A/11/PV.668 General Assembly

The General Assembly has before it a report on the Israel withdrawal. [AI3568]. I wo~ld li~e ta snpplement the report w1th the latest av:ulable 1l1formation. 13~. The ,last Israel troops cleared Rafah Camp nt 16. ~5 hoU! s GMT yesterday, 7 Mareh. Thercait(,f. there were no Israel troops in the Gaza strip. 140. United Nations Emergency Force troops cnteree! Sharm el Sheikh at 16.00 hou l':; {;:"!T l( Ilkt\' /'{ March. The Israel withdrawal by sea is proceeding' as pSlha~ned. By now, no Israel forces rel11aill in ~hûrm (,1 e1kh T" 1 d • , . ' .or on 1ran .1S an '. However, a numbcr of ~aused enormous material destruction 'both in Egyptian territory and in the Palestinian-Arab areas. Although material destruct on can be repaired, there is no way to redeem the killing and murdering of innocent Arab people and the suffering of those who were subjected to planned terror and deprivation. 171. Now that the curtain has ,fallen on the last ad of this tragedy, VlThic.'1 has been a challenge to the Charter of the United Nations and to all humanitarian prinQpl~s, it becomes the duty of this august body and of all those who work for peace and civilization to ponder the shortcomings of our machinery for peace with a v1ew to its completion and perfection. If the events of the last four months would lead to 'Such constructive action as I have suggested, it could then be said that the satisfaction demonstrated by some has certain justification. But in case our ·satisfaction is confined to our success in averting the spread of the war to other parts of the world and to the temporary triumph of the rule of international law, we would be indulging in nn more than wishful thinking. 172. In. any case, it is hardly necessarv for me to refer to the forces which have brought the aggressors to order. They had better remain unspecified to avoid what some people call "ideological argumentation". But are the memory and foresight of man so short as to be able to forget how the two world wars were started? Or how certain circles acted from behind the scenes? The memory of man is not so short. While some people are misled by the inculcation of false ideas and conceptions through educati~al systems and propaganda of all description, others are positively aware of the misrepresentations made of the truth. There is nothing more illustrative of the ·latter type of people than the British people, who reacted under the leadership of the Labour Party, against their Government's act of aggression, and thus hrought about L~e downfall of Sir Anthony Eden and his Government. Moreover, the fact that .the tripartite aggression has been condemned practically everywhere in the world. shows dearly that the false campaigns of propaganda ,launched by the aggressors in justification of their criminal action were not able to lnisIead world public opinion as to the true intentions of the aggressors. The various decisions of the Assembly have received unqualified -support the world over. It gives us a large measure of satisfaction to know that at least fourfifths of the human race 'Stood ben ' t the resolutions of this august body. This covers all Asia, Africa, Latin America and the greater part of North Ameri<;a, the Soviet Union and the people's democracies, and' the overwhelming majority in Western Europe, as welt as cert~jn people and Powers who think and act according to the principles and teclmiques of power politics. It is, therefore, not only a matter of liquidating certain acts of aggression; it is, in fact, a matter of how to liquidate the forces which give birth to all kinds of aggression. This is the fundamental task of the United Nations and rf all States which work for peace and progress. 166. The tripartite aggression against Egypt and the finBJI withdrawCl!I of all aggressive forces from Bgyptian territory and the Gaza strip under the pressure of the United Nations leave us with mixed feelings of sadness and satisfaction. I should :first like to refer briefly to the reasons which cause a feeling of sadness. We feel sad for these reasons. 167. First, we recognize that, after a destructive total war in the age of the United Nations, there exist States which still believe in solving t..'1eiidifferences by means of war. t~ies ,,:e1come aIl kinds of assistance, provided it is glven 111. a regL11~r way. We refuse to be parties to any dealmgs 1;>ehm~ ~he counter, as we have paid dearl:y for aIl Impenallst black-market and s111uggling practIces. 