YouSaid · the spoken record

Stikker

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS STIKKER

lines on the record: 67
first: 1949-09-24
most recent: 1951-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

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“I am pleased to say that, a week ago, the Upper Chamber of the Netherlands Parliament accepted by a large majority, the plan which will always be associated with the name of my distinguished colleague, Mr. Robert Schuman, thus being the first of the European parliaments to do so. My delegation looks forward to working, during the weeks to come, as the guests of a Government which has proved constructively that it is working for peace. 44. May the work of this the sixth session of the General Assembly be influenced by the essentially French virtues of imagination and realism. May our work here, we humbly implore, be blessed by the Divine Spirit ruling over the fate of peoples and nations.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“I am convinced that the conception of rights held by the peoples of the world should continue to develop along the lines laid down by these two historic trials. 43. In conclusion, I should like to say a word about the site of this year’s Assembly. My delegation last year was opposed to the Assembly meeting away from New York on the ground that sound management would not allow a meeting far from United Nations headquarters. Our financial misgivings are still not entirely allayed, but our heart goes out in sympathy to the country whose guests we now are, the country which has invited us to meet again in its gracious and lovely capital. It was in France, in Paris itself, that an idea which may well become a vital element in the building of peace was born.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“There is nothing sensational about this work, and yet it is gradually introducing into the community of nations a new conception of the principles governing international relations, relations of such vital importance for peaceful coexistence between the peoples. It is for this reason that my Government follows the work of the International Law Commission with such keen interest and appreciates the Commission’s conclusion that one session a year is inadequate for its work. The Nurenberg and Tokyo trials did indeed constitute an innovation in the field of international law, and my Government endorses the words of the former Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Stimson, who called it a “landmark of law”.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Moreover local conditions differ widely, sometimes even within the same country. Methods will have to be varied. We must also remember that the financial resources of Member States of the United Nations differ greatly and that some of them are able to make only a small contribution to international humanitarian work. None the less, within the limits of our capacities, all of us must shoulder our responsibility. 42. I now pass to the question of the evolution of international law which does not always receive the attention it deserves. But the work must be pursued at a pace consonant with the nature of the problem and regardless of political upheavals. The evolution of international law may be compared to the flow of currents which, being slow-moving, or sometimes even subterranean, remain undetected by the human eye.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The International Refugee Organization, which, under able leadership, has achieved such magnificent results during the last few years giving more than a million people a new start in life, has come to an end. This does not mean that the problem has been solved; merely that a certain category of displaced persons, those who at the outset stood in greatest need, have received assistance thanks to an international effort. But other categories remain a heavy burden on the political and economic life of several countries. It is the opinion of my Government that, in order to ease the situation, intensive work will have to continue for several years to come. Before this Assembly rises, this matter will have to be thrashed out. A frank discussion will help, but we must be chary of uniform solutions. Groups of refugees are not all alike.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“It is therefore imperative that preparatory measures should be taken without delay. 4L Another question facing the sixth session of the General Assembly is that of the refugees. It is desirable, even essential, to lay the foundations for practical results in the course of the present session. The fact that these millions of unfortunates are forced to live without hope for the future not only constitutes a threat to the political security of some parts of the world; it also, as the letter recently addressed by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands to the President of the United States of America so eloquently puts it, represents a challenge to the conscience of the world.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“We confidently hope thus to be able to make a contribution to the study of the technical problems which arise in many under-developed countries. Admittedly, the present technical assistance programme is as yet only in its infancy. In a sense we are still at the pioneer stage, drawing up a systematic programme for development. The programme will require, not only manpower which, in most cases, is already available, not only experts who are now being recruited and will soon be available in sufficient numbers, but also funds which for the moment are lacking. That is why it is important that the United Nations should take stock now of the full magnitude of the problem of financing economic development. It is not an easy problem and there can be no ready-made solution.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Such co-operation between countries at different stages of development opens the door to mutual understanding and creates a world-wide network of relationships. Within the limits of its resources, my country has contributed to this worthy cause. My Government is certain that the United Nations is on the right track there and believes that the experiment of exchanging experts and exchanging fellows should be vigorously followed up. The supply of knowledge and technical experience and the demand for them are badly distributed in this world, and I am sure that we could help one another in this respect. We hope shortly to be able to open in the Netherlands an international academic institution, at a university level, to give courses on development problems in countries requiring technical assistance.