A/39/PV.27 General Assembly

In paragraph 1 (a) and (b) of its third report [A/39/250/Add.2], the General Com- mittee recommends the inclusion in the agenda of an additional item entitled HUse of outer space exclu- sively for peaceful purposes for the benefit of man- kind" and its allocation to the First Committee. In paragraph 2 (a) and (b) of the same report, the General Committee recommends the inclusion of an additional item entitled "Inadmissibility of the poli- cy of State terrorism and any actions by States aimed at undermining the socio-political system in other sovereign States H and its allocation to the First Committee. I take it that the General Assembly approves those recommendations. It was so decided (decision 39/402). 2. The PRESIDENT: The Chairman of the First Committee will be informed of the decisions just taken. 3. We turn now to paragraph 3 of the General Committee's report. On the basis of the recommen~ dations of the Committee on Conferences [A/39/482/Add.2], the General Committee recom- mends that the General Assembly should authorize the following subsidiary organs to hold meetings during the thirty-ninth session of the Assembly: the AdHoc Committee on the Drafting of an Internation- al Convention against Apartheid in Sports; the Com- mittee of Trustees of the United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa. May I consider that the General Assembly approves that recommendation of the General Committee? It was so decided (decision 39/403).

Mr. President, at the very outset permit me to extend to yoil and to the members of the Assembly fraternal greetings and a message of peace from King Moshoeshoe 11, the Government and the people of Lesotho. We are pleased to congratulate you on your well-deserved unanimous election to the presidency of this session. "'Resumed from the 3rd meeting. NEW YORK This augurs well for all of us because your great country, Zambia, under the leadership of President Kenneth Kaunda, has been in the forefront of the freedom struggle that has swept from the north to the southern part of our continent. While congratulating you as an illustrious son of Africa, we take special pride in recalling that you received the first part of your advanced education in the Kingd0m of Lesotho, at what was then the Pius XII College. We pledge our full support to you and to the other officers. 5. Allow me to seize this opportunity to pay a special tribute to the President of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly, who served concur- rently as the President of his great country, Panama. 6. As a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Lesotho warmly congratulates and welcomes the State of Brunei Darussalam as the 159th Member of the United Nations. The admission of Brunei Darus- salam to the United Nations is a reminder to all of us that this is a universal Organization charged with responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security. Indeed, the Secretary-General, whom we congratulate on his lucid and succinct report, has stated that "the United Nations is a unique and ideal forum for discussing and solving international prob- lems and conflicts even between the super-Powers". 7. Let us therefore take this auspicious occasion of the admission of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations to rededicate ourselves to the ideals and objectives of the United Nations as enshrined in its Charter. 8. As we meet again, the international economic crisis continues to threaten the survival of small developing nations. Their efforts to restructure their economies are frustrated by the polarized manipula- tion and refusal of the developed countries to accept the new international economic order. 9. The ~: -'mate in the global negotiations has further Orb~hllZed the North-South relationship into a curious rectangular arrangement of first, second, third and fourth worlds. In this scenario, develop- ment strategies conceived in the last decade have degenerated into a thirst for regional domination characterized by coercion and blackmail. Failure to arrest this trend and revert to a normal dialogue between nations can only take the world back to the colonial era. 10. My country, as one of the land-locked and least developed among the developing countries and one of the hardest hit by economics and spiralling inflation, is gravely concerned at the stalemate in the North-South dialogue, which so far happens to be the only possible means of restructuring the present unjust economic order. 11. Of course, resolutions have been adopted by various United Nations institutions and efforts have ind.us,t~ialized countries have a special responsibility 20. On the Korean question, the Lesotho Govern- to ImtIate reforms. . ment has always supported the Korean people's 14. T~e Secr~tary-General ~as called the a~tent~on desi~e to reunify their country peacefully, without of the H:tternatIOn'!-l cO~I?u;mty t~ the de~enoratI~g foreIgn interference. Talk~ have been held betw~en economIC and SOCIal CriSIS m Afnca, partIcularly m the parties concerned wIth the aim of achievmg the drought-stricken countries. This call could not genuine reunification. My delegation urges that those have come at a more opportune moment, because we, talks continue. in Lesotho, have experienced unpreced,ent~d dro~ght 21. There are many other areas of world tension, for the l?