A/35/PV.49 General Assembly

It is upon the initiative of the Soviet Union [see A/35/194] that the General Assembly has taken up the very important and timely question of the his- torical responsibility of States for the preservation of the world's environment for present and future gen- erations. 2. The People's Republic of Bulgaria highly values that initiative as an exceptional and timely step aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to a. problem of a global nature which is becoming particularly acute and which affects the interests of all States and peoples without exception. 3. Man and nature are indissolubly linked. For mil- lennia man, through his activities, has been making constant changes in the natural environment. It is an objective process that determines the existence and the evolution of human society, and that process will in the future continue and take on increasing dimen- sions. The forms, the degree and the methods by which man affects nature are constantly changing. History has many examples of cases in which the thoughtless attitudes and interference of man in nature have left behind arid spaces, inanimate and hostile. Marx has written that the use of land, if it develops in an uncon- trolled manner and if it is not consciously planned, leaves behind only desert. 4. Thanks to the triumphs of the scientific and tech- noiogical revolution, mankind has taken to the use of NEW YORK many new types of energy and the resources of the seabed and of outer space. At the same time certain human activities have an extremely pernicious effect on the environment and threaten to have even more harmful effects on nature in the future. 5. We do not believe that mankind is doomed to an inevitable ecological catastrophe. However, far be it from us to underestimate the warnings of scientists and experts that senseless behaviour toward nature breeds dangerous consequences for all mankind. Moreover, the close ecological links existing among countries on the regional and global levels are a new phenomenon in the evolution ofcontemporary society. Today the preservation of the environment has be- come a problem common to all people, one of the global problems of our century. 6. The solution of the problem of the environment in its current aspects is taking place in a complex international and political context, but we believe that the problem can be resolved and that mankind can preserve nature for future generations in all its beauty and richness. 7. This is a broad field for noble, fruitful co-operation on the part of all States, large and small, developed and developing alike, because these problems, like the problems of peaceful coexistence and the problems of peace and war, cannot be resolved by one State alone. The preservation of the environment and of nature on our planet is a matter ofconcern to all States without exception and, if it is not resolved promptly, it can harm the prospects for later development. 8. The problem of the preservation of the environ- ment is closely related to the problem of the rational utilization of natural resources, to the need to over- come the vestiges of the burdensome colonial past and to the struggle for rapid social and economic development and the achievement ofgenuine economic independence. 9. The past decade has witnessed certain measures for promoting international co-operation with a view to preserving the environment, measures which have produced specific results. 10. In implementation of the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, signed at Helsinki in 1975, and acting upon the initiative of the Soviet Union, the States of the European continent, the United States and Canada adopted the Convention on Long-range Trans- boundary Air Pollution, which was concluded at Geneva on 13 November 1979:1 Substantial measures to preserve the world's oceans from pollution are being prepared through the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. A major success I Document E/ECE/IOIO. 33. In accordance with our commitment to the prin- ciples of environmental conservation, New Zealand wishes to play an active part in the development of the draft World Charter for nature which has been put before us today. We see draft resolution A/35/L.8/ Rev. 1as a major step forward. New Zealand will with great pleasure give its full support to that text.

The General As- sembly has before it today two items relating to the same issue. The first, agenda item 113, is entitled r~nment is indeed one of the important issues of our time. Respect for ecological principles, be they the ~reservatlon of the human environment, the protec- tion of nature, the rational management of non- renewable resources or the maintenance ofthe balance of fragile ecosystems, affects the very basis of human society. Our action or inaction today is decisive for the well-being and quality of life of future generations as well. . 36. Th.e Goven;tment of Finland has consistently emphasized the Importance of the adoption of eco- logically sound principles as the basic for global and regional action. 37. On the global level, the United Nations, in general, and UNEP, in particular, have a vital role to play. The Foreign Minister of Finland, Mr. Vayrynen said from this rostrum a year ago that the most im: portant tasks of the United Nations in the 1980swould be the promotion of detente and disarmament and the realization of a new international economic order in accordance with sound ecological principles.? We must therefore' focus our action not only with a view to ourselves but also with the interests of the coming generations in mind. 38. Although global in dimension, the ecologically sound management of the human environment also has important regional implications. In the European context that has been properly recognized in the relevant provisions of the Helsinki Final Act and the follow-up action, either undertaken or planned. 39. My Government also welcomes the fact that ecological considerations have received their due recognition in the International development strategy for. the. Third Uni!ed Nations Development Decade, which IS b.efore this session of the General Assembly for adoption." In the context of the International Development Strategy, these considerations have been pursued particularly by the Nordic countries. That is especially important because the instrument encompasses objectives and policy measures that will guide international economic co-operation during the 1980s and beyond. . 40. The Finnish Government has carefully con- sidered the two draft resolutions before us on the basis I have just explained. We have no difficulty, in 4 Subsequently adopted by the General Assembly as resolution 35/56. ht m-zonian countries constitutes a sovereign and 50. Mr. KRAVETS (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist .ive right of each party to the Treaty. Republic) (interpretation from Russian): The delega- -, Those concepts, which serve as an introduction tionof the Ukrainian SSR welcomes the initiatives to the statement on item 113 which I have the honour for the inclusionin the agenda of the thirty-fifthsession to make on behalf of the Amazonian countries, are of the General Assembly of an item on a draft world -and there must be no mistake about this-the very charter for nature and an item on the historical respon- foundation of the co-operation which the Amazonian sibility of States for, the preservation of nature for countries are undertaking among themselves, and present and future generations. therefore the only basis on which they would be 51. The problems of the preservation and rational prepared to contemplate international co-operation in utilization of the environment are undoubtedly among this area. the most pressing problems facing mankind today. 46. Concerning agenda item 113, we have before us Thanks to progress in science and technology, man- tow types of documents. On the one hand, document kind has achieved extremely intensive utilization of natural resources for economic and social develop- ment. At the same time, some types of human activity have an unfavourable impact upon the ecological balance and this is fraught with extremely grave if not fatal consequences for coming generations. 52. The preservation of the earth's environment is the responsibility of all mankind and requires collec- tive efforts on the part of all States. International S World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development, prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, with the advice, co-operation and financial assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wildlife Fund and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1980. 54. I must speak at somewhat greater length onthe item on the historical responsibility of States for "the preservation of nature for present and future genera- tions, especially those aspects which relate to the totally intolerable and inadmissible damage to the environment ofour planet resulting fromthe continuing arms race and the unceasing tests of various types of weapons, primarily nuclear weapons. The toxic radioactive cloud formed as a result of a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere cannot be dissipated by any forces. It sows death and disease indiscriminately among all living things. It is regrettable that China refuses to acknowledge this incontrovertible fact and is continuing to conduct nuclear-weapon tests in the atmosphere. SS. The prevention ofthe pollution ofthe atmosphere, the soil, internal water reservoirs and oceans, the creation on a massive scale of varied and effective anti-pollution devices and the development and perfection of low-waste and pollution-free technology call for enormous expenditures, totalling tens of billions of dollars for the world as a whole. However, these expenditures can in no way be compared with the astronomical costs borne by mankind in connexion with the arms race. Nuclear-weapon tests, the loss of nuclear bombs, accidents involving strategic mis- siles with nuclear warheads, the leakage of military toxic substances, the stockpiling of chemical weapons and pollution resulting from the production of other types ofweapons ofmass destruction are the inevitable results of the policy ofmilitary preparation. Therefore, the most importantsinequanon offruitful co-operation in protecting and improving the environment is the intensification"of the process of international detente, the limitation and reduction of military expenditures, the curbing of the arms race and the achievement of disarmament. That course would provide sufficient resources for a broad range ofconservation measures. 