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“What does coexistence mean there ? I shall confine myself to a very general answer. We believe in the first place that it means that each nation must, within the framework of the United Nations, learn and accept the fact that supranational interests have a validity of their own and that different principles must be applied to them from those which individual nations would like to apply. The satisfaction of all national aspirations cannot result in peace; peace and international security can only result from mutual concessions in which national, regional and world interests have to be given equal weight. Coexistence here also means consideration being given to the aspirations of peoples. 40. I now come to technical assistance, one of the most successful spheres of United Nations activity in recent years.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The United Nations has, on a number of occasions, given them attention, and it has an undoubted responsibility at the present juncture. We have still not received the report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, which has made such vigorous efforts to obtain a settlement. My Government hopes that the Commission will be able to indicate practical ways and means of easing the situation, so that the development of the Near East may make fresh progress. 38. My Government observes, further, that the United Nations is faced with a series of problems ranging geographically from Teheran in the east to the Atlantic coast of Africa. Tracing the line on the map we find a number of names that occur on our agenda or on that of the Security Council, which indicates; the tension existing in those areas. 39.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Uppermost in our minds, however, is the thought that we have no cause to regret that last year the United Nations took up the challenge to world peace and international law thrown down by aggression, and made a stand to defend them in the conviction of the justice of its cause. The opening of negotiations in Korea a few months ago at the same time inspired us with fresh hope, particularly since they were facilitated by a favourable reply by a Soviet Union spokesman to the repeated appeals made by the United Nations. 36. The expression “peaceful coexistence”, to which I referred at the beginning of my statement, applies not only to the world in general, but in no less a degree to crises of a regional character. 37. Such, for example, are the difficulties still remaining unresolved between the Arab States and the State of Israel.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The world hopes that during the present session of the Assembly we shall be able to announce that the first military action of the United Nations, taken in the name of collective security, has been brought to a conclusion and that the conclusion is the fruit of co-operation between all the parties. It is with mixed feelings that we survey what the United Nations has so far achieved in Korea. The condition of the Korean people fills us with sorrow. But we must also remember with admiring gratitude the courage and the sacrifices of the United Nations forces. We still view the failure to achieve a unified Korea with concern. Unification of Korea in accordance with the agreements between the great Powers concluded during the Second World War has been for a number of years, and still is, the avowed purpose of this Assembly.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The present session will be judged by its concrete achievements. Our function is above all to help, so far as possible, to promote a settlement of various political questions, and to forward by every means in our power the constructive work already undertaken by the United Nations. The agenda includes a number of political questions the mere statement of which describes, as it were, the symptoms of the ailments of the present world. What can we do to cure them? 35. It seems to me a good sign that we meet at a moment when reports of the possibility of peace are reaching us from Korea.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“It is with regret therefore that my Government observes Italy, in spite of the views expressed by the large majority of Members of this Organization, still being obliged to wait for admission to the United Nations. Then there is the important problem of the future of Germany. A satisfactory settlement of the German problem would provide a cornerstone for the coexistence of the great Powers, and thus more than anything else provide the basis for lasting peace for us all. The General Assembly of the United Nations can only play a limited part in achieving such a settlement. Problems of such a far-reaching character must in the first instance be resolved by the great Powers among themselves. 34. I nevertheless venture to hope that this Assembly may help to ease the general tension.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Such a policy pursued in a truly liberal spirit in their own country would at once considerably decrease the differences, if not entirely do away with them, and make real coexistence possible. 32. For our own part it is our firm, our unshakable resolve to defend human dignity and tolerance. Far from being mutually exclusive, tolerance and a firm resolve to defend it are essential complements to one another. 33. The road is long and many difficulties have yet to be encountered. It is true that the legacy of the last war is disappearing; Italy and Japan are about to take their place once more among the free and peace-loving nations.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“This tolerance, this respect we must achieve and defend. 31. We should therefore feel that we were failing in our duty as a Member of the United Nations and as the heir, with others, of a great Christian and European tradition, if we did not make a further appeal from this Assembly to the rulers of States which, though Members of our Organization, must in our opinion be regarded as totalitarian. We do not say they have not the right to hold political views different from our own, but we shall never be able to live without fear so long as there are totalitarian systems. We earnestly appeal to them to give the principle of human dignity the place it merits.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“It deals with such disputes curbing its hasty passions, ponderously slowed down by procedural wrangles, legalistic caution, decisions taken only after lengthy discussion, and the endless production of documents. It deals with them, finally and most importantly, with the authority which is none the less accorded to it, an authority which no other body but the United Nations possesses, as it is the sole political organization embracing the whole world. 