~st three to four y~ars, resultmg m famme, but representatives will bear with me if I single out ~al~utntIOn and death. ~hIle ~e express our appre- southern Africa, since it is the m0st vexing problem clat~~n to those countrIes whIch hav~ res'pon~ed and could engulf us in an inferno of immeasurable posItIvely t~ the call, WP, must state that the sItuatIOn proportions. The Government of Lesotho has consis- IS r:tot gettmg better. Meagre resources have b~en tently expressed its position on the Namibian ques- redIrected towards emcrgency programmes, leavmg tion very little for normal development activities. We . " . " ' therefore take this opportunity to 'A'elcome the 22. The Ulllte.d Nat~ons plan for NamIb~a s md~- initiative of the FAO and the World Bank group in pendence remams ummplemented. The dIplomatIc bringing to the fore the crisis situation in sub-Sahar- efforts launched by the fiv~ ~estern Pow~rs to an Africa, of which Lesotho is an integral part. It is to persu,a~e South AfrIca to end Its Illegal occupat~on of be hoped that the international community will NamIbIa have not shown any progress. Many Issues respond positively and generously to requests for that ,had already been resolv~d are beiryg reopene.d assistance in order to alleviate the plight of the ~nq Irrelevant matter~ ~re bemg drawn ,m. There IS peoples of the region. mSIstence that NamIbIa ~annot be mdependent 15. Today, the global political climate is more unless Cuban troops are wIthdrawn from Angola, volatile than ever before. The deepening confronta·, 23, We have maintained that Cuban troops are in tion in East-West relations and the growing tendency Angob at the invitation of the Angolan Govern- to resort to force is of the greatest concern to Lesotho ment-a bilateral arrangement between sovereign and its peace-loving people. In the past year there has States. The illegal occupation of Namibia is a sepa- been no progress in arms control negotiations. It is rate, colonial issue which should be treatcJ as such our earnest hope that the recent contacts signal a new and not ccnfused with other extraneous matters, era whose atmosphere will replace the current atmo- South Africa ought to set a date for the implementa- 25. The consequent reprisals by the South African authorities have, as usual, resulted in an influx of South African refugees into my country. In spite of serious pressures from our powerful neighbour, we find ourselves unable to deny sanctuary to those who are denied civil and political rights. This is, first, because, as King Moshoeshoe 11 stated in the Securi- ty Council on 14 December 1982, I we are ourselves a nation of refugees. That is why we do not place refugees in camps; instead, we integrate them into our society. Secondly, it is because we are obliged to honour international conventions on refugees to which we are parties. 26. Lesotho will continue to receive those who run to it for sanctuary. But we shall also insist, as in the past, that our country should not be used as a springboard for attacks against other countries. The Government of Lesotho has made a declaration to that effect, which has been reproduced in Security Council document S/16746,2 It is because we are committed to a policy of good-neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence that we have continued to impress upon our neighbour that it would greatly facilitate matters for us if the South African Govern- ment were to engage in a serious and meaningful dialogue with the black people of that country, the legitimacy of whose struggle for a place in the sun is accepted by the Assembly. 27. The struggle of the people of South Africa affects us in Lesotho directly, for, as my Prime Minister has stated, when these people flee to our country we are used as scapegoats and are falsely accused of giving military bases to the African National Congress of South Africa [ANC]. 28. Sometimes those accusations against us become so acrimonious that our very independence and sovereignty are threatened, as was the case recently when South Africa interfered with goods destined for Lesotho from other countries and at the same time restricted the movement of people across our com- mon borders. Another very disturbing dimension in this respect concerns the armed bandits who cross our borders from South Africa into our country to commit acts of murder and sabotage. To contain this situation we have had to divert funds which could oursel~es and also ~ely on the assi~t.lnce and ~o- 53. We whole-heartedly support the struggle of the operatIon of the ~octahst and non-alIgned countnes Arab peoples, especially that of the Palestinian and other countnes. people, under the leadership of the Palestine Libera- 48. The friendly co-operation between Viet Nam tion Organization [PLO], its authentic and legitimate and India in the last few years has brought some representative, against the Israeli aggressors and for positive results. In particular, the visit by the General the establishment of its own State on Palestinian soil. Secretary of the Party to India has opened up new We express our complete support for the important possibilities for co-operation between the two coun- initiative of the Soviet Union to convene an interna- tries in many fields. India is a great country, with rich tional peace conference on the Middle East. We fully experience in building an independent economy and support the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic in its a national culture and raising its people's standard of struggie to exercise its ri~ht to self-determination. We living. The friendly co-operation between Viet Nam resolutely support the LIbyan Arab Jamahiriya in its and India, based on a spirit of equality and mutual struggle against any threat of aggression by the interest, is a good example of economic co-operation United States. between two non-alig~ed countries as well as of 54. We resolutely demand that South Africa imme- South-South co-operatIOn. diately restore independence to Namibia. We