YouSaid · the spoken record

van der Klaauw

lines on the record

65

first

1978-09-24

most recent

1980-09-24

sittings or episodes

2

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un-general-debate

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1. “President, and my colleagues of the Arab countries here in this hall, of our equally close ties of friendship with and respect for the peoples of the Arab world. The relations between the Netherlands and the Arab nations and peoples go back many centuries. We want to maintain and develop those relations and that friendship. 308. The Netherlands eagerly wishes Israel and the Arab nations to live in peace with each other. This will only happen when there is lasting peace between all concerned, including the Palestinian people, and when security is guaranteed to all, Including Israel. The Netherlands is convinced that the participants in the Camp David meetings, to whom Mr. Genscher has already paid the tribute of the members of the Community, were inspired by a sincere desire for such a peace.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

2. “It can contribute to the success of the second Review Conference of-the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, scheduled for 1980.1 urge adequate preparation . and a serious political approach to that conference. 306. The conflict in the Middle East is still the most dangerous problem in the world today. No other conflict so directly affects world peace and security. No other conflict is so complex, so involved in contradictory claims and rights, so overshadowed by mutual fears and suspicions. My German colleague has stated the position of the nine countries members of the European Community and has thus fully reflected the position of my country. 307. The Netherlands has strong ties of friendship with the Jewish people which go back to the early days of our nationhood. Let me assure you, Mr.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

3. “I recognize the right of all countries to develop nuclear energy for economic and social development, but the exercise of this right without restraint might lead to nuclear anarchy. Restraints, however, should be freely accepted. A fair balance is needed between the uncontrolled dissemination of nuclear technology and the necessity for restrictions and safeguards. This is a vital issue. A new consensus on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons among all concerned, nuclear and non-nuclear Powers, exporters and importers of nuclear materials and equipment, is urgently called for. The International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation is one of the instruments to achieve such a consensus.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

4. “In that respect the Final Document is unambiguous; it is, however, regretfully vague where it deals with the subject of horizontal non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. All efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate existing nuclear arsenals would be in vain and world peace would be in jeopardy if such proliferation were to take place. It is a matter of deep concern to the Netherlands Government that an over-all and meaningful consensus in this vital area could not be achieved. 305. In forthcoming discussions and negotiations in the new Disarmament Commission, the General Assembly, IAEA and other forums and in bilateral talks, priority must be given to the issue of non-proliferation.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

5. “Our concern about the lack of progress in this field is real: we are still waiting for agreement to emerge from a new series of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; the discussions on the conclusion of a comprehensive test ban are stalling; the negotiations in Geneva on a convention prohibiting chemical weapons have not yet produced tangible results. We have been assured time and again that progress is being made, yet I say with regret that we have been waiting too long for substantive steps to curb the arms race, and in particular the nuclear arms race. 304. Increased political commitments from all Member States, and especially from the nuclear-weapon States, are essential and urgent if we are to achieve the ultimate goal, which is, in the words of the Final Document, the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

6. “Although some basic problems, in particular the issues of nuclear proliferation and conventional arms control, remained unsolved, the significance of that special session is clear: it created new machinery ensuring a fair balance between deliberation and negotiation. It generated a process of understanding of mutual security concerns. For the first time a comprehensive exchange of views and ideas on disarmament, security and survival has taken place in the General Assembly. The dialogue which began with the tenth special session must continue. « 303. Much remains to be done to make the world a safer place to live in. Nuclear disarmament is of primary and vital importance.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

7. “Detente is not a matter for Governments alone; interdependence in Europe is ultimately a matter for every woman and every man. 301. Interdependence, security and disarmament are closely linked. In the face of the undiminished build-up of conventional and nuclear arms and of the interdependence of the political fate of nations, disarmament is a matter of compelling necessity. But there is also the question of security, and here lies the dilemma in the quest for disarmament. 302. The tenth special session of the General Assembly was a step towards disarmament. My assessment of the session is positive.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

8. “The Belgrade review Conference may have failed to produce significant concrete results, yet the process of detente must go on. The participating countries must continue to strive for a peaceful and durable world order. 300. I consider the Helsinki Final Act to be the comer-stone for a future charter or common constitution for Europe. The Netherlands must insist on the equality and interrelationship of all the elements of the Final Act. In the process of detente and peace, we, as mature nations, must be able to discuss respect for human rights as defined in the Final Act. This is not a return to the cold war. Respect for human rights is an essential element in the process leading towards detente and mutual trust. In an interdependent world, concern for human rights does not stop at national borders.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

9. “It is against that background that I wish to speak about the role of the United Nations system as an instrument for the management of global interdependence and the rights of man. 298. The Netherlands Government will continue to strive for detente in Europe on the basis of interdependence and respect for the dignity of man. I am convinced that interdependence will compel us in Europe to search for areas of common interest, and will eventually create a situation in which, despite ideological differences, mutual trust will prevail. 299. In historical perspective, I consider the Helsinki Final Act to be an instrument of major importance in international co-operation the effects of which will be of lasting significance.”

   1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

10. “But renewed and acute awareness of political and economic interdependence must not distract attention and concern from those who are weak and defenceless, nations as well as people within nations. Awareness of political interdependence must go hand in hand with concern for human rights and basic human needs. Policies of economic co-operation and development based on interdependence must at the same time provide for assistance to the poorest nations, which as yet fall outside the scope of economic interdependence, and for meeting basic human needs. 297. It is in the context of the theme of interdependence and man that I wish to speak about detente, security and disarmament, the Middle East, human rights and international development.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

11. “The world has never before been so conscious of this reality of interdependence both in the political and in the economic sense, but also—and this is new—in the sense of the interdependence of human beings. In matters of peace and security all nations are affected by strife and conflict elsewhere. Every conflict can become a global conflict. East and West, North and South, are increasingly interwoven. In international economic relations and in matters of development the world has come to realize that growth and prosperity in the industrialized countries are no longer possible without growth and prosperity in the third world. Global economic interdependence has created an additional motive for development co-operation. 296.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

12. “For the Netherlands., membership in the European Economic Community and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and co-operation in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] is the corner-stone of our foreign policy. We attach great importance to our relations with the third world, the countries of Eastern Europe and the great nations of the Far East. Ultimately, all nations and alliances are bound by the Charter of the United Nations. 295. My friend and colleague, Mr. Genscher, has addressed this Assembly [8th meeting] on behalf of the countries of the European Community. He has spoken of global interdependence as another and new reality as opposed to the reality of power politics. Indeed, global interdependence might well be the main theme and inspiration of this session of the General Assembly.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

13. “Questions of human rights, disarmament and development are questions of conscience, often hotly debated in broad layers of our society. Nothing is taken for granted; everything, every issue, is scrutinized in a spirit of global solidarity. 293. Netherlands foreign policy is aimed at peace, security, the promotion of human rights and the eradication of poverty and inequality. In carrying out its foreign policy, the Netherlands Government is and will be guided by reliability, and will stand by its given word. 294. Foreign policy is a matter of international solidarity and conscience, but it cannot be divorced from national interest and power. Power, however, must be limited and guided by the human conscience and concern for human rights and individual freedoms. It must be channelled through international agreements and obligations.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

14. “On behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands I welcome the admission of Solomon Islands to the United Nations. 291. Speaking for the first time in my capacity as Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the general debate I am deeply conscious of the continuity and tradition of Netherlands foreign policy through the centuries. Freedom, individual responsibility, tolerance, respect for minorities, and international co-operation have been characteristic of my country and its people. Freedom, prosperity and democracy were not achieved without struggle. Like many of the younger nations of today, we, too, had to go through difficult stages of slow and sometimes painful progress. 292. Foreign policy in the Netherlands is not a matter of Parliament and Government alone; it is a matter of the people in their daily lives.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)

15. “288. At the outset, I wish to reaffirm the faith of the Government and people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the principles and ideals of the United Nations. The political and economic relevance of this Organization in the world situation of today stands beyond doubt. 289. The thirty-third session of the General Assembly must give further strength and impetus to the role of the United Nations in an interdependent world. This session has the good fortune to be working under the able guidance of the Foreign Minister of Colombia, and I would ask you, Sir, to convey to him my warmest congratulations on his unanimous election as President. Much will depend on his wisdom and inspiration; much will also depend on the Secretary-General, whose untiring activities deserve deep appreciation. I wish both of them strength and courage. 290.”

    1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)