30. This is precisely where we are on the road that should lead us to make a reality of our ideals of peace and security. Our confidence in the moral force of the Charter gives us the necessary courage to continue on our way. When the final goal, tolerance among men and among the peoples, is attained mutual respect and the dignity of the human person will prevail.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“I have not given up the hope that we may one day be able to reach a better mutual understanding with regard to this concept. 29. Does that mean that the United Nations has no meaning at this time as a universal organization ? I do not believe that. Besides its many worthy activities in the social, economic and cultural fields, there are enough things to prove that the United Nations is effectively helping to foster coexistence, the road leading to a genuine spirit of good neighbourliness. Coexistence is maintained because the United Nations does not hesitate to cope with disputes likely to degenerate into war. It deals with them — indeed, it must deal with them — by the slow and cumbrous means at its disposal and sometimes the result is impatience and weariness. But a disadvantage may turn into an advantage.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The North Atlantic Treaty is just such a union of strength on a regional basis, finding its justification solely in the fact that it is based upon the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter; it is the inevitable result of the meaning today attributed to “coexistence”. It is an instrument of the Charter ; that means that it will never be an instrument for aggression. Until the basic principle of the Charter, collective security, has become reality through the efforts of all, the North Atlantic Treaty, as a regional organization, is, for lack of something better, the means of carrying out what was intended at San Francisco, But “ for lack of something better ” can never be our last word on the subject. We shall not fail to embrace a more satisfactory idea of “coexistence” as soon as circumstances permit.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Because there is, between the Erne and Heartbreak Ridge in Korea, a powerful bloc, with which we would of course be ready to talk about coexistence, but which, dominated as it is by a totalitarian conception, maintains a very large army and has built up an immense arsenal. As against the totalitarian idea we confidently maintain the concept of democratic freedoms. But arms and armies represent force to which we can oppose only force. The United Nations Charter recognizes this necessity. It states that we are “determined… to practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours” and adds that we are determined “ to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security 28.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“It has been embodied in the United Nations since 1945 and any of us who speaks from this rostrum about peaceful coexistence is referring to the kind of coexistence envisaged in the Charter. That is the only ground upon which I can stand and on that ground any kind of discussion can take place. I am eager to play my part and I shall try to be clear. Clarity and a sense of reality, particularly the latter, are the salt which should season, our discussions. 27. Coexistence, as implied in the Charter, is our aim. But what is coexistence today? It means a situation in which my country is compelled to set aside one-third of its budget for armaments. Why?”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“But in any discussion there must at least be general agreement as to the meaning of the words used, for words, like currencies, are subject to devaluation. Is coexistence intended as an aim, a modus vivendi or a fleeting tactic? The word is not new. Twenty-five years ago a statesman said that the coexistence of two opposing systems was conceivable. But he had stated previously: “War is inevitable; but it can be postponed until the proletarian revolution is ripe in Europe”. That kind of coexistence is that of the jungle, in which wild beasts share their hunting grounds out of mutual respect for tooth and claw. 26. Let the past not become an impediment to present action, however! The idea of peaceful coexistence has evolved.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“The United Nations does not exist merely to maintain peace, but above all, as the Secretary-General has so aptly remarked, to create it. Despite all our differences of opinion at this time, we have an Organization able to gather the representatives of sixty countries around a table. We owe this to the wisdom of those who, although at the cost of certain compromises, established the almost total representation of the world by laying down the basic principles of the Charter. Let us endeavour, so far as we can, to draw from that wisdom the lessons inherent in it. 25. I myself am ready to join those who are trying to achieve a real “peaceful coexistence”. I am also prepared to take part in any discussion likely to lead us-towards that end.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“Millions, who had drawn the strength necessary to wage the struggle from his ideal of tolerance and respect for the dignity of the human person, fell in the last war. That same ideal is still our inspiration. 23. That is why we must look closely into the very substance of this appeal which today comes to us from Moscow. I am prepared to do so with the utmost attention, or I cannot and will not assume that such words as “peaceful coexistence ” can be lightly spoken. To trifle with ideas which incarnate the deepest aspirations of mankind would be worse than a lie, little better than a crime. We shall have ample opportunity to undertake the examination I contemplate during the session which has just opened. 24.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“A surprising current tendency is to crystallize the most complex problems in the simplest terms, in slogans. That is practical; it saves time, a commodity of which there is a world-wide shortage. Among the slogans familiar to this Assembly there is one of more recent coinage: “peaceful coexistence”, It is an extremely important formula, because “ peaceful ” and “ coexistence ” are words which we all have greatly at heart. In my country they are taken to mean the hope of a real comity of the peoples for which hundreds of millions of people throughout the world are longing, a comity which can endure only if it is based upon mutual tolerance and respect. Five or six years ago we believed that this could be achieved soon.”
