Honduras, 1982

On behalf of the people and Government of Honduras I should like most

sincerely to congratulate you, Sir, on your fitting election as

President of the thirty seventh session of the General Assembly. I

would likewise express our gratitude to your distinguished

predecessor, Mr. Kittani, who in the discharge of his duties, in a

particularly difficult year, demonstrated great ability, firmness and

diplomatic tact. As a Latin American I am also very happy to greet

Mr. Perez de Cuellar, the Secretary General, who, with the valuable

cooperation of a Secretariat dedicated to the lofty ideals of the

Organization, has given dynamic direction and impetus to the many

activities that have been entrusted to him.

The creation of the United Nations inspired great hope among the

peoples of the world. The Organization established the instruments of

peace and cooperation that were needed to help a world that had been

afflicted by war. Although the ideological rivalry of the super

Powers soon paralyzed valuable initiatives and on many occasions

brought us to the brink of war, it is nevertheless true that the

United Nations, as a forum for open discussion, made it possible for

mankind to survive. There have been many important achievements over

the years, but we are now once again living in an era that requires

Member States to make a conscious effort to strengthen the role of

the United Nations and its main bodies in the quest for international

peace and security.

Today's world weighs heavily on our conscience. Endless conflicts

persist without a proper solution, including recent conflicts, as

well as internal and international tensions in various parts of the

world, which make it difficult to view the future as sounder and more

secure. Along with this disquieting situation, we have witnessed a

tremendous growth of the power of destruction of conventional and

other weapons in a frenzied arms race.

The world situation appears even bleaker when we realize with great

concern that the means of preventing or solving conflicts are

inadequate, haphazard and slow and, what is even worse, are

disregarded or ignored by some States or rendered ineffective because

of the obstacles created by attempts to achieve power.

4

The fragile nature of the present international structure shows that,

in the face of the threats to international peace and security, we

must display good sense and fulfil our basic responsibility towards

mankind by making every effort to foster and strengthen procedures

for the prevention and solution of international conflicts. There is

no doubt that this task must be undertaken on at least two levels:

first, by the member States of the international community, and,

secondly, by global and regional international organizations.

In the first instance, individual States must display a political

will for peace in order to solve their conflicts and must lend their

support to ensure that neighboring or friendly countries involved in

an international crisis situation achieve a peaceful solution; they

must help in the implementation of resolutions adopted by various

international bodies aimed at the settlement of conflicts between

States and abide by the decisions of international organizations.

In the second instance, we must make an effort to strengthen and

improve the means of obtaining peaceful solutions already available

to all States Members of the United Nations, while at same time

trying to find new and imaginative formulas that will contribute to

the prevention and settlement of conflicts.

My country has at past sessions of the General Assembly emphasized

that the future of mankind depends upon real possibilities for

effective negotiation and consultation to deal with conflicting

international interests. I must therefore at this time express the

strongest support of the people and Government of Honduras for the

courageous initiative of the Secretary General in his report on the

work of the Organization, concerning the strengthening of the role of

the Organization for the sake of peace. Honduras congratulates the

Secretary General on his timely report, and calls upon all Member

States to pledge themselves to the honorable mission of revitalizing

the juridical, institutional and diplomatic means available to the

Organization fully to implement the principles, goals and objectives

laid down in the San Francisco Charter.

To follow our words with deeds and translate our thoughts into

action, Honduras has taken an audacious step to help bring about

peace in Central America, particularly since the election of the new

constitutional and democratic Government of Roberto Suazo Cordova.

This pacifist tradition is deeply rooted in our history and in the

conscience of our people. Honduras is the central country of our

region, having borders with El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The

waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific bathe our shores.