56. ' The health and prosperity of present and future generations depends on the timely and proper solution of global questions involving the protection of the environment. And therein lies the historical respon- sibility of States for the preservation of nature. 57. The distinguishing feature of draft resolution A/35/L.7, submitted by the Soviet Union, lies in the fact that it establishes a connexion between the need for international co-operation to preserve the environ- ment of our planet and measures to halt the arms race and to increase, develop and further the relaxation of international tension. Therein lies the basis of principle in the approach taken by the socialist coun- tries to ecological problems. 58. Peace-as was stated by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, L. I. Brezhnev-is not a question of security alone. It is the most im- portant prerequisite for tackling the major problems 60. A broad range of persuasive examples could be adduced to demonstrate that there were considerable specific achievements in co-operation among States to preserve the environment precisely during the period of detente. The Conference dn Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1975 adopted a broad programme of preventive measures to avoid the con- tamination of the environment and preserve the ecological balance of nature. In carrying out that programme European States, including the Ukrainian SSR, in 1979 adopted the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. With a view to im- plementing the Helsinki agreements, the Soviet Union took the initiative ofconvening the High-Level Meeting within the Framework of ECE on the Protection of the Environment, which was held at Geneva in No- vember 1979. 61. Substantial global measures to prevent the pol- lution of seas and oceans were agreed upon at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Useful work along those lines has been done in conjunction with other international organizations by UNEP, which was established in 1972. 62. In drawing the attention of the United Nations to this matter and the need to solve a problem posed by life itself, we believe that it is precisely. this Orga- nization that can make a significant contribution to furthering co-operation in preserving the environment, taking into account the interests and requirements of the developing countries. 63. It is common knowledge that the developed capitalist countries sometimes combat the" pollution of the environment in a very original way. They export to the developing countries those industries which contaminate the environment to the greatest degree. In so doing, they save money by refusing to build anti-pollution devices, in their striving for maximum profits. The contamination of, the environment of developing countries is hardly a matter of concern to them. What is most important to them is profits. 64. In the Ukrainian SSR the task of preserving nature is embodied in the Constitution, and to that end a number of legislative' measures have been adopted. The sum of 4.4 billion roubles was spent in our Republic in the last five years in order to im- plement measures to protect the environment. Various aspects of that pressing problem are at all times the focus of attention of Ukrainian scientists, who have developed a special programme for the future, up to the year 2000, of activities for the preservation of nature. · ,t.J~. >. • "I.' • 66. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR supports draft resolution A/35/L.7, and we would express our hope that the implementationof the specific provisions of that draft resolution willenable the United Nations to adopt new measures in the near future to further international co-operation to protect the environment as one of the most important conditions for normal life. 67. Mr. LAI Yali(China)(translation from Chinese): The Chinese delegation has listened carefully to the introductory statement on item 113, "Draft World Charter for Nature", made by the representative of Zaire at the 48th meeting. We have decided to vote in favour of draft resolution A/35/L.8/Rev.l, on this subject, sponsored by Zaire and more than 40 other countries. 68.. The protection and proper management of the natural environment and living resources, an im- portent question affecting the development of all countries, merits the attention of the international community. The abuse and excessive exploitation of natural resources by the industrialized countries over the years have caused damage to the ecology and led to serious social and economic problems. 69. In the course of conquering and making use of nature, man has enhanced his creativity and gained a wealth of experience. In today's world of advanced science and technology, how best to protect, while ratiQnally exploring and making use of nature and natural· resources is an important question common to all countries, particularly the developing countries, one which should be treated with the seriousness it. deserves. 70. We wish to express our appreciation to His Excellency President MobutuofZaire for the initiative he has taken and valuable effort he has made in the formulation of the draft World Charter for Nature as a code of conduct for the international community in the protection and management of our environment and natural resources. We are prepared to join other countries in friendly consultations and give the draft Charter our serious consideration. 