YouSaid · the spoken record

Wickman

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS WICKMAN

lines on the record: 74
first: 1971-09-24
most recent: 1973-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“The United Nations is to serve man's longing for peace both by efforts to prevent breaches of the peace and by promoting developments which lessen the risk of conflicts. In the settlement of problems which concern the basic living conditions of people everywhere, all States, large and small, have a right to participate. The task of the United Nations is therefore more important than ever.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“When the world Organization»increasingly devotes itself to those questions, it is the expression of a realistic awareness of the interrelationship between economics and politics, I between the distribution of wealth and peace, between freedom from hunger and freedom from fear. Perhaps many people regard it as over ambitious when our Organization strives to encompass this entire field. But an Organization whose task it is to represent all mankind cannot but involve itself in all the problems which concern the peoples in the various parts of the world. The solving of these problems is the prerequisite for the realization of the goals which are contained in the Charter of this Organization.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“This work can now be pursued through the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme. Also in the case of the energy crisis there should be a role for the United Nations in searching for solutions which take account of the interests of the smaller and economically weaker States. 41. Many of the problems, which I have only been able to outline in my statement, are being studied and discussed very thoroughly within the United Nations family. This takes place against the background of the new possibilities and risks created by rapid technological development.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“There is strongly increasing awareness of the dangers which threaten the human environment. The immediate threats are greatest where industrial development has been most rapid. As environmental standards are raised, industrialization in the developing countries is burdened by a cost factor which today's rich nations did not have to cope with in the corresponding phase of their history. The rising cost of energy creates similar problems. The questions of environment and energy demonstrate the interdependence of nations, but views and interests must inevitably vary according to the particular conditions of each country. In the environmental field the United Nations has already made important contributions towards the formulation of an international policy.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It is the hope of the Swedish Government that these proposals will be made more concrete at the FAO conference later this autumn. The proposal of the United States Secretary of State for the convening of a global food conference in 1974 under the auspices of the United Nations [2124th meeting] is welcome as part of the efforts to attract world attention to the problem of hunger. The countries and regions hit by famine have in common, besides difficult climatic conditions, underdevelopment and generally low productivity. A long- term solution to the food problem of the developing countries can only be reached through increased production of foodstuffs within these countries. Such increased production is in turn dependent upon fundamental structural reforms combined with social and economic rural development. 40.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“As long as the deep gulf between the industrialized and the developing countries remains, there will be unrest and tension, which can spark new conflicts. From this point of view too it is urgent that the development strategy of the United Nations be pursued forcefully. 39. The General Assembly meets at a time when the distribution and utilization of the world's resources confront us with ever more serious problems. Catastrophic famine occurs ever more frequently in certain parts of the world. Support for the World Food Programme must therefore be strengthened. Immediate action is required to create, reserves of foodstuffs. The proposals made by the Director- General of the Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO\ should be fully supported.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“This Organization and its Member States are faced with the immediate and pressing obligation to assist the victims of oppression. A large-scale humanitarian endeavour is needed to provide «. safe haven for refugees of various nationalities. The appeal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to Member States to receive refugees from Chile should be met by their speedy and positive reaction. 38. The developing countries, which represent an overwhelming part of the world population, are today struggling with enormous political and economic problems. The readiness of the industrialized countries to support them in their efforts is clearly inadequate. In fact, the policies of the rich countries tend to counteract in important respects the goal of international equality.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Particularly serious are those cases in which brutal military intervention in favour of privileged groups is directed against Governments which strive to bring about a more equitable society. The latest example is Chile, where the fight against the popularly elected Government finally took the form of naked military violence. Economic interests outside the country also contributed to the evolution which led to the coup. Salvador Allende has given his life for the sake of the poor. Members of his government have been arrested, Parliament has been dissolved and political parties have been banned. Resistance-fighters are being persecuted and killed. 37. Events in Chile have aroused a wave of protest around the world. That this has happened is important. That the protest does not die down is important.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“For this Organization, the protection of human rights has been a central issue ever since it was founded. But we can make no progress in this field without the support of a vigilant public opinion which condemns all forms of violence. The strivings for detente must not lead us to refrain from creating such an opinion. When we succeed in crystallizing this opinion in international recommendations or conventions which gain adherence from a significant number of countries, we are then making an important contribution to the long-term stabilization of peace. Essential progress in this area has already been achieved through various United Nations conventions and through the growing number of adhering countries. 