175. Last but not least, this aet of aggression has proved to the world, in the most practical way what we have been telling it for the past ten years n'amely t?at Israel constitutes a constant danger to the estab~ lIshment of peaceful conditions in the Middle East. We have often pointed out that the creation of Israel was nothing but an imperialist device to be utilized for the economic and politieal domination of the Arab Middle ~ast ~n~ that it is ~othing but a bridge-head for future amp.enallst aggresslO~, not only against us but also agamst other <:ount:les. Tt has often heen repeated, ~nd l h01?e not 111 vam, that, unless peace is maintained 111 the MIddle East, the danger of world war will never he averted. Let it 'he known that there is nothing more dear tD the heart of every Arab than to live in peace and to be able to benefit from the fruits of modern pro~ress.. Yye have been prevented first by domination by ImpenalIsts and lat~r ~y the creation of their puppet ~tate, I.sra~l, from aChleV1l1g our peaceful and progres- SIve obJ ecbves. I7? T~s ~s a.:11 the outcome of a decision based on unJust pnncIples. The United Nations instead of suggesting th~ assimilation of the Jews of the world into th.e countnes where they were liv:ing, decided to open Wlde ta them the doors of Palestme, to the detriment of the people of that country. How happy they wou1d d~eply we A:abs have .been ~ol1ched by aH the support ~lven to us m COnneXlOl1 wlth t~le question of Egypt m the Assembly. Many delegatlOns have manifested a spirit of profol1nd understanding and appreciation of the just cause for which we stand. Our thanks go to the African-Asian States, whose relentless efforts f?r the cause. ~f peace and justice surpass a11 descriptIon, The untmng efforts of the Indian delegation, and of ~r, Krishna ~enon in particular, deserve special mentlOn. The Umted States and the Latin-American States have, no doubt, made considerable efforts in support of the United Nations Charter and in bringing about the results we have witllessed. The United States in particular, h,as assumed the greater part of the burden of obtammg the settlement of the confliet in a spirit cOl:sonan~ with its poliey of peace and justice. The SOVIet Ul1l0n and the people's democracies have demonstrated a profound understanding of the real causes of the conflict in the Middle East and have been co-operative in bringing about the results achieved by the Assembly. 179. No one who has fo11owed the events of the past four months could have failed ta note the leading l'ole played by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Words of tha~ks !Jo doubt fa11. short in expressing our pro.found ac1mIratlOn and gratitude for the manner in ",:hlCh he has accomplished his duties in most difficult Clrcumstances..Ml'. Hammarskjold has proved once more .that he IS not only a distinguished inte11ectual and dlplomat, but also a great humanist. 180. In conclusion, l1:ay 1. be permitted ta express the h?p~ that no peopl.e 111 thls world shall again be the vlctuns of aggresslOn as the Egyptian people have heen and. that, no people shall be obliged to live as refugees 111 thelr owncountry as the Palestinian Arabs have been living for the past ten years. 181. Ml'. THORS (Iceland) : It is indeed gaod news to. the worl~ that all foreign fighting forces have been wlthdrawn from the territory of Egypt and that an e?d ~as thu? been put to a most serious situation, a sltuatlOn WhlCh could have led ta renewed fighting in the Middle East and which would have entailed untold ma,ssacre of human life and destruction of property. Tt 1S good n~ws to a11 people and a11 nations that desire ~rue peace 111 the world-peace in practice, not only 1:1 wor~s and th~ory. If the war-like situation had cont111ued m the MIddle East, it would soon have changed to an ali-out war th~re, and in a.:ll likelihoocl. that war would have spread wIdely, not only to the neighbouring Arab countries but elsewhere as weIl, for the great li problem about the United Nations Emergency Force. ~: Certainly that Force has been instrumental in bringing ~ about the present accomplishments, and my Governb ment is happy to be able to make its contribution by lof Tiran and the Suez Canal will in fact be solved, and solvedpositively. We also--and in this l am sure Iithat most, if not an, Members of the United Nations cssume and exp,et that the take-ovcr ;n the partidpating in this Force for peace. Here l should like to 'pay tribnte ta the Commander of the Force, Sh~rn1 el ?h~ikh is naturally, as we have stated before, entIre1y w1~hll1 the scope of its task, which was to ensure the w1thdrawa1 of the Israel forces; but the temporary and emergency character of the Force should never be disregarded. Tt was indeed on this basis that 111Y Government decided to participate in it. The name of the Force itself is explanatory of its temporary and emergency character. 