A/35/PV.114 General Assembly

As members will recall, the General Assembly at its looth plenary meeting, on 15 January 1981, decided to request the President to continue consultations concerning this agenda item with a view to reporting to the Assembly on the out- come of those consultations at a later date. ... Resumed from the JOist meeting. ** Resumed from the IOOth meeting. NEW YORK 4. Members will also recall the convening of an informal open-ended meeting of the whole of the Assembly on 5 and 6 May 1981, for consultations on agenda item 123, at which time I presented a detailed report on my consultations and on the developments which had taken place since January. I also indicated at that time that the United States had communicated to the President of the General Assembly that it did not feel ready to join in our deliberations in a sub- stantive manner until the autumn. 5. On 6 August 1981, the Secretary of State of the United States-in response to an inquiry a-.; to the pos- sibility of resuming consultations following the summit meeting of the seven principal Western industrialized countries held at Ottawa, on 20 and 21 July and the Foreign Ministers' preparatory meeting held at Cancun on I and 2 August 1981, for the purpose of setting up the international meeting on cooperation and develop- ment, to be held at Canciin later in the year-com- municated to the President of the Assembly that the United States position on the question of global nego- tiations remained the same as it was before the exchange at Ottawa. 6. The United States indicated that it continued to believe that further consideration of global negotia- tions should not take place at least until the thirty- sixth session of the General Assembly, after the Cancun meeting. Accordingly, the United States strongly favoured the most expeditious and purely procedural deferral of global negotiations from the thirty-fifth to the thirty-sixth session. 7. I have since consulted the members of the "group of friends" of the President of the General Assembly on this matter. The consensus of those consultations is that this agenda item should now be transmitted from the thirty-fifth to the thirty-sixth session. 8. However, before doing so, I wish to summarize the long and difficult process of negotiations which has taken place since the eleventh special session of the General Assembly, which ended a year ago. Such a summary will. I believe, provide a useful basis for discussion on this question at a future date. 9. Members will recall the consensus reached at the eleventh special session of the General Assembly with regard to the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, subsequently adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 35/56. Concerning global negotiations, intensive consultations narrowed the areas of dis- agreement on prucedures, no time was available, however, for addressing the agenda. Thus, at the 21st plenary meeting of the eleventh special session, on 15 September 1980, the General Assembly adopted decision S-II/24 concerning global negotiations on international economic co-operation for development. 10. Following a request by the Group of 77, on I October 1980 [A/35/243] , the General Assembly, on 15 October £~80, included item 123, entitled ., Launching of global negotiations on international economic co-operation for development", in its agenda for consideration in plenary meeting. II . The members of the Assembly will recall the position with regard to a set of procedures and an agenda for global negotiations at that time. At the eleventh special session considerable effort had been devoted to procedures, whereas the situation regarding the agenda remained as it had been at the conclusion of the work of the Committee of the Whole Established under General Assembly Resolution 32/174. I felt, as President of the Assembly, that an initiative was called for that would help in reaching an agreement to launch global negotiations as soon as possible. 12. Soon after the thirty-fifth session got under way I took the opportunity to consult on this question with the Heads of State and Foreign Ministers of Member States who had come to New York for the general debate. All of them agreed with the view aat we should begin as soon as possible with intensive talks on how we could launch global negotiations. Accordingly, on 27 October 1980 I convened for the first time, with the mandate of the Assembly, what has come to be called the group of friends of the President of the General Assembly, an informal consultation group in which all points of view were represented. All dis- cussions were to be on an ad referendum basis. 13. The group of friends of the President held more than 20 meetings between October and mid-December 1980, in addition to several bilateral consultations and a week-end conference at Arden House hosted by the Stanley Foundation in November. During that period, the General Assembly took up item 123 at its 71st and 72nd plenary meetings, on 20 and 21 November 1980. On 25 November an informal open-ended meeting of the whole was held on the same question. 14. My initial purpose, before examining the de- tailed questions of agenda and procedures, was to try to achieve a meeting of minds and a thorough exchange of views on the questions before the Assembly re- garding the launching of global negotiations. It was agreed that the group would begin its discussion by reviewing the objectives of global negotiations before taking up the more specific questions of the agenda and procedures. In this context, some basic docu- ments pertaining to the objectives of global negotia- tions were discussed by the group-and here I might mention the Declaration on the New International Economic Order [resolution 3201 (S-Vlj], General Assembly resolutions 32/174, 34/138 and 34/139, the agenda and agenda chapeaux from the Committee of the Whole and the preamble to the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, among others. 