In the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth century, Honduras

suffered the adverse consequences of its geographic position and its

soil was used as a battleground in the disputes of opposing political

factions in neighboring countries or conflicts between States. These

political upheavals in Central America deeply affected the Honduran

population and the ensuing internal wars caused grief and

destruction. Fortunately, the experiences of our history to which I

have referred helped us to overcome these problems and the Honduran

nation emerged strengthened and we were enabled to substitute

civilized, democratic, political dialogue for confrontation.

The manner in which our economic structures developed helped us avoid

the establishment of a dominant class possessing most of the national

wealth. The main items we produce fell to the monopoly of foreign

interests, particularly as regards export, and drained our country of

capital. Consequently the economic disparities which exist in

Honduras have not resulted in an unbridgeable gap between the

different sectors of our society. We have no hegemonic oligarchies,

no indigenous aristocracy. It is therefore not surprising that those

who have achieved economic, professional or political success are

often people of humble extraction, who have learned and succeeded

through hard work.

These harsh conditions are reflected in various actions taken

recently. No one is unaware of the fact that the countries which have

suffered most acutely from the impact of recession, are, like ours,

countries of the American continent which lack energy resources.

Nevertheless, Honduras has made an enormous internal effort to

readjust its economy and to meet fully all its economic and financial

commitments, which has enabled us to protect the stability of our

currency and the image of a country which takes seriously its

responsibilities vis a vis the international economic community.

In the social field, we are proud of our free, strong and pluralistic

trade union movement. Our farmers have been organized for more than

two decades and the various farmers' associations and unions have

more than 100,000 members. We also have numerous professional

organizations of technical experts and craftsmen, and people involved

in small , medium and large scale industry, as well as associations

of students, teachers, businessmen, farm workers, cattlemen, and

others. Four political parties represent different trends of thought

in our legislative system and people of all walks of life are members

of our judicial system. For more than 30 years we have had labor laws

to protect our workers and for 20 years we have had a process of

agrarian reform and a system of social security. The freedom of the

press is unlimited and fundamental human rights are fully protected.

In saying this I do not imply that we have solved all our problems;

far from it. I am merely saying that we live in a society governed by

the law, that there is a plurality of interests which find expression

in the framework of freedom, and there are more things uniting us

than there are separating us. We live in a society which is open to

peaceful change and dedicated to the improvement of its democratic

institutions.

The political, economic and social development of Honduras has

created a reality which is unique in the Central American region.

Despite many short, comings in social services in the field of health,

education, housing, nutrition and other areas, the Honduran nation

has achieved high standards in certain fundamental areas which enable

us to look with optimism.

The Hondurans embrace the creed of peace through justice, and justice

through freedom. Hence, those who are familiar with our people know

that we reject violence in all its forms. More than any other Central

American people, Hondurans practice dialogue in the settlement of

their disputes. We support the electoral process for the

establishment of a government, in the belief that there is support in

our society for all political sectors involved in running the affairs

of our community.

These values of the Honduran nation were reaffirmed in the re

establishment of democracy which began in 1980, when the people were

called upon to elect a National Constituent Assembly, and 84 per cent

of the electoral population of Honduras went to the polls. Not even

countries with the oldest democratic tradition can boast such

vigorous popular participation. There is no doubt that this

overwhelming expression of the sovereignty of the people is an

outstanding example for the future of our country and of Central

America.

One year later, in 1981, the Honduran people demonstrated even more

vigorously their confidence in the free electoral process. Observers

from almost all parts of the world witnessed a new, exemplary, civic

event, namely the establishment of the political and legal system

which now governs the destiny of our country.

The Honduran people, on the basis of its sovereignty, calls for a

return to a climate of political understanding, social peace and

respect for human dignity, at a time when we are witnessing in our

region the tragedy of violence and social upheavals.The situation in

my country is in stark contrast with the abolition in other States of

the region of individual and public freedoms and the denial of the

peoples' right to self determination.

For these reasons, the democratic process which began in Honduras so

successfully undoubtedly represents renewed hopes for peace and

freedom which are bound to exert a positive influence in our

tormented Central America.

