A/38/PV.13 General Assembly

The General Assembly will hear a statement by Mr. Henryk Jablonski, President of the Council of State of the Polish People's Republic. On behalf of the Assembly, I have the honour to welcome him to the United Nations and to invite him to address the General Assembly. 2. Mr. JABLONSKI (Poland) (interpretation from French): Mr. President, permit me to welcome you, a representative of friendly Panama. Your long-standing service at the United Nations, commitment to peace and well-known personal Qnalities prove that the helm of the Assembly has been placed in good hands. 3. I express my highest appreciation to the President of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly, Mr. Imre HoIlai. His success in discharging the duties of this office has been also a success for fraternal Hungary, a State of the socialist community, in concert with which we are striving tirelessly for the good of peace and the development of international co-operation. 4. I convey the assurances of our highest l~steem to the Secretary-General of the world Organization. 5. I extend a cordial welcome to the delegation of the independent federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, the IS8th Member State of the Organization. [The speaker continued in Polish]· 6. On behalf of the Polish People's Republic, I come before the Assembly to address the major problems facing mankind as well as the United Nations, the most impor- tant and universal forum for their consideradon. Yet, I must begin with the subject of Poland. I venture to do so not because I would accord a particular international significance to what has been happening in my country over the last few years. In point of fact, each and every country has its own internal problems that it should seek to solve on its own, if the right of every nation to sover- eignty is indeed to have an overriding value. The point is that it is not we ourselves who have attempted to internationalize Polish affairs; it is those who had origi- nally been most vocal in urging non-interferen~e in devel- opments in Poland and in pretending that Poles should solve their problems on their own who subsequently made an about-face in their position in an effort to force Poland to submit to their will. It can hardly be argued that that was the result of misunderstandir.g or insufficient infor- mation, since we patiently kept ('"ing all that was neces- sary to explain our actions. 7. For months, in order to further good will and under- standing, we kept the world informed of the introduction by Poland of temporary .emergency measures that were ,.., *The English version of the statement was supplied by the delegation. I NEWYORK indispensable to the defence of our statehood and con- stitutional principles against assaults upon them byene- mies and the forces of anarchy and to steer Poland out of a profound crisis. The proclamation of martial law in Poland on 13 December 1981, in accordance with Poland's Constitution and the norms ofinternational law, was as unwanted by us as it was necessary. In making that difficult choice, we were mindful that "the Mother- land is a great common duty". The order to stand guard over it for the common good of each and every Pole has been issued by Polish history. It is also Polish history and no other that wHl ultimately judge our decision. 8. Today no responsible politician can deny that Po- land's d~sire for national salvation spared Burope grave tension. 9. As we declared two months ago in a third and final notification in keeping with article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [resolution 2200A (XXI), annex], martial law, previously suspended, was lifted on 22 July last throughout the territory of Poland. We have kept our word. Emergency legislation did not remain in force one day longer than wa'i absolutely nec- essary. Harsh measures have never been part of the Polish mentality. They are also alien to our political culture. An amnesty of wide scope has come into effect. 10. Sustained by the inviolable and lasting principles of socialism, Poland is on the mend. We are strengthening what is good and noble, reforming what is inefficient and decrepit and eliminating what is ba.d. There can be no turning back from this course. It was charted by the programme of the Ninth Congress of the Polish United Workers' Party, and it reflects most fully the substance ofsocialist renewal. Its overriding id~a is and always will be the construction of a socialist society in the spirit of our best traditions and in the interest of the Polish nation. 11. Systematic internal normalization and stabilization are taking shape in Poland. They are being accompanied by an unswerving process of change and reform, rein- forcing the principles ofsocialist democracy in all spheres of life. The Polish people is regaining its common ground of political expression in matters most vital for the nation. The dialogue betw~en Poles continues. It is frank and open. Its fullest outlet is the Patriotic Movement for National Revival. 12. A creative impetus is being given to the tradition of Polish parliamentarianism. In the period since August 1980 alone, the Sejm has enacted almost 100 important laws, 57 of them in 1982. The expansion of workers' and territorial self-government is promoting one of the basic tenets of socialist democracy: that of broad, popular participation in the running of the country. 