A/31/PV.25 General Assembly

I am greatlyhonouredto transmit to the General Assembly the warm congratulations of His Excellency Jean Bedel Bokassa, the President for Life of the Republic, President for Ufe ofthe Movement of Social Evolution of Black Africa, President of the Council of the Central African Revolution and Marshall of the Central Mrican Republic, on its happy choice in electing Mr. Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, President of the thirty-rmt regular session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Central Mrican delegation, which participated at the fifth session of the Third United NationsConference on the Law of the Sea, has appreciated the tact, wisdom and authority he evinced in guiding the sometimes stormy debates of that Conference, and we note the great sympathy repre- sentatives to this lofty international Conference have displayed towards him. We therefore expected him to be promoted to President of this thirty-first regular session of the General Assembly, an expectation which has been fulfilled. His competence and his qualities as a seasoned diplomat presage that" the work of this regUlar session will be successful. My delegation pledges its sincere co-operation during iris present term of office at the headofthe United Nations General Assembly. 2. From this lofty rostrum I greet Mr. Gaston Thorn, . Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on the exemplary manner in which he acquitted himself of the most delicate task of NEW YOlK s. Before going further in my statement, I should first of all wish to bow respectfully before the memoryof the most regretted Chairman Mao Tsetung, the greathelmsman who, because of his courage, his philosophy basedon justiceand freedom, has succeeded in the task of creating modem China. Our century rnig.'1t be described as a century of contrast because we have had men living who were the forces of evilincarnate and menwhose calling was precisely to destroy the forces of evil, to break the chains of oppression and to spreadjusticeand liberty. Chairman Mao was in the secondcategory andhis immense political action has transcended the frontiers of great China and made a major contribution to changing the political geography of the world. The oppressed of the world will be forever grateful to him. 6. A prospective analysis of the present political and economic situation clearly proves that mankind is prey to serious difficulties as regards its survival, difficulties which require concrete andurgentsolutions. 7. In fact, we are bound to note that the United Nations, despite its successes here and there, has not yet fully shouldered its mission, which is to establish peace, justice and security and to eliminate hunger, disease and illiteracy throughout the world in accordance with the spirit and letter of the San Francisco Charter. 8. Indeed, while the United Nations has achieved consid- erable results in consolidating peace and security through- out the world, while it has gained decisive successes in eliminating the colonial system and made important pro- 9. What is more, our disquiet about the human species is evident from the fact that, despite the many accords or negotiations on disarmament, the infernal and terrifying arms race in the most sophisticated and deadly weapons engulfs amounts of energy and capital which could have served to nourish thousands of men, women and children , who are dying of hunger throughout the world. This arms raceis alsospreading to other regions of the world. 10. Major victories have been won,andhistoricalsuccesses achieved in the struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colontalem and all other forms of foreign domination; yet many peoples arestill compelled to struggle bitterly for their right to self-determination, independence and free- dom. 11. The Central African Republic throughme expresses its condemnation at the persistence and perpetration of these vile and abject forces which run against the bend of history. 12. The international community asa wholehas registered that existing economic international relations cannot be maintained and that the situation of the developing countries has become more and more serious. Nevertheless no substantial progress has been made to speed up. the development and prosperity of thesecountries. 13. In accordance with the decisions of the sixth and seventh special sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, action to establish a newinternationaleconomic order was taken andpursuedconsistently by the developing countries. Proof of this are the conferences held at Manila, Nairobi, Colombo and Mexico. Butthisaction did not meet with corresponding willingness among certain more de- veloped countries which might lead to the adoption of specific measures. On the contrary, we witnessed new attempts to continueto settle international problems at the level of a limited circle of countries so as to preserve the privileges inheritedfrom the past. 14. Faced with these contradictions or paradoxes, my delegation cannot fail to sayhere that the worldisin a state of crisis-a political, economic and social crisis, as wen asa crisis of conscience. Yet we do not lose hope, that the United Nations, which has become a regulating organ ofour society,will be able to master these calamities; that all the problems of Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East will be resolved; that a new international economic order will be established; and that the world will live in peace with more humanity, generosity and tolerance. It is thereforewith this attitude that my delegation will consider with you all the disturbing problems which agitate the international community. IS. Beyond any doubt Africa is a continent whichisprey to difficulties the seriousness of which must, once again, 16. The deprivation of the freedom ofa peopleisalways a source of struggle and confrontation resulting from a collective rebuff. This axiom is not the result of my imagination; it is universal. Therefore the just struggle of our brothers in Zimbabwe and Namibia proceeds from the fact that they do not have their freedom to put an end to the process of exploitation nor are they able to prepare a development strategyto controltheir ownnatural resources and fully attain their dignity ashuman beings. 17. Thus in Rhodesia we are witnesses to stalling tactics by the rebels, who have defied internationalconscience for more than a decade. Theirchief, lan Smith,using palliatives to lull the African community, tramples underfoot the elementary principles of the civilization which produced him by assassinating thousands of defenceless blacks, whose only original sin is to be black and to aspire to freedom. And this is why we gave our complete support to the efforts beingmadeby the heads of the five front-line States so as to find a humanly acceptable solution to the tragedy of our brothers of Zimbabwe, namely their accession to complete independence. 18. Here in this very hall on 30 September last Mr. Kissinger, the Secretary of State of the UnitedStatesof America, stated: "Less than a week ago the Rhodesian authorities announced that they were prepared to meet with the nationalist leaders of Zimbabwe to form an interim government to bring about majority rule within two years. That isin itselfan historic break from the past. The African Presidents, in calling for immediate negotiations, have shown that they are prepared to seize this oppor- tunity. And the Government of the United Kingdom, in expressing its willingness to assemble a conference, has shownits high sense of responsibility and concern for the rapid and just independence of Rhodesia." [11th meet- ing, para. 178.J 19. M}' delegation therefore supports the initiatives of the United States Government and expresses the hope that the process of the transfer of power to the blackmajoritymay be carriedout asrapidlyaspossible. 20. While the situation in Rhodesia is one of concern,it is no less urgent for Namibia to accede to independence as a unitary State. 21. All the political forces, in particular the South West Africa People's Organization [SWAPOJ, must participatein 22. Parallel with the situation in southern Africa there is anotherproblem on which we should not have dwelt were it not jeopardizing peace and security in the area. This is the question of Western Sahara, whichis beingexacerbated by the champions of disorder and agitation and by those who will never resign themselves to seeing Africa living in concord and brotherhood. On the basis of resolution 3458B (XXX) of the General Assembly, the relevant United Nations resolutions on decoloRization and the advisory opinion ofthe International Courtof Justice,. the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauri- tania, after democratic consultations with the populations concerned, peacefully settled the problem of the transfer and exercise of sovereignty in the former Spanish posses- sion. We maintain our view that, in accordance with the unaniinous decision of the chiefs of State at the summit meeting on the island of Mauritius,2 confirmed by the 2~. My delegation cannot remain silenton the problemof the divided Korean people and the seriousness of the tension prevalling in that peninsula. The Korean people, which for practically 30 yearshave knownonly the turmoil and torment of war, aspire to the peaceful and free reunification of their territory. We believe that the inter- national community should again encourage the contin- uation of the dialogue. It should urgeD;tly call on all the parties concerned to do everything possible to facilitate a resumption of discussions and the negotiation of lasting arrangements for the maintenance of peace on the Korean peninsula and the achievement of reunification in ac- cordance with the joint North-South communique of 4 July 1972.4 decision taken at Colombo," only a special summit con- ference, enlightened by African wisdom, can fmd a judi- cious solutionto this fratricidal struggle. TheCouncil of the Central African Revolution, for its part, will continue to support the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. 27. We are aware of the threat to the security of the States of-the region resulting from the concentration of naval and air forces in the Indian Ocean. The group of non-aligned countries meeting atColombo renewed its appeal that the Indian Ocean be declared a zone of peace {see A/31/197, annex IV, resolution 11J. My delegation, on behalf of the Council of the Central African Revolution, reaffirms its conviction that the implementation of this declaration on the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace would be'a positive contribution to settling international tensions in that part of the world. 23. The problem of the Middle East is in every way a permanent threat to world peace and security. TheCentral African Republic approves all the resolutions adopted on the subject by the United Nations and continuesto believe that the solution to the Palestine problem remains the only condition for the restoration of a just and lasting peace in ~t part of the world. 