YouSaid · the spoken record

LUNS

lines on the record: 427
first: 1952-09-24
most recent: 1970-09-24
sittings or episodes: 18
sources: un-general-debate

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“The strengthening of these forces by uniting like-minded nations of the free world does not constitute a menace to peace but may well be a condition for it. The only alliances, military or otherwise, which should be rejected are those impeding evolution towards a free world. There is a tendency to attribute a higher ethical value to neutrality than to the alliance of those who prefer the free way of life. This is a view we do not share. 30. Neutrality and neutralism as such and by themselves have no merits; they are valuable only if they advance the cause of peace. They must be rejected, however, if they tend to endanger large parts of the world and if, in fact, they facilitate the spreading of totalitarian doctrines and result in the creation of a political no man’s land.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Together we must try to create the conditions for it. Let me venture to indicate the more important ones. 28. Real peace is not a short-term problem. Its solution requires, first, the creation of the climate in which peaceful forces can grow and prosper until they span the world, and in which the free way of life, now stifled in large areas of our globe, will be accepted everywhere. 29. The free way of life is the democratic conception of society, the vital conception of human dignity at present denied to millions of people. Those who, like the people of my country, have a deep-rooted faith in the concept of democracy as the only guarantee for peace, are prepared to make sacrifices for the maintenance and growth of that concept. We are willing to do our part to stimulate the growth of the forces of freedom.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“I note with satisfaction, as others have done before me, that at the beginning of the autumn of 1954 there is no longer large-scale fighting in our world. The war in Korea ended in 1953; some months ago a cease-fire came into force in Indo-China. However, our satisfaction that the guns have been silenced would indeed be deeper if, in all sincerity, we could declare that peace reigns in the world. It would be foolish to deceive ourselves. It is more realistic to admit that the end of the cold war is still as far removed as ever. The profound discord, which for many years now has divided the world into opposing factions, continues unabated. One can only say that, at least for the moment, parties are showing a salutary restraint. Let us appreciate the fact that the patient is having a quiet day. 27. Real peace requires more.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“We welcome this initiative, which was already foreshadowed in the speech which President Eisenhower made to the eighth session of the General Assembly on 8 December of last year [470th plenary meeting]. I can assure the Assembly that my Government will give its fullest co-operation to the successful development of these plans for the constructive application of atomic energy. In close co-operation with the Norwegian Government, the Netherlands is already actively engaged in this field. And we, therefore, are interested in any plans to organize constructively and peacefully these tremendous new forces. 25. Nuclear energy can contribute immensely to conditions for peace and prosperity. To this end it is our duty to pool our efforts. I repeat, therefore, that we warmly welcome the new item on our agenda. 26.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Once parliamentary approval in the Netherlands has been obtained this constitutional process will have been consummated. The Netherlands Government will at that time not fail to furnish such information on the status of the territories as has been requested by the eighth session of the Assembly. It will demonstrate conclusively and finally that the new parts of the Kingdom no longer can be classified as Non-Self-Governing Territories under Chapter XI of the Charter. 23. I wish at this stage to make a few remarks on the significant initiative of the United States in the field of international co-operation in developing the peaceful uses of atomic energy. 24.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Additional provisions still had to be made to regulate the constitutional relationship between the three territories as equal partners in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. For this purpose a round table conference I Was held earlier this year at The Hague. 22. The General Assembly at its eighth session showed interest in this constitutional development and in resolution 747 (VIII) requested the Netherlands Government to communicate the results of the conference to the Secretary-General. I am happy to inform the Assembly that the conference has resulted in complete agreement on the statute regulating mutual relations. The parliaments of the two parts of the Kingdom situated in the western hemisphere have already unanimously approved the statute.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“But, however much we deplore the Indonesian initiative, we have no intention of letting our relations with Indonesia be affected by this case. 21. My delegation always welcomes communications from administering Powers concerning the cessation of information on Non-Self-Governing Territories falling under Chapter XI of the Charter. They prove that the territory has emerged from its non-self-governing status. A communication of this kind was made some time ago by the Netherlands Government in relation to Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles [A/2177]. In 1950 these territories achieved autonomy in internal affairs. At that moment continued reporting under Chapter XI therefore became impossible and unconstitutional.