Liberia, 1982

At a time when mankind is frantically searching

for solutions to the problems of wars, disasters,

hunger, poverty, violence and racism, it is

indeed heartening that this body can meet and,

with collective determination, join the crusade

in the search for a nobler and dignified destiny

for the human race. The task of saving mankind

from wars and destruction is the collective

responsibility of Kt<; world's peoples, but the

role of individuals in the acceleration of this

process must not be over¬looked.

317. In this regard, I should like on behalf

of the Government and people of Liberia to extend

to the new President of the General Assembly my

warmest congratulations on his election to his

high office. We are confident that his long years

of experience in diplomacy will enable him to

discharge, with the utmost sincerity, the

responsibilities entrusted to him.

318. I should also like to take this

opportunity to offer thanks to his able and

dynamic predecessor, Mr. Kittani, who guided the

General Assembly through the thirty-sixth regular

session and the second special session on

disarmament with the utmost dedication and

efficiency.

319. We wish at this time to make special

reference to the remarkable performance of the

Secretary- General, who, after only nine months

in office, has convinced us beyond all reasonable

doubt that our choice was a good one. We ask him

to continue to discharge his duty with the

courage and convictions of his conscience. His

first report on the work of the Organization

outlines effectively the major problems and

weaknesses of the Organization. We endorse the

recommendations in his report and are convinced

that, if implemented, they could strengthen the

Organi¬zation and restore to it the role

envisaged for it in the Charter.

320. We must pay homage, finally, to that

great statesman of tolerance, integrity and

devotion, the former Secretary-General, Kurt

Waldheim. His con¬tribution to the progress of

mankind will forever be stamped upon the minds of

all those who fight for peace, justice and human

decency. He came to us as a son of Europe. He

left as a son of mankind, respected, admired and

trusted—beautiful accolades for a man of peace.

321. The challenge facing humanity is to

refine the negative instincts of man, those which

allow for the domination of others, for the

destruction of other peoples' cultures and values

and for the development of those mental

aberrations such as racial superiority, parochial

and aggressive nationalisms and individual and

national acquisitiveness with the attributes of

exploitation, poverty and stagnation on the one

hand, and affluence and indifference to human

sufferings on the other. The refinement of man's

negative instincts will allow for the common

understanding of human problems and make more

meaningful the search for fraternal relations

between peoples.

322. The task of human refinement must begin

at the national level, for it is at this level

that the con¬sequences of negative instincts are

most profound. Classes and groups which have no

respect for the rights of their own people will

have no regard for the rights of other peoples.

It thus becomes necessary for the national entity

to purge itself of the unsavory attributes of

man's inhumanity to man in order to join the

search for international harmony and morality.

323. My country, in answering the challenge

which history has posed to us as a people, took

the path of revolution to resolve the

contradictions in our society and awakened the

consciousness of our people to begin the frontal

assault on the citadels of privilege, ethnic

arrogance and elitism. We are proud to say to the

world, to all men of conscience and decency, that

through the struggle of our people and with the

blood of our martyrs we destroyed an oligarchy

which was brutal, arrogant and insensitive to the

needs and aspirations of the vast majority of our

people, as all oligarchies are. It is our

God-given right to destroy the shackles of

servitude and allow our people to begin the

process of making their own history.

324. Here in this public forum, we pay homage to

the memory of our martyrs, especially to the

hun¬dreds killed on 14 April 1979, when the

former regime unleashed a reign of terror on our

defenseless people who had raised their voices to

question the right of that oligarchy to increase

the price of the staple food for its own profits.

Eternal glory to our martyrs!

325. When people make revolution and advance

society a step further, they are morally

responsible to show that they are more refined,

more decent and more dignified than those they

overthrew. This is the only way that one can give

credence to the historical movement. In keeping

with our commitment to build a society where men

will live as brothers and be responsible for the

welfare of each and all, we decided to

rehabilitate all those who had in the past

participated in the maltreatment of the people or

condoned with their silence the injustices in

society. In this regard, my Government has

released all political prisoners and thus stands

as one of the few countries in the world without

a single political prisoner. Also, to ease the

burden of adjustment in the new society, we have

returned confiscated properties to former

political prisoners.

326. As a further testimony to my Government's

commitment to respect the aspirations of the

people, our head of State, Commander-in-Chief

Samuel Doe has proclaimed 12 April 1985—the fifth

anniversary of our revolution—as the date for the

return of our country to a democratically elected

civilian Govern¬ment. In keeping with this

commitment, the Consti¬tutional Committee

appointed on the first anniversary of the

revolution is completing the final draft cf a new

Constitution and drawing up the modalities for

elec¬tions. This is the state of affairs in my

country 29 months after our revolution.

327. I shall now make some remarks about the

inter¬national situation. It is indeed a sad

commentary on the state of world affairs that the

opening of the thirty-seventh session of the

General Assembly and the first observance of

International Day of Peace on 21 September 1982

should have taken place amid the ghastly specters

of the Beirut massacre and the con¬tinued war

between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq.