1951-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 6 (1951)
“In one of the most difficult moments in the life of my country, the Prince of Orange, William the Silent, expressed a thought which has always kept its meaning for the Dutch. I may repeat these words at this moment as a device for this Assembly in its search for wisdom under God’s guidance: "Point n’est besoin d’esperer pour entreprendre, ni de reussir pour perseverer”.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Should the Indonesian Government decide to apply for membership, the Netherlands Government will deem it an honour wholeheartedly to support such a request before the General Assembly, and will gladly welcome the new State into our midst. 69. I shall limit myself to these remarks. On the agenda of this Assembly appear a number of items which are so much more important than others, that the mere existence of our Organization depends upon their solution. The eyes of hundreds of millions of people are fixed on this Assembly. I shall not try to picture what would be the judgment passed by humanity on the United Nations if this Assembly should not live up to its task. Let me close with a few words to all those who feel discouraged in the face of present events. This is not the first time in history that the outlook seems dark.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“It is gratifying that the unhappy conflict has come to an end and has resulted in a solution acceptable to both parties. In a number of agreements which recently were jointly registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations, in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter, it was agreed to establish a union based on free will, equality and complete independence. This implies a pledge by both countries to make a serious effort of co-operation between East and West. Even if difficulties may occur, the common interest is so vitally important for both parties that we may confidently expect this experiment, to bear fruit in the future. Meanwhile, Indonesia stands at the door of the United Nations.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“But looking back over a couple of years one must admit that, notwithstanding disappointments, this new conception of interdependence is progressing with great strides. 67. European economic co-operation and the development of under-developed countries are equally important for the peace and the well-being of the world. Therefore my Government wholeheartedly welcomes the programme of technical assistance worked out by the United Nations. I can assure the General Assembly that my country will co-operate to the best of its ability, special experience and resources, to contribute to its realization. 68. The past year has witnessed an important fact in the history of the United Nations to which my country has been closely related. I am now referring to the transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Meanwhile, out of the free impulse of public opinion and the strong will of European parliaments, a Council of Europe was formed at Strasbourg. The discussions there have clearly demonstrated that European co-operation is not only a concern of governments and experts but is rooted in a strong, popular sentiment. 66. We have not yet reached any spectacular overall solution in European integration, and' many difficulties are still ahead. It is sometimes hard for one who, like myself, experiences the daily difficulties and inevitable disappointments at close range, to watch the results of our work from the academic distance of a historian. Sometimes it seems that there is more failure than success.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Let me first mention the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, which came into being as a result of the Marshall Plan, and which has as its aim the liberalization of European trade and the reinforcement of the economic structure of western Europe. I need not tell this Assembly how much Marshall aid has meant to the recovery of Europe. A recent tangible result has been the coming into being of the European Payments Union. 64. At the moment a group of European States is involved in an interesting experiment. I refer to the negotiations on the Schuman Plan. In presenting this plan, the French Government has shown real vision and, by doing so, may have pointed the way for future peaceful co-operation between Germany and the rest of Europe. This might even prove to be the cornerstone of effective European integration. 65.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“I should particularly like to do so, since it would be wrong to mention only those aspects of the European situation which give rise to grave concern, and not to refer to the constructive side of our efforts in the field of peaceful co-operation, where hope for the future lies. Ours is a fateful age; grave dangers are imminent and our survival is in jeopardy. But on the other hand new hopes and visions are no less present in our minds. It is up to us to make them come true. 62. The numerous bodies and organs for economic and political co-operation in Western Europe may astonish non-Europeans. I for one must admit that they have greatly suprised many Europeans themselves. I may limit myself here to indicating three of the most outstanding examples. 63.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Needless to say, the governments of Europe would not spend huge sums for the mere pleasure of maintaining large military machines. They are all forced to preserve a precarious equilibrium between the exigencies of a great military effort on the one hand, and a reasonable standard of living in a free country on the other hand. For it is clear that the sense of all self-defence is that there is something worthwhile fighting for. For this reason it would not be wise to let military preoccupations overshadow all our economic and social efforts. 61. I may be allowed to mention in this context our efforts in Europe in the field of economic co-operation.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Other countries have so far refrained from doing this. I may repeat, however, that the Chinese problem should not be allowed to obscure the issue of the aggression in Korea. We must be careful not to increase the danger of the Korean crisis for world peace by connecting it with the separate problem of China. 