1 need on1y refer to what my delegation 'said before the General Assembly on 1 February: ' "While we may agree that it may take some time to secure some stability in these regïons after complete withdrawa:l, it neverthe1ess cannot be the intention that the Force remain there over any unreasonable length of time, since it would thus be exceeding the temporary functions for which it was estab1ished and, in effect, assul11ing the character of an occupying force, a purpose for which it was definitely not created." [649th meeting, para. 155.] 213. Certain1y, it was a1so agreed that the Force could not stay in any of the areas in which it is now stationed without the consent of the Government of Egypt. This has been repeated1y emphasized a1so by the Secretary-Genera1 himself; in fact, the Secretary- General a1so drew attention, in his statement before the General Assembly on 22 February [659th meeting], to the fact that the take-over of Gaza from the military and the civilian control of Israel which, as has been the case, in the first instance would be exc1usively by the Force, should be orderly and safe as it had been elsewhere. 1 will al-so recall in this connexion that the Secretary-General, in his report of 24 January, stated: "Deployment of the Force in Gaza, under the reso1utions of the General Assembly, would have to he on the same basis as its deployment along the armistice line in the Sinai Peninsu1a. Any broader function for it in that area, in view of the terms of the Armistice Agreement and a recognized principle of international 1aw, would require the consent of Egypt. A widening of the United Nations administrative responsibilities in the area, beyond its responsibilities for the refugees, would 1ikewise have to be based on agreement with Egypt." [A13512, para. 14.] 214. With regard to resolution 1125 (XI), which will go into effect after the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Israel troops, the General Assemb1y may recall that Indonesia was one of the sponsors of the resollltion. My Government shares the view that the remaining problems affecting peace and security in the area after the complete withdrawal should be dealt with inconforn1ity with our responsibilities under the Charter. There is the Armistice Agreement, which 1 believe everyone agrees should be implemented in the way best ca1culated to secure better conditions for peace and stability in this trouh1ed area. My Government has consented ta the necessity, for the time being, and again with the consent of Egypt, to station the Force "on the Egyptian-Israel armistice demarcation line", as the resolution put it. This, however, shou1d not beconstrued as consent on our part to employ this Force, in whi~h In?onesia.par!icipates, indefinite1y on the dema;catlO11 l:ne, Wh1Ch lS unde~ ~1e jurisdiction of the Umtecl Nahons Truce SupervlSlon Organization. t~on and the Force will be maintained, that is to say S1l1ce the functions of the two more or less over1ap at this moment. 216. With regard to the work of UNRWA in the area, 1 welcome the statement made just now by the Secretary-General and share his appreciation for the work and the assistance given by the Director of UNRWA and his staff in Gaza in these difficult days for the refugee and non-refugee population of Gaza, My Government being a constant contributor, however small, to the finances of UNRWA, 1 should like to support strongly the appeal which the Secretary- General made to a11 Member States to supply the funds which are 50 badly needed for carry1ng out the noble task of UNRWA. 217. In regard to the other matter proposed in the Secretary-Genera:l's report of 24 January 1957 [AI 3512), the General Assembly may reca11 that different and conflicting Interpretations have been placed upon the scope and intent of these matters. My delegation is of the opinion that, whatever further measures or arrangements may be made, it should be cIear that they cannot and should not vio1ate the sovereignty of Egypt -which, by the way, was the victÎln of the aggression on its own territory, incIuding the Straits of Tiran, which are c1eady within the territorial waters of Egypt -and the rights of Egypt in the Gaza strip under the still-valid Armistice Agreement. It is, however, my Government's hope that the parties directly concerned will, given the necessary conditions for co-operation, be able to malœ their contribution to the solution of these difficult and comp1icated issues in a way which will be conducive to the promotion of peace and stability in the area. 218. In this respect we ShOllld also not forget the fate and indeed the human rights of the hundreds of thousands of Palestine refugees, rights guaranteed by the Charter and indeed by United Nations resolutions, not only in the Gaza strip, but a1so in other areas bordering Israel. Without a solution of this problem, even on a temporary hasis, no satisfaetory peace, let alone a permanent peace, can be achieved in that part of the wor·ld. 1 do not think that it is fitting at this moment to discuss or elaborate in detail upon all these problems, or upon what should or should not be done, since we do not want to comp1icate the efforts of the Secretary-Genefal1 who, as 1 understand from his report of today's date, intends to Btudy these matters further in the light of the opinions already expressed in the Assemb1y and in consultation with the parties directly concerned. My delegation is prepared to leave them for thorough study and consultations by the Secretary- General, while naturally reserving its right ta consider the questions in the way in which it has taken its stand. 