Honduras, its people and its Government, are fully aware of the

circumstances which threaten peace at home and abroad. They are

equally aware of their role in the current situation in the region.

The President of my country, Mr. Roberto Suazo Cordova, upon coming

to power, stated that Honduras did not want to become the arbiter of

the region and its anguish, its hopes and its expectations, for that

is not its function. But Honduras ardently desires to help bring

about stability and harmony, in keeping with its devotion to the

principles of non intervention and self determination, and to help

Central America to become a region of peaceful coexistence, whose

people and leaders will establish and maintain understanding on the

basis of effective dialogue. The President of Honduras wants Central

America to be a zone of peace, not to see it tormented by bellicose

disputes and polarizing confrontations. In that vein, the foreign

policy of Honduras is based on the simple but preeminent principle of

the internationalization of peace in that troubled region of our

continent.

Based on our desire to adopt concrete measures in Central America to

relieve the tension and dispel the violence of irreparable

consequences, Honduras has presented a peace initiative which has

received broad national and international support. It consists of six

points which, in the view of my Government, cover the main questions

to be discussed. This, however, does not exclude the possibility of

considering others aimed at the same goal of achieving peace in the

region, which may come from other States equally interested in

achieving the same goal. Honduras has proposed the following six

points.

First, we propose that the bases for general disarmament in the

region be immediately established. This would imply not only a halt

of the arms race which has created so much tension and instability in

Central America and in continental relations, but a real reduction of

military equipment and manpower to ensure that countries possessing

armed forces maintain them at the level strictly necessary for the

defense of their territorial integrity and sovereignty and the

maintenance of public order, and that they abide by the universally

established criteria recognized by every democratic society based on

the rule of law. There should also be agreements on the types of

weapons whose limitation on proscription would be determined in this

general disarmament plan.

Secondly, we propose that agreement likewise be reached on an

objective and reasonable reduction in the number of foreign military

and other advisers, or any other elements which are liable to cause

concern or unrest, or undermine the identity of any nation.

Thirdly, we propose that there be a survey of and agreement on the

required machinery to ensure, by means of international supervision

and monitoring, to which Honduras will submit, that countries of the

Central American region fulfill their commitments and

responsibilities. This system of supervision and monitoring would be

applied to countries where there exist conflicts and difficult

situations likely to affect peace in the region, especially in ports,

airports, borders and strategic areas. My country is ready to open

its territory without any reservations to any form of international

supervision for the purpose of achieving and maintaining peace.

Fourthly, we propose that there be consideration of and agreement on

the most appropriate procedures and mechanisms to put an end to the

traffic of arms in the region.

Fifthly, we propose that recognized boundaries and the traditional

lines of jurisdiction of the States of the region be fully respected

so as not to endanger peace through new disputes which might arise

with regard to land or sea.

Sixthly, we propose that a set of guidelines be drawn up for a

permanent multilateral dialogue on the basis of this initiative, thus

to promote political understanding internally, to achieve a

democratic and pluralistic system and assure respect for public

freedoms and the right of the peoples to express their will freely.

We affirm that the arms race constitutes an inherent threat to the

future of nations and the survival of mankind itself. We therefore

believe that the excessive expenditures in war equipment should be

used to combat poverty and misery and to promote the well being of

the people, to lend technical and scientific assistance, to overcome

conditions of backwardness facing developing countries and to help in

the establishment of a new international economic order so as to

reduce the tensions that aggravate the tragic problems of our times.

This is the struggle that we are engaged in to achieve domestic as

well as international peace; but I must state clearly and

unequivocally that we have fallen victim to certain problems which

stem from the internal problems of neighboring nations which are

threatening our own security now. Honduras is being threatened by

terrorism in which the direct participation of outside elements has

been demonstrated, and which undermines fundamental human rights and

attempts to undo the entire democratic process which we are building.

The recent acts of terrorism have been denounced by our people who

most energetically reject violence as a means of political action

whose sole purpose is to destroy social peace and jeopardize human

dignity.

