A/37/PV.34 General Assembly

It is a great pleasure 'to extend con- gratulations, on behalf of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania" to the President on his unanimous election to guide this thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly. This honour is undoubtedly due to his personal qualities as a statesman and diplomat, and is also a tribute to his country, Hungary. In discharging these high functions he may be assured of the availability of our deJegation and its constant desire to co-operate with him. I should also like to thank his predecessor, Mr. Kittani, for the exemplary way, displaying constant .tact and objectivity, in which he conducted the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly and the subsequent special sessions. 2. To the Secretary-General the Mauritanian delega- tiQn and I personally would like to extend the sincere expression of our esteem. The report on the work of the Organization which he has submitted [A/37/ll bears witness to his great qualities of courage, frank- ness and far-sightedness.- . 3. The picture of our universe today is a terrifying one. It is not worthy of mankind which has come of age and should therefore be united and be responsible. What is our verdi~t? Admittedly, there has been agreement on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but with the abstention of the majority of the developed countries, in defiance of our ideology; it has proved impossible to make even a timid first step towards the global negotiations; there has been a general reduction in aid and develop- ment; the special session on disarmament ended in a notable failure which may have sinisterconsequences; the conflicts in Palestine and the Middle East, in southern Africa and Western Sahara; have developed in a most dangerous way; localized con- flicts have continued in the Gulf, in Afghanistan and in Kampuchea, and other centres of tension have emerged. 4. In several respects the international situation before us is even more gloomy and alarming than what we faced just a year ago. We are all too familiar with the disastrous effects ofthe crisis which for some years has been characteristic of international economic 7. Everything indicates that the implementation of the aims of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade [resolution 35/56, annex] is in a state of disarray. Such a finding makes even clearer the urgent need to seekjust and equitable global solutions for the serious ;t>roblems whjch threaten all parts of the international community. 8. The proposal by the Sixth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries for the launching ofglobal negotiations on co-operation and development, which has been before us for three years now, is, in our opinion, both methodologically speaking, and because ofits context, the only effective way to bring about such solutions. While welcoming the positive attitude of most of the developed coun- tries towards the most recent: proposals made by the Group of 77, we cannot disguise our disappointment at seeing that these proposals have encountereq stubborn resistance from those who, for good or bad reasons, stilI refuse to recognize the wisdom, the moderation, the practical and pragmatic nature of the formula proposed. 9. The interdependence of national economies, and the repercussions of policies of a particular country' or region on the world economy, no longer need to be demonstrated. Fully aware of this reality, and in view of the fact that the North-South dialogue seems to be more and more bogge~ down in the meanderings NEW YORK A/37/PV.34 10. Mter a decade of hard work, negotiations on the law of the sea have finally been completed and have resulted in the conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Law ofthe Sea,4 which was adopted here this year. Major hopes are now placed in this Convention which, because of the patience which has been shown and the mutual concessions which have been made during its drafting, is an encouraging example of what global negotiations can be, if the self- same determination to succeed and the necessary political will were to motivate the great Powers concerned. 11. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania attaches particular interest to the action of the United Nations and the specialized agencies in the fields of food and agriculture. This interest arises from the predominance in our economy of activities linked with the rural sector, which employs approximately 80 per cent of our population, and which therefore is given absolute priority, and is absorbing an ever-growing share of the financial resources ofthe country. Faithful to the spirit of the Lagos Plan,5 which made food self-sufficiency a sine qua non for any viable development, my country has drawn up, and is trying to implement, with the help of friendly countries and international institu- tions, a national policy based essentially on an increase in production. 12. The relative improvement which has been observed this year in the world food situation, because of the abundant harvests in certain developed 'countries, should not blind us to another reality which is even more grievous, and that is that in a number cf developing countries food production has increased much more slowly than the demand for these products. Similarly, we favour the proposal which was put forward at the last session of the World Food Council that a food reserve stock should be set up belonging to the developing countries, with the aim of, inter alia, stabihzing the grain market. Finally, in this connection I should like to recall that the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel, of which my country is a member, has just drawn up a programme, in co-operation with FAO. designed to set up a cereal reserve for the Saheliari region. 13. In my diagnosis I have referred to the causes of the deterioration in the international economic' situation and the considerable decline in aid for development which is chanelled through multilateral institutions. No institution has suffered more from the general lack of support for the multilateral system of financing than the International Development Association and UNDP. The attitude of the donor countries is particularly regrettable, since itis precisely the action of these two bodies which is most in 15. I do not wish to conclude my country's statement on economic problems without referring briefly to the disturbing aspect ofthe phenomenon ofdesertification in our national territory and Qur efforts to try to limit its catastrophic effects. In my country, after many years of drought, encroachment of the desert is takin~ on increasingly alarming proportions. Thus, the fertile areas of our national territory have been reduced considerably because of the disastrous results of a persisting drought. Consequently, g.-ain production has decreased from 100,000 to 26,000 tons. Of the 108 million hectares which comprise our territory 15 million had been classified as non-desert territory, of which 93 per cent have now' been desertification in the course of the last 20 years. In order to face up to such a situ2tion, the Mauritanian authorities have adopted severe regulations for protecting the fauna and flora and, in 1981 set up a National Committee to combat desertification and declared a National Arbor Day. 16. Of course, in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, we are relying first and foremost on the sense of sacrifice of our people and its willingness to pursue faithfully the goals we have set for ourselves. Never- theless, the financial and technical means required for achieving this national programme satisfactorilY are well beyond our own possibilities. 17. In this connection we have benefited from the valued assistance of friendly countries and certain international organizations. I avail myself of this opportunity to express our gratitude to these friends -too numerous to be mentioned by name here-who have demonstrated to us their constant readiness to provide valuable assistance. Our appreciation also goes to the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office, which has in our country played a primary role in our national mobilization for the struggle against the phenomenon of desertification and other natural disasters. 18. At a time when all hopes for optimism have been dashed by international economic relations that are characterize~by the growing gap between the rich and poor countries and by the obvious lack of political will to establish the new international economi~ order 20. Our country supports lne demanas ofthe coastal countries of the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean for these two regions to be transformed into zones of peace. 21. In 1981 we stated in this Hall that as far as the Zionist entity was concerned the whole world was wrong and Israel alone was right. De~pite our long experience of the practices, falsifications and bad faith of the Zionist usurper, we did not think that we would be so accurate. Israel's suicidal folly, its arrogance, its contempt for int~rnational legality and the impunity it continues to enjoy have strengthened its regime in the little heed it pays to international public opinion, particularly the United Nations, which is the conscience and repository of the values of mankind and its aspirations for peace and justice. 22. We shall not review the tragic events which were visited upon our Lebanese an~ Palestinian brothers in Lebanon. Nor shall we go into the details of the long suffering of innocent populations, witnessed by all mankind that remained powerless but whose indignation was aroused, and which ended with the indescribable massacres of our brothers in Shatila and Sabra. 23. We should simply like to recall the facts which confirm the striking resemblance between the methods of the Nazi J!lur4er~rs and t~ose of an entity which claims to be the successor of the victims of the holocausts and pogroms. Indeed, in the Middle East, the Zionist entity is emulating the Fascist regimes of days gone by and applying, in all their horror, the universally condemned practices ofnazism in the form ofso-called preventive wars ofaggression; the crossing of international boundaries under the pretext of defence; the methodical destruction and the siege of the capital of a sovereign country and the indiscrimi- nate blockade imposed on civilian populations through collective punishment; the blind massacre of civilian populations by the thousands and the bringing about of general insecurity in the name of security for its own citizens; and the genocide of an entire people both on its usurped land in all its havens of refuge. 25. Israel's disproportionate deployment of brute force, its rejection of all moral codes and its arrogant display of racial contempt and religious fanaticism have demonstrated to the entire membership of the Organization the real purposes of the entity whose ideology can easily be mistaken for exacerbated chauvinism, the oppression of others and the denial of their rights. Israel's stubborn refusal to bring about peace in the Middle East unless it be on its own con- ditions by legalizing its hegemony in the region, which is the consistent policy of zionism, is today; the subject of universal condemnation. The pursuit of the plan undertaken half a century ago for the physical elimination ofthe Palestinian people and the usurpation of its land shows that the goal of Zionist implantation is to blot out all traces of its crime by a "final solution" of sorry memory. 26. It goes without saying that neither the Arab nation, the victim of this ongoing aggressior, nor the international community as a whole can accept this diktat on the part of the Zionist entity and the repeated challenges to any globe! consensus and the relevant resolutions that have time and again been adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly. 27. As has always been the case, genuine and lasting peace in the Middle East and real security for all must necessarily be based upon the unconditional and complete withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from all occupied Arab territories, including the Holy City of Al Quds and the recovery by the Palestinian people, under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the PLO, of its inalienable rights, particularly its sacred right to set up its own sovereign State on the land of its ancestors. 28. Any other approach would be to reward arro- gance, aggression and blackmail in that region and would engender a new cycle of violence that would endanger the sta.bility of the entire Middle East and peace throughout the world. Despite the desire for peace which has undeniably been shown on a number of occasions by the Arab nation, the Zionist enemy persists in its constant refusal to envisage any policies which do not endorse its own tremendous territorial appetite and its determination" to annex permanently the Syrian Golan Heights and the Palestinian terri- tories, as well as its senseless dream of exercising tutelage over the destinies of the peoples of the Arab east. 29. As we said last year, the Organization must take the enforcement measures contained in the Charter and make Israel abide by the rules of interna- tional law and our repeated decisions. It is for the United States of America, which gives Isrt~l massive military and financial aid and sustained political assistance, to assume the very special responsibilities conferred upon it as a permanent member of th~ Security CouncH, and fulfil as soon as possible the weighty duty which derives from its dual role as a friend and ally of the Zionist entity, by exerting the 31. In southern Africa, another areaofmajorconcern for our country, we deplore the delay in Namibia's liberation and the increased aggressiveness of the South African regime, both inside the country, and also outside where it is directed against the front-line States. The Namibian problem remains unchanged. In the opinion of our delegation, the only realistic basis for re-establishing international legality and ending the usurpation of ..' at Territory is Security Council resolution 435 (1978). 