60. Since 1945, the emphasis on the problem of security has been shifted from the idea of peace by consultation to the necessity of the maintenance of peace by force. I trust this regrettable shift will not be permanent, but it has compelled various countries to conclude regional treaties of collective defence, such as the North Atlantic Treaty. These treaties are clearly within the scope of the Charter and their defensive character will be evident to every unbiased person.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Indeed, it may well prove to be an indispensable development that the power of the General Assembly to make recommendations in cases of grave emergency should be supplemented by a more practical and timely preparation of such forces, to which the United Nations may legitimately appeal whenever aggression threatens or breaks the peace of the world, 58. On the other hand, it stands to reason that, with regard to the representation of China, the members of the United Nations are free to differ in their opinions. Whenever a new regime appears, a period of uncertainty is bound to follow for other States regarding their relationship with such a new government. 59. For reasons which, in its view, are compelling, the Netherlands Government, like fifteen other governments, has recognized the Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“It must be clear, however, that the problem of the representation of China has in itself no connexion whatsoever with the struggle in Korea, and that these two problems should not be interlocked. Within the United Nations there must not be any doubt about what happens in Korea. In Korea, the principle of collective security is at stake and we must never lose sight of the fact that on collective security rest all our efforts peacefully to organize the world. He who breaches the peace must know that he will meet the determined resistance of every one of us. 57. We therefore listened with great interest to the suggestions for the reinforcement of our Organization outlined by Mr. Acheson [A/1377}.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“54. Here I feel bound to raise a problem which has created confusion during the last few months and which might trouble us again during our forthcoming discussions. In the view of my Government, we must make a clear distinction between the Korean problem and the question of the representation of China within the United Nations, or, for that matter, any other problem., 55. The Soviet Union did its utmost to paralyse action by the Security Council on the Korean question during the month of August, by linking it to the still open issue of the representation of China. There is no doubt that it will try to do so again. In fact, it has done so already. 56.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“By far transcending every other problem, there stands today as our foremost duty the task of repelling aggression and bringing to a victorious end the struggle of the United Nations and South Korean forces in the Korean peninsula. In this connexion we who are here together owe a grateful tribute to the American boys who, in the service of the United Nations, at once went into action and who, together with the struggling South Koreans who are defending their freedom, have hitherto borne the brunt of the fighting. The Netherlands Government, for its part, has, by the immediate dispatch of naval forces and the forthcoming departure to the front of ground troops, demonstrated its determination effectively and wholeheartedly to take part in our collective measures for guaranteeing the security which is a matter of life and death for all of us.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“If the United Nations had missed this _ opportunity, had failed this time as the League of Nations failed in the days of the Japanese attack on Manchuria and the Italian aggression against Ethiopia, it would have destroyed the basic idea on which we built our institution. The common man, everywhere in the world, has enough common sense to understand that he cannot expect miracles from an Organization which is only five years old. But he would never have forgiven the United Nations if it had abstained from action against the reappearance of naked aggression. 53. At present the United Nations is down to essentials, its first and paramount purpose being the preservation of international peace and security.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Nevertheless, this year will earn its own and important place in history; for although we have not succeeded in realizing the ideals which brought us confidently together in San Francisco, we have succeeded in uniting the overwhelming majority of the Members of the Organization in prompt and effective action against the spectacular repetition of the crime of aggression, the sad and recent memories of which are still with all of us. It is clear that I am now referring to Korea. 52. Much has been lost since 1945, but something has been gained. We have given proof that when faced with the test, the United Nations is capable and willing, for the first time in history, to act collectively in defence of the fundamental principles underlying the Charter.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“World revolution, which already figured long before 1917 on the programme of international communism, now forms a fundamental part of the programme of the Soviet Union for world domination and has thus been made subservient to Russian imperialism. Everywhere in the world the Cominform parties in non-Cominform States are trying, with exactly the same Moscow-made methods and tactics, to undermine the constitutional bodies and democratic philosophies of those countries, to sabotage recovery and to unnerve the populations. I need not say more about it, since unfortunately it is common knowledge and common experience. 51. There is therefore no reason for rejoicing when we look back, on the five years which have elapsed since San Francisco.