24. My country's position, which is well known, has not altered since-namely, that peace in the Middle East is based on three fundamental principles: the right of the Palestinian people to their own homeland; the right of all the States of the region, including Israel, to live within universally recognized frontiers; the withdrawal of Israel from all the Arab territories occupied since 1967.Asin the past, my country supports our brother Arab countries which spare no effort to recover their occupied territories. Once again we reiterate our appeal to the international community to persevere in its efforts to ensure that, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), a just and equitable solution may be found to the Arab-Israeli crisis. 25. 'Close to the Middle East there is another hotbed of tension-Cyprus. Because of its geopolitical situation, Cyprus ~ and remains the object of greed, of competing foreign interests, and of unwarrantable foreign interference . 1 We'ttm StzJuzrtz, Advisory Opinion, LC.I. RepiJrt, 1975, p. 12. 2 1'wentY«Yenth regular session of the Council of Ministers of the Orpnization of African Unity, held at Port Louis, Mauritius, from 24 June to 3 July 1976. 3 Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non- Aliped Countries,held at Colombo from 16 to 19 August1976. 28. My country warmly applauded the admission of the Seychelles to the United Nations. However, we strongly deplore the rejection by the Security Council of the applications of two brother countries, Angola and Viet Nam, for mambership in our Organizlltion. Some will support the legality of this decision, taking refuge in Article 4; paragraph 2, of the United Nations Charter, but the very ones who invoke that argument to justify such rejection must agree -thatlegality is not always the same thingasjustice. 29. Since its entry Into force on 24 October 1945, the Charter hasundergone many amendments, but the rightof veto, which has remained unchanged, seems to have lost its criginal purpose and has become, in the hands of some of those who. are authorized to wield it, a power enabling them to make a selection among countries applying for admission to the United Nations solely on the basis of their ideological background. The resultant flagrant injustice must be abolished and accordingly the Council of the Central African Revolution associates itself with' the 30. 1 have just reviewed the political questions which are of the greatest concern to the international community. 31. It is nevertheless the case that during the Second United Nations Development Decade on which we are embarked, the basic issue, as defined at the seventhspecial sessionof the Assembly, is, and remains, the establishment of a new and more just economic and social order. Our planet has heterogeneous socio-political and politico- economic systems which, unless we are vigilant, may bring about very serious, indeed catastrophic, conflicts. That is why, both politically and economically, the international community must avoid confrontation in seeking conscien- tious and responsible solutions to the problems it faces. This quite naturally leads me to speak with some feelingof the cruel and tragic situation prevailing in our world, in which 70 per cent of mankind share only 30 per cent of world income, while a small group of privileged States lives in opulence and waste. This being so, how can one fail to draw attention to the poverty, disease, destitution, need and illiteracy-with all their socio-economic implications- which constitute the sorry fate of Lite populations of the third world? We can never say enough to arouse a responsible collective world conscience to this tragedy. But we still have hope because by persistentlyraising our voices in all international fora, even the most backward nations are beginning to think of the inevitable consequenceswhich may be engendered by such a tragedy. For its part, the third world has chosen the course of agreement and dialogue, so as to devise platforms on the basis of which e~uitable solutions may be found so as to achieve the objective of establishing a new and more equitable eco- nomic and social order. Both at Uma,s where the non- aligned countries met to consider economic development, and at Manila6 and Colombo, important documents were drafted which are the warhorses of the third world. Paradoxically, we note that in recent years many reso- lutions adopted by various international organizations and conferences concerning the establishment of the new economic order have not been followed by practical action, and the socio-economic situation of the developing coun- tries, especially the land-locked and island countries whose geographical situation' places them at a disadvantage, is deteriorating further. Most, if not all, of the third-world countries live off exports of raw materials and imports of manufactures, but the deterioration of the terms of trade, aggravated by an imported inflation, constitutes the back- bone of a system of trade that has become obsolete. New formulas adapted to the present relations between inde- pendent and sovereignStates must be sought. 32. Be that as it may, what can we say of all the restrictions in the form of tariff barriers and tariff quotas which restrict opportunities for access to international markets for the developing countries? Of course, the instinct for survival has led certain countries of the 5 Conference of Mmisters for FOH:ign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countdes, held in Lima from 25 to 30 August 1975. 6 Third Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77, held at Manila from 26 January to 7 February 1976. 33. These few examples unequivocally prove to what an extent the economic, monetary and financial system governing trade among industrialized and developing coun- tries is outdated and obsolete, because it was conceived in another era to serve relations among States whose status was based on philosophical concepts which are now outmoded. The third world, when it calls for a review of that system, hopes to see more equitable rules applied under the concept of human solidarity and also by virtue of the fundamental principles laid down by the Charter of the United Nations. This is why the Council of the Central African Revolution, presided over by His Excellency, Jean Bedel Bokassa, President for Life of the Republic,President for Life of The Movement of Social Evolution of Black Africa, President of the Council of the Central African Revolution, Marshal of the Central African Republic, reaffirming its support for the United Nations Charter and for that of the Organization of African Unity lOA U]; and reaffirming its membership in the non-aligned movement and in the Group of 77, strongly supports all efforts to set up new structures so as to establish a new and more just economic and social order. We accordingly support the following measures. 34. First, there should be a re-examination of the inter- national monetary system, developed at Bretton Woods. The new system must respond to tb,~ developmentrequire- ments of the third-world countries; it must enable States, large or small, rich or poor, to participate on a basis of equality in the decision-making process and guarantee the stability of the flow and conditions of international financial aid, recognize the conditions and specificneeds of the less-developed countries on the basis of preferential treatment, in accordance with the Declaration and Pro- gramme of Action of Manila,? the Action Programme for Economic Co-operation which was adopted by the Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non- Aligned Countries, which was held last Augustat Colombo {see A/31/197. annex Ill]. 35. Secondly, there should be an integrated programme for commodities at remunerativ-e prices. 36. Thirdly, a common fund for financing buffer stocks of raw materials, which was advocated by the Group of 77 at Manila, should be established. Concurrently with the solutions to be sought and encouraged within tale frame- work of the United Nations, the Council of the Central African Revolution. endorses the recommendations to strengthen solidarity among the third-world countries on 7see Ptoceedings ofthe U..,ited Nations Conference on Trade and J)oIelopment. Fourth Sesdon. vol. I, Report andAnnexes(United Nations publication, SalesNo.E.76.Il.D.10), annex V. 37. Fourthly, Arab-African co-operation, which is a con- crete contribution to co-operation among the countries of thethirdworld, should be developed. 38. Fifthly,an international bank for the third world-an idea stated at Colombo by the Prime Minister of SriLanka, Mrs. Bandaranaike, at the Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries-should be established. 39. Sixthly, economic co-operation among developing countnes-the bases for which were established at the last conference of the Group of 77 in Mexico, held last monthS-should be developed. 40. Other initiatives are also under way,suchas the one launched by the founder and President of the Republic of zaire. The Chief of State of Zaire proposed the convo- cation, within the framework of OAU, of a special ministerial meeting on economic co-operation among African countries at Kinshasa in November 1976. My country, the Central African Republic, pays a particularly well-deserved tribute to that happy initiative and endorses it whole-heartedly. 41. On the international chess-board, however, rich and developing·countries meet time and time again so as to arrive at a modus vivendi on the important questions concerning raw materials, energy and the monetary system. The fourth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development[UNCTAD}, which metat Nairobi.. enabled the wvdd to note that the will to arrive at pc'Jitive approaches had crystallized, and it is our hope that common sense, lIniversal solidarity and collective goodwill will prevail over selfish interests. We hope that the Nortb-80uth Conference which has been meeting at Paris since 1975,will leadto a positive andencouraging dialogue, because we are grateful to countries which strive to give these meetings a perspective fOf dynamic co-operation. 42. From this rostrum I'appeal to the sense of humanity of the affluent countries which prefer to spend vast amounts of money to build engines for the conquest of outer space simply for prestige, while there is so much extreme poverty to be alleviated on our planet. 43. Convinced of the considerable technological back- war4ness of the third-world countries, we. hope that the industrialized countries will do everything in theirpower to e~able us to accelerate our rate of growth and accordingly facilitate the transfer of technology adapted to the natiol1al lealities of the developing countries. The drafting of an international code of conduct for the transfer of tech- . nology, which is enVisaged in the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order [see resolution 3202 (S-YIj, sect.IY}, should enable the 45. I feel bound to mention the vital roUe ~c.yed by the transnational companies in the economies ofthe de\'!loping countries. That role,needI recall, in manyaspects conceals activities which often run counter to the strategies and development objectives of the third-wodd countries. Ac- cordingly, my delegation unlescrvedly supports the de- velopment, adoption and early implementation of a code of conduct for the transnational companies. 