32. We take note of the fact that the contact group of Western States has reaffirmed its commitment concerning the expeditious implementation of that resolution so that the Namibian people can exercise its right to self-determination. While welcoming the praiseworthy efforts made by the five Western coun- tries in order to bring about a friendly settlement of the Namibian crisis, we cannot share either their optimism or all their concerns. Indeed, it is not at all obvious to the free peoples of Africa that there is any real desire in Pretoria to resolve the existing conflict peacefully, legally and democratically. Furthermore, while We respect the rights of all the ethnic communities in Namibia, we refuse to recog- nize that the minority which is of European origin has special exclusive rights, and, in particular, an exaggerated right of veto. 33. So far as the principle of security is concerned, we are amazed that the only concerns which seem to prevail in certain Western circles relate to South Africa's security, like the security of Israel. In our opinion, this is putting the cart before the horse. In the eyes of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania the security that is being denied and violated is that of the African people. Our country would like once again to reaffirm that the oniy conceivable security for all is in the speedy establishment of the State of Namibia by the implementation of Security Council resolu- tion 435 (1978) in full association with the South West Africa People's Organization [SWAPO], the sole legitimate representative of the people of the Terri-' tory. Within the frontiers ofSouth Africa, and despite the so-called improvement in racial segregation-as if there could be such a thing-the apartheid regime remains fundamentally as it always has been-con- temptuous, inhumane, exploitative and repulsive. 34. This is, an vccasion to pay a well-deserved tribute to ourbrothers inthe AfricanNational Congress [ANC] who, by their passive and active opposition to this barbaric regime, have reinforced the faith of 40. The OAU, which was created in 1963 and is based on the common aspiration of our peoples to achieve fully political and economic liberation of all 7~st sacred principles of pan-Africanism, namely, the equal right that all enjoy to self-determination and their inalienable right to national independence. 42. In the Gulf area, two countries that are both members, as are we of the Islamic Ummah and the non-aligned movement, have been confronting each other for more than two years in a devastating war, at enormous cost both in human lives and in the destruction ofa valuable economic infrastructure. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania would like to reiterate its heartfelt appeal for tpe cessation of hostilities between our brothers in Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran and for negotiations to be opened between themto reacha permanentsolutionto theirdifferences. 43. Anotherequally unfortunate conflictis continuing in Afghanistan as a result of the invasion of that country in violation of its sovereignty. Once again, we appeal for the complete and unconditional with- drawal of all foreign troops from the national territory of Mghanistan and for respect for the sovereignty of that country, for the integrity of its national territory and for the sovereign right of its people to seek their own progress in accordance with their historic heritage and their socio-cultural values. 44. The same is true with regard to the Khmer nation, which has also been the victim Q·f ~nvasion and prolonged military occupation. In thiS connec- tion, we would like to welcome the constitution of a national front under the leadership of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk, and we appeal for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the national territory of Democratic Kampuchea. 45. We reaffirm our adherence to the Declaration ofthe International Conference on Kampuchea ofJuly 19816 and to all the resolutions of the Organization calling for respect for the sovereignty of Kampuchea and for an end to foreign interference in its internal affairs and respect for its people's sovereign right to organize their own national life in a democratic manner without any outside interference. 46. In general terms, we condemn the claims of Powers, whether large, medium-sized or small, to arrogate to themselves the right to modify by force the regime of a neighbouring country if they judge it to be hostile. 47. A secure world of nations joined together in independence and solidarity and determined to shoulder the noble responsibility incumbent on mankind cannot, obviously, live by the anachronisms of the past and by social and political injustice. There can be no other way to satisfy the rights of peoples to national differentiation and the realization of their aspirations to freedom and progress, than by banishing all ~egemonistic trends. There can be no other way to 48. A world for tomorrow, one that man can live in-all men, equally-must be built on justice and equality or it ca:;;not be built at all. Let us liberate those peopl(;s still under domination, the victims of those who would deny them their identity and their right to a homeland and a name. Let us destroy the barriers that prevent men from achieving their dream of a life worthy of being lived in freedom and from satisfying their basic social and cultural needs. Let us put an end to the unjust heritage of an outrageous colonialism and to the further deprivations caused by an ill-adapted world economy suitable neither to equity nor to the aspirations and interests of all men, in Ncrth and South alike. 49. Let us, in other words, work devotedly to ensure the emergence of a new international order worthy of this end of the twentieth century that should witness. the triumph of a united civilization brought "together not around the values of a single continent or spiritual family, but imbued with a common heritage rich in its very diversity. 50. We will thereby have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for a new equilibrium that will be more fair, more realistic, more peaceful, more stable and more human. Indeed, we will have opened the way towards the realizatiop of one of the noblest wishes of the dnuter~ Qf thE: Chmter of the United Nations, who stste~L three y~ars after one of the most fear- some Cl:1.tastrophes of aU time, their determination "to saVt?; succeeding generations from the scourge of war".

The Assembly \l;.'L~l now hear an address by the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Internal Security and Minister of Reform Institutions of Mauritius. I have great pleasure in welcoming Mr. Anerood Jugnauth and inviting him to address the General Assembly. 52. Mr. JUGNAUTH (Mauritius): I bring to the General Assembly and to the United Nations the greetings ofthe people ofMauritius and oftheir newly elected Government. I wish to convey to the Presi- dent my warmest congratulations on his election to preside over our deliberations. I am confident that under his wise and able leadership the Assembly will" in the superior interests of mankind, give concrete shape to the aspiratitJns of the peoples of the world. I seize this opportunity to eXflress to his predecessor, Mr. Kittani, our warmest appreciation for the highly impressive manner in which he presided over the deliberations of the previous session ofthe Assembly. 53. It is indeed a moment of intense emotion for me to address the Assembly for the first time in my capacity as the head of a new Government over- whelmingly mandated by the people of Mauritius to take the destiny of the country firmly in hand, to make it play the role it should play in mankind's search for enduring peace in the world and to make it formiaab~~ interference in the internal affairs of many countriert, the powerful making their presence felt in many wayG, relentless in their endeavour to enlarge their spheres of influence. Countries like Mauritius, which have only recently acquired freedom, have a strong attachment te the United Nations and inevi- tably a special stake in its functioning. I have come here to reiterate my country's deep commitment to the principles and purposes of the Charter. 56. I believe that we come here not to save face but to save and protect life. We come here not to deliver speeches only and then make our exist but to make action foHow our words. We come here not as a matter of mere formality and to pay lip service to the ideals of peace and justice bl ~ to show how serious we are in our intentions to work for the superior interests of the whole of mankind. We come here not out of selfish motive~ but to show how willing and prepared we are to forgo a little bit of our own ego for international , good in a spirit of compromise, so that the world may live and the human race survive. We come here not to add to problems but to find solutions satisfacto~y to all parti~s. Vve come here because we beheve In man and in ail the inherent good there is in him wh:'7h, if it prevails, will be the safety valve of the human race. 57. What is urgently needed is a unified view of the world's resources and the world's experience and of rraan's power of invention. The change we desire, the J' '~nparalleled problems which cannot be solved inde- pendently. The present crisis is a crisis ofinternational structures. The present system needs fundamental institutional reforms, based upon the recognition of a common inter~st and upon mutual concern in an increasingly interdependent world. New vitality and urgency have to be imparted to the North-South dialcgue. The very survival of both developing and developed countries depends on the success of this dialogue. We have to moderate the shrillness of the demands made, as well as the obdurate arrogance with which those demands have so far been rejected. I believf' ~hat we have in the Lome Convention7-given the world a small but significant example of what co- operative North-South relations could be like. s~oul~ prf)vide cancer'tual space for the reality of an interde~ndent worla economy. Regrettably, the search for the world economa~ recovery that is Sf) desperately needed remains stalled find we drift towards the abyss of economic disaster. 71. As far as Mauritius i~. cont;ern~d, we shall participate fully in the North-SQuth dialogue and .. indeed, have great expec~atio.ns of progres.s resultLlg from that dialogue, but we believe th:it mU'c~ can al~o be achieved through South-30uth co-op"'vation. The ishlll~ States of the south-west Indian vcean are activt;ly engaged in promoting co-cperation at tI-e regionalle"leI. We hope in the near future to set -up an Indian Ocean commissio!'. which will provide the institutional framework for co-opemtion among the States of the ~gion. It :s no mean m68sure ofour firm belief in the concept of an interdependent world economy that we are already 100kJng beyond the immediate presel1~ to the day when the grouping of the south-west Indian Ocean States can be aSf,ochted with other regional groupings. 72. Violations of human rights constitute anotber serious threat to the dignity of man. In too many countries do people live under constant threat of arbitrary arlest, torture, d;'~'lppearancearid execution after trials that are a trav-· 'sty of civilized norms of justice. We unequivocally condemn all violations of human rights wherever they occur, under whatever social or political system th6Y occur. 73. We have a special abhorrence for apartheid. A system so inhuman, so immoral, would be unimagin- able but for the shameful fact that it exists. This odious system ofinstitutionalized racism will eternal;y tarnish the claim of our epoch to a place of honour in the history of civilization. We have a duty to our brothers in South Africa. We also owe it to ourselves to eliminate all vestiges of t~s iniquitous system; otherwise the judgement which posterity will pass on our times will be indeed .very harsh, and deserv- edly so. 74. We believe ~hat freedom is indivisible, that peace is indivisible. One of the first foreign policy decisions ~f my Government .was formally to recognize ANC. Mauritius win stand by ANC in its hard struggle to secure the emancipation ofthe people ofSouth Africa; ANC can depend on the uI"J1inching support of the people and Government of Mauritius. 75. We shall give the same uncon";~hnalsupport to SWAPO in its struggle for the decolonization of Namibia. It is unacceptable that the Repllblic of South, Mrica should continue in its illegal occupation of Namibia in defiance ofthe basic tenets ofinternational law and of inteniational opinion. This defiance has to be opposed by united and determined action. We should not permit economic considerations to hinder our action when the basic norms of universal morality are being trampled upon, and we should vigorously condemn the tactics adopted by the South African regime, tactics designed to modify the terms of Security Council resolution 435 (978). Mauritius, ~ast vestiges of colonialism, ~.nd the emandpation of the South African people ",HI inevitably be accom- plished in the near future. R~ci~t domination in southern Afric~. is the major, immediate problem we fat;e, but it is by no means our only problem. 