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 Soweto uprising demonstrated the fact that despite all the brutal machinery sustaining apartheid the black people of South Africa have had enough and cannot suffer in silence any more. Thousands of blacks, including mourners, have been gunned down by trigger-happy racist police; many more have been wounded or have suffered untold hardship. The response of the racist clique in Pretoria has been to resort to panic measures and to the declaration of a state of emergency, with a total clamp-down on news reports.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The apartheid regime is still undeterred in its implementation of policies which are repressive and are offensive to the laws of natural justice. Indeed, apartheid is a crime against humanity and against the ignity and conscience of mankind, and it continues to pose a threat to international peace and security. There can be no peace and stability in southern Africa without the elimination of apartheid, which is the root cause of the grave crisis in the entire region. Since, in the wake of the Sharpeville massacres, the world was rudely awakened to the brutality and horrors of apartheid, there has been unanimous and repeated condemnation of that evil system. The crushing weight of apartheid has grown to the point where it has forced all segments of the oppressed to rebel in a spontaneous manner.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“On 16 September, International Peace Day, Nigeria joined several other countries, when President Ibrahim Babangida personally launched the first Earth Run, the global torch relay which originated on the steps of the Headquarters of our Organization. Unfortunately, peace remains elusive in many parts of the world. The situation in southern Africa, for instance, continues to be a source of concern to this Organization. In the past two years the world has witnessed the most aggressive phase of Pretoria's policies of mindless oppression and intimidation of the blacks, who have been subjected to the persistent and systematic violation of their fundamental human rights. Apartheid has meant violence and terror for the struggling people of South Africa.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“An important and appropriate backdrop to our debate at this session is the declaration of 1986 as the International Year of Peace. As demanded in the solemn declaration. Member States of the United Nations have been focusing attention throughout the year on the requirements for the promotion of international peace and security. We in Nigeria have organized, at both the governmental and the non-governmental levels, various programs aimed at sensitizing the Nigerian people to the elements of genuine peace and to the role of the individual, of the State, of non-governmental organizations and of the United Nations in the promotion of peace.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We do not, of course, ignore or lose sight of the need for developing countries themselves to co-operate effectively in improving their economic conditions. To that end a greater degree of collaboration on economic projects has to be developed. We are happy to note the activities of the Group of 77, in particular at the last meeting of the Group's Intergovernmental Follow-up and Co-ordination Committee (IFCC), which took place at Cairo and which focused attention on vital areas of high priority in co-operation among developing countries that needed greater emphasis. Similarly, we are gratified that the eighth summit meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which took place earlier this month at Harare, devoted considerable attention to economic co-operation.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Attempts were made to draw the world's attention to Africa's special situation during last May's special session of the General Assembly on the critical economic situation in Africa. That special session succeeded at least in deepening global awareness of the dimensions of the current economic crisis in Africa. Given good intentions and strong will, that endeavor could well provide a basis for concerted efforts by the international community to enhance and support the tremendous efforts of African States to surmount their devastating crisis. My delegation therefore appeals to the international community and to financial institutions to make available without delay sufficient resources for the full and effective implementation of the United Nations program of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, 1986-1990.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The high hopes of the developing countries for a new international economic order have foundered owing to a deeply rooted reluctance on the part of the developed countries to engage in an honest and Meaningful North-South dialog. My delegation wishes to stress the need for a fundamental structural readjustment in the international economic system that would promote rapid and sustained world economic growth and development. In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to the continued validity and relevance of the Declaration and program of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order. while developed countries have emerged from recession, the economic outlook for the developing nations in general, and Africa in particular, remains bleak.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is regrettable that specific measures to control commodity trade to the advantage of the developed market-economy countries should be embarked upon without sympathy or consideration for the repercussions on the current balance-of-payments position of developing countries. Commodity prices are currently fluctuating and are therefore unstable. There is a continuous decline in capital resource flows as the result of lower export earnings, and this is a great hindrance to reinvestment in commodities. Financing through the facilities of the Common Fund for commodities has not materialized owing to the refusal by some major countries to ratify the instrument. This state of affairs has created complex cash-flow problems, which have further aggravated the debt problem.