46. The problem of the law of the sea is of paramount importance. Seeking a new international economic order based on equity was one of the reasons for convening'the Third Umted Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. This gigantic legal undertaking-were it to achieve the desired ends-would remain the mostgrand endeavour of all times, sin-:e it isa planetaryundertaking. 47. This Conference is intended, first of all, fmally to resolve problems that have been in existence for a longtime and then to createnewmaritime rights. I am not telling the members of this Assembly anything new when I say that the Conference must fmally decide on the breadth of the territorial sea, the outer limit of the continental shelf; it must define what is the exclusive economic zone, leafllrm the free use of the international maritime zone, and, particularly, specify the prerogatives of the international authority ~hich will be lespo',tsible for conducting activiti~s in the international zone, nrmely, prospecting, exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed and also the settlement of possible disputes among States. For, while every right resulting from law is in essence intended to settledisputes, it is, by its very existence, a source of litiption. In other words, any new right creates a new type of dispute. It might be believed that when exploration is carried out the major problem isresolved. Notat :111. Regrettably, we suffer from a chain-reaction system. Any solution to .. problem carries within it the seed of a new problem. When the sea-bed is exploited, what is to be done with the product! extracted? Among whom, and how, will they be dis- tributed? Here appetites are whetted, in~eres~ are in confrontation, and the law of the lea could lead to results diametrically opposite to thosefor which it wu established, which was the improvement of liviD. conditions for the "have-nots". For if, out of the net income-and I em- phasize, "out of the net income"-of _-bed mining resources, the lion's share goes to those who alleady have more, ~cause of some special procedure or incongruous criterion, or if the minerals extncted from the sea-bed 48. It follows that, to establish a really new economic order which will make a substantial improvement in the situation of the disinherited countries, the international authority which will be the product of this new lawof the sea being drafted should constantly be guided in its activities by the spirit of the preamble of the United NaUons Charter. 49. r.,t us assume that the problems that I have high- lighted so far in my statement were to be equitably solved because of the wisdom, indeed, altruism, of certain mem- bersof the great international community, the world would not yet be at peace because other keyissues will subsist, the settlement of whith at present would be a delicate matter. These issues are centred on the geogr~phica1 position of Statesin relation to the sea. While some countries have, so to speak, their feet in the water, othersless fortunate, can onlyreachth,e seaafterexhausting use of theirlegs. 50. The sea, the extent of which is three times greater than that of the lllld'.:hich has surfaced, will forever remain the surest and less costly means of commercial communication. This isinitselfsufficient to show the great commercial advantage possessed by coastal States in com- parison with the coa:stless or land-locked countries andthe advantages In mining resources which the coastal States with a limitless. ocean spreading out before them will have when the newlaw ,,( the seaentersinto force, ascompared with countries with a very narrow coast Oli which, because they face another State,cannotbenefiteitberfroma broad territorial sea Or from a continental shelf under the rules which will beadopted. 51. All States unanimously agree that the international maritime zone anditsresources arethe common heritage of mankind. This principle has been reaffmned in the fust paragraph of the resolution on the international zone which . was adopted by the Council of Ministers of OAU when it met at its twenty-seventh regular session in the capital of Mauritius onlythreemonths ago {seeA/3l/l96 andCo".l, resolution 522(XXVH)J. 52. An important detail on which States seek consensus is the outer limit of that international zone, that is to say the high seas. Since this will be the same as that of the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone andof the continental shelf, it follows that any change in the breadth of the exclusive.economic zone andof the continental shelfcauses ipso facto an opposite change in .the extent of the international zone which isto beconsidered asthe common heritage of aD mankind. 54. We allknowwhat these rigitts are,namely, the right of land-locked countries to have access to the seaandthe right of transit through the territory or territories separating them from the sea. Naturally, we do not preclude that transJ:t Statesmay take the necessary measures so that this inteIlllational service will be aslittle detrimental to themas po8.9Jble. But these rights of access to the sea andof transit, the full exercise of which should be left completely to the beneficiary State,shouldnot be subordinated to any right of reciprocity in favour of the coastal States which rendered this service. My country, because of its geo- graphical situation in the heart of the African continent, is both a land-locked country and a transit State, and it is prepared to meet its obligations as a transitState.I cannot but note with bitterness that certain coastal States, al- though they, too, wish for the establishment of a new internatiunal economic order that would alleviate the ills from which the developing countries sUffer in varying degrees, have so far proved mtransigent in the matter of recognizing the natural right to the sea,without condition of reciprocity, and its coronary, the right of transit,which the land-locked coumries wish to enjoy withoutrestriction. Intransigence in this position canonly delay the advent of this new economic orderandeven jeopardize the successful outcome of the Conference on the Law of the Sea. Thatis why,like Nepal and other contlnental countries, I urge the coastal States which are still in opposition to soften their positions. 55. I have dwelt on the land-locked status of mycountry because this problem is at the heart of the concern of the Council of the Central African Revolution. Thatis why His Excellency Jean Bedel Bokassa, President for Life of the Republic, Pre~dent.forLife of the Movement of Social Evolution of Black Africa, President of the Council of the Central African Revolution, and Marshal of the Central African Republic, in a solemn statement made in January 1974,decided that 1974 Should be the yearforending the disadvantages of the Central African Republic's land-locked position. On that occasion he made an appeal to the international community in these terms: "We give our friends our constant political support;in return, we ask them to help us by practical andeffective action to solve our problems of economic, technical, cultural andsocial development, in the forefront of which is the anguishing problem of the land-locked position of the Central African Republic." It should also be pointed out that the Head of State determined' that the highest priority of our five-year development plan, 1976-1980, should be to overcome our land-locked position through the building of a Bangui- Atlantic Ocean railway. 57. Once again my delegation urgently appeals to the international fmancial bodies, andto countries !llYmpathetic to the Central African Republic, to assist the Central African Customs and Economic Union by providing it with the necessary funds to carry out this :;i!wayproject. Once completed, and accompanied by the building of the BanguioCameroon sector of the trans-African Mombasa- Lagos route, it will certainly lead to a net improvement in the economic and social conditions of the people of the . Central African Republic. This will naturally make it possible to exploit enormous agricultural, forestry and game resources, as well asgreatmining deposits which have recently been disco, ered by satellite in the Central African subsoil, known since 1975 asthe "Bangui anomaly". 58. My delegation is concerned about the question of the mass media. The developed countries have gigantic means of threat and intimidation to support their political and economic action. As proof, I shall quote from an article which appeared in the monthly publication, Le monde diplol1'Ulti~::·,! No. 269, of August 1976, by German Camero Roc' '>entitled "Information in the Third World": "The third world, in the specific area of information, and more generally as regards communications, suffers from an acute dependence similar at all points to its dependence in the political and economic spheres. This dependence is an integral and decisive part of the sy~tem of imperialist domination. It isalso one of the conditions for its survival. It is indeed impJssible to conceive of lasting mechanisms of economic andpolitical domination in the thirdworld withoutthe formidable support offered by a system of sophisticated and efficient subjection in the matterof information andcommunications .... "As regards news as such, it is almost totally mani- pulated by transnational press agencies presented as 'international' agencies. It is through these channels that ~vents in the developing countries are tranSJritted to the world and that the peoples in thoSe countries are 'informed' of whatishappening abroad. Butthe selection criteria are sucll that Ultimately it is not information but rather systematic distortion-or disinformation- concerning the facts that is presented with particular virulence when it comes to news about peoples who have undertaken a revolutioJlary course for their emancipation. The most significant aspects of their struggle, and the deep-seated causes of that struggle, are generally not mentioned, or else distorted." 60. I should like to recall, in concluding, that man is the purpose of our action and of the United Nations action. Man's progress has encountered many obstacles and many barriers. It will suffice to refer to the reasons that ledto the establishment of the uague of Nations and of the United Nations and other forms of joint actionasevidence of this. How w.any catastrophes and scourges of all kinds has the human species survived aloag its course to cometodayto a stage where everybody agrees that we must live in peace andsecurity withmaterial andmoral well-being. 61. Asin the opinion of mydelegation, allcountries large and small have always insisted that the United Nations is an important factor as an effective instrument to promote international peace and security and to establish a new international economic ordersoasto reconcile the interests and objectives of States Members~ Within this context we consider that the activities of thespecialized agencies of the United Nations system represent a co-ordinated attempt to prepare a future providing better living conditions for mankind on our planet.