328. Elsewhere, the international situation

remains fraught with tension. There seems to be a

gradual decline in the use and effectiveness of

multilateral institutions and international

organizations. Alliances and intergovernmental

organizations that offered hope for a stable

world order in the period after the Second World

War are being threatened with disin¬tegration at

the very core.

329. The non-aligned movement, which emerged

to dismantle the exploitative colonial system and

did indeed provide an alternative to East-West

con¬frontational politics for the developing

nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America in the

immediate post-war era, has failed to convene the

Conference of Heads of State or Government on

schedule for the first time in its 21-year

history because of the conflict in the Gulf

region.

330. Similarly, the OAU, which has served as

the motivating force in accelerating the African

liberation struggle and the search for African

solutions to African problems, has not been

successful in convening the Assembly of Heads of

State and Government this year because of the

admission of the Sahraoui Arab Democrats Republic

to the OAU. However, we are pleased to note that

efforts are being made to resolve the issue. My

Government has undertaken the responsibility of

consulting with other African Govern¬ments on

ways to end the division within our organi¬zation.

331. Recently, our head of State sent a team

of emissaries to seven West African countries to

deliver messages relating to the current problem

within the OAU. We are certain that in the end

African maturity will prevail and the OAU will

survive, strengthened in its principles and

rededicated to the total liberation and unity of

the African continent.

332. Meanwhile, in the international system,

many States Members of the United Nations are

increasingly resorting to unilateral action, often

bypassing the United Nations without regard to

their obligations under the Charter. Resolutions

of the Security Coun¬cil and the General Assembly

adopted through painstaking efforts and sometimes

by consensus are being ignored by Member States

under the pretext of preserving national identity

and security.

333. With respect to the global economic

situation, indications are that the world economy

is experiencing greater instability than at any

time since the Great Depression. The developed

market economies are characterized by slow

growth, persistent inflation, high unemployment,

prolonged monetary instability, intensified

protectionist pressures, structural

malad-justments and uncertain long-term growth

prospects.

334. For their part, many developing countries

con¬tinue to experience very low or even negative

per capita growth, with severe constraints placed

on their development efforts by maladjustment in

international economic relations, natural

conditions and high energy costs.

335. Also, falling prices for commodities

which are their major sources of income have

impeded their ability to meet interest payments

on loans, let alone repay the loans. Moreover,

higher interest rates for new debts and redded

access to external borrowing have all contributed

to the economic difficulties of the developing

countries, thus augmenting the poverty and

deprivation of their peoples.

336. The optimism generated by the

International Meeting on Co-operation and

Development, held at Cancun in October 1981, has

yet to produce progress towards a movement in the

global round of negotiations on international

economic issues.

337. These trends point to a disquieting

situation in the international system. For the

weakening or collapse of multilateral

institutions and regional organizations and the

vicious cycle of poverty, with its attributes of

dependence and underdevelopment, would serve to

remove heretofore effective platforms upon which

small developing nations exercised moral strength

and courage for collective bargaining and

security.

338. The potential to unleash greater horrors

and sufferings upon mankind must be checked by

the determined and honest efforts of the

international community to reverse the present

drift towards eco¬nomic and political

catastrophe. My Government therefore calls on all

Member States of this world body to rededicate

themselves to the principles and spirit of the

Charter. The desperate lality of the

international situation requires a resolution of

the apparent contradiction between the professed

aspira¬tions of the United Nations and the

unwillingness on the part of Member States to

support those aspirations. A new global

initiative is needed to promote the peaceful

settlement of disputes in order to save the world

from the ravages of war and prevent future

horrors of death and destruction such as those

the world has witnessed recently.

339. I tum now to the subject of southern

Africa. In a world of conflicts and mistrust, it

is reassuring to note the willingness to press

ahead with negotiations on the part of the

parties to the Namibian question. In this

connection, I wish to state emphatically that my

Government continues to view Security Council

resolution 435 (1978) as the basis for a solution

to the Namibian conflict. We welcome the

initiatives of the contact group of five Western

States and the African front-line States, and

Nigeria, to help overcome obstacles in the path

of the implementation of the resolution for the

independence of Namibia. We should add that the

independence of that African Territory cannot be

delayed indefinitely.

340. Also, we should like to caution against

linking a settlement of the Namibian question to

the presence of Cuban troops in Angola. Any

attempt to do that is morally wrong and

dangerous, as the freedom of one people cannot be

held hostage to the alteration of the sovereign

decision of another people.

341. Today, millions of Africans continue to

languish under the despicable system of in South

Africa. My Government considers the perpetuation

of this oppressive system as an intolerable

affront to the dignity of the black race. We

therefore urge the international community and

men of conscience every¬where to lend every

conceivable support to the total elimination of

apartheid in all its inhuman forms. In this

regard, we welcome the launching of 1982 as the

International Year of Mobilization for Sanctions

against South Africa in order to make world

public opinion more aware of the grave situation

in that part of Africa and also to win maximum

international support for comprehensive and

mandatory sanctions against the racist Republic,

as laid down in Chapter VII of the Charter.