The Honduran people want to live in peace, work in peace, build in

peace, bring about change in peace and know that the road of peace

was built to be used for peace in this democracy in which we live

today.

The Government of Honduras expresses the hope that the international

community, represented in the Organization, will devise and adopt

multilateral legal instruments which will eradicate the underlying

causes of terrorism and will fight and impose sanctions on this

dreadful scourge, one which offends the conscience of civilized

nations and of the peoples who strive to build a better future based

on peaceful coexistence, understanding and solidarity.

Honduras wants to devote all of its strength to the consolidation of

political democracy and economic and social development. We want and

need a climate of peace and security, stability and harmony, to

strive to overcome the present economic crises in our country and at

the same time achieve social justice by means of peaceful change. We

would like to devote our limited material resources to combat poverty

and promote the well being of our people rather than to compete in a

ruinous arms race. We do not want an armed peace for Central America,

nor a balance of power based on the possession of sophisticated

weapons of destruction.

Honduras extends its hand to the countries that are ready to

associate themselves with this effort for peace with justice and

freedom.

Together with Costa Rica, Honduras has endeavored to find formulas to

solve the conflicts in Central America peacefully and democratically.

A meeting of foreign ministers of several Central American and

Caribbean countries was held in San Jose on 4 October last, to

consider ways and means truly and effectively to achieve these goals.

A particularly significant issue was the establishment of a forum for

peace and democracy with a mandate to carry out the peace initiatives

based on agreements between States of the region.

This meeting of democratic countries emphasized the need to help

establish peace in the region, to promote and. consolidate a

comprehensive system of institutions in the countries of the region

and to create an appropriate scheme for intra regional and

international cooperation in various fields on the basis of peace,

security, democracy and development.

Tins new vigorous effort is made in the context of the Honduran peace

proposal, sincemultilateral dialogue on a permanent basis is the

fundamental requirement for the achievement of appropriate and

lasting solutions We would like to express the hope that the

Government of Nicaragua will support this new initiative and the

principles which have inspired it, for we believe that a Nicaragua

which will establish and guide its revolutionary process along the

path of democracy, pluralism and non alignment is essential for the

political stability and the peace and security of the Central

American region.

The Secretary General asked me today, without prejudice to other

ongoing initiatives, to meet at Headquarters with the Foreign

Minister of Nicaragua. I have accepted this fraternal invitation of

the Secretary General to demonstrate quite clearly once again, in

this Hall where we gather in the pursuit of peace, justice and

cooperation, the unswerving desire of the Government of Honduras to

hold a dialogue for a global exchange of views on the problems which

affect the Central American region.

I have tried to explain in plain and simple terms what Honduras

consists of and what its contribution is to the cause of peace in

Central America. The international community will judge us on the

basis of our actions. Before I refer to other matters in the general

debate, I should simply like to repeat, with all the strength that my

Government is capable of demonstrating, that we shall continue to

conduct our affairs in accordance with the principles of

nonintervention, respect for the right to self determination of

peoples, the territorial integrity of every State and, especially,

our respect for the us^ of peaceful means to solve disputes. I am

simply emphasizing the words of the President of Honduras, Roberto

Suazo Cordova, who, addressing himself recently to the Presidents of

Mexico and Venezuela, affirmed that The Honduran people will never

resort to aggression or threats against any of our neighbors because

we firmly believe that any dispute between States can be settled

peacefully.

My Government trusts that all Central American States will identify

with this postulate and that, setting aside claims of supremacy and

dangerous ideological confrontations which are alien to our spirit,

our destiny and our history, a free and democratic Central America

will see its efforts crowned with peace.

