YouSaid · the spoken record

GYAW

lines on the record: 246
first: 1989-09-24
most recent: 1995-09-24
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

“The wide spectrum of issues that need to be addressed include the unsustainable pattern of production and consumption, new and additional sources of funding for the developing countries to enable them to cope with environmental problems, and development of and agreement on technological transfers. The environment occupies a place of pride in our national priorities. Allow me, therefore, to apprise the Assembly of the endeavours of my country in the field of environmental protection. Myanmar has great biodiversity, in flora as well as fauna. We regard them as a national heritage to be protected and conserved for future generations. Accordingly, environmental considerations have consistently been taken into account in our socio-economic planning and implementation.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The outcome of the summit Conference, the first of its kind ever to be formally mandated by the General Assembly, will have a most significant bearing on the future of mankind. The actual and potential threats posed by environmental degradation and deterioration are such that unless timely action is taken at the global, regional and national levels the very survival of the human race is at stake. What is required is a willingness on the part of all nations, developed and developing, to work together in cooperation and in concert so that the threat to the environment can be overcome.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“While recent initiatives do provide limited scope for debt relief, a durable solution to the problem will require bolder approaches. That over a billion people now live in absolute poverty is not only immoral: it also poses a real threat to international security and stability. Creation of an international economic environment conducive to growth and development of the developing countries is therefore an imperative for the world community. Unless and until this is achieved, the chasm that divides the North from the South will grow even wider. In less than a year the nations of the world will gather in Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The developing countries are faced with protectionist measures in developed market economies affecting the very sectors where developing countries have a distinct comparative advantage in international competitiveness. The debt crisis, far from being over, has increased in magnitude and intensity. Although a few middle-income debtor countries have achieved a measure of progress, the most heavily indebted countries continue to face enormous difficulties. The total amount of external debt of capital-importing countries has now reached the staggering sum of $1.4 trillion. Resolving the debt crisis is central to the reactivation of growth and development in the developing countries. The solution to the problem of external indebtedness must of necessity include debt and debt-servicing reduction as a central element.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“As we enter the decade of the 1990s, little has changed in the economic circumstances of the developing countries. In the midst of plenty, the vast majority of developing countries still find themselves in a state of abject poverty. While world trade has shown healthy growth, the same cannot be said of the foreign trade of developing countries, and while foreign direct investment quadrupled in the last decade, very little of it flowed to the developing countries. The absolute level of official financial flows to the developing countries remains stagnant in real terms. The international trading system continues to be threatened by growing protectionism and increased tendencies towards managed trade, and frequent recourse to unilateral measures which contravene the basic principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In the nuclear field, the package of measures announced by President Bush last Friday has given a further boost to the momentum generated by the 1987 Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) and the 1991 START agreement. What is perhaps more significant than the numbers and types of weapons involved is what seems to be a clean break with the philosophical approach to arms control and disarmament which the United States pursued during the cold-war era. A positive Soviet response, both in kind and in spirit, to the unilateral United States initiative could, in our view, set in train a self-generating process that would eventually lead to the elimination of all types of nuclear weapons in the armouries of all nuclear-weapon States.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“There is today a historic opportunity for the establishment of a democratic society in South Africa, united and free from apartheid and all forms of racial discrimination. We must not let the opportunity slip away. It is imperative that the international community, while applauding the constructive developments there, continue to maintain the necessary pressure until the evil system is totally eradicated. The new climate of growing confidence and cooperation between the two super-Powers presents us with an opportunity to intensify efforts that would result in meaningful agreements in all fields of disarmament, particularly in the field of nuclear, chemical and other weapons of mass destruction.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“While steps such as the repeal of the Group Areas Act and the Lands Act, the repeal of the Population Registration Act and the promise of President De Klerk to remove the remaining pillars of apartheid are positive, it is disappointing that, almost two years after the adoption of the United Nations consensus Declaration on apartheid, the political process towards the elimination of the abhorrent system is still at a very early stage. We are happy to note that, as a result of the courage and political vision of the black leadership, the parties concerned reached agreement on 14 September 1991 to put an end to the communal violence that has engulfed South Africa for so long.