219. 1 may end this statement by e:lGpressing my highest regard for and appreciation of the efforts now to he undertaken by the Secretary-General. Let us .hope that, if the General Assembly is ta consider these questions again at a future date, a better olimate will have been produced-which we always believed it was possible to create after the complete withdrawa1 of aIl invading forces-so that the Assemb1y will have a ~ 228. Mr. ULLRICH (Czechoslovakia): World public opinion, which unequivocally condemned the aggression against Egypt, expects from the United Nations, the full liquidation of this aggression and its consequences. It e:x:pects that the brutally violated, sovereign rights of Egypt, the victim of aggression, will be fully restored and that, in particular, the General Assembly wiU not permit any solution which would reward aggression or per,mit the aggressor ta take advantage of the present situation. The last of the aggressors, Israel, after several months of concentrated effort by the General Assembly, has now been forced. to withdraw from the positions gained . unlawfully by acts of aggression. 229. , It is only after unending obstructions a,.t1d delaying manOe1..w'res that the Israel troops are being withdrawn, as we learned from the report of the Secformu~as also with regard to the problems of navigation in the Gulf of Aqaba and in the Suez Canal. These actions, which are being carried out with the purpose of fostering simultaneously the aggressive plans of the United States in this area, undermine the authority of the United Nations and create a serious' threat to peace and security. They raise a. justified question as.to whether the next stage of the implementation of the Eisenhower doctrine will threaten anned intervention. 240. We consider that a just 'Solution of the con~ict in the Middle East is, above all, a task of the United Nations, which is the only body competent to take all necessary measures to bring about a full liquidation of the aggression and the complete restoration and protection of the sovereign rights of Egypt and other Arab countries. Any unilateral agreements between some of the Member States, .particularly between t.~ose which indulge in e!1couraging and rewarding. aggression, cannot be binding on our Organization, which must unequivocally insist on the fulfilment of the letter .and spirit of the General Assembly ·resolutions and -the full liquidation of the aggression, for which the aggressors must not escape responsibility. ~egal. It is the confident hope of my delegation that the United Nations wiH make the same progress in the implementation of the further phases of its effort that it has made in these early phases. . 250. As regards the other, the more long-range or $ubstantive, issues that have for so long plagued the tonnented Middle Eastern scene, my delegation, of course, has never denied the existence of these issues or the need to tackle them in due course. I would, in this connexion and by way of conclusion, like to quote from a statement made on 26 February by the Yugos[av Secretary of State ·for Foreign Affairs in the National Assembly of Yugoslavia. He said: "These issues will have to be approached constructively following the withdrawal of the Israel al"my. I am certain that the United Nations, hy exercising its great authority and relying on the efforts of all peace-loving countries, will do its utmost in this directi0l1. A positive solution by pea<::eful means of Arab-Israel differences is the only way of achieving a settlement in that region as well as a realization of conditions for indepenKlent political and economic development of the people who live there. This would be at the same time the safest way of preventing future interference from the outside and bringing to an end the conditions whereby this region is a battlefield of conflicting interests and harmful struggles among the great Powers/' th,~ remaining parts of the territory they had invaded has finally been completed. A tragic chapter of the Middle Eastern crisis that was opened more than four months ago with the attack against Egypt has thus been brouuht to a close. This is indeed a sign8!l triumph for the Unitd Nations and may well prove to be a mi1:'!stone in the .endeavours to strengthen the pe.a;;e of t1.le world. ~45. The United Nations has emerged victorious from what has clearly been a crucial test case. When l.h,~ Secu.::i.ty Council, ont.l-te proposal of 'b.'1e Yugoslav de1(~gai:~on [S/1719], decided to call the General Ass\'m1bl)r .!lit\} emergency &pedal session to deal with tbe s~tu,\tion in the Middle East [S/3721] , it was ~lt.