71. As regards draft resolution A/35/L.7, the Soviet representative in his introduction of that draft this morning claimed, with seeming compassion, that in order to preserve nature, it is necessary to promote international detente and banish war from the life of mankind and to put a stop to the arms race. However, people cannot help asking, who exactly is going all out in the arms race and who has dispatched an army of 100,000 troops for an armed invasion and military occupation of a non-aligned Islamic country? Instead ofsaying a singleword about the Soviet Union's deeds in intensifying the arms race and external wars of aggression, the Soviet representative offers nothing but high-souding rhetoric about the preservation of nature and the banishing of the threat of war from the life of mankind. But aside from listening to his words, people might also observe his deeds. 6 Report ofthe United Nations Conference on the Environment, Stockholm, 5-/6 June /972 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.73.II.A. 14and corrigendum), chap. I. 98. War not only destroys human lifebut also ravages nature through the use of Machiavellian techniques, the most sophisticated weapons of mass destruction. The world has not forgotten the sad destruction and the long-feltconsequences caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the chemical warfare carried out in South Viet Nam and other countries of Indo-China during the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. 99. The deadly arsenal of nuclear weapons now available has the power to destroy many times over all human life in the world and put an end to civiliza- tion. There is now talk of neutron bombs, radiological weapons and environmental modification techniques for military purposes. The danger of a nuclear catas- trophe for human life and for the environment is, moreover, aggravated by the unbridled arms race, instigated by international imperialist and reactionary forces throughout the world, which seek to create situations of tension in order to fish in troubled waters. 100. The destruction suffered by Viet Nam during the last decade is a living example of what wars of aggression can cause a people in terms of suffering, in terms of the devastation of nature and the destruc- tion of its ecosystem. Their harsh consequences can be overcome only through the work of many succes- sive generations. 101. A total of 14.5milliontons of bombs and shells, including BLU-82B super-bombs weighing up to 15,000 pounds; 100,000 tons of toxic chemicals, includingAgent Orange, containing dioxin; B-52 super- bombers; environmental modification techniques -these are all used for the policy of "burn all, wipe out all, destroy all". In addition to losses of human life and immediate destruction, which are vast, the serious and long-term consequences of such destruc- tion are incalculable. Forty-three per cent of cultivated land was exposed to the spreading of toxic chemicals, and 10 per cent of these areas have been seriously polluted, have become sterile and are beinglateritized, thus worsening our food shortage; 44per cent of forest areas were subiected to repeated speading of toxic chemicals and 50 per cent to B-52 bombardments, causing the loss of 47 million cubic metres of wood and of the ability to retain the water and moisture indisrmsat ~ to agriculture; 50 per cent of mangrove areas nave been destroyed and it could take a century to regenerate them; 20 million bomb craters created, vast regions laid waste, countless hills left bare-that is the lunar landscape of many areas of our land. 102. In brief the environment has been gravely damaged. The ecological balance has been upset in many regions, causing the disappearance of many types of flora and fauna. There have been changes in climate, and the jungle has been seriously damaged because of the pernicious effects of changes in the water cycle. Natural disasters, above all droughts and floods, suffered by my country in recent years, 110. It is with those considerations in mind that the delegation of the Socialist Republic of Viet .Nam is pleased to express its full support for draft resolution A/3S/L.7, submitted by the delegation of the Soviet Union for adoption by the General Assembly. We are pleased to become a sponsor of that text. I 1I. The General Assembly also has before it draft resolution A/35/L.8/Rev.1 under agenda item 113. On the basis of the views that we have just outlined con- cerning the protection of nature, we are pleased by any initiati te taken by a Member ofthe United Nations to strengthen international co-operation in the field of protecting mankind, nature and the environment, and in that spirit we support draft resolution A/35/ L.8/Rev.l, entitled "Draft World Charter for Nature". 112. Mr. THIOUNN PRASITH (Democratic Kam- puchea) (interpretation from French).' The problem of the environment is of concern to all nations that wish to preserve and develop the well-being of future generations. My delegation welcomes the initiative of the Government of Zaire in bringing this problem to the attention of the General Assembly. We hope that draft resolution A/35/L.8/Rev.l, entitled "Draft World Charter for Nature", will be adopted by con- sensus. lB. But, since this morning, when the Assembly with great interest began consideration of this draft resolution, the representatives of the expansionists have, as is their custom, used the rostrum of the General Assembly to try to divert the attention of the international community from the wars of aggression, expansion and genocide which they have launched throughout the world and in particular in Kampuchea and Afghanistan and to transpose the debate in the First Committee to the General Assembly. The representative of the Vietnamese regional expan- sionists has just spewed forth the same calumnies and shed the same crocodile tears in order to camouflage the monstrous