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“My delegation further believes that an international peace conference on the Middle East, held under United Nations auspices and with the participation, on an equal footing throughout all its phases, of all parties concerned, remains the best means of achieving the kind of peace I have mentioned. We earnestly hope that the diplomatic initiatives that were intensified in the aftermath of the Gulf War will lead to agreement on the early convening of such a conference. We have followed with great concern developments in South Africa, where the black majority continues to make tremendous sacrifices in order to free itself from the scourge of apartheid.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“My delegation continues to hold that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region can be achieved only by faithful application of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) in their entirety. This requires, above all, recognition of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including their inalienable right to self-determination and to the establishment of their own independent and sovereign State, side by side with recognition of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States in the region, including Israel.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The successful formation of the Supreme National Council, with His Royal Highness Samdech Norodom Sihanouk as its President, and the subsequent Pattaya and New York agreements reached between the Cambodian parties represent significant progress towards implementation of the framework for a comprehensive political settlement in Cambodia, endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 668 (1990) of 20 September 1990. We fervently hope that all parties concerned will pursue the process with renewed vigour, so that a comprehensive peace agreement may be finalized and concluded without delay. The situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. The Gulf War served as a frightening reminder of the potential for a wider, more devastating conflict in the region.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The maximum caution needs to be exercised lest the defence of human rights becomes a platform for encroaching on the essential domestic jurisdiction of States and eroding their sovereignty. Nothing would be a surer prescription for anarchy than an abuse of this principle." (A/46/1, p. 10) As a South-East Asian nation, Myanmar is highly gratified that fighting has ceased in neighbouring Cambodia and that an end to the pain and suffering endured by the Cambodian people over the past 12 years is now in sight.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The modality of implementation is the primary responsibility of Member States, to be formulated by each according to its own best judgement, in keeping with its own local conditions. In this respect, the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies can best play a supportive role. Here the wise words of caution expressed by the Secretary-General in his latest annual report must be well heeded. Speaking of human-rights violations carried out in a systematic fashion and on a scale massive in terms of both time and place, the Secretary-General says: "It seems to be beyond question that violations of human rights imperil peace, while disregard of the sovereignty of States would spell chaos.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Not only have we been providing comprehensive and factual replies to inquiries and communications of the Commission, received through the United Nations Centre for Human Rights, but we have welcomed the visit to our country of an independent expert appointed by the Commission. We intend to continue such cooperation on the basis of the principles underlying the United Nations human-rights mechanism - namely, objectivity, fair-play, good faith and good will. However, a clear line must be drawn between, on one hand, the internationally binding character of the norms I have mentioned and, on the other hand, the modality of their implementation by Member States in their own countries.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Indeed, we are adhering to such norms in good faith. To the fullest extent permitted by our own national circumstances - not least among which is the continued existence of armed insurrection in remote parts of the country and the destructive activities of underground elements in urban and rural areas - we are doing our utmost to promote and protect fundamental human rights in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Myanmar Government's policy of cooperating with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights is well known to members of that Commission.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“(A/46/1, p.2) Among the developments that are causing serious concern and anxiety, particularly among the small and the weak, are moralistic stances that, in truth, conceal attempts to modify the time-honoured concept of sovereignty and to erode certain cardinal principles of the Charter, such as the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and political independence of States, and the principle of the sovereign equality of States. One sphere where such attempts are becoming increasingly manifest is that of the promotion of human rights. We in Myanmar accept the rule that once legal norms pertaining to human rights are universally recognized as general principles of international law they become binding on all States.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Nothing that has happened since the watershed year of 1985, when events that will surely go down in history as marking the beginning of the end of the cold war first manifested themselves, requires a modification of the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter. Indeed, if anything has become plain from the rapid evolution of international affairs it is that the paramount law of the Charter must be upheld as inviolate and must be scrupulously respected in every sphere of intercourse between nations if today's promise is not to become tomorrow's bad dream. As the Secretary-General reminds us in the opening section of his annual report of 1991,. "... the concern that t>»e principles of its Charter should govern the emerging international order continues and is accentuated by all current developments".”