This morning, the Assembly will hear a statement by the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji. I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency, the Right Honourable Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

I am grateful for this opportunityto convey to you from this rostrum the warm greetings of the Government and people of Fiji, and to assure you of our continuing commitment to the purposes andprinciples of the United Nations. 64. We are especially pleased that, in its current delib- erations, the General Assembly should be guided by the representative of a country which has contributedgreatly to the promotion of international goodwill and under- standing. Your own significant contribution to the nego- tiations on the law of the sea as President gives us confidence that yourjudgement endwisdom will ensure the success of thissession. 65. I should also like to express .the deep appreciation of the Government and people Fiji to our distinguished Secretary-General, whom wehadthe pleasure of welcoming 67. One of the notablefeaturesof the period has beenthe growth of regional and other world-wide groupings. There has been the birth of new bodies like the partnership between the European Economic Community, end the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, formalized try the Lome Convention.1 0 Another new body is the South Pacific Forum. This latter must be one of the few intemational meetings in the world where it is the established practice that the national leaders conferon their own, Without advisers and teams of technical experts (thoup these are on hand if required). Both these groups seem to me to have made significant impact and to have achieved worth-while·refiults. And I think the reason isthat they include representatives of developed and developing nations, working together side by side, to- determine pollcies which take account of the needs andaspirations of aD. That is not to say that such policies can always be determined and agreed upon. There can be hardwords and hard barAining. There canbe deadlock. Butat leastthere is the continuing opportunity for dialogue and for all to put forward theirviewpoints. 68. Very differentseem to methe activities of some other groupings which confme their membership to those oflike philosophies, politics and persuasions and like stages- of development From·such bodies weareapt to hearnumbers of pronouncements on world problems and issues; and yet such declarations tend not to result in successful execution. I wonder if it is not because the very people who are expected to pay for the execution of the policies areeithei very muchin the minority, or excluded altogether. Couldit be that this is an example of what has been called the tyrannyof the majority? 69. If, for example, we take a recent exposition of the principles of one of these bodies, we fmd that they canbe very closely paralleled by texts from the Bible which call upon us to love our. neighbour as ourselves; to do unto others as we would they would do unto us; and render no man eV!! for evil. And yet the same Bible has this to say about charity or love-what we call in Fijian "leloma" or "caring"- "I may speakin tongues of menor of angels, but ifI am without love I ama sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I may dole out all I possess, but if I have no love I amnone the better." And the same passage lists the qualities of caring-they are patience, kindness, envy of no one, humility, modesty, courtesy and unselfIShness; reluctance to take offence; 9 See O//lcilll R~cordl 0/ th~ G~ntr'" Antmbly. Twmty·/i/th SaIIon. Pf~1IIIry Mtetinfl. 1876th meeting. 10 APe-EEC Convention of Lome, sianed on 28 February 1975at Lomi. . 70. The fuel crisis has shown us this mostvividly. It has frustrated those of us in the third world who have interpreted development es industrialization. For all that has happened is that much of .the wealth from oil hasbeen transferred from the greatmultinational companies to the producers. In the jargonof the industry, the multinational companies were losing profits "upstream", from the oil producers, and therefore had to look for more profits "downstream", from refming, distributing and selling the petroleum products. So we nowhave a situation where it is to the benefit of both the oilproducers andthe distributors to maintain high price levels. The sufferers are the third world; and in general our only hope of progress is the development and exploitation of alternative sources of energy. To pursue this investigation we look to this great world body, and I appeal to it to treat thiswiththe highest priority. But once again we have here our exclusive grouping forming their own cartel without consultation with,Of regard for, the consumers. 71. I talked earlier of the sort of relationship that was needed between peoples and countries. But how do we achieve this relationship? 'i1rlS brings meto my basic point that we cannot look for the achievement of concord and progress unless there is dialogue and opportunity for the free expression of different viewpoints. And I stl'~SS dialogue. For far too many meetings today consist of an endless series of individual addresses by delegation heads, prepared in advance, delivered whether relevant or repe- titive, and in no way geared to generate the dialogue and debate, question and answer, fromwhich realsolutions can emerge. The statements are prepared at least as much for national as intemational consumption, and careful arrange- ments are made for their release in home capitals to synchronize with their delivery. The pattern becomes so stereotyped that it is hard to escape. Afterall, what am I myself doing at this very moment? I have fallen into the very trap against which I am trying.to sound a note of warning. I can only hope I maybeforgiven on the grounds that I am trying to point another way, and that I do not propose to take up the time of representatives with my comments onindividual international issues. 72. I make one exception-and it isinescapable-eouthem Africa. I must frankly confess that, fora longtime, we in the Pacific did not take much interest in the affairs of Africa. It was far away, contacts were few, and perhaps the ~iiministering Power was just ashappythisshould be so.So I think our real interest began afterindependence when we fust attended meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments and met intimately with leaders of the distinction of President Nyerere, President Kaunda and others, who put the issues of Africa, starkly and dra- matically. And they are men of Christian background and Christian principles. Then there was, of course, our ex- perience in this great forum itself. And most recently we 73. And on dialogue, can it be that the misunderstandings between developed and developing countries are so very different from these between the various parties in in- dustry? And can it be that, just as in that field the only satisfactory way to achieve fair shares and a harmonious atmosphere is by continuous dialogue and give and take, so it is in the international sphere? 74. Perhaps before going further I should stress that in trying to learn some lessons from collective bargaining, I am in no way saying that the developed-developing country relationship is one of superior to inferior. After all, I was among those In the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries who objected to the word "controller" to describe the representative of the European Economic Community in the various countries where Community funds are chan- nelled. He is now called "delegate", which almost by defmition means a party to a discussion. 75. In industry there are a number of broad categories of management objectives. Businessmen want to preserve and strengthen their business; they want stable and business-like relationships with bargaining agents; they have broad social ana economic goals, as well as their own personal advance- ment. 76. None of these are incompatible with'reciprocal bene- fits to employees, provided that the latter's needs and aspirations are part of the whole der.ision-making process and that they have a positive role. It should be a matter of trYing to fmd all the points of agreement and then identifying and trying to minimize points of difference. It is fortunately now generally recognized that there are sub- stantial areas of decision where failure to consult would be not only unwise but fatal to an enterprise. Successful co-operation of this kind does not hit the.headlines, but it is what produces endUring results. 77~ All thisis to stress dialogue; it is the only way to reach solutions; and to exclude relevant parties from such 78. But when we come to have this dialogue we have to know what we want and we have to know what to say. Other speakers more distinguished than myself will enlarge on the new international economic order. I am already on record as saying that perhaps our best first step is to build on existing associations such as the Lame Convention. In fact "start small". 79. After all, "small is beautiful", as Professor Schu- macher tells us when he pleads the case for the transfer of intermediate technology and even techniques at a lower level. He says: "... the best aid is intellectual aid-the gift of useful knowledge. It is better than material aid. After all, nothing becomes truly one's own except on the basis of some genuine effort to acquire it. Material gifts make people dependent, the gift of knowledge makes them free-provided it is the right kind of knowledge, of course." 80. It is not only a matter of knowing what we want. We must also know what we do not want. And very often the most important and most difficult lesson we lr.i1ve to learn as aid-receiving countries is to say "No". After all, we cannot substitute dollars for dignity. If we do, we under- mine the humanity of the giveras well as the taker. 