A/39/PV.4 General Assembly

On behalf of the General A~.)embly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations Mr. Ronald Reagan, the President of the United States of America, and to invite him to address the Assembly. 2. Mr. REAGAN (United States of America): First of all, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. Lusaka, on your election as President ofthe General Assembly. I wish you every success in carrying out the responsibilities of that high international office. 3. It is an honour to be here, and I thank you all for your gracious invitation. I would speak in support of the two great goals that led to the formation of the United Nations-the cause of peace and the cause of human dignity. 4. The responsibility of the General Assembly-the peaceful resolution of disputes between peoples and nations-can be discharged successfully only if we recognize the great common ground upon which we all stand: our fellowship as members of the human race, our oneness as inhabitants of this planet, our place as representatives ofbillions ofour countrymen whose fondest hope remains the end to war and to the repression of the human spirit. These are t!""" important, central £ealities that bind us, that per;r;; us to dream of a future without the antagonisms ot the past. And, just as shadows can be seen only where there is light, so, too, can we overcome what is wrong only if we I~member how much is right; and we will resolve what divides us only if we remember how much more unites us. This chamber has heard enough about the problems and dangers ahead; today let us dare to speak of a future that is bright and hopeful and can be ours only if we seek it. I believe that future is far nearer than most ofus would dare to hope. 5. At the start of this decade one scholar at the Hudson Institute noted that mankind also had undergone enormous changes for the better in the past two centuries, changes which are not always readily noticed or written about. 6. "Up until 200 years ago, there were relatively few people in the world," he wrote. "All human socIeties were poor. Disease and early death dominated most people's lives. People were ignorant, and largely at the mercy of forces of nature." NEW YORK 7. "Now," he said, "we are somewhere near the middle of a process of economic development . . . At the end of that process, almost no one will live in a country as poor as the richest country of the past. There will be many more people . . . living long, healthy lives, with imm,ense knowledge and more to learn than anybody has time for." They will be "able to cope with the forces of nature, and almost indifferent to distance." 8. We do live today, as that scholar suggested, in the middle of one of the most important and dramatic periods in human history-one in which all ofus can serve as catalysts for an era of world peace and unimagined human freedom and dignity. 9. Today I would like to report to you, as distinguished and influential members of the world community, on what the United States has been attempting to do to help move the world closer to this new era. On many fronts enormous progress has been made, and I think our efforts are complemented by the trend of history. 10. If we look closely enough, I believe we can see all the world moving towards a deeper appreciation of the value of human freedom in both its p:>liti£al and its economic manifestations. This is partially motivated by a world-wide desire for economic growth and higher standards of living. And there is an increasing realization that economic freedom is a prelude to economic progress and growth and is intricately and inseparably linked to political freedom. 11. Everywhere, people and Governments are beginning to recognize that the secret of a progres~,ive new world is to take advantage ofthe creativity of the hum&:n spirit; to encourage innovation and individual enterprise; to reward hard work; and to reduce barriers to the free flow of trade and information. 12. Our opposition to economic restrictions and trade barriers is £onsistent with our view ofeconomic freedom and human progress. We believe such barriers pose a particularly dangerous threat to the developing nations and theIr chance to share in world prosperity through expanded export markets. Tomorrow, at the International Monetary Fund, I will address this question more fully, including America's desire for more open trading markets throughout the world. 