~ar1y taking a bold 'step; yet it was taking the only stf.:P that it was possible to take in the circumstances. Eventshavt~ proved that it was fuLly justified in taking this step. . 246. The Gel~eraJ1 Assembly-I think it is not an oversta\tel".1ent to say-has magnifice21tlyHved up to the hr-avy l'f:spons.ibilities that were placed upon its 'shoul- ·'~2.tes that there is no room or Ole or right for the e..~ercise of belligerent acts by land or sea or air. We have noted the authoritative declarations of leading world statesmen that there is no reaSon to assume that belligerent acts will be practised by land or sea. We welcome this assumption and shall, of course, act in good ,faith upon it. The conscience of the world would surely be aroused to vehement shock and protest if, after the dangers we have faced and surmounted, any party were to have recourse to the assertion or to the exercise of a state of war. 254. On 28 January [645th meeting], I defined for the General Assembly the objectives which the Government and people of Israel have sought to achieve in this debate. The things we seek are simple things. We seek no Egyptian territory. We threaten no Egyptian interest. We seek to live without our men, women and children being 'liable to sudden death springing at their throats from Gaza and elsewhere. We wish our homes in the Negev and the coastal plain to maintain the peace that they have known for three months and not 1;>e brought back into the inferno that any prospect of an Egyptian occupation would involve. We seek to have our ships sail freely, equally with others, on international waterways. We seek lawful access to our own ports. We wish to be able to develop our trade and commerce with all nations, free from the warlike strangulation of blockades. These things are our rights. These are not acts of grace. Let us have these rights, and we shall respect the rights of others. It was in these terms that Israel's objectives were defined before the General Assembly a few weeks ago. 255. The people of Israel has been deeply moved by the wave of sympathy that has 'flooded towards it in its just and righteous cause from the public opinion of a great 'Part of the world. Never has Israel stood higher than today in the trust and the affection of countless multitudes of mankind. 256. I express Israel's tribute to all who have sus"" tained us in the ordeals of recent weeks. We join in the words of tribute spoken here to the President and to the Government and the delegation of the United States and to its Secretary of State, who spent so many careful hours in the study and elucidation of these problems. The eminent leaders and representatives of the Government of France played a decisive role in solving this ,deadlock at a Ja.ter, crucial phase. Not AGENDA ITEM: 25 Admission of new Members to the United Natiolls AnMIS~ION OF GHANA TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE 1jNITED NATIONS (concluded)

I should [ike to inform the General Assembly that the representative of Ghana has transmitted to me a message which he has just received from his Prime Minister and has asked whether I would be willing to read it out to the Assembly. I take pleasure in doing so. The message is as follows: "The admission of Ghana to the United Nations fulfils a long-cherished aspiration of its Gcvernment and people, and 9n their beha,J,f I should like to express my warm appreciation of the action of th~ General Assembly in responding so promptly to our request for admission. It is only two da.ys since Ghana attained independence as a free democra~y, and aur entry into the United Nations is the culmination of the process of our advance. I affirm the intention of the Government and people of Ghana to observe the principles and further the' purposes of the Charter. We are proud to take our place in the company of free nations in this great Organization and will bend our endeavours to pro~ote, in co-operation with our fellow Members, the common objects of the preservation of peace and the promotion of the progress, welfare and freedom of mankind." present~ its report, there·should be no unreasonable delay in its discussion and consideration by the General Assembly. 