YouSaid · the spoken record

BARRE

lines on the record: 306
first: 1977-09-24
most recent: 1989-09-24
sittings or episodes: 11
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

“As an Indian Ocean State, for example, we strongly support the principles that underlie the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace. 326. We appeal once more to the nuclear Powers to work with urgency to remove the nuclear threat and to allow the world's people to plan and build a future of hope, security and peace. 327. Finally, the annual session of the General Assembly provides both large and small Member States with an opportunity for renewed dedication to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Clearly we must all find the political will to work for the solution of the many problems that confront us all and endanger world peace and security. We must all contribute to the search for peace and progress.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Sanity and common sense call for a comprehensive test-ban treaty and, as a further step, a freeze in the production, testing and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. Nor should a supposedly advanced civilization have any place for chemical weapons; they should be totally prohibited without further delay. 325. The difficulty of containing the quantity and destructive capacity of existing nuclear weapons points to the folly of extending the nuclear-arms race to space. We hope that negotiations for the banning of space weapons along with other weapons of mass destruction will soon be undertaken. My Government has always welcomed initiatives such as the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, which can make a valuable contribution to general and complete disarmament.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“They may well ponder the priorities of an age when unimaginable sums were spent on the production and refinement of weapons capable of global destruction while millions of human beings suffered the deprivation and indignities of abject poverty. The consequences of the nuclear-arms race and of the arms race in sophisticated conventional weapons are evident in every aspect of world affairs. We see their effects in world inflation, in the widening gap between rich and poor countries and in regional tensions, which have increased under the pressures of super-Power confrontations. 324. It is clear that a new resolve is needed on every front—political, humanitarian and technical—to work for the attainment of the goal of disarmament.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Significant infusions of international economic assistance remain of vital importance for tiding African States over the present crisis and for giving us the boost we need to put us firmly on the road to economic recovery, stability and true independence. 322. Without doubt, there is no issue on the agenda of the General Assembly that is as pressing and as important as disarmament, in particular nuclear disarmament. 323. If the world survives the nuclear age, future generations studying our history may well ask how we were able to plan, to build and to organize our affairs at local, national and international levels while living under the threatening shadow of opposing systems of nuclear weapons.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa makes it clear that African States are quite prepared to accept primary responsibility for their own development. We understand well the need for integrated national policies and for closer economic and technical co-operation with each other. We know that agriculture must be high on our list of priorities so that food sufficiency can be attained. 321. We appeal to the developed countries to recognize that the interdependence of North and South is an inescapable reality. The easing of debt burdens, the promotion of just and stable commodity prices and the roll-back of protectionism are fundamental remedies to restore the health of African and other third-world economies.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The problems of our continent, translated into human terms, could mean the disintegration of the social and economic fabric of many African societies. !t could spell hunger, malnutrition and untimely death for millions in the years ahead. Africa today stands in need of massive assistance to combat drought and desertification more widespread and devastating than in the two previous decades, when they took hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced mil-lions of people. Today, food aid for the starving is an immediate, primary need, but more fundamental approaches must also be set in motion. In many cases infrastructures must be strengthened before relief and development projects can be implemented. 320.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The adverse effects of the current international economic situation are most apparent in Africa—the continent with the greatest number of least developed countries. The widespread return in recent years of catastrophic drought conditions and other factors, including the presence of large refugee populations, have dealt additional cruel blows to economies already weakened by external forces. 319. The Secretary-General has launched a most timely initiative in calling the attention of the world community to the critical economic situation in Africa. We congratulate him on this initiative and welcome the emphasis he has placed on Africa's special needs. Indeed, the extent and gravity of the crisis in Africa must not be underestimated.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Regrettably, the deadlock in the dialogue between countries of the North and the South remains unbroken. This situation represents the blunting of an important purpose of the United Nations—namely, the solution through international co-operation of international problems of an economic, social, cultural and humanitarian nature. 317. While deadlock continues, developing countries are reeling under the impact of closely related economic forces which are beyond their control. High interest rates, increasing debt burdens, rising protectionism, declining export earnings and low levels of development assistance severely affect even the more prosperous developing countries, but they can reduce least developed nations to most desperate straits. 318.