81. One of the rather sad things is that, with all the advances in knowledge and techniques, we are in very real danger of losing knowledge which was available to our forefathers, and which was of great value. Weare in danger of losing this knowledge simply because the holders of it are fast disappearing. But there is also an attitude of mind, among the less sophisticated members of our societies, which says that these are modern times, and we should not produce goods in such old-fashioned ways, when nowadays our young people are so well educated and advanced. The same applies to herbal and other remedies of a medical nature, and to traditional fishingand planting methods. The old Russian saying that the education ofa child begins 'With his grandfather's education is equally true in the Pacific, where grandfathers preserve so much lore and knowledge that would be lost without their presence. At least we should have the opportunity of trying and judging, and not missing out by default, as it were. This requires active measuresofpreservation and encouragement.. 82. And finally, in closing, may I just leave with you one brief thought on one major difference I have noticed about aid giving in the Western world and in our own Pacific Island way. From the developed countries aid is given, largely in the form of charity, from a surplus after everything else has been looked after. Sacrifice is minimal and there is no implication of a gap leftwhich at some stage will need to be replenished. In these circumstances it is hard, with the bestintentions in the world-and these I do not deny-to establish complete identity with the recipient. 83. Our method of giving is ratheroneof sharing whatwe have, so that in due course therewill bean opportunityfor the receiver to aid his neighbour. A reciprocal nexus is established; there is close involvement; and at the end of the day,allcanlook at eachotherin the eye. 84. I am one of those who believ'~ that we all have something to give and I think this ismore andmorerealized by the developed countries as well. This beliefandthe will to implement it will not obviate the need for all the detailed economic, social and cultural studies. But it could invest them with a meaning, a purpose, an urgency and above all an integration where all could play their part towards a better worldfor all. 8S. The PRESIDENT: On behalfof the General Assembly and on my own behalf I thank the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji, His Excellency the Right Honourable Ratu Sir Kamisese Man, for the impor- tant address wehave just heardfrom him. AGENDA, ITEM 9 Genenl debate(continued)

Mr. President, on your election as President of the United Nations General Assembly at its thirty-fust session, it gives megreat pleasure to congratclate you in the name of the Yemen Arab Republic delegation. I wish you success in carrying out the deliberations of this current session in order to achieve positive results which will enhance the aspirations of the peoples throughoutthe world for peace, integration and close co-operation in various fields, free fromexploitation, controlanddomination. 87. As I congratulate you on your election to this high office, allow me also to congratulate, through you, the Government of Sri Lanka and its friendly people, with whom and with whose national leadership we have strons links within the framework of the principles and goals of the non-aligned movement. Thismovement hascontributed and still contributes to the drawing of a framework for an independent policy for the third-world countries, aiming at eliminating the obstacles which hinder the growth, development andco-operation of their peoples, and seeking to narrow the gap between industrialized and developing countries. 88_ Mr. Gaston Thorn, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, your predecessor as President of the last session, has conducted withgreattact the debates of this Assembly. 89. Allow me also to express the deep appreciation of my Government for the valued efforts which the Secretary- General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, is undertaking for enhancing the importance of this Organization, and for hisconstant dedication for ensuring the safety and freedom of all peoples. His courageous role in eeeking a solution for the questions of Cyprus, the Middle East, Africa and other 90. The Yemen Arab Republic welcomes the Republic of Seychelles to the membership of our international Organi- zationemphasizing the universality of thisworldbody. The Government of the Yemen Arab Republic would also like to address a sincere appeal to some of the permanent members of the Security Council to avoid misusing their veto power to deny other nations the~ rightto join, and become full Members of, the Organization, thereby enabling them to contribute to the crystallization of the . aspirations of their peoples and to participate within the international family towards finding solutions for all the problems which arethe responsibility of the United Nations as a free forum for the peoples of the world, withoutany discrimination or special considerations. 91. The Yemen Arab Republic expresses its deep concern for the obstruction of the implementation of United Nations resolutions and recommendations dealing with serious and essentlal questions relating to. the new inter- national economic order. This order is the re&ult of the effortsof the overwhelming majority of nations throughout the world and an expression of their determination to initiate and formulate resolutions which will bring about & fundamental change designed to reform and rectify the relations prevailing in the world of economics, trade and the international monetary orderin sucha way as to ensure equal opportunities andbalance in these areas. 92. The General Assembly at its sixth special session adopted resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) on the Declaration andthe Programme of Action for the Establiahw ment of a New International Economic Or4er. At its twenty-ninth session, the Assembly adopted resolution 3281 (XXIX), which laid down the foundations for the implementation of the new international economic order" TIle Assembly, by its r.esolution 2626 (XXV), had also approved the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade, which wu eonflrmed during the seventh special session by its reso- lution 3362 (S-VII) stressing the importance of co-opera- tion between the industrialized and the developing coun- triesin the naldsof trade,industry,science, technology and all other economic fields since this to-operation would contribute to the consolidation of peace and security amongst the nations of the world. We hopethat the efforts being made to reassess thisStrategy will be successful. 93. The resolution of the Fifth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held in Colombo lat August llee A/31/191. tI1I1Iex IYj em- phasized the belief of non-aUped States in the principln and goals ofthe United Nations. They 1110 emphaalzed that the adherence of States, whether big or anlll, to the 94. What mainly concerns the humancommunity today is the constantconcentration, particularly on the part of the bigPowers, on increasing the productionof lethalweapons which threatenthe worldwith destruction and annihilation. The annual expenditure of over$300billion exclUsively on armament is conclusive evidence of the proliferation of nuclear and destructive weapons. Today, more than ever before, the Q'nited Nations is called upon to make an effective and constructive contribution to reaching a universal agreement to put an end to the arms race and to achieving complete elimination of the existing armsin order to protect mankind-which has already suffered tragically in the pasttwo worldwars-from the scourge of a third war which couldverywellannihilate our planet. 95. The Yemen Arab Republic stresses once again the need for detente. The Helsinki Declarationt ! should include a larger geopolitical areasothat the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean would become peace zones, free from the presence of foreign bases and naval tleets. The Declaration should go beyond its present scope in order to cover wider regions in Asia, Afiica and Latin Ame1ica. 96. There are also other questions which are equally important relating to international trade, the restructuring of its foundations, the reorganization of the world eco- nomic order, and the balancing of the prices of raw materials and manufacturedgoods. The richand developed Statesshould take swift and effective i.r!itiatives to prevent further complication of the international situati.::iil, being guided in this by the resolutions of the United Nations, the specialized agencies and conferences of an international character, especially that of the Fifth Conference of non-aligned States, whose political and economic reso- lutions are characterized by precision of statement and objectivity. The Conference enhanced the Charter of the United Nations and restoredthe confidence of the majority of nationsthroughout the worldin the effectiveness of this Organization at present and in the future, and the beliefof the nations all over the world in the role of the United Nations to prevent mankindfromself-destruction. 97. The peoples of the Middle East, cann~t be sure of their security and peaceaslongasthe racist Government of Israel refuses to withdrawits forces fromthe occupied Arab territories and to restore the inalienable· rights of the Palestinian people. Israel today practises sea piracyin the territorial waters of other countries,and takesadvantage of , the American presidential elections asa propitious political occasion for exercising its well-known hobby of political 98. The peoples of Palestine, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Azania struggle daily.for the achievement of their freedom, self-detennination and independence. The indications of their near victory are certain and reassuring. Thepeople of Palestine-whose land has been occupied for almost 30 years by zionism and who have beenrendered refugees-are strugg1in~ today to defend their freedom and dignity, their right to survive, to live in peace on their own land and to regain their national rights. This people, who are repre- ,sented in their just struggle by the Palestine Liberation Organization, will continue their struggling march,and will overcome all the obstacles which hinder their struggle against Israel and the racist Zionist regime, until they achieve victory. 