crimes that have been committed by the Hanoi authorities in Kampuchea for almost two years now. 114. Before the Vietnamese invasion Kampuchea was a flourishing country in all seasons. It had many hydraulic dams, reservoirs, irrigation canals, enormous expanses of rice paddies and industrial and agricultural establishments. After three and a half years of effort on the part of all the people of Kampuchea, nature had regained its former splendour in Kampuchea. And now, after the Vietnamese hordes have passed through, it has become a country of desolation and aridity. Entire towns, administrative centres, thou- sands of villages and schools, scientific and technical training institutes, factories and hospitals, dams and reservoirs, thousands of kilometres of irrigation canals, thousands of hectares of food and industrial Iplantations-including rubber plantations-and more than a million hectares of rice paddies and fields have 116. The range includes various chemical products and lethal or incapacitating toxic gases. Such products are often dissolved in the drinking water of wells or rivers. They are also dropped from planes or launched by heavy artillery. A Vietnamese artillery officer who deserted his unit, the 75th division, which was oper- ating in the north-west of Kampuchea, revealed last April that almost all the types of artillery used in Kampuchea are provided with toxic gas shells the use of which is authorized within the regiment and which are in fact used on a massive scale in Kam- puchea. He also said that toxic gas of Soviet manu- facture called HZ was often used. Many tens of thousands of Kampuchean civilians, particularly women and children, have been killed or gravely poisoned by those chemical weapons. The weapons dropped from planp~ are deadly aerosol canisters which kill the population and destroy the vegetation. Launched by heavy artillery, toxic gas causes death within a range of 200 metres. Some types of gas give rise to nausea and haemorrhage, others lead to as- phyxiation after paralysis of the facial muscles and the respiratory tract, while still others cause foaming at the mouth, hysteria, swelling and gangrene. As secondary effects, they create impotence in men and the development of abnormal fetuses in women. All this represents a systematic attempt to annihilate an entire people, en entire nation. 117. On 16 April 1980 Radio Hanoi broadcast an award ceremony at which the Ordet;of Ho Chi Minh, third class, was given to the chemical weapons branch of the people's army. During that ceremony Lieu- tenant-General Le Trong Tan, Vice-Minister of Defence and member of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party, " ... highly praised the efforts made by the chemi- cal weapons branch during the last 22 years to train and prepare for combat. Its officers and troops have actively studied and mastered science and tech- nology and have been courageous, resourceful and creative in combat and in providing troop support. ... To carry out their task in the new situation, our officers and men in the chemical weapons branch must engage in scientific and technological research to train for the effective utilization of the weapons and material provided to them." 7 Protocolfor the Prohibitionof the Use in Warof Asphyxiatinl. Poisonous or Other Gases. and of BacteriolOJjcal Methods or Warfare. sianed at Geneva on 11 June 192' (Leaaue of Nations. Treaty S~r;~s. vol. XCIV (1929), No. 2138,p. 6').

First of all I should like to add my voice to those of the speakers who preceded me at this rostrum in expressing, on behalf of the delegation of the Lao People's Demo- cratic Republic, my great appreciation of the praise- worthy initiative of the delegation of the Soviet Union in submitting for consideration by the General As- sembly an item of great topicality which cannot fail to give rise to great interest on the part of all the developing countries for which nature represents, at the present time, the primary, if not the sole source of their existence and well-being. 120. Consideration of the item entitled "Historical responsibility of States for the preservation of nature for present and future generations" comes at precisely the right time because it is taking place when the arms race, far from slowing down, is continuing at break- neck speed, thus constituting a grave danger not only to the natural environment but to the survival of all mankind. 121. By its most timely initiative the Soviet Union, which more than any other country suffered the devastation and loss of human life brought about by the Second World War, has once againgiven evidence of its indefatigable commitment to the cause of peace and of the security both of mankind and of nature. 122. That attitude of the Soviet Union is quite con- sistent with its position as a responsible great Power which, in viewofthe intolerable stockpilingof weapons of destruction and death, is seeking by all possible means to eliminate that danger. The same cannot be said ofother major Powers, in particular the one which currently has in its military arsenals a quantity of nuclear and thermonuclear bombs, guided missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons and large stockpiles of napalm, sufficient to destroy several times over all life on, earth. 123. That major Power, which in the recent past committed monstrous crimes against nature and the lives of the peoples of the three countries of Indo- China, is continuing with its allies old and new, in- cluding the hegemonists and expansionists of a major Asian Power, to block every effort by the international community to promote effective disarmament mea- sures and the lasting security for nature and mankind that would ensue. 