S/33/PV.1 Security Council

On behalf of Colombia, I wish to express to the members of this Assembly my sincere gratitude for the proof of confidence and the very lofty distinction it has conferred 31. In assuming the responsibilities which tlus honour entails I trust I shall enjoy the co-operation of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the Chairmen of the Main Committees and those who, like the Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, have given the Organization the inval- uable assistance of their insight and experience in handling the sensitive connicts which have threatened and are still threatening peaceful coexistence among nations, 32. The task of preserving that coexistence is not an easy one. The United Nations was founded at a time when the world, after a great catastrophe. rallied to the belief that a new age had begun, an age in which the interests and aspirations of the big Powers·· whose political and economic systems were presented as models· would not constitute an insurmountable obstacle to international harmony. Unfor. tunately. things did not turn out that way. The number of conflicts capable of leading to !In ou tbreak of war was not reduced as:l result of the new balances of power; and, while world-wide conflagrations, which nations sought to do away with, did not break out, with their inevitably devastating effects, that was and still is due to the invention of weapons of such great destructive power that they necessarily cast doubt on the validity of the ancient idea of war liS a solution to international problems. 33. It would therefore be incorrect to suppose that the obstacles tha t have prevented the outbreak of a new world war are an indica tion of genuine advances towards creating the conditions for lasting peace. To be more precise, it might be said that we arc liVing at 3 time when old and new conOicts have developed to the point where, in earlier times, they would have led to global armed confrontation; an outcome we are escaping today nul !P much because of the wisdom of the policies devised to deal with interna· tional problems as because of the unthinkable consequences of a clash involving nuclear weapons, which, paradoxically enough. have become the illusory bulwark of a precarious peace. 34. This is borne out by the highly dangerous nature of the problems facing the international commW1ity. Can it really be said that in our times a genuine detente has emerged as !I lasting alternative to the deep-rooted antag· onisms between East and West? Can it be said that the threat of the aons race has disappeared and that the tendency of industrial societies to link the rate of their economic activity to increased production of war materials has been halted'! Has there perhaps been any lessening of the conl1icts threatening peace on the African continent, whose peoples are struggling !lgainst the legacy of colo- nialism, which creates the potential for new forms of dependence'! Can it be said that the practice of intervening in local conflicts for the purpose of ex tending or preserving old or new spheres of influence has been renounced~ Has 35. It is relevant to ask these questions because they reveal the existence of unresolved pr~blems which make the task of preserving the prestige of international organiza- tions extraordinarily difficult. Just as authority becomes problematical within a country if the broad mass of citizens do not derive a minimum of benefits from their status as nationals, so in the international field the influence of organizations like the United Nations is diminished if certain States or regions retain excessive advantages while for others unfavourable situations are perpetuated. 36. When that occurs, the world conununity becomes increasingly fragmented, the internal class or racial tensions of nations are ultimately transferred to international relations, and territorial disputes multiply. It is significant that in our day we have witnessed the simultaneous outbreak of anned conflicts which throughout history have been a reflection of different stages in the devel- opment of mankind. The revival and parallel development of wars waged under a religious, racist or ideological banner , indicate that the stagnation and poverty of vast regions of the earth are incompatible with the peaceful development of international life. 37. I hope I am not wrong in saying that my country and the geographical region to which it belongs regard the high distinction with which I have been honoured as an opportunity to share with the international community the experiences of peoples and countries which, in the suc- cessive stages of their development, have acquired know- ledge about many problems which today concern the United Nations. The fact that 160 years ago the majority of the States of our region attained their independence and became part of the world market placed them in a position to perceive the effects of certain international economic relations whose evolution inevitably aggravated the in· equalities among nations. The obstacles which those rela· tions placed in the path of their development provided an object·lesson for their citizens and their leaders, who understandably have ceased to be surprised at the gap. which developed in the course of time between the real nature of the world market and production processes and 39. The fact that such forecasts were not fulfilled was due to the overriding importance gradually acqUired by the monopolistic structure of industrial production in the advanced nations, enabling their firms to enjoy a wide margin of freedom to fix prices. Through their power over the market the industrial sectors of the advanced countries were able to incorporate into the prices of manufactured goods-which they did in a generalized way-a consistently high rate of return on capital, an ever-increasing level of remuneration and social benefits for their unionized work force, special bonuses for the managerial bureaucracy of companies, an equally growing level of income for services which supported manufacturing activities, and costs of marketing and advertising of massive proportions. 40. That explains why the prices of industrial goods did not decrease, as the founders of economic science had hoped, but rather acquired the nature of administered prices, enabling the capital and labour organizations of the industrial societies to pass on to the consumers, both national and foreign, the cost of the large volume of benefits and incomes distributed to the people involved in their economic activities. 41. Naturally, the rise in administered prices could not have equal effects in all the regions of a world characterized by the coexistence of societies whose enterprises exercised very different degrees of control over the market. One effect was the impact of those prices on the peoples of the rich nations, whose oligopolies and transnational cor· porations used their power over the market to incorporate into their prices the high incomes paid to their industrial bureaucracies, their executive ~lites, their organized workers and their marketing services. The administered prices had a different effect on the economies or regions producing primary goods, the sale and export of which- under the pressure of an intensely competitive market- generated only meagre incomes which were of course insufficient to improve the purchasing power of the population through distribution systems. Thus, profound inequalities developed in a world in which opulence and profligacy on the part of a limited number of nations continue to bear inexorably down upon the mounting poverty and indebtedness of the majority of the peoples of the world. 