YouSaid · the spoken record

Benhima

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS BENHIMA

lines on the record: 151
first: 1959-09-24
most recent: 1973-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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 twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of OAU, could not have any better introduction than to remind it that peace cannot redound to the benefit of certain peoples and not confer the same benefit on other peoples whose courage entitles them to live, without delay, in dignity and freedom.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In Africa now there is a fact that cannot escape either our Organization or international public opinion — even less the last adherents of colonialism and racist regimes. This is the existence of an open fight by all the peoples that are still dominated in Africa, who are taking their destiny into their own hands because they see they are obliged to follow the narrow road of a most arduous but most worthy fight for freedom. 118. This fight has brilliantly led to the demonstration of what can be achieved by the will of a people which at the beginning of this summer was still called as rebellious and which some 40 States have recognized in a few days as the first manifestation of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. 119.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In admitting that these measures, in their formulation, might constitute progress, Spain's suspicion with regard to co-operation with the United Nations is legitimately upsetting the confidence that it called for from us and that we were prepared to grant it in good faith in a framework which excludes initiative on the part of the administering Power alone. 116. If my last words concern decolonization and if I expect to be brief on the subject, it is essentially out of deference to President Gowon of Nigeria, the acting President of OAU, who was good enough to agree to come himself and present before the United Nations the preoccupations of the African continent as a whole in regard to the persistence of colonialism and the increasingly clear trends of the strengthening of the racist regimes upon our continent. 117.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“However, periodically the Spanish Government promulgates laws which modify the structures of the Territory and its status, while proclaiming that such measures are merely stages which advance the Territory towards the desired goal of self-determination. On 22 September last the Spanish Government again promulgated another series of measures in the same spirit. 115. Yet, if the Government of Spain were to adopt the same decisions with the co-operation of the United Nations, as called for in numerous resolutions, the prudence of our Organization would doubtless have guaranteed the finality of such measures and the genuine freedom of the expression of the will of the peoples.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In the presence of all the fundamental and real factors which contribute to the establishment of exemplary relations between Spain and ourselves, we are attempting on our side, with good faith and with considerable patience, to arrive at an identical or concordant comprehension concerning the style and the method for the decolonization of the Sahara. 113. It is a known fact that my country has solemnly proclaimed here, as well as in other international forums, that it was in favour of the principle of self-determination for the populations of that Territory. Spain has supported that principle and in 1969 voted in favour of the resolutions of this Organization which referred to this as the necessary way to decolonise that Territory. 114.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The attitude of the Spanish Government — and we profoundly regret this — creates a situation where all must exercise a vigilance that is constantly put to the test in order to avoid incidents within our territorial waters, where there is always a risk of confrontation between a modest navy which is protecting its national waters and a belligerent fleet which considers it has to protect, in its own way, fishing boats that are there without any legal basis. Both of us are aware of this danger, and I hope that we shall be able to avoid it if, given our will for certain co-operation, we shall first find respect for our national sovereignty. 112.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“We had hoped, and rightly, that at a time when, after the fashion of numerous countries of other parts of the world, we had extended authority over territorial waters where our interests had long suffered, Spain, a powerful and prosperous country, would understand the desire of a country which is trying to take stock of its resources and is mobilizing them all in the service of a people legitimately aspiring to its own development, first of all through the use of its own resources. Other countries, although opposing the legitimacy of such a decision, have accepted our offers of co-operation within a framework where our sovereignty prevails. 111.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“France and Spain were good enough to submit Morocco's request with sympathy and support, since both these countries were aware with us that our historical intimacy, our cultural and economic ties and the imperatives of security on both sides of the western Mediterranean would meet legitimately the interest of Morocco in the security and development of good relations in the region. 109. It is highly desirable — and we continue to hope this with all our hearts — that all our relations with Spain be finally freed from any controversy, the removal of which is not an unrealizable ambition for two countries and peoples that are so close to each other. 110.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“This analysis is the basis of the direct or global interest which Morocco has with its neighbours of this sea in Europe's efforts to try to strengthen its security and ensure fruitful co-operation between the States of the continent. 108. We are happy that the Committee of Co-ordination of the Helsinki Conference has agreed that non-European Mediterranean countries should be invited to express their interest in co-operation with Europe and to display their concern for the indivisible security of the whole of this region.