YouSaid · the spoken record

Olechowski

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS OLECHOWSKI

lines on the record: 53
first: 1988-09-24
most recent: 1994-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“A political decision by the General Assembly on this matter could be taken at this session. While, of course, other modalities may be considered, the Assembly could, for instance, request the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations to submit to it at its fiftieth session a proposal for an appropriate legal solution that would not amount to a substantive revision of the Charter. Let me express the hope that this initiative will meet with the unanimous support of the Member States.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Indeed, the States covered by this so-called "enemy clause" have become not only an inseparable part of the democratic world but also a crucial element of the United Nations system. It is impossible to imagine how the Organization and its system could function without their political, economic and financial commitment. Poland, the victim of the Nazi aggression that started the Second World War, considers it its moral duty to take a lead in closing this chapter of history for all time. We believe that the time has come to part with transitional clauses born of the war, concerning States which were 26 then, 50 years ago, enemies, but which have now become partners in our common work for the United Nations. I formally propose the removal from the Charter of the United Nations of the clauses referring to "enemy States".”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Poland is actively involved in the work of the Preparatory Commission for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and its ratification procedure is well advanced. In conclusion, I would say this: more power to the regions; more authority to the Security Council; more initiative and involvement on the part of medium-sized countries. These are, in our view, the cornerstones and objectives of the reform of the United Nations. Allow me now to address an issue to which Poland and a number of other countries attach particular importance. I am referring to the provisions of Article 107 and to parts of Article 53 of the Charter of the United Nations. I doubt that there is any delegation here that would not agree that they have become obsolete - a dead letter. For almost 50 years these provisions have not been officially invoked.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We welcome the recent accessions to the NPT, especially by some of our newly independent neighbours. We fervently hope that Ukraine will soon follow suit. In this connection, I wish to recall that Poland firmly supports the unconditional and indefinite extension of the NPT. The forthcoming Conference to review the operation of the NPT and to decide on its extension should strengthen the regime. It will benefit the entire international community. Coming as an aftermath to both Hiroshima and Chernobyl, it would be the most fitting step to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the nuclear age. With the signing of the chemical weapons Convention, there is a prospect of finally eliminating another category of weapons of mass destruction.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We warmly welcome the renewed interest and initiative on nuclear disarmament submitted yesterday to this Assembly by President Clinton and President Yeltsin. We believe that further reinforcement of the non-proliferation regime is imperative. We are alarmed by recent reports of illicit trafficking in nuclear materials across frontiers. This is a threat to international security and also a danger to innocent bystanders exposed to radiation. It also casts doubts on the efficiency and sufficiency of existing legal provisions and procedures. A thorough review of such provisions and procedures seems timely. The overriding national security interests of States would be served in particular by the universalization of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Post-cold-war cooperation between erstwhile adversaries has resulted in important nuclear disarmament accords. Poland is playing an active part in the ongoing multilateral negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva for a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty. Internationally verifiable, universally adhered to and effective, such a treaty would put in place yet another barrier to the spread of nuclear arms, which is in the vital security interests of each and every member of the family of nations. These interests would also be served by a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other explosive devices. The window of opportunity is wide open. It must not be ignored.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Poland shares the view that: first, all United Nations activities in the four fields - preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping, peacemaking and post-conflict peace-building - must be fully mandated and better planned, organized and financed; secondly, regional organizations should make a more significant contribution in the areas of preventive diplomacy and peace-keeping, but one fully consistent with the United Nations Charter; and, thirdly, a specific mandate is to be sought when peace-keeping troops need to use force beyond the requirements of self-defence. Disarmament is yet another dimension of a global effort to strengthen international peace and security. Mankind is no longer held hostage to nuclear confrontation; the nuclear arms race has been halted and, it is hoped, reversed.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The Council’s decisions involving peace-keeping and peace-enforcement measures, from sanctions to recourse to force, give rise to various risks and sacrifices by third countries. They include potential risk to the lives and health of the troops and financial losses for which so far, despite the provisions of Article 50, there is no adequate compensation. 25 The security of the peace-keepers is of the utmost importance. Work undertaken on a convention on the safety of United Nations peace-keeping personnel should be completed at the earliest date. There is also a need for active dialogue between members of the Security Council, the Secretary-General and troop-contributing States. Such dialogue should be a standard practice in the case of decisions which may affect the security of these troops.