express 49. Since the Second World War, the United States our full solidarity with the strugg.'es of the Namibian has assumed the role of international policeman, and people, under the leadership of the South West Africa in playing that role it has intervened and committed People's Organization [SWAPO], of the South Afri- acts of aggression throughout the world. In so doing, can people, under the leadership of the ANC and of the United States has always used the anti-commu- the other peoples of southern Africa for national nist, anti-Soviet argument, slandering the victims of independence and social progress. We attach the its aggression as agents of communism and the Soviet greatest importance to strengthening solidarity and Union, and declaring one part of the world after mutual assistance among the African countries. another to be a sphere of interest vital to its security. 55. We unreservedly support the struggle of the 50. What i~ the truth? The 100 or so acts of Afghan people to defend and consolidate the fruits of intervention and aggression by the United States in their April revolution. We support the position of the the last four decades have been directed against Democratic People's Repubhc of Korea regarding independent countries in Asia, Africa and Latin tripartite talks on the withdrawal of United States America. As a pretext for its aggression against Viet troops from South Korea and the peaceful reurlifica- Nam, the United States slandered Viet Nam as the tion of that country. We support the stru~le of the agent of the Soviet Unioll, China and international Cypriot people to defend their sovereIgnty and communism and declared South-East Asia to be an territorial integrity. We support the right of the area vital to its national interest. But the whole world peoples of East Timor and of Micronesia to self- knows that the struggle of the Vietnamese people was determination. a struggle for !1ational ind.ep~ndence against Uni~ed 56. Although Europe was the batHeground of two States ag.gresslon. N0'Y sImIlar slanders are be109 world wars and is currently the site of the world'~ use~ agamst Cuba, N I~aragua! G~enada,. Lebanon, most formidable arsenal, for the past 40 years it has ~yna anc:t other countn~s t~ JustIfy UOlted. States been the only region nOt to experience a local war. In m~erventlOn and aggressIOn m Central Amenca, the sharp contrast, Asia and the Pacific are the only Middle East and other parts of the world. places in the world where, during the same period, 51. The present anti-communist and anti-Soviet three massive and lengthy local wars have taken policies of the United States cannot fail to remind us place: the Korean War and the two Indo-Chinese of the Monroe Doctrine advocated by United States wars. That does not take into account the wars expansionist elements in the nineteenth century. The unleashed by China against many of its neighbours. difference is that the United States previously ap- After having established in Europe the biggest mili- plied the Monroe Doctrine only to Latin America, tary alliance ever-the North Atlantic Treaty Organi- while it is now imposing it on the entire world, under zation [NATO]-the United States went on to set up the anti-communist banner, regarding the entire an enormous number of military alliances in the world as a zone of interest vital to the security of the Asian and Pacific region, including the Central United States. Just as the Latin American peoples Treaty Organization, the South-East Asia Treaty frustrated the Monroe Doctrine by their united Organization and the Australia-New Zealand-United struggle, today the peoples of the world will certainly States, United States-Japan, United States-Taiwan defeat neo-Monroeism. The peoples of the world and United States-South Korea alliances. However, united with the Vietnamese people to defeat the the manoeuvres of the forces of imperialism and United States in its war of aggression against Viet reaction have met with one set-back after another, ~llItary base I~ VI~t Nam but our country.has the tional peace and security, development and c!J-opera- ~Ight ,to let SovIet ~ucra.ft and vessels call at ItS, ports tion. We wish to commend his lucid analysIs of the m Vlet Nam. SovIet aucraft and vessels callIng at world situation, which is a reflection of the main Vietnamese ports do not pos~ a threat t~ a1,1y country. concerns of the international community, and we The only real threat to all ASIan countnes IS posed by subscribe to the measures advocated for remedying China with the largest arI!1ed forces o~ !he world, ~s the various crises affecting international relations. well as by the colossal Umted States mIlItary bases m . . f bl the PhilIppines, in Thailand and in Okinawa and 84. In ~Iew of th~ complexlt~0 the pro ems ,now particularly by Japan's position as the United States' c~mff(:m~m~ mankmd and theu constant detenora- "unsinkable aircraft carrier". This fact can be under- tIon, It IS In~eed ~ !J1atter of ~eg!et to have to no~e scored by the use of these terri,tories a!1d bas~s i~ the that a ~ertam splnt of pessImIsm and av,,~erta!n United States war of aggressIon agamst Vlet Nam conformlsm appear to be mo!e and more pre ,~Ient m and the other Indo-Chinese countries. The outcry by our work. ThIS state of affaus may be explamed by China the United States and the ASEAN countries the structural na~u.re of ~ur problem~and also by ~he about the purported Soviet military base in Viet Nam lack .of real polItIcal WIll to seek Just and lastmg is simply aimed at obscuring the grave threat posed solutIons. by China's gigantic military machine and by the 85, A more and more noticeable trend towards colossal United