13. A constructive dialogue between the State and the Catholic Church and a number ofother creeds, animated by a spirit of tolerance and respect for diverse philo- sophical outlooks, is progressing fruitfully. The recent visit of Pope John Paul II to Poland has demonstrated this forcefully enough. 14. New, independent and self-governing trade unions, now active in over 90 per cent of places of work and 15. In difficult social and economic conditions, we are carrying out broad economic reform, the purpose of which is to enhance the effectiveness of the entire national economy. We are basing it on enterprise autonomy, active, legally guaranteed workers' participation and development of all-round co-operation with other coun- tries. Tile road ahead of us is arduous, but developments are proving the rightness of our endeavours. 16. No nation is so vulnerable as when it is undertaking the task of reform. This fact is also well known to the adversaries of socialist P~··iand. For three years now, our country has been the target of interference and brutal pressure by the forces of anti-communism. Since Decem- ber 1,?81 in particular, they have employed against Poland everyform ofinterference in its internal affairs other than military. They have thrown overboard the relevant prin- ciples of the Charter of the United Nations, the provisions of numerous General Assembly declarations and the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, signed at Helsinki in 1975. 17. Threats, the imposition of conditions and economic restrictions, efforts to destabiIize the country, propaganda aggression, the pressuring of Governments of various countries into joining in an unworthy campaign to penal- ize Poland simply for having exercised its sovereignty and rejecting the prospect of becoming the flashpoint of military confrontation, "political colour-blindness" and an obsession to see only blackness in Poland's situation- these are a cross-section of the actions conceived against Poland. At the same time, we are offered prescriptions and remedies which their authors would never think of taking in their own countries. 18. The long historical tradition of Polish-American relations set at naught, the leading role in this anti-Polish crusade has been assumed by the United States. Never in the history of our relations has United States policy been so directly aimed against Poland as in past months. It takes the form ofso-called economic sanctions for sins uncommitted. They were allegedly aimed against the Polish Government, but consequently they have severely affected the living conditions of the Poles. In short, they are lowering the standards of living of the Polish people and hurting Western creditors. They are, first and fore- most, a serious violation of the principles of international relations. 19. Though we :~re ready to co-operate, open to the world and true to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, we emphatically repeat: there cannot and will not be a Poland as sought by the present policies of the most aggressive quarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]. As stated by Wojciech Jaruzelski, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party, the leading political force of my country, we have our own ideal of Poland: "an inde- pendeu':'t socialist State, within secure frontiers on the European continent, free of armed conflicts-this is the essence of that ideal. This is the nub of Poland's raison d'etat." 20. We are not alone. We have allies-the fraternal socialist States. In difficult years their support, especially the fraternal aSllistance of the Soviet Union, is of inesti- mable value. Elowever, a secure and strong Poland, internally stabilized and united, is in the interest of peace and co-operation in the whole of Europe and the world. Its raison.d'etat is part of Europe's raison d'etat. We are c~-operation betweeIkpations and of instigators of ten- Sion, our aim remai~ a programme of positive action, hand in hand with all those who want the same. We have the pers~verance and the good will to carry us along that road. ~lared wars are waged against independent States; when military presence is imposed on nations contrary to their interests; when in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East the force of political argument is being replaced by the argument of force, by a "gunboat diplomacy" dusted off from the lumber room of history. The source of such practices lies in the nature of imperialism. 40. The bloodiest harvest is being reaped in the Middle East from the imperialist axiom of "divide and rule". A new token act is the sepa;;.-atist agreement on Leba- non,...which has merely given Israel the reassurance to continue its contemptuous attitude towards United Na- tions resolutions and placed Lebanon's territory at the disposal of forces hostile te, the Arab cause. Before the eyes of the whole world a crime is being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. They can be assured peac~ and their own statehood only by a comprehensive settle- ment accommodating the rights of all participants in the settlement. 41. On the periphery of that region, the Iran-Iraq con- flict still continues, bringing suffering and sacrifice to the peoples on both sides. 