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“If the destiny of Europe has been historically influenced at Poitiers, in Pomerania, on the Rhine, on the Elbe or on the Moskva River, it has also been influenced, with equally important consequences, and sometimes even the most felicitous ones, around the Mediterranean. 105. Similarly, the destiny of the Arab world has been played out not entirely around the Tiber or the Euphrates, at Acre or at Fez, but also in Anatolia, in Sicily, on the plains of Spain or on the other flank of the Pyrenees. 106. The elements of the contemporary world around the Mediterranean, although they are different in some of their manifestations, have in no way altered in their profound realities the geopolitical or economic foundations of this historic interpenetration. 107.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The idea that a hotbed of war or tension does not remain indefinitely under control in a region at the level one wishes to maintain it is shared by the peoples of the Middle East, because they have lived this truth throughout the whole of their history, a history that has been highly active. The Middle East crisis, whether it remains latent or proceeds towards an escalation or a peaceful solution, brings about political change in other parts of the world adjacent to it. 103. Would it be possible, for instance, to speak reasonably today of the strengthening of peace in Europe if the Mediterranean basin in the east as well as the west remains the centre of a conflict which is undermining a well- understood concept of European security and economic and cultural co-operation among all the coastal countries of that basin? 104.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In the face of this situation, which they can only confront squarely, the Arab States and the Palestinian people have often proved that the constraints of war can still leave room, however modest it may be for the time being, for the sincere search for a peaceful solution that would be in keeping with justice and dignity. 101. In certain circles, people are still hoping that time is working for them; but if time belongs to those who know how to use it, the Arabs have also learned, although at their own expense, that time could be one of the other means still at their disposal. 102.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Unfortunately, the same conditions are still present in that region and the slightest spark may ignite a war which, in any case, will not be like the one in 1967. 98. And yet, are the great Powers, which either cannot or do not wish yet to impose peace on that region, likely to be able to prevent war for much longer; and, if so, for how long? 99. The Palestinian people has now crossed the threshold and has taken its destiny into its own hands. Its resolve to fight until final recognition of its legitimate rights is every day taking different forms, and neither Israel nor its allies are today unaware of the dimensions which the direct fight of the Palestinian people has brought into the complexity of the problem. 100.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The OAU has memorably celebrated its tenth anniversary by its unanimous condemnation of Israel and support of the Arab cause. 96. Elsewhere, more than 70 States, gathered last month in Algiers and, representing all the peoples of the world, all systems of government and all ideologies, indicated, in a unanimous, unequivocal resolution, their support for the Arab cause because it is the cause of right, justice and peace. 97. If the whole of the conscience of the world, organized in various world-wide or regional institutions, is thus united in proclaiming the primacy of law and justice, where, then, is the force that is still blocking this profound desire for peace in the Middle East? What more is required before we consider that it is urgent to begin a serious pursuit of peace?”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The efforts made by the representative of the Secretary- General, the Secretary-General himself, the Security Council and the General Assembly, are still treated with contempt by the Israeli authorities. Israel, whose propaganda is based essentially on the beguiling of international opinion, cannot today boast of having any favourable audience or of finding indulgence or understanding in world public opinion. 95. The OAU, basing itself on its experience in the struggle against colonialism and racism, has finally torn away this veil of lies that Israel had tried to spread over the African continent, where today it can rely only on South Africa and Rhodesia, which constitute with it the last alliance of the racist regimes.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The persistence of Israel in its refusal to implement a single one of the United Nations decisions, the constant reinforcement of its military potential, and the measures of all kinds aimed at the permanent organization of life in the occupied Territories and the entrenchment of Zionist immigration into-Arab lands are factors not likely to facilitate the pursuit of a peaceful solution. 93. So in whose interest is it to allow this situation to deteriorate? If one were to analyse the various political and moral responsibilities within the international community, one would realize without any difficulty that our Organization has constantly condemned Israeli aggression, rejected the principle of the acquisition of territory by violence, and has called for the evacuation of such territories. 94.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The political and diplomatic impasse in which the Middle East situation has bogged down and the attitude of semi-indifference on the part of the great Powers vis-4-vis this situation, may tend to substantiate the thesis that peace can be a tangible reality only because it remains at the level of the higher interests of the great Powers. The Middle East crisis seems to be held in abeyance and seems to serve as a test-tube in which experiments would be conducted concerning some sort of formula for detente or common harmony. But any crisis situation that does not improve only worsens, by the very nature of things. 92.