States military bases in Asia. If these crystallization of our discussions around the same countries are really worried about Soviet aircraft and questions indicates the urgent need for us to meditate vessels in Viet Nam, why then do they reject the on our own individual and collective conduct and to resolution adopted in 1983 by the Seventh Confer- give our joint actions the necessary dynamism and ence of Heads of State or Government of Non- motivation. Above all, it is important to eliminate Aligned Countries calling for the withdrawal of all the spirit of confrontation, selfishness and intransi- foreign troops from the South-East Asian region? gence and the various kinds of pressure, which tend Why then do they refuse to accept the concept of a to undermine the proper functioning and the very zone of peace and neutrality in Asia, propos~d since raison d'etre of the United Nations. 1971 by the ~SEAN cou1l:tnes themselves? 'Yle~ Nam 86. The numerous failures and disappointments we favours the Idea of turnIn& South-East ASIa !nto a have noted in the efforts of the Organization to build zone of peace and neutralI,ty, as called for In the a world of peace justice and progress are nothing Seventh Conferenc~ resolutIon and as proposed by more or less than 'a corollary to our own inconsisten- the ASEAN countnes. cies and weaknesses. That being so, it is clear that the 80. Mr. SEMEDO (Guinea-Bissau) (interpretation problems besetting mankind as a whole can be from French):* Mr. President, first of all, my dele~a- resolved only through a global approach and through tion is very pleased to see an eminent son,of A~nca effective parti~ipation in !hat pr~cess by a!1 State~. presiding over the G~neral Assembly at .Its thlrty- To try to aVOId that realIty or ~Imply to I~no~e It ninth session. In electIng you to the presIdency for would be tantamount to denymg the prInCIples this session, the international community wished, contained in the Charter and to condemning the above all, to pay a tribute to your country, Zambia, United Nations to repeated failures. w!th w~ich Guinea-B~ssau ma~nt~ins relations ~f 87. That helps to explain the various attempts fne!1dshlp and brotherlIness, fo~ ItS ,Important cOIJtn- which have been made by the developing countries in butl<?n to the process o~ de~olomzatI0I?- of the Afncan general, and particularly by the Movement of Non- contInent and t~e realIzatIon of the Ideals of p~ace Aligned Countries, to encourage a constructive dia- and freedom whIch are so dear t~ the OrgamzatI~n. logue with the wealthy countries on matters of The qe1l:eral Assembly also, ~Ished, to ,sh,ow .Its development. It may be said that, despite the persis- apprecIatIon for the lofty qualItIes, whIch dl~tI,n~Ulsh tent obstruction of certain countries, these efforts you',to salute your 9ynamlc,and tlreles~ actlvltIes,as have nevertheless been pursued. The meetings held at ~resldent of the Umted NatIons COl;lncIl for Naml?- Quito, Cartagena and Mar del Plata a,nd the, recent la, and to greet yo,u ~s a humam~t a,nd staunch meeting held at San Jose, Costa RIca, WIth the defender of the p,nnclples, and objectIves of the participation of som.....tin American States, the Charter of the Umted NatIons. members of the EUlvp~an Economic Community, 81. I should like also to express to your illustrious and Portugal and Spain, bear out that resolve. predecessor, Mr, Jorge Illueca, my country's grati- 88. The economic indicators, in both the develop- .Mr, Semedo spoke in Portuguese, The French version of his ing and the developed countries, clearly demonstrate statement was supplied by the delegation. the pressing need for relaunching global negotiations. lan~uage is Portuguese-Angola, Cape Verde, Gumea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe-on 27 April last in Maputo, reaffirmed the unflagging support of our five countries for the struggle of the fraternal peoples of Namibia and South Africa. The summit went on to emphasize that as long as apartheid-being, as it is, the main factor leading to tension and destabilization in the region- continued to exist, there could be no genuine peace in that part of the African continent. 108. The summit also welcomed the negotiating process initiated in southern Africa and reaffirmed its solidarity with the front-line States, the People's Republic of Angola and the People's Republic of Mozambique in particular, in their efforts to preserve their national independence and territorial integrity. 109. Guinea-Bissau, which is aware of its own responsibilities in the total liberation of the African continent from all forms of domination and oppres- sion, would, in the li~t of the principle of the peaceful settlement of dIsputes among States, lend its support to any initiative that would take into account the expressed interests of the Namibian and South African peoples regarding peace and stability in southern Africa. llO. In the Middle East, it is quite obviu,,~, '!1\1t as long as there is no solution of the Palestinian issue- a solution that should involve full exercise of the Palestinian people's legitimate right to create a sovereign and independent State-and as long as Israel continues illegally to occupy Arab territories, there can be no real possibility of peace in the area. Ill. The seriousness and complexity of the explo- sive situation prevailing in that part of the world fully justify the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East with the participation ofall the parties concerned, including, quite obvious- ly, the PLO, the sole authentic representative of the Palestinian people. 