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“For this reason, Poland consistently makes an effort to respond to the Council’s calls for action, be it in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda or, most recently, Haiti. Poland shares the view that the increase in the membership of the United Nations justifies the enlargement of the Council. There are different suggestions and ideas as to how this might best be done. The principal criterion continues, for us, to be preservation of the effectiveness of the Council. Enlargement should be accomplished on a consensus basis and as a package. The interests of all United Nations regional groups need to be respected in the process. A seat on the Council, permanent or not, cannot be considered a matter of prestige. Indeed, it implies increased responsibility and the ability to discharge it.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We are trying today to improve its operations. Let me here draw attention to two specific issues. First, the fundamental task for the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security. The role of the Security Council has been in recent years broadened by more frequent recourse to action under Chapter VII of the Charter. On the one hand, that allows for a fresh look at the security role of the United Nations, particularly in the context of countries which do not enjoy sound security guarantees. On the other hand, one cannot remain indifferent to the Council’s decisions in cases where sovereignty, democracy and human rights are violated, or access to humanitarian assistance is hindered.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“States such as Poland can play a stabilizing role and exert an important beneficial influence on developments in their immediate and more distant neighbourhood, and tangibly contribute to global stability and security. In particular, they can be expected to become nuclei of regional integration as they should not be suspected of seeking to dominate or to impose their will on others. To act locally - that is, regionally - is practical and effective. Medium-sized countries in consensus with smaller States can, indeed, make a difference. However, we should not allow a loose constellation of separate villages to emerge. We need a global, united village. Therefore, we need a framework for subregional, regional and interregional cooperation and discipline to ensure coherence. This is of course the raison d’être of the United Nations.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“We support the CSCE as a regional arrangement within Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. Poland is a time-tested participant in United Nations peace-keeping operations. Over 2,000 of our troops are there to uphold the ideas in the Charter, whenever called to duty by the Security Council. Poland, finally, is also active in other areas of international cooperation: in the economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields as well as in the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms as stipulated by Article 13 of the Charter. Medium- and small-sized States are potentially a great asset of the United Nations; it has not so far been sufficiently recognized, let alone utilized.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“It was also in this context that Poland entered into the association agreement with the European Union, and it is in this context that Poland is actively preparing for membership. It is our strong desire to take part in the process of integrating Europe so that it becomes more secure, cooperative and hospitable; and to participate in an effort to overcome the irrationalities of history - rivalry, imperial divisions and nationalistic stereotypes. Fourthly, Poland is a strong believer and a dedicated participant in interregional and global actions. We are in the forefront in promoting cooperation within the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). The CSCE is not only the symbol of the necessary bonds of security but also a forum for practical cooperation across three continents.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“24 Thirdly, we are impatiently and insistently striving to become members of institutions whose membership has been determined by the logic of the divided world. We all agree they must not remain exclusive. It is "one Europe, one world" that lies behind Poland’s efforts to join the European Union, the Western European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It was in this context that Poland responded with determination and confidence to the Partnership for Peace programme. By virtue of its history, size and vital interests, Poland wants to enter NATO not as a front-line State but, rather, as a country furthering cooperation. We do not want to create new divisions. On the contrary, we are striving to overcome the remnants of the past divisions which are still with us.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The treaties constitute a solid block of durable rules based on international law, in a region of major importance for the security of the continent and the world at large. Secondly, we are active in developing regional cooperation. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland have formed a non-binding structure known as the Visegrad group. It is not an organization; it has no permanent bodies, not even a secretariat - a true rarity for any international venture. The group did, however, manage to work out a Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). Poland is also a partner in the Central European Initiative and the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Furthermore, we have recently reached out to our eastern neighbours with a number of proposals to enhance regional links.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Let me set forth briefly the way in which Poland, a medium-sized country, perceives its role and duty - I stress duty - as a partner in the international effort to bring about global cooperation, to build a united world. First, we develop friendly relations with neighbours. The best testimony in this regard is found in the treaties we have concluded with all our seven neighbours. We regard those treaties as a great common accomplishment by Poles, Belarusians, Czechs, Germans, Lithuanians, Russians, Slovaks and Ukrainians. It was not always easy to reach an agreement: hard diplomatic work, imagination and willingness to compromise were required, to say the least. But the result was very much worth the effort.