36. The use of force within States can manifest itself in many forms.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Not so many years ago Governments in the East and in the West proudly pointed to the fact that they had abolished capital punishment. Only two years ago the General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing the desirability of the abolition of capital punishment in all countries [resolution 2857 (XXVI)]. The renaissance of capital punishment, which appears to be under way, can only be described as a historic setback. It is important that the United Nations be instrumental in creating a strong public opinion against superstitious ideas as to the effectiveness of capital punishment and against the contempt for human life of which the application of capital punishment is an expression. 35. The defence of human rights is clearly linked to the defence of peace. It is therefore a concern of all States.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In its Universal Declaration on Human Rights the United Nations has decreed an absolute ban on torture. This ban has been repeated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [see resolution 2200 A (XXI)]. All Members of the United Nations voted in favour of this ban, which, consequently, is now part of common international law. If all States ratify this Covenant, protection against torture will be strengthened, especially if individuals are given the right to appeal to the international body to be established in accordance with the Covenant. And we should also consider whether, in order to make the ban effective, the question of torture should not be discussed also as a separate matter, not only as part of the said Covenant. 34.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In South Africa the policy of apartheid is being pursued and the growing opposition of the majority is met with new acts of violence. 32. All States which are dedicated to human rights, democracy and national independence ought to find it natural to give moral and material support to the realization of these principles in southern Africa. 33. In recent years world opinion has become increasingly aware of the use of torture in connexion with armed conflicts and internal political conflicts in different countries. The efforts to ban torture must never stop. One of the achievements of the great French Revolution was an explicit ban on torture. Since then, nearly two centuries have passed, but the fact remains that these abominable methods are accepted by Governments in various parts of the world.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Portugal has ignored the request of the Security Council to start negotiations with all parties concerned for the purpose of enabling the African peoples to exercise their right to self-determination and independence. It is now up to the Security Council to decide what attitude to take in the face of this open defiance of its own earlier request. 31. The situation in southern Africa is particularly serious because of the co-operation between Portugal, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa. This co-operation grows more evident every day in the political, economic and military fields. The sanctions against Southern Rhodesia are being systematically violated by Portugal and South Africa. The people of Namibia is still being denied the right to self- determination, which has been explicitly recognized by the world Organization.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Consultations are now under way among Member States to prepare for such an investigation to be decided upon by the General Assembly. The pressure of public opinion against the colonial policy of Portugal grows ever stronger. The increased humanitarian assistance to the liberation movements in Africa is an expression of international opposition to the remnants of colonialism. 29. The General Assembly has before it the report of the International Conference of Experts for the Support of Victims of Colonialism and Apartheid in Southern Africa, held at Oslo from 9 to 14 April 1973 [A/9061], organized by the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity. We are confident that the Assembly will welcome this report as an important contribution to the discussion of how to solve the problem in southern Africa. 30.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“To be truly effective, such general rules must be supplemented by special bans, for instance on napalm and other incendiary weapons, as well as on the equivalent in our time of the dumdum bullet, namely, high- velocity weapons. 28. In southern Africa the demands of the peoples for freedom and self-determination are countered by oppression and by an increasingly brutal use of force. There are ever more frequent reports about Portugal's inhuman warfare in Africa. Testimony concerning the massacres in Mozambique last summer caused the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to demand an international investigation.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The rules of international law have not been adjusted to new types of conflict and new weapons or to new methods of warfare created by an accelerating evolution of military technology. The world conference to be held in Geneva early next year to deal with these matters is therefore of greatest importance. 26. The monstrous effects of air warfare on civilians must be limited by a ban on area bombing and on acts of destruction which threaten the survival of the civilian population. 27. The conference should not content itself with a mere confirmation of the present general ban on the use of conventional weapons which cause unnecessary suffering or of weapons which, by their construction or use, lead to indiscriminate destruction.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In spite of the unequivocal request made by the General Assembly last year, no progress has been made towards a comprehensive test-ban treaty. 24. The General Assembly should now carefully consider by what methods new impetus could be given to the disarmament work. This is a task in which all Member States must actively involve themselves. It appears more and more absurd that such a large part of the material and scientific resources that should be seen as common to all mankind are now allocated to the arms race. 25. So long as we are not successful in our endeavours to avoid armed conflicts, it is all the more urgent to use every opportunity of limiting brutality and of protecting non- combatants.