112. Although we have achieved noteworthy re- sults, particularly in the process of decolonization, along the lines laid down in the historic General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), it must at the same time be admitted that this is a matter still at the forefront of our attention. Particularly on the African continent, certain Territories are still subject to foreign domination, despite the repeated efforts c~ncerns of t~e people and Govern~ent o~ Gumea- Darussalam as it joins the membership of the United Blssau. Th~t IS why o~r Government IS ma~mg every Nations. I am certain that our common characteris- effo~ to stlmul~te agncultural output, partIcularly by tics as small island States will lay the foundation for a havmg productIon-support sectors whose commerce, fruitful associ&tion in pursuit of the goals of the transport and wareholls.ing in~rastructures will help Organization. !o guarat.:ttee self-suffiCIency m foodstuffs and an 132. Since I last had the honour to address the Increase m.exports. . . Assembly, little headway has been made in resolving 124. The Imple~entatIon of t~e first natIonal d~- the critical and often overwhelming problems with vel<?pment plan IS thus responsIve to o~r c~untry's which mankind is beset. Indeed, one may be forgiven desl~e to structure the economy by ada~tmg I! to t~e for yielding to cynicism and despair at the daily requIrements of t~e proce~s of economIc anq SOCIal reports of hunger, strife and economic collapse, and de~elopment. It IS ID .thls context th~t, WIth the at the endless chronicle of increasingly chilling asslst~nce of UNDP, t~IS year we orgamzed a r<Jund human rights abuse. table mvolvmg the mam tradmg partners of Gumea- . . . . Bissau. A rapid follow-up to the conclusions reached 133. For.us, m the EnglIsh-speakmg Canbbe~n, the at that meeting will lead to the implementation of events whIch began on 19 October last year WIth the measures required for the stabilization and revamp- bloody overthrow of the 90vernment o.f Grenada ing of our economy. have co.nstItuted, unqu.estlOnably, the .s!ngle .most . traumatIc development m the recent polItIcal h!story 125. 9n behalf of my Government, I should.lIke to of our region. After all the years of struggle for our take thIS opportumty to thank all those count~les .and internal political emancipation, followed by the go~ernmental an.d non-governmental orga~llzatlons battle for our independence, the practice of electoral whIch took p~rt m that round. table for thel~ clea~!y democracy has become engrained in the psyche of exp.ressed.deSIre to develop fruitful co--operatlon with our people. Government by the duly elected repre- Gumea-Blssau. sentatives of the people is something which we have 126. As we approach the commemoration of the come to take for granted as a natural part of our fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, despite political reulity. Any overthrow ofsuch a systemt an}' its Aifficulties a.n~ weak~esses,. we think it is quite Imposi~ion of gun rule on the people in one pa~ of legItImate to rejOIce at ItS achievements. But there our re~lon-peoplewho are often our blood cousms, can be no doubt that a grek deal remains to be sometImes even our blood brothers and sisters- achieved and that the responsibilities weighing on the strikes instantly at the deepest level of our security. United Nations are becoming ever heavier. Despite the formal constitutional divisions between 127. We are convinced that the realization of the the entities in the English-speaking Caribbean, we are hopes of the peoples we represent here if within the essentially one people. The events in Grenada grasp of the human resources and imm\,;nse wealth brought this home with a new and frightening available on this planet. . awarenes~. Unfortunately, in a world which has 128. Man's creative genius, judiciously used for b~~ome I~ur~d to ~hange of g<?vernment by coup peaceful purposes, can help to eliminate sickness, d etat, whIch mcreasmgly a;ct.s as If democra;cy wer~ a hunger, poverty and injustice and to promote the luxury re~er,:,ed for a pnvl1eged few, thIS speCial collective prosperity for which we all yearn so deeply. relatIonshIp IS not generally understood. It is the duty and responsibility ofour States to work 134. Happily, throughout the Caribbean the feeling to create peace in the world and to mobilize available has grown that the time lor recrimination has passed. resources in order to achieve development objectives The process of reconstruction, both economic and !h~s~ whose interes~s ~nd po~er a!e by d~finition 143. Economic security goes hand in hand with ImmIcal to the flounshmg of dIverSIty and mdepen- political security. Indeed, the security of small States dence among States. can hardly be considered in isolation from their 137. It is not only on the political front that small special economic problems. Caught in the ebb and States are exposed to security threats. Policies on the flow of global economic fortunes, small States have part of powerful States which amount to economic their extreme fragility brought into sharp focus. It is coercion can easily upset the fragile balance of small in such States that the impact of a sudden economic open economies. I need hardly say that disruption of downturn in the international economy is felt first economic security leads sooner or later to political and most forcefully, and they are the last to benefit instability. from any subsequent upturn. 