77. I should like to impress upon the Assembly that the African peoples want to dispel the image that the African continent is only a rich sourc~ of raw materia!s and ii3thing more; nor is it fertile ground for the manreuvre~ of cUlsirle Powers and it i5 now Qetermmed not tl} tolerate su(;h Pl~~~ll:UVres. Africa calls upen all outside P~};'Jers to .kee? oat and to let African5 get !Jin with sohii'ilB their problems. N~turally, the gc.:nu;i'e and oQiecti-;te assistance of weH-meanin@ countiies in tb~ !.olution of these pro~)em& is ~1C~ to bt3 ignored, provided there ~~.e no sinister ulteric r motives.. We i':1 Africa are in urgen:' need of techw.;log~/, of capital, of ~!low-how. We wcbom~ the :t'ar.sfer of technology, bat we stJaH not toIt-rate confdcts a~id rivalries whach are alien tofJ mJf ct::Hur~ ana mode 0: Hfe encroaching or; our continent. OMr [Jroblems 1 hlJth ec;onomic and social, ~&U fur th~ cOJ:;;'~rteds sustainea effhrt of all nf Afli"a, O~:r gre2tes'. chd- lenge is ·l1~e maintem:uce of A.frican unlty aii~ the consoHda~~onof our indept;lJU:~er.ce. 78. I 'CCl1!Z now to an area relat~v, Iy distant. from rAauritius. The issue at stake, however, is clcise to the heart of every Mauritian. Ti'e PLO as th,~ sole repre- sen~ativeof the Palestinian peopie has OlJr unreserved support; our identification with the Pale8~iniancause is total. Vie believ·;: ,hilt pe~.;e in "f' 'iiddle East will remain eiusive CJuil PalestiI. ....n aspirations are fulfilled. MatJritius has studied the various peace proposals with great attention and we are ready to give our backing to any peace plan put forward that is acceptable to the PLO. 79. We call upon all those who can do so to bring pressure to bear on Israel to stop forthwith its aggres- sion against the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples. Prospects of peace in the area suffered a severe set- back with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the unspeakable, cold-blooded carnage of innocent civilians in Beirut. 80. The fratricidal war between Iraq and the Islamic Republic-of Iran drags on, ~o the satisfaction of those who would wish to see the third world in a perpetual state of turmQil and underdevelopment. We call upon both parti ~s to the conflict to cease hostilities and to stop the death and destruction this war is inflicting on the peoples of Iran and Iraq. 81. This war has led to the postponement of the Seventh Co!1fereilce of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries. This postponement comes at a time when our movemeut is faced with problems requiring immediate solutions. Afghanistan, a member of the movement finds itseJI ~nder foreign occu,eation for the third year. It is imperative that foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, that all foreign inter- ~he innate g~odness of man. Man fights the forces of evil and darkness, conscious that, however long and arduous the struggie may be, the victory ofgood over evil is assured. . 83. I believe that the Chmter is the concrete em- bodiment of one ~: the inswnces where good has ~riumphed against tremendous divisive odds. The Charter is our yardstick by which are judged the acts of nations. I can assure the l~ssembly that my Gc·vernment's actions find theIr insDiration in the C .arter. . 84. Tile world has always faced one crisis or another, but torlay's crisis is deeper and more fat-reaching. No t~3inldng, sensitive all J right-minded natio~' ca.n remain si1€mt. B··t it is r.nt enough merely to sr;eak oat: w~ ShCllld :-:~?k. out when the oc~asion for &;"eaking O~'it comes, but, above all, we should a~i:, b~cau£e t~le o\.":c~sia1! fer ac~i{m is here and now. 85. On b~~:alf of the people of Mauritius and on beh~lfofthdr m~wly elected Government, I pledge our continuing and unflinching support for the United Nations and our respect for its Charter.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I thank the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Internal Security and Minister of Reform Institutions of Mauritius for the importantstatementhe hasjust made.

The delegation of the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada wishes to join all those delegations which have extended their congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Hollai on his election to the presidency of this thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly. The success of this session will be measured by the yard- stick of the Assembly's ability to steer us back· to the paths of broth~rhood,international understanding and peace. The experience, wisdom and diplomatic skills of the one who guides the deliberations of the As- sembly will constitute a critical factor in achieving any measure of success. Mr. Hollai's unanimous election is not only a deserved tribute to his widely acclaimed talents as a diplomat but also an acknowl- edgement by the international community of the invaluable contribution made by his country, the socialist Hungarian People's Republic, in favour of peace, justice and social progress. We are confident that his distinguished record makes him eminently qualified for his challenging task. My delegation also wishes to express its sincere appreciation of the manner in which, Mr. Hollai's predecessor, Mr. Kittani of Iraq, met the daily demands of his office, with courage, even-handedness and an air of quiet and effective diplomacy. 88. My delegation further takes this opportunity to intemat~onai econonlic malaise, with threatc;ming fltoIffiMclouds resulting from the dangerous arms race ~'.nd, above ail, from ~he cruelty and cal!ous~les~which c·')me from man's apparent inhumanity to his bro·ther ~ila hi~ neighbour" which threaten te engulf the world and annihilate us and our vaunted civilizaHon. Exactiy one year ago, in my address to the Assembly at the 33rd meeting of the thirty-sixth session, I expressed dismay, as did other delegations, at t~v frightening state of international relations. Today, 12 'months iater, this session is being held with the global situaHori. not less but more alarming than ever. 90. Today the United Nations has become, in more ways than one, mankind's hope for survival and social advancement. The Organization must nofonly channel and accelerate the search for peace ~ ut also preside over the ushering in of a world economic ordering of resources which will allow the poor and the weak to live, not merely survive. But, in addition~ the Organization, by the very ideals enshrined in the Charter, by its noble concept of economic and social development seen in the outreach of its specialized agencies and bodies such as UNDP and UNESC0 9 provirles guidance for each individual·' .political authority repre5ented in this Hall and appeals to aspects of the internal policy of every MemberState. 91. We in Grenada are not only conscious ·of the relevance to our experience of the declarations on the rights of man and of society, for these, after alL are a product of the collective wisdom of the repre- sentatives of mankind assembled here; we are not mereJv aware of the evolution within the United Nations specializ~d agencies of a preference for development geared towards the satisfac.tion .of people's needs and people's. aspirati\.il1S~ our e!1tire revolutionary political process, which triumphed iQ March 1979, focuses on such pronouncemen~·a~d our developmental model is constructed Qn tlt~ foundations of people-oriented ptogrammeS and activities. The internal achievements of tbree=and a half years of the People's Revolutionary Government bear ample testimony to this fa.ct. , . 92. Yle are engaged in an experiment in popular an4 participatory democracy where the people gatber iD their localities, as do their delegates at the: zonal';and national level, to discuss, debate and make their own proposals on every aspect of government policy, including the national budget. There is freedom of expression for all our people based on a Irw gua~(l~ teeing demo~ratic ownership and control ~f the news j air and sea transport facilities necessary for realizing I the goals of greater South-South trade and co- ! operation. 1i 109. The High-Level Conference on Economic Co- i operation among Developing Countries, held at Ill. Grenada sees .no logic in the concepts of nuclear first strike or limited nuclear war. Such, iormulations are inherently contradictory, if not reckless, and suggest a willingness on the part of one nuclear Power to experiment with its nuclear toys. Therefore, Grenada applauds the bold undertaking by the Soviet Union at the second special se~5ion on disarmament not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. We recognize the positive impact of that obligation and call upon other nuclear States to re~pond in like manner, in the interest of preserving world peace. Once again, Grenada calls for the purposeful ratifica- tion of the SALT 11 agreement on the limitation of strategEc offensive arms. <?/enada is resolutely com- mitted to the process oflessening international tepsion and the promotion of ,~;orld peace and disarmament. As a result, Grenada will support any serious proposal from any quarter aimed at bringing an end to the arms race and achieving world peace and social progress. 112. The world has just witnessed the worst episode of carnage and genocide since the Nazi era. This shameless act of cruelty comes as a direct result of the irresponsible arming of Zionist Israel. The extent of United States economic and military support to Israel is irrefutable. Since June of this year, the sovereign territory of Lebanon has been the testing ground for all sorts of American and Israeli arms, to the detriment of thousands of human li\'es and.of Lebanese cities and villages. As the world witnessed this despicable act of genocide and plunder, and was enraged thereby, the United States shrugged its inter- national responsibility and failed to restrain its Zionist ally. In short, the two had become one in the exercise of the so-called strategic alliance.. 113., Ofcourse, the massacre ofhundreds ofinnocent, helpless Palestinian refugees in their beds is an integral part of that scenario and cannot be divorced from it. In this regard, Grenada joins the international outcry against such butchery. We solemnly condemn lsraeL for its invasion ofLebanon and the death and suffering 119. It is well known that the inhabitants of th~ People's Republic of Kampuchea are shaping a new society through various democratic structures. We categorically dismiss the imperialist-sponsored "Kampuchea Coalition Government in Exile" as an unmasked attempt to hide the bloody hand of the Pol Pot clique and to give legitimacy to their counter- revolutionary activities. Grenada reiterates its support for the G(wernment of the People's Republic of Kampuchea. 123. It is clear that some members of the so-called contact group on Namibia have lost all contact with reality and have resorted to dilatory tactics in the negotiations for independence for Namihia. The unique electoral device of one man-two votes as posited by the contact group is clearly inimical to the interests of SWAPO and has been rightly rejected by the front- line States. The improper intervention into the nego- tiation process by the United States, through its irrelevant demand for the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola as a pre-condition for the granting of independence to Namibia, is largely responsible for the present impasse. The United States position is also inconsistent with Security Council resolution 435 (1978) and is an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of Angola. 124. Besides, South Africa has been covertly pre- paring to alter the internal Namibian constitution and administration, in an attempt to erode SWAPO's support and delay the granting of independence to Namibia by ignoring demands for elections supervised by the United Nations. The treacherous incursions into Angola at critical points in the negotiating process must be interpreted in l~his context. . 125. Grenada emphasizes its resolute support for SWAPO and stresses the inalienable right of the Namibian people to self-determination and full inde- pendence. Grenada further calls upon the United Nations to take expeditious action to bring about independence for Namibia, since it is clear that the negotiations Cire at a standstill. 126. The situation in southern Africa is characterized by South Afrir.a's determination to destabilize regional States through economic pressure and sabotage, direct military interr'ention and the sponsoring of merce- naries. The experience of States like Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho and Seychelles attests to this truth. Grenada urges southern African States to strengthen the structures of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Con- ference. At tha same time, we emphatically denounce South Africa's f/.;peated attacks on these States, its support for disruptive groups and bandits and its policy of economic destabilization. 127. In South Mrica itself, the monstrous apartheid system has been better armed and, no doubt, is more firmly entrenched-for the time being. Our black brothers and sisters are held in veritable concentration camps. Black workers are paid starvation wages for long hours of hard labour. Their trade unions are outlawed and their dedicated. leaders are hounded like .be:a.sts. Ye1t, when we hear homilies about the rights of trade unions and the importance ofupholdingW'orkers' democracy, the South African abuses are never high- 129. The yearning of third world peoples for peace and stability has given increasing popularity to the concept ofregional zones ofpeace. Parallel to our own struggle in the Caribbean and Central American region, our brothers whose shores are washed by the Indian Ocean have been calling for their region to be recog- nized as a zone of peace.. 130. Conscious ofthe warmongering tactics ofcertain imperialist elements in that part of the world, Grenada hails the determined efforts of the Governments and the peoples of Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, India, Democratic Yemen, Mauritius, Mada- gascar and Seychelles in this direction. We fully sup- port their common demand for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the Indian Ocean; the non- introduction and non-deployment of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction; the cessation of military manreuvres by the allies of South Mrica and Israel; and the right of States to be free from the threat of invasion by mercenaries. 131. This vexing question of mercenary activity con- tinues to threaten the peace and stability of a number of poor, developing countries, as evidenced by recent attempts by imperialist-backed mercenaries to overthrow the Seychelles Government. Despite limited attempts by some countries to deal with this problem at the national level, the international com- munity lacks effective and comprehensive machinery for this purpose. 