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“To be sure, in the days of San Francisco, great differences existed between the constitutional patterns and ideologies of the various States which signed the Charter, but at least there seemed to be general agreement on one point: the pledge to respect one another’s way of life and to abstain from interfering in one another’s affairs, least of all by the use of violence. This faith in international relations based on mutual respect has been terribly shaken. 50. The situation is too dangerous to allow us not to be quite frank at this moment. The unfaithfulness of the Soviet Union to the spirit of San Francisco has brought us where we are today.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“For it is clear that mere amendments to the Charter of the United Nations would not diminish the real dangers of the present world situation. Not the Charter of the United Nations but the spirit animating some of its Members is the fundamental cause for our concern. 49. Verily, it is not, as the Secretary-General has submitted, the non-existence of peace treaties which causes such concern, since the absence of such treaties is not a cause, but a consequence, a consequence of unfaithfulness to the principles of San Francisco.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“That problem inevitably arises when aggression lurks around the corner and I profoundly regret that there are reasons for such fear and that recent developments have strongly augmented this deep anxiety. 48. Some people are inclined to believe that good relations between peoples depend upon good organization and that therefore the cure for the dangerous situation is to be found in the improvement of the Charter of the United Nations. If that were the case, our task might not be too difficult. It would, however, in our opinion, be a grave mistake if we tried to blame the statute of the United Nations for the sense of impending disaster which is now being felt so strongly in many parts of our harassed world.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“Five years ago the Charter of the United Nations was drafted at San Francisco in the firm belief that after two wars the world was ready to embark on better ways of solving conflicts. At that time there was some reason to believe that a new era had begun in which the peoples of the world would live peacefully together and would be prepared to respect the differences in their political systems and ideologies. 47. Indeed, if during the last five years human society had been imbued with the spirit of San Francisco, a Minister for Foreign Affairs of a country like my own would still have been greatly preoccupied with its material recovery, but his main worry would not have been defence.”
1950-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 5 (1950)
“The mentality of men, of statesmen, could not be changed by resolutions or rules of procedure. Mr. Stikker prayed that the Assembly would be endowed with the true, spirit and sense of what was right and just.”
1949-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 4 (1949)
“In the cultural and social field there were phenomena in a number of countries which could not but disturb, profoundly all those who had freedom and human dignity at heart. The fact that, notwithstanding all those problems and tensions, the disaster of war had been averted, could undoubtedly be ascribed, inter alia, to the existence of the United Nations. Nevertheless, the United Nations should not close its eyes to the dangers which still beset the world. In the last analysis, the frame of mind of its Members was tire decisive factor. Even if the Organization were perfect, it would not be able to achieve anything if its Members did not observe its principles and purposes. Where good will prevailed, however, all organizational imperfections could be conquered. 22.”
1949-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 4 (1949)
“If no such agreement were reached, internationalization of the City of Jerusalem and its surroundings would have to be seriously considered. 20. The state of the world was such that the future, even the hear future, could not be viewed with undue confidence and optimism. The Unrest in China, which was spreading alarmingly, was a matter of grave concern for many; it might well spread to other parts of Asia and sow the seeds of economic disruption and political disintegration. If the significance of that phenomenon were generally understood, it would be easier jointly to achieve protection against the increasing danger. 21. In the economic field also, extremely serious problems, mostly resulting from the wary still awaited solution. That fact had been demonstrated by the monetary measures which had been adopted during the previous few days.”
1949-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 4 (1949)
“Stikker said that his Government had learned with great satisfaction of the termination of. strife in Israel, but that that satisfaction was somewhat diminished by its concern for the safeguarding of those places in the Holy Land which were symbols of the highest spiritual values. In view of the specific significance of the Holy Places for mankind, the Netherlands Government considered it of the greatest importance that measures should be taken to safeguard them. The Netherlands delegation was of the opinion that it could not be left only to the Governments concerned to devise a way to. safeguard them; that, in its opinion, was a matter for permanent international supervision. The Netherlands delegation therefore hoped that adequate measures for protection and safeguarding would be agreed upon during the current session.”
1949-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 4 (1949)
“He did, however, wish to draw the attention of the Assembly to the vast possibilities and scope of the Netherlands universities and technical schools, which yearly turned out a number of well trained technicians. Many technicians were therefore available for work in countries which could profit by, for instance, their vast knowledge of tropical agriculture. 18. The Netherlands Government wished to make as large a contribution as possible to those programmes, by providing under-developed countries with the opportunity of having their experts trained in. the Netherlands sand by mobilizing Netherlands experts to serve on United Nations missions or to advise other Governments at their request. 19. Turning to the problem of the Holy Places in Palestine, Mr.”
1949-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 4 (1949)