There are many political, economic and social issues on the agenda of

the General Assembly on which we should like to express our objective

views which guide us. in our participation in the work of cooperation

that motivates the United Nations. Our country will continue to make

its enthusiastic contribution to the Group of 77, over which we have

presided on two occasions in various forums. Honduras will also be

present as an observer in the meetings of the non aligned movement,

aware that, in political and economic matters, both groups agree on

principles of justice in keeping with the growing aspirations of the

developing world.

The climate of mistrust and underlying hostility between the major

political and military blocs of East and West this year have darkened

the picture. The limited achievements of the second special session

of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament is an eloquent

statement on the real intentions which seem to guide the super Powers

at this time.

The principles of international law enshrined in the Charter have

continued to be ignored in various situations, sacrificed to the most

blatant form of power politics, and the Security Council has been

paralyzed during grave conflicts because of a total lack of agreement

on the objectives and the actions to which it could have legitimately

committed itself.

This atmosphere of tension and lack of effectiveness has further

complicated the solution of problems which are within the competence

of the Security Council, thus prolonging existing conflicts and

failing to avoid the emergence of new crises and international

confrontations.

In the Middle East, conflicts have worsened. Hence, in the past few

months we have witnessed the invasion of Lebanese territory by the armed

forces of Israel, which, engaging in heavy fighting with Syrian and

Palestinian military units, have occupied part of that territory and

for several weeks encircled its capital, Beirut, causing destruction,

desolation and death. This tragic situation was further aggravated by

the massacre of refugees, which caused indignation in the

international community and deeply moved the Honduran people. My

Government, which is attached to the values of respect for the human

person, most vigorously condemns this tragic holocaust.

The Honduran Government firmly condemns the use of force in the

settlement of international conflicts and rejects with equal vigor

the corollary that the acquisition of territories by occupation can

be justified.

Similarly, our Government believes that the legitimate rights of the

Palestinian people to have their own homeland should be achieved

through serious comprehensive negotiations and the open and firm

support of the international community.

The right of Israel to exist and live in peace with its neighbors

within secure and recognized boundaries, which Honduras has always

supported, can and must be coupled with the rights of the Palestinian

people to self determination and the establishment of their own State.

In southern Africa, the hopes raised five years ago by the plan of

Western Powers for Namibia, supplemented by the Security Council,

have given way to profound disillusionment, creating a dangerous

climate which could lead to new acts of aggression. In our view,

there is no other way but to persist in achieving the holding of free

elections in Namibia as soon as possible and, therefore, we lend our

support to fresh negotiations to put an end to the illegal occupation

of the Territory by South Africa.

The world problems to which we referred earlier cannot conceal the

important fact that conflicts emerge and develop basically in a

regional context and that according to the letter and spirit of the

Charter it is first and foremost for the members of each region and

regional machinery they have established to solve conflicts with a

full sense of responsibility.

Because of its global character, the process of decolonization must

be in conformity with the peculiarities of history and geography.

Thus, in our American continent, a problem at once colonial and

regional has been deeply felt recently by our peoples. We refer to

the colonial situation of the Malvinas and the grave crisis and armed

confrontation of last April and May between the Republic of Argentina

and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Honduras recognizes the sovereign rights of the Republic of Argentina

over the Malvinas and supports its claim. Honduras believes that

every conflict between States can be settled by negotiation;

therefore, it rejects the use of force in any international conflict.

Honduras is in favor of a speedy negotiated solution between the

parties which would give sovereignty over the Malvinas to Argentina.

Our people is united in the quest for material and spiritual

advancement and the consolidation of Honduran nationhood through

sound institutions based on justice, freedom and national harmony.

We are also united with regard to external matters. It is not a mere

whim to insist on peace; nor is it Utopia. Men of good will and

generous thought know how to achieve it. Leaders who forget that the

supreme mandate is to secure the well being of those they govern

through respect for their dignity and the practice of harmonious

coexistence, will inescapably be drawn to the exercise of tyranny

which is doomed to failure. The lessons of history are many and

Honduras has learned from them. We have chosen to take the

encouraging and promising road of democracy and peace.