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The international scene, both political and economic, has become pluralist, with medium-sized and small countries emerging as increasingly important actors. Previously, the role of these countries was, at best, that of a go-between or observer, rather than an active participant. Now they are becoming partners in the multi-country discourse. Multilateralism is becoming more important than ever. Multilateral arrangements in various domains provide both insurance of equal treatment and an opportunity to take part, to contribute. Multilateralism increases the freedom of action of individual States and the degree of their responsibility.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“The old bipolar, confrontational world has gone. We are not divided anymore. But we are not united either. In fact, many problems, dormant or concealed until now, have surfaced with startling force: ethnic conflicts, nationalisms, religious intolerance. The "cold war" may very well be replaced by a "cold peace" or, even worse, by "hot chaos". Global cooperation will not come by itself. The United Nations is best placed to lead its Members in an effort to achieve it. However, are the nations ready for it? Is the United Nations properly equipped to cope with the task? The question that should be asked first is not what the United Nations could do for us, but what we - the Member States - should do to unite the nations. A contest between the two super-Powers no longer dictates the course of history.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“A series of "velvet revolutions" in Central Europe, the dissolution of the USSR and remarkable events in South Africa and the Middle East have shaken the entire post-war geopolitical pattern of "negative stability" - frozen enmity. As expected, the end of the East-West confrontation and the disappearance of competing blocs has proved beneficial to international relations. The planet has become a safer place. Yet the euphoria is fading, giving way to a sober evaluation of events. Indeed, have all the "Berlin Walls" or "Iron Curtains" been dismantled - especially economic barriers that separate countries on a global or regional scale? Is the "peace dividend" actually being paid? Has the North-South development gap ceased to widen and to undermine the newly acquired, still fragile global stability?”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Let me express my great pleasure at seeing Mr. Amara Essy presiding over our deliberations. I am confident that, given his experience and skills, this session will contribute to the further enhancement of the role of the United Nations. Let me also thank the Secretary-General for the thoughtful and thorough review of the world situation, given in his annual report - this in addition, of course, to our thanks for his tireless work for the good of the Organization. I would like to follow the point made by our Dutch colleague regarding the increased responsibility of individual Member States for the success of this institution, let me say that the end of the cold war has been a source of and a sound reason for satisfaction throughout the entire world community.”
1994-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 49 (1994)
“Poland is deeply convinced that a strong United Nations, faithful to its Charter, promoting the spirit of multilateral co-operation and successfully overcoming partisan interests, stands a very good chance of meeting the challenges of the day and the expectations of nations. We are fully prepared to make our contribution to the construction of such an Organization, in the belief that - in the words of the Charter - all nations ought to "live together in peace with one another as good neighbours".”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We have to strive together to enhance the performance of the United Nations and of its principal organs - the Security Council and the General Assembly - as well as to promote the role of the Secretary-General, including in the settlement of inter-State conflicts through negotiations, good offices, mediation or conciliation. It is indispensable to make use in a more effective manner of the entire United Nations system for the maintenance of peace and the consolidation of the primacy of international law. That is the objective of the initiative submitted by the socialist States, including Poland, to develop a comprehensive system of peace and international security.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Along with other States, Poland attaches considerable significance to the observance of the fortieth anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We intend to take an active part in that important event. It is with considerable satisfaction that we welcome the conclusion of the preliminary phase of the long work on the preparation of a draft convention on the rights of the child. Let us hope that in a year's time, at the next session of the General Assembly, the Member States will adopt the convention to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The problems I have commented upon can be solved provided we succeed in turning our Organization into а genuine centre of co-operation and co-decision exercised by all its Members.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“For mankind, the resolution of the most burning social questions is as critical as the prevention of an arms race or an economic crisis. On Poland's initiative, the General Assembly at the previous session adopted a resolution calling for the examination of the possible proclamation by the United Nations of an International Year of the· Family. Our initiative has met with the support of many States, which have made known their positive views in that regard. The conditions are increasingly favourable to the proclamation by the General Assembly of such an International Year of the Family at the outset of the next decade. There exists a tremendous interest in humanitarian problems, especially those pertaining to human rights.