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Who can deny that the situation in the Middle East remains a major obstacle towards an improvement of the present atmosphere in international relations? Peace-building is certainly an enterprise that requires sustained effort and long patience, and progress towards a solution presupposes the progressive elimination of all obstacles of so-called secondary importance. But it is difficult to admit that there is a hierarchy of peace and that certain peoples deserve it on a priority basis, while others must resign themselves to a tragic destiny until better times arrive. .”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It is also true that certain regions of the world, torn by conflicts which, directly or indirectly, engaged their interests as Powers, today are finding tranquillity and dialogue, which have now replaced war. It is also true that certain countries divided by considerations which are not of their own making are progressively finding certain objective conditions which are bringing their peoples towards this fundamental virtue of seeking their national unity in spite of all the vicissitudes. As we look back at recent history we must view this new situation as immense progress. 90. But is this sufficient reason for proclaiming everywhere, on all occasions, that peace has arrived, when numerous regions of the world continue to be denied even the first signs of it?”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“No conscience, however lofty it may be, and however satisfied it may be over its action for peace, can today claim total tranquillity as long as this peace is limited essentially to arrangements which preserve only national interests, however respectable these may be, to the exclusion. even temporarily, of the imperatives of a generalized peace applied to all continents taken together. The most determined optimism over the relaxation of the world crisis still conflicts in reality with a picture of the international situation which is not entirely a rosy one. 89. Of course, the improvement in relations among the great Powers engenders hope, inasmuch as their antagonisms have been an essential source of tension.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“.The detente is in fact the result of all these efforts, which since 1947 to this day have converged, despite different approaches, towards the primary importance of dialogue and of its prevalence over confrontation and conflict. 87. If the flowering of this atmosphere of detente is the result of the common efforts of all the forces favouring peace, its strengthening and its effective translation into new international realities must even more so be the common task of all. The tranquillity, however relative and fragile, which prevails today in international relations has engendered sufficient hope for the action of the leaders of the world to be the subject of vigilant attention and for their responsibility to be submitted to the most rigorous scrutiny and judgement. 88.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The policy of coexistence and non-alignment — the only possible policy for all those for whom the confrontation of the two blocs ran the risk of affecting their sovereignty, compromising their independence or affecting their territorial integrity — was not only a defensive policy involving the preservation of their own interests, but a policy of intervention on the world scene every time that the great Powers were unable to emerge from a crisis save through a move that might lead them towards war. And if today it is necessary to say that the great Powers have rescued peace in Peking, Moscow, Paris and Washington, it must be recognized that others, too, have saved peace when it was indeed endangered in Indochina, Berlin, Suez and Cuba.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“If the itinerary that has been followed in the efforts towards detente during the whole of this quarter-century has for some been limited to the brilliant encounters of Peking, Moscow, Paris and Washington, it is in fact a long process in which, for a long time and at serious risk, certain countries have participated — countries whose contributions for safeguarding peace were no less efficacious even though patient and discreet.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“We are gratified at this turn of events for the German nation and the two States representing it, with which Morocco is maintaining relations of profound friendship and mutually advantageous co-operation. We are happy in this respect also for Europe, where Morocco has on two occasions lost many of its sons and thus cannot fail to be legitimately concerned for its destiny. We are gratified also at the peace, whose fragility we have felt so frequently both on the Rhine and on the Elbe, consolidation of which in Europe today should make it possible to hope for its extension to other regions of the world where it is still only a desire. 86.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The admission of the two German States is one of them. The whole of the post-war period has been marked for Europe and for the world by the complexity of the German question, and Europe and the rest of the world have had to display much courage, political intelligence and patience in order to save — on numerous occasions, and sometimes at the very edge of the precipice — the peace and international security which the confrontation between East and West, particularly in connexion with Germany, have been endangering at every moment. The long diplomatic path that has led to the present happy stage is a positive sign of the reality of a certain detente, first in Europe and also in other parts of the world.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Since the United Nations displays the truth of its universalise character and its enrichment through diversity every year, it must congratulate itself on being able to count three new Members with differing political heritages and political and cultural horizons. The Moroccan delegation welcomes with sincere satisfaction the delegations of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic and hopes to develop and expand the most cordial and extensive cooperation with these delegations. 85. But if each admission of new Members is in itself a source of satisfaction for the United Nations, may I be permitted to say that there are cases where such an admission assumes the dimensions of an event that is rich in significance both historical and political.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“83. Mr. President, I am very pleased to be-able to add the congratulations of the Moroccan delegation to those that have already been addressed to you. The Assembly's choice this year with regard to its presidency is a manifestation of the general esteem and respect that you have acquired in the course of a long career, a goodly part of which has been in the service of this Organization. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil stated at the opening of this session on behalf of the whole of Latin America [2124th meeting, para. 2] it is the expression of a pride which we share with him and which he has voiced on behalf of us all with spontaneity and talent. 84.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The desire to preserve the potential benefits of the future has consistently led us to seek in frank and loyal dialog a solution which would redress the consequences of past phenomena which are no longer valid in our present day world, and which Spain has from this very rostrum strongly condemned when it claimed the legitimate return of Gibraltar to its national territory. We have carried forward a dialog for many years and action at United Nations level in which Spain is no longer facilitating our progress towards a solution, as it did in the past in accordance with our admission. 145. True friends know how to overcome quarrels. Both sides must also be aware of their duty not to sacrifice such important prospects for co-operation to misunderstandings which in the long-run may imperil the deepest friendship.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“I should like to say especially to one of those countries with which we have had a kind of centuries-old historical intimacy, that we are aware of the fact that our positions in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean could in future lead us to establishing closer co-operation then in the past; and while the reservoir of friendship accumulated during that common history is an important factor in any calm consideration of such cooperation, I must say just as frankly that the road towards this common action must be cleared of anything that might give rise to conflicts and misunderstandings. 144. The rather serious dispute which existed between us and Spain has appreciably lightened in recent years, but it still involves fundamental divergences which continue to be a source of concern. I have in mind the problem of the Sahara.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“That is why we are most interested in having our problems taken into consideration at that conference. 143. If Europe thinks that the Rhine or the Elbe are the axes of its destiny, we believe equally strongly that the Mediterranean is ours, and that we are seriously concerned about this. In Morocco we are gratified by the relationships we maintain with all the countries of the northern coast. There are so many affinities and so many interests binding us together that our will co co-operate with them is an inevitable element in our destiny.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Linked by history, convinced of the similarity of our interests and desirous to the same extent of avoiding falling under the hegemony of the great Powers, we are formulating together the hope of finding around this sea sufficient motivation to strengthen our ties in a solid and lasting way. 142. We rejoice in the possibility, which we hope will come about very soon, of a conference on European security. The peoples of Europe, who throughout history have often had a common destiny, can reasonably expect today to build together a world in which they will recover their true vocation and their common hope. If we greet this conference with joy, we also think that European security would be incomplete and fragile without security for the Mediterranean and for all the peoples living along its shores.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“And, we, at the opposite end of the Mediterranean are trying to work out and agree, with our neighbors of the south and the north, on the basis for a co-operation likely to ensure to all of us permanent security and prosperity. The Maghreb, if it has not yet succeeded, is progressing happily with confidence in and respect for that unity which is the deep aspiration of all its peoples. 141. On the shores of Europe, the Common Market is expanding and Europe is working on a political unity which we think could be a positive factor in the stability which Europe has been seeking since the end of the war, the stability necessary to ensure to it its rightful role in the world.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“To express this thirst for justice and dignity it has tried the only ways and means which the political order existing in the world has left at its disposal. These were ineffectual, since its rights continued to be ignored. This international community, from which it sought justice, apparently did not understand its despair and its cry for help, while like all people in history, it used the sublime recourse which is the gift of life itself to remind the world of its existence. There is no need to seek elsewhere, other than to understand the actions of the sons of this lost Palestine. 140. That truth, which we painfully feel and which we express with the utmost regret, is also useful in our opinion to the search for a true peace in this area, a vital part of the Mediterranean basin.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The Palestine people was coldly and cynically abandoned in 1948; half of that people remained as hostage to those occupying its country; half was driven from its houses, its lands, beyond its border, to yield its place to foreigners coming from every corner of the globe. That people for a long time hoped that those supposedly assisting it would help in the recovery of its homeland and its dignity. The Arab countries for 25 years have tried to denounce the flagrant injustice committed against their people with the blessing of those who today criticize them. They have failed so far. But a new generation, raised in frustration, often in poverty, has, on coming of age, at least regained the moral and unalterable inheritance of which nothing can deprive a great people: its dignity.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“And if today the explosive power of certain words is deliberately being intensified, it is exclusively for the purpose of adjusting them to their intended use. First of all, what is terrorism? We exclude from the definition that people are now trying to work out any act motivated by the defense of a legitimate and inalienable right which the law has failed to protect. This principle, in our view, applies as much as to an individual as to a group and, a fortiori, to an entire people. An objectively violent act, may have legitimate motivations and, speaking of the actions of Palestinians, let us clearly say that this involves the expression of one of the most painful aspects of the crisis in the Middle East, namely, that where there is aggression there is necessarily resistance. 139.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This situation was vigorously denounced this year by all of the African States meeting in June at Rabat, and by the 62 non-aligned countries meeting in August at Georgetown. The persistence of the crisis and its unforeseeable future course can be laid only at the door of Israel and those members of the international community whose indifference is interpreted by Israel as tacit encouragement. In the face of such a clear-cut situation there can be no alibi. Especially not the alibi called terrorism. 138. We do not hesitate to declare solemnly that we are opposed to all forms of violence, that blood shed by violence must be deplored, whatever the nationality, the race or the religion of the victim. For several decades we in fact have always been on the side of the victim of violence rather than on that of its perpetrators.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Well, this is now the fact, and the vetoes in the Security Council will henceforth assure it that it can repeat these aggressions without any risk to itself. 136. On several occasions the leaders of the Arab countries directly concerned have clearly announced their readiness to support any initiative that, with full respect for existing resolutions and while preserving their dignity, would serve to set in motion a process capable of facilitating the restoration of peace to the area. After five years, this show of goodwill and patience has been put to the test and these States, conscious of their responsibilities to their own peoples find themselves constrained to resort more and more to other possibilities that certainly do not bring peace any closer. 137.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“And when the Security Council meets to consider these deliberate aggressions, the exercise of the veto by one permanent member guarantees the absence of any Council decision against Israel. 135. It is particularly dangerous to international peace that a situation such as the one now prevailing in the Middle East should continue without being given serious attention, as if this Organization and the international conscience that it is supposed to represent had abdicated before a fait accompli carried out with inexplicable impunity. What does Israel hope for? Is it hoping that, once it is assured of this indifference and this impotence on the part of the United Nations, it could, at will, launch its aggression against any country it chooses, for which it is free to define the objective and determine the duration?”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It rejects the resolutions of the Security Council, it refuses to engage in any co-operation no matter how slight with the representative of the Secretary-General, it denounces agreement among the four great Powers, it even opposes the Rogers plan. What is more, while opposing any search for a just and equitable solution, it continues its attacks, on an increasingly violent scale, against Syria and Lebanon, in particular. Convinced that it can rely on the requirements of a particular combination of circumstances in the internal life of a great Power, in one single week it launched two attacks against Syria and bombed and invaded the territory of Lebanon.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This Organization has taken a whole series of decisions, at the level of both the Security Council and the General Assembly, establishing a framework for the search for a solution aimed at eliminating the results of the aggression of 1967, and especially at evacuating the occupied Arab territories and recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestine people. 134. Numerous approaches were undertaken both within the framework of these resolutions and among the great Powers in their talks, or through the initiative of one country or another. The Arab States have constantly lent their support to these approaches and have set up no obstacles in their way. But Israel has, invariably, on one pretext or another, blocked all such action and every such initiative.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“These are the factors which the friends of Africa, as well as its opponents, have called the spirit of Rabat. We hope that next year this spirit will live again in another African capital. 133. But to this analysis which, at the start of this statement, I intended to be a positive one, I must add that Africa is not the only area where the situation obliges us to recognize the persistence of .tensions and dangers still threatening security and peace. It has by now become a chronic phenomenon, especially during the last five years, for this Organization to consider the situation created in the Middle East by the Israeli against several States in that region at a pace which does away with the myth of the cease-fire and brutally reminds us that the aggression is continuous and generalized.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Africa has also clearly assumed its responsibilities: it supports their resistance, it determinedly and tirelessly pursues its political action at the international level and within this Organization. However, this same Africa which is still plagued by difficulties inherent in its rapid change and which is still confronted, both at home and abroad, with problems that are at times insurmountable, has proved at Rabat that it was capable of overcoming the problems inherent in its evolution and in the clarification of its interstate relations, just as it has shown itself able to cope with its responsibilities at the international level with the realization that it is an important factor in international life and that, for the world to feel concern for its problems, it must, in its turn, join ever more closely in the settlement of the world's affairs.