13. This desire to cut down trade barriers and our op(~n advocacy of fr~edom as the engine of human progress are two of the important ways the United States and the American people hope to assist in bringing about a world where prosperIty is commonplace, conflict an aberration, and human dignity and freedom a way of life. 14. Let me place these steps more in context by briefly outlining the major goals of American foreign sav~ succe.edin.g generat~on~ from the scourge of war, 23. We are ready to be the friend of allY country WhICh tWIce I~ o~r lIf~!Ime has bro~gh.t untold that is a friend to us and a friend of peace. And we sorrow to mank~nd a~d to ~ea~firm faIth m fundarespect genuine non-alignment. Our own nation was mental human ~IghtS, m the ~Ignltyand worth of the born in revolution; we helped promote the process of human per~on, In the equal nght~,of men and women decolonization that brought about the independence and of natIOns large and small . of so many members of this body, and we are proud 17. The founders of the United Nations understood of that history. full well the relationship between these two goals. 24. We are proud, too, of our role in the formation An~ I want you ~o knmy that th~ Gove!fiment of the of the United Nations and our support of the Untted S~ates WIll contmue .to VIew thIS concern for Organization over the years. And let me again hu~arr nghts as the moral centre ,of our foreIgn emphasize our unwavering commitment to a central polIc~. yve ca~ ~ever look at. ,!nyone s freed~m as a principle of the United Nations system, the principle ~argammg ChIp In world polItICS. Our hope I.S for a of universality, both here and in the United Nations tIme .when all the peop!e of the world can enJoy the technical agencies around the world. If universality is blessmgs of person~l lIberty. . ignored, if nations are expelled illegally, then the 18. But I would lIke also to emphaSIze that our United Nations itself cannot be expected to succeed. concern for protecting human rights is part of our . . . concern for protecting the peace. 25. The Untte~. States welcomes dIverSIty and . , peaceful competItIon; we do not fear the trends of 19.. T~e answer IS for all natIons to ful~l the history. We are not ideologically rigid; we do have obhgatlo~s they freely a~sumed under the Vmversal principles and we will stand by them, but we will also DeclaratIon C!fHuman RIghts. The DeclaratIC!n states seek the friendship and goodwill of all both old that: ",!he WIll of the peopl~ sh~ll be the baSIS of the friends and new. ' authonty of government; thIS wIll shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections". The Declaration 26. We have always. sought to !end a hand to help also includes the right of everyone: "to form and to o~hers-from our rehef efforts In Europe after ~he join trade unions," "to own property alone as well as FIrS! World. War to the Marshall Plan and massIve in association with others," "to leave any country, foreIgn assIsta~ce programmes af~er the Second including his own, and to return to his country," and Worl.d War. Smce 1946~ th~ Untted ~tate~ has to enjoy "freedom of opinion and expression". provlde~ over $1.15 bIllIon m ~con0II!lc aId to Perhaps the most graphic example of the relationship develo~mg countnes, and today. It. proyldes ab~ut between human rights and peace is the right of peace one thIrd of t~e nearly .$90 bIllIon In finanCIal groups to exist and to promote their views. In fact, resourc~s, publIc and pnvafe,. that flows. to the the treatment of peace groups may be a litmus test of developmg ~orld. And the Untted States Imports a Government's true desire for peace. about o~e thIrd of the manufactured exports of the 20 I dd" h .. h" b h developmg world. . n a Ihon to emp aSlzmg t IS he etween t e advocacy of human rights and ~he prevention of war, 27. But a~y eco~omi~ progress, as well as ,!ny the United States has taken Important steps, as I movement m the. dIrectIon of greater understandIng mentioned earlier, to prevent world conflict. The between the natIons of the world, is, of course, starting-point and corner-stone of our foreign policy endangered by th~ prospect of conflict at both the is our alliance and partnership with our fellow global and the regIOnal levels. In a few minutes I will democracies. For 35 years, the North Atlantic alliturn t9 the menace of conflict o~ a. world-wide scale ance has guaranteed the peace in Europe. In both and dISCUSS the status of negotIatIons between the Europe and Asia, our alliances have been the vehicle United States and the Soviet Union. But permit me for a great reconciliation among nations that had first to address the critical