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The Netherlands Government holds the view that the item concerning Netherlands New Guinea, submitted by Indonesia, is one of those harmful items. There is no reason why the Organization should take up the matter. We deny the propriety of discussing this question here, and we do not admit that the future of New Guinea is served by international discussion. The Netherlands delegation will have more to say on this matter in the First Committee. In the context of these general remarks, I only wish again to caution against bringing up matters that lead to vexation rather than to improvement of mutual relations. The Netherlands Government will in due time explain why it considers that the item submitted by Indonesia is inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The United Nations would be better advised to concentrate on those fields where it is indispensable, rather than to take up, time and again, matters which cannot be solved and whose ends are frequently not served by international intervention. If, nevertheless, Members continue to present doubtful claims that are not likely to get anywhere, if prominent Powers are forced to stay away from some of our meetings because, from their elementary sense of justice and law, they consider themselves hurt, if these interventions by the United Nations occur in situations where international peace is in no way endangered and international law in no way trespassed upon, then we are obviously on the wrong track and we shall have to think twice before we continue in that direction. 20.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“We are, however, concerned with a problem which is not exclusively European: in the Middle East, in Shanghai, and in many other places there are refugees who are cared for by nobody and who, in their want, wait for this Assembly’s action. 18. Let us be grateful that there are large fields where the United Nations can achieve much and where there can be no substitution for our Organization. We have great responsibilities in the development of underdeveloped countries, in the solution of the tragic problem of refugees and in many other problems of a social and humanitarian nature. The United Nations and its specialized agencies are the appropriate bodies to discharge these historic responsibilities, and here all of us have a clear duty. 19.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“During its eighteenth session, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 549 (XVIII) requesting the General Assembly to pronounce itself on two proposals of the High Commissioner. These proposals relate to the raising of 5 million dollars for emergency aid and 12 million dollars for permanent solutions. In view of the magnitude of the problem, these are indeed modest requests, and it must be possible for us to meet them together. 17. The Netherlands Government has proposed in the Council of Europe that the European countries should meet the expenditure resulting from the European part of the international refugee problem through a contribution for that purpose to the High Commissioner’s funds. I may express the hope that the European countries will make this effort. The Netherlands Government will carry its share.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“In 1950, the International Refugee Organization was liquidated. Far too long have we cherished the fiction that, in so doing, we solved the refugee problem. Far too long have we shut our eyes to the fact that many hundreds of thousands of refugees are still dependent upon international support for their care and maintenance and for their final settlement. Far too long have we imagined that it would be sufficient to finance an administrative body in Geneva, equipped with the necessary know-how and a large amount of goodwill, but deprived of the means to alleviate want where want existed and to solve a vexing problem which we had far too long chosen to ignore. 16.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The Netherlands Government has already on previous occasions expressed its readiness to contribute to such a fund on a basis corresponding to the participation of the Netherlands in other important activities within the framework of the United Nations. This pledge is still valid. We are, however, even prepared to take to heart the Secretary-General’s words and to emphasize that the measures to be taken must be of an order of magnitude surpassing what has so far been planned. The Netherlands, therefore, is ready to contribute on an order of magnitude beyond what we have envisaged up to the present time, if others will act in the same way. 15. Another item on our agenda which calls for immediate action concerns the report [A/2648] of the United Nations High Commissioned for Refugees.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The need for military expenditure is still, unfortunately, one aspect of the question of peace and security. The economic development of under-developed countries, however, constitutes an equally important and unavoidable aspect of the same question. The solution of this particular problem would by itself provide a major contribution to the peace of the world and, moreover, would remove many causes of political unrest. 13. With these considerations in mind, the Netherlands delegation earnestly hopes that it will be possible during this session to reach agreement on the establishment of SUNFED. 14.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“I may mention in this connexion the Point Four programme, the Colombo Plan and many bilateral agreements for assistance, which are producing gratifying results. But the problem before us is of a world-wide nature and, consequently, must be dealt with on a world-wide basis. We therefore believe that the overall significance of the problem should be reviewed by our world Organization, right here and now. For the same reason, we believe that the only available plan offering a sufficiently wide perspective for the future is the plan for the creation of a special United Nations fund for economic development, which, because of its initials, is doomed to carry the somewhat peculiar name of SUNFED. 