138. Fortunately, the past few years have seen a 144. Against. this ba~kground, we ~us! once .again growing recognition of the special difficulties faced call upon the mterna~IOnalcommumty, I~ partIcular by small States. The particular problems of small the.developed countne.s, to show substantIve proofof island States of which Barbados has an intimate then oft-stated commItment to the development of knowledge. h~ve also been receiving the attention not the ec~nomi~ally disad~antaged n3:tions. The eyi~ only of the United Nations through the work being dence IS growm~ that then own contmued prosperIty done by UNCTAD, but aiso of the Movement of !S inextricably lInked to the viability of the develop- Non-AlIgned Countries. It is to be hoped that some mg world. of the fruits of this work will be presented to the 145. We take note of the Economic Declaration General Assembly in order that the international issued at the tenth Economic Summit of Western community may be made more aware not only of the industrialized countries, held in London from 7 to 9 problems but also of the possible solutions to the June 1984 [A/39/304, annex]. In this document, dilemmas of these geographically disadvantaged recognition is given to the economic pressures on the countries. developing world and to the vital role which industri- 139. Until very recently, however, consideration of alized cou~tries must.play in ~romoting the process this issue has focused primarily on economic con- of economIC growth m the thIrd world. cern~. One notable exception has been the work of 146. This is fine language. But what is needed is the United Nations with regard to mercenaries. action, urgent and purposeful action. It is our firm Mindful of our own vulnerability to mercenary belief that a restructuring of the international eco- attack, Barbados has been consistent in pressing for nomic order is imperative if the third world is ever to the adoption of resolutions and conventions to stamp attain acceptabl~ levels of prosperity. It is evident, 49 A h .. b . retalIatory measures and prove self-defeatmg m the 1 '. t t e same tIme, It must e rec~gmzed !hat long run. there IS an urgent need to restruc!u~ethe ~n.te11?-atIon- 157. It is with a sense of cautiou5 optimism that we al monetary s~stem: The endeml.c mstabIlIty m that follow the tentative progress being made in Lebanon syste~, wIth ItS ~Ildly !1uctuatmg exchange .rates, towards restoring peace in that country which has constItutes a real Impedl11~ent to the economIC ad- suffered for so long. The formation earlier this year vancement of the developmg world. of a Government of national unity comprising repre- 150. High on the agenda of international political sentatives of the Christian, Muslim and Druse com- concerns is the question of Namibia, which continues munities was a welcome and positive development. to defy solution. The world body finds itself pow- Recent indications that withdrawals of foreign mili- erless to end the illegal occupation of that country by tary forces may soon be under way also give cause for South Africa. In 1978 there was optimism about a cautious optimism. settle~ent of the Namib~a issue, when the Security 158. The outlook for peace in another part of the C;ouncIl ado~ted resolutIon 435 (1978)..However, Middle East appears far less promising. We must all SInce then., lIttle I;'rogress h~s bee~ ach~eved and deplore the loss of human life and the waste of Sout~ Afnca contmues.to tIghten ItS g~lp on the resources which the conflict between Iran and Iraq, Terntory and to explOIt and plunde! ItS.. ~atural now in its fifth year, is continuing to cause. We join resources..In the rece~t past, the racIst regIme of others in calling on both Governments to declare a South AfrIca has con~mued to thwart all ~ope of cease-fire in the conflict and to enter into negotia- progress towards. the mdepend~nce of Nam~bla, by tions to settle their dispute, which poses such a grave stubbornly refusmg to make smcere or serIOUS at- and growing threat to mternational peace and securi- tempts to come to terl1l;s wi~h the genuine efforts of ty. SWAPO a!1d the front-lIne States to reach an accept- 159. Nearer home, international attention con- able solutIon. tinues to focus on the situation in Central America. 151. Barbados must once again unreservedly con- We are convinced that deep-seated social and eco- demn South Africa's refusal to comply with United nomic inequalities are at the root of the conflict in Nations resolutions on Namibia. We categorically Central America and must be redressed as a matter of reject all efforts to link the independence of Namibia urgency. to extraneous considerations. Such demands are 160. The Government of Barbados is therefore nothing more than diversionary and delaying tactics. deeply disturbed by the massive buildup of military 152. I wish here to reaffirm the unchanging deter- forces in the area, which. no~t. onl¥ is dangerous in mination of the Government of Barbados to support Itself but repr~sents a tragIc ~werslon of funds from the struggle to free the black majority of South Africa neces~ary socIal anq econolIpf.: development efforts. from the yoke of apartheid. The recent constitutional In thIS context, I WIsh to reIterate our f1rm sup,port reforms are purely cosmetic, as they plainly fail to for the efforts of th~ Contadora Group In seekl~g a address the fundamental issue in South Afnca-the peaceful and negotIated settlement of the conflIct. systematic and constitutionally sanctioned suppres,~') 161. Elsewhere, we seem to be faced with stalemate slon of the black and coloured majority in·their own after stalemate. This is true with regard to Afghani- country. The elections recently held in South Africa stan, Kampuchea ~nd Korea. In the case of Korea, have been shown up for the sham which they are, ther~ ~r~ SIgns, whIch we war~ly we.lcome, that the through the boycott of the polls by the overwhelming posslblbty of peaceful resolution eXIsts. We would maj.ority of the coloured