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“22. Although they are not directly connected with the Conference, preparations are now under way for negotiations on the reduction of armed forces in Central Europe. The Swedish Government hopes that in this field concrete results will be achieved that will be designed to increase security, not least for the small European States. 23. As regards the efforts within the framework of the United Nations to reach results in the field of disarmament, the situation is deeply discouraging. For the second consecutive year the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament comes empty-handed to the General Assembly. Ten years ago the partial test-ban Treaty1 was signed. In that Treaty the parties clearly committed themselves to trying, by continued negotiations, to achieve a complete ban on all nuclear tests.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The Conference must be seen as a complement to the efforts of the United Nations to safeguard international peace. It is important to stress that the task of the Conference is to solve problems in Europe, not to promote the interests of European States in other parts of the world. 20. The very fact that 35 States, at the initial stage of that Conference in Helsinki, were able to agree on a programme for the continued work of the Conference is an important step forward. However, patience and hard work will be needed if the Conference is to fulfil what international opinion expects from it. 21. I At the Conference Sweden has stressed that, in discussions on security in Europe, the question of disarmament cannot reasonably be ignored and that the policy of detente ought to be supported and confirmed by measures in the field of disarmament.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“In the first instance, the many political prisoners must be released and the hundreds of thousands of refugees must be given the right and the possibility of returning to their homes. The hard-hit people of Cambodia must have the right to shape their own future free from outside interference. 18. In Europe the most important result of detente is that it has made a settlement between the two German States possible. This settlement has in turn been an important contribution to the continued process of detente. The Swedish Government is happy to welcome the entry of the two German States as Members of the world Organization. This event does not affect the right of the German people to achieve reunification by negotiation. 19. The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe is an essential element of the continued trend towards detente.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The war that has ravaged Indo-China for so long has deeply engaged world opinion. It must be a source of satisfaction to us all that last January in Paris the parties to the war reached an agreement leading to the withdrawal of the American forces and creating hopes of peace in all the Indo-Chinese States. Subsequently, the American bombings in Cambodia have also ceased under pressure from strong public opinion within and outside the United States. It has been possible to start reconstruction work in North Viet-Nam after the devastation of the war, and the parties in Laos have agreed to a peaceful settlement; but fighting still goes on in South Viet-Nam and in Cambodia. It is necessary to find a solution to the political problems of South VietNam in accordance with the stipulations of the Paris agreement.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Several of them have played important roles in the military build-up. Now that full-scale war has broken out, they must contribute effectively towards a political solution of the conflict. At the same time, it is in the interest of everyone that the involvement of the super-Powers should not lead to a confrontation between them. If one dares discern any encouraging clement in today's sombre picture, it is the attitude of relative restraint that has been shown by the super-Powers during the present conflict. Their wish to pursue the policy of detente might facilitate the efforts to find a solution. 16. There is every reason to welcome the desire of the super-Powers to replace, in their mutual relations, confrontations with dialogue. Their effort towards detente has manifested itself in various parts of the world. 17.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“But time has been allowed to pass and the possibilities contained in that resolution have not been explored in earnest. 14. What is now happening in the Middle East was preceded by large-scale acts of warfare and by serious violations of State sovereignty. It was also preceded by a wave of terror and counter-terror, which left no part of the world "untouched. The fact that the United Nations so far has proved unable to solve the serious problems of international terrorism is to a large extent due to the lack of a settlement of the conflict in the Middle East. 15. The situation in the Middle East places a heavy responsibility on the parties to the conflict. But an important part of the responsibility also falls on the great Powers which for a long time have been deeply involved in the area.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Israel and its neighbours have lived in a state of permanent tension with repeated outbreaks of violence. The aim must be a settlement which takes account of the legitimate interests of all the peoples concerned and which establishes security for all States in the region within recognized frontiers. No solution to this problem will be found by one party or another demonstrating its military superiority. Whatever the outcome of the present war, the risk of renewed military confrontations will remain as long as the parties are not able to agree on a common political solution. 13. The guiding principles for such a solution are expressed in Security Council resolution 242 (1967), of November 1967. These principles retain their full validity.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“The international community is shocked by what is now happening in the Middle East. The immediate reaction must be a passionate appeal for peace. 11. The fact that war is now raging in the Middle East represents a failure for the United Nations. The area concerned has for more than 25 years attracted the special attention of the world Organization. The competent United Nations organs have throughout this period sought roads to a durable peace in the Middle East. The point of departure was the creation of the State of Israel, which was based on a decision of the General Assembly [resolution 181 (II)]. The existence of Israel is a long-established fact. 12. Ever since the founding of Israel the future of the Palestinian Arabs has been uncertain.