25. Similarly, we are all aware of the economic summit meeting of industrial countries held at Ottawa in July and the more recent meeting of the Foreign Ministers preparatory to the Cancun North-South summit. Although the Canciin summit is not intended to be a decision-making meeting and although there is, as you know, no institutional link between it and the launching of global negotiations-which remains a decision for the General Assembly-it is obvious that the two processes embrace common concerns. The meeting of Heads of State or Government at Cal"~:'n will no doubt provide a very important opportuOl,. ) tackle, at the highest political level, the question of global negotiations. 26. As I indicated at the beginning of my remarks today, following the Ottawa summit meeting, the United States indicated, in response to my inquiry, that the matter of global negotiations should not be pursued until the thirty-sixth session of the Assembly. I am convinced that full participation in our efforts to launch global negotiations is vital. It has therefore been with regret and disappointment that we have found ourselves in a position that has not allowed us to continue our search for a solution in the past weeks. We have little alternative but to pursue the matter of launching of global negotiatic ns during the thirty- sixth session. 27. Before I propose that procedural decision, I should first like to say that it has been a most re- warding experience to have worked with the group of friends and with other delegations and bodies in the search for a consensus towards launching global negotiations. I am deeply grateful to all of them. Our experience has shown that good will and a constructive attitude can take us a long way. I sincerely believe that global negotiations will become a reality before long. My thanks go also to the Secretary-General and his dedicated staff for their most valuable contribu- tions to our work. 28. Global problems will not disappear. What is needed is a rearrangement of international relations and a new kind of comprehensive approach to the critical problems of development. At a time of ac- celerating change, economic stability and positive economic policies are crucial to political stability and to the success of positive political relationships. Serious changes have occurred in the past 10 years. Today, more than ever, we need carefully to calculate the mutual interests of North and South, because global politics are outgrowing East-West issues. The 32. In spite of everything, during this period, far from losing the momentum that had been built up in favour of global negotiations, we have seen that there is greater appreciation of and support for it on the part of the developing countries, as well as in the group of developed countries. This attitudes was obvious in the preparations for the forthcoming meeting at Cancun, the success of which, we all desire is clearly and directly dependent on removing the misgivings which thus far have stood in the way of the launching of global negotiations, your constant aim, Mr. Presi- dent, throughout your term of office. 33. We hope that there will be adopted in Cancun at the highest political level a resolution pointing the way to the launching of those negotiations at the thirty- 39. I should note that Canada welcomed the oppor- 47. The .uropean Council last June stated its opinion tunity to participate in your group of friends, even that the preparations for the new round of global when you worked us very hard through Saturdays, negotiations should be completed as soon as possible, Sundays, holidays and evenings as well. We naturally regret that it was not possible to reach agreement on 1 Department of State Bulletin, vol. 81. No, 2053. fHIgust 1981. the key issues of the procedures and the agenda, p.B. 57. Global negotiations, as a new attempt to re- structure international economic relations, is an im- portant item on the agenda of the thirty-fifth session, which has been given importance by all parties con- cerned and has attracted the close attention of public opinion, both within and outside the United Nations. The Chinese delegation, like most others, attaches great importance to the item. 58. As a result of the efforts made jointly by you, Mr. President, and by all sides concerned, particu- larly the Group of 77, we have indeed made some 62. In the economy of the world at present, there exist both interdependence and contradictions in the relations between the developing and the developed countries. Because of the interdependence both sides can now sit down and, through dialogue, find a way to adjust and restructure those relations. On the other hand, because of the contradictions, the dialogue will inevitably assume a tortuous course and the process of restructuring will be a slow one. 63. How to proceed from the over-all situation and the long-term interests and to u iderstand correctly the relations of interdependence, how to transcend the limitations imposed by the immediate interests, how to handle well the economic relations between the South and the North, how to facilitate the develop- ment of the world economy and to promote world peace and stability: that is the challenge before all of us, particularly the developed countries. 64. Resolution 34/138, adopted by consensus at the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, is the direct and positive reply to that challenge. The joint commitment assumed by all sides under that resolu- tion reflects our determination to launch a new round of continuous and comprehensive global negotiations so as to enable us gradually, but in an orderly fashion, to rectify the various defects that now exist in the world economy and to create the conditions neces- sary for the establishment of a new international economic order. That resolution has all along been the common theoretical basis for our preparations for the global negotiations. It should also be the common starting point for our future work. 65. Before concluding this statement. I feel that I must once again express the deep appreciation of the Chinese delegation to you, Mr. President. for the 68. That is sv because the agreements reflected therein were all ad referendum and, as members know, the group of friends was not a meeting of the whole. It did not comprise the entire membership and the persons who were present were, I am quite sure. reflecting their own views and not those of other delegations that were not in the group.

