YouSaid · the spoken record

Skubiszewski

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS SKUBISZEWSKI

lines on the record: 111
first: 1989-09-24
most recent: 1993-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

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“May I add that the United Nations has a greater role to play in bringing help to victims of natural and man-made disasters. The declaration by the General Assembly of a United Nations Decade of International Law should lead to an intellectual effort linked to coordination between various participants. The task, if taken seriously, is a tremendous one. Among other initiatives, emphasis should be put on the implementation of international law in both the municipal and the intergovernmental spheres. There are various reasons why domestic application of international law by administrative organs and courts leaves much to be desired. There are a number of countries that would certainly benefit from more extensive and systematic information on the possible approaches to the problem of domestic implementation.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The success of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held in Brazil in 1992, will depend on the working out of specific programmes and cost estimates. Otherwise, there will be little chance for commitments on the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and on the modalities and procedures of such transfer. There is need for additional financial resources, and although estimates vary the amounts would be large by any standard. The new sources of funding might include, first, the conversion of a part of debts for ecological purposes and, secondly, users' fees and pollution charges. In any case, there must be predictability of resources to ensure the continuity of the flow of financial means. Those are some of the problems that should be carefully studied in preparing for the Conference.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In view of its past experience, Poland believes that economic development is inconceivable without its being firmly predicated on sound social development where the individual and his interests are overriding goals. We therefore welcome the preparations for the International Year of the Family, the broadest framework yet of an integrated approach to social questions at the United Nations. In line with the current trend in the Economic and Social Council, social and economic issues should be treated jointly, and this goes also for the world economic and social reports that are still being prepared separately. One of the global challenges we face is the degradation of the environment.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The Economic and Social Council decided last May to authorize the Secretary-General to hold consultations with a view to convening a summit meeting on issues of social policies and development. We welcome this initiative as yet another manifestation of a departure from sterile, ideologically motivated disputes or. social issues in favor of the consideration of specific steps to strengthen the position of the individual and provide for better standards of life in greater freedom. The importance of the Economic and Social Council initiatives derives also from the fact that, as the Human Development Report 1990 puts it, the lack of political commitment, not of financial resources, is often the real cause for human neglect.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Some areas of Europe are passing through a period of not always predictable transition. Yet Europe must remain a continent of peace, security and friendly cooperation. This broader perspective of peace-keeping and peace-management in Europe was recently envisaged by the President of the Republic of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mr. Lech Walesa, in his address to the Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia on 17 September 1991. This broader approach serves the aims of the United Nations and should enable us better to combine our peace efforts. Let me now turn to some of the global issues in fields other than the elimination of armed strife and the maintenance of military and political security.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“I think that in the course of time, when the cease-fire is consolidated, there might be room for further peace initiatives regarding the Yugoslav crisis. After all the required conditions are met - and the consent of the parties figures prominently therein - the monitoring mission could be strengthened and other peace-keeping measures considered. Poland is ready to put its experience in that field at the disposal of the United Nations and of the competent European organisations. We are equally ready to participate in the mediation or conciliation process or other appropriate mechanisms. We welcome the recourse to arbitration. Let me add that the uses of peace-keeping in Europe may potentially have ramifications that will be wider than the Yugoslav conflict.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Nor should there be any room for false accusations. For these reasons Poland believes that the General Assembly should repeal resolution 3379 (XXX) of 10 November 1975 on Zionism. Let us add that the Solidarity movement in Poland and the new government have always been against that resolution. In the United Nations, its rescission has been long overdue. Consequently, Poland will join in sponsoring a draft resolution to this effect. The Yugoslav crisis is cause for great concern. We fear that this crisis could have adverse consequences for European unity and for cooperation beyond Europe. Poland welcomes Security Council resolution 713 (1991) and will abide by it. In that resolution we see significant support for the steps that are being taken by the European Community and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE).”