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In today's changing and turbulent world it is doubly incumbent on such countries to exercise their great power with prudence and in strict conformity with international law. Power entails responsibility, and the greater the power the higher is the responsibility to act, and to be seen to act, with justice and within the law. Power divorced from responsibility and exercised outside the law - be it at the global or at the regional level - will inevitably lead to an international regime of diktat and anarchy. The Charter of the United Nations lays down the legal norms of responsible international behaviour and provides the institutional framework for just the kind of international order that not only nations but countless millions of common men and women in all corners of the globe have so long yearned for and so long been denied.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The nations of the world have now within their grasp a God-sent opportunity to fashion a new international order in the image of the Charter - a new order of peace, freedom, justice and cooperation, where the rule of law, not the rule of might, prevails; an order where both men and nations are freed from the crushing scourges of want, hunger, disease and ignorance that have afflicted mankind through the ages. The end of an old era does not necessarily mean the dawn of a new and better one, and the transition from the one to the other can be neither smooth nor painless. It can be accomplished only through the conscious and dynamic pursuit of enlightened, responsible and statesman-like policies by all nations, particularly by those that have the power to influence and shape events - for good or for bad, for better or for worse.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The peculiar phenomenon of the cold war which took hold in the wake of the universal rejoicing and euphoria occasioned by the end of the Second World War has now been declared over. Thus, an unhappy chapter in human history, which was also the most perilous, has come to a close. Mankind, which for over forty-five agonizing years has been living under the sinister shadow of the atom bomb, has been liberated from the ever-present and pervasive threat of total and instant annihilation.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Council's decision authorizing the use of force on a national and coalition basis, which clearly does not conform with the mechanism and procedures for enforcement action envisaged in Chapter VII; the apparent lack of proportionality in the employment of armed force; the want of full compliance with the rules of humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts; the over-extension of the application of Chapter VII measures; the continued enforcement of some of these measures long after the end of hostilities which has caused grievous suffering to innocent civilian populations - these are among the questions which must be urgently addressed not only by the Security Council but also by the General Assembly in exercise of its authority under Article 11 of the Charter.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“While the legitimacy of the objective of Security Council decisions in the matter is unquestionable, certain aspects of those decisions and the manner in which they were interpreted and implemented not only during the war but also in its aftermath have confronted the international community with many troubling questions. The Secretary-General has laid these questions plainly before the Member States in chapter IV of his annual report.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“4-5) The threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State is totally outlawed by the Charter. So is the threat or use of force in any other manner, save in conformity with the provisions of Article 51 and Chapter VII. Acts of aggression, or other breaches of the peace, whenever, wherever or by whomsoever committed, must be decisively suppressed. It is therefore a matter for satisfaction that the Security Council, freed at last from its decades-long paralysis, took resolute action to terminate Iraq's aggression against Kuwait, and thereby succeeded in upholding intact one of the principal aims of the Charter. The entire world rejoiced at the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation and the restoration of the status quo ante in that country.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The assumption of their rightful place among us by the three Baltic States - the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania - carries a special significance because it represents the righting of a historical wrong perpetrated in violation of international law. Equally significant is the manner in which this was accomplished. If I may borrow from the statement made by the President of the Security Council on 12 September 1991 on behalf of the members of the Council, the independence of these three States: "... was restored peacefully, by means of dialogue, with the consent of the parties concerned, and in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the three peoples". (S/PV.3007. p.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Republic of Korea is a country with which Myanmar has established a long and fruitful relationship of friendship, understanding and cooperation, and I am therefore most delighted to welcome it to our midst. We are confident that, given the evolving international climate, the simultaneous admission of the two Korean States will promote rather than hinder their eventual peaceful reunification. We are also pleased to see in our ranks two other fellow-Asian States, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Their decision to join our Organization signifies their resolve to take full charge of their own destiny as independent sovereign States.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Javier Perez de Cuellar, too, for his tireless efforts, his dedication to the ideals and aims of the United Nations, his courageous and far-sighted peace initiatives and, above all, his vital contribution in restoring the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations at this critical juncture in the history of the Organization. Universality of membership is a cherished goal of our Organization - an objective which Myanmar has always supported. We are therefore pleased to see seven new Members in our midst. Two among the new members, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, have been with us for many years as Observer States. We are pleased to see them assume their rightful place as full Members.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“May I begin. Sir, by offering you the warmest congratulations of the delegation of the Union of Myanmar on your most deserving election to the presidency of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Allow me also to express our admiration for the able manner in which you have been leading the deliberations of this body since the beginning of the session, and our full confidence that under your wise and dynamic leadership every success will attend the work of the session. In addition, I wish to pay tribute to Mr. Guido de Marco, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta, for his commendable and invaluable contribution to the success of the forty-fifth session of the General Assembly. Our high tribute and deep appreciation go to the Secretary-General, Mr.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The international community can best help that process by refraining from interfering or bringing pressure to bear in any shape or form and by letting the people of Myanmar proceed along their own path until they reach their chosen destiny of a free and democratic State.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I might add that the actions taken against the persons in question are the most lenient prescribed by our laws, even though the acts perpetrated by them, which include instigating the general public to defy the legal authority and forming a parallel government, make them liable to much sterner penalties under our criminal laws. I hardly need to stress here that our national undertaking to establish a peaceful and prosperous multi-party democratic State must be accomplished by the people of Myanmar themselves in accordance with Myanmar's outlook and in the Myanmar way, so as to suit our nation's own specific conditions and circumstances.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“She will shortly be arriving in Myanmar to carry out her mandate. Questions have been raised in certain quarters concerning the restraint placed on certain individuals in my country. As we have clarified on numerous occasions, legal action has been taken against those persons not for their political activities but for their infringement of the existing laws of the land. I should like to emphasise that a line must be drawn between respect for human rights, on the one hand, and maintenance of law and public order in accordance with existing laws, on the other. Every Government has the primary responsibility to maintain law and order in its country and to prevent anarchy and disorder.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Myanmar is known for its unique culture, whose hallmarks are tolerance and compassion. This cultural environment underpins respect for human rights, which not only are protected by law but are also observed in practice as a matter of tradition. Discrimination, be it on grounds of race, religion or sex, is a non-existent in my country. We have been co-operating closely with the Commission on Human Sights, its subsidiary bodies and the Centre for Human Sights in Geneva, and have been providing information to them on the situation of human rights in our country. We shall continue to do so in the future. Let me take this opportunity to inform the Assembly that the Government of Myanmar has agreed to, and indeed welcomes, the visit to our country of Professor Sadako Ogata, an independent expert appointed by the Commission on Human Sights.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“A broadly based national convention will be convened to discuss all factors that should be taken into account in drafting the new Constitution. Its drafting will be the responsibility of the elected representatives. The State Law and Order Restoration Council and the Defence Services will do their outmost to assist them in this task. Until such time as a firm, constitutionally established government comes into existence, the State Law and Order Restoration Council will continue to fulfil its national responsibilities, the most important of which is to safeguard the three cardinal national causes, namely, to prevent the disintegration of the Union, to ensure the non-disintegration of national solidarity and to ensure the perpetuity of our country's sovereignty.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The next indispensable step, therefore, is the drafting of such a constitution in order to lay a solid foundation for a democratic State, to which the people of Myanmar aspire. The new constitution needs to be drafted with great care in order to ensure that the shortcomings and loopholes of the old constitution of 1947, which was drawn up before Myanmar became independent, do not find their way into the new instrument. Needless to say, it must be elaborated meticulously, comprehensively, systematically. It must be based on national consensus and must be acceptable to the majority of the people of Myanmar as well as to the majority of the national races living in the Union. To that end, the authorities are taking all necessary measures, step by step, and plan to meet with the elected representatives of the National Assembly.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Under the relevant provisions of the Law, a number of candidates have filed objections with the Election Commission against their opponents. Both the petitioners and the respondents represent a broad cross-section of political parties, including the National League for Democracy, the National Unity Party and some independents. The Government has thus far set up five tribunals, with widely respected retired law officers and civil service personnel, to investigate these objections. The tribunals are presently conducting their court proceedings and hearings. This dies process must be allowed to complete its course; those petitioners exercising their rights cannot be denied their rights. A strong and stable government presupposes a strong and enduring constitution.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Having fulfilled its promise to hold free and fair multi-party elections, the State Law and Order Restoration Council is now taking firm steps systematically and step by step - towards the establishment of a stable and enduring democratic State. Questions have been raised in some quarters regarding transfer of power to a democratically elected Government in my country. In this connection, I should like to stress that our leaders have given assurances on several occasions that the State Law and Order Restoration Council will hand over power in due course to a strong and stable Government that is to be formed in accordance with a new constitution to be drafted. Those who have raised such questions do not seem to be aware of the due process of law that is now taking place in Myanmar in accordance with the Election Law.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The elections were held in strict observance of the election Law and Rules, under the supervision of an independent five-member Election Commission. The fact that the elections were genuinely free and fair, beyond any doubt, was universally recognised by all the political parties which contested the elections and by a large group of journalists, representing 32 news agencies, who observed the elations at first hand. In a remarkably high turn-out, 72.59 per cent of eligible voters went to the polls on election day and exercised one of the most fundamental human rights, that is, their right to elect National Assembly representatives of their choice, without lat or hindrance.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In view of the progress achieved thus far and of the definite plans and programmes which we will be energetically carrying out in the future, we have ample reason to visualise the total eradication of poppy cultivation and of the menace of illicit drugs in Myanmar in the shortest possible time, On 27 Nay 1990, the first multi-party general elections in nearly three decades were successfully held in my country in response to the ardent wishes and aspirations of the people Myanmar. This historic event constitutes the fulfilment of the solemn promise made by the State Law and Order Restoration Council on the very first day of its assumption of national responsibility, and reaffirmed on numerous subsequent occasions.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In parallel with these national efforts, Myanmar has already established close co-operative agreements with two of our neighbouring countries, China and Thailand. These arrangements include exchanges of information on drug trafficking and related activities along our common borders, training of law-enforcement personnel and transfer of technology. They complement and reinforce each country’s national drug-control programmes and activities. Plans are well in hand to establish similar co-operative arrangements with another neighbouring country, the Lao People's Democratic Republic. These endeavours are currently being undertaken on a bilateral basis but are expected to develop into a broader co-operative arrangement at the subregional level.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In February this year and again in April, heroin and other narcotic drugs worth $921 million at prevailing street prices in the United States were destroyed in Yangon in full view of members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of United Rations agencies and foreign journalists. Our multi-faceted and multi-sectoral anti-illicit-drug strategy includes a programme for the development of frontier areas and national races. This programme, which places particular emphasis on infrastructure-building, crop substitution, livestock breeding and the overall alleviation of socio-economic conditions in border areas, is making a perceptible impact on the all-round development of rural areas in 44 townships in the border region.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The Global Plan of Action adopted by the seventeenth special session and the Declaration issued at the London Ministerial Summit have given added impetus and sense of purpose to the international campaign against narcotic drugs. We in Myanmar continue to intensify our relentless war on illicit drugs, carrying forward the momentum generated by our nation-wide anti-drug campaigns and programmes which have been in full swing since independence. The multi-faceted and multi-sectoral anti-drug measures being undertaken by the Myanmar authorities nation-wide are making steady headway on all fronts.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“To that end, my delegation wholeheartedly supports the proposal to hold an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations with the participation of all parties concerned on an equal footing. The year 1990 is a remarkable year for international efforts to combat the scourge of illicit drugs. The seventeenth special session of the General Assembly, on narcotic drugs, held in Raw York in February this year, and the World Ministerial Summit to Seduce Demand for Drugs and to Combat the Cocaine Threat, held in London last April, marked two important milestone in the history of mankind's war on illicit drugs.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The crisis in the Gulf has underscored the urgency to redouble efforts to find a just and durable solution to the Middle East problem as a whole. At the core of this problem is the question of Palestine. We firmly believe that а comprehensive, just and hone· lasting solution to this problem must b· based on the principle of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area, including Israel, coupled with the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to national independence and sovereignty. Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) continue to remain the only workable basis for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East in consonance with the above-mentioned principles.