124. The Lao people, which numbers barely 3.5 mil- lion, attaches great importance to the preservation of its natural environment, which was viciously devastated during the imperialist war of aggression against our country. During that period the three countries of Indo-China, namely Laos, Viet Nam and Kampuchea, were, at the will of the aggressor, trans- formed into testing grounds for all types of weapons, with the exception of nuclear weapons. 125. Subjected to intensive bombardment, whole regions of my country, particularly the southern part, crossed by the trail which the aggressor called the Agents Orange, White and Blue, are immeasurable. They take the form of the erosion of arable land, the loss of fertility of those lands, alteration of the'bio- logical structures of fauna and flora, the disruption of the drainage system, and so on. ~ - - ~ -- ..-... 127. Even more inhuman is on the one hand the use of CS, SCl and CS2, agents, which produce effects of asphyxiation and toxicity and make the affected areas inhabitable for several days, and on the other hand the modification of weather patterns with a view to bringing about torrential rainstorms, which bring in their wake the erosion of our plains and mountains. Since that modification of the weather was practised in a tropical country, it led to the rapid development of various insects and illnesses which are very dan- gerous for vegetal, animal and human life. 128. Furthermore, I should like to emphasize that, of the 20 million bombs of various sizes that were dropped and the approximately 230 million shells that were fired by United States artillery and naval forces during the second Indo-Chinese war, more than 400,000 bombs and more than 2 million shells are still buried in the ground of the Indo-Chinese countries -including thousands of bombs in Lao territory, not to speak of shells and weapons such as anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines. Today, these unexploded bombs continue to produce extensive damage among our peoples and our livestock. Indeed, all the Western journalists who have visited our country have noted with indignation that our villagers can no longer plant anything in their fields, which are dotted with bombs; they cannot even allow their children to play in the fields. 129. I have recalled those facts in order to make the international community give some thought to the responsibility that States and mankind have for the careful preservation of nature for present and future generations. For the means of destruction available to man are becoming more and more terrifying; there are more than enough of them to destroy the world several times over. 130. Now more than ever it is imperative for the international community to' work resolutely towards co-operation for the preservation of nature for present and future ·generations. The best way to do that is to intensify our efforts to halt the arms race, to reverse the present trend, to reduce and finally to eliminate existing stocks completely, and to attenuate or avoid all situations of tension and confrontation that could lead to a conflagration that, whatever its scope, would certainly destroy the heritage of present and future generations. There is every reason to forgo any idea of the possible use--even the limited use-of the most sophisticated weapons that man possesses; there is every reasonto halt all nuclear tests in the atmosphere, since they pose the greatest danger to human beings and nature. 153. Mr. CORR~A da COSTA (Brazil): On beha~f of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suri- 16~. Mr. CORR~A da COSTA (Brazil): The delega- tion of Brazil regrets that a decision is to be taken on draft resolution A/35/L.7 this afternoon. We consider it essential to have a thorough debate on this text and t~at, before. voting on it, d~legations should be given time to clarify a number of Issues with its sponsors. 162. From our point of view, the Soviet initiative has many positive points. It is, however, a two-fold draft resolution, or, to be more precise, it contains two distinct draft resolutions in one. The first one, of a very ~e!1~ral nature, relates to the question of the responsibility of States for the preservation of nature and is, by definition, non-controversial. It seeks nothing more than to ascertain the views of States on wars and means of developing international eo- ~peratlon to preserve the natural environment. To ItS detriment, however, it fails even to mention the necessity of taking into account the question of the permanent sovereignty of States over their own natural resources. Nor does it place any emphasis, unfortunately, on the need to safeguard, in any envi- ronmental activity, the rights of developing countries to economic and social development. 163. The rest of the draft resolution, which we con- sider ~mother matter entirely, an.d therefore worthy of being a second draft resolution, is much more complex. It refers to the detrimental effects of the arms race, in particular the nuclear-arms race with its ~ccumulation of toxic chemicals, on the human environment, damaging the vegetable and animal world. It stresses that resources are being diverted from t.he solution of the problem of preserving nature and, I~ order to combat this deleterious leaching away, It proposes the strengthening of international "detente" and the creation of conditions for banishing wa~ from the life of mankind. Finally, it seeks the assistance of UNEP through the preparation of a report on the pernicious effects of the arms race on nature. 