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“It is clear that we must once again consider seriously the problem of structural imbalance and inequality with a view to formulating concrete and effective solutions to the question of the huge external debt of developing countries, the problems of debt-servicing, high interest rates, inflation, declining commodity prices, stiff conditions set by the International Monetary Fund, and protectionist measures and unfair trade terms continually imposed by the developed countries. Commodity trade is currently the primary source of foreign-exchange earnings for a majority of developing countries.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Rather, it derives from the lack of political will by Member States to discharge their obligations. Within the framework of the current global economic crisis, the widening gap between developed and developing countries and the persistence of an unjust and inequitable international economic system constitute major impediments to the development process of most Member States, thus posing a serious threat to international peace and security. For their part, the industrialized countries have refused to address the problems of structural imbalance and inequality that characterize the international economic and trading system. Those imbalances have continued to prolong the severe set-backs afflicting our economic goals and objectives.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“In that situation, the role of the Organization has more than ever before, become vital for the promotion of international peace, development and prosperity for all. All too often, we tend to forget that the Charter of the United Nations devotes two Chapters to the question of international economic and social co-operation. Indeed, in Article 55, the United Nations pledges itself to the promotion of "higher standards of living, full employment" and "solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems", "with a view to the creation of the conditions of stability and well-being necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations". Therefore, if the inequities in the world economic system have persisted for so long, the fault is not with the Charter.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“In addition, it is the view of the Nigerian delegation that the necessary reforms should be carried out in full accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter. The principle of sovereign equality of all Member States should not be derogated directly or indirectly, and essential programs and activities of high priority should continue to attract the lion's share of available resources. In other words, we must ensure that we do not end up cutting the bone while we trim the fat. The present international situation is characterized by growing tension in both the political and the economic spheres. Confrontation, conflict and instability plague many regions of the world, and the economies of many Member States continue to deteriorate, while the politics of domination and great-Power rivalries are on the increase.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The point has been made that the Organization is in need of reform, and the first steps towards that process of reform have already been taken. Those reforms should not be taken under duress. Surely, a United Nations that grinds to a halt as the result of financial constraints cannot even engage in reform. One thing we all agree upon is that the United Nations is worth preserving. If it were not, we would not all be present here. A testament to the continued validity of the United Nations lies in the fact that the very countries that have been most vocal in calling attention to its shortcomings continue to exploit the forum it offers to address the world community on major issues of concern to them. Clearly, it is better to talk at the United Nations than to fight on the battlefield.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Indeed, readjustments in assessed contributions may even become necessary. However, such measures should not be dictated or imposed by any Member State or group of States. Instead, they should derive from negotiated agreement among all Member States. To do this successfully, we will all have to be tolerant and to appreciate each other's legitimate interests and concerns. Let us move away from apportioning blame and accept that the United Nations can only function on the basis of a consensus that adequately respects the concerns of each and all. Thus, as a sign of good faith, those countries that have resorted to financial withholding as a means of registering their disapproval of the United Nations budget and programs should proceed to honor their obligations.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“The Group of High-Level Intergovernmental Experts set up to review the efficiency of the financial and administrative functioning of the United Nations has already submitted its report. Since that report will be presented to the Assembly later on, under the appropriate agenda item, I shall refrain from commenting on it now. Suffice it to say that the Nigerian delegation attaches the greatest importance to the recommendations contained in that report. We believe that they provide a basis for revitalizing the IT of Nations and creating an organization better able to respond creditably and effectively to the collective needs of Member States, at reasonable and affordable cost. In any process of reform, difficult choices have to be made. New priorities will have to be set. Cost-saving measures must be instituted.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Disagreements about the management and control of the Organization's budget and the determination of its programs are mere symptoms of a deeper difference in perceptions of the role and capability of the United Nations. Paradoxically, the present crisis is a welcome development to the extent that it provides us an opportunity to re-evaluate the activities and procedures of the United Nations. It is true that the gradual but significant expansion in the scope, range and volume of the work of the United Nations has been a function of changing international circumstances and new challenges that have confronted the Organization. Nevertheless, there can be no denying the fact that the United Nations could be more cost effective and efficient. -The necessary processes of reform and change have already begun.