132. Grenada and other countries of the hemisphere are particularly conscious of this problem, since the likelihood of mercenary invasion in our region, backed by certain imperialist State entities, is quite real. 133. We once more register our support for the Ad Hoc Committee on the Drafting ofan International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. However, we note the inability of that Committee to complete its assignment thus far. Once more we urge that the work be expedited so that effective measures can be taken to outlaw the recruitment, training, assembly, transit, financing and use of mercenaries. The situation is one of urgency. 134. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, the militaristic policy of the largest Power in the hemisphere seems aimed at determining all issues on the basiis of brute force and ruthless economic might-hence the threats to Nicaragua, Cuba and Grenada. The continued economic blockade and 140. I Grenada wishes to reiterate that one of the firm principles on which its foreign policy is based is anti- colonialism. Therefore we declare once more our unswerving support for the people of Puerto Rico in their just struggle to attain self-determination ahd independence. We i:: -'~le yet another call for the 152. The international situation is extremely dis- tressing. The world is in a state of crisis at all levels -political, economic, cultural and social-and we feel powerless when we see that, despite our efforts, the resolutions and recommendations we have managed to adopt in this Hall have not had the results we had hoped for in settling the grave problems with which we and mankind as a whole are faced. 153. Theself-sameproblems thus re-emerge in a more acute form. The serious events that have recently shaken the world and that continue to persist show the extent to which the international situation has deteriorated. Indeed, we are witnessing a sudden increased level of tension in the sensitive areas of the world that defies reason, and the exacerbation of conflicts is moving the world swiftly towards an explosion fraught with unforeseeable consequences. 154..We are extremely concerned-how could we not be?-when we note that some Powers employ force with disconcerting ease as a means of settling disputes. Flouting international rules and conventions, those colonialist, imperialist, expansionist, racist Powers have systematized their irregular, illegal, immoral, amoral practices. Armed aggression, military intervention, the occupation of the territories of other States, the use of mercenaries and open interference in the internal affairs of other independent States have become their favourite means of imposing their domination and of achieving the triumph of their selfish and hegemonistic interests, to the detriment of the rights of other peoples. 155. With the exception of the problems connected with general and complete disarmament and periodic crises, the majority of the world's political problems are centred in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The agendaofthe presentsession oftheGeneral Assembly, like the agendas of preceding sessions, merely reflects this situation. Hence, the delegation of the People's Republic of Benin believes that the poor countries, which an unjust international economic system con- tinues to make poorer with each passing day, are the very same countries as are being subjected to the most despicable policies and in which situations that no longer exist in the northern hemisphere have become everyday practic,~, although their peoples seek only to live in peace and understanding with others in an international community in which rules of conduct arc respected. violencc~ and desolation which they inflict every day upon the people of many districts which for them are nothing but Bantustans. States Members. the_ U:nit~d Nations are daily attacked by South Africa, and with -- ' r---'---- SZ • 162. In the same context we deplore the paralysis of the Committee of the Security Council established under -its resolution 421 (1977), entrusted with the superVision of the mandatory embargo on arms for South Mrica. Our delegation hopes that the report of the Committee,9 w~ich is at present before the Council for discussion, will be adopted in order to strengthen the means of surveillance of the mandatory arms embargo. 163. We must with the same determi,lation consider the situation in Western Sahara, which we mention with sorrow because the colonial invasion in this case is Mrican and does not come from outside. The United Nations;in co-operation with the OAU, has adopted bold resolutions aimed at achieving the self- determination of the martyred Sahraoui people. Our country condemns the obstructionism and the refusal of frank and open collaboration displayed by the invader in the face of all the constructive proposals designed to find a solution to the illegal occupation of the territory of another country, an occupation which threatens the peace and security of the region, with increas;ng risks ofinternationalizing the conflict. 164. The People's Republic of Benin supports the just cause of the Sahraoui people and condemns most strongly the colonialist and expansionist policy which continues to deprive that cOilrageous people of the exerciseofits inalienable rights. The People's Republic of Be:tin reaffirms its solidarity with the Sahraoui Arab DemocraticRepublic in its heroic struggle against foreign occupation. The desire to restore peace in the region demands that the Sahraoui Arab Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Morocco consider fortn» with the ways and means of bringing an end to that conflict. 165. Regarding the situation in the Middle East, no one should underestimate the dangers of the tension in the region. The aggression perpetrated by Israel in its invasion of Beirut and its policy of genocide 168. The international community must become increasingly aware of the grave situation in the Middle East and fi~d the me~ns to make the Ziocist aggressors understand that they are placing international peace and security at risk, for peace in the Middle East necessarily involves the proper settlement of the Palestinian problem. The People's Republic of Benin condemns the Zionist policy in the Middle East and supports the struggle of the Palestinian people al)d their right to thek own homeland. The People's Republic of Benin maffirms its political and diplomatic support for the PLO, the sole representative of the oppressed people of Palestine. 169.' By the same token we should like to reaffirm our support for the peopleofCyprus in their legitimate struggle for the reunification and integrity of their territory, for peace between the two communities, a"d against foreign interference. 170. In Asia, although the echo of gun fire seems to have diminished lately, political and military tension is nevertheless high. Hence our delegation stresses its c(\ndemnation of all imperialist manreuvres in that region designed to revive those crises that the determination of the peoples involved is gradually re30lving. The Kampucheap.- and Mghan peoples alone have the right to choose their own political systems and we condemn any interference in the internal affair~ of Kampuchea and Afghanistan. The peoples of those two countries must be left free to decide their destiny, and threa!s to their security and foreign occupation must cease. This is a sine qua non of real peace in the region. 171. The People's Republic of Benin has recognized and will continue to recognize the People's Revolu- tionary Council of Kampuchea and suppc'rts all its efforts to achieve the political unification of the coun- try and oppose foreign aggression and interference by international imperialist factions. 172. The peopl1e of Korea aspin~ to peace and! to the neaceful reunification of their homeland free froro 174. The People's Republic. of Benin ";-Jpports those peoples in Central America and the Caribbean that ai'e courageously extricating their countries from the grip of intemational imperialism and striving to take their destiny into their own hands. All peoples aspiring to independence in that region should be able freely to express their views on their future. In this context, my delegation believes that the relevant res01utions of the United Nations must be borne in mind and respected by all. Blackmail and military plots of all kinds are constantly used to ensure the failure of the revolutionary experience of the countries of the region. The heroic resistance of the Latin American peoples, whose political maturity grows stronger every day, deserves our full admiration and support. Peoples that cherish peace andjustice must continue to support the peaceful cause of independence and freedom of Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvadorl Grenada and others. 175. The Indian Ocean has become an area of com- petition where the great military Powers are building their own gigantic arsenals for a possible futare con- frontation. Gigantic observation, control and com- munications complexes rise above the peaceful waters of that immense Ocean and there are huge stocks of the most modern and sophisticated weapons on those floating bases. All these means of destruction stock- piled on that Ocean constitute a threat to international peace and to the security of the coastal States. The People's Republic of Benin, concerned at this race to militarize the Indian Ocean, reaffirms its support for all measures and decisions aimed at transforming tite Indian Ocean into a zone of peace. In this context, the bold proposals of the President, Didier Ratsiraka, of Madagascar should be at;:cepted and given con- crete form. 176. The sl!bject ofthe demilitarization of the Indian Ocean brings us to the problem of disarmament. It is by now no secret that when we bear in mind mankind's problem~ of life and survival the exorbitant expenses involved in the arms race are truly scandalous, if not utter madness: $450 billion are spent on it each year, when $20 billion would suffice for development assistance. Apart from the fact that this accumulation ofincreasingly dan.gerous equipment heightens the risk of general confrontation, it is also a heavy burden for sta~nation because of the increase in unemployment. 182. Until recently we have devoted our efforts only to the e~ternal manifestations of this economic crisis and have attempted to solve them with stop-gap measures, but to no great avail. Is not the fundamental· b~lan.ce, bet~een t~e nch ~ountrtesand the poorcoun- also thanks all tbe States which have contributed to tnes IS contlDually IDcreasmg. the implementation of that programme to assist the 187. The rich countries alone monopolize 70 per cent people of Denin. of the revenues from world trade, 80 per cent of h . .. . industrial activities and 90 per cent of technology. 195. T at d~monstratlo~ of. sohd~rtty. c~nstltu~es They are doing all they can to block the process of support for ou~ country a~.a time wh~n It. IS makl~g co-operation through the selfish practice of protec- enormo~s sacnfices to build the foundations of ItS . ' . . economic development. A round-table of the partners tlom~t measures, w~ have see~ ~n .em~rgmg and in Benin's development will be held in June 1983 at gro~mg te!1dency to,,:ards se!ectlvlty ID aId, accom- Cotonou. We earnestly hope that the States which have pamed by Its progressIve dechne. been invited and the United Nations bodies concerned 188. Rather than accepting the idea of global nego- will respond positively and massively to our appeal tiations, which, in our view, could improve thechances · for broad participation. My delegation would be ofemerging from the present economic stagnation and grateful to the Secretary-G;:neral for any steps he promote justice among nations, the countries of the might take to that end. North are clinging to palliatives, to caricatures of . solutions, which hardly conceal their desire to main- 196. We than.k the Secretary-General ID advance, tain their long-standing dominat.o'.l and economic and through hIm, Mr. Farah, the Under-Se~retary­ exploitation of our countries. Gen~ral, who personally workeJ to establish the speCial programme for the benefit of the People's 189". Tile delegation ofthe People's Republi:ofBenin Republic of Benin. His report, which will be con- believes that the present economic crisis is extremely sidered at this session by the Second Committee, serious and deserves our full attention, and that no will make it possible to continue efforts for effective 199. The People's Republic ofBenin, which is among the least-developeu countries, is waging a cotnageous national struggle for economic development. The People's Republic of Benin, its people, its party, its Government and its President, Mathieu Kerekou, hope that our appeal from this rostrum will not be a voice crying in the wilderness. We rely on interna- tional soHdarity and co-operation for the success of the rour.d-table planned in our country and for the achievement of the objectives of our programme cf specia; economic assistance. 2OC. Di:spite the accusations of ineffectiveness so often levelled at the United Nations, the Organization is an indispen~able instrument for :he protection of peace and security. Thus, it is the historic duty of Member States to overcome their natioVlal selfishness to make the Organization ~tter able to function by granting it means commensurate with its purposes and its universality. Member States must act to ensure that the United Nations is not merely a gadget to gratify their selfishness; I'Pther, we must tbm it into a real tool, operating full time in the service of peace, freedom, justice and the development of the people. Member States, large·and small, rich or poor, must resolve to turn the United Nations into a real centre of consultation and action to promote under- standing and co-operation among peoples and to bring about peaceful coexistence between States with different political systems. 