164. It is evident, therefore, that the two aspects of. the. draft resolution aim at completely different objectives and are based on completely different premises and realities. We endorse both these aspects separately. It could not be otherwise. But we cannot accept. t~e same umbrella being used for all States, proclaiming them.all responsible for the preservation of nature without qualification. Those responsible for the arms race have a very specific responsibility with respect to the preservation of the environment, a responsibility that cannot be shared by all. Operative paragraph 1 is, in itself, sane and non-controversial. In the context of this draft resolution, however, it fails to draw the necessary distinction between the two categories of States so as to make it clear'that, from the point of view of the detrimental effects on nature resolut~Q.;iqs whereby the two .very relevant issues I have .referred ,t4> would receive much better con- slderatlon. It wouldhave given us the greatest pleasure to support them. '(' 166. In" the present circumstances, "SO contrary to what we feel would have been proper, we have no choice but, regretfully, to abstain. ' '., 167. The PRESIDENT: We shall now proceed to vote on the draft resolution. A recorded vote has been requested.' A recorded vote was taken. In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Ban- gladesh, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cape Verde, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philip- pines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.' Against: None. Abstaining: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Domi- nican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malawi, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Por- tugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Upper Volta, Zaire. Draft resolution A/35/L.7 was adopted by 68 votes to none, with 47 abstentions (resolution 35/8).10 168. The PRESIDENT: I shall now call on those representatives who had expressed the wish to explain their votes after the voting. 169. Mr. GHIKAS (Greece): In abstaining on draft resolution A/35/L.7, the Greek delegation did not want in any way to dissociate itself from the effort to preserve nature and natural resources, a task of primordial importance for present and future genera- tions. Our abstention was motivated by the following considerations. 170. The General Assembly has just adopted by consensus draft resolution A/35/L.8/Rev.1, which' 10 The delegations of Iran and Nicaragua subsequently informed the secretariat that they wished to have their votes recorded as havinl been in favour of the draft resolution. res(~.1.ution which, in its main points, duplicates the previous one. ,'I 171. Furthermore, the Soviet text seems to imply that the sole or principal danger to natural resources is the arms race. This is certainly not the case. On the other hand, the very serious problem of the limitation of armaments is being examined in a number of inter- national forums, where it is dealt with in all its aspects. It is a complex and many-sided problem, which should be kept in perspective and not become the object of deliberations in a variety of extraneous contexts, which might divert the attention of world public opinion from its specific political, economic and other implications. 172. Mr. DIDIER(Luxembourg)(interpretationjrom French): On behalf of the nine member States of the European Community, I have the honour of presenting the following considerations with regard to our vote on draft resolution A/35/L.7. 173. We have every sympathy with the appeal to nations to take the necessary measures for the pre- servation of nature. However, such an invitation can be effective only if it is made in unison with efforts already under way and within the broader context of co-operation in international activities aimed at pro- tecting and preserving nature. 174. By limiting ourselves merely to the effects of the arms race and disregarding the other major causes of the destruction and deterioration of the environment-s-and I will only mention desertification and tropical deforestation among the many other threats, both physical and social, to the environment- we run the risk of adopting a simplistic attitude to environmental problems and consequently of making the exercise fragmentary. 175. With regard to operative paragraph 4, on the preparation of a report on the effects of the arms race on nature and the request for solicitation of the views of Member States on measures to be taken at the international level to preserve the environment, the nine members of the Community believe that this is supertlous. The report on the state of the environment in 1980 after an in-depth discussion at the eighth ses- sion of the Governing Council of UNEP [see A/35/25] did not give rise to any requests that the inquiries be continued. On that occasion it appeared clear that UNEP was not the appropriate body to study questions relating to the effects of the arms race. 176. It is for all these considerations that the nine member States of the European Community abstained in the vote on draft resolution A/35/L.7.

There are several general statements in the draft resolution submitted by the Soviet Union which contain prin- ciples we can all support and on which there is little

The Bolivian delegation would have liked to support with its vote the draft resolution submitted by the delegation of the-Soviet Union under agenda item 120, as it meets two of the greatest aspirations of peoples, the preservation of nature and universal disarmament. 185. But we did not have enough time for in-depth consideration of certain aspects of the issues that are not clear in the draft resolution. For example, there is no mention of the permanent sovereignty of States over their natural resources-sovereignty which is enshrined in other resolutions of this very General Assembly. Nor is any distinction whatsoever drawn concerning the disarmament responsibility of those that produce weapons and the countless small States which are merely victims of wars unleashed by others. The delegation of Bolivia, since it has not 190. But it is the exclusive responsibility of the great Powers to curb the arms race-first to permit the survival of civilization in our world, and then to pro- vide an adequate ecological balance for the proper development of human life.