Mr. President, the United States continues to believe that. as you have stated, further consideration of global negotiations should be deferred until after the Cancan meeting. The United States takes seriously its relations with developing countries and we are fully committed to policies which are constructive, practical and designed to achieve concrete results. 70. I also want to take this opportunity to express my personal appreciation for your tireless eff,,·'· s, Sir, to resolve the many issues that have been l .re us. I want in particular to compliment you .~r in- valuable role in regard to global negonations .. inter- national economic co-operation for development. As we are all aware, that question is difficult and complex; but, through your energy, insight and tact, you were able to bridge many gaps and increase mutual under- standing. All delegations have reason to appreciate your outstanding work and the wisdom of a master diplomat. 71. Thank you again, Mr. President, for all your excellent work. I have greatly enjoyed our associa- tion and I am sure I speak for all others present here in expressing our best wishes to you in your future endeavours.

Mr. President, I think I am expressing the .opinion of my colleagues in the group of Arab States when I say that we have listened with great attention to the thorough and most interesting report which you have submitted this afternoon, at the end of this thirty- fifth session. concerning the 'progress that has been made and the difficulties tha: have been encountered during your presidency and under your wise guidance in the past year concerning the global negotiations for the establishment of a new international economic order. 75. The efforts that you have expended. with the group of friends representing various States have led to significant progress and done much to highlight the most important subjects that we must confront, and you have put forward constructive proposals as to how to deal with these. 76. The basic point I should like to emphasize is that our concept as developing countries of the new international economic order is not, as some developed countries might think, limited to the transfer of riches from those that possess them to those that do not. That has never been and never will be our line of thinking. The developing countries rely on the efforts of their children; they rely first on themselves and then on mutual co-operation. 77. What the developing countries are seeking is assistance that will help them to develop their re- sources, their human potential and their natural riches; it is the exchange of technological and administrative experience and assistance of many kinds so that the developing countries, which represent millions of individuals throughout the world, may be a vital and effective factor as producers and consumers of goods within the economic and commercial world order. The poor, developing countries could then participate in reviving the world economy, which they cannot now do because of the immense difficulties they are now facing and have been facing for some years. These interests are common to developing and developed countries alike since they will benefit both. I say again that it is not merely a question of transferring re- sources from the rich to the poor.

There is another matter which I should like to bring to the attention of the General Assembly. I refer to resolution 35/211, concerning the establishment of the Committee of Governmental Experts to Evaluate the Present Structure of the Secretariat in the Administrative, Finance and Per- sonnel Areas. 80. Inasmuch as the Secretary-General has just received the last nominations from the regional groups and the Committee is holding its first meeting today, it is obvious that the' Committee has not been able to meet the deadline of 1 September set by the General Assembly for the completion of the work of all sub- sidiary organs. May I therefore consider that the As- sembly authorizes the Committee to meet beyond the deadline in order to perform its task and submit its report to the thirty-sixth session? I hear no objection. It was so decided (decision 35/455).

May I now invite repre- sentatives to stand and observe one minute of silent prayer or meditation. The members of the General Assembly observed a minute of silence ..

I declare closed the thirty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly.