YouSaid · the spoken record

OULD MOUKNASS

lines on the record: 218
first: 1969-09-24
most recent: 1977-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“We hope that the developed countries will give us proof of their true political determination to implement these measures which, if they are respected, can contribute to the establishment of genuine international co-operation. 68. The United Nations is an appropriate framework for such international co-operation. Reform of the economic system of the United Nations and the establishment of structures tailored to the new economic facts cannot but make our Organization more able to play its role of catalyst. It is by doing this that our Organization, an instrument of peace and understanding among peoples, can see its role as a factor for political, economic and social advancement restored to it. 69.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“The use made of the United Nations flag to give an appearance of legality to such an undertaking, to camouflage the occupation of the southern part of Korea, must be stopped by our Organization. The people of Korea must in fact have the possibility of achieving their independent and peaceful reunification without any foreign interference. 67. These hotbeds of tension or selective confrontation are not the only problems with which the international community is faced. There is another crucial problem of our times: the growing gap between the developed and the developing countries. So long as the measures decided upon by the sixth and seventh special sessions of the General Assembly for the establishment of a new international economic order have not been put into effect, this gap, which is already scandalous, will continue to grow.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“While the problems of Africa are of particular concern to us, we cannot fail to mention other problems which, while they are far removed from us in distance, are nevertheless of great concern to us. One of them in particular is the problem of Korea. The Korean nation was divided by the accident of occupation. At the beginning, there was a temporary demarcation line, which later was changed into a definite boundary not because that was the desire of the people of Korea but because the prolonged presence of occupation forces tends to create an irreversible situation. That situation, which some are trying to make ever more final, is a permanent threat to peace in that region because it is contrary to the sacred principles of the territorial integrity of the country and to the interests of its people.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“But I should like now to reiterate the mutual determination of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Kingdom of Morocco to find for this problem, within the framework of the United Nations, the most appropriate political solution, a solution that will take the utmost account of the respective rights of the two countries. I willingly refrain from dwelling on this problem, since the General Assembly last year took the twofold action which I have just mentioned and the results of which are not yet known. Hence, I shall consider it my duty at a later stage of this session to set forth in detail my country's views on this problem, which affects our national unity and our very existence. 66.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“While I am speaking of colonial problems, I cannot fail to mention the problem of Western Sahara, which is of the utmost importance to us since it involves our territorial integrity and the unity of our people. We shall, of course, have an opportunity in the Fourth Committee to take up the substance of this problem, when the report of the Visiting Mission to the Territory [A I 10023, chap. XUJ, annex] and the advisory opinion requested of the International Court of Justice have been communicated to the General Assembly.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“I should like here to assure the peoples of South Africa and Zimbabwe of the active solidarity and unwavering support of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in their struggle for dignity, freedom and national independence. 64. There is another problem that causes us concern that of Angola. We hope that that country will once again find peace and stability so as to accede to independence in unity and brotherhood, without being torn apart. The people of Angola are living through a difficult period of their existence, but we are convinced that if they are left to themselves they will be able to meet the challenge and recover their national cohesion. 65.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“The racist policy of the Pretoria regime, which denies to 13 million Africans the most elementary human rights, is an insult to the international community and to this Organization itself. The Organization cannot accept in its midst those who reject its principles and systematically trample under foot its relevant decisions. The South African regime has no place in this forum so long as it does not subscribe sincerely to the principles of equality and respect for the human person, principles that are the framework and the very essence of our Organization, With regard to the rebel Ian Smith regime, the Members of the United Nations have the imperative duty scrupulously to apply and strengthen the sanctions imposed on that regime by the Security Council. 63.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“Moreover, those results will remain limited and without any real effect on the situation if similar and urgent efforts are not undertaken in the other sectors on the Syrian and, partic-ularly, the Jordanian fronts. In any case, it must be understood that any kind of peace in the Middle East will be an illusion so long as the Arab territories remain occupied and the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people have not been restored to them. 62. Another negative factor is the tragic situation in southern Africa. Indeed, the peoples of South Africa and Zimbabwe remain under the yoke of a colonialism based on racial segregation and the domination of the majority by a handful of foreign settlers.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“Quite obviously, what the Israeli authorities have in mind is the creation of an irreversible situation of violent change and faits accomplis. 