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“In its 41-year history, the United Nations has gone beyond pious statements delivered with great solemnity in this Hall to the endorsement and implementation of action-oriented measures. Its achievements are legion. From successful peace-keeping operations in conflict areas around the world to the decolonization of Africa and Asia and the various activities and projects of its specialized agencies, the United Nations has become an effective instrument of international co-operation and development. Yet this cherished Organization is currently undergoing the gravest crisis in its history. Some call it a crisis of multilateralism. Others define it as a financial crisis. Fundamentally, it is a political crisis inflicted on the United Nations by its membership.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“Jaise Pinies, your predecessor, for the able manner in which he handled the affairs of the fortieth session and thirteenth special session. I should also like to salute our Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, who, I am happy to see, has been restored to health. There can be no gainsaying that the best assurance of support we can give the Secretary-General is a revitalized United Nations. The relevance of the United Nations to the solution of urgent global problems is certainly not in contention. The devotion of the Organization to the maintenance of international peace and security has been balanced by an appreciation of the need to promote the economic and social well-being of mankind.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“On behalf of the Nigerian delegation, I take this opportunity. Sir, to extend to you my congratulations on your unanimous and well-deserved election as President of the forty-first session of the General Assembly. My delegation shares fully the warm sentiments expressed by previous speakers on your personal outstanding merits. I am confident that under your wise guidance this session will achieve significant success. It is therefore with great pleasure that I pledge the full support and co-operation of my delegation to you in the discharge of your difficult task, particularly at this tine, when, more than ever. Member States need to act in concert to attain an era of peace that will give a new direction to the course of human destiny. May I also extend my congratulations to His Excellency Mr.”
1986-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 41 (1986)
“We need to revitalize the Organization by rededicating ourselves to the ideals enshrined in the Charter, in particular by collectively demonstrating in a practical way the political will to act. We must restore confidence in the United Nations as the main framework for multilateral co-operation in the world. We must collectively revitalize the Organization and create a political atmosphere that will be conducive to the pursuit and realization of global peace and security, as well as the promotion of economic growth and development.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In addition, we wish to highlight the appeals made by the summit meeting for the convening of an international conference on Africa's debt and a special session of the General Assembly to discuss Africa's critical economic situation. We believe that these are extremely important calls from Africa which deserve the full support of the international community. I should like to state again that, in spite of its shortcomings, the existence of the United Nations in the past 40 years has made the world a better place than it was in the pre-United Nations years. But a lot more needs to be done. Confidence in the Organization has eroded; the Organization has been ignored and heavily criticized. Its effectiveness has consequently been sapped.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The 21st session of the Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Organization of African Unity, held at Addis Ababa in July and devoted mainly to the discussion of the critical economic situation of their region, demonstrated the commitment of Africa's leaders and peoples to the economic development and self-reliance of the continent. Accordingly, the summit meeting adopted both a Declaration and a far-reaching five-year priority program of action for the accelerated development of Africa. We commend this action program for the sustained support of the international community and in this light we welcome the positive tone of resolution 1985/80, on the critical economic situation in Africa, adopted by the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We believe that this is a call without equivocation and that it should be possible for donors to accept this challenge nobly and liberally in the same manner as they demonstrated in meeting the requirements of the emergency. We further believe that the capacity to do so exists. We therefore call for the necessary political will to make this possible. It should be clear, since there can bS.no mistake about this, that African countries accept that the primary responsibility for dealing with the critical economic situation and for relaunching the development process in the continent lies with them.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We call for urgent action by the international community addressed specifically to such structural problems as food and agricultural production, drought and desertification, declining financial, particularly official development assistance, flows and, last but not least, the heavy external debts of the African region, we firmly believe that the rehabilitation and restoration of the process of growth and development is impossible in the absence of intensive and effective action on these major long-term problems faced by African countries. We call strongly for the adoption of a new development consensus by the international community on behalf of Africa to pave the way for this concerted global action.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“As the Nigerian delegation pointed out at the second regular session of the Economic and Social Council, in July, when this item came before the Council for the second year in a row as its priority item, it is precisely in the vital area of long-term measures that the response of the international community and the United Nations system has been the weakest. No serious and co-ordinated .effort has been made to interface the current global response to the emergency situation with the longer-term development needs of the African continent.