42. The arrogance of the South African regime and the political manoeuvres of certain NATO States are being allowed to postpone proclamation of the independence of Namibia, which should have become a sovereign State of free and independent Africa years ago. 43, We are witnessing the intensification of unprece- dented pressures on certain Central American States, violation of their sovereign rights and attempts at brutal diktat. We express our complete solidarity with the heroic peoples of Cuba and Nicaragua. '44. Interference in the internal affairs of the People's Republic of Kampuchea must be stopped by recognition of, among other things, its rightful place in the United Nations. We also remain unswerving in our support for the important initiatives of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan for a settlement of the situation in South- West Asia and for the constructive proposals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea concerning the Korean problem. 45. Our realistic vision is also of a world recovering from the present economic cr!'ds and of the whole inter- national system of economic and financial co-operation restructured on a sound basis. 46. Poland ~,hares the view of the majority of the par- ticipants in the sixth session of the United Nations Con- ference on Trade and Development, held at Belgrade, and of the delegations gathered in this Hall that the basic cause of the deadlock-in creating a new and just interna- tional economic order is the unwillingness of the highly industrialized States of the West to reach a substantive compromise. Determination to preserve the present struc- ture ofeconomic and financial co-operation springs also from these States' desire to retain a privileged position in international trade. The difficulties of many countries are compounded by exorbitant rates of interest on credit. Like the developing countries, we cannot &ccept such a situation. Nor do we agree with the deceptive argument that economic recovery in the most advanced capitalist States will. automatically remedy the world economic ~rovide we do not confront this problem seriously and collectively t em Wit t e resources t ey reqUIre to u 1 t elf man- it will most dangerously threaten our human life and dates. These institutions, by their role and function, give human values. At the price of the long and bitter experi- practical meaning to one of the cardinal principles of the ences we have endured, and having learnt from painful Charter by promotmg social progress, improving stand- historic events, we have arrived at the conclusion that ards oflife and ensuring the economic and social advance- moral degradation or cultural sickness is the breeding ment of all peoples and thereby strengthening the fabric ground for all forms of poverty, slavery and submissive- of international peace and security. ness on the one hand and all forms of oppression, exploi- 71. The United Nations was born out of the lessons of tation, expansionism and suppression on the other. the last global catastrophe I spoke of earlier. Let us, Although this is a truism for all humanity, in this phase therefore, apply the lessons of that global catastrophe, of human history, when only moral and spiritual values reaffirm our faith and uphold and respect the organs, could lay a sound foundation for social relations among procedures and provisions of the Charter, for only in this nations and dignified ways of life for people, unfortu- way can we assuredly fulfIl our pledges to save succeeding nately there is no sign of any code of human behaviour generations from the scourge of war. I affirm the corn- or set of rules inspired by ethical considerations or mitment of the Government and people of Sierra Leone spiritual values. to this encl. 79. Today a very basic question that we must ask our- 72. The PRESIDENT (interpretatioi. from Spanish): selves is where we are heading. Is it not time for the On behalf of the General Assembly I wish to thank the international community to stop and search its conscience President of Sierra Leone for the important statement he as it thinks about its future, and thus find an appropriate, has just made. human answer'? Is not the situation in most parts of the world sufficiently saddening and heart-rending? Can we 73. Mr. VELAYATI (Islamic Republic of Iran) (inter- have any hope that the United Nations will be able to pretation from Arabic): combat the monsters of hunger and poverty, aggression "Those not following the true path of God exploit their and war, colonialism and exploitation while most Mem- riches in obstructing others from the path of God and bers of the Organization are being squeezed in the claws thus scatter their wealth; but they shall only rue it, and of one super-Power or the other? in the end, they will be defeated and driven into hell." 80. It is very unfortunate that some of us, as represen- [The Koran, sura VIII, verse 36.] tatives of our nations, have even lost the most natural [The speaker continued in Persian.]'" human sensibilities with regard to the most horrendous 74. First of all, 'Sir, I wish to congratulate you on your acts of the super-Powers today. It is as if we lived in a election as President of the thirty-eighth session of the world completely divorced from reality. Has not the time General Assembly. I also take this opportunity to convey come for us to think about our condition, to rediscover our gratitude and appreciation to the President of the ourselves and to find out what kind ofworld our world is? 81. Allow me to answer the last question by describing the horrifying, inhuman situations in some parts of our characteristic~ of this regime; there would be no definition of zionism if dggression were left out. That is why we have always mL~~ntained that peaceful negotiations with these Nazis of supposedly Jewish origin to put an end to their intrinsic aggressive motif will lead nowhere and have not led anywhere. Why do we not learn from the past? Why can we not understand that, apart from the incorrigible nature of zionism, negotiating or reaching understanding with an enemy that is occupying our ter- ritory produces no results except to give it an unfair advantage? 