problem of regional fought bitter wars in decades and centuries past. And conflicts, f9r histo.ry displays tragic evidence th'!t it is here in the western hemisphere, North and South are these co~fllcts whIch can set off the sparks leadmg to being lifted on the tide offreedom and are joined in a world-WIde conflagration. common effort to foster peaceful economic develop- 28. In a glass display case across the hall from the ment. ... Oval Office at the White ~ouse there is a gold 21. We are proud of our aSSOCiatIOn WIth all those medal-the Nobel Peace Pnze won by Theodore countries that share our commitment to freedom, Roosevelt for his contribution in mediating the human rights, the rule of law-and international Russo-Japanese War in 1905. It was the fir~t such peace. Indeed, the bulwark of security that the prize won by an American, and it is part of a democratic alliance provides is essential, and retradition of which the American people are very ~y t,?war~s a system compat~bl~ wIth basIc norms of brought about the peaceful return of the Sinai, clearly JustIc~, lIberty and.hu~an dIgmty. ~ am pleased. t~at showing that the negotiating process brings results Amencan compames m So~t~ AfrIca, by pro':'Idmg when the parties commit themselves to it. The time is equal empl~yment opportunItIes, are contnbutm~ to bound to come when the same wisdom and courage the economIC advancement of the black populatIon. will be applied, with success, to reach peace between But clearly, much more must be done. Israel and all ofits Arab neighbours in a manner that 30 In Central America the United States has lent assures security for all in the region, the recognition support to a diplomatic'process to restore regional of Israel, and a solution to the Palestinian problem. peace and security. We have committed substantial 37. In every part of the world, the United States is res,?urces to promote economic development and similarly engaged in peace diplomacy as an active SOCIal progress. player or a strong supporter. 31. The growing success of democracy in El Salva- 38. In South-East Asia, we have backed the efforts dor is the best proof that the key to peace lies in a of the Association of South-East Asian Nations political solution. Free elections brought into office a [ASEAN] to mobilize international support for a government dedicated to democracy, reform, ecopeaceful resolution of the Cambodian problem, nomic progress and regional peace. Regrettably, there which must include the withdrawal of Vietnamese are forces in the region eager to thwart democratic forces and the election of a representative governchange, but these forces are now on the defensive. ment. ASEAN's success in promoting economic and The tide is turning in the direction of freedom. We political development has made a major contribution call upon Nicaragua, in particular, to abandon its to the peace and stability of the region. policies of su~vers~on and militarism, an~ t~ carry 39. In Afghanistan, the dedicated efforts of the out t~e promIses It madC? to the Orgamzatlon of Secretary-Gener~land his representatives to find a Amencan States to establIsh democracy at home. diplomatic set~ ement have our strong support. I 32. The Middle East has known more than its share assure the Genere-l Assembly that the United States of tragedy and conflict for decades, and the United will continue to do everything possible to find a States has been actively involved in peace diplomacy negotiated outcome which provides the Afghan peofor just as long. We consider ourselves a full partner pIe with the right to determine their own destiny, in the quest for peace. The record of the 11 years allows the Afghan refugees to return to ~heir own since the October war shows that much can be country in dignity, and protects the legitimate securiachieved through negotiations; it also shows that the ty inierests of all neighbouring countries. road is long and hard. 40. On the divided and tense Korean peninsula, we 33. Two years ago, I proposed a fresh start toward a have strongly backed the co~fjdence-building meanegotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. My sur~s pr:>po~ed by the RepublIc of Ko~ea and by the initiative of 1 September 1982 contains a set of Un!ted NatIons Command at PanmunJom. J:hese ~re positions that can serve as a basis for a just and ~n Imp,?rtant first step towards peaceful reumficatlon lasting peace.! That initiative remains a realistic and m the long term. workable approach, and I am committed to it as 41. We take heart from prog_rcss by