42. The effects of this process were not limited to the growing economic inequalities that it genera ted. In countries which became accustomed to the easy solution of 43. When faced with that lmforeseen and extremely anomalous situation, the industrial societies responded with solutions which demonstrated their unshaken confidence in the trading patterns of the traditional economic order. In the first instance, they decided to seek price stability, which was threatened by the inflationary spiral, and stubbornly resisted any marked improvement in the prices of raw materials or food-stuffs originating in the developing countries, as was and still is the case with coffee, sugar, tea, cocoa, cotton, rubber, jute, hard fibres, copper and tin. 44. That resistance became entrenched and remained so because of the mental habits acquired for generations in the traditional centres of world power; these habits made a dogma of the assumption that primary commodities should be cheap and industrial goods should enjoy th, privilege of steady price increases. This discriminatory altitude con- cedes exceptions only in the case of the primary com· modities which the industrial societies produce, albeit inefficiently. In order to protect the high prices and costs of such commodities, they resort to restrictive and protec- tionist procedures, forgetting the argument of the alleged defence of the consumer which they so fervently advance when commodities from the developing countries are involved. 45. Because they were so remote from the causes of the inflation, the solutions had little effect in eliminating the serious dislocations impeding the functioning of the world economy and of the industrial nations themselves. The latter were therefore obliged to tryout internal remedies, including the prices and incomes policies which were recommended by their more imaginative experts and were based on recognition of the fact that the demand generated by the prices and incomes administered by the capital institutions and the trade unions of the wealthy societies has contributed most markedly to modern inflation. 46. However, those policies failed owing to practical difficulties in their implementation and to the resistance of the best organized groups in those societies. The entre- preneurs stubbornly resisted systems which mi:5rt I11ve the 47. A contributing factor similar to the failure of prices and incomes policies was provided by the optimism inspired in the affluent societies by the growth of trade among them, even though they actually had reduced thejr trade with the developing world. The fact that the focal points of prosperity situated in the geographical areas of those societies monopolized the profits from the expansion of trade induced the leaders of the affluent societies to believe that such expansion was sufficiently dynamic to maintain the international economy at peak performance, despite the fact that the gulf between the prosperity of dIe industrialized nations and the backwardness and indebt. edness of the developing world had become wider. But the frequent recessions-not followed, as was hoped, by gen- uine recovery-and the persistence of inflationary phe· nomena accompanied by high levels of unemployment demonstrated the serious limitations of solutions which attached so little importance to the need for growth in effective demand among the peoples of the third world. 48. Paradoxically, the solution then judged suitable for meet{ng the crisis Was a return to protectionism. The industrialized societies finally resorted to this system in order to protect, by means of tariff and similar barriers, the high earnings guaranteed to capital and labour in those societies-thanks to their administered prices. That pro- tection was conceived for the purpose of discriminating simultaneously against the infant industries of the devel. oping countries and against the exports of those developed nations which had been most effective in combating the tendency to maintain earnings from their production units at a level above that of their productivity and efficiency. 49. To the diminution in the flow of trade between the under-developed world and the industrialized societies was now added the fragmentation of exchanges between the industrialized nations themselves, with the resultant con- traction of the world market. Understandably, there is today an over-all lack of confidence about the supposed wisdom of solutions which, with the ebb and flow of events, had been tried in an effort to remedy the imbalances of the international economy. 50. The establishment of a new economic order has thus become the goals for the solution of the problems of an era which has seen the fall of colonialism, the awakening of the poor nations, changes in the international division of labour, and revolutionary shifts in the geographical location .of the centres of power. Those profound changes will daily cast increasing doubt on the legitimacy of a distribution of the world's income based on the influence exercised on the pattern of the temlS of international trade by the admin- istered prices of the industrialized societies. 52. Unfortunately, we cannot say that we are any nearer to finding solutions which are based on recognition of the need to make major changes in the international economic order. Identifying inequalities which have to be corrected and the advantages and privileges which the advanced countries must forgo has led the latter to adopt a united position vis-a-vis the developing countries and to tighten their ties of economic, financial and monetary co-operation in order to oppose the concessions wllich will have to be made. The practical effect of that union of the powerful has been that the developing world has been treated as a marginal area whose problems receive attention only when they erupt in the form of major pol itical changes that could alter the geographical distribution of world power. 53. That is why tile arms trade had acquired such importance in recent years. The dismantling simultaneously of the mechanisms of financial and economic aid estab- lished after the Second World War has been ac~ompanied by an increase in the volumc and regularity of military aid or sales of military equipmcnt to developing countries. It comes as no surprise to see the ease with which the nohle aspiration of world disarmament is confused with schemes the practical results of which are reduced to guaranteeing certain Powers the monopoly on arms sales, with all the political advantages which this entails. 54. The United Nations can hardly reduce its guiding mission to mere intervention after the fact in distlll'bances ,md conflicts arising from the failure to resolve the problems of under-development and poverty. The Organ- iZ3 tion cannot be indifferent to the depressing way in which initiatives which should have brought us closer to a new economic order have been rendered ineffective, as happened with the Development Decades, the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, the North-South dialogue or the commitments which Governments secured in Tokyo with regard to the system of non-reciprocal generalized preferences for the developing countries. The mandate quite rightly conferred on the United Nations to concern itself with the protection of human rights and the struggle against racial discrimination would make no sense were it to stop short of the mechanisms and practices which tl),jay perpetuate the great economic inequalities among Sutes, Just as effective proccdures had to be sought to ensure respect for human rights in the political field, so equally determined action is required in the commercial and monetary fields. which can hardly be allowed to 56. As I said on an earlier occasion in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Colombia, we are not living in a period of calm in which time passes with peaceful unifonnity. Nowadays, time rushes by like the huge rivers of the tropics, whose waters hurl themselves forward with headlong force when they draw near to the edge of a cataract.