201. May that thought :nspire the representatives at this thirty-seventh sessvon of the General Assembly to guarantee the success of the Assembly, a success to which the delegation (f Benin pledges itself to contribute by means of dynamic and constructive participation. 202. Ready for the revolution! The struggle con- tinues! 203. Mr. ROGERS (Belize): The delegation of the newly independent Central American and Caribbean nation of Belize has listened with great interest to the various statements made in the general debate during the past two weeks. We have heard Presidents and Prime Ministers, heads of governments and Ministers for Foreign Affairs from rich and powerful nations, poorer and less powerful States, and e\'en the poorest and least powerful among us, relate their perceptions of the state of the world today, their blueprints for a better world, and even their anguish and agony at their inability to mandate the necessary changes. One perception is clear to our delegation: it is that we are witnessing in the world today a crisis situation of a U we now have potentially better means to solve many of the major problems facing humanity than ever before" [A/37/1, p. 1]. 204. In recognition of this great potential of the United Nations to be an instrumentforthe preservation ofpeace, stability and security in these troubled times, one of the first acts of independent statehood made by the Government of Belize on Independence Day, 21 September 1981, was to apply for membership- of the United Nations. 205. The delegation of Belize is pleased to de able to congratulate you, Sir, on your unanimous election to the high office of President of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly. You represent a country, Hungary, that has been steadfast in its support of Belize's right to exist as an independent nation on its own territory-for which Belizeans wiU always be grateful. We also pay a tribute to Mr. Kittani of Iraq for his mastery as President of the thirty-sixth session. He presided when Belize was first admitted to the Organization and we hold h~'!m in high esteem. The delegation of Belize also taKes this -,pportunity to congratulate our brother Latin American. Javier Perez de Cuellar, on his appointment as Secretary- General. His clear-minded and level-headed approach to the job~ as evidenced in his first report on the work of the Organization, encourages us to believe that he will be able to prod the Organization on to achieve its lofty goals. 206. We in Belize share with the Secretary-General his profound concern for the need to strengthen to the fullest the mechanisms of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace and security. Our path to freedom and independence, with the co-operation and support of the United Nations, is an example of the value of concerted action by peace-loving nations. 1.t is therefore of vital importance to Belize, and indeed to most countries, that the system of collective security continue to be given practical and effective application. 207. Our foreign policy is rooted in certain cardinal principles ofinternational behaviour~ non-intervention in the internal affairs of States; the inalienable right of peoples to self-determination; and the strict observance of the non-use of force in the settlement of international disputes. Most of the conflicts, injustices and tension that beset us today spri~g from flagrant and continuing disregard of these important rules. 208. The bal'barity of Sabra and ShatiJa that fills the world with revulsion should not be the price exacted from the Palestinian people for ttwir legitim"lte rightto live in their own State withinsecure boundaries. Our delegation puts on record Belize's condemnation and revulsion at the cold-blooded massacre ofinnocent civilians in Lebanon. We record our support for the right of the people of Palestine to determine their own destiny and to establish their own homeland in their own State within defined and secure bound- aries. We also support the right of Israel to exist as a State with its security guaranteed. racis~ regime of South Mrica, and our support for the right of (he black majority in southern Mrica to determine the governance of their territory. 210. The senseless war between Iraq and the Islamic Republic ofIran, the SovietoccupationofMghanistan, military conflict in the South Atlanti~, turmoil and destabilization in Central America and the Caribbean -the list goes on. All of those are possible because we ignore the norms of international behaviour to which we all pay lip service. 211. We support the implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions concerning Afghanistan with full respect for the independence, sovereignty and non-aligned status of that country. 212. Belize also endorses the position of the non- aligned movement in respect of Western Sahara and appeals to the parties to initiate negotiations in order to obtain a fair and lasting solution of the conflict in \Vestern Sahara in accordance with the principles of General Assembly resolr:tion 1514 (XV), the decisions of ihe OAU and the principles of the non-aligned movement. 213. We look forward to the solution of the problem of the people of East Timor with due regard to the principle of self-determination. 214. Th~ outbreak ofhostilities earlier this year in the South Atlantic between Argentina and the United Kingdom was a cause of grave concern to Belize. Consistent with our principles, we unequivocally reject the use of force in attempting to settle this dispute. Belize calls for a formal end to hostilities and for the negotiation of a peaceful settlement in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolu- tions, and with ',he participation and good offices of the Secretary-General. 215.. War, and the consequences ofwar, must always remind us that the use of force is never a permanent solution to a dispute. 216. In our own region of Central America and the Caribbean, the struggle for peace and freedom and the struggle for development are clearly linked. The social unrest and tension in this part of the world are, in many ways, products of a long history of exploitation and abuses of human rights, aggravated by external pressures, and disregard of the principles of non- intervention and non-interference. 217. Although weinBelizehaveembarkedon policies at:td practices designed to prevent exploitation and abu~e, we are not unaffected by the problems of the, region. It is incumbent on us to strive resolutely for- regio.nal harmony based on mutual respect, and for the elementary democratic right of a people to shape tl}eir own destiny. 218. In: this context, Belize welcomes the initiative of President L6pez Portillo of Mexico and President Herrera Campins of Venezuela to bring peace to the"reaion by -way of a political solution. We also endorse the decision of the non·aligned movement 219. Because Belize shares the view that direct dialogue among democratic countries is an appropriate mechanism for reviewing the situation in their region, and seeking solutions to common problems, the Prime Minister of Belize, Mr. George Price, met in San Jose, Costa Rica, on 4 October with representatives of Colombia, El Salvador, the United States of America, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. 220. Belize subscribed to the final declaration of San Jose which stressed support for the principles of representative, 91uralistic and participatory democ- racy, and concern about the serious deterioration of the present international economic order and interna- tional financial system. 221. The San Jose meeting declared its conviction that in order to prGmote regional peace and stability, it is necessary to support domestic political under- standing that will lead to the establishment of demo- cratic, pluralistic and participatory systems. Such understanding would lead to absolute respect for delimited and demarcated borders in accordance with existing treaties p compliance with which is the proper way to prevent border disputes and incidents, observing, whenever applicable, traditional lines of jurisdiction. l22. The meeting in San Jose also declared respect for the independence and territorial integrity ofStates, rejection of threats or the use of force to settle conflicts, a halt to the arms race, and the elimination, on the basis of full and effective reciprocity, of the external factors which hamper the consolidation of a stable and lasting peace. 223. Belize, for its part, continues to extend the hand of friendship, and an attitude of good neighbourliness to the Republic of Guatemala. As two sovereign nations, which must inevitably live together with shared borders, we are optimistic that, together, we can work out areas of co-operation for our mutual benefit. We stand ready to take steps to resolve, peacefully, a controversy born in another century. Belize must, however, insist on re~pect for its inde- pendence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non- aHgned character. 224. The refusal, to date, of the Republic of Guatemala to recognize the reality of Belize within its long-established and tradi~ional borders, is in open defiance of-and shows a contemptuous disregard for.-the overwhelming support we have received from States Members of the United Nations. For the Republic of Guatemala to assert that they have "legitimate rights over the territory of Belize" is to reveal a blatant expansionist policy devoid of any legal, historical, or political merit. 225. No part of the territory that is Belize has ever been possessed or occupied by Guatemala. Belize belongs to the Belizeans. The peace-loving and democratic people of Belize know this. Our other neighbours in Central America and the Caribbean affirm it. The world, throuqh the United Nations, 231. The richer, developed and industrialized coun- tries are not encouraging the development of the exports of the developing countries, by their refusal to pay just prices for our commodities, which in the long run would lead to a healthy expansioi' of interna- tional trade for the benefit ef all. Instead, they prefer to finance the imports of the third world with loans on exorbitant terms. We are now reaping the bitter harvest of this unemlightened policy. 232. Many third world countries had a higher rate of growth, but it was artificial, because it resulted in an unprecedented increase in their debt burdens. The inevitable consequences now affect u.: all. Even those countries which had the courage to practice good' husbandry and fiscal responsibility are victims of this unjust economic system, which has created the phenomenon of a liquidity crisis and ~ slow-down in investments. In a situation such as this, no one can win; all will suffer. And because of our vulnera- bility, the small. poor, developing countries suffer most. Common sense and simple equity demand a change. The cry for a new internatillnal economic order can only be stifled at the risk '~! ~otal economic chaos. 233. We appeal to the industrialized world to im- plement bold and effective initiatives to strengthen the economic recovery efforts ofour countries. We recog- nize the co-operation of the United States Govern- ment in approvingPresidentReagan's Caribbean Basin Initiative, and hope that the measure is a first step in a wider economic co-operation effort. We also applaud the economic co-operation and assistance 235. The delegation of Belize feels that the Charter ofthe United Nations holds the key to the mechanisms to cre&te a better world. The will to use the machinery of th~ Charter must be consciously strengthened. For this I~ason, we support the recommenclation of the Secretary-General that a meeting ~f the Security Council be held at the highest level "to make a serious effort to reirtforce the protective and pre- emptive ring ofcollective security which should be our common shelter and the most important task of the united Nations" [AI37/!, p. 41. Indeed, the Unit'd Nations renlains the last best hope for mankind. 236. Mr. D'ESCOTO BROCKMANN (Nicaragua) (interpretation from Spanish): Sir, I ~hould like first of all to congratulate you and the noble country you represent on the occasion of your wet1..<Jeserved elec- tion as President of this thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly. W:: are certain that, given your diplomatic skill, wisdi)l~ and even-handedness, you will provide excellent leadership for the work before us. Also, we wish to congratulate Mr. Kittani for the skill and tact with which he presid~d over the tasks of the sessions of the General Assembly held through- out this particularly difficult year. We extend special recognition to the Secretary-General for his out- standing efforts in the short, yet troubled, period in which he has held his post. 237. In this general discussion, it is customary to review the most important developments on the inter- national scene. Year after year, we deplore-a!Most ritualistically-new and old problems that threaten international peace and security. But this year, a new and exceedingly grave threat has aggravated the situation. I refer specifically to the threat to world peace and security represented by the fatalistic resignation by ever-growing numbers of ~ople and, in particular, by Governments, in the face ofgenocide, hunger and misery, and even in the face of the possibility ofa nuclear holocaust. 238. Confronted with the most tense and fragile international situation since 1945, at this session the General Assembly is called upon to reflect most profoundly. The persistence of old sources of tension and the emergence of new ones, in addition to symptoms that the current structures for main- taining stability are becoming worn out, lead us to the inescapable conclusion that the· pre-conditions for peace do not exist. Indeed, there can be no peace if the vast majolity of tne inhabitants of this planet are without bread, education, decent housing, security and political rights. There can be no peace withoutjustice. 253. Those events demonstrate clearly that the problem of the Middle East can ~ resolved only by recognizing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, to return to their homeland and to set up their own State. The international community must step up its efforts to prevent the policy of force and/aits accom- plis practised by Israel from prevailing in that area of the world, a policy which could have the fatal corollary ofthe physical extermination ofthe Palestinian people. Equally evident is the fact that the Middle East crisis will be capable of solution only wllen the United States abandons its policy of protecting those guilty of crime, terrorism and genocide and stops thwarting United Nations efforts, in particular those of the log\l~, reiterating time and again our invi~tion to hold welcomed without delay or reservations. I committed hi~-Ievel meetings betw~e}l represent.atlv~s of our myself to attending, and to supporting the inclusion States in the hope of avoldmg the puttlOg IOto effect in the agenda of that meeting of the six points con- of the threats of the use offorce against Nicaragua. tained in a peace proposal which the Foreign Minister' 263. UnfortunatelY$ the response ofthe United States of Honduras said he wanted to submit for consid- Government to date has been to attempt to impose eration to the foreign ministers of Guatemala, El upon us its rigid East-West outlook, a combination Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and of economic pressures, accusations and threats Panama. culminating in the financing of covert destabiIizing 268. S•.,risingly, six months after tl;at conversation activities and the open use of its territory for the -in other words, in this month ofOctober-bypassing training of counter-revolutionary forces and for .the the still-valid agreements of the Declaration ofCentral preparation of actions Qf a criminal nature agamst American Foreign Ministers of 1980, another meeting Nicaragua. "The financial and organizational assistance of Foreign Ministers was called, also in Costa Rica, the Reagan Administration is lending the enemies of promoted by the United States, from which certain our people has led to an increase in terrorist acts and Central American States were excluded. This exclu- armed assaults on our national territory and to a sion violated the agreements adopted previously by the substantial increas;" in the weaponry, personnel and region's Foreign Ministers, hence this meeting can be organization provided to the counter-rev~lution~ regarded only as an unimportant and marginal event forces, Those forces have been supplied with in terms of its content, and as going against our sophisticated means of warfare used solely by pro- peoples' genuine interests of peace, stability and fessional armies-such as those found in the wake of development. the evidenced. blowing up and sabotaging of two strategic bridges near the border with Honduras and 269. Central America, for the reasons we have as evidenced by the use of armed aircraft in attempts already outlined, finds itself in the midst of gre~t to 'destroy our only oil refinery and th~ fuel stores political upheavals, exacerbated by grave economIC located at the pi)rt of Corinto on the Pacific coas.t. problems. Nevertheless, as pointed out in tbe joint 273. From September of last year to Septem~r of this year our country has endured approximately {~) attacks from" Honduras. We ~..ave detected some 23 infiltrations or counter-revolutionary military groups and units. There have been 10 violations of and incidents in our territorial waters. All of that ~as left a painful toll of more than ISO Nkaraguans killed, SO missing and incalculable material damage, which forced ourGovernment at one point to cvacU3te the civilian population in the frontier region, which had become a veritable scorched-earth battlefadd. 274. Within th~ framework of its many peace ini- tiatives, Nicaragua promoted the meeting betweel~ the heaJs of State of Honduras and Nicaragua, held at the El Guasaule border post on 13 May 198i; we have repeatedly requesf~da meeting between the army leaders of both Stat~3, something agreed co at El Guasaule; this past April I travelled to Teguciplpa to talk wi~h the Foreign Minister~ Mr. paz Barnav and present him with a seven-point peace p!an, later rejected by Honduras down to the last .detail; we worked for the meeting between the chiefs or ~atT of th~ respective armed forces, held this past U:ayat the La Frat~rnidad border post--as a result \ttf the agre4:.meQ~ obtained at the Uc Fratemidad rm~~ting, the on~y meeting that has actually be~n held was between ~he heads of the naval forces ofour ~ountrie~ in the port of Corinto. 271. These military preparations, which amount to a prelUde to the much-advertised assault on Nicaragua, were rec~ndy denounced by the former Commander of the Honduran Public Security Force, Colonel Leonidas Torres Arias, and this week by the Mayor of Puerto Lempira, Marcial Colemann, who told news agencies that an unprecedented invasion of Nicaragua was approaching and that Puerto Lempira, his own city, would be the organizational centre for the invasion. He reported that the counter-revolutionaries there were being supplied by a Hercules aircraft ofthe United States Air Force. Pe also stated that there was a warehouse in Puerto Lempira which was full of weapons that local residents could see, and that there was evidence of counter-revoluHonary camps from which a silent invasion ofourcountry had already begun. 272. Notwithstanding these irrefutable facts, an elaborate diplomatic and propaganda campaign is under way to defame Nicaragua and portray us as a country opposed to all dialogue, when the truth is that it is the people of Nicaragua who are being attacked and it is Honduras that systematically refuses to take part in a dialogue at the highest level to find solutions to bilateral problems. It is possible that this reluctance stems from a recognition of the fact that our problems with Honduras-a brother nation with which we have close-knit ties-are really problems with the United States, since the Reagan Administra- tion conscious of how absurd and counter-productive a direct confrontation with Nicaragua would be-the United States so big and we so small-has chosen Honduras as the ideal country from which to attack 275. The rapid deterioration ofthesituationaIong the borderand ih(t: systematic refusal ofHonduras to offer the viable solutions urgently needed :n accordance with the existing situation !ed Nkaragua to make yet another effort anrl on 6 August we extended an invita- tion to the President of Honduras to meet in Manqua with the Co-ordinator of the Govemment Junta of National Reconstruction of Nialragua. It was made known unofTlCially that such a meeting would require a prior meeting of Fureign Ministers. Or. 24 AUJust I sent an invitation to the Honduran Minister for Extemal Relations for us to meet in Managua in early September, all invitation I renewed on .. October, asking him to set the date. The Honduran response to both invitations was that an excessive work-load made any commitments impossible now. Under these circumstances, the Gov,~mments of Mexico and Venezuela launched their very worthwhile peace initiative, which Nicaragua immediately welcomed and which we were most pleased to ~cept, but which Honduras has, unfortunatelyt rejected on the grounds of having matters of a higher priority to deal with at present. 276. Funy aware of the delicate situatkln existing in Central America, Nicaragua has redoubled its efforts and will continue to do all that is humanly possible in order to obtain a peaceful settlement, through dialogue, ofthe matter ofthe critical relations with the United States and Honduras, as we have tumed the struggle for peace into the guiding principle of all we do in the political realm. Nicaragua seeks only to live in peace, to move forward with the process of our mat"rial and spiritual reconstroction within us~ with the foolish aim of destahilizing us and over- throwing our Government. Itforgets that this objective b~.:'ds of State or Government. It is my sincer.~ con- victiun that the polIcy statements made in the general deblte reflecting the multiplicity of views and ap- proaches inherent in an Organization like the Ufiited Nations will help the, General Assembly accomplish i:s task in the months to come. I should like to take this opportunity to express once again my sincere thanks and ,gratitude to all the speakers who were kind enough to make generous references to my country and to me personally in the course of their interventions. 278. I "~w caU on those representativ s who wish to spew;; in exercise of their right of reply. May I remind memb.ers that, in accordance with General Assembly deci~i~"n 34/40l, statements in exercise of the right of reply m:-e limited to 10 minutes for the first inter- vention and to tiv~ minutes for the second and should be made.- by repre!;entatives from their seats. 279. Mr. ALATAS (Inrlonesia): My delegation has asked tll speak in exercise of its right of reply to answer the unfounded and slanderous charges and insinuations made by certain delegations during the general (debate with regard to the so-called question of East Timor. Vie were not surprised by the fact that as in the past the same delegations have repeated ehe same well-worn allegations against my Govern- ment. Nor were we surprised to see those d~legations once 3,'gain resorting to the same standard fare of contorted argumentation and wilful misrepresentation of the etetual prevailing situation in East Timor. 280~ One would be tempted to dismiss this annual exercise as unworthy ....r further comment. However, by persisting in tilcir campaign for the benefit and in \'he self-serving interest of a few self-styled East Timorese exiles, who were long ago rejected and exposed by the people of East Timor for what they really are, those delegations do harm to the real interest of (he East Timorese people as a whole and "e cannot therefore remain silent~ 281. The distinguished Prime Min»st.er of Portugal, in his siatement before the Assembly, stated in passing that Portugal seven ye:!rs ago "ceased to be able to carry out its responsibilities as administering Power" [14th meeting, para. 22) in East Timor. The honourable Prime Minister apparently found it un- important to explain why that had happened. As the record shcws, Portugai did cease to carry out those responsibilities Uecause it abandoned East Timor in a most irresponsible manner in August 1975. It did so after having allowed the situation in the Territory to deteriorate to the point of civil war by insti2ating the party of its own creation, FRETILIN, to seize power and to start a reign of terror against its political opponenta, while providing the arms to enable it to do so. In this way, Portugal utterly mishandled the decolonization process in East Timor. By abandoning the Territory, Portugal in effect relinquished its respOnsibility as the administering Power and even 287. It was alleged during the general debate that "Indonesia never fought against Portugal". If by this we are to understand that Indonesia never took up arms against Portugal, this is, of course, true. But, as the record shows, Indonesia has opposed Portuguese colonialism in East Timor and elsewhere, just as it has opposed other colonial Powers in all forums ofthe world and supported all genuine liberation movements. The fact that we never took up arms against Portugal in the case of East Timor only demonstrates that Indonesia never harboured expansionist or territorial ambitions as regards East Timor. In fact when, following the 1974 revolution in Portugal, the new Government initiated the process of decolonization in East Timor, my Government whole-heartedly welcomed this and in various ways extended its good will and co-operation as regards the successful com- pletion ofthat process. The subsequent tragic develop. ments in East Timor were therefore not of our making, and no amount of convoluted arguments and misrepresentations can remove the responsibility that Portugal and FRETILIN must bear for the violent events that transpired in East Timor in 1975. This chronology of events should also go a long way in showing that Indonesia's only role was in responding to the expressions of the true will of the people of East Timor. 288. In addition, we can only describe as reprehen- sible the malicious and utterly false portrayal of current conditions in the province. It is apparent that the references to East Timor that we have heard in the general debate are nothing less than an attempt to involve Member States in the continuing campaign of slander and disinformation by Indonesia's detrac- tors and opponents, who are intent upon discrediting its policies and the real achievements in the develop. ment ofEast Timor. Today, as Indonesians, the people of the province of East Timor, together with their national Government and with the assistance of friendly countries, as well as of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF and UNHCR, are working to over- come the legacy of 400 years of backwardness and colonial exploitation. . 289. None the less, those few delegations have tried to create the false impression that East Timor today is famine-stricken and subjected to m~or military operations again8t the civilian population and to a massive denial of human rights. J 298. The British Government has repeatedly indicated that, while under no legal obligation to clear unexploded ordnance or wrecks from Maltese waters, much of it the dire~t result of wartime Axis attack, it will examine what assistance it might be possible to offer in the context of specir~ harbour development plans where it can be shown that wrecks or unexploded ordnance constitute hindrance to such plans. This offer remains open. 299. A number of people in this HaU may have noticed that we in Britain did go to quite extraordinary lengths recently to raise from the waters ofPortsmouth harbour the flagship of King Henry VIII, which sank over 400 years ago. But I assure representatives that that was entirely exceptionai. Our approach to the problems of Valletta harbour reflects non~lal practice in Britain, where wrecks are left undisturbed unless they are a demonstrable hindrance to navigation.