61. We have of course followed with great attention the praiseworthy efforts of the United States Secretary of State to unfreeze this explosive situation of "no war, no peace", a situation whose maintenance cannot but threaten the peace of the region and, therefore, international security. While the results he has obtained can be regarded as a first step towards a solution, it is none the less true that the price paid to Israel in armaments can definitely jeopardize any chance for peace in the Middle East.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“This injustice committed against the people of Palestine is at the root of the whole problem of the Middle East. It is therefore obvious that any solution to that problem must necessarily include the restoration of the legitimate national rights of the people of Palestine, including their right to return to their homes and their right to independence and to national and international sovereignty. 60. In the other occupied Arab territories, Israel pursues its policy of intimidation and colonization by force. The establishment of a systematic policy of settlement, the implantation of settlers from everywhere except the region concerned, is in itself very revealing of the Tel Aviv authorities' view of a contribution to the establishment of peace in the Middle East.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“These outstanding events constitute beyond any doubt a substantial success for the forces of peace throughout the world. They are therefore a legitimate source of hope. It must nevertheless be recognized that peace is far from assured everywhere and that more justice in international economic relations remains a distant target. Those negative factors constitute serious dangers for the world community. 59. The first of those factors is the question of Palestine, which directly affects international peace and security. The people of Palestine, whose existence throughout the centuries was closely intertwined with geography, with the very land of Palestine, have been chased from their homes, dispossessed of their goods and reduced to wandering and living on inter-national charity.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“We know that the resolution adopted at the seventh special session [resolution 3362 (S-V1I)] suffers from definite gaps and shortcomings but it none the less reveals a sincere desire to embark upon a useful and constructive dialog. 57. My country has already had an opportunity, at the beginning of last month, to state its basic position regarding the development problems faced by the countries of the third world. We emphasized particularly the need to stabilize prices of raw materials, the need for the adequate transfer of resources to finance development and a more equitable distribution of industry throughout the world. While our demands have not been fully met, we must nevertheless recognize that our legitimate claims in those various fields have been welcomed with sustained interest. 58.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“I refer to Mozambique, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe. 56. On the economic level, the seventh special session, devoted to development and international economic co-operation, was one of the rare gatherings where dialog prevailed over confrontation. That was all the more fortunate since international economic problems, and in the first place the fundamental problem of development, are today more acute than ever. The specific measures proposed by the special session constitute an important step towards the establishment of a new international economic order, because they are measures which were unanimously accepted by all the Members of our Organization.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“Having implacably devastated the two Vietnamese States, the United States ought to have undertaken to assist in their reconstruction. Not only has the United States not shown such generosity: it has even gone so far as to oppose the admission of the two Vietnamese States to the United Nations by the abusive exercise of its veto. My country cannot but deplore such an attitude, which nothing can justify. 55. In the field of decolonization considerable progress has been achieved through the concerted action of liberation movements and the United Nations. The concrete result of that action is the accession of many countries to international sovereignty. I should like to express the warmest congratulations of Mauritania to the representatives of the brother countries which have acceded to independence and are with us today.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“This is not a peace resulting from a compromise or from a partially observed commitment; it is a peace which has been dearly bought by those peoples. The Cambodian people imposed upon itself the sufferings and the painful sacrifices which we know of to recover its independence. Its victory is a victory for all the peoples who are still struggling for their freedom and dignity. Because of the victory of the Cambodian people, I can today greet their representatives in this Assembly, where they have been restored to their rightful and natural place. The victory of the Vietnamese peoples is no less significant. It was because of a lofty struggle that those peoples obtained their ultimate objective their independence and freedom. 54.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“That new spirit of co-operation and understanding has grown out of the realization that within the context of the balance of nuclear power certain geographical or political boundaries cannot be altered by force. It is also fostered by the fact that it has been realized that two powerful industrial and trade blocs can both benefit from economic co-operation. 52 In Europe, where for a long time peace initiatives, attempts to settle by peaceful means problems inherited from the Second World 'War, died in the face of misunderstanding and suspicion, anew era of confidence mutual respect is gradually beginning. 53' the,Viet Nams and in Cambodia, whose peoples nave for a long time been dying from war and foreign intervention, peace is being restored.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“The Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, also deserves our appreciation for the remarkable way in which he discharges his lofty and difficult mission. I wish once again to assure him of the support of Mauritania in his courageous and persevering efforts to win respect for the principles of the Charter and the ideals of equality and justice. 51. I said earlier that the peoples were torn between despair and hope. If we examine the international Situation we note that it has been marked by events which are bringing us closer to peace. Among the super-Powers a network: of new relations, based on economic co-operation, is being established over and above any differences of political regime or ideological system.