YouSaid · the spoken record

Akinyemi

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS AKINYEMI

lines on the record: 107
first: 1985-09-24
most recent: 1987-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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 issue of peace is so critical that we cannot afford to abdicate that responsibility. Ours should be a world of peace; it should be a world of security, and above all it should be a world of justice, where we work together to uphold the principles and tenets of the Charter in order to attain our common future.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It would certainly put a stop to the movement of drug traffickers from countries with severe sanctions to those with more lenient ones. In conclusion I should like once again to stress my delegation's commitment to the principle of multilateralism in all spheres of activity of the Organization. The United Nations will not be able to achieve a positive role in world events if we stray from the aims and objectives of its Charter. We must therefore be prepared to do more than merely accuse the super-Powers of monopolizing responsibility for and initiatives on the resolution of conflicts. It is our conviction that the time has come when we must all share the responsibility for conflict management through an active commitment to world peace. We must continuously seek to contribute to the basket of ideas that will facilitate such a process.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The problems of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking have reached alarming proportions. The United Nations sponsored international conference held in Vienna earlier this year was timely. Apart from the severe sanctions contained in Nigeria's domestic laws against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, Nigeria has, at the international level, signed bilateral agreements with some countries to deal with drug-related issues, especially illicit drug trafficking. Nigeria also has national laws and regulations in conformity with the United Nations conventions on psychoactive drugs. While Nigeria supports the idea of an international convention to deal with drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, it must be stressed that global uniformity in sanctions against illicit drug trafficking is long overdue.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We care very deeply about the issue of the environment, as is demonstrated by the measures we have instituted to safeguard our environment. None the less we are also keenly aware that major environmental problems are often global in character, and we therefore feel that it is unhelpful to ascribe lack of interest in environmental protection largely to developing countries when they are in fact often marginal to the causes of environmental problems. Furthermore, my Government is of the view that we should guard against translating concern for environmental protection into a new form of conditionality for development assistance by the multilateral development and financial institutions, so that the cost of development will not unnecessarily be made even more burdensome for already overburdened developing countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Environment, held in Stockholm, was an important milestone since it not only sensitised concern for but also helped to fashion a global consensus on issues of the environment. That Conference has generated in its wake a number of initiatives on the environment, culminating in the establishment of the World Commission on Environment and Development, which has issued a report entitled Our Common Future. My Government welcomes that report. We take particular satisfaction in its basic message that there is a close connection between ecology and economy and a need to ensure that sustainable development does not impair the capacity of future generations to meet their own requirements.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“On the contrary, developing countries not only are keenly aware of but have, through various mechanisms, given concrete expression to the need to exploit the potential for co-operation among themselves in the economic and technical fields. Nigeria, in close collaboration with its partners in the Economic Community of West African States, has taken steps to invigorate our sub region's capacity to achieve rapid economic recovery through trade liberalization and the pooling of resources. Yet all joint programmes, worked out with the active co-operation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), can achieve the desired goal only if the problems of debt, stabilization of exchange rates and greater access to the markets of the developed countries are resolved.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The seventh session of UNCTAD agreed that since the collapse of commodity prices has accentuated the debt burden of developing nations there is urgent need for producers and consumers of raw materials to work together to strengthen commodity agreements, not only because of the need to restore commodity prices to remunerative and equitable levels, but also to revitalize co-operation between the developed and developing nations. The seventh session of UNCTAD reminded us all that multilateral co-operation is a catalyst for reviving the world economy as a whole. It cannot be assumed that ideas, or even mechanisms, for furthering solutions to pressing issues concerning the world economy should be pursued only in the North-South context.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The seventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which was held in Geneva in July and August of this year, provided the international community with a unique opportunity to negotiate an agreement on the interrelated issues of debt, resource flows, trade and development. That Conference gave recognition to the belief that any resolution of the debt Question must be within the context of the need to foster growth and development in the developing world. In Geneva, the international community agreed that while developing nations need to restructure their economies, there is a corresponding obligation on the developed nations to increase resource flows to third-world nations.