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“9. I am very pleased to be able to associate my delegation with the congratulations that have already been addressed to Ambassador Benites on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. The fact that an eminent son of Latin America is this year presiding over our deliberations is a fitting tribute to the ever more important role that the countries and peoples of that continent are playing in world affairs. 10. The prevention of war is the primary task of the United Nations. War means human suffering. The wars in our time not only affect the men at the battlefront; they are also a threat to the entire civilian population. The longer a war, the greater the risk of ever-escalating violence and of the use of more brutal methods of warfare. There is also an increased risk that the war may spread to other countries.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“That is the only way in which we can proceed towards a world of greater equality and stability. 96. We all have a responsibility for the future of mankind. Our national and regional problems cannot be isolated from our common and global problems. The search for solutions must be a joint effort of all the peoples of the world. The hopes of mankind for a brighter future remain centered on the United Nations. The United Nations must not betray these hopes.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“I have stated the views of my Government on some specific-but often interrelated-questions which are of special relevance for the international community at this time. Organized international co-operation for the maintenance of peace, of which the United Nations is the supreme manifestation, has aimed primarily at preventing changes of existing frontiers and treaty obligations by violent means. As a result, the preservation of status quo has often been regarded as the cardinal task of a policy for peace. But that cannot be the ultimate goal. The status quo alone cannot constitute the basis for a lasting peace. We must recognize at an early stage those tensions which necessitate change. We must continue to work for peaceful change in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This applies, for example, to the problems how the resources of the oceans and the sea-bed recognized by the United Nations as the common heritage of mankind should be exploited for the benefit of all peoples, and how the results of the "green revolution" can best be utilized to serve the masses of people in the developing countries. 94. In view of the immense problems confronting mankind it is natural to attach increasing importance to the United Nations. This is true not least for the problem of how the world's population growth can be regulated. A penetrating analysis of the population problems can be expected at the forthcoming United Nations World Population Conference. It is to be hoped that all Member States will make constructive contributions to that conference. 95.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“We are convinced that a general positive attitude will manifest itself as this Assembly now takes the next step towards an international environment policy. Our collective will to contribute to a better environment is a prerequisite for our being able to hand over to coming generations a world where life is possible and where life is worth living. 93. The deterioration of the human environment inevitably raises questions concerning the amount of available resources on our earth and of their distribution. These questions have a vital influence on international relations. They can find a just solution only through co-operation between States on an equal footing.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It is our hope that the Assembly as a whole will endorse the results of the Stockholm Conference, which can be considered as the first important step towards continuous and permanent co-operation within the whole United Nations family on problems of the human environment. My Government pledges its support for the establishment of a Governing Council for Environmental Programs, for an environment secretariat and for an environment fund. We in the rich countries who contribute so much to pollution have a special responsibility to pursue the work that has just started. However, more and more Governments in developing countries are anxious to integrate active environment policies into their programs for economic and social development.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“To a far greater extent than anyone could foresee when the Organization was created, the United Nations has become an indispensable instrument for overcoming those tensions inside and between nations which might be provoked by technological progress and industrial development. 92. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in June, focused our attention on problems which are of vital concern for both rich and poor nations. As the host country for the Conference, we noted with satisfaction the wide participation of States Members of the United Nations in the Conference, but regret that political disagreement prevented a truly universal representation.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The primary and immediate responsibility of all developed countries is to fulfill their commitments concerning development assistance made in the Strategy for the Second Development Decade. The Swedish Government remains committed to the pledges made when the International Development Strategy was adopted. We note with regret that a number of industrialized countries are tending to cut back on their total development assistance. 91. The increasingly important role of development cooperation in the work of the United Nations is a reflection of the great changes which have taken place in the world since our Organization came into being.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The normative function of the United Nations, which is central to its work, is manifested in the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade [resolution 2626 (XXV)]. One of the basic objectives of the Strategy is to ensure that progress in a developing country works to the benefit of all its citizens. This objective has important implications for the policies of both poor and rich countries. It calls for far-reaching reforms of the social structure in many developing countries, as well as for greater economic independence. Demands for changes in the economic relations between rich and poor countries are an expression of this struggle for independence. The rich countries must respond in a positive manner to these demands.