12. The world situation, alas, has developed in such a way that large sums still have to be spent on armaments.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“That would not only bless and assist those who received whatever assistance might be afforded them, but it would doubly bless those who gave, because it would be the foundation of an assured expansion of the world economy. 10. We trust that this step forward will be taken during the present session of the General Assembly. The Netherlands delegation, in expressing this hope, is aware of the fact that, as the Secretary-General writes in his report to the ninth session [A/2663, p. xiii] we have to be prepared to accept “a combination of measures of an order of magnitude far beyond what has so far been undertaken”. 11. I realize that, in recent years, important steps have been taken toward those ends.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The under-developed countries, however, cannot furnish the necessary funds for this purpose. It is up to the industrialized countries to see to it that a flow of capital is directed to the under-developed countries and maintained over a considerable period of time. In this connexion I may quote part of a statement made during the eighteenth session of the Economic and Social Council [801st meeting] by the present Chairman of the Second Committee, Sir Douglas Copland, who said that the greatest step forward for the international economy would be the construction of a bridge not merely of understanding, but also of material relationship, between the countries which had surplus capital and equipment and the countries which needed it.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Eugene Black, bore witness to this fact at the seventeenth session of the Economic and Social Council [775th meeting] in an impressive account of his experiences in some forty countries, in which he noted the obvious manifestations of under-development; the misery and poverty of urban masses; the inefficiency of farm production and the inequity of land tenure systems; illiteracy; diseases; often sullen hopelessness. But Mr. Black also noted the manifold forces at present active in the under-developed areas of our world, and on this subject he stated that the current which those forces had created was not yet swift, but that it was deep and strong. 8. Today it is almost universally recognized that the only means of calling a halt to this divergence of the levels of development is to be found in large-scale investments. 9.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Constantly and ever more rapidly the developed countries reach higher levels of productivity, while in many of the other countries a certain stagnation makes itself felt. 6. The evolution of national consciousness, as well as the influence of modem communications, tends to emphasize these differences, and, therefore, this problem in its wider implications has acquired a political significance of the first magnitude. For that reason, as much as the issues of security and peace, it deserves our constant consideration. 7. The President of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Mr.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“Never in the course of human history has a problem of world-wide significance — decisive for the fate of hundreds of millions of people — passed through such a rapid evolution of thought and action as the problem of raising the level of prosperity of the economically backward regions. It would indeed be unpardonable if we failed to recognize and shoulder our historical task. 5. During the last six years the problem of the underdeveloped countries has imposed itself upon our world as one of the most important which it has to face. Its significance is equal to the question of war or peace, of which in fact it forms a part. The low standard of living in these countries as compared to that in more highly developed countries has existed for a very long time, but lately a tendency to increasingly wider divergencies can be observed.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“They are fully as important as the political problems because, together with the latter, they determine the chances for life or death of our human society as a whole. 2. It is on one of the most important aspects of these socio-economic problems that I wish at this moment to focus the attention of the General Assembly. 3. If I may venture to make a prognosis, I might say that history’s verdict on the success or failure of this ninth session of the Assembly will depend largely on the outcome of one particular item of the agenda now before us: the question whether we shall be able to find a solution for the problem of the financing of the economic development of the under-developed countries. 4.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“The Charter has wisely recognized the interdependence of the conditions for peace and security. It has proclaimed the interrelationship between political, economic and social conditions. Peace, like security, requires a degree of harmony between the three. In the political sector our world of today presents a picture full of dark, and sometimes threatening, shadows which we, the Members of the United Nations, must endeavour to dispel. But in the social and economic sector dangerous imbalances, resulting in equally dangerous tensions and insecurity, are also present. In our search for better conditions for a peaceful and secure world, we must in no way neglect them or push them back to a lower degree of priority.”