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We believe that the General Assembly must continue its support for recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people and must demand Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and from all other occupied Arab territories, including the Holy City of Jerusalem, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. The time has surely come for concrete global actions aimed at bringing about a comprehensive settlement of Middle East problems. 315. A new and balanced initiative is likewise urgently needed in the case of Cyprus, where differences of long standing are rapidly becoming irreconcilable. 316. I turn now to the international economic situation, which is as significant for peace and progress as any political question on the Assembly's agenda.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Security Council resolution 435 (1978) remains the only valid and legal basis for Namibia's independence, and its implementation should be vigorously pursued in the General Assembly and the Security Council. 313. The most recent flare-up of conflict in the Middle East has subsided for the moment, but, as elsewhere, unless the root causes of such conflicts are removed, the area will continue to suffer from violence and bloodshed. Nor can there be any permanent and just peace in the region while Israel remains in illegal occupation of Lebanese, Palestinian and other Arab territories, while it persists in illegal settlement and annexationist policies and while the Palestinian people are denied their inalienable right to self-determination. 314.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“For its part, Somalia will continue to deploy all possible efforts to bring about the peaceful resolution of the problems in the region. 311. The persistence of southern African problems on the Assembly's agenda signifies one of the most serious failures of the United Nations. Although external details may change, the core of these problems continues to be South Africa's racist and colonial policies, which have given grave cause for concern since the earliest days of the United Nations. 312. In our view, the United Nations must continue to insist on the isolation of the South African regime until it puts an end to the crime of apartheid and truly represents the people. It must recognize the legitimacy of liberation struggles against and against the illegal occupation of Namibia.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Even today, Ethiopian forces are still occupying two portions of Somalia's territory, and an insidious policy of destabilization is being actively pursued in a vain attempt to undermine the sovereignty, integrity and national independence of my country. We call once again on all Member States to condemn the Ethiopian regime for its acts of aggression and to demand that it withdraw its forces from Somalia's territory and end its unwarranted attacks. Moreover, let me state clearly that no peace can be achieved in the region unless the Ethiopian regime totally and unconditionally withdraws its forces from Somali territory and also guarantees to the colonized people of Western Somalia and Eritrea their inalienable right to justice and self-determination.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“International workers in the field have seen at first hand the unwillingness of the vast majority of refugees to return to their homelands until their safety and their basic human rights can be guaranteed. 309. The refugee problem is not the only one suffered by Somalia as a result of Ethiopia's imperialist policies. Over the past two years, the Ethiopian Army, made bold by the support of surrogate forces, has repeatedly launched military aggression by land and air against our country. Somali territory has been invaded, townships captured and occupied and hundreds of innocent people killed—including recently 36 children whose school was destroyed in a wanton and barbarous air attack on the town of Borama and a nearby refugee camp on 30 January of this year. 310.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It is they that are the real problems: refugees flee from persecution and oppressive policies which a just world should declare unacceptable, and from deteriorating environmental conditions which are not invariably beyond the possibility of amelioration. 308. It is the hope of the Somali Government that the necessary political climate will be created which will encourage voluntary repatriation. This hope remains unfulfilled, since repressive policies continue to be enforced in Ethiopia. The continued arrival of refugees in Somalia attests to this fact. Furthermore, the claim of the Ethiopian regime that there have been substantial numbers of refugees returning for whose rehabilitation it needs international assistance is without substance.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The principle of burden-sharing is to be implemented to some extent through the support of specific projects, but periodic and often severe shortages of fuel and balanced foodstuffs still occur. The day-to-day sustenance of so vast a refugee population is an enormous problem. In truth, the whole situation has been allowed to go on far too long. As we concentrate, in line with our undoubted humanitarian duty, on the alleviation of the problems of today's refugees, we must never forget that those problems are but a symptom of the most serious underlying issues: persistent colonialism, racism, genocide and drought.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Thousands are in camps and settlements, and perhaps an equal number eke out a living in the countryside and towns. It has been truly stated that every family supports its refugees; nor does there seem to be any end to this human tragedy; substantial new flows have been reported this very month. 307. My Government is, of course, particularly grateful that the international community, at the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa, held at Geneva from 9 to 11 July 1984, and bilaterally, has recognized the intolerable burden that massive refugee flows place on weak and fragile infrastructures in the least developed countries.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Ironically, the people of territories acquired by Ethiopia at the same time or later and with the collusion of the European Powers are still struggling for their inalienable rights. 