others in firmly ~s on the day .I announced ~t. And tp.e lesseni~g tensions, notably the efforts by the Federal foundatIOn-stone of thIS effort remams Secunty RepublIc of Germany to reduce barriers between the Council resolution 242 (1967), which, in turn, was two German States. incorporated in all its parts in the Camp David 42. And the United States strongly supports the accords. Secretary-General's efforts to assist the Cypriot par- 34. The tragedy of Lebanon has not ended. Only ties in achieving a peaceful and reunited Cyprus. last week, a despi~able a~t of barbari.sm by s,?me who 43. The United States has been and will always be a are unfit. to aSSOCIate WIth h1.!mankInd remmded us friend of peaceful solutions. once agaIn that Lebanon contmues to suffer. In 1983 . . . we helped Israel and Lebanon reach an agreement 44..ThIS I~ no less tmC? wIth ~espect to my country's that, if implemented, could have led to the full relatIOns wIth the SovIet Umon. withdrawal of Israeli forces in the context of the 45. When I appeared before the General Assembly withdrawal of all foreign forces. This agreement was at its thirty-eighth session [5th meeting], I noted that blocked, and the long agony of the Lebanese conwe cannot count on the instinct for survival alone to tinues. Thousands of people are still kept from their protect us against war. Deterrence is necessary but homes by continued violence and are refugees in not sufficient. America has repaired its stren~th. We their own country. The once-flourishing economy of have invigorated our alliances and friendshIps. We co~trol .process, to build a bigger umbrella under WhICh It can operate-a road-map, as it were ~ho~~ng where during the next 20 years or so these mdIvIdual efforts ~a~ lead. This can greatly assist step-by-step neR0tIatIons and enable us to avoid h.aving all our h~pes or exp~ct.ations ride on any smgle se~ or senes of negotiatIOns. If progress is temporarIly halted at one set of talks, this newly established framework for arms control could help us take up the slack at other negotiations. 60. Today, to the great end of lifting the dread of nuclear war from the pe,?p~es.ofthe Earth, I invite the leaders of the world to Jom In a new beginning. We strate~ic alliance encourages Zionist expansionism damaging factor in contemporary international relaand gIves it the means to achieve its ends. Only one tions) particularly because its effects are combined conclusion can be drawn from all the tragic experiwith the breaking offof disarmament negotiations. It ence of the vicissitudes in this area, namely, that is imperative for all that these negotiations be there will be no just and lasting peace in the Middle resumed in a spirit of sincerity and responsibility, East until the national rights of the Palestinian free of any attempt to claim or achieve supremacy. peopl~, .th~ denial o~ which remain~ at the heart of 169. If we realize that security through fear is not the cnSlS m the regIOn, are recogmzed. true security and that, if it is desired, there is the 162. The martyrdom of the Palestinian people and alternative of the peaceful coexistence of all peoples, its national resistance impose a duty upon the it will be possible to establish a climate of peace and international community which it must discharge, confidence among nations. ~rst and foremos~ ~y ensuring the exe!cise of the 170. To attain this objective, concerted action must fIght of the PaleStI~l1an people to es~ablIsh an Indebe taken within the framework of a process for pende~t State on ItS a~cest~al tet:ntory un~er !he tackling the essential problems involved in setting up authonty of the Palest~ne Llber~t~on OrgamzatIOn a system of true collective security, As long as [fLO], ~ts .sole, .authentIc and )egI~Imate representadisarmament efforts continue to be separated from tIve. ~Ithm thIS c.ontext, .actIon In support of the the crucial question of collective security, and as long co~venmg of an ,mternatIOnal conference on the as this continues to be seen exclusively in terms of MIddle E~st m w~I~h t~e P~O wo~ld be.as~ured full the balance of power, our efforts will be futile or, at an~ effectIv~ partICIpatIOn IS a major pnonty of the best, totally inadequate to meet the requirements of Umted NatIons. the day. 163. Anoth~r pri~rity of particular impo~ance ~or 171. The interrelationship of the factors of security my country IS ,actIOn to ensl'--~ the coheSIOn, unIty and disarmament dictate integrated action inasmuch an~ s~rengthemng of the ~apacIty to act of the ~I;-O. as disarmament is