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“As postulated by my delegation, the urgent need to expand international economic co-operation and strengthen constructive bonds and interdependency in the world economy requires that we proceed forthwith to promote confidence in international economic relations. The United Nations system, at both regional and global level, has a considerable role to play in that respect, a fact recognized in the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. The strengthening of confidence in that sphere would promote a new and more just international economic order and the enhancement of international economic security. We must note with satisfaction the marked improvement in the climate of international co-operation within the United Nations system also in respect of social and cultural problems and human rights.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“This is the reason for the need for identification by appropriate international bodies, including those within the United Nations system, of areas of threat, where international aid should be forthcoming with a view to the application of recognized norms of protection of ""the environment. It need not be financial assistance. For instance, implementation of the principle of unrestricted transfer of experience, know-how and technology in the field of the environment, as proposed by Wojciech Jaruzelski at the fortieth anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly, would be of considerable consequence.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“For instance, one can conceive of the establishment and implementation within its framework of a concept of international ecological security - a code of binding principles and norms of conduct of States in the field of protection of the environment. Appropriate proposals in that respect were formulated at the Warsaw meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty in a document entitled "The implications of the arms race for the environment and other aspects of ecological security". However, even the best international legal regulations will prove insufficient unless accompanied by material means for their implementation. Owing to the lack of financial and technical resources, ecology-safe development may well prove for some countries a luxury beyond their possibilities.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The Cracow Debt and Development Research Centre, which co-operates with the relevant United Nations institutions, is now concentrating its attention precisely on such problems. The state of affairs is much the same as far as the protection of the environment is concerned. Poland values highly the United Nations record in this respect, especially the resolutions of the forty-second session of the General Assembly adopted on the basis of the Brundtland report and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendations. None the less, there is a distinct and pressing need for major new, joint undertakings in regard to the protection of the environment. Our Organization should strive to do more than it has so far in that field.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“A practical demonstration of the co-responsibility of creditor and debtor countries, with the appropriate involvement of banks and international financial institutions, in an effort to loosen and untangle the noose of indebtedness becomes absolutely indispensable. The General Assembly already has at its disposal resolutions adopted at its two previous sessions from which it clearly follows that an individual approach to solving sue- problems should be followed as soon as possible by multilateral measures. Such relief action should either precede or constitute a preliminary phase of agreed steps in favour of debtor countries, to stimulate effectiveness and make possible export-oriented restructuring of their economies - undertakings reinforcing the internal efforts of many debtor countries, which often involve acute social sacrifices.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“This applies in the first place to relations between highly developed and developing countries, between creditors and debtors. The tremendous external debt, especially dramatic for the poorest countries but also painful for those at the medium level of development which are highly indebted, undermines the basis for socio-economic development and international exchange of goods and services. The shortage of hard currency to finance imports cripples reforms, restructurization and modernization of industry. National efforts in respect of economic adjustment encounter barriers to the financing of development.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The Declaration has not lost any of its topicality; on the contrary, the putting into effect of its recommendations is becoming an increasingly urgent task. Indeed, attempts to anchor the idea of peace firmly in people's minds make up a logical and indispensable supplement to the material infrastructure of peace. The consolidation of peace and the strengthening of international security, disarmament and the growth of mutual confidence are among the conditions necessary to make possible the solution of many of the pressing problems of the day. Among these are global ecological and demographic threats, as well as those arising from external debt, all of which are growing in a snowball fashion. They defy solution by individual States and co-operation and combined efforts on a global scale ate necessary.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Disarmament must be accompanied by the fostering of an appropriate social awareness and promotion of the involvement of public opinion in order to create a special moral sanction - that of universal condemnation of the use of force in international relations. Only in such a state of awareness can one understand Voltaire's observation that in the world there are only offensive wars, the defensive ones being mere resistance to armed robbery. In a few weeks' time it will be 10 years since the adoption by the General Assembly, on the basis of a Polish initiative, of the Declaration on the Preparation of Societies for Life in Peace, a document whose overriding objective is, first and foremost, to "demilitarize" thinking and ensure that the seeds of the idea of peace fall on the fertile and well-prepared soil of the awareness of all people.