305. It was to suppress the liberation struggles waged by the peoples of Western Somalia, Eritrea, Tigre and other areas that the Ethiopian regime called in the forces of a super-Power and its surrogates, making the Horn of Africa once again a focus for super-Power rivalry. Policies of extreme repression, even genocide, are enforced, causing the mass exodus of refugees from the occupied territories into Somalia and other countries in the area. 306. As the world community is already well aware, Somalia continues to be gravely affected by the overwhelming burden occasioned by so many refugees.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In our own region, the Horn of Africa, tension, conflict and human suffering remain endemic as a result of foreign militant intervention, military aggression, the violation of basic human rights and the harsh denial of the right to self-determination and independence for colonized people—all with the gravest consequences for Somalia. 304. The central destabilizing factor in our region's turmoil is the continued denial by the Ethiopian empire-State of the right to self-determination to colonized people still languishing under its rule. The territories in the Horn of Africa acquired by European colonizers during the nineteenth century have all long since gained their independence in accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV).”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We appeal to Iraq and Iran alike to respond positively to proposals and appeals for negotiations which can lead to lasting peace in the region. 302. My Government also hopes that the world community will intensify its efforts to bring about the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan and from Democratic Kampuchea. The military occupation of Afghanistan and of Democratic Kampuchea have had strikingly similar consequences. Large-scale armed interventions in the internal affairs of neighbouring States have inevitably given rise to protracted and bloody civil wars, to the disruption of development plans and national life, to disastrous refugee flows and to the heightening of regional and international tensions. Certainly, they have added greatly to the sum total of human misery in the modem world. 303.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“There should be wide recognition by all States and groups of States that new destabilizing political problems which increase human misery and threaten regional and international peace and security can be of benefit to no one in our interdependent world. Strong and renewed efforts should be made to resolve long-standing disputes and those of more recent origin before they, too, become fixtures on the international scene. 301. It is our earnest hope that efforts at mediation will soon bring to an end the tragic conflict between Iraq and Iran—two non-aligned neighbouring States. That fratricidal war continues to exact a terrible toll in human lives and wasted material resources. Neither State can hope to profit from a continuation of the fighting.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We pay a heartfelt tribute to him for his valuable efforts. 299. On the other hand, there must be grave concern over the lack of progress towards the solution of certain other political problems, whether they are of long-standing or of more recent origin. The continued increase in, and escalation of, regional conflicts is particularly troubling. The world community can ill afford the consequences of tension and conflict in the Horn of Africa, in Afghanistan, in Kampuchea, the Arabian Gulf and elsewhere, while it is still far from achieving a just and lasting settlement in the Middle East, the elimination of apartheid and all forms of colonialism in Africa, the peaceful resolution of the Cyprus and other issues and, above all, the halting of the suicidal nuclear-arms race. 300.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“On behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, I should like first to extend our warm and sincere congratulations to Mr. Lusaka for his well-deserved election as President of the General Assembly at this thirty-ninth session. His predecessor, Mr. Illueca, of Panama, deserves high praise for the dedication and skill with which he directed the affairs of the thirty-eighth session and we also wish to express our appreciation to him for his achievements. 297. I also wish to extend my congratulations to the delegation of Brunei Darussalam on its admission as the 159th State Member of the United Nations. 298. The year that has passed has seen the Secretary-General once again employ his renowned diplomatic skills and his good offices to strengthen the role of the United Nations in international affairs.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“It has the support of the non-aligned group, and I hope that constructive contributions will come from a wide variety of States. This item challenges us all to work with renewed dedication to make the world Organization a truly effective instrument for the maintenance of world peace and security.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Undoubtedly, some of the bureaucratic proliferation and overlapping of resolutions needs to be trimmed, but this is a separate issue. It is secondary to the essential task of building an effective system of collective security for our interdependent world. In his current report on the work of the Organization [/4/3#/V], the Secretary-General has again called attention to the crisis in the multinational approach to world affairs. He has rightly emphasized that the machinery of. International diplomacy must be made to move forward if we are to avoid chaos and disaster on a scale hitherto unknown. In this context, I heartily welcome the inclusion in the agenda of an item on the implementation of United Nations resolutions.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In our view, both regions would benefit if the poorer countries were given the strong boost towards economic recovery which they desperately need. The steady and impressive record of achievements by the United Nations in the economic, social, technological and humanitarian fields is one hi which Member States can all take note. However, we cannot be complacent over the failure of the world Organization to come to grips with crucial matters involving world peace and security. I have expressed my concern over the Organization's chronic failure to carry out decisions which represent the collective wisdom of the international community. I believe this failure represents a crisis of authority for the United Nations.