ever increasing amount of prerogatives for the benefit of international institutions or organs vested with true competence. 123. In the course of the Second United Nations Development Decade the implementation of procedures for the examination and assessment of the International Development Strategy is liable in the coming years to make public opinion more aware of the duties deriving therefrom for all countries involved in this global, unprecedented task of solidarity.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“120. The advantages that have progressively grown out of the regional policy followed thus far illustrate the extent to which it is urgent for all peoples to transcend considerations arising from an excessive and outmoded concept of nationalism or the most traditional kind of sovereignty . 121. This is true, in particular, of the efforts made by all people without distinction to achieve economic and social progress. It is true, moreover, of actions to be undertaken jointly to maintain peace. It is also true of measures to be taken with a view to ensuring the universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is true, finally, of the settlement of disputes through arbitration or legal institutions. 122.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“That detente was made manifest recently on the occasion of the signature of an agreement solving the thorny Berlin problem by the four Powers who have special responsibilities in Germany.4 That agreement brings us considerably closer to the day when it will be possible to explore the possibilities of discussion of the other present-day European problems within a multilateral framework. The result will be improved political relations, accompanied by an expansion in trade exchanges with third world countries, as well as a freer circulation of men, ideas and information. 119. We sincerely hope that all the countries of the European continent will make a contribution of equal value to the creation of that detente. Our wish is to see the final establishment of co-operation between all States in Europe, based on mutual confidence and respect.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“By a joint attempt to create forms of solidarity enabling them to settle, on a much broader scale, questions which they cannot solve by remaining in isolation, the European States which take part in the process of integration will not only bring about a stabilizing effect in that area of the world, but will, moreover, exert a beneficial influence on the development of profitable relations between our continent and the rest of the universe. 118. For the consolidation of Europe's structure has undeniably always facilitated a detente.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The expulsion of a Member could only create a new tension, whereas, on the other hand and without pie-judging possible solutions it should be possible to find a peaceful solution to the entry of the People's Republic of China within the framework of the United Nations. 117. Still-'within the context of the dialog, we have, in these past months, witnessed the progress achieved in the field of co-operation in Europe. The success of talks with a view to enlarging the European communities will undoubtedly make it possible to achieve and expand the understanding between these countries, whose rivalry has already dominated history far too long.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“115. We are unable to see how the United Nations could, a priori, dislodge by expulsion, a Government which effectively governs a people of 14 million inhabitants, and which, to date, has at all times shown a constructive and loyal attitude. Such an action by the United Nations would be tantamount to denying its principles and encouraging, if not openly at least tacitly, the settlement of a conflict through means other than open and constructive dialog, whereas its role is to serve as an intermediary, to go beyond the passions aroused by events, to build bridges over the abyss of differences which divide the two parties. 116.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The need for a dialog requires, firstly as I pointed out almost a year ago from this rostrum [1878th meeting] that the 750 million inhabitants of continental China be effectively represented here by their governing authorities, it being understood, therefore, that the permanent seat reserved in the Security Council for China should be occupied by the Government of the People's Republic of China. Since it is imperative for that Government to break out of its political isolation, we regard the progress achieved recently in this direction as encouraging. 114. On the other hand, it is difficult to believe that the progressive application of the principle of universality within the United Nations can only be achieved through the prior expulsion of a Member State which has always scrupulously fulfilled the duties imposed upon it by the Charter.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Contacts have been established between great Powers which previously ignored each other: in the Middle East guns have been silenced thanks to the cease-fire which, however precarious, is none the less real and which, it is to be hoped, will endure until peace is finally achieved; and in Viet-Nam the possibility of a peaceful settlement is beginning to materialize. 113. It is the duty of our Organization to make the adaptations required by this changing situation.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The events of this year have unhappily brought a succession of unexpected misfortunes and setbacks to millions of men; the hand of man has added to the cataclysms produced by the forces of nature and has conjured up again the specter of war. On the other hand, we have witnessed the opening up of new horizons, unexplored thus far, in the fruitful rapprochement between peoples, even though the chances for a final normalization of relations between them have not always been either rapid or easy. 112.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“The declarations of principle adopted almost a year ago with an eye to the future, the initiatives taken at the time, were marked with the need for a dialog. The settlement of disputes and there were many who emphasized this point strongly must be the result of constructive negotiations and preserving efforts at conciliation, in keeping with the spirit of the Charter and respect for its principles. 110. While the texts approved in 1945 do not spell this out, such an approach requires that our Organization should have a representative character that is as close as possible to universality, in other words; that all countries, and especially those which by reason of their importance, are fc< duty bound to assume the greatest responsibilities, should take part in the settlement of disputes of major importance for the survival of mankind. 111.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“If, at the beginning of an Assembly session, we were to seek to determine the true meaning that should surround our debate, we should, first of all, take into account the recent evolution of the international situation. 108. Our discussions, last year, were largely dominated by the commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary. At the time, we took a long look at all that had happened since the entry into force of the Charter signed at San Francisco. While noting the fundamental changes that had taken place throughout the world since that time, which may already appear remote, it was impossible to ignore the enormous difference that still exists between our acts and our aspirations based on the reign of peace and understanding between peoples. 109.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“At the same time I should like to convey to the outgoing President the expression of our highest regard and appreciation for the remarkably impartial manner and the firm yet smiling authority with which he conducted the debates of the session that commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations. 106. When, on this occasion, I reiterate to Secretary-General U Thant our tribute of gratitude for his persevering efforts in favor of peace over a period of more than 10 years, I do so with all the regrets I feel at his intention not to continue in his duties beyond the end of his present term, in the event that his decision were to be inflexible. 107.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“104. In addressing the General Assembly today, I am especially happy to tell you how gratified we are to see you presiding over our deliberations this year. In electing you, the world Organization has chosen the eminent Minister for Foreign Affairs of a great Asian country, whose Government advocates, wisely and with circumspection, international entente and understanding, We follow with interest the manner in which the Indonesian people have resolutely embarked on the path of continued economic and social development and progress. 105.”
1971-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 26 (1971)
“Would it not be appropriate — and I think it would — for us to take advantage of this anniversary to examine ourselves, to do as they are doing; and, looking at our record, ask ourselves in the light of our experience, our failures and our successes whether everything should remain fixed in an unchanging mould; whether this Organization, born of the chaos and marked by the scars of the Second World War, and certainly revolutionary in its day, remains, with its original structure and procedures, best fitted to prepare for the year 2000 or whether, to prove ourselves worthy of the founders of 1945 and of their ideal, we should not strive to do more to adapt ourselves to new conditions at the dawn of the third millennium of our era?”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)
“Rather than confine ourselves to declarations of intent whose results too often remain platonic, let us resolutely envisage positive action directed towards the restoration of peace where it is still not ensured, the implementation of human rights wherever they are still flouted, and a redoubling of efforts to bring about development in a spirit of universal solidarity. 150. And yet, now that the United Nations is preparing to commemorate its twenty-fifth anniversary and we are wondering what would be the most suitable way of celebrating that anniversary, I think above all of the post-war generation, of the same age as the United Nations, whose keynote is challenge and participation and whose members, judging us, are wondering anxiously whether we shall succeed in guaranteeing world peace during the last quarter of this century.”
1969-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 24 (1969)