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“As for Portugal, which is waging a total war in three regions of Africa, it should begin by realizing that, despite the means placed at its disposal, the resistance movements in Guinea (Bissau), as in Angola and Mozambique, have succeeded in establishing themselves in those Territories with a remarkable organization that makes it possible to associate with them all of the liberated populations in a venture that becomes more effective day by day. What indication could Portugal give us to make us understand that this country is finally ready to engage in a dialog with the United Nations which could progressively substitute politics for war? The nationalist leaders confronting it have proven their courage, their authority and their ability and are able to shoulder all their responsibilities.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It is true that the Secretary-General recently traveled to South Africa and Namibia and that he engaged in difficult talks with the Pretoria leaders. Without underestimating the positive nature of that initiative and of the new mission now being undertaken by the Secretary- General's representative for Namibia, we shall not harbor any illusions until we become convinced that because of these efforts the South African authorities will consent to engage in a dialog within the meaning of international decisions defining the legal status of that Territory, and within the terms of the resolutions clearly clearly setting out the steps for its liberation. Ambassador Escher, the representative of the Secretary-General, enjoys our confidence. I hope that he will provide us elements likely to make us less skeptical. 132.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“But if they are determined to wage an all-out struggle because it has been forced upon them by their opponents, they know that this Organization, by reason of its Charter and its political action, could shorten that suffering. What can be the power of South Africa or Portugal which allows them to claim that they are and will remain Members of this Organization and sometimes to behave here in an arrogant fashion while they contemptuously and disdainfully ignore the innumerable resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly with the support of most of the great Powers? What is Southern Rhodesia compared to the power of Great Britain in the first instance, and of the international majority 14 which has condemned its secession and the policy of brutal segregation which followed thereon. 131.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Aware of this immobility, if not of this helplessness, those peoples have been taking their fate into their own hands to an ever-increasing extent and have irrevocably chosen the narrow and painful road of struggle. This courage has earned them the sympathy and assistance of a large sector of the international community. But the African States in particular feel that it is their overriding duty to help and support these peoples. During the last summit meeting of the OAU, which my country had the honor of welcoming at Rabat, the member States demonstrated in the most striking terms their wide and effective support of these peoples. The liberation of Africa was the dominant theme of the meeting and practical measures were taken to ensure that the struggle will be supported wholeheartedly.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“These foundations of colonialism, which were none the less solemnly repudiated within the framework of the new morality governing relations among peoples, still persist in Africa, where the process of decolonization which began in the 1950s has not been accelerated as we would have wished. And yet there are still nations with the most advanced civilizations which practice colonialism and others which support it, while both in the past either through their religion or their humanism have played a very important role in the changes brought about in relations among men. How are we to explain the indifference or the inertia shown by some Powers in this very Organization which sometimes, without any reason other than that of an alliance, ignore the courageous and desperate struggle of peoples aspiring to achieve their respect and dignity? 130.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“But the continent of which Morocco is a part is still outside this charmed circle. The international community, which in the past quarter of a century has undertaken a deep reconsideration of the philosophies and values upon which it bases its behavior and which succeeded in changing its structure on the basis of a more tolerant ethic, still runs up against the colonial concept which, on the African continent, has assumed its most inhuman and most intolerable form since that phenomenon spread by successive waves over our continent during the last century.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“In this connexion, I should like to pay a tribute to U Thant, who had felt and shared in this aspiration and who contributed with remarkable patience to the emergence of this new political context which brought us from the cold war to detente. I also know, Mr. Secretary-General, what esteem and trust have been reposed in you, and I am convinced that with the qualities that you possess which have long since established your reputation that you will be able to lead us from detente to peace. 129. A few minutes ago I spoke of the wish of countries such as mine to see this detente spread to all parts of the world, and despite the most natural feeling of national egoism, I have recorded Morocco's satisfaction at the emerging signs that peace is returning to some continents.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“If they rejoice in seeing that detente is emerging in one part of the world or has already become consolidated in another, they remain watchful and sometimes apprehensive of the risk that the new balance established among the great Powers might confront those Powers with the temptation of engaging in a simple reapportionment of roles, influences and interests in the various parts of the world. They want this detente to be indivisible and beneficial to the whole of the international community. In this very hall over a. full decade they have made of this a profession of faith whose defense was not always without its dangers. 128.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)