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“We applaud the manifest international goodwill which this relief assistance has exemplified and hope that this will be intensified in the future as the situation in many African countries still remains critical and life-threatening under the specter of starvation and hunger. Indeed, at the present time, emergency requirements of over $1.5 billion for 1985 are still unmet for the 18 most seriously affected countries. While on the whole the donor response to the emergency dimensions of the crisis has been commendable, it is much to be regretted that very little, if any, effort has been directed towards the longer-term and structural problems of the African economy, we view with enormous concern the reluctance of the international community to deal with the fundamental problems of economic development faced by African countries.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“One year has elapsed and we cannot pay enough tribute to the tremendous response by the international community to the relief aspect of the crisis. The overwhelmingly sympathetic and active public opinion in the donor countries not only attests to the brotherhood of man but has also helped to keep interest in the situation alive and to permit sustained, action by their home Governments. The generosity of which the human spirit is capable when aroused is a welcome testimony to the goodness that mankind is capable of. A great amount of food aid and allied requisites were provided and, without question, numerous lives were saved.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“How can a developing country like mine spend about 45 per cent of its export earnings on debt servicing and still be expected to satisfy the basic needs of its teeming population as well as achieve sustained economic growth? Our creditors must realize that it is in their interest as well as ours that we survive. Let me now turn to the special challenge which the critical economic situation in Africa poses for the conscience of mankind and the international community. By adopting a Declaration on the situation at its thirty-ninth session, this Assembly recognized the gravity of the terrible tragedy that was unfolding on the continent and the need for the whole world to stand up as one to combat the situation.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is obvious to all that there is no effective surveillance over the major industrialized countries whose policies have the greatest impact on the international economy and whose unilateral actions and policies continue to destabilize the multilateral regime. We must realize that a world where the many are poor and the few are rich is a world of iniquity; it is a recipe for instability. So let us together examine seriously ways and means of bringing about prosperity, not for a few, but for all. Let us re-examine the international financial institutions with the purpose of making them purveyors of prosperity rather than economic and political ruin. The burden of debt which has become unbearable in financial terms for many developing countries need not be further compounded by social and political upheavals.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is new generally agreed that the recovery, which at best remains uneven and unbalanced, has failed to have any visible positive effects on world trade and the economies of the developing countries, thus proving beyond any doubt the ineptness of the trickle-down theory. There are uncertainties about the immediate prospects as protectionist pressures and attitudes in the major industrialized countries refuse to abate, giving rise to policies which can only further choke the feeble growth signals in the developing countries. We are therefore concerned about the adverse effects of the general macro-economic policies of the major industrialized countries on the economies of the developing countries.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Clearly there is an urgent need to create, nurture and sustain a favorable climate of genuine dialog and consensus. There is a need to allay unfounded fears of each other's intentions. We believe that flexibility in our various positions, coupled with the necessary political will, is required to permit the restructuring of the world economy in a mutually advantageous manner, as called for in the new international economic order. Global negotiations, stalled as a result of one ruse after another for the past five years, in spite of the sincerity demonstrated by the Group of 77, must be launched immediately. The world economic situation continues to be fragile even though we are in the third year of the recovery.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“To achieve this goal we must effectively employ the mechanisms and instruments that are available to the international community, namely, the institutions of the United Nations system. We must go back to the true spirit of the Charter of the United Nations in ensuring and sustaining vibrant multilateral economic co-operation. Nigeria believes that the occasion of this fortieth anniversary of our Organization is an appropriate time for the renewal of and rededication to the multilateral spirit. In reaffirming our commitment to the multilateral approach, Nigeria calls for the resumption of an honest and serious North-South dialog on issues of international economic co-operation for development. During the last decade we witnessed, with profound regret, many missed opportunities resulting in the lack of significant progress in all sectors.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Some of these unilateral actions include high interest rates, volatile exchange rates, protectionism, measures that result in deteriorating terms of trade for the developing countries, and refusal to vies with sympathy the external debts of developing countries which have resulted in the net export of capital to the developed countries. All those factors are symptomatic of a dangerous movement towards a new de facto multilateral economic framework quite incapable of dealing with the great global economic problems of our time, both in their medium-term and long-term prospects, we reiterate that global problems, be they in the areas of trade, commodities, money and finance, or debt, demand global solutions.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“A concomitant feature of the decline in multilateralism has been the marked resurgence of unilateral approaches to economic problems that have global ramifications. What is of the utmost concern to my delegation is the adverse impact on the developing countries of the unilateral decisions and acts of the powerful actors in the global economy. Such actions, by definition, are bound to be arbitrary and extremely self-serving. It is therefore not surprising in the least that they tend to violate basic economic agreements and concepts which they themselves have invested with the cloak of sacred economic doctrine and international law.