not an end in itself, and its goals :r~I~ I~ the way ~o est~bhsh a plat~orm of pohtIc~1 must serve to bring about uni~ersal p~ac~ and Imtiative and actIon ~~Ich wo~ld enJoy the authen~lc security based on justice and nght. ThIS IS the support of all PalestID1!1ns, rel~force ~rab potentIal fundamental stake and this is the major challenge we a';ld, b~YOIld that, prOVIde the.mt~rnatIonal commuface. mty WIth ~ framework for solIdarIty and support of 172. The meeting on strengthening of security and the Palestmlan ca~se. .' . co-operation in the Mediterranean region, held at 164. Othe~ conflIcts and hotb~ds of cnSIS In the Valetta on 10 and 11 September last by lbe Ministers ~orld . p~rsist and. are . becomI~g. exacerbated or for Foreign Affairs of the Mediterranean countries mtensIfymg, They gIve nse to legItImate concern on which are members ofthe Movement of Non-Aligned our part. Countries, is the expression of a determination to 165. The persistence and tragic course of the war help meet this challenge and to perform this task, between Iraq and Iran concern. ~~ deeply. It is because the Mediterr~neanis, by its nature,.a zo~e of because we believe in the possIblhty of and the peace and co-operatIon and cannot be dISSOCIated existence of the means for a just solution that Algeria from the security of Europe or separated from ~as worked ceaselessly to bring about the necessary general international security. conditions for a political solution which c~nt:l0t but 173. In an international environment which is serve the ultimate interests of our b,rothers In Iraq univ~rsally in a state of unrest and instability, the and Iran and thereby those of t.he umty of our ranks world economic crisis is deteriorating into a critical dict2ted by our common destmy. phase. International commercial, financial and mon- 166. The question of Cyprus also. persist~ and et.ary. s~ructures are c0!1stan~ly it:l a precarious state. reminds us of the need to do everythmg pOSSIble to LIqUIdIty has no relatI,?nship w~th the a~tual needs bring about understanding and harmony between the for .development financmg. T~e mcrease m the rate8 two Cypriot communities. To this, end! it is essential of Interes~, apart, from cr~atmg extra ,?bstac1es, to that there is full respect for the mdependence, access to InternatIonal. capI,tal. markets, IS enc~osmg sovereignty, territorial integriLY, unity and non- !l10re and more c~un~nes wI~hm the endless sp~ral of aligned status of the Republic ...>f Cypnls. We venture Indehtedness, WhICh IS not aImed at the financmg of to hope that this essential requirement will prevail ~evelopment a~tivities ~ut rather at th.e me~e servicover the still controllable effects of recent regrettable mg of the debt Itself. Pnmary commodIty pnces have developments. In. this regard, we are particularly remained bogged down, thus ~utting off countries ~rgans o~ in~titutions ofmultilateral co-op~ration are 182. Allow me also to take this opportunity to Interve~Ing In sector~ th~t ar~ very sensItIve for the welcome Brunei Darussalam as the 159th Member of developIn~~orld., whlc~ IS faCIng what r~al.1Y must be the United Nations and to extend to this newly c~lled a dImInutIon of ItS resources; t.hl~ IS the case independent State my country's sincere wishes for a ~Ith ~he ID~, IFAD .and U~DP. ThIS IS a!1 urgent peaceful future. sItuatIon whIch the InternatIonal communIty must . . reverse. There are also fields of critical interest for 183. The General Assem~ly, at itS sesslon~ each the developing world where international action is year, cou.ld be .the most !mportant forum In.the urgently necessary. In this context, Africa must be the world. It IS a u~llque gathenng where representatIves centre of concern of the international community. of a great vanety o~ States .express and exchange On that continent, the economic situation of a large vIews on a great vanety of Issues. number of countries has been reduced to a simple 184. But how successful are we in making use of matter of daily tragedy. This situation reCiuires an this unique forum to advance our basic ideals of urgent collective effort and the highest possible peace, prosperity ant:f human rights enshrined in the priority. In this regard, the initiatives of the Secre- Charter of the United Nations? How successful have tary-General should enjoy the commitment ofall and we been in creating the kind of world our peoples their whole-hearted support. have so long wished for but been denied in this 175. Tue st~te of monetary and financial disorder !wentieth century of tw~ world