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“That is why the Union of Myanmar unreservedly supports the decisions and took immediate action to ensure that all Myanmar Government agencies, private entities and individuals strictly comply with the terms of Security Council resolution 661 (1990). The essential purpose of these decisions is, in our view, to terminate the act of aggression and its consequences through political and diplomatic means. Given the fact that the Gulf region has now been transformed into the scene of the world's heaviest concentration of Multinational adversarial military forces deployed in battle-ready formations, and given the latent volatility of the Middle East as a whole, any other course of action to bring about the objectives set forth in the Security Council resolutions would be fraught with incalculable and far-reaching dangers.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The prohibition enunciated in the Charter principle that all States "shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or us· of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State" is absolute. Whenever and wherever this fundamental principle is violated, it is incumbent upon all peace-loving and law-abiding States to stand resolutely and collectively in defence of this vital fundamental principle in conformity with the provisions of the· Charter. The decisions on the situation taken by the Security Council to date, whose objective is to restore the status quo ante in Kuwait, constitute decisive action to uphold the sanctity of this principle.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“With the depth and clarity of perception that has become the hallmark of his assessments of the state of the world the Secretary-General in his latest annual report, has alluded tot "the dawn of a new era in Europe, streaks of light in some regions and the darkness of old animosities and new hatreds enveloping others. (A,4S,1. p. 3Ì The region where "old animosities and new hatred·" are casting their long shadows of darkness and are threatening to undermine the promise of a more peaceful, just and secure international order is the Middle last. Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent purported annexation of Kuwait are acts of aggression by any definition.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We welcome in particular the acceptance by all the Cambodian parties of this framework in its entirety as the basis for settling the conflict, and the agreement reached by them at the recant Jakarta meeting to form a Supreme National Council. Having regard to the complexities of the conflict, particularly in its international aspects, we agree that the United Nations must play a significant role in the Cambodian peace process. In this connection, we feel that it is only fair that the States members of the United Nations which are not directly involved in this process should be fully apprised in advance of the resource implications of the contemplated United Nations operations in Cambodia, in particular those of a financial nature.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The resolution of the conflict in Nicaragua, in which the United Nations played a major role, encourages us to hope that the search for peaceful settlement of the conflicts in soma other Central American States, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, will soon bear fruit. Myanmar is a South-East Asian country having close historical ties and cultural affinities with other countries in our sub-region. We are therefore most happy to see significant progress made in the past few weeks towards ending strife in neighbouring Cambodia. We welcome Security Council resolution 668 (1990) of 20 September 1990, endorsing the framework for the comprehensive political settlement of the conflict in that country, formulated by its permanent members.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Promising though the situation is, it is yet too early to assume with complete assurance that the process for positive change in that country has become irreversible and that an end to the apartheid system is within reach, Apartheid laws and apartheid structures are still in place, the urge the South African Government to do away with these pillars of the outdated system as soon as possible in response to the will of the international community expressed in the Declaration adopted at the sixteenth special session o£ the General Assembly. In the meantime, the international community must not relax its existing pressure in order to convince the yet unrepentant sections of the white minority that apartheid has no future in their country.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“These hopes have been reinforced by positive factors conducive to such a change that have emerged in the country during the past months. Foremost among them is the exemplary far-sightedness, wisdom and statesmanship that has marked Mr. Nelson Mandela's every action and pronouncements ever since his release from prison. Due credit must also be given to the political courage displayed by President De Klerk in pledging to abandon apartheid and to seek a peaceful transition to a new South Africa, non-racial and democratic. Thanks to the pragmatism and realism displayed by them, the African National Congress of South Africa (AMC) and the South Africa, Government have been able to adopt a joint declaration aimed at accelerating the political process towards a negotiated settlement.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We earnestly hope that endeavours will be made to speed up the pace of disarmament negotiations and to set higher, more ambitious targets within shorter time frames, for the reduction and ultimate elimination of nuclear and other mass-destruction weapons. Moreover, massive conventional forces should be pared down to the levels needed for purposes of legitimate national self-defence. As we stand at the threshold of a new era we see looming ahead both exceptional promises and daunting challenges. In April of this year, the entire world rejoiced at the peaceful transition of Namibia to independence The Namibian experience has renewed hopes for a peaceful change in South Africa leading to a total dismantling of the universally condemned system of apartheid.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)