YouSaid · the spoken record

ROMULO

lines on the record: 501
first: 1957-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
sittings or episodes: 17
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Many years ago, I proposed in the Assembly that policy statements should be limited to 20 to 25 minutes. I have attempted and will attempt today to do that. The full text of my speech will be distributed to members of the Assembly. I have an abridged version which I will deliver, and the. reading time—I ask members to look at their watches will not exceed 20 minutes. I hope that this will be emulated by subsequent speakers. We waste too much time in long speeches, when I believe that the full texts can be distributed to the members, who can read them at their leisure in their rooms or apartments. 3. My delegation is pleased to join our colleagues in congratulating you, Mr. President, and the country which you so ably represent, and in paying a tribute to your wealth of experience and proved diplomatic skill.”
1981-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 36 (1981)
“Amidst the crosscurrents of the numerous conflicts which sorely beset the world, the secretary General remains above the battle. Yet it is his unseen hand that unselfishly guides us in defining problems and in this way assists in the search for solutions. He is a realist; he knows that there are no instant solutions. Yet he remains an idealist; he knows that the true foundation for peace is the development of a sense of human community. 216. In the effort to reconcile those two elements, he has kept the United Nations together. Indeed, he has done more. Misunderstood and sometimes reviled by the press, the world Organization has gained in strength and effectiveness under Mr. Waldheim. No one can do more; no one can be expected to do more. In this lies his real achievement.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Until they have had that opportunity, which is only possible if the United Nations resolution on Kampuchea is strictly implemented, we must stand fast on the principle which is vitally involved in this matter. That is the principle of the inviolability of the sovereignty of States, of their territorial integrity and their right of self-determination. 214. My delegation wishes to close this brief statement with a tribute to the secretary General. The United Nations is our common creation; it is what we want it to be. But the presiding genius who keeps his finger continuously on the pulse of the world situation is the secretary General. It is he who perseveres in mediating between the need to keep the principles of the Charter inviolate and the elements of instability inherent in a changing world. 215.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Until the parties concerned evince respect for the collective will of the community of nations, we have no choice but to continue to uphold the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of the legitimate regime, which have been violated by external force. 212. Let there be no mistake about our motives. We hold no brief for any particular regime, personality, or ideology in this matter. We are one with those who stand back in revulsion at the horrors perpetrated by the Pol Pot regime. But we also believe that we have no right, under present international law, to prescribe what regime should preside over the affairs of the Kampuchean people. That is for them to decide for themselves, freely and without external interference. They have not had that opportunity, which is their right. 213.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“More than two thirds of the Members of the United Nations are seated here today because we claimed for ourselves the right of self-determination. We owe it more than lip service; we owe it our most profound respect. For it is this sacred principle which gave birth to us as nations and as independent peoples. 211. Last year we rejected the credentials of the Heng Samrin regime. Let us do so again this year. I urge all those to whom the Charter is not a mere scrap of paper but the holy writ of our Organization to reject decisively the pretensions of the usurper of Phnom Penh. Nothing has happened since this time last year, when we rejected their credentials, to make their claim more valid than it is now. The resolution which this Assembly adopted last year to resolve this issue continues to be ignored.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Today, Viet Nam will once again make an effort to unseat the legitimate Government of Kampuchea from the United Nations and install in its place the alleged Government of Heng Samrin. But the Heng Samrin regime is not at Phnom Penh by divine right, nor is it there by political right. It sits in the Kampuchean capital by the grace of the weapons of its master and protector, without whom it is helpless and with whom it wields not an iota of power of its own. If we accept the Heng Samrin regime, then we reward the fruits of aggression. If we accept the Heng Samrin regime, then we legitimize and indeed invite interference in our own internal affairs. If we accept the Heng Samrin regime, then we tolerate the violation of the principle of self-determination. 210.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The urgent need for a political solution in Kampuchea is underlined by the act of aggression perpetrated by Viet Nam against Thailand on the very eve of the thirteenth ASEAN ministerial meeting at Kuala Lumpur on 25 and 26 June. By that single act Viet Nam betrayed the true extent of its ambitions and its total lack of respect for world opinion. We stand by our beleaguered colleague Thailand, and shall continue to give it our full political and moral support. 208. The grave situation in Kampuchea should not be allowed to deteriorate further. For this reason, the Philippines and its ASEAN partners urge the Assembly to consider on an urgent basis the convening of an international conference on the problem of Kampuchea. 209.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Nor can we condone the violation of the right of peoples to determine for themselves the kind of government they want. In both cases, our expressed preference is for political solutions. No other course is acceptable. The longer the conflicts last, the greater the danger of involvement by other Powers, thus enlarging the threat to world peace and stability. 206. In concert with our fellow members in ASEAN, we have consistently held the view that the elements of a political solution to the Kampuchean question are contained in General Assembly resolution 34/22 on the subject, namely, the withdrawal of Vietnamese armed forces and the establishment of a neutral and nonaligned Kampuchea. 207.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“We call upon Israel, recognizing its deep devotion to its own historical past, to recognize in other peoples the same measure of devotion to their own past, which continues to the living present. We call upon Israel to return to the processes of negotiation and heed the repeated injunctions of the Security Council. 205. On Asia, my delegation wishes to express its deepest concern over the continued conflict in Afghanistan and in Kampuchea. Both arise from the same root cause: they constitute open and flagrant violations of the principle of non-interference and non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. In neither case can we condone this act of transgression against one of the most cherished principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“In the case of Jerusalem, the unilateral act of annexation by Israel is unduly provocative and has rightly earned the censure of the Security Council by its resolution 478 (1980). In the long history of Arab Israeli conflict, the city of holy shrines has always been a bone of impassioned contention. The reasons are not far to seek. It is not a question of territorial aggrandizement; nor is it a narrow legal question. It is a question with heavy moral overtones just as important to more than half of mankind as they are to Israel. The city is encrusted with layer upon layer of sacred lore to which so many in nearly every corner of the world owe their deepest allegiance. 204. If any city is international in character, it is certainly Jerusalem. My delegation supports, just as it has in the past, the internationalization of the city.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The Special Committee's work on the question of the peaceful settlement of disputes was particularly encouraging in its consideration of the draft Manila declaration on the peaceful settlement of international disputes. My delegation expresses the hope that an early agreement on the declaration will be reached, It is not an easy task to develop an equilibrium between continuity and change, and we must appreciate the importance of the Committee's efforts in carrying out its responsibilities. The Special Committee has reached a significant stage of its work and it deserves our encouragement and full support. 202. I turn now to specific issues. 203. On the question of Palestine, my delegation reiterates its support for the right of self-determination of the Palestinian peoples.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“My delegation echoes the thought of secretary General Waldheim when he described the Third Conference as a "major achievement" which provides incontrovertible proof that, where the political will exists, issues of a potentially confrontational character can be resolved peacefully and amicably. 201. The results of the 1980 session of the Special Committee on the Charter and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, held at Manila in February this year, demonstrated a determination among Member States of the United Nations to achieve a better congruence between the United Nations system and the realities of the modern world.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“After seven years of arduous negotiations, with a significantly successful session at Geneva last summer, the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea is close to the completion of a universal convention establishing a new regime for the seas and their resources, based on the principle of the "common heritage of mankind" conceived by the United Nations. The Third Conference successfully hurdled the difficult issue of the exploitation of the seabed, and only a few more related issues remain to be discussed at the next session. We strongly hope that the new convention will be signed next year and thus usher in a new regime of international law.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“As these crises grow, there remains the possibility that the debt explosion will reach unmanageable proportions, introducing instabilities which are bound to affect the developed countries as well. The spiral of uncertainty will turn relations between the developed and developing countries into mutually reinforcing difficulties; the problems of the South will become part and parcel of the problems of the North, just as today the problems of the North have become the problems of the South. The solutions to the problem, while admittedly not easy, are common tasks which require speedy implementation if we are to avert the dread possibility of disaster, not just for the South but also for the North. 200.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“The eleventh special session of the General Assembly, devoted to economic development, ended on a less than hopeful note. We view the results with extreme regret, for this surely is a problem which affects all countries, large and small. What we need is a crash programme of cooperation on some of the most pressing problems of our time. The painful prospect which faces all of us is that, under the best of circumstances, the growth rate of all countries will decrease in the coming decade in varying degrees. Renewed recession is predictable, and inflation continues to resist solution. 