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. The delegation of Mauritania is all the more happy to express its gratitude to him because he is not only a worthy representative of Africa, but also the Minister for Foreign Affairs of a brother country with which Mauritania maintains the most fraternal and fruitful relations. The history of the United Nations will for ever bear the imprint of the courage, the personality and the qualities of the man who, despite resistance and criticism, was able to define the problems and was among the first to lead us to a fuller awareness of them. It is therefore appropriate for us to express our gratitude to him for his important work during the twenty-ninth regular session and the seventh special session of the General Assembly. 50.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“It is, therefore, within a new context where the peoples of the world are torn between despair and hope that this thirtieth session, whose work you are called upon to guide, is opening. 48 Mr. President, your responsibilities are difficult and complex, but we who know your qualities as a statesman and an eminent diplomat, your foresight and clear perception, we who know the well deserved respect that your country enjoys, rejoice at the unanimous choice of the General Assembly which has brought you to the presidency of this session. I therefore ask you to accept the warmest congratulations of the delegation of Mauritania on that mark of confidence and tribute of esteem addressed to you and, through you, to your country, Luxembourg. 49. I should like also to pay a most earnest tribute to your predecessor, my friend and brother Mr.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“47. The thirtieth session of the General Assembly opens at a time when important events are occurring on the international scene. At the economic level, the ills from which the international system suffers have been the subject of a more careful diagnosis is being made to remedy them. At the Political level level, war is ending in Indo-China, while considerable progress is taking place in the field of decolonization. These transformations undoubtedly constitute an important stage on the road to establishing peace. However, a long road lies ahead before true justice prevails in international relations and before peoples who are still oppressed can enjoy fully their rights to dignity, freedom and independence.”
1975-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 30 (1975)
“It is in vain that we decry the inefficiency of the United Nations if those that bear the collective responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security are the first to flout its relevant resolutions. 46. We would express the sincere hope to see every Member State work for respect for the principles enshrined in the Charter and the application of the decisions taken by our Organization. Thus, for the greater good of mankind, we would see reborn the somewhat diminished confidence of peoples in this world Organization.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The rivalry between the great Powers can be manifested in this task, not by acrimonious discourse, but by a sincere search for solutions of the many problems of mankind, particularly by the improvement of the fate of man and the application of his rights. It is at this price that our Organization, an instrument of peace and understanding among peoples, can see restored to it its role as a factor for political, economic and social progress. The United Nations indeed could not be satisfied to be only what the Member nations wish it to be, for among those countries the great Powers enjoy prerogatives so formidable that they could not be justified if they did not imply at the same time duties and respect vis-à-vis Member States and the resolutions of the Organization.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“That is a real apprehension that emerged from the historic Fourth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Algiers from 5 to 8 September 1973, in which 76 countries representing a very large majority of the world's population met together. That concern, which was clearly felt in Algiers, would be further justified if the developed countries, and in particular the great Powers, failed to convert this detente into a real and committed effort for peace and progress for the benefit of all mankind. 45. The United Nations offers an appropriate framework for such international co-operation.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Such conditions testify to the lack of a real political will to take the measures necessary to bring about, in the interests of all Members, true international economic co-operation. The developed countries, in their long-term interest, are in duty bound to organize that co-operation on the basis of the equality of States and the participation of all in a task which is of necessity a common use. Otherwise, detente will remain limited in principle and in scope. It could even ultimately bring about the division of the world not into ideological and antagonistic blocs but rather into a group of developed countries, an international gendarme at a dual level-political and economic-and a majority of poor States, pawns of political confrontations and military hegemonies. 44.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“True, praiseworthy efforts and progress have been made by international institutions such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the International Monetary Fund, but relations between the developed countries and the developing countries continue to be relations of dependence rather than interdependence. Bilateral or multilateral aid has not been sufficient to meet the needs of the developing countries and is far removed from the objectives of the Second United Nations Development Decade. With the price fluctuations in raw materials and the increase in the price of manufactured goods, the already scandalous gap widens steadily. 43.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The hotbeds of tension or selective confrontation I have just touched upon are not the only limitations to detente. There is another crucial problem of our times-that of the increasing gap between the developed countries of the north and the developing countries of the south. The international economic and monetary structures set up after the Second World War were conceived in terms of the interests of the developed countries alone. 