291. I can quite understand, of course, that this idea does not commend Itself to theorepresentative of the Soviet Union, but I imagine that even that representativ,e himself must be conscious of the weakness of the grounds on which his objection is based. Even he, I imagine, must sense the harsh cynicism of the arguments which he has been called upon· to uphold when, as· the representative of the country which sent its tanks into Hungary to crush the workers and peasants of that country and impose upon them a hated and tyrannical! regime, he comes to this tribunal to accuse the United Nations of crude interference in the dome,s..; tic affairs of Hungary. 292. The agony of Hungary 'still continues. Current news reports of wholesale arrests and executions show that allthe pitiless cruelty of tbP. j?01ice state is being used to punish the Hungarian people for their gallant bid for freedom.· The·moral condemnation of the worM expressed in the Assembly·has not sufficed to preserve Hungary from these horrors, and the conscience of decent peoples in all countries stands aghast at the failure. Yet I believe that out of our debates and. out of our investigations has come ·sornethingof value, rtamely a new and sharper rea·lization.-which I 00- . lieveordinary people in every land are now coming to feel more· clearly than ever hefo1"e--of the fearful threat which Soviet cOl!ununi:;m Qresents to human artd national liberties. It is for that reason that we regard it as the duty of this Assembly to continue to focus the clear light of truth on the Hungarhn tragedy, and it is for the -same reason thal: we supoort this draft resolution.· - ~

I should like to .take. this opportunity to explain why my delegation will strongly oppose the proposal to delete the reference to the Hungarian item from the d:afi: resolution which is before us so as to preclude any further consider·ation of this item at the eleventh session. Nearly two months have passed since the General Assembly last debated the question of Hungary, but the tragic situation which still exists in Hungary has been ever ,before our minds. The last action we .took here was topa.ss resolution 1132 (XI), reaffirming the continuing concern of the •United Nations and setting up a Special· Committee of five members to "investigate, and to· establish and· maintain direct observation in Hungary·andelsewhere, taking testimony,. collectingevidence and receiving information, 'as appropriate, in req~. t by' furnishing material which we hope will be of considerable value to i-11e Committee in its work. We shall continue to prov~ile as much information as is at our disposa!l and to permit the Committee to examine important witnesses who ~.lre now living in the UIlited KingdoIr... _ 295. The Committee has a gre-a.t deal of work still to do to carry out its terms of 'reference, which embrace virtually all the aspects of ~,li~ alined intervention in October 1956 by the Soviet Union in the internal affairs of Hungary and the tragic developments which followed that intervention. Members of the Committee are now on their way to Europe, where they will continue their investigation by means of the examination of witnesses .and direct observation. We wish them e1Tety success in their important work. Vife can only regret that, as the Committee's report reveals, the Government of the Soviet Union and the. Hungarian authorities have resolutely refused. to co-operate in any way with our Committee. We must applaud the Committee's declaration that it will persevere in its efforts to fulfil the mandate of the General Assembly to obtaih information by direct observation in Hungary. 296. This, however, is on~y the beginning of the Committee's work. There is still much to be done before the Committee will be in a position to produce its final report which, according to the terms of the resoltition, should be presented to the General Assembly at its eleventh session. It is therefore quite clear that the General Assembly should stand ready for a further discussion of the Hungarian problem as ciTcumstances require it. As I stated when we were last discussing the Hungarian question l635th meetingJ, the Government of the Soviet Union will be making a serious mistake if it· believes that the moderate .language in which reso~ution 1132 (XI) was couched implies that our indignation on this question.is spent. This is far from the case. Let me recall the words of the resolution [1004 (ES-·.]l)] we adopted here on 4 November 1956 when we affirmed "the right of the Hungarian people to a government responsive to its national aspirations and dedicated to its independence and well d being". 