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The sixth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held at Belgrade recently, clearly showed the extent to which that consensus has been sidetracked. My Government regrets that there has not been a more favourable response from the developed countries to the call of the third world for a prompt and vigorous programme of development assistance, for easing debt burdens, for measures to ensure more just and stable commodity prices and for a rollback of protectionist policies. While my Government believes that the developing countries must indeed practice self-reliance and must strengthen technical co-operation among themselves, we also believe that the economic interdependence of the North and the South is an inescapable reality.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“These questions are particularly important because a dangerous incentive to increased super-Power rivalry and confrontation has been provided by the involvement of large numbers of Soviet and Cuban forces in local conflicts in the Horn of Africa and by the establishment of large-scale Soviet military and naval bases in the region, a development made possible through the collaboration of certain regional States. If we turn from the disarmament scene to that of the world economic situation, we find the same disappointing gap between principle and practice. In the current disarray of global economics and finance, it is hard to find evidence of the international consensus achieved in the General Assembly an the modalities for establishing a new and more just economic order.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We deeply regret that only in Latin America has it been possible for this concept to receive practical implementation. My Government has always given strong support to the General Assembly's Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace, and we fully endorse the provisions of the Final Document of the Meeting of the Littoral and Hinterland States of the Indian Ocean.'" We hope that all States concerned will work for the success of the long-delayed Conference on the Indian Ocean scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in 1984. The Conference, in our view, must emphasize the need for the dismantling of all foreign bases, the withdrawal of all foreign forces as well as surrogate troops, the settling of regional disputes by peaceful means and the granting of the right to self determination to peoples under alien domination.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Inflation, recession and the widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots have been followed by the squandering of immeasurable human, material and technological resources on weapons of destruction. In the political sphere States have become more vulnerable to intervention and interference, and tension and conflicts are on the increase in every part of the world. We appeal to the nuclear Powers to work with a new sense of urgency and a stronger political will to remove the threat of a nuclear holocaust from the globe and to promote the channelling of military resources towards the work of peace and progress. The establishment of zones of peace and nuclear- weapon-free zones is an important goal set by the tenth special session of the General Assembly. In our view, it continues to deserve the strong support of Member States.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Scientists of international repute describe this situation as the triumph of irrationality. In the view of my Government, the General Assembly's continuing but so far unsuccessful call for a freeze m the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons, for a comprehensive test-ban treaty and for the prohibition of chemical weapons represents the voice of sanity. We believe that emphasis must now also be placed on preventing the spread of nuclear and other confrontations to outer space. The development of anti-satellite weapons would undoubtedly add a new destabilizing element to an already frightening nuclear balance of terror. The negative consequences of the arms race in nuclear and highly sophisticated conventional weapons are clearly discernible in the world today.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We will, however, continue to exercise our right to defend ourselves against military aggression and we will continue to extend our determined support for the legitimate rights of those peoples that are suffering under alien domination in the Horn of Africa. I have already called attention to the troubling distance between United Nations resolutions and the political realities of our times. This distance is nowhere more apparent and nowhere more dangerous than in questions of disarmament, particularly the question of nuclear disarmament. The threat posed by nuclear arms to mankind's survival looms larger with every increase in nuclear arsenals and with every refinement of the capacity of the nuclear Powers to wreak destruction on each other and on the world.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“To date there remain more than 700,000 persons in refugee camps m Somalia, and a similar number eke out a living among the population throughout the country. Naturally, the refugee problem cries out for solution, since the generosity of my Government and that of the donors of aid is not unlimited. However, such a solution is not in sight in view of the continuation of the relentless policy of repression within the empire State of Ethiopia. On behalf of my Government I wish to reaffirm once again that Somalia has no territorial claims against any of its neighbours. We hope that the problems of the region will be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the Charter.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The problems of our region are not caused by territorial or boundary disputes between States, but by the oppression of peoples seeking their inalienable rights. The denial of the right of self-determination to the captive nationalities in the prison State of Ethiopia by the Ethiopian regime and the policies of repression and genocide practiced by that regime against peoples struggling for their freedom and national independence have caused mass exoduses of refugees from Ethiopia into neighbouring countries. Somalia alone has at one time hosted more than 1.5 million persons in refugee camps. Their presence in our country has placed an intolerable burden on our fragile economy, despite the generous response by the international community to the need for emergency assistance.