83. If it had not bc': :'or C;-~p David, the beautiful land of Lebanon WOl :.'.. Hot have been drenched in blood by Zionist atrocities tuday. After all these bitter experi- ences, are we not right today to think of the acceptance of plans like the Fez plan, the so-called Reagan plan or the pact between Lebanon and Israel as not only a be- trayal of the Palestinian cause but also a greater betrayal of the aspirations of some one billion Muslims through- out the world? 84. There is no cure for the cancerous growth ofzionism except surgery. Ifthe Allies could have persuaded Hitler to withdraw and recognize the rights of other nations, then we could do the same with the Zionists today. There is no doubt that United States imperialism and zionism are conducting a co-ordinated policy designed to oblit- erate the national and religious identity ofthe persecuted Palestinian people and, by employing political, military and publicity conspiracies, to destroy the cause of Pales- tine in the long term. The increasing presence of United States and French imperialist forces has only one mean- ing: the imperialist oppressors have decided to oppose the freedom and independence of all Muslim nations of the world in a final confrontation. Does the bombardment ofMuslim residential areas of Lebanon by United States, French and other aggressive Powers point to any other intention? 85. Ifthe United Nations feels obliged to give practical effect to the principles of its Charter regarding the safe- guarding of international peace and security, it should advocate an all-out military and economic embargo against the Zionist usurper regime; it should also create a system for supervising the correct implementation of the embargo so that any State not complying with it would be identified. The United Nations must carry out its legal obligations with regard to Articles 41 and 42 in Chapter VII of the Charter in respect of international peace and security. The United Nations should, on the basis of the principles of its Charter, condemnthe Uoited States and French Governments for their military aggres- sion against Lebanon and the violation of the rights of the Lebanese people. Finally, I should add that, under Article 6 the Zionist regime should be expelled from the United l.'lations for persistent violation of the principles of the Charter. single-h~dedly. The great mobilization ofour people and their swift movement towards the battlefronts upset all 112. The Islantic Republic of Iran, while treasuring the rich culture, literature and valuable liberal traditions of 114. The peopie of the Middle East and Western Asia wh(lle-heartedly sympathize with their African brothers and sisters because, apart from common experience and a common history of anti-colonialist struggle, both peo- ples have in the last four decades become the victims of savage, racist regimes supported by tbe United States Satan. The South African racist regime has been aptly called the Israel of Africa. Racism and zionism share the same background and the same purpose. They both believe in the violation of the rights ofother nations. They both advocate violent usurpation of other peoples' lands. They both have no respect for world public opinion or for the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, and they both mean to upset the norms of international relations. Those two evil forces, zionism and racism, obey the law of the jungle in international relations, and their design is to invade other free nations of the world once they have consolidated their evil rule over the lands they have already occupied and their peoples. 115. I have just been handed a note providing infor- mation on another Iraqi missile attack against two cities in Iran-Andimeshk and Dezful. It is interesting that two days ago our delegation to the United Nations foresaw such a missile attack and informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations accordingly. But, unfortunately, as usual no steps were taken against attacks on residential areas of our cities. 116. I shall now read out the details: "At 2.24 p.m. local time yesterday, four points were attacked by Iraqi missiles in Andimeshk and Dezful with the following casualties and damage: in Dezful, 31 people martyred and 130 injured, with 95 residential areas totally destroyed and 230 partly destroyed, in,- cluding 60 shops destroyed; in Andimeshk, 23 people martyred and 120 injured, with 60 residential areas totally destrQyed an~ 120 partly destroyed." 117. We are sure, of course, that the United Nations and other international institutions, because ofthe manip- ulations of the oppressor super-Powers, cannot do much, and we do not expect much. We have just given this information so that members ofthe Assembly may have a clearer picture of what is going on and understand why we feel that the only way to respond to this ruthless enemy is on the field of battle. Of course, desperate attempts of this sort are further proof of the enemy's weakness. They show that the enemy is colla.psing and that Saddam has no place among his own people and that in the very near flJture he will be defeated. h. halting the march ofhistmy. we must respect the principle 142. In t IS statement which I have the honour to make of pluralism everywhere. It is also indispensable to iclen- in the Assembly, when I am speaking for the first time tify and to deal with conflicts in accordance with their on behalf of the Government of President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado, I wish to reaffirm the unbreakable specific character, without any unwarranted interference continuity of Mexico's foreign policy and of its active or Manichean simplifications. commitment to the principles ofinternational coexistence. 150. The mm of our peoples is development with inde- I should like also to express the full confidence of the pendence and justice, not to join power blocs. In Central President of Mexico in the vocation and capacity of America the acceptance of diversity and the practice of international bodies to ensure international peace and dialogue will make stability possible, reducing the extrem- security and to meet the needs of justice and fairness ism which is often more the product of harassment than demanded by the developing world. of want. 143. In the present Central Americ~n crisis there are 151. Ever since the establishment of the United Nati\'~s, three basic aspects of il1!ternational policy. First, there is we have been able to avoid a universal conflagration. the quest for new forms of organization that will meet Nevertheless, we have not succeeded in preventing the the needs and aspirations of all the peoples. Secondly, proliferation of conflicts, which increasingly involve the there is the struggle for a regional coexistence that will long-term interests and goals of the m~jor Powers. ~~~ ~~~:~~d~~~~: ~~~Tr~: i~~b:i~~~:~d~~~g~~= ~eri~~,t~:j~~ °t:n=h:~:3~~~~:t:~ft~t~;~1~ tations. Finally, there is the certainty that there is still peace. During this year, we have joined efforts with room for the political solution ofthe disputes, as the only Colombia, Panama and Venezuela in order to promote alternative to the use of force. I should like to spell Ciut an atmosphere favourable to dialogue and negotiation those three aspects. among the countries of that region. Nevertheless, they 144. The characteristics of the contemporary world are are the ones that must, together with the help of the such that all States are responsible for international international community, establish their own framework harmony. No country can remove itself from the prob- of coexistence and solidarity. lems ofothers, nor can it be indifferent to those problems. 153. The.actions of the Contadora Group are guided Thus, regional life can often provide ideas and experi- by three cardinal ~j!r~' ~p.t~nte, political unders~anding ences which are of general usefulness and which can ,"t:f1tn co-operation. Tfi~ main goal is to halt hostilities and contribute to the formulation of a just and peaceful £.0 1'J1f\Went their spre~d. At the same time, it is necessary international order. ' , M estab~sh permanent conditions ·:>f security through 145. It is natural for developing societies-in Africa, specific agreements and effective means of verification. Asia and Latin America-to show a constant trend to- Furthermof\~,it is essential to re-establish the framework wards change. Our structures require constant revision for co-operatbn for development which began with such in the quest for more advanced stages of political, eco- great promise in Central Am~rIca. nomic, and social development. Despite its inherent 154. Until now, we have been able to achieve reasonable problems and contradictions, this impulse towards re- success with resp~ct tll the first aim. The Contadora newal is both a bard fact and a potential for progress for Group has acted as a retaining wall to prevent the spread our peoples. of the Central American conflict. Serious dangers have 146. Within thi! process, which is always difficult, Latin been avoided, notably the outbreak of open war between America is today suffering from the ancient conflict countries and the possible extension of hostilities. Never- between those who wish to keep an obsolete social order theless, the continual harassment, the acts of destabiIi- unchanged and those who seek to transform it. Resistance zation, border tensions, war-like incidents, the arms race, to change prolongs and aggravates the crisis and exacer- the priesI ence ofadvisers andd. foredign ~tary interference, bates ideological confrontation. as we as manoeuvres eSlgne' to mtimldate, have all 147. The concentration of wealth and the fact that large been unfavourable to any detente in the area. social sectors are as a consequence left on the margins 155. Butwe all have a duty to continue our efforts. The of society, together with the unsteady development of countries of the Contadora Group must redouble their political institutions, leads to violence, intolerance, and efforts, the States which are directly