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Succession to the obligations resulting from the Treaty must take place with regard to all States emerging on Soviet territory. Strict implementation of the Treaty is of paramount importance to stability and security in Europe. No world order is conceivable without the healing of the wounds of the Middle East. Poland pledges its support to a determined search for an equitable and enduring peace in the area. Such a peace is possible provided that the legitimate security interests of all countries and peoples of the region are safeguarded. A truly historic challenge and opportunity arise from the efforts to bring about, pursuant to Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), a Middle East conference with United Nations participation. Such a conference would stand a better chance if antagonisms and mistrust were overcome.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The developing world is spending 200 billion dollars annually on armaments. This is a share of the gross national product of those countries that is much higher than that of the developed States. The question is how to bring the "peace dividend" to bear on development needs. Let me make one particular point with regard to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The changes within the Soviet Union must not endanger this Treaty. The process of its ratification and entry into force should be completed as soon as possible. Ratification of the Treaty in its present form has no bearing on, and especially does not restrict, the right of the Soviet republics to self-determination and independence. These are different issues that do not conflict with each other.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Experience resulting from the Gulf conflict indicates, in regard to the non-proliferation Treaty, that the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency should be further developed. The Treaty on Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles and the strategic arms reduction Treaty (START) are big steps towards structuring global security. Recently there was a development of the utmost significance: 1 am referring to the disarmament initiatives announced on 27 September this year by the President of the United States of America. The changes effect the land, naval and air nuclear forces. This broad vision brings us closer to a much safer and better world order. I think that all would agree that global security can no longer be addressed in terms of one group of States or another.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“However, to be reliable the new international order must involve not only a check on the accumulation of arms; it must also stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of missile technology. An important step towards such a goal would be the prompt finalization of the convention on chemical weapons, and the enhancement of the effectiveness of the biological weapons convention. Hide adherence to the non-proliferation Treaty is of the utmost importance. He welcome the recent statements by France and China and some other nuclear-capable countries, including the Republic of South Africa, that they are willing to re-examine their attitude with respect to that Treaty.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The functions of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe are essential and they are expanding. All this reflects the determination to build cooperative security in Europe. Armaments are a problem of our time. The limitation and monitoring of international arms transfers ought to be among the gears of conflict prevention and post-conflict management. He need an enhanced transparency in conventional arms transactions, especially in unstable and conflict-prone areas. Transparency would help to set up a kind of early warning system. Poland supports the initiative of the 12 member States of the European Community to establish a United Nations-administered register of conventional arms transfers. We are prepared to join in sponsoring an appropriate draft resolution.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In this period of change, we should ask not only what this Organisation can do for us, but also what the Member States could and should do to turn the Organisation into an instrument of their dynamic policies in harmony with the Charter. International security begins with good relations with neighbors. The recent historical change in Polish-German relations is our common contribution to security in Europe and in the world. I pay a tribute to those Poles and Germans whose imagination and perseverance made this change possible and lasting. We are doing our best to develop the creative process of interaction in Europe. New regional arrangements have a role to fulfill here: trilateral cooperation between Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary; Baltic cooperation; and the Hexagonale group.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Article 53, paragraph 1, to be taken "in relation to any State which during the Second World War has been an enemy any signatory" of the United Nations Charter. The category of "enemy State", which goes back to 1945, is no longer relevant in United Nations law end practice. These are anachronistic provisions which do not correspond to the legal and political reality of the Organisation, Article 107 is in Chapter XVII of the Charter, which describes its subject matter as "transitional". In fact, we have that transition behind us. I am convinced that there is consensus in the Assembly that these provisions should be struck out of the Charter and relegated to where they belong - that is, to history.