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I have no doubt that when the Secretary-General reports to the Assembly on his efforts in dealing with the financial crisis of Africa, we shall be well briefed on the practical and politically acceptable proposals put forward by the expert group which he set up in April to deal with debt relief and financial flows to African countries. This Assembly and the international community in general can do a lot to support the Programme of Action and proposals that will provide Africa in particular and developing countries in general with the essential external resource input necessary for their development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Unfortunately, the promises of the Baker plan, British proposals on rescheduling and low interest rate concessions to developing countries have not been fully implemented. Despite these efforts, a lot more is still required to meet the expanding resource demands of developing countries, particularly when net private foreign investment has also fallen back substantially, from an estimated $17,2 billion at the peak in 1981 for all capital importing developing countries to $7.7 billion in 1985. Thus, the requirement that developing countries finance debt service from trade surpluses rather than from additional capital inflows remains untenable.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The Conference called for an exceptional measure to reduce the debt service burden of African countries, which should include measures to convert official development assistance debt into grants, longer repayment and grace periods, lower interest rates on existing official debt, and consideration of the possibility of repayment of debts in local currencies by African countries. I whole-heartedly commend these recommendations to the Assembly. Our concern focuses on the fact that a lot is expected of us by way of sacrifice, but it seems that nothing is being realized in return for the sacrifices we have made and continue to make. In the recent past, certain proposals were made by some developed countries to alleviate Africa's crippling debt crisis.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The Conference sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and devoted exclusively to the challenge of economic recovery and accelerated development in Africa met in Abuja, Nigeria, from 15 to 19 June this year. It recommended a comprehensive approach to aid flows to support structural adjustment programmes in Africa and focused particularly on disbursing funds for spare parts and material needed to increase the utilization of existing capacity in industry, agriculture and public infrastructure.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It will be recalled that in May 1986 a special session of the General Assembly was Held which resulted in the adoption of a United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990, to be implemented at the national, regional and international levels· In spite of the national measures taken by African countries in the form of structural adjustment, and at the international level in support of the United Nations Programme by way of the $12.4 billion replenishment of the International Development Association, 45 per cent of which is to be allocated to sub-Saharan Africa it is still unlikely that an adequate financial flow will be provided to bridge the financing gap which Africa is expected to face until 1990 and beyond.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“While substantial growth has continued in developed countries for the consecutive year, the economic prospects for developing countries in general, and those of Africa in particular, continue to remain very bleak: Despite the painstaking efforts of most of the developing countries to undertake some appreciable levels of structural adjustment they continue to be haunted by monetary debt problems, insurmountable debt service problems falling commodity prices, unjustified protectionism in some developed countries against developing countries' commodities, and high interest rates.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The failure to adopt any categorical plan for the release through financing arrangements of resources that it is hoped would be saved by disarmament may render further progress difficult. The current world economic situation, particularly for developing countries, leaves much to be desired.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“For instance, world military expenditure is currently estimated at $1 trillion, while the combined debt burden of all the developing countries is about the same amount. My delegation firmly supports any move to set aside some of this huge expenditure on armaments for development purposes. Care must be taken not to allow an otherwise praiseworthy idea to become entangled in ideological pretension. The recently concluded Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development failed to achieve its main objective. Although it agreed on basic definitions, extraneous ideas were adopted which tended to elevate the abstract "essence of armed security above that of trade and development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We continue to urge all the nuclear States to devote greater energies to the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction. For 26 years the United Nations has urged that a test-ban treaty should be signed by nuclear-power States. A moratorium on testing would therefore seem a very logical approach. Accordingly, my delegation commended the Soviet union for its bold initiative last year unilaterally to impose a moratorium on weapons testing. Unfortunately, that commendable initiative has been brought to an end. It is even more regrettable that others were unable to reciprocate, thus making the search for a nuclear-weapon-free world that much more difficult. There is a clear complementarily between disarmament, development and security.