297. The Special Committee we have set up has declared in its report that "the central stress of the Committee's investigation will,however, be directed towards 'the efforts of the Hungarian people to reassert their rights'" [",~/3546J para. 17J. This must continue to Ibe our unswervingaim. We have a duty to the world, a.nd in particular to the gallant peop'le of Hungary, rtot to slacken our efforts in pursuance of this aim. I believe that if we in the Assembly, with the assistance of our Special Committee, do not slacken our efforts on behalf of the people 6f Hungary, the ~;~in~gain the benefit of your counsels when we meet 300. Nor should we let this occasion pass without paying our wa'rm tribute ta our Secretary-General and his devoted staff. Ml'. Hammarskjold has excited our admiration and respect both by the selfless manner in which he has worked night and clay for so many months and by the skill and ingenuity he has shawn in can;ying forward the wishes of the Assembly as expressecl in our resolutions. We trust that,despite the heavy Tesponsibility which we have placed upon his shaulders, he will be able to enjey sorne respite fl'om the almost inhuman weight of work which he has beencarrying. fù~al of the Soviet Union to admit the Conunittee into Hungary, ha$ started its work in the properdirection: It has fully and properly interpreted our resolutions in setting the scope of the investigation as it appears

Before I take my seat, I should like to add to the tribute which I paid earlier this afternoon to the Secretary- General. I should like to express the thanks of the United States delegation to all the members of the Secretariat who have worked so hard, so faithfully and during such long :1ours for the past four months. 321. Let me also pay a tribute to you, Mr. President, for the magnificent way in which you have presided over the General Assembly. You have always shown good humour and politeness under co~ditions which sometimes must have been extremely trymg. You have always shown intellectual force and an ability quickly to comprehend the many complex questions which confronted you. You have always beyn animated by a true spirit of justice, and no one. in the ~ssembly h~s ever questioned the fact that, Wlth you 111 the Chalr, everyone was guaranteed fair play. The example that you have se~ is indeed a splendid ~:me for nations to follow in thelr own corporate behavlOur. 322. We think you are a credit to Thailand, a credit to the United Nations and, if I may say ·so, a credit to the human l"ace. 323. Mr. URQUIA (El Salvador) (translated from Spanish): After our difficult, exhansting and sometimes dramatic labours, it is now time to suspend, for the time being, the eleventh session of the General Assembly, which opened amidst great expectan7y about four months ago after two emergency speClal sessions, convened in conformity with the "Uniting for Peace" resolution [377 (V)] to consider the grave events in Hungary and the Middle East. . 324. As far as is humanly possible, the General Assembly has been able to carry out the obligations and responsibilities imposed on it by the Charter with regard to the maintenance of international l?eace and security and has successfully fulfilled the vanous functions assigned to it in many other fields. A major part of the ceaseless efforts to reach a solution of the grave problems considered by the Assembly at this session has fallen upon you, Mr. President, and. I amp extremely happy and honou; d to pay a tnbute trom this rostrum-on behalf of all the Latin-American delegations-to your great gifts as a statesman, jurist and diplomat, your untiring and fruitfu~ labours as President of the Assembly, and your smgl~-hearted devotion to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. 325. I also want to pay a tribute, on behalf of the Latin-American delegations, to the Secretary-General, who has spared no effort to further the proceedings of the General Assembly and to carry out the varied, complicated and far from easy functions which the Assembly has entrusted to his skill.and experience, and to his outstanding devotion to his important duties. 326.: We wish also to convey oUr thanks-to Ml". Cordier, Mr; Correa and a!l1 the other members o~ the Secretariat and the different United Nations services Secr~tary-General, on having brought our ship to harbour. Rarely, however, has this tall ship that is our Organization known stormier waters, nor has it ever come nearer to reminding us of the chains and oars of the old time galley-slaves. There was even at one time a murmur of mutiny on board. The sirens sang to us loudly from the sharp rocks, and without your firm hand at the helm, and the wise and prudent counsel of the Secretary-General, whose keen eye remained fixed on the pole star of international [aw, we would have run grave risks. 341. The wind seems to have dropped, and the reefs, seen from the harbour, appear less formidable. Btlt we are well aware that soon we sh9.11 have to put to aea again and once more battle with the win.ds, the tides and the sirens. 