1954-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 9 (1954)
“On the other hand, a democracy has never truly succeeded when free opposition and genuine differences of opinion were not superseded by a fundamental sense of solidarity and respect for the commonwealth. 59. I therefore fervently hope that in our deliberations here we shall endeavour to respect each other as Members of the United Nations who all are pledged to the Purposes and Principles of the Charter, even if we must sometimes differ about means and methods. Let us not forget that we are all but human mortals and that it is the Lord who sits in the Seat of Judgment and holds dominion over us. He guides our destiny. May His blessing be upon the work of this Assembly.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It is to be feared that the discussions will sometimes be bitter and that sometimes with regard to fundamental values disagreement will emerge. Such is the reality of our torn world. But whoever has the privilege to live and work in a democratic State knows that one of the greatest advantages of democracy lies in the fact that people are free to disagree amongst each other. “Du choc des idées jaillit la vérite” is a well-known French phrase. 58. To be allowed to express a different opinion is moreover wholesome, because no human being is wise enough to possess all truth. Consequently the possibility must always remain unimpaired to disagree with the opinions of the majority.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“All this may serve as guidance for those who, in 1955, will have to decide on this question. Therefore the preparatory work must start right here and now. 56. It is not our intention at this time to ask the Assembly to commit itself either for or against a revision of the Charter in part or as a whole, but merely to do the necessary spade-work for our activities in 1955. Our present item is therefore of a completely non-political and non-controversial character. We sincerely hope that the General Assembly will judge our proposal in this light. 57. I have confined myself to these few items of our agenda. I am aware of the possibility that in this Assembly there will be serious controversies and sharp differences of opinion.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Finally, may I be allowed to make a few brief remarks about the proposal of the Netherlands Government [A/2442] which may be found in our agenda under item 70. I was happy to record the agreement of the representative of Sweden, and my remarks will express what Mr. Unden has said, because our purpose is simple and is based on paragraph 3 of Article 109 of the Charter, prescribing a discussion at the tenth session of the General Assembly in 1955 on the question as to whether or not to call a special conference for the purpose of reviewing the present Charter. We believe that the deliberations of the tenth session of the General Assembly in this respect can and should be facilitated by preparatory documentation and by the preliminary opinions of Member States.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Hammarskjold may prove to be — if I may say so — -the first swallow heralding a new summer. 54. Our appreciation for the new Secretary-General in no way makes us forget the great merits of his predecessor. When Mr. Trygve Lie submitted his resignation in the fall of last year, he left behind him a worthy monument both in the political as well as in the material sense. Politically it was he who had been faced with the task of organizing the United Nations machinery from the start and out of next to nothing. He did so with devotion and skill. The impressive new Headquarters may perhaps be called the material expression of the organizational work which it was given to Mr. Trygve Lie to achieve. 55.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It is obvious that in such circumstances no organization can perform the highly skilled team-work which we are entitled to expect from the Secretariat. The action of Mr. Hammarskjold, however, as well as the debates on personnel policy during the latter part of the seventh session, has undoubtedly contributed considerably to the restoration of the confidence placed in the Secretariat, as well as to the self-confidence of its members, both individually and collectively. 53. In this connexion I wish to stress the happy significance of the fact that the great Powers in the Security Council could reach agreement on the appointment of the new Secretary-General. Here was an instance — alas, too rarely experienced — of wise cooperation in the general interest. To use a somewhat daring comparison, Mr.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Here it has an obvious duty which it cannot and may not neglect. 51. I should now like to recall the fact that the United Nations elected this year a new Secretary-General. The Netherlands Government warmly welcomed the coming into office of Mr. Dag Hammarskjold. It is my privilege and pleasure to declare that we place the greatest confidence in the new head of the Secretariat. 52. What we have witnessed of his initial activities confirms our impression that, under the influence of Mr. Hammarskjold’s declared concepts, the morale of the staff has of late considerably improved. The General Assembly, during the beginning of its seventh session, witnessed what might have turned out to be a serious decline in the self-confidence and efficiency of the Secretariat.