A/36/PV.104 General Assembly

I have the honour to address the General Assembly on behalf of the Group of 77 on agenda item 37, dealing with the launching of global negotiations on international econom!c co-operation for development. 4. Mr. President, allow me first of all to convey to you the deepest appreciation of the developing countries and their sincere gratitude for the praiseworthy efforts you have made in discharging the great responsibility en- trusted to you for ensuring the successful conclusion of our work. I should like to stress in particular the role that you personally have played in the consultations aimed at ~he immed.iate launching of global negotiations. In carry- 109 out thiS task you have spared neither your time nor your ever-vigilant efforts. You have brought to these con- sultations the full weight of your tried and tested experi- ence, your consistent attention and your knowledge of people and of the machinery of the Organization. For all this, I should like to offer you, along with our congratula- tions, our brotherly gratitude. 5. Mr. President, you will very soon be declaring the suspension of the thirty-sixth session of the General As- sembly. At this session priority has been given to prob- lems concerning international economic co-operation. The challen~es of ~ur tim~s have imposed such problems upon us. ThiS session wIll be suspended today on an in- complete note, inasmuch as we are unable to take a deci- sion for the immediate launching of global negotiations. The developing world especially can measure the magni- *Resumed from the 47th meeting. NEW YORK tude of this deadlock and finds it deplorable. This will have the most serious repercussions on the daily lives of o~r.peoples, which are constantly affected by the global cnsls. 6. Two years of continuous negotiations, a special ses- sion and two regular sessions of the General Assembly may all be viewed in a similar light: they have failed as a resul~ of the inflexibili~y of ~he position of one delegation, ~SPlte ~e w7alth of ~genuity emp!oyed by others, des- Pite the mfimte fleXibility of the third world and despite the arsenal of arguments which have been used over and over again. Thus the improvement in the mood, which had seemed so close at this session, has been reversed and dissipated. 7. We have noted with interest and with satisfaction the ne~ly unanimous support of our partners of the industrial nations for the launching of global negotiations on an ur¥ent basis. That support reflects an awareness that we had. We indeed highly value this positive attitude with regard to a process in whkh the stake is nothing less than ~e future structure of the North-South dialogue. This at- titude rewards our efforts and consoles us as we wait. ~. The.ur~~ncy o~ the launching of global negotiations IS not dlmmlshed 10 any way. On the dedication with wh~ch. we carry o~t this work depends the survival of the maJonty of mankmd and peace for all. In regard to this task, the goal of the Group of 77 becomes clear. It en- compasses t~o. aspects, which are complimentary. These global negotl~tlons must be launched as soon as possible; at the same time, we must ensure that these negotiations are in keepi~g with their primary mission and their pri- m~ goal-m a word, that they will be in keeping with thel~ .essence.' namely! universality of participation and declslon-makmg, an mtegrated, consistent and co-ordi- nated approach to problems and, finally, the consideration of these problems without discrimination or arbitrary se- lectivity. 9. In order to accomplish that, we all have available an appropriate conceptual framework which we have worked out here together: resolution 341138. Resolution 34/138 must ~e. for all of us an. un~terable policy basis for global negotiations. In respectmg It we can measure the quality of loyalty and adherence in this entire consensus that we have worked out together. That resolution incarnates the spirit and the heart of these global negotiations. It lays down the foundations, defines the approach and deter- mines the objective. ~O'. It is appropri8:te to express here our unswerving ded- Ication to an effective launching of global negotiations by means of a conference open to all States, the initial stage of which could focus on the establishment of procedures and the agenda and the establishment of a time-table for negotiations. 11. The central role of the conference is a fact of life' it . . ' IS an mtegral part of the very philosophy of global nego- 12. To fInd too many pretexts to question the various competencies of the specialized agencies in order to avoid the central body, and therefore the negotiation,s them- selves, and to deprive the conference of its primz.ry mis- sion and its principal justification: this, in our view, is the logical consequence of that non-dialogue that amounts to saying "no" to dialogue. Such an attitude-need we re- peat this here?-is all the more inappropriate in view of the fact that the Group of 77 has agreed to have the global negotiations governed by the rule of consensus. Hence, this inflexible attitude on the part of one delega- tion is unjustifIed, at a time when we are witnessing a most fortunate convergence of the positions of several countries of the North with those of the Group of 77 in favour of an immediate launching of global negotiations. 13. Mr. President, throughout the informal consultations which you have held, the Group of 77 has shown a spirit of reasonableness, responsibility and constructive open- mindedness towards fruitful dialogue. I can assure you that this same spit;t will be reaffIrmed by the Group when you so kindly take up and pursue these negotiations next January. This attachment which we are displaying here is in keeping with our faith in dialogue, the essential raison d'etre of which will be to fInd through discussion on an equal basis the solution of problems which concern us all. On that condition-and that condition alone-will a peaceful and stable future be guaranteed for us and for future generations.