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Poland agrees fully with the Secretary-General that there should be arrangements for alleviating the burdens incurred by countries which participate in economic measures against the offender State. Some of that State's economic partners may suffer considerably as a result of abiding by the decisions of the Organisation. It is clear that Article 50 of the Charter does not constitute a sufficient remedy. While that Article could be strengthened, another regulation dealing with a different aspect of security arrangements has long since become obsolete and should be deleted from the Charter. I refer here to Article 107 and the relevant part of Article 53. These provisions deal with the action - that is. Article 107, and, in particular, enforcement action - that is.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The United Nations system no doubt needs reform in order to serve better the interests of Member States in a cost-effective manner. We support the concept of a unitary United Nations. The consensus of the permanent members of the Security Council and their determination to discourage the threat or use of force are essential factors in creating a workable, post-cold-war international order. That order must, in the first place, be able to prevent conflicts. And when there has been a breach of the peace, the new order must provide for conflict and post-conflict management. The lesson of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is clear: we need more than mere deterrence.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The success of the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe is likely to constitute a useful example for some States of other continents to study and follow. Our success will lead to expanding market opportunities for the products of the South. The experience of the Gulf conflict should lead to the consolidation of the Organization. First of all, we should maintain the effectiveness of the Security Council. He need an imaginative approach - peace-keeping operations should be followed by peacemaking. While some provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter still await implementation, parallel means must be devised to allow the United Nations to prevent and discourage aggression, control arms build-ups and solve humanitarian and ecological problems resulting from armed conflict.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“These tasks reflect the growing weight of North-South relationships, including their East-South component. The reactivation of growth in the developing countries and the reorientation of the economies of the new European democracies towards market rules are of paramount importance. The now defunct East-nest confrontation must not be superseded by a feud originating in tensions which are being bred by underdevelopment. In particular, the model of world trade must change: protectionism is wrong for consumers and, in the final analysis, is harmful for producers. The fragmentation of the world economy into rival blocs is of no advantage to anybody. The contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade must strive to reach a prompt and satisfactory conclusion to the Uruguay Round.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Throughout the Gulf conflict, and after it, the Security Council and the international community at large have been upholding the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. This marks a watershed in the history of our Organization and in international relations. The action of the United Nations reaffirms the primacy of international law, sovereignty and equality of States, democratic values and respect for human rights. Yet we have to make a great and systematic effort. In particular, conflicts and tensions that were, in a sense, immobilized or stabilized by the cold war should not be permitted to erupt. The community of nations faces formidable challenges regarding international security and the construction of the economic foundations of security.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Baltic Republics - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is to be hoped that the admission of the two Korean States will prove to be helpful in unifying the Korean nation. As to the Baltic countries, I wish to say that the new Government of Poland has always supported the aspirations of these old nations to regain their independence. We are happy that the tragic chapter of their history has now finally been closed. Since the last session of the General Assembly, democracy has been consolidated in Central and Eastern Europe. Recent events in the Soviet Union and the opposition to and failure of the coup d'etat have proved that democratic transformations are irreversible.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“I should LIKE to convey to Ambassador Samir Shihabi the congratulations of Poland on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. It Is with particular pleasure that I welcome in this high office a representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the founding Members of the Organisation. To the outgoing President, Mr. Guido de Marco of Malta, whom Poland was pleased to host recently, warm thanks are due for his remarkable leadership of the forty-fifth session. I also wish to express to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Peres de Cuellar, our respect for and appreciation of his dedicated decade-long service to the United Nations. We pay a tribute to him for his achievements. It is with special gratification that I welcome in our midst seven new Members of the Organisation!”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“As th apolitical rift in Europe fades away, it would be an all too great mistake to allow economic divisions to be consolidated. Mr. President, a few days ago in a newspaper interview you rightly said that previously, political ideologies had wrecked the functioning of the Organization. We are now, I hope, entering an era in which ideologies will be less and less vocal in international politics and in which the role of the ideological factor in relations among States will be greatly reduced and will disappear. We welcome that development. It should enhance the significance of international morality. Her Excellency Mrs. Danielle de St. Jorre just referred, very pertinently, to morality. The presence of morality will, I am sure, prove to be the strongest stabilizing element at a time when the United Nations has become more credible.