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We urge all sides in this dispute to demonstrate their respect for the territorial integrity and non-aligned status of Kampuchea by implementing the relevant General Assembly resolutions to this effect. Since 1985 the world has been given reason to believe that the end of the arms race is 9 little closer. The announcement by the super-Powers that a new round of disarmament talks in Geneva would tackle the reduction of nuclear arms, leading to their eventual elimination, was hailed by my Government as a step in the right direction. My delegation welcomes the 18 September announcement that the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have agreed in principle to a treaty to eliminate medium- and short-range missiles.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is doubly disappointing that both Iraq and Iran, two friends of Nigeria of long standing, have not yet achieved the peace they need for socio-economic development. In like manner, the people of Afghanistan deserve peace. To this end, we commend the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General's Special Representative to achieve national reconciliation. My delegation believes that the time has come to enable the people of Kampuchea to embark on reconstruction and development after such a protracted period of conflict and instability. The chronicle of unfortunate events in a friendly country, a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, is of great concern to my delegation.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We do not share the view that the peace process would be served by a denial of the right of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to be represented at such a conference. When, on 20 July 1987, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution which called for the cessation of hostilities between Iraq and Iran, the world heaved a sigh of relief. To render Security Council resolution 598 (1987) effective, we call on all those countries whose naval power is currently being flaunted in the Gulf to withdraw. There is no excuse for calling for the cessation of hostilities on the one hand, only shortly after to proceed with amassing an array of sophisticated naval fire-power that can only make it more difficult to achieve peace.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“My delegation does not believe that the situation in the Middle East is beyond resolution. The fact is that in the absence of the political will to accord to the Palestinians the right to their own homeland, one of the main actors would have been pushed into the background. The main issues in a possible negotiation process would have been ignored. Just as Nigeria would reiterate the right of Israel to exist, my delegation is convinced that the role of peace would be served if all concerned also believed in peaceful coexistence. To this end, my delegation fully supports the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East, where all the main actors in the protracted dispute would be represented.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It re-established a climate of dialogue which, we believe, will enhance the process of peaceful resolution of the conflict. In fact, the two parties to the conflict have reaffirmed their commitment and willingness to work towards a negotiated settlement of the dispute. In addition, they have accepted the OAU framework for its resolution. In this regard the OAU Ad Hoc Committee on the dispute underlined the need o find a peaceful, African solution to it and warned against its internationalisation. We, therefore, call on the Assembly and the international community to respect Africa's wishes. We call for respect for the OAU peace efforts with regard to the conflict so that there may be a rapid return of peace to the area so that resources may be devoted to the process of development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“To our South American friends we offer the vision of the South Atlantic Ocean as an ocean that unites rather than separates us. The situation that exists between Chad and Libya is, to say the least, unfortunate and highly regrettable. The Organization of African Unity has mediated and continues to seek a peaceful solution to the problem. It is essential therefore that we should all give full support to the cause of peace that is being promoted by the OAU in this matter· We are therefore happy that the General Assembly deferred the inclusion of this matter in its agenda in order to give more time for further consultation. An opportunity for such consultation took place at the summit level on 24 September 1987, in Lusaka, Zambia.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Last year, the General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the South Atlantic a zone of peace and co-operation. This was and still remains, in Nigeria's view, a laudable gesture. It is my delegation's belief that the nations contiguous to the South Atlantic remain under an obligation to keep this zone free of super-Power rivalry, thus maintaining its innocent nature. My country is eager to co-operate with any neighbouring country in any endeavour to achieve this objective. We are prepared to co-operate with all nations bordering the South Atlantic in efforts to guarantee freedom of navigation weather-forecasting and all plans favourable to environmental protection thereby ensuring that the interests of all humanity are adequately protected.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“However, at the prompting of its Western friends, purely extraneous issues were introduced to ensure the denial of freedom to the Namibian people. Nigeria firmly repudiates the infamous linkage concept. We also reject any makeshift political devices that exclude recognition of the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Namibian people. The encouragement of break-away factions only serves the purposes of apartheid South Africa, and the economic exploitation of the unholy alliance in that territory. The United Nations Council for Namibia must be strengthened to enable it effectively to administer the territory until the plan envisaged under Security Council resolution 435 (1978) has been fully implemented.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Let the racists talk to the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) with a view to bringing to an end the violence they started, and this Organization can then squarely face other major issues which still promote division in international relations. The United Nations' failure, so far, to resolve the issue of Namibia's independence is inextricably intertwined with all the problems that call for early resolution in southern Africa. Racism and racial discrimination have always characterized Namibia's subjugation by South Africa. When in 1978 the Security Council agreed on a plan for the independence of Namibia, the world thought that the end of the indigenous population's nightmare was in sight.