involved must display restrictions on freedoms. As long as there is no real a will for peace and the members of the international respect for individual and social rights, with the CQnse- community must lend active political support, free of cl~:d~:~~a:e~~~~e~~t~c;:h~r::~;te~t~:~~~~~:~s~~toflri{~ ~;~~O~:~~i;~~ :~:~:h~~:::~::::::~~~o=:~·Mex- regional malaise will remain. Bipolar confrontation has ico, Panamaand Venezuela fomlLulated the CanctinDecla- nothing to do with the true roots of the conflict in Latin ration on Peace in Central America [A/38/J03]. Itreflects Am t erica. Thi~at i~ ~hfY we hinsist onftEhe imwPerative fneed a high level of political determination, a quality greatly o remov,e t s cnsls rom t e area 0 .ast- est con ron- needed in these times of crisis. Our heads of State pro- tation and from any claims to hegemony. posed a package of commitments which they believe to 173. We wish te stress our commitment to encouraging co-operation among the developing countries, whose potential has only begun to be tapped. South-South economic relations require a firm political will and a systematic and effective effort linking bilateral activities with regional and subregional mechanisms and with the international bodies of the developing countries. That is the only way in which we can offer a policy with true alternatives for progress and economic decolonization. 174. The Group of77 is the body in the United Nations system for negotiation and protection of the developing countries. It represents an indispensable entity in contem- porary international relations. It has a historic role to play which will be all the more productive when the other groups0f countries are ready to carry on a dialogue in cir~les of mutual dependency. We are concerned at the fact that countries with limited resources are investing an undue proportion of their national efforts to acquiring weapons and consolidating their military apparatus. The paIradox is that, for the sake of supposed security, the international community is experiencing the greatest insecurity it has ever known. 179. The establishment,of nuclear-weapon-free zones is particularly relevant today. The Treaty of Tlatelolc09 is a Latin American experience which should be extended to other regions. Many peace-loving countries have ex- pressed full support for such proposals and we hope they will be put into effect. 180. To confine international relations in the strait- jacket of bipo!ar confrontation means subordinating the aspirations of the immense majority of States to the wishes of others. We, the developing countries, see this simplification as a lessening of our independence, and we strive for more diversified and democratic international coexistence. 181. The equality of States under the law, self-deter- mination and non-intervention are principles that cannot be abandoned and which imply rejection ofthe monopoly of power, the consolidation of spheres of influence and ideological intolerance. They constitute the best defence of our peoples' identity and sovereignty. 182. Current international conflicts are further compli- cated by hegemomst antagonism and thus serve to sustain a form of cold war, which in its turn ma.kes confronta- tions more dangerous. The position adopted by the Gov- ernment of Mexico with regard to these conflicts is consistent because it is in keeping with a policy based on principle and not the interests of the moment. 183. The question of the Malvinas Islands is topical and affects the very core ofour Latin American vocation. We 193. In overcoming each crisis there has always been the spur of political ethics which has ',:Jeen expressed in .", :~i~;~~r;in~e s~~s;;~~ed in directing the affairs of the sibilities towards the Namibian people. 208. The world community has long condemned apart- 19f8. Thale~e~t~ett~rY-Gt eneral htastuhndertakfenl a nUlmt~er heidin South Africa as a crime against humanity. Today, 0 person lID la Ives 0 promo e e peace u reso u Ion in defence ofthat crime, the Pretoria regime uses increas- ~~ti~~f:d'c~~~~~~~i~~PJ:;I~~~~~h:t:~~~~d :h~ ~~: ~~~~~tb~i~~~~:~~~~S to crush internal opposition to its of his good offices and for his energetic execution of the 209 M G t I h G complex tasks assigned to him. eral'Ass:mbl;~~~~~ti~~:di~%t~dP~~~; ~oiuti~~YOf ~h~ 199. The deterioration in the world situation which southern African problem, and we call on those States has taken ;/lace since the last session of the General most closely involved to show the necessary political will Assembly is, I am sure, a matter of grave concern to us to implement them. aallg'~!nhsteathib'artcYk-gerioghutnhdsOefsseisocnaliaSttl.ankginre~polnacale'croengflretl'cttsabanlYd' 210. The Middle East is of c("!m~e another area where ~... ~ principle and practice are far apart. Israel continues to heightened world tension, and the outlook for the future ignore the prescriptions for a peaceful settlement of the is not promising. Indeed, looking ahead to the fifth decade of the existence of the United Nations, it is diffi- Palestinian problem~ and the effects of Israel's unwar- ranted invasion of Lebanon last year are still evident in cult to picture a world where international relations are the human suffering, the devastation of 1::lrge areas and ~:~~~ e~~~\~ ~p~~~~ir:~~~:n~~t~~~a7~:e~rfr~~ t~~ the fuelling of political instability. Charter. 