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Such a home should provide an ever greater possibility of promoting dialogue and mutually advantageous all-round co-operation, open to the world, in keeping with the process commenced some 13 years ago in Helsinki. This explains the great importance that we attach to the CSCE meeting in Vienna. For our part, we shall spare no effort to bring it to a positive conclusion. Similarly, we consider economic co-operation in the European region most important, a fact borne out by the regional conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held at Cracow last August.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The plan offers a solution that responds positively to the requirement for the consolidation of security in central Europe, yet is not without a universal relevance owing to the distinct possibility of applying the ideas it advances to solutions on a Europe-wide scale and beyond. On behalf of the Government of Poland, I wish to reaffirm our readiness and determination to offer constructive co-operation to all interested Governments for the further development of the plan. We are persuaded that reduction of the level of armed forces and armaments in Europe would be a major factor conducive to the construction of a common European home. Its corner-stone must be due respect for the post-war political and territorial order on our continent.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I once again emphasize from this rostrum that, in view of the convergence of the proposed plan and the content of documents of the Political Consultative Committee adopted at its Warsaw meeting last July, and in the light of the views and comments of other Governments, our conviction has been strengthened that the plan fits perfectly the pattern of European disarmament undertakings, and represents their most timely and concrete manifestation, going a long way towards meeting the expectations of the broadest social strata, as well as those in many official circles.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The various aspects of the implementation of the plan were addressed in detail in a message from Wojciech Jaruzelski to the third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament. They were also dealt with in a statement by the Government of Poland containing an expanded version of the plan.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The first stage of such negotiations should be concentrated on reaching equal and lower collective levels of manpower and conventional armaments for States members of the two alliances, the prevention of surprise attack and the establishment of an effective system of verification of compliance with future treaties, including mandatory on-site inspections. These proposals respect the principle of equal security for all the parties concerned. Poland has always attached great importance to the consolidation of peace and security in Europe and sought to make its own genuine and autonomous contribution to the European disarmament process. The Jaruzelski plan for decreasing armaments and increasing confidence in central Europe is only the latest manifestation of that policy.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Poland and the other States parties to the Warsaw Treaty are prepared to do their utmost to ensure a constructive negotiating process, as they indicated in a special statement on negotiations concerning the reduction of armed forces and conventional arms in Europe adopted at the last meeting of the Political Consultative Committee, in Warsaw. The socialist States have come out in favour of the commencement of new negotiations in 1988, stressing that the priority objective of such negotiations ought to be the achievement on the continent of Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, of a situation in which the Warsaw Treaty and NATO States retain a level of armed forces and armaments indispensable for defence but far from sufficient to launch a surprise attack and conduct offensive operations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It was on that continent that deep divisions first emerged under the surveillance of the mightiest military potentials ever. It has, therefore, become the lightest risk area, but also one that offers singularly great opportunities. Specific to Europe, and at the same time critically important for its security, is the sphere of conventional disarmament. The positive evolution of the international situation, announced in the Budapest appeal of the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty, and the subsequent constructive response of the States members of NATO have led to substantive progress in preparations for the negotiating process of the 23 States.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Yet even in that province, regrettably, one finds slow-downs and diverse impediments to the negotiating process piling up, relating, for instance, to the question of verification, despite the fact that the USSR and other socialist States are prepared to accept far-reaching compromise solutions. The current session of the United Nations General Assembly offers a good opportunity to issue an appeal for a constructive reaction to the initiatives put forward by the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty. The need for concrete actions in the field of disarmament was similarly pointed out by the conference of non-aligned countries in Nicosia. The reduction of military confrontation should begin where catastrophe could most easily occur. Inevitably, we arrive here at the problem of Europe.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“a 50 per cent reduction of the strategic offensive arms of the USSR and the United States of America; the prohibition of nuclear weapon tests; the elimination of chemical weapons; and the reduction of armed forces and conventional arms in Europe, with a corresponding reduction of military expenditures. The disarmament initiatives offered by the Warsaw Treaty and the Alliance's individual members, including Poland, over the past few years, also remain valid. These issues, among other things, have for years been on the agenda of the Conference on Disarmament. The General Assembly has also repeatedly issued appeals for the process of negotiations to be accelerated. For years we have found that the only progress scored at Geneva has related to chemical weapons.