S/36/PV.109 Security Council

It is my painful duty to announce the death this morning of Mr. Indalecio Lievano, President of the thirty-third ses- sion of the General Assembly, a Foreign Minister of Co- lombia and his country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. 2. We are all familiar with those qualities that dis- tinguished Mr. Li6vano. He was not only an outstanding diplomat, he was also a historian and a man of letters. He embodied those virtues of the statesman that have been characteristic of some of the greatest figures of Latin America and that reflect particular credit upon the genius of Colombia. First and foremost, Mr. Li6vano was a good man who believed passionately in the work of the United Nations and who struggled tirelessly for peace and inter- national harmony. 3. On behalf of the General Assembly and the many friends he made during his years of service to the United Nations, I should like to convey our profound con- dolences to the Colombian delegation and would ask it to convey our sympathy to Mr. Li6vano's family. 4. I ask members of the Assembly to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Mr. Inda- lecio Li6vano.

I call upon the representative of Colombia.

I should like to thank you, Mr. President, and all delegations present for this gesture of :solidarity on the occasion of the passing of an outstanding citizen of my country. NEW YORK 7. It is to some extent mere happenstance that many- indeed probably all-of you had the opportunity to come to know a good man and a great gentleman in every sense of the word, who attained the high position of President of the General Assembly. 8. All I can do now is express my thanks to you, Mr. President, to the Secretary-General and to all of you here for your presence, and tell you that, as you have observed a minute of silence here, in Colombia a sad silence also now prevails because of the death of a great Colombian, a great Latin American, a great man of peace.

Members will recall that by decision 36/461 of 18 De- cember 1981, the General Assembly decided to postpone consideration ofagenda item 18 (i), on the appoin~ment of the United Nations Commissioner for Namibia. 10. In this connection, I invite members to turn their attention to the note by the Secretary-General [A/36/870] in which he proposes "to the Assembly, for its approval, the appointment of Mr. Brajesh Chandra Mishra, .former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, as United Nations Commissioner for Namibia for a nine- month term, beginning on 1 April 1982". May I take it that the General Assembly approves the proposal of the Secretary-Gp;neral?

I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Mishra on his appointment. Those of us who have known him in the performance of his duties are convinced that his singularly distinguished diplomatic qualities, his devo- tion to the best causes of the United Nations, his deep respect for the principles of the Charter, his political ex- . perience and his familiarity with the problems of southern Africa will make him a worthy and effective High Com- missioner. May his experience serve in solving this lac- erating problem that conerns all of us and in which the prestige of the Organization is at stake.

I have the honour to speak OIl behalf of the delegations of Can- ada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. We are speaking now because of our long involvement in the negotiations that we hope will lead this year to the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978). * Resumed from the 105th meeting. 14. The consultations leading to the nomination of the Commissioner for Namibia have been hasty and inade- quate. Neither the Council for Namibia nor the Commis- The meeting TiJse at 4.J0 p.m.