41. If at the outset only the interests of the Western countries were involved, in our times we must recognize the fact that this system extends to the economic interests of the developed countries of the East. It is a system within the framework of which the dependence of the developing countries is an essential factor in the future growth of the wealthy advanced countries. 42.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Despite the signing of the Paris agreements on Viet-Nam and the cessation of United States bombing in Cambodia and Laos, peace is far from established. And it cannot be established so long as foreign intervention is manifested in support of all kinds for the Lon Nol regime and so long as the Saigon administration and those who support it do not really commit themselves to respecting the Paris agreements. 39. In Korea, the division of the country constitutes a permanent threat to peace in that region and to security in the world. The United Nations flag continues to be used to camouflage the presence of foreign occupation troops in Korea. The Korean people cannot bring about its independence and peaceful reunification save through exercise of its right to self-determination in the absence of any foreign intervention. 40.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“My country reaffirms its devotion to that principle in conformity with the decisions of Nouadhibou and Agadir, and pertinent resolutions of the United Nations on this Territory. We should like to avail ourselves of this opportunity solemnly to call upon Spain without delay to apply to the people of the Sahara the principle to which Spain has in principle subscribed, as requested of it repeatedly by the United Nations. Any delay or hesitation could only worsen the situation in the Territory and compromise the many ancient and new ties of friendship and co-operation existing between Spain and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. 38. The situation in Indo-China continues to be a subject of lively concern for my country.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The most recent massacres in Carletonville in South Africa and the criminal atrocities perpetrated in Mozambique by Portugal once again bring out the resurgence of this colonialism based on the oppression of the peoples of southern Africa by a minority of foreign settlers. These peoples are exploited and deprived of their fundamental rights, which flouts the most elementary values of the human person. This unholy alliance between Lisbon, Pretoria and Salisbury continues to strengthen its system of domination. It is encouraged by monopolies and economic and financial foreign interests and by the multifaceted aid it is granted by certain countries within the Atlantic alliance. 37. The people of the Sahara under Spanish domination continue to be deprived of the right to self-determination.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The Palestinian people, whose lives and existence have through the centuries been intermingled with the geography and land of Palestine itself, have been expelled from their homeland, dispossessed of their goods, reduced to wandering and living on international charity. Such is the crisis in the Middle East which Israel, assured of impunity and the support of imperialism, launches as an arrogant challenge to the international community and to the United Nations itself. 36. In Southern Africa, the peoples of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau and the Cape Verde islands continue to bend under the weight of colonialism, which becomes increasingly murderous and inhuman.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It will therefore be understood that detente can have no meaning for the oppressed peoples expelled from their homes, denied their legitimate aspirations to freedom, dignity and progress. 34. In the Middle East, Israel pursues its policy of aggression, following an unchanging scheme of colonization by force. The countries bordering on occupied Palestine have seen their territories reduced. Even their names have been changed. True violent change has been brought about-not by a normal and authentic development but by the application of a continued policy of expansion, occupation and resettlement. 35.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Just so long as colonial wars rage, just so long as there is apartheid, occupation of territories of sovereign and independent States, the policy of force and economic exploitation of countries already poor, detente will remain an illusion or will be limited in scope. Peace and freedom are indeed indivisible, particularly at a time when the interdependence of countries and the solidarity of peoples become a vital and inevitable necessity. That is why the detente and rapprochement in Europe can have meaning only if they are not limited to a geographical zone and their effects can be extended to the rest of the world. Indeed, it happens, as though by a curious chance, that it is in the other parts of the world that one finds poverty and the sources of tension. 33.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“On the subcontinent, the agreement concluded in New Delhi on 28 August between India and Pakistan settling various humanitarian problems encourages reconciliation and peace in the region. 30. The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, while actually covering the prosperous regions of the planet, is none the less an initiative for rapprochement, which provides a framework for reflection and dialogue between nations that were recently competitive in all fields. 31. These outstanding factors in international relations beyond any question constitute a sizable achievement for the forces of peace in the world. They are therefore a legitimate source of hope. We must, however, recognize that peace is far from being assured in all parts of the world. That explains our attitude, which is based on equally legitimate anxiety. 32.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In Europe, where for so long initiatives for peace and attempts at settlement by peaceful means of the problems inherited from the Second World War died at a wall of misunderstanding and mistrust, a new era of confidence and mutual respect is progressively being realized. That state of mind is in particular reflected by the admission to the United Nations of the two Germanys. 28. Concerning Indo-China, the signing on 27 January 1973 in Paris of agreements on Viet-Nam, the cessation of the American bombardment of Cambodia and the Vientiane agreement' open up new prospects for the people of Indo-China, who have so long been scourged by war and foreign intervention. 