and Indian peoples of South exhort the two ~ides to grasp suc~ opportunities and Afr~ca. My Government renews its pledge not to rest to seek a creatIve and constructIve path to peace. ~nt11 the scourge of apartheid is relegaten finally and 161., Against the background of the intensification Irrevocably to the scrap-heap of history. of l!;lobal conflict and the security needs of small ~oncernedwith the peace and s~ability of our region, Beli~e. In this way, w~ can move forward with If we are to fulfil the promises of the fruits of realIsm towards a solutIOn. independ~nce for our pe~ple and c(:mtinue to be a 189. It is equally fictitious to pretend that Guate- free, and mdependent natIOn, sovereign over all our mala can strengthen its ties with the people of Belize terntory. as long as there exist the institutional distrust and 182. As a young nation, we wish to live in peace disrespect inherent in their reluctance to accept and harmonious co-operation with all our neigh- Belize's independent existence. [ can assure the ~ours. We cherish the example of good-neighbour- international community that the people of Belize lmess that characterizes the relations between Belize are as united now as they have ever been against the and Mexico, our larger northern neighbour, with false claims of Guatemala over our territory. We which we share land and sea borders. We also cherish hope that our continuing discussions will bring it to the relationship of trust and understanding devel- the realization that the way to strengthen the des oped over the years with the nations of the Caribbean b~tween our peoples begins with recognition of our community which share with us a common history, independent existence as a State, respect for our culture, language and experience. sovereignty and acceptance of our historical borders. 183. We are enriched by the friendship of the 190. Belize continues to agonize over the deterio- Central American nations with which we share a rating situation in our region of Central America. We common ~eography, common aspirations and a com- ex~ress our solidarity with our brothers and sisters in mon destmy. We thank them for their friendship, the area and our readiness to assist in every way in their support and their co-operation. In return, we the search for peace and stability. We regret the ask them to recognize our God~given right to deter- introduction, with the resulting damaging effects, of mine our existence as a nation for ourselves, free considerations of an East-West configuration. from extern!ll t~reat and domination, sovereign over 191. We support peaceful solutions and adhere to all our terrItorIal treasures. the principle of non-intervention in conflict situa- Beliz~ provi,des a safe ~aven for our brother Central 202. Belize joins the rest of the international com- Amencans In our socIety. munity in deploring the continuation of the unfortu- 194. As a disadvantaged developing nation, Belize nate war between the non-aligned States of Iran and grapples daily with the facts of underdevelopment: Iraq and imploring them to put an end to war and declining export earnings for our sugar and other begin the task of reconstruction and reconciliation. primary products, high interest rates and the subse- 203. We remain concerned at the situation in quent lessening of ioreign exchange available for Afghanistan and look forward to a ne~otiated politi- purchases from the industrialized world. While we cal settlement that does not prejudice the indepen- have initiated policies to stimulate economic growth, dence, sovereignty and non-aligned status of that countries such as ours rely heavily on concessionary country. arrang~ments .and technic~l and oth~r a.ssistance 204. As a minor actor on the international stage, fro~ II?ternatIOnal and regIonal organIzatIons and Belize has no pretensions to considerable influence in InstItutIons. world affairs. Our domestic concerns are limited to 195. We regret, therefore, the deliberate policy of the consolidation of our independence, to building a exclusion that prevents Belize from participating in durable and enduring democracy, to extending the the Or~anization of American States and its institu- fruits of development and a better life to all our tions, In the economic initiatives designed for the people, and to off~~ring every Belizean a dignified Central American region and in financial institutions existence. established to 8:ssist the developme~t of our part .of 205. On the international scene, our policies of the ~orld. PassIve .acceptanc.e or. thIS state, of ~ffaIrs peaceful coexistence, good-neighbourliness, non- by fnendly States In the regIOn IS a contnbutIOn to interference and non-intervention in the internal the. slowing down of the develop,ment pr~cess!n affairs of other States, non-violence and the peaceful BelIze a~d runs counter,to protestatIOns of fnendshIp settlement of disputes are aimed at promoting inter- and regIOnal co-operatIon. national peace, security and co-operation among .I. 96. Nearly a year has passed since the tragic events nations. They are aimed at assisting in the establish- in Grenada traumatized the Caribbean and caused ment of a just and equitable international economic such deep disquiet among our Caribbean sister States and social order in the world, with respect for and in the larger international community. Our international law and treaty obligations in the deal- Commonwealth family has agreed that the time for ings among nations. And they are intended to protect recriminations has passed and that all possible efforts and preserve the sovereignty and territorial inte~rity should be made to assist the Grenadian people to of Belize, to broaden