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Further, we are witnessing a relentless attack on the United Nations system, which is at the center of existing multilateral arrangements. Today the role of the United Nations in providing a universal forum for economic problems facing the international community is continuously disrupted, bypassed and even ignored. Indeed, it has become more apparent than ever before that the United Nations system is the focus of the current challenge to multilateralism. Violations, often flagrant, of- the principles and norms which underpin the multilateral system have helped to weaken its ability to provide a viable framework for international economic co-operation for development, as envisaged by the Charter.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“All forms of economic sabotage directed against any country must end. The Contadora Group must be encouraged to pursue its initiative, which represents an important step towards lasting peace. We therefore urge the Governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to show the political will to conclude negotiations on the Contadora Act on Peace and Co-operation in Central America. At a time when the increasing Interdependence of countries calls for greater co-operation between them in the spirit and framework of the Charter that was adopted 40 years ago at San Francisco, we are instead witnessing the painful abandonment of those noble and worthy goals of the United Nations. We are witnessing a steady erosion of confidence in the multilateral system created in the post-war period.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“This is an appropriate juncture in the annals of the United Nations to call for strict adherence to the principle of sovereign equality of States and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every State, big or small. Nigeria therefore reiterates its support for the efforts aimed at establishing in Afghanistan and Kampuchea a stable and durable peace based on the withdrawal of all foreign forces and strict respect for the right of the peoples of those two countries to choose through free elections their Governments and re-establish firmly their non-aligned status. As for Central America, it behooves us all to support the efforts of the countries of Latin America to find a solution to problems in the subregion. All acts of aggression, overt or covert, must cease.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“An international conference cm the Middle East is widely considered as the most appropriate forum for such a negotiated solution. Nigeria appeals to those countries which continue to oppose such a conference to reconsider their position. If the present stalemate is to be broken, all concerned should appreciate that unilateral measures are no substitute for the collective wisdom of the United Nations. Other trouble spots abound to remind us of the danger posed to peace and security in various parts of the world in this fortieth year of the United Nations. Afghanistan, Kampuchea and Central America, for instance, are sad reminders of unacceptable big Power intervention and interference in the affairs of small neighbors.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Another area where the United Nations has failed to achieve a solution is the Middle East. It is a problem as old as the United Nations itself. Yet we appear to be no nearer to a solution today than we were in previous years just because some of those involved do not face the realities of the situation. Hew can the Palestinians be ignored if there is to be a viable solution? Just as the security of all States in the region is an indispensable element in a durable solution, so also should be the recognition of the inalienable rights of all people in the region. That includes the Palestinians. A solution that is just, fair and equitable will have to recognize, inter alia, the inalienable right of the Palestinians to self-determination.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“By linking Namibia's independence to the withdrawal of Cuban defensive forces in Angola, South Africa has been provided with a cover with which to perpetuate its atrocities in Namibia. Insistence on extraneous and irrelevant issues as a precondition for the independence of Namibia is totally unacceptable to my Government. Namibia to us is a classic case of colonialism that must be resolved as such. It should not become a victim of the ideological rivalry of the super-Powers. The South African presence in Namibia must be seen for what it is. It is an illegal occupation by a latter-day imperialist Power that seeks every excuse to perpetuate its illegality and deny the Namibian people their right to self-determination. South Africa must be compelled to co-operate with the United Nations in implementing resolution 435 (1978).”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Since then the United Nations, through the General Assembly and the Security Council, has adopted numerous resolutions and decisions all aimed at finding a peaceful, just and acceptable solution of the Namibian question. The landmark of these efforts was the adoption by the Security Council in 1978 of resolution 435 (1978) which embodied a plan for the independence of Namibia. Despite all the efforts of the United Nations, the question of Namibia remains unresolved and the racist Pretoria regime continues to occupy Namibia illegally and to exploit its human and natural resources in contravention of Decree No. 1 enacted by the United Nations Council for Namibia. Unfortunately, South Africa has been able to count on the support of a powerful Member of this Organization in its continued defiance of the United Nations over Namibia.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Let all the permanent members of the Security Council support sanctions in discharging the onerous responsibility bestowed on them by the Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. Let all Members of the United Nations give total support for sanctions, bearing in mind that the alternative will be a bloodbath of unspeakable proportions. Today I call upon the principal trading partners of South Africa to co-operate and assist the process of genuine change in South Africa that may still be achieved without mass bloodshed. Nineteen years ago on 27 October 1966 the General Assembly, under resolution 2145 (XI), terminated South Africa's mandate over Namibia and assumed direct responsibility over the Territory.