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Apartheid is no longer perceived along partisan, ideological or racial lines. The policy of Nigeria with regard to South Africa is clearly one of honour, but it is also one that holds firmly to the basic principles of the United Nations Charter, we have always stated that our belief in the armed struggle in South Africa and Namibia is predicated on the necessity to wrest, from an unjust order, those basic freedoms that many nations have always fought for in Europe and America. In this regard we also support a dialogue, conducted on the basis of true racial equality, to resolve the issue of the total eradication of apartheid.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“But the wind of change unleashed in the streets of Sharpeville, and strengthened in the classrooms of Soweto, has become a hurricane, which, as it gathers force, will no doubt sweep away all vestiges of repression and the unjust laws of the apartheid regime. The process of shaping international opinion towards decisive action has been long and at times frustrating. But the present situation augurs well for 23 million Africans in South Africa. The positive roles of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Nordic countries, the socialist States and a few Western countries are noteworthy. The groundswell of the anti-apartheid movement in the United States has now assumed such proportions that the Congress has unequivocally demonstrated its desire for positive change in the apartheid enclave.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Yet we cannot deny that in the past few years the majority of ordinary citizens, private organizations, educational institutions, religious and other well-meaning organizations in many countries have demonstrated their abhorrence of this unjust rule either by pulling their investments out of South Africa, or by vigorously urging their Governments to apply economic sanctions against the racists. We watch with deep interest and satisfaction the very mature approach of students, businessmen and trade unions in taking concrete action which underlines their commitment to political freedom and economic emancipation for the majority of South Africans. Regrettably, however, certain powerful individuals in high government positions remain unmoved.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Today, over 100 laws are in place to stifle all shades of opinion, in particular, the media. Friends of the apartheid regime have, in the past few years, delighted themselves with cosmetic measures, which the racists played up to the world as reforms, while its friends extolled these empty gestures, we have never relented in our steadfast opposition to this palliative political posturing. For, there can be no real peace in South Africa until the whole ignoble edifice of apartheid is completely dismantled.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We have collaborated with an ever-widening cycle of concerned nations, which continue to urge those countries whose actions and pronouncements tend to embolden the apartheid regime in its open defiance of world opinion, to be mindful of the enormity of the negative stand they have taken. More than ever before, the need for the international community to take concrete and effective measures towards the eradication of apartheid, which has been roundly condemned as a crime against humanity, cannot be over-emphasized. The apartheid regime has torn families apart and destroyed humble places of abode of its largely impoverished African population. It has set Soweto ablaze, brutalized teenage Africans through torture and imprisonment. It dehumanised the indigenous population by relegating it to a state of statelessness.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“More important, it must be carried out with full cognisance of the tenets of the United Nations Charter regarding the sovereign equality of all member states. In order to facilitate a smooth reordering of priorities and invigoration of a worth-while institutional framework geared to the achievement of development, the world needs peace. It deserves peace. yet this ideal situation continues to elude us. The African continent, which has most of the world's least developed countries, is unfortunately, plagued by intractable conflicts. Most of these conflicts can be traced to the nefarious activities of the racist minority regime in apartheid South Africa. My Government has consistently drawn the attention of the international community to the plight of millions of indigenous inhabitants of South Africa.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is our strong belief that nothing should detract from this Organization's resolve to maintain this programme on a priority list of issues which deserves a higher allocation of resources. My delegation will support the ongoing process of reform provided it is geared to efficiency without any decrease in the adequate allocation of resources, be they human, financial or material. Unfortunately, however, every attempt at restructuring the Secretariat that occurred earlier this year is certain to undermine the wide-ranging support originally pledged to that process by member States. The Secretary-General must now focus his attention solely on a reorganization that ensures administrative efficiency.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“This is admittedly a daunting task which we once again insist must remain faithful to the main purposes and objectives towards which the united Nations has directed its efforts for so many years. The world can ill afford to strip this Organization of its effectiveness and the universalist principles that have lent themselves to the aspirations of all member States, big and small, rich and poor. The need to reduce staff and costs must never obscure the need for the efficacy of collaborative efforts which the Organization has come to represent. The Organization must remain committed to the rigorous pursuit of such laudable ventures as are exemplified by resolution S-13/2, adopted at the thirteenth special session of the General Assembly to assist African economic recovery and development.