our International recognItion reconstruct their shattered country. We view posi- and to consolidate our nationhood. tively the announcement of free and fair elections, to 206. We have an abiding interest in the continued take place in December, and we commit ourselves existence of the planet Earth. All our efforts to again to respect for the independence, sovereignty fashion a world order would be meaningless in the and territorial integrity of that Caribbean country. aftermath of nuclear war. We call on the internation- 197. We maintain our solidarity with Guyana and al comm~nity, a,nd the nu~l~~r Powers in I?articular, support for its right to exercise sovereignty over all not to shIrk theIr responsIbIlIty to humanIty but to its territory, and are encouraged that the Secretary- work strenuously to save us ~ll from the unspeakable General has become involved in the search for a horrors of nuclear devastatIon. suitable settlement of the controversy. We wish him 207. Belize's policies coincide with those of the well in this effort and respect the assurances from Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and the princi- both sides concerning the maintenance of a climate pIes of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as conducive to a favourable outcome. with the approach adopted by the Commonwealth of be.c~use thIS IS a qu~stIon of t~e surVIval of m~ny reduction of nuclear weapons. rnll,hons of hUll?an. be!ngs. Th:at IS why my.delegatIon 250. Adoption ofthis peaceful initiative, as we have ~eheve~ that It IS ImperatIve to put. mto effect emphasized previously, is the only way to prevent IJ!lme~lately a programm~ of measur~s I~ matters of encroachments on the sovereignty of other States, Vital .Import~nce f~r AfrIcan countnes In order to invasions and even continuing occupation of foreign alleVIate theIr tragic plIght. territories, intervention and all other types of aggres- 242. The Economic and Social Council, at its sion. se9o~d regular .session, disc.ussed as ~ mat.t~r ~f 251. On the African continent, there are many pn<?nty the senous econoJ.111c and SOCIal cnSls m tensions which are the result, as elsewhere, ofdeliber- Afnca but.was u!1able ~o arnve at a consen~us text on ately ignoring the fundamental principles of the the ways In whIch thIS should be remedIed. United Nations and of the OAU, namely, those 243. Turning now to the world economic situation, concerning the self-determination of peoples, inde- we believe that it is high time for the developed pendence, respect for human rights, human dignity, countries to act on the commitment made with sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aggression, regard to the implementation of the Substantial New to cite but a few. Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least 252. In North Africa, the tensions engendered by Developed Countries, to adopted at the Paris Confer- the botched decolonization of Western Sahara are ence, and to agree to the launching of global negotia- still smouldering. The refusal of one of the parties to tions. We believe that this would be at least the the conflict to abide by the relevant resolutions ofthe beginning of the solution of the present crisis. OAU is not calculated to promote a final settlement 244. The interdependence of developed and devel- of this conflict. opin~ countries should not result simply in intermit- 253. Chad, which has always supported self-deter- tent mternational aid, while such fundamental prob- mination for the Saharan people, will give full lems as the restructuring of international economic support to any initiative that will help to facilitate the relations to ensure more equitable co-operation are full implementation of the provisions of the resolu- ignored. In fact, in such an unfavourable internation- tions adopted at the nineteenth ordinary session of al climate, it would be an illusion to envisage, even in the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the short term, economic development that would the Organization of African Unity, particularly that take full account of the interests of the third world. which advocates direct negotiations between the two Selfishness must give way to solidarity so that parties.3 t~gether we ca~ endeavour to .establish.a new interna- 254. In southern Africa, the racist minority regime hon,al economIc order that IS more Just and more of Pretoria continues to keep Namibia under the eqUItable. colonial yoke and to exclude the black South African 245. The world economic crisis has been further majority from power. Recent developments in this compounded by the political tensions which continue part of the wor!d show more clearly ~han ever the to buffet our planet, thus posing a dangerous threat Implacable, cymcal nature of apartheid. to the future of mankind as a whole. Although it must 255. In order to perpetuate their oppressive regime, be acknowledged that the United Nations has been the South African racists have even tried to use able to prevent certain situations from getting out of coloured people and Indians in their efforts to hand, it nevertheless remains true that frequent perpetuate their domination. The glaring failure of violations of the principles of the Charter of the that attempt, caused by a general boycott of the so- United Nations continue to threaten the already called elections by the communities concerned, is precarious equilibrium of the world. clear proof that in matters of domination and NOTES 9See E/1984/11O, annex. lOSee Report of the United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Paris, 1-14 September 1981 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.82.I.8), part one, sect. A.