199. It requires little thought to remind us that the crushing burden will be borne mainly by the developing countries which, again in varying degrees, will have to cope with two of the great crises of our time, shortages in energy and food.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“There is no direct correspondence between arms control and detente; each is supportive of the other. Detente does lead to the development of trust and helps to improve the climate for the peaceful solution of problems. We wish to emphasize, however, that faithful observance of the tacit rules of detente is the first and indispensable requirement for its success. On that basis we would favour the resurrection of the experiment of learning to live together in relative peace. 197. Another requirement, equally indispensable, is that detente should apply on a universal scale. A detente which reduces tensions in one area of the world while creating or exploiting destabilization in other areas, particularly in weaker and more vulnerable countries in the third world, negates the very purposes of detente. Like peace, detente is indivisible. 198.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“If we fail to heed this fear, then we may be—if we are not already in the midst of it—on the verge of a new and vastly more dangerous arms race on a blind course to global annihilation. 195. We are victim of our own folly. Man's genius, which has led him to attempt the conquest of space, is applied with equal fervour to self-immolation. The ever-increasing sophistication of high technology appears to dictate our policies rather than, as it should be, the other way around. Unless we can reverse this futile trend, we shall be creating our own doom. For this reason we look forward to the projected exchange of views between the superpowers with the prayerful hope that they can begin to chart new courses of action to avert the seemingly irresistible tide towards our common destruction. 196.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“And finally there is our inability to provide solutions to brush fires, with their dangerous potential for igniting wars of worldwide proportions. 193. The history of man's efforts to disarm is a long and troubled one. The same history teaches us that when such efforts fail they inevitably lead to open and tragic conflict. But today's problem is of a different order. Never before have arms been developed in such quantity and with such destructive capability. Regardless of the ingenious and clever scenarios for surviving a nuclear holocaust, no one can dare to assert categorically that civilization itself would survive. No doubt our planet would still be here, but it would be there floating aimlessly in space like a dead star. 194. Fear is a poor counsellor, but it is just as often a natural alarm system.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Harsh facts confront us today, yet the irony is that in a hall intended precisely to harmonize diverse interests the atmosphere of uncertainty envelopes all of us, like a thick fog in which we are unable to find our bearings. 192. In the past year, several important questions have continued to be at the forefront of our most serious concerns. The first is the impasse on the issue of arms control, most notably in the limitation of nuclear weapons; in the failure to make progress on the mutual balanced reduction of forces; and in the additional complications on the question for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The second is the marked lack of momentum in getting the Third United Nations Development Decade under way.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Vincent and the Grenadines to the world Organization and look forward to their constructive contributions. 190. In nature, nothing is more constant than the cycle of the seasons. In human affairs, the tides would seem to follow the same cyclical pattern. The brief springtime of detente is over and we face the bleak prospect of another freezing winter of a cold war far more terrifying in its implications for the future of mankind than any that has preceded it in the post-war world. 191. My delegation speaks before this Assembly without discouragement but with considerable apprehension. We live today in a continuum in which not one but several cold wars intersect, creating a labyrinth from which we are seemingly unable to extricate ourselves.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“For years my delegation has pleaded for the removal of all references to "enemy States" from the Charter of the United Nations. However noble the Charter is—and no one disputes this—it is not without its flaws, and this is surely one of the most glaring. Today we are doubly happy. In an indirect way we feel vindicated in our quest, and we are certain that our new President will reflect those qualities which have made his nation one of the strongest pillars of the house of peace which we are all trying to build. 188. In this endeavour the outgoing President of the General Assembly, Mr. Salim, has made important contributions which we deeply acknowledge. To him we extend our sincere congratulations. 189. We welcome the admission of Zimbabwe and St.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“My delegation joins our colleagues in congratulating you, Sir, on your unanimous election as President of the thirty-fifth session of the General Assembly. Your election is a tribute to your sterling personal qualities and an honour to your great country, whose role in the international community has been marked by vision, imagination and dynamism dedicated to the cause of peace in a difficult passage in the history of our time. 186. In its wise choice of Mr. von Wechmar, the United Nations has come full circle. A distinguished citizen of an "enemy State" has been elected to guide the deliberations of the Organization at a time when our overriding need is to moderate conflicts and shape the contours of reality in conformity with our desire for peace. 187. There is a trace of irony in this situation.”
1980-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 35 (1980)
“Above all we are impressed with his determination to make the United Nations a better and more effective instrument to achieve the collective goals of mankind and to arouse worldwide the proper attitudes and responses to it that are so essential to its continued usefulness to all of us, for we believe that the United Nations stands alone as an institution available to mankind to reconcile national and global interests, and without such an institution, we are all in peril. 91. Because we are facing perilous times, the Secretary-General holds an office unique in the annals of mankind, for never has one office had the influence and the responsibility to mould human affairs on such a global scale and to convert the potential contained in the coming together of mankind into a force that solves rather than palliates human problems.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“He has outlined specific problems of instability, poverty and economic weakness in various regions and we are gratified by the prominent place he gives to the New International Economic Order, UNCTAD, the North-South dialogue, the Indo-China situation, the refugees, the law of the sea and the energy problem and their impact on and relevance to the developing countries of the world. We applaud his unflagging concern for human rights.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I must commend the Secretary-General for his report, a report which must be read by all members of this Assembly if they are to be loyal to their trust, a masterful document which I feel deserves to be read by all the peoples of the world, so that every man, woman and child whose lives are affected by public events can share the spirit that animates our United Nations. 90. All of us are indebted to the Secretary-General for presenting an excellent summary of what should concern all of us.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“In the name of my country we salute the Secretary-General for his report on the work of the Organization, a report which clearly demonstrates the breadth and scope of his insights into what ails the human community today and—despite the commanding heights from which he views the human condition— for his grasp of the problems on the ground, among them the multifarious concerns of running an Organization that now includes 152 nations, a host of special instruments and even armies in the field.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I cannot close this statement without paying a tribute to the unceasing and unfaltering efforts of the Secretary-General to uphold the validity of the United Nations ideal in the face of growing odds, to increase its potency and improve its efficiency in solving the world's problems, and in bringing these efforts to bear on the flashpoints that threaten everywhere the flowering of what he calls "a global civilization and order unprecedentedly wide in its scope and diversity". 89.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The rampant country-wide famine in Kampuchea; the possibility of the revival of conflict in that country with the end of the monsoon season; the threat of another massive tide of refugees as a result of both war and famine—these are problems which we cannot dismiss lightly and whose consequences, unless we act in time, can be far more terrible than we dare to imagine. 88.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Although we cannot be more than a country of first asylum, although we cannot risk our development at the present stage by assuming the burden of refugees, President Marcos made these two offers in the ASEAN spirit of assisting another at a time of great need. We made the offers because we feel strongly that the spirit of humanitarianism should prevail, and because we wished specially to recognize the fact that the right of survival is the most basic of human rights. 87. We await the Secretary-General's report on the refugee question this session with particular anxiety because a second generation of problems may soon be upon us.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“At that Meeting President Marcos of the Philippines offered to house 50,000 of those refugees who had already been accepted for resettlement. In addition to a similar offer also made by him and subject to similar conditions—namely, that they will be funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other interested parties, and that we shall not be saddled with residuals—the Philippines will be in a position to provide temporary shelter to a total of 60,000 Indo- Chinese refugees. 86. In the East we say that what affects my brother affects me equally, that indeed we are our brothers keeper.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Believing in a better life elsewhere they risk life itself by setting out in unseaworthy boats for destinations they know hardly anything about. The estimates of the numbers of those who did not make it run into the hundreds of thousands and this must horrify all of us. Just as in the case of mass involuntary movements elsewhere in the world, how long can mankind live with such instances of man's inhumanity to man? 84. But the suffering of the refugees is only half of the story. There is the other side of the picture—the misery and the serious social, economic and political repercussions on the countries of first asylum, the majority of which belong to ASEAN. 85. This was why all the ASEAN countries responded speedily and gratefully to the Secretary-General's call for an international conference in Geneva earlier this year.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“This statement became the substance of a draft resolution introduced in the Security Council by friends in the non-aligned group of nations, though defeated by veto, the draft resolution was supported by all but two members of the Council. The statement was reaffirmed by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN at their subsequent meeting in Bali. 82. The second development is the unceasing flow of refugees from the Indo-Chinese countries. By land and sea, men, women and children fled Indo-China in countless droves: many to their death, most to a life of uncertainty and deprivation, to a temporary though safe haven in makeshift camps in countries barely able to support them. 83. No event in recent memory has so stirred—as it still does—the conscience of the world as the plight of these refugees. Among them are the boat people.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The tracing of cause and effect is never a complete process in human affairs, but that such a rivalry did play an important part in or behind these events seems to be an inescapable conclusion. 