On behalf of the delegations of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the Hungarian People's Republic, the German Democratic Republic, the Mongolian People's Republic, the Polish People's Re- public, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the Ukrain- ian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, I should like to state the following. IS. The position of the socialist countries, on behalf of which I am speaking, on the question of launching global negotiations on international economic co-operation for development has been set forth many times, and in partic- ular in our joint statement at the 46th plenary meeting. This position remains in force. 16. We regret that despite the efforts undertaken during the course of the thirty-sixth session, it has not so far been possible to take a positive decision on this question of importance to the developing countries, because of the negative position of one country, the United States of America. 17. The socialist countries are prepared to continue to participate constructively in the future, together with all other interested countries, inter alia within the framework of the United Nations, in solving the problems of restruc- turing international economic relations on a just, demo- cratic and mutually profItable basis.

At ';his session of the General Assembly, informal con- 19. The global negctiations are a iong-term measure proposed by developing countries to reform the existing irrational international economic relations. This question has a bearing upon North-South economic ~nd political relations as a whole. Its success or failure has a bearing upon the stability and development of the economic situa- tion as a whole. Not only have developing countries unanimously supported and positively and actively pro- moted global negotiations, but at the same time the vast majority of developed countries also endorses this ini- tiative. That is also what was demanded at the Interna- tional Meeting on Co-operation and Development, which was held in October at Candin. 20. Mr. President, at ihis session of the General Assem- bly, under your direct leadership and with the positive im- petus which you provided, the vast majority of countries reached agreement on the adoption of a simple resolution proclaiming the launching of global negotiations. 21. This approach could have enabled us to put an end to the controversy that has prevailed in the last year or so on detailed questions relating to procedure and agenda, so tha~ the global negotiations could begin as soon as possi- ble, thereby allowing the progress of the negotiations themselves to promote the solution of relevant questions. Therefore, we have welcomed and supported the idea of the adoption of a simple resolution and of efforts to achieve this idea. 22. However, because a major developed country still harbours unnecessary misgivings with regard to global ne- gotiations and also harbours excessive concern regarding its privileged position, it has adopted an inflexible posi- tion with regard to the General Assembly proclaiming, at this session, the launching of global negotiations, so that the aspiration of the majority of countries to launch global negotiations could not be achieved. We wish to ex- press our regret in this regard. 23. The President of the Assembly has proposed that, following the conclusion of this session, consultations should continue on this question. We agree with this pro- posal and we wish to appeal to the side concerned to reconsider its position in order that all sides can reach agreement in the shortest possible time on the launching of global negotiations. 24. The Chinese delegation continues to firmly support global negotiations as an important measure and approach for the reform of international economic relations. We support General Assembly resolution 34/138 and advocate the launching of global negotiations as soon as possible on the basis of this resolution. We shall continue to pro- ceed from this position and to participate positively and actively in consultations and work with ali sides towards early agreement on this question.

Proba- bly for the last time, I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 member States of the European Community. 26. There can be no doubt about the importance which the Community and its member States attach to the pro- motion of co-operation with the developing countries to mutual benefIt and thus to the global negotiations. These 27. Mr. President, we commend your efforts. You have been patient, persistent and imaginative. You have not, as of today, achieved the result we all hoped for, but no doors have been closed. 28. As we see it, efforts have been made on all sides to bridge the gap between divergent approaches. We find the progress made encouraging and we stand ready, as a com- munity, to do anything we judge helpful to bring the pro- The meeting rose at 11.25 a.m.