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“The Netherlands Government in the past has repeatedly raised its voice against any form of waste, financial or otherwise, in the United Nations, and it has often suggested possible economies. We shall continue to do so if and when it becomes necessary. At the same time we should sincerely regret any inclination in the General Assembly for underestimating the financial needs for technical assistance, as well as the needs of the High Commissioner for Refugees. I do not want at this stage to go into details, but I do want to say that in these fields the United Nations is not doing top much but too little. I only hope that this Assembly will examine with the greatest sympathy and understanding the financial implications of this vital and necessary work. Here the United Nations can stimulate new energy or allay great sufferings.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I should also like to focus attention on two specific fields of activity of the United Nations which serve an essential purpose. I refer to the activities for technical assistance to under-developed countries and to the work of the United Nations for the benefit of refugees. We shall have occasion in the appropriate committees to present our views in greater detail. At this stage I merely wish to say that, in the opinion of my Government, the United Nations has done excellent work in these two fields. I must add, however, that the work has often been too modest in scope. Yet experience has proved that here the United Nations has a specific and vital task. 50.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“That session of the Council demonstrated again how much the quality of the work of an international conference improves when its participants give evidence, even in a modest way, of constructive intentions. This, of course, applies in particular to the Soviet bloc. Where obstruction ceases, the work of the United Nations at once improves. In this connexion the Netherlands Government hopes that the discussions in the General Assembly concerning the financing of economic development will bear fruit, and that the relevant resolutions of the Economic and Social Council will provide a new and forceful stimulus in this field. The preparatory work of the Council in this matter has been useful and merits our serious attention. 49.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Therefore, and in the full knowledge that the results so far obtained in Korea cannot be considered as a solution in itself, we are, I think, justified in being grateful for the lesser good which has been achieved. It is altogether fitting to bear testimony to the fact that somewhere in our world the guns have been silenced and that the United Nations, in the spirit of the Charter, has not failed in its primary purpose. 47. It is proper likewise to record the satisfaction with which we have followed the recent session of the Economic and Social Council. I believe that the Member States represented there may look back upon a fruitful and constructive gathering. Undoubtedly they will also remember the excellent and expert manner in which their work was guided by the Belgian Chairman, Mr. Scheyven. 48.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It is only natural that those especially who so cruelly suffered at the hands of the aggressors should feel a certain frustration and disappointment at the compromise embodied in the armistice. It is, however, more than doubtful whether the attainment to the full of the political goals of the United Nations in the whole of the peninsula would be commensurate with the enormous additional sufferings and destruction that would result from imposing them by force of arms. 46. In an atmosphere of highly dangerous international tension, only moderation in our methods can keep the road to peace open, and my Government likes to believe that along these lines the agreement in Korea has been realized.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I believe that at this moment such an evaluation could perhaps be more instrumental in serving our peaceful ends than the elaborate enumeration of our multiple shortcomings and weaknesses. 44. The political event which during the past year has overshadowed all other developments has been the signing and implementation of the Armistice Agreement in Korea. Nobody can pretend that in and by itself the armistice is a satisfactory and just solution of the Korean problem. But it is by far the most important step for attaining such a satisfactory and just solution and therefore we gratefully welcome it. In this respect I should like to pay a well-deserved tribute to the great sense of self-restraint and moderation shown by the United Nations negotiators at Panmunjom. 45.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It would of course be easy to declare once again that the United Nations has fallen short of the impatient expectations raised at San Francisco, that the Security Council is frustrated by the lack of unanimity among the great Powers and by the abuse of the veto, and that the economic and social work is not yet sufficiently great to become a determining weight in the scale of political events. It would require no great stretch of imagination to give warning that our Organization is running the risk of deteriorating into a forum where mutual accusation often takes the place of collective effort. All that is true. All that has been repeated so often that I feel disinclined to analyse it once again. 