My delegation does not usually exercise its right of reply in order to develop it$ arguments; indeed, in my 20 years' experience of the United Nations, this is but the second time that I have personally made use of this right, and I do so this time to highlight the inaccuracies, omissions and false representations in the statement made by the representative of the Kingdom of Morocco at the 30th meeting. 301. The representative of the Kingdom of Morocco spoke of the multiple manc:euvres that have hampered the process envisaged to put an end to the conflict in Western Sahara, mentioning resolutions ofthe OAU and Gekleral Assembly decision 361406 but ignoriQg Assembly resolution 36/46. ficl~ly:-the J)L'esent cnsl.s faCIng the O~U and t~e weak and completely unstable Governments were no admiSSion of.the.SahraoUI A?l~ Dem<?cratlc RepublIc longer able to bring to bear the authority ofthe Repub- to that orgamzatIon, an. admiSSion which was called a lic and respect for law and order.' Just before the masqu~rade .although It was brought about by the intervention by the armed forces, the number of sovereign wIll of 26 stat~s expressed as early as 1980 victims of terrorism amounted to nearly 30 per day. at the sevent~enth session of the OAU Assembly at Terrorism by the extreme left was the tool ofthose who Freetown, ~Ierra Leone. As to. ~asquerades,. the were fomenting a fairly transparent plot to dismantle Moroccan Side should know ":hat It IS all about.SInce and abolish the democratic national republic. Terror- :heGreen March, tht:CL n.s!Jl!~tl~ns oft~e rump DJ~maa ism by the extreme right, carried out in reaction to and t~e so-called Nalrobllmtlatlve! which was qUIckly this, threatened to cause the outbreak of religious repudiated as soon as the undemable consequences differences, in violation of the principle of the unity of ceased to be to the taste of the Moroccan leaders. the nation and the State. 306. At th.e 24th meeting we said that the crisis .of 313. It was in those conditions of extreme crisis that t~e OAU did not an~ could not date f~om the a~mis- the Turkish armed forces deemed it their duty to take Slon of th~ S.ahraoul Arab pemocratl~.Republic to power and to embark on a massive rehabilitation that orgaOlzatlon. T~ be speCific: the cnsls d~tes.from effort. Such rehabilitation did indeed require minimal the moment a! ~hlch ~~e OA!1 me!Dber mfnnged -I repeat: minimal-and temporary restrictions in one of the pnnclple~ s~t out m.article ~II or the political and trade union life, but in general they Charte~ of the Orgamzatlon of Afncan Umty, Signed allowed great leeway for free criticism and the right at AddiS Ababa on 2S May 1963 by 31 out of the of expression. Those who are brought before the 32 States there represen~ed-for reaso~s ~ell known to courts-legally constituted courts moreover--are those who were at AddiS Ababa at that time. nothing but terrorists of the extreme left and the 307. Morocco bears the responsibility for the crisis, extreme right, and their closest accomplices. It must for, in the matter of Western Sahara, it perveted the not be forgotten that there are some 30,000 terrorists principle of unreserved devotion to the cause of the of both camps in my country. That will, perhaps, total emancipation ofAfrican Territories which are not make it easier to see and understand the difficulties yet independent. To crown all its manceuvres o'fer facing the forces of order and the judiciary. recent years, ~orocco refuse~ to negotia.tt;" as it bad 314. Faithful to their democratic tradition, the solemnly p~omlsed to do. It IS not surpnsl~g that to Turkish armed forces promised a prompt return to a exonerate l~self-or to !ry to exonerate Itself-the normal democratic regime. Turkey will very soon have Moroccan Side. deemed It pr'!per to say that Mada- a new democratic Constitution; the drafting is nearly gascar,alongW1thotherc~untnes, was~.ongthemost complete. Next year new general elections will take fervent and zealous architects of the cnsls. plar;e. At that time, lhe Foreign Minister of Sweden 308. We have stopped counting the falsifications. will undoubtedly legret having usedsuch inappropriate As we cannotexpect the Moroccan delegation to agree language and will have learned-at least ORe hopes with us on this point, we understand-am! here we so-that Turkey is not a country sinking gradually ~ertainly deal a blow to the traditional friendship that exists between Turkey and Sweden. 316. In conclusion, I should like to tell him that his Government has no right to take the part ofa so-called dispenser ofjustice in matters relating to democracy; true and sincere democrats are not only the products of the North of Europe, where politicians tend some- what facilely to believe in the worth of exporting their own concepts as if they were valid in other countries which are developing in very different circumstances; men of good will who cherish their democratic ideals exist in other countries also, including my country, and they are fighting to strengthen the concepts and institutions of democracy and human rights in the face of misunderstanding and ignorance that politicians such as he evince. 317. The Turkish democrats of which the most prominent are to be found in the members ofthe armed forces of my country, have no lessons to learn from the Foreign Ministerpf Sweden or from any foreigner, whoever he may be. 318. Let the inveterate sceptics and apprentice law- givers wait and see; in particular, let them learn to see.

At the 26th meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs ofthe Republic ofGuyana delivered a speech that we deplore. What he said has contributed nothing towards a practical, peaceful and satisfactory settlement of the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. He confined himself to rhetorical and false allegations about Venezuela's aggression and its intentions, allegations that are disproved by the very history and tradition of Venezuela and its endeavours to find a peaceful settlement of the dispute. 320. The facts are so clear that they cannot be denied: the United Kingdom recognized Venezuela's right to the Essequibo River as its boundary, but subsequently committed an act of territorial plunder, displaying its imperialist appetite, as reflected in an arbitration farce in 1899, the outcome of an under- standing among the former colonial Powers. 321. The acknowledgement that a territorial con- troversy exists as a result of these developments, together with the commitment to find a practical and satisfactory settlement of this matter, are enshrined in an international agreement signed atGenevaon 17 Feb- ruary 1966, the parties to which are Venezuela, Guyana and the United Kingdom. Ever since 1966 a number of different governments from different parties have followed one another at the helm of our democracy. All of them have agreed to respect this instrument and have shown their readiness to abide by its pro'l~sions, 325. We invite the Government of Guyana to adopt a position more in keeping with its international duties, its responsibilities as a developing country, its commitments under the Ch~er, and, above all, with the obligations that it assumed under the Geneva Agreement. We invite Guyana to show evidence of good will, and seriousness of purpose in dealing witb this delicate issue. We invite Guyana to join with us in resolving the problems inherited from British colo- nialism, and in seeking a satisfactory solution in terms of a practical settlement of the territorial dispute out- standing that would prove acceptable to both sides.