99. The odious acts ofaggression committedevery dayby the forces of the Zionist occupationagainst innocentmen, women and children in the occupied West Bank, the consolidation of Zionist settlements, "the desecration of holy Islamic shrines, the confiscation of lands,the changing of the historical and demographic character of the area in order to sanction Israel's illegitimate presence in Palestine and to perpetuate its occupationof ilia Arab territories-ell this cannot escape the notice of the international com- munity and cannotcontinue withoutinternationalcondem- nation and disapproval and the adoption of urgent and practical measures in order to eliminate theseactions. 100. The Yemen Arab Republic is also deeply concerned with the situationprevailing underthe two racistregimes in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa, whose Governments daily commit repulsive crimes against African citizens. My Government joins the international community in strongly condemning thesecrimes. 101. Resolutions have been repeatedly adopted; however, the misuse of the veto powerhas prevented the implemen- tation of sanctions against Israel and South Africa. Thishas led a large number of Member States to call for funda- mental amendments to the Charter of the United Nations. 102. The United Nations, therefore, is called upon today to seriously consider effective measures to solve the Palestine question, to achieve the tctal withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Arab territories, and to imple- ment its resolutions in such a way as to ensure the recognition of the national rights of the Palestine people, including their rightto self-determination and the establish- mentof t~eirnationalauthority in Palestine. 103. The Yemen Arab Republic also reaffirms the rightof the Arab States to permanent control over their natural resources in the occupied territories. 104. The situation confronting the peoples of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Azania is a source of increasing concern. The United Nations, through its specialized committees, especially the Fourth Committee, which deals with decolo- nization, should take into consideration and supervise all political·and constitutional initiatives envisaged for putting lOSe Mr. President, your continuous efforts have con- tributed to a large extent to the success achieved sofarby the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. In order to ensure that nations adhere to and respect the provisions of this new law, they should be compatible with the principle of equal rights of States and .should emphasiZe the absolute sovereignty of coastal States over straits within their territorial waters. All efforts made in this context should be devoted to the interests and well-being of the peoples of the world, withoutprejudice to the sovereign rights of States. This was the position of the Yemen delegation which participated in all meetings and conferences on this subject andwhich presented more than one proposal as a compromise solution for problems which were discussed and on which the participanng delegations had different viewpoints. In these proposals we emphasized the need to adhere to the principle of innocent passage in straits and to oblige war vessels and mllitary navigation to be committed to the principle of prior authorization or notification. We hope that the coming sixth session, which is scheduled for May 1977, will provide greater oppor- tunities leading to the formulation of a convention govern- ing the law of the sea in order to avoid the threat of unilateral action on the part of the big Powers, which would create confrontations and conflicts and therefore leadto instability in international relations. . 106. Severe natural disasters have befallen the People's Republic of China and its noble people, whohave shown an extraordinary capacity for perseverance and endurance in times of distress. The Chinese people have reaffmned their self-reliance in rebuilding within a short period of time what earthquakes had destroyed. 107. The peoples of the third world received with deep sorrow the news of the death of the great leader of the Chinese people, Chairman Mao Tsetung. Theworld haslost a wise leader who accomplished miracles for his people•.He was a source of inspiration and an ideal for a large number of world leaden, especially among the countries of the thirdworld, whofollowed hisexample andhissteps. 108. The Yemen Arab Republic shares the grief of the Chinese people and from this international forum pays homage to the late leader Mao Tsetung and wishes the friendly Chinese people continuous prosperity andprogress. 109. The Yemen Anb Republic devotes special attention to the Korean question. It stresse! the need for the unification of the Korean people by peaceful means andfor the creation ofconditions conducive to the continuation of a dialogue between the Korean parties concerned. 111. With respect to our region, we support the right of the French Soma1lland-Djibouti-to run and speedy inde- pendence, and we welcome the steps taken by the French Government to grant the people of the Territory their independenl;e andrightto self-determination. 112. My country's delegation has heard the statement made at the 22nd meeting by Israel's Foreign Minister, which was delivered in a Nazi and racist spirit, thus confmning the soundness of the resolution adopted by the General Assembly at its last session in which it condemned zionism as a form of racism and racial discrimination {relOlution 3379 (XXX)}. 113. The soulof a new Hitler has beenresurrected in this hall to distort facts and to mislead the international community by providing it with incorrect and false information. Isnel remains-as its Foreign Minister wants it to be-the most stable, developed and peaceful State,whlle everything sunoundi.,g it does not even deserve to exist. Israel, which has parachuted arms and military materials into Lebanon and contrived to open tobacco factories employing 20 ubanese, whlle itself suffering from mass unemployment, clearly revealed through the statement of its Foreign Minister its real goal-namely, the refusal to establish a secular Palestinian State in which Moslem, Christian and Jewish Ara~s wouldlive in peace side by side. This part of the Israeli Minister's address only confirms, without any further effcrt, that the sole. politiCal exploiter of the Lebanese war tragedy and the real source of death forboth Lebanese andPalestinians is Israel. 114. The human touches contained in the Israeli dele- sstion's address before this Assembly are but an actual reaction to its guilt complex-the guilt Israel feels in continuing to occupy the territoriesof others, displacing an entire nation and its people from its land and home, desecrating the holy places in occupied Palestine, insulting the countries ofthe thirdworld,and failing in its concealed attempts to justifyits rejection of allthe resolutions of this Organization. Fin8l1y, Isr.sel repeats its song of peace in the Middle East: p"'ace outside the framework of the United Nations, outside the framework ofthe Security Council and outside the framework of the Geneva Peace Conference on the Middle East. All these facts confmn that the soul of a new Hitler has been resurrected. The mternational com- .murdty is surprised to see that those who for a longtime have pnctised fmancial and political blackmail against E~ropean people arethe newimage of the odious Nazi soul, and have not revealed themselves as such against the other peoples in the Middle East. 11S. I sha1l not dwell longon this subject. Israel's slogan towards the Anb people remains the same: distortion of facts, concealment of its aggressive and expansionist inten- tions and exaggeration of its need for money, peace and protection. Israel remains isolated from the international community. No one shares its isolation except the racist regimes in Africa and other isolated groups in a few European countries and the United States, which have not yet ruBy understood all the relevant facts. As everY day 116. Finally, the Yemen Arab Republic, while reviewing all the problems which afflict the world, modestly tries to exceed its limited potential in order to make the .goal of co-operation and understanding among the States of the Arabian peninsula and the Gulf a good model to be followed in intemational relations so as to ensure the progress of the peoples of the areaandthe constructive and purposeful contribution by its Governments in all aspects which would contribute to peace, development and equal co-operation between all nations of the world. Moreover, we in the Yemen Arab Republic seek to resolve many of the regional conflicts quietly and with 'I sense of respon- sibility including even those conflicts which constitute deliberate or unintentional violation of our territorial waters and territory. By this behaviour we EJfum our full adherence to, and respect for, the United Nations Charter and international law in. finding appropriate solutions through dialogue and bilateral and cordial contacts. We hope that this world Organization wiII remain strong, firm, effective and able to face its heavy responsibilities without falteririg or" hesitating in the case of all challenges until peace prevails throughout the world and until tension and the spectres of warand conflicts disappear completely from the international arena. so asto achieve welfare andstability for all peoples, We sincerely believe that the thirty-first session of the General Assembly will pave the way for a more equitable, stable and secure future for all peoples throughout the world. It is the responsibility of all of usin this Assembly to assure the highest degree of success to the proceedings of the currentsession.

It . is for me an honour and a great pleasure to extend to Mr. Hamilton ShirleJI' Amerasinghe, on behalf of the dele- gation of Senegal snd on my personal behalf, our warm congratulations and our best wishes as well as those of the Government and people of SenC?ga1 on his being elected to the presidency of the thirty-first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We are indeed fortunate to be able to rely during this important session on his distinguished qualities and his wealth of experience. His election is also a tribute paid. to his country and to ~ts people, as well as to its' traditionalpolicy of friendship and co-operation to serve mutual interests withallpeoples who love peace and justice. I 'can assure the President, that my delegation will give him its full supportin the performance ofhisonerous duties. 118. May I alsotakethis opportunityto express mywarm thanks to Mr. Amerasinghe's predecessor, Mr. Gaston Thorn, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg for the distin· guished services which he rendered to the international community particularly through the skill and the devotion withwhich he tackled the problems the General Assembly hadto takeup during the past year. 120. I should also, on behalf of the Government and people of Senegal, to reiterate to the delegation of the People's Republic of China, our deep-felt condolences at the passing of Chairman iviii~ Tsetung, which was' a tremendous loss for all ?eoples wt.» have known doml- nation, suffering and scorn and who aspire to dignity and respect. Chairman Mao WItS not only a source of inspiration of the valiant Chinese people but also a model of wisdom and ofleadership for all peoples of the third world. Because his action was devoted to the total development. of men, the thoughts of Chairman Mao will. always represent something which remains forever brig.itt in the memory of mankind. ]21. The United Nations is an instrument the purpose of which is to mould the future of mankind and "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war... to promotesocial progress and better standards of life in larger freedcm.t'The purposewas to builda single world based on peace, justice and co-operation, but instead of that, very shortly we found ourselves in a world which was divided into separate entities by conflicts and inequalities, a bitter world, ravaged by the destructive furor of war, caught in the trap of confrontation between antagonistic military blocs. Fortunately, an encouraging degree of progress can be.seen every day, essentially because peoples and nations are becoming more and more aware of their inter- dependence and are dally becoming more conscious of the essential needs and legitimate aspirations of each. This has meant that there have been more numerous meetings leading very often to sgreements which have done away with the ghost of generalized war and even arriving at collective decisions which benefitall. 122. It is in the context of this awareness that we have seen the victories which have been scored against colo- nialism. The former colonail empires have in fact been dismantled and the colonial yoke fuss been ended in most parts of the world. More than half of the delegations who have met here represent newly independent States. 123. The United Nations, which has done a great dealin order to speed up this evolution, thus is daily drawing closer to its aim of universality. This iswhy we arepleased to welcome among us this year the delegation "of the sovereign S.f?te of S2ychelles. .. ii4. In conveying our congratulations to this fraternal State, I would like to express the conviction that this nation will strengthen our Organization and will lend its firm support to those peoples w,ho are still Struggling for their liberation. Similarly my delegation believes that the admission of Angola and of Viet Nam is a necessary prerequisite to bring about the principle of universality of the United Nations. 125. However, despite the major successes which have been scored in the field of decolonization, We are stiII confronted either by problems to which we have not 126. As a result of the visit of the United StatesSecretary of State, Mr. Kissinger, Ian Smith today stated that he will accept the rule of the majority. If this declarati(~)fi, which had never beenmade in the past in such a solemn manner, contains no covert desires to perpetuate in a camouflaged form the minority domination in those countries, un- doubtedly this could be regarded as a tremendous step forward to peace. We hope therefore that GreatBritain will soon resume its full responsibility to ensure that, at a constitutional conference at which all pames are repre- sented, the practical ways and means oftransferring power will be dermed. Whatever the case, the United Nations shouldin this new phase give its full support to thosewho are stroggling to be freed from the yoke of the racist minority. This is the very least our Organization can doto avert the serious danger of war that threatens not only African States: as we all know, this contains the seeds of world-wide confrontation. It seems to us to be indis- pensable and urgent to enlarge the scope of sanctions in order to exercise maximum pressure on Ian Smith'sregime. 127. In Namibia, South Africa continues to display an anachronistic fanaticism, not only by perpetuating its colonial presence but also by extending its racist policies to thisinternational Territory. 128. The responsibility of the United Nations as far as Namibia is concerned is dual: flrst, in the context of the general struggle to put an'end to colonialism wherever it exists and, .secondly, by dint of the. fact that in 1his particular case a colonial challenge affects an international Territory which is directly under the responsibllity of the UnitedNations. . . 129. Unfortunately, the United Nations has failed to discharge its responsibility concerning the p1lOblem of Namibia, where the policy of "bantustanizltionn tends 'to perpetuate colonialism by stratagems aimed at distracting the attention of the international community. The-Soweto massacre prov.es that South ATrica, both in itl OWll'territOry and in Namibia, ~ not prepared to stop defying the will of the international community. It istrue thatSoufh.Africa is aware of the support lent it by certain great Power.'Who continue to paralyse the action undertaken by the enited NatioQs. However, we hope that the ever more serious events occurring in South Africa since the Soweto massacre will impress upon the authorities in Pretoria, once and for all, that law is more powerful than brute force and the people of Namibia under the leadership of their legitimate representative, SWAPO, will be free whatever happens. 131. Regarding the Western Sahara and the so-called French Somali Coast, it would appear that these problems are on the point of being given.an African solutionbecause OAU has taken charge of the situation. My delegation considers that in accordance with Article 33 of the United Nations Charter and since these problems pit African States against each other, thiS examination at the African level should be supported by all. Article 33, after all, stipulates that "the partiesto any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, rust of all, seek a solution above all by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to' regional agencies or arrange- ments, or other peaceful means of their own choice." 132. On the ...'her hand, as far as the island of Mayotte is concerned, my delegation considers that the action of the French Government is tantamount to interference in the internal affa4s of the Comoros. Senegal would therefore make .an appeal to France to countermand the measures which have been taken in order to detach the island of Mayotte fromthe Stateof the Comoros and thus to destroy the unity of the archipelago. 133. Africa is not the only continent which has known armed conflict. The situation in the Middle East and in Palestine is one of the most serious problems confronting our world today. There is not a single Member State here who does not recognize that the problem or the Middle East has become the source of numerous international disputes and the point of departure for conflicts whose consequences transcend the confmes of the reltion and threatenpeace throughoutthe world. 134. For many yearsnow, this matter has been a regular feature of the agenda of our Assembly" requiring study in order to fmd a solution to it or at least to reduce its seriousness. The most important resuli reached by the United Nations in this connexion may well bethe decision taken by the international community to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as the only authentic representative of the Palestinilm people and to grant it observer status {resolution' 3210 (XXIX)}. In a similar context, we canseethe creationduring the thirtieth session of the General Assembly of a...!peei.al committee to dra~ up 136. Furthennore, mydelegation is profoundly concerned by the situation in Lebanon and would address a pressing cppeal to all the,parties to the contlict to put an end to dleir fratricidalstrugle, to re-establish peace, and to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity and non-align- ment of Lebanon. 137. Regarding Cyprus, my delegation would like to reiterate its support for the respect for the territorial integrity, non-aUgnment and the resumption of intercom- munity negotiations to bring aboutharmonious coexistence within a single'State. 