342. On the subject of the Middle East, the

horrifying scenes of slaughter in Beirut should

once more serve as a reminder to the

international community never to allow historical

sympathies to render us impotent in confronting

contemporary aggression. The inter¬national

outrage and revulsion generated by the mas¬sacre

should convince those who are determined and

consistent in committing such atrocities to

abandon the notion that brute force is the only

way to achieve peace and security. The

senselessness of the massacre can serve only to

intensify the cycle of violence, suspicion and

bitterness.

343. My Government is convinced that the

dispersal of the Palestinians or the resort to

exterminating them cannot provide a solution to

the problems of the Middle East. Only recognition

of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian

people to a State of their own will lead to a

lasting peace in that region. Additionally, there

must be a return to the pre-1967 borders and all

States in the region must be willing to recognize

the right of each and all to live in peace within

secure boundaries.

344. In this regard, my Government supports

initia¬tives aimed at the restoration of the

sovereignty of Lebanon and calls for the urgent

reconstruction of that war-torn country.

345. Turning to the Kampuchean question, my

Government believes that no effective solution to

the problems in that troubled country can be

achieved without a just and lasting political

settlement. Such a political settlement should

provide for the withdrawal of all foreign troops

from Kampuchea and ensure respect for the

sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity

and the non-aligned status of that country.

346. Some of the problems that cloud the

inter¬national horizon are rooted in the past.

The Korean question, which for many years has

been a focus of the concern of the Organization,

remains unresolved and explosive. The

postponement of its solution could lead to a

renewal of hostilities on the Korean peninsula

and threaten international peace and security. In

accordance with the principles of the Charter of

the United Nations and of the joint communique of

1972/9 issued by the two Korean parties, my

Govern¬ment urges that they both demonstrate

their willingness to settle the Korean question

by peaceful means.

347. The successful conclusion of the

negotiations and the adoption of the United

Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea'

represent a major step forward in our attempts to

establish order in the seas. The Convention is

based on the concept that the resources of the

sea-bed are the common heritage of mankind. One

significant outcome of the negotiations is a set

of treaty provisions for States to co-operate

regionally and globally to protect and preserve

the marine environment. This part of the

Convention is consistent with the Declaration of

the United Nations Conference on the Human

Environment.^" We express our thanks to all of

those who laboured tirelessly to bring these

negotiations to fruition. My Government,

therefore, urges all Member States to sign and

ratify the Con¬vention, which will be opened for

signature as of 6 December 1982, in Jamaica.

348. The post-war period has witnessed an

unabated acceleration of the arms race. This race

has consumed an increasing proportion of the

world resources as well as a greater percentage

of internationally traded goods and services.

This situation has contributed to a significant

diversion of globalresources from pro¬ductive to

non-productive sectors. Statistics show that in a

world where expenditures on armaments amount to

about $700 billion annually there are 870

mil¬lion adults who cannot read and write; 500

million people who have no jobs or are less than

fully employed; 130 million children who are

unable to attend primary school; 450 million

people who suffer from hunger or malnutrition; an

annual infant mortality rate of 12 million babies

who die before their first birthday; 2 billion

people who do not have safe water to drink; and

250 million people who live in urban slums or

shanty towns. Serious efforts and concrete

actions towards disarmament could release vast

resources for the constructive cause of human

devel¬opment and the establishment of a more

equitable international economic order.

349. It is against that background that my

Govern¬ment expresses regret at the disappointing

results of the second special session on

disarmament. We call upon the world community not

to relent in the pursuit of the objectives of

general and complete disarmament, for on this

hinges the survival of mankind.

350. On the subject of international economic

co-operation, reports show that the fundamental

prob¬lem facing the international community is to

restore the growth momentum in the world economy

and achieve the growth targets in the developing

coun¬tries as set forth in the International

Development Strategy for the Third United Nations

Development Decade. The realization of those

objectives requires that urgent and prompt

attention be given to the critical problems

confronting the developing countries, such as

unequal exchange on international commodity mar'

^s, finance, food and energy.

351. There is a need for greater South-South

co-oper¬ation within the framework of the Caracas

Programme of Action^' in order to break the cycle

of dependence, poverty and underdevelopment. The

developing coun¬tries must undertake concerted

efforts within the context of collective

self-reliance to halt the misery of their

peoples, since experience has shown that the

survival of a people must begin with their own

efforts.

352. We are convinced that in a world of

growing expectation and increasing communications

between nations and social groups, a lack of

response to the pressing demand for more

understanding, tolerance and selflessness can

become a real source of conflict at both the

national and the international levels. We are in

an interdependent world and must collec¬tively

face the challenge to remove people from the edge

of survival and ward off catastrophe.

353. The state of the world today calls for

the utmost tolerance and understanding among men.

We have the moral responsibility to save our

world from the misery and destruction which twice

in the past have brought human society to the

brink of extinction. We therefore declare from

this rostrum, before the entire world, that the

children of tomorrow deserve a better world

order, free from the suspicion, violence and

hatred of today. They must be able to live in a

world where men will be responsive to the needs

of other men and where the enlightened

consciousness of the people will usher in the

brotherhood of mankind. This, and only this, can

save humanity from the ravages of war.