81. Two equally disturbing developments began this year. The first was the armed intervention in Kampuchea. Profoundly disturbed by this break-down of peace in South-East Asia, ASEAN immediately issued a joint statement in Bangkok expressing its serious concern at the armed intervention in the internal affairs of another country and affirming the right of the people of Kampuchea to determine for themselves the form of government which they desired.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Indeed, the realignments have been more painful and more fateful than anyone expected. 80. The stark underlying fact of life in South-East Asia today, with dire implications for us and most assuredly the rest of the world, is the build-up of the rivalry among the great Powers, but particularly the Sino-Soviet rivalry. It has of late reintroduced tensions fully as dangerous in their consequences as any that have ever existed in the region. We simply seek to state a fact and trace its consequences, not to impute any motives. The Philippines is and will remain a friend to all parties involved. Neither do we say that the events that we speak of are wholly to be ascribed to this rivalry.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“I can say with pardonable pride for my own country and without undue presumption also for our ASEAN partners—Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand—that we have advanced far towards our goals. Equally important, our individual progress has benefited from the collective effort; the past year particularly has seen the growth of a tangible unity among us and an increasingly common stand in our relations with the rest of the world. 79. The context of our common efforts in the region has, unfortunately, taken a turn for the worse. We never did entertain any illusions that the onset of a balance of power in Asia, as well as in South-East Asia, would be tranquil or swift. It was bound to take time, because readjustments in relationships in the wake of the second Indo-Chinese war were likely to be a long and complex process.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“For the last several years, the greatest single concern of my country and our partners in the Association of South-East Asian Nations has been to encourage a balance among the Powers in the region, as well as among external Powers with interests in the area. There are two fundamental reasons behind this effort. First, we wished to avoid a situation in which rivalry among the Powers with ambitions for undue predominance in the region would involve our countries in such an ambition or embroil us in other people's wars. And, secondly, we wished to improve the climate within which our countries— generously described as the area with the greatest potential for development—could attain our ambitions of economic development and political and social cohesiveness. 78.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“During the year, the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization continued its work towards fulfilment of its mandate to list proposals for the improvement of the United Nations, identifying those which awaken special interest for later action by the General Assembly or other appropriate bodies. The potential usefulness of that Committee is high, and its value can be very great, depending upon the interest of the Members and their seriousness in implementing steps to improve our world Organization. 77. I now wish to invite your attention to our own corner of the world.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The data of 1978 tell us that nearly 2.5 billion people — the population of 74 countries, or 60 per cent of the world's population — are classified as poor. Only 32 countries with a total population of only 645 million-—or 16 per cent of the world's total — are considered rich and have per capita incomes ranging from $US 5,000 to $US 15,000. For the peoples of the poorest 20 countries with about 6 percent of the world's population, or 260 million people it is a question of bare survival, as they are subsisting on per capita incomes averaging 5 per cent or less of those of the rich countries. Yet there is so much wealth in the world, wealth so heavily concentrated in a minority of rich countries, that grinding poverty and hunger need not stalk so many lands. Indeed, this is the irony—and tragedy—of our times, 76.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“It will continue to be so until the universally accepted principle of rule by the consent of the majority is accepted in precept and in practice and until the evil of rampant racism is removed from its midst. The problem of South Africa appears obdurately resistant to solution, and a parallel situation is found in Namibia. South Africa remains beyond the pale, a moral outcast from the community of nations and from peoples everywhere, who hold fast to the norms of human decency and respect for the dignity of the human person. 75. We are at a crucial juncture in our march to economic and social progress. Since the founding of the United Nations, never has there been such disparity in the living standards of peoples and in the wealth of nations.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We maintain the view that, unless the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people is upheld, the chances for durable and comprehensive answers to one of the most puzzling riddles of our time will be diminished. 73. A great statesman once said that compromise does not necessarily mean a concession. If a memorable dictum was ever out of place, that surely is the case in relation to the Middle East. In our view, the needed compromise has been set by the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and they remain the guidelines for solving once and for all a problem which, unless solved, will continue to bear grave implications for the peace of the entire world. 74. Africa south of the Sahara is still to be a storm- centre of unrest.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The life of a single human being has a value far above the mightiest arsenal in the world. But we think so little of humanity that we persist in the mindless pursuit of our destruction. 71. We welcome the signing of the agreement reached at the conclusion of the second round of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in full expectation that it will lead to a reduction of current world tensions. We hope further that this measure will be followed by a succession of other agreements, including a complete ban on the testing of nuclear weapons. 72. In the Middle East, much has been accomplished to pave the way to a solution of this generations-old problem. Yet the fabric of peace in that troubled land continues to be fragile.