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“These peoples are waging the same anti-colonial struggle as was successfully waged in the past by the majority of Members of the United Nations and which is still being waged in southern Africa. It is a struggle validated by resolution 1514 (XV) and by the progress from colonial status to nationhood achieved by a large proportion of the membership of the Assembly. The colonization of the Horn of Africa by the European Powers and by Ethiopia was carried out within the same period and as a result of collusion between the European and the Ethiopian imperial States. It remains a curious anomaly that European colonialism is now a thing of the past in our region, but violence and bloodshed remain as the bitter fruit of Ethiopia's continuing colonial policies.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Only last July we were forced once again to defend our country in the face of a major onslaught on the settlements of Qabno and Mataban in the Hiran region of Somalia. We therefore call on Member States to condemn the Ethiopian regime for its aggression and to demand that Ethiopia withdraw its forces from Somali territory and put an end to its unwarranted attacks. A single issue underlies Ethiopia's current military adventures on our borders and the many other conflicts which trouble the Horn of Africa. That issue is Ethiopia's persistent denial of the right of self-determination to its colonized peoples in areas such as western Somalia, Abo, Eritrea and Tigray.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“In July 1982 the Ethiopian army, supported by surrogate forces, invaded the territory of the Somali Democratic Republic by land and by air and captured the Somali townships of Goldogob and Balamballe, the latter some 32 km into Somali territory. They continue to occupy these townships to this day, despite the fact that the Ethiopian regime has been widely condemned by the international community for its aggression. That regime is attempting to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence of my country. Undoubtedly it feels able to carry out these aggressions because of the presence in Ethiopia of the military bases of a super-Power and of its surrogate troops. Ethiopia has continued its attempts to seize and occupy Somali territory.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“My Government hopes that Member States will call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of ail foreign troops from Chad and will demand that its territorial integrity be scrupulously respected. The festering problems of the Horn of Africa are of serious and pressing concern to my country. I believe they also deserve the close attention of the international community, because they destabilize our strategically important region and contribute to global tensions. There is of course a long history behind the endemic tension and conflict in the Horn of Africa, but I wish now to call particular attention to the latest manifestation of the region's deep-seated and dangerous problems.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We hope that such a solution will include the resolution of the tragic refugee problem in an honourable and humanitarian way, with the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, to enable the Afghan people to decide on their future free from foreign interference. We regret that in Democratic Kampuchea too the aspirations of the people to national independence continue to be obstructed by foreign intervention and that this situation has escalated regional tensions. We hope that all the States concerned will enter into dialogue in order to ensure that the people of Kampuchea are enabled freely to elect a Government of their choice. Unfortunately, we must add the question of Chad to the list of cases of unwarranted and opportunist military interventions in the affairs of States.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“We hope Iraq and Iran will respond to the universally expressed desire that the fighting stop and that they engage in negotiations to bring about an honourable, just and enduring peace. The trend towards foreign military intervention in the affairs of States is of course one which runs counter to fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations. These interventions inevitably lead to bitter civil wars, catastrophic refugee situations and regional instability and tension. In this context the world community must continue to demand an end to the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. My Government supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to bring about a political solution to this problem.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The General Assembly must call for the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Lebanon and must reaffirm Lebanon's internationally recognized borders. It must also demand withdrawal from occupied Arab lands, including the Holy City of Jerusalem, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, and must continue its support for recognition of the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. It is a matter of profound regret to us that Iran and Iraq, two non-aligned States, have not been able to resolve their differences by peaceful means and that grievous loss of life and destruction of property continue to be suffered by both sides in the conflict between them.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The world community has long condemned apartheid in South Africa as a crime against humanity. Today, in defence of that crime, the Pretoria regime uses increasingly brutal measures to crush internal opposition to its racist minority rule. My Government strongly supports the many General Assembly resolutions directed at the solution of the southern African problem, and we call on those States most closely involved to show the necessary political will to implement them. The Middle East is of course another area where principle and practice are far apart. Israel continues to ignore the prescriptions for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian problem, and the effects of Israel's unwarranted invasion of Lebanon last year are still evident in the human suffering, the devastation of large areas and the fuelling of political instability.