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The transition to a market economy in Central and Eastern Europe is coupled with a structural readjustment. There should be a substantial reduction of debt, a comprehensive technical and capital aid package and improved access to markets. Such a program might draw on the ideas of the Marshall Plan. A year ago, after a long period of economic stagnation, Poland embarked upon the difficult road to a market economy, at the cost of unemployment, temporary recession and the ensuing decline in living standards. Primarily, the transition is our own responsibility. None the less, when the success of unprecedented evolution and peaceful change is at stake along with the stability of our part of Europe, external support may prove critical.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Political freedom and economic reform cannot live without each other. The resistance to totalitarianism in my country, as an expression of the longing for freedom, dignity and independence, led to the rise of the Solidarity trade union. The Solidarity trade union rejected the use of force, yet the movement for reform was victorious. The process thus started has now become irreversible, despite hardships inherent in the transition. Poles as a nation and Poland as a State have become sovereign again. We speak with our own voice and have taken our future back into our own hands. The legacy of Yalta has thus been relegated to history. The once bipolar world is becoming a multipolar world where the notion of East and West is losing, at any rate politically, all relevance other than geographical relevance.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The recent Conference of Baltic States, held at Ronneby, Sweden, was a good example of the regional approach to the problem. Many countries have suffered heavy losses as a result of the present conflict in the Gulf area. His Excellency Mr. Francois Mitterrand included that problem in his four-point proposal. We should create an international mechanism whereby the additional proceeds of oil exporters would be transferred in part to those oil-importing countries which have suffered acutely as a result of the conflict. Finally, I wish to say a few words about the changes in Central and Eastern Europe. The one-party system, with its unworkable, centrally planned - or rather misplanned - economy, has given way to parliamentary democracy and the market economy as two interconnected factors.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“External indebtedness stands in the forefront. In our view, there is an urgent need for imaginative debt reduction, including schemes aimed at preventing further polarization between creditors and debtors and at reintegrating debtors into the world economy and world trade. Another vital question relates to the environment. His Excellency Mr. Fernando Color, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, has just made inspiring comments on that question. I should like to refer also to the views just expressed on that problem by Her Excellency Mrs. Danielle de St. Jorre, Minister for Planning and Foreign Affairs of Seychelles. The growing interdependence between economic development and the environment should always be present in our minds. Poland welcomes the Conference on Environment and Development to be held in Brazil in 1992.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In this increasingly interdependent world, it would be an oversimplification to see military conflicts, nationalism and armaments as the only threats to our common security. The disparity between rich countries and poor countries, between abundance and poverty, is another fundamental challenge to the United Nations. The absence of growth in developing countries, massive migration, low living standards which encourage drug trafficking and violence, acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), transboundary industrial pollution: all of these are threats confronting mankind. A new deal consisting of debt reduction, technology transfer, credit lines, direct investment and access to markets seems to be the answer for countries caught in a vicious circle of retrogression, sociopolitical instability and financial crisis.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Co-operation among many States, including the permanent members of the Security Council, has enabled the United Nations to carry out those responsibilities. Poland has made a contribution to peacekeeping efforts. More than 16,000 Polish soldiers have served under the United Nations flag in the course of the past 17 years. Poland is ready to continue to participate in peace-keeping operations. Poland supports the plan on Cambodia and declares its readiness to join the international mechanism envisaged for the implementation of that plan. In that context, it is worth while recalling that the United Nations definition of peace is not negative: According got the Charter, peace does not mean the mere absence of armed conflict.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We shall soon adhere to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We have accepted the competence of the Human Rights Committee under article 41 of that Covenant. We are prepared to become a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and to develop further the human dimension of the Helsinki process. We are considering joining the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Poland has been actively engaged in work on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A few days ago the lower chamber of the Polish Parliament, the Diet, adopted a law authorizing the Head of State to ratify the Convention. The developments of the past year have reaffirmed the role of the United Nations in peace-keeping.