The Dominican Republic abstained in the vote on draft resolution A/35/L.7, although we do support the individual principles contained in the text-the preservation of nature and the environment, and control of the arms race. 192. None the less those are matters that are subjects of resolutions that should be considered separately, because their being combined can distort them. More- ~oncepr th~t is. excessively restrictive has been used .a!1d disease, lacking food and clothing. m developing It. The problem is very complex, and 100. In short, it is guilty of the most brutal an we cannot support an exaggerated over-simplification inhuman crimes. Its acts have not only damaged that could lead to serious mistakes. nature and the ecology; they have also violated the 194. Of course, the Dominican Republic supports most basic humanitarian principles, bringing serious any effort aimed at preserving nature and any attempt political, economic and social problems to the inter- by the major Powers to curb their a.ms race. national community, and particularly to the neigh- 195. Miss ZANABRIA (Peru) (interpretation from bouring countries and the surrounding area. Spanish): The delegation of Peru abstained in the vote 201. Not long ago, in this very hall, by an over- ~n draft resolution A/35/L.7, submitted by the delega- whelmi.ng m~jorit~ the General Assembly adopted a non of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. We resolution reiterating the demand for the withdrawal consider it to be an important initiative involving the of Vietnamese troops from Kampuchea [resolution historical responsibility of States for the preservation 35/6]. However, today Viet Nam has seen fit to come of the human environment and for keeping it free from here and, speaking on the item on the preservation of any imbalance. We feel that this should be considered nature, to slander China, saying that it has caused and analysed in a broad context, including all processes damage to the ecology ofViet Nam. Its aim is obviously compatible with the establishment of peace and to evade the pressure exerted on it by the General international security, among them the establishment Assembly resolution and to divert the attention of of the new international economic order and detente. the international community. That is, of course, completely futile. 196. The text submitted by the Soviet delegation should not be considered in isolation, because that 202. Mr. HA VAN LAU (Viet Nam) (interpretation would detract from the indivisibility of the process of from French): The representative of China continues development and the furthering of peace, which to repeat allegations against my country that are involves solution of the problems of poverty, hunger mendacious and slanderous, allegations that are but and industrial development, among others. The the sound of a cracked bell. We categorically reject achievement of all these would lead to progress and the allegations made by the representative of China, development for mankind in conditions of resPect for and explicitly we call on China to refrain from any the rights and duties of States for the preservation policy of hegemony and expansion against the three of human life. Similarly, my delegation believes that countries of Indo-China and South-East Asia. the historical responsibilities referred to in the draft 203. Mr. RAMPHUL (Mauritius): Since Mauritius resolution cannot be placed equally on the shoulders wa~ one of the sponsors of draft resolution A/35/L.7, of the developed and the developing countries. which has just been adopted unanimously, I cannot 197. The PRESIDENT: I shall now call upon those of course explain my vote after the vote. representatives who wish to speak in exercise of the 204. However, I can speak on a point ofclarification. right of reply. Had Mauritius considered the text in question simply 198". .Mr. SHI Jinkun (China) (translation from propagandistic, Mauritius would certainly not have become one of its sponsors. It would perhaps even Chinese): Just now, the representative of Viet Nam have abstained in the vote. in his statement made an unreasonable attack against China. He engaged in fabrication and slander. This 205. I regret and, indeed, I am surprised that one is nothing strange. delegation has considered it fitting to qualify the draft resolution as propagandistic, That is a question 199. As we all know, it is none other than the Viet- of appreciation and, in any case, I do not believe that namese authorities that with Soviet support are the intelligence of delegations can be measured by pursuing a policy of regional hegemonism in Indo- the size, power or wealth oftheir respective countries. China and have dispatched more than 200,000 aggres- sor troops for the military occupation of Kampuchea.