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“We invite the superpowers to assist in this search. 70. In connexion with the items in this year's agenda, we note with necessary caution the progress achieved in the corollary disarmament studies that are at present under way as a result of the mandate of the tenth special session, held on disarmament. On the question of disarmament itself, we view with continuing regret the profound inability of the human community to come to grips with what is at the heart of the problem. Even on the question of arms control, there has been no progress and, indeed, very little constructive discussion. While recognizing the difficulties of a practical and technical character in arms control agreements, we should always keep in view the unassailable fact that the larger interests of mankind, particularly its survival, outweigh all other considerations.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“The encouraging trends which we noted last year are still there, but along with them are the unwelcome. If we were to portray the world today, the following would stand out: first, the revival of wars by proxy as an alternative to direct confrontation; secondly, and as a corollary to the first, the exploitation of the instabilities in many third-world countries; thirdly, the pursuit of national interests at the expense of weaker States; fourthly, the growing alarm at the possible fragmentation of the world into political and economic spheres of influence. 69. As our discussions in this Assembly proceed, we cannot ignore these trends which, unless arrested, will certainly pose new threats to world peace and stability. The great Powers in particular bear a heavy share of the responsibility for their solution.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Last year in this Assembly, there was general agreement on the complex nature of the present world. Three things stood out. The first was a scrupulous avoidance of direct confrontation among the great Powers. The second was the diminution of ideology and a renewal of emphasis on national interests. The third was a shift from military competition to economic competition. 67. All these were, as we saw them, hopeful signs of a better and more peaceful world to come. Some began to think it possible for mankind someday to be free from the ever present threat of war. We chose to read in these signs the beginning of an age when all mankind would be guaranteed its basic needs. 68. But gifts are not always all good. The bitter comes with the sweet; thorns hide among the most fragrant flowers.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“More than 2,000 years ago, the greatest of Greek historians, Thucydides, provided mankind with some of the deepest insights ever given into the nature of the human condition and of relations among men. In this effort he has not been surpassed; the lessons of the Peloponnesian wars are as relevant to our times as they were to his troubled era. The causes of human conflict, he said, are rooted in the motives of fallible man. But the management of conflict depends on the faint spark of wisdom which, as a gift of the gods, inheres in the very frailty of mankind. 65. It is not inappropriate to recall this thought at this time, for while the correspondence between the world of ancient Greece and ours is not exact, Thucydides provides us with an ancient guideline to the management of modern conflicts in our complex era. 66.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Mr. President, it is with a deep sense of satisfaction that I add my voice to the swelling chorus of congratulations to you on your election as President. With your election the world affirms the validity of the United Nations as the parliament of man, where every nation, weak or strong, rich or poor, stands equal before all the rest. With your election the world honours Africa, which has long been and still is, a symbol of the continuing struggle against racism. You have long stood on the ramparts of that struggle. The Philippines, I am proud to say, has stood and will continue to stand side by side with you in fighting for this noble cause. We wish you every success. 64.”
1979-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 34 (1979)
“Secretary-General, we are beholden to you, and you have our profound gratitude.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“It logs what we have done and where we have been as clearly and crisply as it charts the course we are on and the various directions we may opt for. I wish to single out his statesmanlike reference to spheres of influence, and particularly his wise counsel that we should not expect instant and total solutions to our problems, or dramatic results from all our plans and programmes, I agree with him that it is cause enough for thanks and rejoicing that we constantly move forward and make progress-substantial if possible, modest if that is all that is possible-towards our goals and ideals. The important thing is that we never give up trying, working and striving to construct the best of all possible worlds and bring about the best of all possible times for all mankind. Mr.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“The Philippines happily associates itself with the remarks of welcome that have been addressed to Solomon Islands on the occasion of its accession to membership in the United Nations. It was our privilege to be one of the sponsors of its membership, and this adds a special sense of satisfaction to the fond welcome that we extend to our newest nation-colleague and co-worker in the unceasing effort to build a better and happier world. 34. May 1 also be allowed to say that the Assembly once again finds itself hugely in debt to Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim for the substantive report that he has written for our thirty-third session [A/33/1]. This report is a model of conciseness, clarity, perceptiveness and realism, leavened with hope, faith and confidence.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)
“Thus, Sir, in offering you my congratulations and those of the Philippine delegation on the occasion of your election to the presidency of this session, I also congratulate the Assembly on its good fortune in having you at the helm. 32. Inasmuch as the work of the United Nations is a saga of continuity, I believe 1 express the general sentiment when I say that we approach our new tasks with confidence and buoyant spirits because of what we accomplished last year under the able leadership of our past President, Mr. Lazar Mojsov, who guided us through unprecedented multiple sessions with great skill, serenity and goodwill, and the momentum generated under his stewardship will prove useful to all of us at this session. 33.”
1978-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 33 (1978)