29.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Indeed, if we look at the international situation we will note that it has been marked by decisions and negotiations which have brought us closer to peace. Among the great Powers a link of new relations founded on economic co-operation is being established above and beyond the differences of political regimes and ideological systems. This new spirit of co-operation and understanding derives from the realization that in the context of nuclear balance certain geographical or political frontiers could not be altered by force. It is also encouraged by the fact that people have become aware that two powerful industrial and commercial blocs can derive from each other tremendous advantage on this basis of economic co-operation. 27.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Those are our deep-rooted considerations of reality which we have translated into facts in our relations with other African countries, both north and south of the Sahara, and with the whole of the Arab world to which we belong. 24. At the same time as our links with our brothers from the south and from the north are growing stronger day by day, we intend to build together the Arab Maghreb, in keeping with the aspirations of our peoples and with their centuries-old ties. 25. It is therefore on the basis of these political factors-if we may use that term-that the delegation of my country intends to participate in this debate without any prejudice or partisan spirit. 26. I said a few minutes ago that our peoples were divided between despair and hope.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“As far as our relations with Africa are concerned, they are a reflection of our faith in the need for African solidarity. If the unity of Africa finds in us a particular welcome it is because our country, as was said by the Head of State of Mauritania: "... gives an example of harmonious cohabitation of people of different races and colours, who, with the same enthusiasm, are together building the Mauritanian nation. . . . These characteristic features of our country, as well as its geographic position, make it a link between Black Africa and Arab Africa, the cultures and races of which exist together there in order better to enrich it and to symbolize Africa united in its diversity." 23. That is certainly not a passing attitude.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Such consultation and co-operation, in a climate of confidence, can lead to agreements respecting each of the parties involved or to the taking of a common position flowing from solidarity of interests or any other valid and legitimate motivation. Our choice of non-alignment derives its force from this spirit of co-operation; at the same time, it is the expression of our refusal to be at the service of any hegemony or to replace centuries-old forms of domination by other, equivalent manifestations. It is explained also by our devotion to freedom, to the equality of all peoples and to the safeguarding of their national independence. For that matter, those are the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, to which my country has subscribed ever since its independence and to which it has sworn an oath to be faithful. 22.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Sangoule Lamizana, President of the Republic of Upper Volta, who has been entrusted by his peers to undertake this task. 20. As can therefore be seen, it is in a difficult situation that my country has committed itself to the path of mastery of its economy, an essential prerequisite for true independence. But our country-with a fairly parsimonious State, with a people that tends by nature to economy, with a largely surplus balance of trade and an adjusted balance of payments-counting on the support of many brother-States and friends, has every reason to be optimistic and confident in the future. 21. On the other hand, this policy of independence characteristic of our country does not in any way, in our opinion, exclude the possibility of consultation and fruitful co-operation.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Thanks to that national effort and to that international solidarity, urgent problems have found a solution or are on the road to solution. 19. We have avoided the worst; the people have been saved from a catastrophe of famine which could have killed thousands of human beings in this twentieth century, which none the less is witness to opulent consumer societies. It thus remains for us to prevent, through appropriate short- and long-term programmes, a recurrence of such a situation. The broad, general lines of this programme, for the financing of which we are calling upon friendly countries and the international community, have been defined by the Heads of State of the Sahelian region in Ouagadougou and will be communicated to the General Assembly by Mr.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“By means of a rigorous limitation of expenses, my Government was able to participate to a large degree in the carrying out of this plan. While that participation has now risen to one sixth of our national operating budget, a 3 per cent national tax on salaries and a 1 per cent tax on the business earnings of companies operating in our country should reach the same amount. But if the forecasts for this initial plan have been largely exceeded, it is thanks principally to international solidarity, to which I should like to pay a warm tribute. I should like to avail myself of this opportunity to address the sincere thanks of my Government and people of Mauritania to the United Nations, to the specialized agencies, and to the private organizations and many friendly countries that have granted us rapid, effective and multifaceted assistance.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Three successive years of drought have had dramatic consequences on the life of our people, on cattle and crops: 60 to 80 per cent of the livestock have died, depending on the region; there has been a severe food shortage, leading to epidemics among a portion, of the population, mass rural exodus, non-existent crops, and a lack of drinking water. Those are just some of the problems which require urgent solution. 18. An emergency plan was worked out on 18 November 1972 and put into effect on 1 January 1973. That plan included at the outset several approaches: a regrouping of the people concerned, organization of transport and the distribution of food-stuffs, protection of existing pasture land and the raising of reproductive livestock, the drilling of properly equipped wells, and the introduction of a market- gardening programme.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“16. Hence our two countries have decided to co-operate on the basis of mutual interest and in a framework open towards the future. In so doing, they have been able to preserve the multiple ties of esteem and affection which a long common history has woven between our two peoples. Such was the last stage in a certain area of co-operation and the point of departure for new relations of an evolutionary nature based on the real interests of our two States. That departure was not easy-for from it. At the same time as international economic relations are disturbed by the monetary crisis and its nefarious effects and by a generalized recession in the economy, a natural disaster of exceptional dimensions has struck our country at this decisive stage of our history. 17.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Those agreements were certainly justified at the time and in a very sell-defined context, but they of necessity had to suffer from the passage of time and the counter-effect of the evolution of our country, both internally and internationally. They therefore had to take into account our own national and international requirements, as well as our legitimate desire to regain control over the instruments of our economic and cultural policy. 15. It was on that basis that the Islamic Republic of Mauritania created its own national currency, the ouguiya, on 29 June last and signed with France new agreements covering various areas, not including the monetary and the military. Those new agreements, although they open a broad field of action, are, by their general nature, similar to the agreements signed by Mauritania with other foreign States.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In 1963, in the course of the third congress of our party, we decided to give up the subsidy that had been granted to us by France for our operational budget, opting thus for a policy of austerity and financial stringency. This will to make sacrifices, accepted by our country at the national as well as the individual levels, has always been part of our continuing search for true independence. 14. The logical consequence of this difficult but continuing search was naturally the revision, early this year, of our agreements with France which had been concluded at the time of our accession to international sovereignty.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Ever since the dawn of its accession to international sovereignty, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania has been aware that it must rely on itself before it can rely or others. It has been, above all, aware that the constant search for real political independence requires true cultural and economic independence. 12. It is this fundamental approach which has led my Government and my party to reject easy solutions and to take decisions which, if they have not been in our immediate interests, have been in accord with our principles and objectives. At the very time of our independence. Mauritania refused to became part of the former Common Organization for the Regions of the Sahara and expressed its unhesitating support for Algeria in its struggle for national liberation, to cite only that case. 13.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The broad lines which guide the foreign policy of my country are naturally a reflection of its geographical position, its economic situation and its political options, 9. An under-developed country, a pivot between black Africa and Arab Africa, firmly devoted to its economic and political independence, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania intends to pursue its course in the community of efforts at the international level with firm determination to Tight to contribute to the advent of a world peace, justice and harmony. 10. It is on those fundamental factors that we have based our will to safeguard and consolidate our economic and political independence and our devotion to African unity, to non-alignment and to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. 11.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Our satisfaction is also justified by the peaceful work done in Europe in difficult conditions by the Federal Republic of Germany. We know how diverse these conditions are and we can therefore measure the true value of what has been accomplished and the immense task that has been carried out. These accomplishments do honour to the German people and should be a source of pride to its leaders. Such great objectives could never have been achieved without the determination of that people and the political courage and foresight of Chancellor Willy Brandt. We are convinced that the presence in the United Nations of such a highly qualified people and such far-sighted leaders will contribute to the search for justice, freedom and the equality of peoples, a search which our Organization has set itself as its objective. 8.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“We should like once again to express our support for him in his courageous and persevering efforts to enforce respect for the principles of the Charter, and thus to ensure the maintenance of peace and harmony among peoples. 6. Lastly, I should like to extend again to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic our wishes of welcome and our warm congratulations, which have already been conveyed to them by the Mauritanian delegation. 7. However, I should like to add that my country experiences all the more satisfaction at these developments because its relations with the Federal Republic of Germany are long standing, and today are taking a vigorous upsurge reflecting the mutual respect between our two peoples.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Your responsibilities are difficult indeed, but we trust in your qualities as a statesman and as an outstanding diplomat, and we congratulate you warmly on your election. The well-deserved respect which your country enjoys, your foresight and enlightened understanding mean that you are well qualified to assume this heavy and difficult task. 4. Your predecessor also commands our gratitude for the tact and sense of equity with which he guided the work of the twenty-seventh session of the General Assembly. 5. We should also like to pay a tribute to the very meritorious manner in which our Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, is discharging his lofty and difficult task.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)