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The original aims and objectives of the Charter hold even more true today in the quest for a peaceful world order and an enhanced process of economic development. It falls to the present members of this world Assembly to ensure the realization of those lofty ideals. The Charter, as applied from the inception of this Organization and strengthened by decisions and resolutions that reflect a preponderance of shared views and aspirations, remains sufficiently flexible to make possible the current effort to reform the structure of the United Nations system. The reform measures put in place by the Secretary-General reflect a determined attempt to implement General Assembly resolution 41/213.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“On behalf of the Nigerian delegation, I should like to offer our congratulations, Sir, on your unanimous and well-deserved election to the presidency of the forty-second session of the General Assembly. My delegation joins previous speakers in expressing our sentiments on your distinguished personal merits, which have eminently qualified you for this high office. I have no doubt that under your able leadership this session will achieve great success. I therefore have great pleasure in pledging to you the full support and co-operation of my delegation in the performance of your onerous task. We approach the work of the current session of this Assembly with a sense of objective realism.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I have highlighted only some of the major problems confronting us I believe we shall work together to solve these as well as the other problems. The United Nations serves as a unique forum for the promotion of understanding and peace among all nations. It also provides a unique opportunity for Member States to engage in constructive dialog and co-operation in our common quest for a better world. We must, therefore, strive to work together to uphold the principles of the Charter in the interests of mankind.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Our Organization has an important role to play in keeping up the pressure to bring about a halt to the arms race, with the ultimate aim of achieving general and complete disarmament, under effective international control. In this regard my Government urges both the Soviet Union and the United States not to interrupt the process of consultation and negotiation with the ultimate objective of eliminating nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. There are other problems facing the international community that require our urgent attention. The Iran-Iraq war, the crisis in Central America and the issues of Afghanistan, Kampuchea, Cyprus and Korea all challenge our collective commitment to work for the promotion of the peaceful settlement of issues.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We believe that no technical reason, such as the issue of verification, offers a genuine excuse for the delay in concluding a nuclear-test-ban treaty. What is lacking is the will on the part of nuclear-weapon States. In addition to the basic step of a nuclear test ban, we call for the commencement of real and decisive measures through bilateral and multilateral negotiations that will substantially reduce and ultimately eliminate the existing stockpile of nuclear weapons. Needless to say, the extension of the nuclear arms race to outer space is inconsistent with the fervent wish of the international community for nuclear disarmament. Disarmament is a global cause, in which all States have a vital stake. It cannot, and should not, be left to the vagaries of the relationship between the super-Powers.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is sad that what seemed to be an improved political understanding between the East and the West has not been translated into action in the ongoing disarmament negotiations, while the world community was expecting genuine disarmament efforts, there was a resumption of nuclear tests, and this had negative implications for the moratorium on nuclear-weapon testing. Nuclear weapons constitute a threat not only to peace and international security, but also to the survival of mankind. The elimination of nuclear weapons should be a vital disarmament objective of the world community, irrespective of ideological beliefs. The two super-Powers should give the lead in nuclear disarmament. A most desirable starting-point would be an agreement on a nuclear test ban, a measure which the international community has advocated for the past 25 years.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“There can be no justification for holding a conference with the primary responsibility of solving the problems of people who are not allowed to participate in it. The Palestinians should be involved in the peace process in the Middle East. The resumption of bilateral arms negotiations by the two super-Powers early in 1985 gave the world some hope of improved political relations between the East and the West. That hope was further increased when on 1 January 1986 the leaders of the two world Powers exchanged new year messages.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“A realistic analysis of the reasons for the failures of past peace efforts reveal the non-acceptance of the Palestinian question as the principal problem for which there should be a genuine solution. No solution to the Middle East problem which does not take into account the plight of the Palestinians can be expected to guarantee durable peace in that region. The countries in the Middle East and the international community as a whole have to be sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, particularly the Palestinians' quest for a homeland. However, that is not to deny the right of Israel to existence as a State. My delegation supports the holding of an international peace conference on the Middle East where all those involved would participate.