wars and. almost represents a veritable axis ofimbalance and instabili- Innumerable armed conflIcts? Are ~~ makmg proty in teday's system of international economic relagress towards our goals or are we dnftIng away from tIons. This has to do with structures that have to be them? remodeled and with an overall framework that has to 185. At the end of last year, when the thirty-eighth be thought out again. To this end, the convening of session of the General Assembly had pondered the an international conference on general financial and world situation for three months, your predecessor, monetary problems is of the highest priority. Sir, Mr. Illueca, of Panama, summed it up by saying 176. The fact of the actual interdependence of that t.hat session had been: "the ~irror in which nations is something we must all understand; it has mankind has seen ~~flected the mUltlfacete~,aspects come to stay, just as has the fact of the interpenetraof th~ profound cnsls of t.he modem ~~rld [104th tion of problems facing us and their close and meetmg, para. 19;3]. NothIng very pos~tIve seems to intimate interrelationship. Hence, if the plan for have occurred SInce then. Some mIght eyen ~e global negotiations is still meeting considerable obtempte~ to say that w~ ha~e rather ~een movmg shU stacles as regards its implementation, nothing alters further In,the wrong dlfectI0I!. On thIS first da~ ofthe its validity and its capacity to bring about solutions. Assembly s ge!1eral de~ate, It seems appropnat~ to . ... ask the follOWIng questIons. Where are we headmg? ~ 77. In a precano.u~ and unc.ertalI~ enVIronment, It What is this session likely to accomplish? Is it going IS a matter of legItIm.ate ~atls~actIOn to note that to accomplish anything truly important? South-South co-operatIOn IS beIng embarked upon . . with resolution and with a sense of responsibility as 186. In a very notew0I!hy mtet:Vle~ not long ago regards the honouring of promises. The meeting of one of the yeteran~ of thIS OrgaOlzatIon.. !~~ fo~er Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Fi- ~eprese!ltatlve of Sm~apore,¥r. Koh, said. Not~~ng nance of 11 Latin American countries at Cartagena IS .movIng at the UOlted N~tlons at the moment. Is in June ofthis year was further evidence ofthis. This thIS to be the case also l!l the mont~s-or eveu process, which has had such a good beginning, is years-to c~me? Are w~ gOIng to deal WIth the gre~t worthy of our encouragement and of the strengthennu~ber of Important Issues on the agend~ of thiS ing ofour commitment to it and of the consolidation ~essIOn of the General A~sembly b.y ~rappI!1g them of the conditions and means necessary for its accom- Into fi!1e.words o~ drownIng them m Inconsistent or plishment. unr~alIstlc resoJutIons, and then forget all ab<?ut them untIl the opeOlng of another equally unsatisfactory 178. This appraisal sheds harsh light on what is at session? stake and on the magnitude of the challenges facing 8 " . the United Nations. In the face of such a profound 1. 7: Are we now, as 1!1 last year s sesslOn--:and and total crisis, it is of the utmost harm for dialogue slmd.arly before th~t-goIng to adopt 63 resolutl0!1s and communication to have been broken off so on dl~armament wlthou~ ~ny real effort to reconcIle completely. It is of the utmost harm alio for the ~ur differences or to pOlnl a way out of the present framework of the United Nations, which is of course Impasse? Should that be the case, the prospects so necessary for such dialogue and communication would really be bleak. to have fallen so much out of favour. '188. In his very interesting appraisal of the current 179. Ifthe fact ofa divided humanity has made the world situation,. the Secretary-General me~tions the U 't d N . I . d h' "tendency to Side-step major problems In a way me. a~lO~s power ;ss, uOlte ufi?a!1!ty can which is likely in the long run to increase frustration make ItS mISSion one 01 force and credIbIlIty. and bitterness" and also "an apparent reluctance to 180. If we are convinced that the United Nations is make the effort required to use international organian act of hope, then it is we who harbour the genius zations effectively" [see A/39/1]. reflc~t an evol~tl(~n WhICh would be beneficIal to all session [resolution 38/188G], will be completed. who adopt a sImIlar cours~. . . . . 