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“It is especially important to emphasize this point since unwillingness to support effective economic sanctions against South Africa is often camouflaged by the spurious argument of its effects on black South Africans and on neighboring countries. The present economic system in South Africa is based on the deprivation of blacks and the exploitation of their labor. It is one of the pillars of the apartheid system. To dismantle apartheid, a change in the system is inevitable. Let those who oppose sanctions but protest their abhorrence of apartheid know that they are guilty of double-talk. On this fortieth anniversary of the United Nations let us resolve to bring hope to the oppressed South Africans. Let the Security Council meet and impose mandatory economic sanctions on South Africa in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Those States Members of the United Nations, which rather than support effective action against the apartheid regime delude themselves about possible persuasion of the regime, should by now see that they are mistaken. The ruling clique in Pretoria will not give up except as the result of concerted pressure of international action in support of the internal revolt of South Africans. Secondly, the continuous mass actions of the black Africans, despite brutal police and military killings, should by now have convinced outsiders that no sacrifice is considered too great to make for their liberty and human dignity.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“The mass revolt which has involved workers, students, even school children, and the clergy, has caught the apartheid regime off guard. Its response, again true to character, was to introduce more draconian laws in the form of declaring a state of emergency. Two points should now be clear to the apologists for the apartheid regime: first, that the racist regime is in no mood to seek a peaceful accommodation with the majority blacks for a framework for the establishment of a democratic society in South Africa based on equality of all races. Mr. Botha's long awaited speech of 15 August 1985 gave not the slightest indication of a disposition towards meaningful change.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Oppression by the white rulers has reached the point where it has forced all segments of the oppressed to rebel. This is not the first time that blacks have reacted to their subjugation. What is different is the evident determination, even in the face of panic emergency measures, to press on. It is significant that the trigger-point to the current wave of mass action was the so-called constitutional reform whereby the apartheid regime thought it could perpetuate its oppression by granting some meaningless concessions to the Coloreds and the Asians. Characteristically, the apartheid regime thought it could, without reaction, continue to ignore the 21 million blacks. That was its crowning folly, for it totally misjudged the mood of the black people of South Africa.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“In the process also the Pretoria clique has constituted itself into a veritable menace to the neighboring States, disturbing the peace and security of the entire southern African region. My Government has condemned in no uncertain terms the latest violation of the territorial integrity of Angola by South Africa. Nigeria pledges its unflinching support to those sister African States that are victims of the racist regime. As if to emphasize their disgust at the failure of the United Nations to take effective action against apartheid, the people of South Africa have decided to make whatever sacrifice is required to liquidate apartheid. As a result of the spontaneous uprising of the past few months, it now appears that the count-down to the collapse of apartheid has at least started.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Another major threat to international peace and security that has defied United Nations efforts is apartheid, that iniquitous practice which has rightly been termed a crime against humanity. The danger inherent in the practice was first brought to the attention of the United Nations General Assembly at its third session. Since then apartheid has thrived on the support of certain powerful Members of this Organization whose concern for high returns on investments in South Africa outweighs their global responsibility. By a series of oppressive laws and the naked practice of State terrorism, successive regimes in apartheid South Africa have violated every conceivable law of human decency.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“However, the international community cannot be blamed if it now sees these negotiations as no more than exercises in public relations. In some cases these efforts are even designed to buy more time to design and manufacture more dreadful weapons of mass destruction. Nuclear disarmament is a global issue in which all. states have a vital stake, It cannot and should not, therefore, be left exclusively the hands of the two super-Powers. The United Nations, representing the peoples of the world, should keep up the pressure to bring ^bout a halt to the nuclear arms race and to proceed to nuclear disarmament. The very survival of all our countries and all our peoples is at stake.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)
“Yet the super-Powers that are responsible for this very grave situation are not disposed to show any serious commitment to reducing the levels of such weapons in the interest of the survival of humanity. Let it not be said that the United Nations has not constantly drawn attention to that danger. In two special sessions devoted to disarmament and in countless resolutions adopted at its regular sessions the General Assembly has not only characterized in vivid terms the danger posed by nuclear weapons but drawn up several programs of action for the attainment of general and complete disarmament. The response and reaction of the super-Powers have been in stark contrast to the urgency of the situation. To be sure, they make a lot of notion about negotiations.”
1985-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 40 (1985)