43. I prefer to choose another approach. I prefer to direct our thoughts towards a number of encouraging developments during the past year.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Those of the European partners co-operating in this vital enterprise, and which are represented in the General Assembly, will doubtlessly be mindful of their endeavours in the common European field when dealing with the work before us here. This time it is the future which illuminates the present. If this light should penetrate into the atmosphere of our discussions here, it would not resemble the shadow of the recent past — a sign of death — but rather a promise of hope, the fulfilment of which may become a vitalizing factor for the consolidation of world peace. 42. I now turn for a moment to the work performed by our world Organization during the last year. This time I would prefer to limit myself to a number of the brighter spots in the annals of our recent history.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It does not directly affect our immediate problems here. But I would fail in my duty as a member of the government of a European State if I did not voice the hopes awakened in our part of the world by the increasing intensity of European co-operation. 41. It is as yet too early to predict whether the gradually maturing plans for a Western European federal structure will be successful. It is not too early, however, to invite the very serious attention of the Assembly to a development in which a considerable part of Europe, hitherto divided against itself and having twice been the centre of a world war, is now trying to pool its constructive forces.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“It is indeed our sincere hope that in other fields too this great measure of unity of mind may be achieved and that at least we may succeed in moderating and restraining our criticisms of one another. Perhaps the awareness of our basic interdependence in respect of our common striving for peace and security may lead us to more unity when dealing with other major problems. This is particularly the case when the problems of Germany and Korea are discussed at the two conferences I have mentioned. Should we succeed there, the shadows of the past will eventually recede and fade away as an ugly dream. 40. The third international conference is concerned with the examination of the statute for a European political community, and not with the removal of the inheritance of the past. It concerns the future.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Only as recently as four weeks ago we witnessed such a unity of opinion, when fifty-three Member States expressed their satisfaction on the issue of the first collective military action under the banner of the United Nations. Only five Members voted against. Now we know that, according to the nature of the problems under discussion, various groupings of countries are formed. But with respect to one issue, that near-unanimity to which I referred a moment ago appears from time to time. That issue arises when we are called upon — and here I quote from the Preamble of the Charter — “to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security”. 39.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“The United Nations is not in doubt as to who oppose this self-determination or these free elections and who do not. There is consequently no need for me to demonstrate what is common knowledge and abundantly clear to all of us. But it is useful to recall these facts at the outset of our proceedings. 37. It is therefore fitting that this General Assembly should bear in mind the fact that in the coming months security and self-determination are elsewhere equally at issue. Nor should we forget who in these other meeting places have the Charter on their side. May this awareness increasingly fortify the solidarity of the great majority of the Members of the United Nations during this eighth session and thereafter. 38. During the years there have been moments when within the United Nations an overwhelming consensus has manifested itself.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“This is neither the time nor the place to penetrate deeper into the problem of Germany. Nor do I desire to enter into the substance of the Korean question. As to these issues, the United Nations knows perfectly well, and has repeatedly stated, who it was that fomented the situations which endangered the peace and who did not. The United Nations is also fully aware of the fact that both these issues could readily be solved, provided the peoples of Germany and Korea were allowed, in East and West, in North and South, to avail themselves of that right of self-determination which is allegedly being held in such high esteem by some who in reality are bent upon destroying it. Free elections in the whole of Germany and in the whole of Korea could settle the pending issues justly and rightly.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Neither in Berlin nor in Korea has it as yet proved possible to work out a satisfactory solution. 35. Today we face a situation which differs little, if at all, from the dividing lines drawn at the close of the Second World War. The great conflict of our day, which has led to the continuation of this unfortunate dismemberment both of Germany and of Korea, is responsible for our deep anxieties, just as it has caused our impotence in many other sectors of international conflict. Thus the past throws its shadow over this Assembly. It clouds our horizon when we talk about such matters as disarmament or the future of the Charter. It darkens our endeavours towards the economic development of under-developed countries or our care for refugees. It embitters our debates on security or human rights. 