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The efforts of the international community for a peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict have been frustrated by repeated acts of aggression and terrorism in that region. The solution to the Middle East question does not lie in the force of arms, which, rather than ameliorating the explosive situation, has further complicated the task of achieving peace. A comprehensive and just solution to the problems of the Middle East cannot be achieved unless there is a cessation of hostilities by all the parties concerned. Similarly, the present volatile situation cannot subside in the wake of territorial ambitions. An issue that is central to the Middle East debacle is the problem of a homeland for the Palestinians.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The answer is that we have always been prepared to accept the white community and its representatives as constituents in the process of change, provided change is the objective. The Lusaka Declaration, first adopted by the Organization of African Unity and then by the United Nations, still represents our position. If the South African Government is prepared to talk about an effective program for the dismantlement of apartheid, we shall be prepared to facilitate the implementation of such a program. The challenge, then, to South Africa and the opponents of mandatory economic sanctions is to get the South African regime to present a concise, detailed and specific program for the total eradication of apartheid.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Legitimately, therefore, this Assembly can and should miss no opportunity to advance the universal effort to achieve the peaceful dismantling of apartheid. In that context, I propose that you, Mr. President, address on our behalf an urgent appeal, today, to the President of the United States to endorse the congressional action on sanctions against South Africa. As for Nigeria, our commitment to the anti-apartheid struggle is total. We shall continue to give support to the liberation movements and assistance to the front-line States. The question has often been raised in recent times whether we, either as Africans or as members of the international community, shall be prepared to offer the white community in South Africa an opportunity to be part of the process of change in South Africa.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Surely, comprehensive mandatory sanctions applied faithfully by all Member States offer the last hope for a peaceful solution. Happily, there is now much international enthusiasm for the campaign against apartheid. A vast majority of States, such as the members of the Non-Aligned Movement, the socialist States, the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Nordic States and a few Western countries, have taken steps to combat apartheid. The United States Congress too has joined in this great movement to guarantee to the South African black people, 23 million of them, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Apartheid is not an internal affair of South Africa, but a universal affair. Witness the amount of time, energy and resources the international community devotes to it.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“My delegation recognizes that peace cannot be achieved in southern Africa in an environment characterized by criminal acts of aggression, racial discrimination and the systematic violation of human rights. The apartheid regime in South Africa is still undeterred in its implementation of policies that are repressive and offensive to human dignity. The international community, if it is not to be accused of complicity or impotence, must assume a more decisive role in the liquidation of the abhorrent and totally despicable system of apartheid. We must without fail put an end to it. Indeed, if a bloodbath of unspeakable proportions is to be avoided the international community will have to exert such pressure as will make the apartheid regime abandon its criminal policy.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“In spite of United Nations resolutions, culminating in Security Council resolution 435 (1978), which established modalities by which the people of Namibia would determine their future through free and fair elections, the racist regime has continued its policies of dehumanizing and brutalizing the overwhelming majority of Namibians. Contacts between the Secretary-General and the apartheid regime aimed at finding an honorable way for the withdrawal of the South African administration have been frustrated through devious machinations by the racist regime. In fact, the posture of the regime constitutes a total rebuff of any meaningful discussion. The sad position now is that the illegal regime has gone ahead with the implementation of its so-called homelands policy aimed at destroying the unity and territorial integrity of Namibia.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Clearly, the apartheid regime has shown that it is no mood to seek in peace the establishment of a democratic society in South Africa built on the equality of all races. The fight against apartheid and racism is one facet of the liberation struggle in Africa. Another facet is the struggle for the liberation of Namibia, where the situation is equally explosive. The racist Pretoria rSgime persists in its illegal occupation of the Territory by ruthlessly suppressing the legitimate aspiration of the Namibian people to self-determination and independence.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“This notwithstanding, workers have initiated strike actions, and an ever-growing number of school children, working independently, have periodically boycotted classes to show their revulsion at the political powerlessness, economic deprivation, inferior education and dehumanizing segregation laws imposed on them by the racist regime. The countdown to the collapse of apartheid has at last started. As the cycle of violence and brutal repression grows in scale and intensity, the blacks have now resolved to make the supreme sacrifice. The racist regime, instead of moving towards open negotiations with black leaders and reconciling anxious whites to inescapable change, persists in pretending that South Africa's problems at home and its already painful economic losses abroad can be chased away with a night-stick.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)