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It is plain that we inhabit a dangerous world and this new and serious efforts must be made to make it a more safe and stable one. I believe that as a first step Member States must be prepared to put long-term global objectives before short-term interests. I turn now to southern African issues which have serious implications for international as well as for regional peace and security. South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia is not only defiance of the authority of the United Nations but a continuing cause of regional conflict. In our view, Security Council resolution 435 (1978) is the only valid basis for Namibian independence, and we believe the Council must take effective action to carry out its responsibilities towards the Namibian people.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Pressing as these questions are, they pale into insignificance when we consider the threat of nuclear war which hangs over the world. It is a threat that will continue while the great Powers pursue the nuclear arms race and while the decisions of the special sessions on disarmament remain unimplemented. The potential for nuclear confrontation to cause dangerous and tragic incidents was graphically illustrated by the recent shooting down of the commercial airliner KAL flight 007, which resulted in the tragic loss of 269 innocent lives. This incident has justifiably caused worldwide concern. We hope that the response of the world community will lead to the strengthening of international arrangements for the safety of air travel and will help to ensure that a tragedy of this kind will never occur again.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“I need hardly point out that United Nations efforts to end racism and colonialism in southern Africa continue to be thwarted; that the provisions of key resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council on Middle East questions are being deliberately pre-empted while turmoil and conflict remain chronic in the area; and that the call of the vast majority of Member States for the withdrawal of forces of occupation and military aggression in the Horn of Africa, western Asia, South-East Asia, southern Africa, the Middle East and other areas has gone unheeded. In these and other areas of the world the brutal suppression of the right to self-determination, independence and national sovereignty has led inevitably to instability and conflict.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“Indeed, looking ahead to the fifth decade of the existence of the United Nations, it is difficult to picture a world where international relations are based firmly on the principles of the Charter and on those equally important instruments that stem from the Charter. Certainly, as we examine the many questions on our agenda which deal with threats to peace and security, we cannot fail to note the wide gap which separates these issues from the solutions devised for them by the international community.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“The Secretary-General has undertaken a number of personal initiatives to promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts. I wish to express here my admiration for the patient and constructive diplomacy that attended the use of his good offices and for his energetic execution of the complex tasks assigned to him. The deterioration in the world situation which has taken place since the last session of the General Assembly is, I am sure, a matter of grave concern to us all. The thirty-eighth session is taking place, regrettably, against a background of escalating regional conflicts and heightened world tension, and the outlook for the future is not promising.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“It gives me great pleasure, Sir, to extend to you my warm congratulations on your well-deserved election as President of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly. In your career as a diplomat you have shown excellent qualities of wisdom and statesmanship, and you come from a country which has always given strong support to the principle of collective security. I am sure that under your presidency the affairs of this session will receive wise and efficient guidance. I assure you of the co-operation of my delegation in the tasks that lie ahead. I thanks for this opportunity to express to Mr. Imre Hollai my delegation's appreciation of the competence and energy he displayed in directing the affairs of the thirty-seventh session.”
1983-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 38 (1983)
“As the agenda shows, the responsibilities under-taken by the international community under the aegis of the United Nations range from the sea-bed to outer space. The nexus of relationships and responsibilities established in less political fields will not easily be broken. In the last resort the United Nations remains an unparalleled centre for international diplomacy and mankind's best hope for peace.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“In conclusion 1 should like to observe that, while there is undoubted cause for deep concern over the inability of the United Nations to solve inter-national political problems, it is important that the blame for this situation be ascribed not to the Organization and the Charter but to those who treat the obligations of membership with indifference, neglect or contempt and who are prepared to su1pport the world body only when its decisions conform to their interest. As the Secretary-General points out in his report, in the context of the peaceful settlement of disputes, we site lack a binding sense of international community believe, however, that a sense of inter-national community has developed through the wide-ranging achievements of the United Nations in social, economic and humanitarian fields. 262.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)
“My Government joins in calling on the developed countries to co-operate in the launching of global negotiations-an initiative which could give new impetus to the implementing of established development goals. The steadily increasing gap between rich and poor countries cannot be in the interest of peace with progress. We hope it win be understood that the economic arrangement of the past cannot justly serve the needs of an interdependent world, that the peace and stability so desperately need\ d today go hand in hand with economic growth and, finality that it will be for the benefit of all if the poorer countries are helped to develop their resources to the point where they in turn can contribute to a prosperous world economy. 261.”
1982-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 37 (1982)