342. We have every }:onfidence in our Secretary-General: Who could guide 'us better than he, who has the rare privilege both of belonging to a nation of .sailors and· of knowing all the secrets of the mountains? 343. We must not forget the members of the Secretariat, seasoned sailors all, whether mates or.cabin boy,;, whose silent devotion to duty has so effectively supported the action of the Secretary-General. 344. My comparison will perhaps bring a ,smile to the !lips of thpse who know my, country, which has. alas, neither s1:dps nor seaports. But if I have' ventured to speak t.lf. a ~hip, of sirens ana of rocks, it is becau&e our Organization has talked for more than six months of hardly'. anything but canal$ and territorial watere, 345. Therefore, inconclucling,we e.."'l:press our sincere hope that next autumn our stout Organization will set em~H£ed the verv spirit of 'the United Nations. The Umted Nations Vis, so to speak, the world's ·great stage} Cl'!. which we represe11tatives ate merely player$. We 111lve OU1' exits and our entrances, but only occa- Siol11dly does a noble actor play an unforgettable role -and his reputation is long remembered by posterity. Such, I think, is the case of our distinguished Pl·esiclel1t. 352. My Government is particularly gratified that it was <1urin, this session of the Ass~mbiy and under Prince \Van s presidency that Japan became a full era~ Assembly has shown itself to be a resourceful and conciliatory instrument of peace, dedicated to the moral principles which it is detemlined to uphold with the support of Member States and of world public opinion. 367. The General Assembly is certainly a world forum, for riot only is its membership world-wide, but it discusses all questions of world interest. 368. The agenda of the eleventh session comprised a comprehensive programme of normal activities for the promotion of peace, ~eedom, justice and economic and social well-being for mankind, as well as the two special items concerning Hungary and the Middle East. 369. The enlarged membershiJr-from sixty to eightyone Member St}ltes-gave rise to some misgivings as to the efficient working of the General Assembly; but the apprehension has not been justified by the event. I have even welcomed the increased social activities because they have' enabled me to keep in constant touch with the various delegations. Of course, increased membership in the United Nations involves consideration of the composition of its principal organs, and also of some improvement in the procedure of the General Assembly. Certainly, group activity has increased, but I find that it has facilitated mutual consultations within and among the groups with-a· view, not to blocking solutions, but to seeking ..them~ Thus, there have been a number of unanimous resolutions. We may take as ,.aw~ample . th~e§ol~~-=dis:u-mament·. [10J1- (xl,)'j-recornmmullng that· the Disarmament _Commission and its Sub-Committee give prompt attention to the various proposals submitted. This· is a clear indication of the earnest desire of the General Asener~, which will in time promote better standards of Iife in peace and will promote peace itself. 374. Another asset for peace is the diplomatic role of the Secretary-General. It is of the utmost importance when we pass from the normal and unspectaculat' work of the General Assembly to consideration of the special item on the Middle East. The General Assembly must deal with the item and must succeed in dealing with it, because the peoples of the world only know of the United Nations and cannot be expected to differentiate between the responsibilities of the Security Council and those of the General Assembly. Nevertheless it is a fact that the General Assembly has powers of recommendation only and not of coercion; it has only moral authority and can rely on moral force only, the force of moral principles and the force of world public opinion. . 375. Having regard to these circumstances, the General Assembly has acted promptly. Powers great and small have taken the initiative and come forward with constructive proposals, and thus the United Nations Emergency Force came into being. The General Assembly rapidly passed resolutions couched in general terms and the Secretary-General has implemented them by delicate and arduous negotiations, supported therein by the force of world opinion. The efficacy of Assembly action depends on its moral force, which in turn depends on the understanding by world opinion of the moral principle underlying each Assembly recommendation. This may take time, and may involve progressive steps being taken before success is secured. 376, In the case of the Middle East, the General Assembly has stopped a war and is building up a founda-