I must take strong exception to the diatribe delivered this evening by the representative of Nicaragua and to the earlier parody of it by Grenada. In 1981 in the general debate the representative of Nicaragua charged that the United States was preparingto invade Nicaragua. In the Security Council during March Sandin~st lesders-Iike other strong men before them who have grabbed power by force of arms-live in fear that they, too, will soon fall victim to violence and intrigue. By constantly repeating accusations against the United States, the Sandinist regime falls into the usual pattern of totalitarian states, that of accusing others of precisely its own crimes. 328. One month before taking power, the Samiinists promised free elections once the revolution had taken place. In August 1980, they postponed elections for five years until 1985. Less than a week ago, Daniel Ortega Saavedra, the Junta co-ordinator, said in Managua: "we have seriously promised elections for 1985 but-but-it depends on the political and eco- nomic situation of the country". Despite our high hopes and despite the high hopes of the Nicaraguan people, those elections are unlikely to be held under the Sandinistregime, and everyone knows it. In contrast to El Salvador where free elections were held on 28 March in which 92 per cent of the electorate vQted, three years of revolution have not brought the banot to Nicaragua. In the meantime, disillusionment is spreading with what the former Commandante of the Sandinist revolution, Eden Pastora, described as the "governmental calamity" in Nica~gua. 329. It was Eden Pastora, once known as CQm- mander Zero, who first captured the world's atten- tion in August 1978 when he led the guerrilla force which seized the legislative palace in downtown Managua. He described the current situation in Nicaragua in a press statement of IS April 1982: "In the jails they beat the counter-revolutionaries together with the Marxist revolutionaries, these latter punished for the "grave crime of interpreting Marx from a different point of view than the comrades in power. With sadness I have seen in my people the reign ofunease, ofanguish, offear, and of the bitterness offrustration and personal insecurity, with our Miskito, Suma and 'lama Indians per- secuted, jailed and assassinated, without a press or radio which could denounce to the world this regime of terror wbich rules on the Atlantic Coast and in all of Nicaragua through the feared 'state security'." 330. The charges made today by the representative of Nicaragua are no more than camouflage for the ~onceived concern over developments in Poland we wish to make the following smtements. 344. First, several speakers repeated evaluations with which we had been familiar for months. They did not even trouble to take account of the positive changes which have occurred in Poland this year. They also turned a blind eye to the efforts, by both the authorities and the public at large, designed to improve the situation and consistently to implement reforms and they disregarded the future plans of the Govern- ment of Poland, notably those to foster the cause of n!itional accord. It is true that we still have difficulties. It is also true, and this is understood by everyone guided by good will, that we need some time to over- come the present difficulties and achieve our goals. 345. Secondly, witb complete disregard for truth, certain speakers attempted to depict Poland's internal situation as the cause of the failure of det~nte. Let me set the record straight. The processes of detente entered a critical phase long before December 1981. They started deteriorating for reasons and because of tendencies entirely divorced from developments in Poland. Suffice it to recall the successive decisions of the Council of the North Atlantic.Treaty Orga- nization, beginning.as long ago as 1978, which pro- duced a quantitative and qualitative growth of armaments. Suffice it to recall also the confrontational line of foreign policy based on strength, as openly demonstrated by the United States. 346. In the face of the allegatIons made in some statements, we wish to declare that it is precisely the other way round; the world situation would have been seriously aggravated had there been a major breach of social peace in Poland. The measures introduced on 13 December 1981 made it possible to avert that. 347. Thirdly, Poland has traditionally been and will remain an advocate of detente, international dialogue and co-operation. We are interested in the continua- tion and, indeed, the expansion of dialogue and co- operation on the basis of respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs and mutual benefit.. 348. A resumption of substantive and effective dialogue depends first and foremost on a bold look towards the future, instead of concentrating on the past a,nd trading charges. Dialogue means willingness to understand one another and fully respect each other's sovereignty. It is high time to adopt such an attitude and seek avenues towards a gradual improve- ment of relations, rather than aggravate the situation, apply economic res~rictions and make confrontational declarations. 349. Fourthly, the Poland of today is particularly in need of calm and understanding. It is hypocritical to express sorrow over developments in my country 353. Furthermore, the delegation of Benin, speaking a few moments ago, suggested that the Western Sahara conflict should be resolved by peaceful means. At this stage, I shall confme myself to reminding the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Benin that the ways and means which he appears still to be seeking were originally propo&ed by His Majesty the King of Morocco at the eighteenth session of the OAU As- sembly at Nairobi in 1981. At that time, a consensus emerged with regard to the King's initiative, which advocated a cease-fire and the holding ofa referendum. My delegation cannot understand why those that are appealing here for an end to the conflict should be impeding elsewhere the efforts on behalf of peace. Similarly, we cannot understand why the Minister for Foreign Affairs ofBenin should prejudge the result of the referendum when it has not yet taken place. 354. My delegation ventures to hope that all those who show such indignation and set themselves up as verbal mercenaries will have the courage to beat their breasts; for, according to the Wise Men ofMrica, that way reason lies. 355. Mr. QUINONES-AMEZQUITA (Guatemala) (interpretation from Spanish): I should like to refer to the statement made by the representative of the terri- tory of Belize. 356. Guatemala cannot recognize that an expan- sionist policy exists when all it is doing is defending what for centuries has been its own. Guatemala cannot recognize the independence of Belize because it maintains the thesis that there is an unresolved territorial dispute with Great Britain. Since when is defending what is one's own a policy ofexpansionism? ~ettlement of this territorial dispute. 359. Mr. ZUMBADO JIMENEZ (Costa Rica) (inter- pretation from Spanish): Unfortunately, we must reply to what the Foreign Minister of our sister Republic, Nicaragua, has said, because cfhis reference to the meeting held at San Jose on 4 October 1982, to which our Foreign Minister and representatives of other countries in this Hall have referred. 360. We are disturbed because, despite the fact that we have repeatedly stated that the initiative of estab- lishing a forum to bring together the democratic coun- tries of our continent to discuss problems relating to peace in Central America and to .foster dialogue and understanding came from our country-initially from our President on 8 May, when he took office and then from our Foreign Minister-the initiative for that meeting has been credited to another State. 361. In the light of the efforts that were necessary to convene that meeting, it is deplorable that our neigh- bours question our sincerity and good intentions. We feel that that challenges not only Costa Rica's integrity but also that of the other seven States-themselves the outgrowth of the will of their peoples-which signed the San Jose Declaration. Furthermore, the credentials for commitment to peace cannot be questioned when a State has voluntarily decided not to have an army. 361.. We view this initiative as just one more step, which should be followed by many others in the dif- ficult quest for peace and progress in Central America. We agree with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua thatotherforums-the fmum ofthe Foreign Ministers of the isthmus, for example-should be used in future to ensure that the road to this goal will be as short as possible. 363. Mr. ORTEZ COLINDRES (Honduras) (inter- pretationfrom Spanish): On behalfofthe Government of Honduras, I should like to exercise my right of reply in order to refer to some inexactcomments made by the Foreign Minister of Nicaragua, Mr. Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, in which he specifically alluded to our country and Government. I do so in order that the Assembly may see the other side of the very complex problem of Central America, involving our two States. 364. First, the present Government ofHonQuras, for which I speak, is the outgrowth of a real example ~lection-interferred with our neighbours. Our armed forces intervened to repel minor border attacks-and they were all reported to the Security Council-in ordertodefendoursovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with our constitutional duty. 369. Fifthly, it is, on the contrary, Honduras that is suffering the onslaughts of terrorism aimed at desta- bilizing our Government with the backing and sup- port of Nicaraguan elements. 370. I wish to make it clear that our Governm .nt is guided by an independent foreign policy and hence will not accept patterns imposed upon it from abroad, but, with the backing of its people and armed forces will uphold its democratic institutions without ever resorting to the well-known expedient of fomenting international controversy so as to solidify its domestic position.

Like the delegation of Turkey, the United States delegation was sh\lCked by the statement made today by the ~inister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. His discussion of Central America was the most appalling of all. He said Hit is obvious that a foreign Power -the United States-plays a crucial role when it comes to keeping tottering dictatorships on their feet~' [33rd meeting, para. 232]. 379. The Swedish Foreign Minister is obviously concerned with human rights. It would be most fas- cinating to have him explain how Sweden gives $50 mmion this year, its second-highest amount of foreign aid, second only to that given to the United Republic of Tanzania, to none other than Viet Nam, a country that so palpably violates its own people's human rights that it has created almost a million boat people and other refugees, a country that so palpably violates other people's human rights that some 200,000 Vietnamese troops occupying Cambodia and 30,000 to 40,000 Vietnamese troops are occupying Laos. The Vietnamese are inflicting inhumane and illegal chemicals, like yellow rain, on many Cambo- dians and Laotians, particularly the Hmong people. 380. Finally, it would be nice to hear the Swedish Foreign Minister, in his view offoreign affairs as seen from Stockholm, mention the main topic of foreign affairs in Stockholm over the last several weeks, namely, the search for the mysterious sub or subs spyingon or threatening Sweden. This latest escapade, which went without any mention whatsoever in the Foreign Minister's statement, comes roughly one year after Sweden discovered a nuclear-powered and, presumably, a fluclear-anned Soviet submarine, vio- lating its territorial waters.

In his prepared. statement in exercise of his right of ~eply, the representative ofthe United States once again emitted what has become a characteristic litany of unfounded accusations that the Reagan Administration is wont to launch against our people and our nation. Once again, what has been evidenced is the brazen attitude with which the current Administration~puts forth highly bi7.arre interpretations of matters that are within the exclusive purview of our Revolution. 382. As we have done on a number of occasions in the Assembly, we ask once again what trend su~h a litany of accusations is concealing and what moral qualifteations those who seek to accuse us possess, representing as they do a Government that backed a dictatorship in our country for over 45 years. We will not go into each and every one of the accusations in.detail, although there is ample room to seek clari- fteation from the representative of the United States. With regard to elections, however, the Government of National Reconstruction has never blocked them; on the contrary, at the very moment of our Revo- lution's triumph, it announced that elections would 385. In this connection, we recall to the representa- tive of Honduras the very same statements made by the Ambassador ofHonduras in Managua when it was a matter of proving a massacre in San Francisco del Norte, a place but a few miles from the border with Honduras, carried out by elements ihat had come from Honduran territory. Yet we have heard statements from both the representative of Honduras and the representative of the United States as to an alleged readiness to enter into a dialogue with our country. We praise them for this and hope that they will not confine themselves to mere words but will give con- crete evidence, as Nicaragua has done on many occasions, that they want a high-level dialogue. We continue to hope for that. 386. Mr. ZARIF (Afghanistan): A representative of the United States, while exercising the right of .reply of his Government last night in the Assembly [32nd meeting], made remarks wlIich have neces- sitated this brief response. 387. In the first place his pre-written statement, to the content ofwhich strong exception is taken, had to do with everything but the statement of my Foreign Minister. 388. This may not be the first time we have seen the honour of the General Assembly and the dignity of a delegation become the targets of sorry diplomacy; nor is it the first time that the Assembly has been forced to hear an exceptionally loud outcry. Nothing less could be expected from the pre-programmed robots of capitalism. 389. There is ample reason to believe that those screams represent hatred, anger and pain: hatred against a small yet proud and valiant nation deter- mined to refuse to submit to pressure from the god- NOTES 3 Adopted by the High-Level Conference on Economic Co- operation among Developina Countries. Sec A/36f333 and Corr.I. 10 Ibid.. Thirty-seventh Year, Supplement for April, May and June /982. document S/145'41.