198. Any arms control ?Jreement reached must 191. The gavel you. use, Su, m presldmg over th~s contain adequate provisions for effective verificaworld Assembly, whIch w~s created by an IcelandIc tion. Any State which accepts mutual treaty obligasculptor, Asmundur Svemsson, also refle~ts the tions in disarmament or other fields with the intenchanges that have occurred among the NordIC peotion offulfilling them does not have to hesitate about pIes through the centuries. The gavel's head shows a committing itself to reciprocal verification proce- Vi~ing praying for peace, a theme chosen by the dures.' artIst. . ... 199. I totally share the view ofthe Secretary-Gener- 192. The Nor~Ic peoples, who In olden ~Imes r~l1d~d al that the main obstacle to disarmament and arms and fought agamst ot~er peoples, ~ow wIsh to.lIve In limitation is the insecurity ofnations. Its ori~ins may peace .a~d t<! share wIth o~hers a hfe-style WhICh has be found in the distrust between leading natIons that I~S ongI~s In the noble Ideals that ~ll of us,. the took its current shape soon after the Second World sIgnatones of the Charter of the UnIted NatIons, War. Alt attempts to ameliorate this most unfortuhave declared as our goals. nate situation have until now been in vain. No 193. The current situation in world affairs and durable confidence has been built between the leadsome ofthe major issues on the agenda ofthis session ing Powers of the world. The building of confidence were the subject of a traditional meeting of the five is therefore the single most important task now Nordic Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik before the international community. Our attempts to earlier this month. A communique giving the Minismove forward on this narrow and difficult road to a ters' viewg on these matters has been distributed to new and more peaceful world situation must be all delegatIOns at the United Nations and to the intensified. For that purpose, full use must be made Secretary-General. The Ministers reaffirmed the of this unique forum where we are gathered now and strong support ofthe Nordic countries for the United its various organs and of the ongoing Conference on Nations. They underlined the essential role of the Confidenceand Security-building Measures and United Nations in the maintenance of peace and the Disarmament in Europe, meeting at Stockholm. need to strengthen the Organization's effectiveness in However, the possibility ofsuccess depends above all conflicts and crisis situations. They reiterated that on the behaviour ofStates-not just on words spoken respect for the fundamental principles of internationfrom this rostrum or elsewhere. al l~w as laid down i~ th~ Charter of the United 200. The building ofgenuine democracy amon~ the NatIons must be the gUidelIn~ for the conduct of all world's nations-that is, respect for human n~ts ~tates. They also stressed the Importan~e of pre~ervand fundamental freedoms, respect for the sovereIgnmg the umversal character of the Umted NatIons. ty ofStates and the right ofpeoples to self-determina- 194. It is self-evident that all nations desire peace. tIon, the rule of law prevailing over the rule of force, In so far as penples themselves are free to decide, it and a more just distribution ofeconomic resourcesshould thus be possible to preserve the peace. is the overriding pre-condition from which increased However, not all peoples are masters of their own confidence will flow. All this and much more is fate. Under such circumstances our gravest concern pledged by all States when signing the Charter of the is the relentless arms race and the paradox that United Nations joining the Organization, but a military spending this year will reach a trillion dollars different degree of implementation causes imbalance while a large part of mankind is starving. It is and insecurity. ther~fore .a. matter of the gr.eatest l}rgency that. t~e 201. First and ibremost, each and all of us must put leadIng mIlItary Pow~rs multIply theIr efforts to hmlt our own house in order. Since, through bilateral or and reduce conventIonal and nuclear weapons. multilateral treaties freely entered into, we have 195. It is to be hoped that the Soviet Union, having undertaken mutual obligations, we have no right to for almost a year been unwilling to continue negotiaexpect immunity from criticism if we fail to live up tions on some of the most threatening types of to our commitments. In this context, I must say that weapons now in existence, will reconsider its attiit has been most deplorable to see the peoples of NOTES ISee Weekly Compilation ofPresidential Documents (Washing- ton, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1982), vol. 18, No. 35, p. 1081. 2See CD/540!Appendix III/Vol. V, document CD/PV.283.