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“One of the safeguards of the rule of law is the functioning of international tribunals. Even the most acute political disputes have their legal aspects, and they can be resolved by judicial bodies. Such settlement no doubt relieves tension and contributes to the elimination of conflicts among States where classical diplomacy proved has impotent. The present considerable number of cases brought before the International Court of Justice at the Hague augurs well for States’ respect for law. As promised last year in this Hall, Poland has accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the Hague Court. Poland supports the idea of establishing an international criminal court or other mechanism with jurisdiction over persons. Poland attaches great importance to the protection of human rights as a factor in the preservation of peace and democracy.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The Commission should not engage in topics and discussions which rather belong to the academic field. It should take up the gray legal issues of our time, and at the same time it should elaborate specific law-making treaties on problems promoting the regulation of such issues. In that task there is also room for the Commission’s co-operation with other international agencies. Protection of the environment is a case in point. Within the Assembly the role of the Sixth Committee should be enhanced. In particular, both the International Law Commission and the Sixth Committee could have a part in the Assembly procedures whenever the Assembly intends to adopt a law-declaring or law-influencing resolution. Generally, the present role of the Sixth Committee is too static.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is a rule of both United Nations law and general international law that: “No territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal.” (resolution 2625 (XXV), annex, para. 1) The Republic of Poland adheres to the primacy of the rule of law in inter-State relations. It is with deep satisfaction that I have listened to the words of Mr. Francois Mitterrand, President of the French Republic, on the rule of law in the international community. I subscribe to those words. The United Nations Decade of International Law should enhance the rule of international law and encourage the progressive development and codification of that law. During the Decade, more attention should be focused on the important work of the International Law Commission and on the extent to which it fulfills its mandate.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“However, the more immediate answer today lies in the application of the United Nations Charter. The problem, politically and economically, is global. here we come to the international dimension of solidarity, that is solidarity among peoples and nations. In this spirit, Poland has decided to participate in the multinational effort and to send a hospital ship and a field hospital to the Gulf area. In condemning aggression and occupation we must also remember that other violations of international law have taken place. The law prohibits the taking of hostages in whatever form this might happen. Human rights of foreign nationals in Iraq and in occupied Kuwait should be vindicated. Let me, finally, say that in our eyes Kuwait continues to exist as a State, in spite of the invasion and in spite of what has happened after it.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Of course, there is a real need for new regional arrangements, and especially one that would respond to the lessons of the present crisis in the Persian Gulf. Indeed, Poland regrets that up till now the conflict could not have been resolved by peaceful means within the family of Arab nations. With that family, we have always had friendly relations and various ties, and we wish to maintain them, provided the international rule of law is respected. For these reasons, bearing in mind its relations with Islam in past centuries, and, obviously, being aware of the fact that the present is different from the past, Poland supports the working out of stable and far-sighted policies towards the Arab countries, and generally the Islamic countries - I refer to policies of States participating in the Helsinki process.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“I think that by introducing solidarity as the basic notion of public activity, Poles have shown that in our world of unlimited egoism, violence, and the incredible richness of some and the inhuman deprivations and humiliating poverty of others, there is a better road ahead. The Polish idea and practice of solidarity has had its international impact by contributing to the creation of circumstances propitious to the great event of our time: the fall of totalitarianism in Europe and the resulting unification of Germany. On the day of unification, the Polish nation extends its best wishes and its cordial thoughts to the German nation and looks forward to the forging of a community of interests with its western neighbor.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Our support for, and participation in, the United Nations actions has cost us, as of today, $570 million, and we expect this sum to increase at the end of the year to $1.4 billion. These losses come at a moment which is crucial to our economic reform, and they are serious blow to our national effort. However, I think that certain national and international values cannot be assessed by reference to any measurable or calculable price. They should be fostered and cherished whatever the cost. Without them we lose any sense of purpose. One such value is solidarity among men and women in both national and international dimensions. During the past decade the concept and the ethics of solidarity have had an unusual impact on public life in Poland, and this in spite of the obvious counterweight created by the realities of everyday politics.