211. The General Assembly must call for the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Lebanon and must 200. Certainly, as we examine the many questions on reaffirm Lebanon's internationally recognized borders. our agenda which deal with threats to peace and security, It must also demand withdrawal from occupied Arab we cannot fail to note the wide gap which separates these lands, including the Holy City of Jerusalem, in accord- issues from the solutions devised for them by the inter- ance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council national community. and the General Assembly, and must continue its support 201. I need hardly point out that United Nations efforts for recognition of the legitimate right of the Palestinian to end racism and colonialism in southern Africa continue people to self-determination. to be thwarted; that the provisions of key resolutions of 212. It is a matter of profound regret to us that Iran the General Assembly and Security Council on Middle and Iraq, two non-aligned States, have not b~en able to East questions are being deliberately pre-empted while resolve their differences by peaceful means and that turmoil and conflict remain chronic in the area; and that grievous loss of life and destruction of property continue the call of the vast majority of Member States for the to be suffered by both sides in the conflict between them. withdrawal of forces of occupation and military aggres- We hope Iraq-and Iran will respond to the universally sion in the Horn of Africa, western Asia, South-East expressed desire that the fighting stop and that they Asia, southern Africa, the Middle East and other areas engage in negotiations to bring about an honourable, just has gone unheeded. and enduring peace. 202. In these and other areas of the world the brutal 213. The trend towards foreign military intervention in suppression of the right to self-determination, indepen- the affairs of States is of course one which runs counter dence and national sovereignty has led inevitably to to fundamental principles of the Charter of the United instability and conflict. Nations. These interventions inevitably lead to bitter civil 203. Pressing as these questions are, they pale into wars, catastrophic refugee situations and regional insta- insignificance when we consider the threat of nuclear war bility and tension. which hangs oyer the world. It is a threat that will con- 214. In this context the world community must continue tinue while the great Powers pursue the nuclc;ar arms race to demand an end to the occupation of Afghanistan by intermitio~alcommunity for its aggression. That regime is attempting to undermine the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence of my country. Un- doubtedly it feels able to carry out these aggressions because of the presence in Ethiopia of the military bases of a super-Power and of its surrogate troops. 220. Ethiopia has continued its attempts to seize and occupy Somali territory. Only last July we were forced once again to defend our country in the face of a major onslaught on the settlements of Qabno and Mataban in the Hiran region of Somalia. 221. We therefore call on Member States to condemn the Ethiopian regime for its aggression and to demand that Ethiopia withdraw its forces from Somali territory and put an end to its unwarranted attacks. 222. A single issue underlies Ethiopia's current military adventures on our borders and the many other conflicts which trouble the Horn ofAfrica. That issue is Ethiopia's persistent denial of the right of self-determination to its colonized peoples in areas such as western Somalia, Abo, Eritrea and Tigray. These peoples are waging the same anti-eolonial struggle as was successfullywaged in the past by the majority of Members of the United Nations and which is still being waged in southern Africa. It is ,a struggle validated by resolution 1514 (XV) and by the progress from colonial status to nationhood achieved by a large proportion of the membership of the Assembly. 223. The colonization of the Horn of Africa by the European IPowers and by Ethiopia was carried out within the same period and as a result of collusion between the test~bantreaty and for the prohibition of chemical wea- pons represents the voice 0'1 sanity. 230. We believe that emphasis must now also be placed on preventing the spread of nuclear and other confron- tations to outer space. The development of anti-satellite weapons would undoubtedly add a new destabilizing element to an already frightening nuclear balance of terror. 231. The negative consequences of the arms race in nuclear and highly sophisticated conventional weapons are clearly discernible in the world today. Inflation, recession and the widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots have been followed by the squanderingo immeasurable human, material and technological re- SOUJ:ces on weapons ofdestruction. In the political sphere States have become more vulnerable to intervention and

I wish to draw the Assembly's attention to docu- ment A/38/4301Add.1, which contains a letter dated 29 September 1983 from the Secretary-General informing the President of the General Assembly that since the issuance of his last communication, dated 20 September 1983, the Comoros has made the necessary payment to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in Article 19 of the Charter. NOTES *Resumed from the 1st meeting.