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Humanitarian assistance to the liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea (Bissau) in accordance with United Nations resolutions can be taken as a manifestation of the donor countries' opposition to the policy of oppression, 88. The United Nations has so far been unable to eliminate racial oppression in southern Africa. All the same, we must not underestimate the importance of the fact that through the United Nations world attention has been focused on this tragic problem. 89. Today the United Nations plays an important role in international development co-operation. My Government wishes to see this role increase in importance, because in the United Nations more than anywhere else this cooperation is based on respect for the right of all States to form their own destinies. 90.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“This minority openly defies the repeated decisions of the Security Council and aims at wearing down world resistance to its illegal regime. Effective sanctions against the Smith regime are still imperative. Every evasion of the sanctions must be condemned. 87. Portugal bears a special responsibility in this context, as it obviously allows its colonies to serve as a channel for illegal trade with Rhodesia. At the same time the Portuguese Government persists in its colonial policies, which have repeatedly been condemned by an overwhelming majority of the Member States of the United Nations. These policies are in open conflict with fundamental principles of the United Nations.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It consolidates an order where the prosperity of the white minority is derived from the poverty of the non-white majority. The policy of apartheid is far more deliberate, systematic and consistent that the manifestations of racial discrimination found in other parts of the world. By its very essence apartheid constitutes a challenge to the international community. 85. It cannot be accepted that apartheid should prevail also in Namibia. The Swedish Government welcomes the Secretary-General's recent actions with regard to this problem. We support all efforts to further real self-determination and independence for Namibia. 86. With deep concern we see the ideas of apartheid gaining ground among the white minority in Rhodesia.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“When a Government forces an ethnic minority into exile, it not only commits an offense against basic principles of human coexistence but also adds further to the world's increasingly difficult and tragic refugee problems. To observe silence in the face of such events would compromise the credibility of the struggle against racial oppression-one of the major commitments of the United Nations. 84. The systematic oppression which has been instituted and consolidated in southern Africa occupies a position of its own in the history of conflicts between races and peoples. There must be no weakening of international pressure against the apartheid regime of South Africa and its allies. Apartheid differs from other forms of oppression in that the system rests on an ideological basis of naked contempt for races other than the white.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“My Government welcomed the Secretary- General's proposal for the inclusion of such problems on our agenda fA/8791 and Add.l], and the Swedish delegation will co-operate in efforts to take efficient international measures against these forms of violence. This does not, however, absolve individual Member States from taking adequate measures to the same end. 83. While tackling the problem of how to fight international terrorism, we must not fail to react when individual Governments gravely encroach upon the rights of human beings on account of their ethnic origin. When whole communities in a country are subjected to violence on such grounds, public opinion in other countries naturally reacts with particular vigor.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“There may be cases where the inclination of a regime to suppress by violent means every form of opposition sparks desperate acts of violence from those oppressed. In order to find long-term solutions to these problems we have to identify and eliminate the underlying causes of violence. In many cases these causes may be intolerable injustices. 82. The urgency of solving these long-range problems does not absolve us from the responsibility of tackling the acute problems, which certain forms of international terrorism confront us with. Whatever the motive, the international community cannot possibly tolerate such actions as the hijacking of aircraft, the taking of hostages, or the murder of persons engaged in peaceful activities outside their own countries.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“In this way a possibility has been created within the United Nations to focus attention on consistent patterns of gross and reliably attested violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We consider that the results of these studies should also be made public. Within international organizations we will continue to press for more effective measures to safeguard human rights, regardless of national frontiers. A vigilant international public opinion is an important contribution to the protection of those rights. 81. Where there is suppression of human rights, there is usually also a tendency to resort to violence in internal conflicts. To condone violence in such conflicts could undermine the inhibitions against the use of force also in relations between States.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The struggle for human rights in Europe has registered serious set-backs in recent years. This applies in particular to developments in Greece and Czechoslovakia. In spite of repeated assurances, the Greek Government has failed to embark upon the road back to democracy. In Czechoslovakia the proponents of the ideas of 1968 have been subjected to increased pressure. 80. The difficulties involved in finding methods to safeguard respect for human rights are well known. The Swedish Government welcomes the fact that since 1970 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has been authorized to receive and analyze individual complaints regarding violations of human rights.