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This is what is in progress now and it should be supported as our standard procedure. If an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, the Charter, including its Article 51, gives ample room for action aimed at restoring State independence and existing frontiers. Another reason for satisfaction is the international response to the Security Council resolutions dealing with the Iraqi aggression. Poland is implementing them fully and will take any further action that might be ordered or authorized by the Security Council. We have prevented imports from and exports to Iraq and occupied Kuwait, and we have taken other measures in conformity with the Security Council decisions. It should be noted that Polish companies and enterprises have lost a lot of business through the interruption of trade with Iraq and Kuwait.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“One of them is there fact that the Security Council is, at last, in a position to exercise its lawful powers, which in the past had so often remained dormant in spite of international frictions and conflicts that called for resolute action. There has always been - but especially during recent years - much talk, inside and outside the Organization, about the adaptation of structures and methods at the United Nations. In the case of the Iraqi war against Kuwait, the Organization was able to put the powers inscribed in the Charter to their proper use. Allow me to quote the distinguished French jurist the late Judge Guy de Lacharriere, who, discussing the problem of changes in the Organization, rightly asked: “Would not the application of the Charter be the most important reform?”.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This includes the territorial integrity of States. I have used the term “key issue” because respect for the principles and rules I have mentioned is the premise of any international action and effort with a view to putting into effect the global goals and tasks of the organized international community. The United Nations will be unable to have even modest achievements in any of the basic areas of world co-operation if aggression goes unpunished, frontiers are violated and States are annexed. Therefore, in considering the effects of Iraqi aggression against Kuwait, we should realize that it is the very sense and the very purpose of our Organization that are at stake. We are at a critical moment. yet we have some reasons for optimism.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Allow me, Sir, to add my congratulations on your election to the presidency of this important session. Let me also express to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Peres de Cuellar, our deep respect for his tireless service to the Organization. And it is with great pleasure that Poland welcomes Namibia and Liechtenstein in our midst. During the year that has elapsed since the last session we have witnessed the end of the cold war. The world has changed beyond recognition. However, we now face a novel danger: the armed conflict in the Gulf region, which constitutes an immense challenge to the delicate fabric of new global relationships. The key issue of the United Nations political strategy is the prevention of the use of any means, and particularly the use of force, against the existence and independence of any State.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We highly appreciate the friendly and helpful attitude of the Community presided over by France. Politics do not boil down to the mere application of some purported laws of history. Personally, I do not believe in the existence of such laws. Destiny can wait, but the time has now come and Poland must shape its fate. We count on our friends in the United Nations.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We regard changes such as those now taking place in Poland as an element of the disengagement of the super-Powers from their long-standing confrontation in the heart of Europe. The key issue of Polish political strategy lies in our relations with the Soviet Union. We shall respect existing treaties and we firmly believe in mutual respect for national interests. Yet such respect does not impose any limitations regarding the choice and change of the system of government. The present Polish Government acts in such a way that the promotion of our vital interests is not in conflict with the interests of others. We shall contribute to the recreation of a united Europe, in which Poland should have its place. The most recent step in that direction is our treaty with the European Economic Community.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Now that role is greatly reduced and the present Polish Government welcomes this development. We shall strive for the total elimination of ideology from inter-State relations, which does . not mean that we reject international morality. Ideology and morality are different things. Morality and respect for the human person remain our highest values. I am convinced that the present reform movement in Poland is a good sign for the world and, more particularly, for Europe. The new Polish Government, under the imaginative leadership of Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki, has no intention whatsoever to destabilize the existing international order and, in particular, one of its components, that is the mutual strategic security involving the two super-Powers. However, spheres of security can never mean spheres of influence.