138. As far as'Korea is concerned, my delegation favours any negotiated 'sOlution to the problem without foreign intervention. Hence, the resumption of the North-South dialogue pursuant to the jomt communique of 1972 is a necessary condition for thereto be just and lasting peace in that region. t .,.~ ., 139. Generally speaking, we can see that detente, in the sense of a relaxation of international tension, (lannot be . observed on a" wodd scale. Not only does it sometimes mean that the'world is divided into exclusive areas reserved foroneof·the-great Powen, but further,sometimes it seems to establish .asa rule the transfer of conflicts te the countries of the third world which have become the best customers ofthe arms merchants. "140. Fintly it should be noted, as the Stockholm Inter- national Peace 'Research.Institute has pointed out, that the sale of arms has considerably increased in recent years, which has made it even more difficult to estabUsh anyform of control. At any rate, it is weB known that as far as conventional armaments are concerned, there are.at least three or four suppliers corresponding to the major Power _ blocs who can always serve as alternatives if a traditional supplier refuses to supply· arms, particularly asit is publicly well known that the sale of death-dealing weapons is a lucrative activity which unfortuantely serves in the case of certain national budgets as a comPensating factor for an 141. Next, and most important, it should be noted with some regret that the developing countries are majorarms purclwen. Thus, in two yem-197411ld 1975-the value of resources transferred to the third world in the fonn of anns increased by 60 per cent, whereas the cumulative value of major arms transferin the six yean-1970 throup 1975-was SUS 14.2 billion, more than twice the value of the transfers which oecurred in the'decade 1950 through 1959, which was SUS 6.8 billion. These fJlUres give food forthought. 142. For all these rellOns Senegal has come out in favour of the convening of a world disarmament conference, which is somethi."1g which the Organization is at presentstudYinB. This project, if it wins the support of all the military Powen, could free the problem of diiarmament from the deadlock in which it finds itselfat present. At any·~te, it is the duty of the international community to intensify its action in order to strengthen the role and the intluence of the United Nations in thenegotiations andworking out,of a solution to disarmament problems by drawing up a Wit programme of concerted meuures which is the necessary prerequisite for the initiationof the process of pneralllld complete disarmament underinternational control. 143. We should fmnly state our determination to playIII effective role in.the easing of international tension and in seeking for just and equitable solutions to themajorworld problems. This is the main purpose andthe raisond't~e of our Organization. Our responsibility to all the peqples of the world who love peace and justice is.to' redouble our effortsto achieve this end. . . 144. Regarding economic problems, I should like to take thisopportunityto express the appr.eciation of my Govern- mentat the significant results which have '*n reached by the international community. In effect, we have m;anaaed to start a movem,ent· towards the estabUahme~t of, III , international economic order based nolonger on criteria of' power, but rather on the respect of common interes~ and' the aspirations of all to Ufe in peace, prosperity and saci*l justice. :Although the results are not yet up to the'wishes expressed 'by the developing countries, the international community nevertheless has reached a consenaus on the steps to be-taken in various areas which are vital for tile existence and the development of a considerable portionof mankind. . 145. My'd~legation is particularly gratified at the spirit which prevailed throughout the various international meet- ings-a spiritcharacterized by undentanding and co-opera- tion which we hopa will continue to reign during coming intematiO'nal economic conferences. Furthennore,it b our hope that all Stateswill ensure that the decisions takenare implemented in the same constructive spirit and that in the case of t,hose points which have not yet been the sub.iect of 146~ In that connexion, the United Nations and the specialized agencies can be regarded asembryonic formsof a political power which could be both powerful and effective vis-i-vis the dominatiing andmonopolizing powers of multinational corporations. That would be one way for U$, the developing countries,to make our ownvoices heard, however weak they may be on the bilateral level, and especially to resist pressure from the "great" Powers. 147. Undoubtedly certaininternational organizations such as the monetary institutions have up till now more often than not appeared, not as protectors of the "small" countries against the major Powers, but rather as organi- zations closely linked with imperialist expansion. But it is the duty of our Organization to work strongly for their reconstruction along the lines of a new international economic order based on equity and complementarity. 148. The United Nations, which is already a considerable counterweight to the hegemonistic policies of the great Powers, can, in point of fact, provide the framework for action to bringabout the general development of mankind. It can make available to all the experience which has been acquired here or there, organize assistance for those who need it, and promote a new system of international relations based on the conviction that the fundamental interests of the people of the world are not contradictory toeach other. 149. We feel bound to saysometlungabouthuman rights. I hardly needto recall in this connexion that the tlateof 10 December 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted was one of the most striking eventsin the historyof mankind. 150. thus, for the first tiine the responsibility to proclaim and to defend human rights was assumed by the inter- national community and accepted by it as a standing obliption. With the hopes of millions of human beings reduced to an animal level of existence vested in it, this DeC?\aratio~ appeared. to mark a turning-point in relations among people. 151. Unfortunately, a climate of civil and civic violence t1o~ting elementary human,rights and condoned. more and more by the conscience of men and peoples has arisen ~mqst.everywhere since the end of the Sec!lnd World War. '-"Ir Organization, however, has failed to react to such violations, prefening rather to imitate most of the Govern- ments who remain silent, either because they Wish to spare the feelings of friendly countries-or for ideological, political or other reasons under the pretext of not interfering in the internalaffairs of other States. - 153. Of -course, it is perfectly true that many countries have expressed their disapproval of the oppression which prevails in Chile and their solidarity withthe victims. Butin other countries, which seem to attract less attention from the United Nations, therearc ~.rsonswhoare stilldeprived of their elementary human rights. The international com- munity must react to all forms of oppression and terror, wherever they occur. It is not natural that there shouldbe virtually no reaction to the massacre of men and women because they hold certain views or, in some cases, simply because they are accused of holding certain views, an accusation which is swiftly transformed into a plot against the existing regime. At the presenttime,millions of people are languishing in prison and being tortured for no greater crime than their failure to declare their allegiance to a particular policy vociferously enough. The United Nations hasan importantroleto playin thisarea. 154. The United Nations system is the only universal instrument currently available. Through certain reforms to its Charter-particularly the right of veto,its structures and far-reaching operational decentralization-it would be capable of assuming responsibility for the major objectives of renewed international co-operation. It might thus be entrusted with the task of managing the common heritage of mankind constituted by the oceans beyondthe limitsof territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone', space, the science and technology accumulated by mankind, and so forth. It might supervise the implementation of a new international policy for the transfer of resources to the less advantaged countries. 155. It is only in this way that our ultimate goal, which is the establishment of total and permanent world peace in prosperity and justice can be attained. Thus,wecanaffirm to all peoples of the world that the United Nations has successfully' discharged its mandate, essentially by demo-- cratizing international relations and by creating col~ditions conducive to the realization of equality, justice and international co-cperation throughout the world. We have too biglt an opinion of the United Nations, of what it represents for us and of the results which it has already achieved,.to have the shadow of a doubt that the goal which is so vital for the survival of mankind-the main- tenance of international peace and security-will be achieved. Themeetingrose at1.25 p.m.