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“But it is not enough to normalize and stabilize the situation. Determined efforts are needed to achieve a fruitful exchange and co-operation among all States in Europe. It is our hope that a conference on security and co-operation in Europe will contribute significantly to this development. 78. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is our common guideline in the efforts to secure, in the words of the Declaration, "the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" [resolution 217(111)]. For centuries the struggle for human rights has played a particularly important role in Europe. This struggle has known both victories and defeats, and such rights have rarely been extended to peoples in other continents living under the supremacy of European Powers. 79.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“In the Middle East, pressure from the international community is essential if peace and detente are to be achieved. The fact that a cease-fire has, by and large, been effective for more than two years is of course gratifying. This circumstance must not, however, become a reason for our relaxing our efforts to reach a solution based on Security Council resolution 242 (1967). The Swedish Government reiterates its support for the Secretary-General and his Special Representative in their endeavors to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. 77. The detente in Europe was greeted with great satisfaction by many speakers here last year. In this year's general debate we are able to register further progress in this respect. Strong forces are at work for a normalization of relations between the European States.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The question of Korea's representation can be seen in a similar light. Korea has been a special concern of the United Nations ever since the early days of the world Organization. Divergent views on responsibility for the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950 should no longer prevent us from considering dispassionately the Korean problem and the role that the United Nations can and should play in this matter. We welcome the efforts of the North and South Korean Governments to improve neighborly relations. The international community has every reason to follow closely the development of relations between the two Korean States. If those two States were more widely recognized by other States this would probably contribute to detente and peace in that part of the world. 76.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Such a conference, in which all States should participate, could also give new impetus to continued efforts in the sphere of disarmament in general. 74. Last year's decision on China's representation in the United Nations [resolution 2758 (XXVI)] was an important step towards that universality which should be the goal of our Organization. The question of the representation of divided States presents us with specific problems which are not necessarily identical from case to case. Where reunification seems remote, the participation of such States in the work of the United Nations becomes particularly essential. The process of detente in Europe gives rise to hopes that the two German States will soon be able to join the United Nations. Both can make valuable contributions to our work. 75.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“It is a matter of concern that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [resolution 2373 (XXII)] has not yet attracted sufficient support. The readiness of the non-nuclear States to accede to the Treaty is, of course, related to the willingness of the nuclear Powers, for their part, to contribute to armaments control and disarmament. From this point of view the agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union on the limitation of strategic arms is a step in the right direction, although this is not disarmament in the real sense of the word. We must now hope for further binding agreements in the disarmament field between the super-Powers. 73. However, all nuclear Powers must take an active part in future disarmament efforts. An opportunity for such participation would be offered by a world disarmament conference.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“Some of the problems I have mentioned fall within the purview of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament. As for others, we shall have to consider further which bodies are the most appropriate to tackle them. 71. Under all circumstances, disarmament efforts within the framework of the United Nations must be continued energetically and must concentrate on particularly urgent issues, where it seems realistic to hope for results in the foreseeable future. A total ban on nuclear weapons tests and such tests are still being carried out undiminished in number and in strength appears to offer such hopes. The objections raised concerning the verification of underground nuclear testing are no longer valid. 72.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“The report on napalm and other incendiary weapons, soon to be presented to us by the Secretary- General, will no doubt provide us with a valuable basis for discussions on such a ban. Increased knowledge of the effects of modern weaponry should also serve to alert public opinion to the necessity of decisive international action in this field. 69. It is deplorable that the international community should today have to concern itself with modernizing the laws of war. We should all have preferred to concentrate on rules for the peaceful and harmonious coexistence of all peoples. Nevertheless, we must tackle the task of limiting, by way of mandatory and precise rules, the suffering and devastation brought about by war. World-wide popular support should be mobilized to that end. 70.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)
“All use of weapons and methods of warfare causing unnecessary suffering must be subjected to international prohibition. A beginning was made with the 1925 Geneva Protocol covering chemical and bacteriological warfare. In 1969, the General Assembly affirmed the comprehensive nature of that Protocol [resolution 2603 (XXIV)]. Consequently, the Protocol also bans the use of tear gas and herbicides. We must urge unreserved respect for this prohibition by all States. We must go even further. Dumdum bullets were forbidden at the turn of the century because they caused unnecessary suffering. Now, by means of international conventions, we must impose a similar ban on a number of modern weapons which are particularly cruel.”
1972-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 27 (1972)