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Yet, I believe that one can control the consequences of this objective fact, or at least try to do it, so as to base Polish foreign policy firmly on the fundamentals of external sovereignty and internal independence. Poland will do its best to maintain peace, freedom and good-neighbourly co-operation in Europe. In other words, without disregarding the facts, we have a vision of peace and freedom in a region which, in contemporary history, has been too often one of conflict, division and domination. If Poland is free and democratic, then its geopolitical and geostrategic importance could and should be turned into an asset that supports peace and fosters freedom. Until recently the role of the ideological factor in international relations - at any rate among many States - has been considerable.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We put forward the idea of, and then initiated the work on, the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We hope that this Convention will be adopted at the present session. We intend to accede to some instruments which are not yet binding on us. In the first place we intend to accept the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We also look forward to the day when it will be possible for us to become a member of the Council of Europe and to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights. I now come to my last point, which is Polish foreign policy seen against the background of our obligations under the Charter and the political changes now taking place in my country. Poland has a geo-strategic location that makes its position militarily significant. This has a bearing on the whole region.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“There is some connection between that problem and the value and authority of the Commission’s drafts. As to the choice of subjects, one may suggest that the Commission should not avoid the great legal issues of our time. The Commission's prudence is proof of its wisdom; yet, more imagination would enhance the process of law-making. The Commission should respond to the global challenges we face. It is only then that the Commission will be able to fulfil its mandate under the Charter. In the important field of the judicial settlement of disputes Poland intends to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice according to Article 36 of its Statute. We think that the obligatory jurisdiction of the Court should be enhanced and supported. Poland attaches major weight to the implementation of human rights.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I think that the use of resolutions for declaring existing law and for suggesting new law should be more selective. There is still much room for improvement regarding procedures in this field more extensive preparatory work, elimination of haste, more insistence on agreed solutions - in contradistinction to those imposed by majorities - and much greater use of legal expertise. In the latter respect the Assembly could take more advantage of the International Law Commission. This observation leads me to say a few words about that organ which has rendered so many services to the cause of international law. The International Law Commission was restructured some time ago, but there are still doubts regarding its composition, methods of work and results. The influence of politics on the elections to the Commission has had some bad consequences.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I also feel it necessary to make some remarks on international law and human rights. Apart from drafting treaties the General Assembly has its own methods of influencing the law-declaring or law-making process. I am thinking of the adoption of resolutions laying down rules of conduct for States. Certain branches or divisions of contemporary international law owe their origin to the initiatives undertaken by the Assembly along these lines. The manner, however, in which the Assembly fulfils that role is sometimes open to doubt, and it is not without its flaws. The Organization and its Members have not succeeded in stopping the inflation of resolutions, and this statement also applies to some instruments, which aspire to a role in law-making. More often than not the dividing line between law and non-law is blurred.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“We realize that help must come from within, yet we seek reasonable assistance coming from abroad. At the same time I can assure the Assembly that the process of liberalization of our trade regime is well advanced and this year a new customs tariff became effective. Moreover, we intend to modify our present formal status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in order to be put on an equal footing with other countries. Against this background I should like, on behalf of my Government, to express our thanks to all countries that have responded to the recommendations of the Western economic summit and launched a special programme of economic assistance to Poland. Let me observe that this assistance transcends the realm of economic action. It has a broader sense because it helps to overcome the division of Europe.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In view of the Polish experience, I must tell members frankly that without debt reduction, national economic policies and austerity measures, no matter how vigorous and stringent, will remain but paper measures. There should be a resumption of capital flows to indebted countries in the framework of an open international trading system. The adjustment effort, which are painful on the social plane, are likely to fail if there is no external support. And there is a pressing need for multilateral schemes. All this would amount to a "debt-with-growth" strategy. May I add that the difficulty of some States is aggravated by the transfer of resources from the developing countries to the highly industrialized regions. I shall not deal at length with the economic problems of Poland.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)