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The States parties to the Warsaw Treaty have addressed an appeal to the international community at large, especially the States members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the States participants in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, to increase efforts to bring about the early conclusion of meaningful agreements on the reduction of arms and armed forces and the consolidation of security and stability, as well as to refrain from any steps likely to make progress in that direction more difficult. The Political Consultative Committee has recognized the following as priority objectives!”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The documents of the meetings, which, at Poland's request, have been circulated as official documents of the forty-third session of the General Assembly, reaffirm adherence to the ideals of a world rid of arms of mass destruction and all forms of violence, a world based on the principles of mutual and equal security, democratic coexistence and wide-ranging, equitable co-operation.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“As will be recalled, out of a total of 67 paragraphs of the draft final document, agreement proved possible on 61. These considerable and valuable achievements must not be wasted. They must be consolidated and further developed by, among other things, resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly at its current session. The Political Consultative Committee of the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty, which met in the capital of my country last July, has submitted a programme of concrete disarmament undertakings.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The United Nations must become to an ever greater extent the primary multilateral forum where solutions to the major world problems of our time can be worked out. Among such problems, the question of the consolidation of peace in international security remains the central one. Some three months ago, the special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament concluded its debates in this Hall. Contrary to the expectations of world public opinion, of a majority of nations and Governments, including my own, the session failed to conclude its work with the adoption of a final document. The significance of the third special session consists, however, in the fact that it has demonstrated to the world the outer limits of compromise that are feasible at present.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We are confident that all States will have understood, and will lend their support to, the Polish Government's efforts with a view to reforms. We are confident that, given the ameliorating international climate and the increasing co-operation with all States, Poland will be able ¿o overcome its present difficulties and, as so far, will continue making its contribution to the consolidation of international security, detente and comprehensive international co-operation. The world's primary integrating factor is the common fate of mankind. There is an urgent need to solve global problems and, unfortunately, global threats. There is a growing conviction that only together can we stand up to the challenges of the day, and only together can we hope to survive.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We are fully aware that the transformations in Poland are being closely followed by the international community, for which what goes on in a State of 40 million people in the heart of Europe is not irrelevant. The desire for undisturbed development of the positive tendencies in East-West relations is universal. Poland has irrevocably opted for profound socio-political and economic reform, aimed at increased effectiveness and export- and market-oriented restructuring of the economy. We want to take an active, broadly conceived part in the international division of labour, in keeping with the principle of mutual benefit. In this respect we count on the co-operation of all our partners, including creditor States, both on a bilateral basis and in the international financial organizations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The course of international events is also significantly influenced by the development of the internal situation in particular countries. The Polish case demonstrates all too clearly how difficult it is to reconstruct internal relations. In our profound democratic reforms we are guided by the principle of seeking political solutions based on a wide-ranging dialogue between all who stand on the firm ground of the Constitution and the legal order it established. We are seeking to create wide-ranging national understanding and to further democratize the methods of governing the country. We are undertaking these efforts in conditions of persisting economic difficulties and social impatience.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The significance of these two phenomena cannot be confined to East-West relations alone; they are relevant to international relations at large and to the whole world, as is confirmed by the agreements concerning Afghanistan, the prospects of the termination of the Iran-Iraq conflict, the resolution of the Kampuchean problem, or the progress in regard to the Questions of the south of Africa, We wish to place on record our great appreciation of the productive efforts of the Security Council, as well as of the Secretary-General, with a view to peaceful resolution of acute regional conflicts. We give these efforts our full support, as is manifested in Poland's decision to dispatch a group of army officers to the United Nations good offices missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as to those in Iran and Iraq.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It signals, first of all, that effective and lasting resolution of the contemporary dilemmas cannot be accomplished except through political means, with equitable and democratic participation of all interested States, growing mutual confidence, and determination to seek compromise based on international law, with due account taken of the interests of all parties. Under the conditions prevailing today, security cannot be attained through military means alone. Secondly, it is encouraging that, as far as international affairs are concerned, the great humanist idea of the primacy, in international politics, of human values over group or class interests is reasserting itself.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)