36.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“Only bad faith on the part of the Soviet Union could cause such an effort to fail. Today both Germany and Korea still are divided nations for the main reason that the victors of the Second World War remain unable to agree on the conditions for a just and reasonable peace treaty with Germany and for the unification of a free, independent and democratic Korea. 34. Those unsolved consequences of war have for a number of years remained a serious threat to real peace. In Germany we witnessed dangerous conflicts about Berlin when the Soviet authorities chose to deny access to those parts of the city administered by the other occupying Powers. In Korea the United Nations, for three long years, had to wage war in defence of the very principles of the Charter.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“The only reason I mention the three other conferences is to remind us here of the wider political framework within which some of the seventy-three items of our agenda must be evaluated. During the coming weeks we in New York cannot afford to neglect entirely that which is maturing elsewhere. The influence thereof will eventually make itself felt in many of the problems now before us. 33. The future of Germany and of Korea is to be the subject matter of highly significant exchanges of views. This autumn a new effort will be made to close a tragic chapter of the recent past. In the Armistice Agreement, the parties concerned have agreed to call a political conference on Korea. As concerns Germany, an invitation to a four-Power conference has been sent to the Soviet Union.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“The issues to be discussed there will be left untouched, or almost untouched, in our deliberations. But the whole international situation will nevertheless to a considerable degree undergo the impact of what is or is not achieved at those other gatherings. The three conferences which I have in mind are the political conference on the future of Korea, the four-Power conference concerning Germany and Austria, and the conference recently opened on the statute of a European political community. 32. It is not my intention to enlarge here in detail upon problems which have not been submitted to the United Nations. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”, and sufficient unto the eighth session of the General Assembly are the cares thereof. Indeed, we need not go in search of extra-curricular worries.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“30. May I be permitted, first of all, to offer Mrs. Pandit the most sincere congratulations on the part of the Netherlands delegation upon her election to the high office which she now so graciously occupies. I have the greatest confidence that she will give this Assembly the wise and impartial guidance of which it stands in need for the successful performance of its task. 31. The eighth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations will not be the only international gathering to claim the attention of the world during the current year. It may well be that it will not even be the most important one. Our session here in New York will feel the influence of three other international conferences which — if all goes well — will meet elsewhere in the world.”
1953-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 8 (1953)
“I pray that, under divine guidance, we may succeed in developing the United. Nations ever more into a beneficial and efficient instrument for the achievement of the noble ends which it is pledged to serve.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“Let us try earnestly to understand each other’s positions and motives, in order to find ways and means of reconciling diverging interests, on the basis of a common standard of fundamental political faith. 199. That standard is, or should be, the Charter. We know that it is not perfect. In 1955 it will come up for revision. That is a serious matter in which my government is deeply interested. The ground should be thoroughly prepared, and for that reason we welcome the suggestions put forward in this Assembly to make timely provision for a preparatory commission. But for the present we have the Charter, and we have accepted it as it is now. It has given us hope, it has given us guidance, and it has given us the beginning of strength. May it also give us the wisdom to harmonize our actions. 200.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)
“We are faced with problems vital to all of us. World peace is insecure, and there are places where nations are fighting and men are dying. The desire for national freedom, where this has not yet been achieved, the struggle for human rights and for decent standards of living, are piling their increasing weight on top of a world already staggering under the load of unsolved problems of rehabilitation after the devastations caused by two world wars within a quarter of a century. 198. The United Nations can render great service as an institution where the nations of the world can pool their wits and energies in order to design a pattern of co-operation with which to overcome the obstacles in our common path.”
1952-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 7 (1952)