In accordance with the proced lire followed in the past, I should now like to invite the General Assembly to consider, under item 25 of the provisional agenda, the positive recommendation by the Security Council for the admission to membership of the United Nations of Solomon Islands. This special procedure has been applied previously in order to give States recently recommended by the Security Council for membership in our Organization the oppor- tunity, if the General Assembly acts favourably on their requests, to participate from the outset in the work of the session, If there is no objection. we shall proceed accord- ingly. 58, The PRESI DENT (interpretation from Spl/nish J: In document A/33/207 the Security Council has recom- mended the admissioll of Solomon Islllllds to membership In the United Nations. Docllmcnt A/33/L.1 and Add.1 contains a draft resolutiDn to this cffect May I take it that thc General Assembly accepts the recummcndation of the Secllfity Council and adopts thc draft resolution unan- imously? The draft resulutiO!l was adopted (resolutio!l 33/I). 59, The PRESIDENT (interpretation ji'O/ll ,S"pallishr I declare Solomon Islands admitted to membership in the United Nations. 61. The Solomon Islands were discovered in 1568 by a Spaniard, Alvaro Mendana de Neira, during a flourishing period of Hispanic history, and from that time onwards captured the imagination of travellers and writers, who saw the islands as a treasure trove of natural resources and an earthly paradise. In the nineteenth century the Solomon Islands were associated with the United Kingdom, and in this century its original inhabitants began a long struggle to gain total independence, which they have succeeded in doing, peacefully and without bloodshed, thanks to the mature manner in which the former colonial Power perceived the irreversible process of self-determination of peoples, which is a fundamen tal chara cteristic of our time. 62. The admission of Solomon Islands has brought the number of States Members of the United Nations to ISO. This figure, which would have seemed lmattainable three decades ago, is an indication of how the decolonization process has been taking its course and at the same time of the extent to which our Organi7.a tion has succeeded in attaining a lll1iversal character. This universality forms the basis of the unquestionable responsibility of the United Nations to guide international relations towards the goals uf peace and security. 63. I should like to congra tulate the people and Govern· ment of Solomon Islands and particularly the Prime Minister, Mr. Peter Kenilorea, on the unan imous approval with which the international community received its application for admission to membership in the United Nations {A/33/202-S/12801/. This signifies recognition of the wUl of the inhabitants of Solomon Islands to work together with all peoples in the consolidation of peaceful coexistence and in achieving permanent co·operation for international progress and development. [ am grateful for its assurance that it will abide by the principles or the Charter and I offer it the full co·operation of the General Assembly in the satisfactory fulfilment of tllose desires. 64. Several representatives have expressed the desire to speak at this time. I now caIJ on the representative of Botswana, who wishes to speak on behalf of the African States.

Mr. President, your unanimous election to your high officc is a tribute both to yourself personally and to your great countty, Colombi:t. In my capacity as Chairman of the African group of States ror this month, I wish to congratulate you most warmly upon your election. You can be assured of the full co.operation of the African group in the exccution of your arduous tasks. We certainly look forward to working with you, as we have done with your many predecessors, in grappling with the very important issues before this Assembly. You bring to this office a wealth of experience, expertise and skills gained through your brilliant an d impressive career as 66. I should like also, on behalf of the African group, to pay a tribute to your predecessor, Mr. La7.ar Mojsov of Yugoslavia, who guided the work of the General Assembly at its thirty-second session with exemplary brilliance. The thirty-second session, together with the three special sessions, will probably go down in the history of the United Nations as one of the longest continuous period of meetings ever, and yet Mr. Mojsov presided over its several inter· mittent sittings with calm and tenacity. 67. Let me noW turn to the question of the admission of Solomon Islands to the United Nations. 68. This Organiz.a tion can properly pride itself on its membership embracing peoples of divergent origins, beliefs and political and economic systems. It is perhaps in this divergence that we find our strength, as we benefit from the cross-fertilization of ideas and as we learn to live logether in our vcry complex world. Quite often the differences which separate us can be overcome if we get to know each other better, and certainly the United Nations provides a useful meeting-place where beneficial and lasting relationShips can be forged. It is for this reason that the United Nations continues to aspire to universal membership. 69. from very humble beginn iugs, this Organization over the years has grown tremcndously. Today the principle of the Wliversality of membership of the United Nations celebrates yet another victory with tne admission of Solomon Islands to the United Natillns. This new State not only pushes the number of our Members up to 150 but certainly brings to this body frcsb ideas which should further enhance our work. 70. It is a great honour and privilege for me, on behalf of the African group, to welcome the delegation of Solomon Islands and to congratulate the Go....ernment and people of Solomon Islands upon their attainment or full membership in the United Nations. 71. The presence of the delegation of Solomon Islands among us here is yet another victory for decoloni7.ation. We thank all those Who, together with the people of Solomon Islands, made this great event possible. I have in mind here, in particular, the indefatigable Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implemen tation of the Declaration un the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and PeQples. WIder the able leadership of 1\'lr. Salim of the United Republic of Tanzania, and the administering Power, the United Kingdom, which co· operated with the Special Committee in the decolonization process.

Mr. President, on behalf of the Asian group of States I have the honour to extend to you the warm congratulations of all the Asian States on your unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its thirty-third regular session. Your country, Colombia, has always occupied an eminent place in international affairs and has often played a leading and enlightened role in the deliberations of this Organization since it was established. You come to us, Sir, with a distinguished record in the diplomatic service of your country, in your Parliament as a representative in the House of Assembly and as a Senator of the Republic, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and as President designate for the Republic. You have led your country's delegations to the last three General Assembly sessions. You have been honoured by 11 countries, includ· ing your own. Your literary contributions are well known and your special work in the field of rural development is of particular interest to Asian countries. We are fortunate indeed to have your wise and experienced leadership to guide us during this session of the General Assembly, which has before it a record number of 132 items on its provisional agenda, some of them of critical relevance to peace and security as weIl as to economic and social well.being. 74. In your opening address, Mr. President, you posed some 10 questions concerning the unresolved problems facing the community of nations' and you brilliantly analysed the anomalies underlying the unsatisfactory eco· nomic order of today. I hope that we shall address ourselves fully to the solution of the problems highlighted by you. 75. We extend to you, Mr. President, the assurances of the Asian group's whole-hearted co-operation and assistance in your work. 76. I should like to take this opportunity to pay the Asian group's tribu~e to the splendid work of your predecessor, Mr. Lazar MOJsov, who shouldered unusually heavy burdens during this year with great distinction. We wish him further successes in the service of his country. 77. The Asian group has also asked me on its behalf to express a very warm welcome to Solomon Islands, which has just been admitted as our youngest Member. The entry of Solomon Islands into the United Nations puts the final stamp on its attainment of independence and its asump. tion of international rights and responsibilities. For the United Nations, it is one more advance towards the goal of universality of membership. 78. We also welcome the entry of Solomon Islands to the Asian group and look forward to the development of close ties of mutual understanding and co-operation.

I now call on the representative of the Genuan Democratic Republic, who will speak on behalf of the group of Eastern European States. 81. I have been asked to express our pro found satisfaction at the decision taken by the General Assembly to admit Solomon Islands to membership in the United Nations. We warmly welcome the young State as the one hundred and fiftieth Member of our world Organization. The admission of that country is a further step on the way to achieving universality of membership in the United Nations and expands equitable co-operation between States. 82. Five years ago the German Democratic Republic was honoured to become a Member of this Organization-in fact, its one hundred and thirty-third Member. Today its representative has an opportunity to congratulate. on behalf of the group of Eastern European States, Solomon Islands on its admission as the one hundred and fiftieth Member State. These facts, like many others, reflect the changes which are occurring in the world. 83. The declaration of independence of Solomon Islands on 7 July 1978 was a further significant success in the consistent struggle for the implemen tation of the right of peoples to national and social sel f-determina lion. The result of that process is in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, contained in resolution 1514 (XV). The policy of the socialist States, unswervingly based on principles of the equality and self-determination of peoples and oriented towards the devefopment of friendship and co-operation between States, logically led to a recognition of Solomon Islands as a sovereign State and to support for that country's legitimate request to become a Member of the United Nations. 84. We state our willingness to co-operate with the delegation of Solomon Islands in the interest of the lofty purposes of the United Nations Charter for the enhance- ment of peace throughout the world. 85. It is particularly noteworthy that Solomon Islands is situated in a region where over recent years the ideas of peace and co-operation have been becoming ever more firmly established. The peoples of many Territories in the Pacific Ocean have, however, still Llot been able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and inde- pendence. The States in our group, in accordance with the principles of their policy, will in future show solidarity in supporting the struggle of those peoples. 86. I express the conviction that Solomon Islands will take an active part in resolving the vital international problems, 87. I wish Solomon Islands further success in strength- ening its ·independence and in pursuing a policy designed to ensure social progress.

I now call on the representative of Cuba, who wi!l speak on behalf of the Latin American group.

Mr. President, the members of the Latin American group of States have entrusted me with the high honour of extending to you, on behalf of our region, our warmest congratulations on your unanimous election to the important post of President of the General Assembly of the United Nations at its thirty·third session. This election also confers honour on your great country, Colombia, and on our whole Latin American region. 90. We are convinced, because of your long and brilliant career as statesman and diplomat, your well-known execu- tive ability as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our sister Republic of Colombia and your high moral qualities, that you will provide true guidance in this Assembly's work in the complex international circumstances in which you are now assuming your functions. 91. In expressing this confidence in you I should like at the same time to reaffirm our intention to co-operate with you completely in the discharge of your responsibilities. 92. As a Cuban, Mr. President, may I congratulate you on your unanimous election, which does honour to our continent. 93. It is also a pleasant duty to transmit to the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands on behalf of the nations of Latin America our cordial greetings on his country's admission to membership in the United Nations. This new State Member of the United Nations can rely on the sincere co.operation and support of the countries of Latin America in our joint endeavour to strengthen international peace and security. 94. I would not wish to end these brief remarks without expressing to the outgoing President, Mr. Lazar Mojsov, Deputy Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Latin American countries' appreciation of the exemplary and expert manner in which he guided the work of the thirty-second regular session of the General Assembly and of its eighth, ninth and tenth special sessions.

I call now on the representative of Luxembourg who will speak on behalf of the group of Western European and other States.

Mr. President, it is a signal pleasure and a great honour for me to be the one to represent the group of Western European and other States in extending our hearty congratulations on your unanimous election to the high 97. I would certainly be shirking an elementary duty if I did not once again thank your illustrious predecessor, Mr. Mojsov, who conducted our work with wisdom and perspicacity during four sessions of the General Assembly. 98. It is a privilege for me to welcome most sincerely, on behalf of the group of Western European and other States, the delegation of Solomon Islands. We extend our congratu· lations to Solomon Islands on becoming independent on 7 July this year. We are happy to welcome this State as the one hundred and fiftieth Member of the great family of the United Nations. The United Nations has thus taken another step towards the ideal of complete universality, and I should like to congratulate the Government of the United Kingdom for the exemplary and enlightened way in which it assisted Solomon Islands to become an independent and sovereign State. 99. Solomon Islands is a small State so far as territory and population are concerned, and it will not give offence if the representative of another small State Member of the United Nations makes this observation. However, we are convinced that that new State will play an important role in our Organization and that it will make a significant contri- bution to its work. It is in this spirit that the members of the group of Western European and other States offers Solomon Islands their friendship and all possible co- operation in achieving the ideals and objectives of the United Nations Charter, which, they, too support.

I now give the floor to the representative of Iraq, who will speak on behalf of the group of Ar.ab States.

Mr. President, your election to the presidency of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly will undoubt- edly be most profitable to the international community, given the competence and rich experience which you have acquired as a statesman and philosopher. May I take this opportunity to extend to you, on behalf of the Arab States, a warm welcome and our sincere congratulations on your election to preside over this session and to voice the hope that your work will be crowned with complete success. At the same time, also on behalf of the Arab countries, I should like our friend, Mr. Mojsov, the outgoing President of the General Assembly, to know how very much we appreciate the great efforts he exerted to establish peace and security in the world and his support o"f the aspirations of the peoples struggling for independence and freedom. 102. I am also pleased, on behalf of the Arab group, to welcome the newly independent State of Solomon. Islands to membership of the United Nations. I hope and trust that this yotmg State will contribute effectively, 101 On behalf of the Government of Iraq, may I say that we hope to enjoy the best relations with the friendly State of Solomon Islands so as to render a service to the countries of the third world, particularly those belonging to the non-aligned movement. We pay a tribute here to its struggling people's struggle for independence and freedom" and declare our determination to establish every means of co-operation with this new State in order to serve the noble aims and humanitarian objectives shared by our two countries.

I now call on the representative of the host country, the United States of America.

Sir, may I first congratulate you on your election to the presidency of this thirty-third regular session of the General Assembly. We look forward with great anticipation and enthusiasm to profiting from your leadership and wisdom as you guide us in dealing with the issues at hand for this coming Assembly session. 106. As the host Government, the United States is also pleased to welcome Solomon Islands as the one hundred and fiftieth Member of the United Nations. We have supported its application for membership in the Uni~ed Nations out of a firm conviction that the principles which guided the people of Solomon Islands successful1y to independence on 7 July of this year will continue to guide them in our effort to establish a world of peace, justice and prosperity. 107. We extend our congratulations to the representatives of Solomon Islands and welcome them to the important work of the United Nations. We assure them of the full co-operation of the United States in this endeavour and extend to them the warm greetings of the American people.

Sir, my delegation is very happy to join in the expressions of pleasure and congratulation on your assumption of the presidency of this Assembly. It is a source of satisfaction to all of us to see as our President someone of such wide experience who has given proof of great diplomatic skiIls in the task of guiding his country's foreign policies. And it is a pleasure to salute you as representative of a country with which the United Kingdom has long enjoyed close and friendly relations. 109. Today we in the United Kingdom delegation are delighted to welcome Solomon Islands as the newest Member of the United Nat ions, thus bringing the number of our Members to 150. In the debate on the admission of Solomon Islands in the Security Council, we already had the occasion to congratulate ourselves on the fact that yet another of the Territories for which the United Kingdom was responsible as administering Power has acceded to independence and taken its place among the sovereign 110. We are especially pleased to welcome here today the presence of Prime Minister Kenilorea. It is perhaps fitting that Solomon Islands, the youngest Member of this world community, should have as its Head of Government one of the youngest prime ministers in the world. Under his leadership my delegation and my Government are confident that Solomon Islands will play an important and valuable role in their own region, in the Commonwealth and in this Organization. . 111. Mr. TOMA (Samoa): Mr. President, it is my privilege on behalf of the Samoan delegation to extend to you our sincere congratulations on your election to your high office and to join in the many expressions of high esteem and tribute justly paid you and your country. We are confident that under your wise guidance the work ahead will be easier for us all. 112. May I also take this opportunity to record sincere appreciation and admiration of the superb manner in which your predecessor, Mr. Mojsov, discharged his duties as President during his term of office. III The Samoan delegation feels it a great honour to have been able to join in sponsoring the draft resolution requesting the admission of Solomon Islands to member- ship in the United Nations rA/33/L.l and Add.i/. The independence of Solomon Islands and its desire to join the United Nations is the latest development in a trend which has been emerging in the Pacific over the last 15 years, During this period, island States gradually have been ga!ning independence and adding their voices to the other regIOnal voices from the Pacific in this great forum. And though some of our voices may be small and may 'come from afar, the more of us there are, the less faint will our collective voice be; for often, because of our very isolation an~ si~e, we feel we can offer, as I hope we can, an objective viewpoint and make worth-while contributions on the many serious issues that come before this body. 114. We are delighted that Solomon Islands, with its long history of patience and forbearance, is now to add its voice, a voice of frankness and wisdom, that will undoubtedly be of benefit to all Members. 115. Witnessing the emergence of Solomon Islands as a nation to take its rightful place in the international community gives Samoa special satisfaction in that we and the Solomons share a curious link in colonial history: our colonial fate and that of part of what now forms Solomon Islands was sealed by the same stroke of the pen, as it were. The Berlin Agreement of 1899 between the three Powers dominant in the Pacific at that time determined that we and the central Solomons would become, respectively, German and British Territories. 116. Now, almost a century later, we are pleased to congratulate both the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, 117., As we welcome Solomon Islands' membership in the United Nations today we look forward eagerly to even larger Pacific representation in this great body, but of course this will be possible only when all those Pacific peoples who aspire to independence are able to achieve the status they seek. We express the hope that all paths to independence will be as smooth and as unobstructed as that of Solomon Islands. 118. Member States wi11 agree that the capacity of the United Nations to attain its noble objectives is strengthened by universality of its membership with all nations abiding by its principles. For this reason then as well as because of our natural joy at the emergence on the world scene of another Pacific nation and close friend, we warmly wel- come your country, Mr. Prime Minister, and wish you well in this world body.

Mr. President, may r first of all congratulate you on your unanimous election as President of this session of the United Nations General Assembly. The acclaim with which your election was greeted does honour to you and to your country. I know that under your leadership and skilled guidance our work will proceed smoothly and effectively. You will. have the full co-operation of the New Zealand delegation. 120. I also wish to express my Governmen1's deep appreciation to the outgoing President of the Assembly, Mr, Lazar Mojsov, who presided with great skill and dedication over three crUCial special sesions of the General Assembly as well as over the thirty-second regular session, and who has earned the gratitude of us all. 12I. I am delighted to be able to express today New Zealand's warm congratulations and greetings to the Prime Minister and the delegation of Solomon Islands. This is a significant day, both for the Pacific and for the United Nations. This session could scarcely have a more auspicious 'beginning. Solomon Islands is the fourth nation from the Pacific to join this Organization in recent years. Its admission will add an important new voice to those speaking for the peoples of that vast ocean area. Solomon Islands is, moreover, the one hundred and fiftieth Member of the United Nations. Its admission marks a significant stage in the progress of this Organization towards univer- sality of membership. And that is something of which my delegation is acutely aware, perched up as we are on the high jump-seat at the back of the hall. But that elevation is well worth while when it allows our good friends from the Solomons to join us. We can look down from our vantage point with satisfaction as we see the growing number in the Assembly below us. 122. Solomon Islands and New Zealand are neighbours in the South Pacific. We have developed, over the years, a close relationship. It has grown, in large part, through individual contacts between our people. It is enriched and sustained by real friendship. As members of the South 123. New Zealand watched with sympathy and interest the process of decolonization in Solomon Islands. It was smooth and efficient, and was a tribute to the co·operative spirit existing between the Solomons and Britain. It was with a sense of excitement and expectation, therefore, that New Zealand took part in the celebrations marking the independence of the country on 7 July 1978, and straight- away opened a resident diplomatic mission in Honiara. It is with equal pleasure that we welcome Solomon Islands as a Member of the United Nations today. I know that the admission of Solomon Islands will strengthen the United Nations and add a new dimension to its work. We look forward to long and fruitful co-operation in this Organi. zation with our friends and partners from the Pacific.

Mr. President, I should like to begin my remarks today by congratulating you on your assumption of the presidency of the thirty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly and to express my conviction that under your able leadership the Assembly wiIl be able to perform its work both smoothly and effectively. 125. I should also like to take this occasion to express the deep gratitude of my delegation for the distinguished leadership which Mr. Lazar Mojsov prOVided to this As- sembly throughout the deliberations of its thirty-second regular session as well as its eighth, ninth and tenth special sessions. 126. As the representative of an Asian country which is itself a part of the Pacific region and which has had special ties with the people of Solomon Islands, it is with great pleasure that I join with the previous speakers in expressing our heartfelt welcome to the delegation of Solomon Islands to the United Nations. I feel deeply honoured to be able to convey the warm greetings of both the Government and people of Japan to the newest Member of this Organization. I note that Mr. Peter Kenilorea, the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, is himself present with us today. There- fore I should like to take this occasion to express the conviction of the Japanese Government that under his wise and capable leadership the people of his country will certainly make an important contribution to the inter- national community. 127. As all of us are surely aware, the decision which we have taken today raises the membership of this Or- ganization to to a full 150 and brings us yet closer to our cherished goal of the true universality of United Nations membership. I am confident that I speak for all of us when I express the satisfaction which my own delegation feels regarding this decision and our conviction that the people of Solomon Islands will fulfil their responsibilities under the United Nations Charter with sincerity and distinction. 128. On behalf of the people of my own country I am happy to welcome the people of Solomon Islands to their rightful place in the world community. ,129. Mr. ANWAR SANI (Indonesia): Mr. President; allow· me to extend to you my sincere congratulations on your 130. I have been requested by my colleagues the other members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations IASHANj -Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thai· land-to speak on their behalf. All of us are extremely happy to see Solomon Islands, one of our close neighbours in the sou th west Pacific, attain its independence. We warmly welcome it into the family of the United Nations. Independence for Solomon Islands marks the culmination of an orderly process of constitutional advancement, a process in which the leaders of Solomon Islands and the United Kingdom Govemment worked together harmo- niously in pursuit of a common objective. They deserve our commendation for the smooth manner in which Solomon Islands have acceded to sovereignty and independence. 131. ASEAN has consistently supported the principle of universality with regard to the membership of the United Nations as one of the most effective ways of promoting international peace and co-operation. We are therefore particularly pleased to have become a sponsor of the draft resolution on the admission of Solomon Islands to the United Nations, which has just been adopted by acclamation. 132. The members of ASEAN would like to take this opportunity to express their conviction that the friendly relations and mutually beneficial co·operation already existing between the countries in the regions of South East Asia and the Pacific will fully include Solomon Islands. The ASEAN delegations are looking forward to close co- operation with the delegation of Solomon Islands in the endeavours of the United Nations to maintain and strengthen world peace and security and to establish a new international economic order that is more just and more equitable.

Mr President, I should like to congratulnte you most warmly on your election to preside over this Assembly, a responsibility for which your long and distinguished career In many fields qualifies you most eminently. I should also like to offer you the full co-operation or the Australian delegation in the important tasks that lie ahead. 134. I should like also to extend our sincere thanks to the outgoing President, Mr. Lazar Mojsov. The past year, as we all know, imposed exceptionally heavy and important responsibilities upon the President of the General As- sembly. On behalf of the Australian delegation I wish to pay a particular tribute to the competence and wisdom with which Mr. Mojsov conducted the thirty-second session of the General Assembly and the three special sessions of the Assembly which have taken place in recent months. 135. It is always a pleasure to welcome a new Member to the United Nations. For an Australian representative it is 136. As a neighbour with long and close ties with the Solomons, as a member of the Commonwealth. and as a member of the United Nations Special Committee on decoloni7..ation, Australia has followed closely the process of decolonization which led to the independence of Solomon Islands on 7 July of this year. The process was peaceful and harmonious, and the United Kingdom, the former administering Power, is to be conunended for the way in which it responded to the wishes of the people of the Territory. 137. I am confident that the membership of Solomon Islands and its participation in the work of the Organization will enrich and strengthen the United Nations. Australians are happy to note that the Solomons is also assuming a new role as an active and co-operative member of the South Pacific community, where we have welcomed it as a member in the South Pacific Forum. 138. The task facing the Government and people of Solomon Islands does not, of course, end with inde- pendence; in many ways it has only begun. We are therefore pleased to note that the United Kingdom will continue to co-operate with and to provide developmental assistance to the Solomon Islands Governmen1. My own Government will also continue its co-operation. It will provide sub- stantial developmental assistance to Solomon Islands in the coming years on a wide range of projects, from medical teams to technical assistance and training awards. 139. Australia was honoured to become a sponsor of the application of Solomon [slands for United Nations member- ship. My delegation wannly welcomes the admission of the Solomons as the one hundred and fiftieth Member of our Organization, and we look rorward to co-operating closely with their representatives in the future, both here in New York and in the United Nations forum.

My delegation warmly congratulates you. Sir, on your unanimous election as President of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly. We pay a tribute also to Mr. Mojsov, who distinguished himself as President of the last session. 141. My delegation wishes to associate itself with those delegations that Ilave just expressed their support for the admission of Papua New Guinea's neighbour, Solomon Islands, to membership in the United Nations system. We are appreciative of the fact that this newly independent and sovereign nation's accession to this famlly of nations has the full support of the entire membership. The admission is truly a great moment for the people of Solomon Islands. It is more than welcomed by three other small nations in the South Pacific, namely, Fiji, Western Samoa and Papua New Guinea, which are Members of the United Nations. Al- though other countries in the region are not yet Mern~rs of the United NaUons, their people are happy to see that one of their coun tries has been admitted to the United Nations. 143. The admission of Solomon Islands bears witness to the determination of the developing countries, big or small, to join the community of nations in solving the problems affecting mankind. We hope that the peoples of t~e Territories still under foreign domination will be given theIr right to self-determination in the not-too-distan.t future. That is only fair so tllat they too can have theIr say on international economic, political and social issues for the benefit of mankind.

I now call on the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Mr. Peter Kenilorea.

May I first of all congratulate you, Sir, and the people of the Republic of Colombia on your assumption of the office of President of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly. My people of Solomon Islands join me in wishing you well in the performance of the duties of this high office. 146. Mr. President and distinguished representatives, I now wish to say how very honoured I am to address you today in this Assembly and to convey to you the humble greetings of my people and the Government of Solomon Islands. 147 We are very grateful for the kind, congratulatory messages sent to us during our independence celebrations. Indeed I thank you all most sincerely for your kind support and prayers during that historic day of 7 July 1978. The encouragingly warm reception you have given me today, and the kind words of welcome addressed to us by some of our traditionally friendly nations both here in the Assembly and in the Security Council, will remain a source of further strength, pride and promise to our young nation. We look forward to working side by side with you and the United Nations for the world peace and happiness on which mankind's future on this planet depends so much. 148. J want to pay a special tribute at this juncture if I may, to Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and to thank that Government for all its help over the past 85 years, laying for us in Solomon Islands what we believe to be a sound foundation for our future progress. It is our hope that the happy association which exists between our two countries, and which goes back many years, will continue to be fruitful. 149. You in this great assembly of nations have seen fit to admit my country into your midst as the one hundred and fiftieth Member. With humble pride, and in my capacity as Prime Minister of our newly independent nation, 1accept the challenge and wish to declare before you all that Solomon Islands accepts the obligations contained in the Charter of the United Nations and undertakes to fulfil them. 151. This principle is fundamental to our pledge to this family of nations. It is important for our participation and involvement in regional organizations and multilateral institutions. In fact it is essential to conducting our affairs with thosc nations that may wish to work closely with us. I believe that all nations, small or big, island or continental, developing or developed, are members of the human race and therefore should have respect for each other. 152. For our part, we intend to respect the beliefs of others even if we should differ in our views. We also expect to be respected for the identity which we regard as the soul of our young nation, which is to do and to have what we fully understand. We have carried this precept into our system of government, believing that as a nation we must live within our means and take care how we use our - available resources. In development we believe in a balanced approach that would encourage the improvement of living standards and the maintenance of a satisfactory quality of life. We welcome foreign aid and foreign investment on terms that are fair and satisfactory to Solomon Islands as a nation. 153. While assuming the responsibility today as an in- dependent nation to pursue development aims and objec- tives in line with the aspirations of our own people, we are fully aware of the realities of interdependence in the world today. This great Assembly mirrors this common under- standing. 154. Although we in Solomon Islands cannot claim to be entirely free from the many ills which have beset other nations of the world, we deplore the use of force and inhuman treatment of people. 1SS. In the Pacific we look forward to full participation in the affairs of our region in co-operation with our neigh- bouring countries. We welcome Tuvalu's emergence as an independent nation early next month, on 1 October 1978. 156. We recognize and affirm the importance of regional organizations such as the South Pacific Forum w~ich we ~re formally joining this week as well, and the nelghbou.nng association, ASEAN. We believe that such well-conceIved efforts in regional co-operation should receive international support. Big changes are taking place in the traditional pattern of international relations and regional as well as world-wide interdependence must take on a new and extra meaning, to advance the fundamental values of human equality and dignity. 157. The advent of my country's independence t~o months ago and now today our entry into this world fam.lly of nations illustrate the significant changes that are taklllg 158. As with other third-world countries, we in small island countries also have growing problems of urbaniza- tion, unemployment, pollution, slums, social alienation and ethnic disputes, even if they appear in different forms. Fortunately, being smaller, we are perhaps more able to distribute social facilities per head of population more equitably than are our friends in larger developing coun- tries. The smaller size of our towns in the Pacific and our strong links and ties with viIlage life also help. 159. While the Pacific islands cannot rightly claim to be a homogeneous group because of different cultural back- grounds and colonial experiences, by world standards we are nevertheless all small and have some common identity and common problems. Our greatest problems are eco- nomic, because we are in a disadvantageous position operating in the world economy. We in the Pacific suffer more in trade than other developing island groups because we are much more isolated from the major world markets. 160. Most small islands are restricted in economic op- portunities to a few main commodities for earning foreign exchange; these are usually coconut and other oil products, fruit, sugar and spices. Some bigger island groups are luckier and could diversify further into a wider range of mainly agricultural products, fisheries and sometimes minerals. I classify my own country as belonging to this category. 161 The economy of Solomon Islands is undergoing expansion and diversification, in accordance with the ambitions and aspirations of our people as expressed in our national development plan for the period 1975-1979. Key points in the Solomon Islands development strategy in- clude: diversified and increased export industries in agri- culture, forest products and fisheries, to proVide a secure balance-of-payments base for domestic growth; self- sufficiency in basic food-stuffs, such as root-crops, rice, meat and fish; improved internal transport by land, sea and air, between islands and between agricultural areas and ports; a strong base of small-holder farming and food production for local markets; major commercial projects as joint ventures by Solomon Islands Government and over- seas partners of proven capability and integrity; technical and vocational education for rural and urban living; decentralized health services easily accessible to all; an advanced form of local government in provinces, with wide powers of administration planning and executing of island- 162. We in the Solomon Islands understand very well the need to do all we can to help ourselves. We have to put our own house in order, mobilize our own people, land and savings, and devise policies and programmes that are practical in the light of the resources we can expect and that both shape and fit our people's aspirations. We have to exercise the greatest care about increasing our recurrent costs and our financial liabilities faster than our economy and our incomes can be expected to grow. We have to live within our means. We define "our means" as our available resources, which include the wide range of assistance we believe is available to us from multinational institutions, friendly nations and commercial investors of skill and integrity who are prepared to undertake important strategic projects jointly with us. We have made a good start in our national development, and we recognize how long and how full of risks and dangers is the road ahead. 163. Questions of either good or bad economic potential and viability do not however dictate that countries must have political aspirations in order to have political viability. Because of our small size, however, the political influence of our individual countries in the Pacific is of course limited. It is by joining international organizations and institutions, I feel, that small countries like ours will find the opportunity to contribute to world peace and harmony in ways that big countries are perhaps not able to do because of their heavy commitment and close involvement at all times and at various levels in the affairs of the world. 164. That is the wish behind my country's application to become a Member of this family of nations and, I believe, the essential nexus in United Nations and international relationships. We in Solomon Islands want to contribute, participate and give, as well as receive, in this world body of nations. We cannot offer arms and ammunition-we do not have them, and do not wish to have them-as a means of compromise in conflicts. But we have good common- sense and believe in our ability and capacity to contribute in some smaJ] way to peace and harmony in this our wonderful world. Wc would in this way also be able to realize the meaning of our national motto, which is "To lead is to serve"-whether it be at home in the vilJages, in our own national Parliament or in the world parliament.

I thank the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands for his important statement. The meeting rose at 6.20 [J.In.