Mali, 1969

3. Madam President, I take great pleasure in offering you the

warm congratulations of my delegation on your unanimous

election to the presidency of the twenty-fourth session of

the General Assembly of the United Nations. This is an

honour bestowed not only upon yourself but also upon

your country and the whole of Africa. Having known you

for a long time and having had the privilege of appreciating

your brilliant qualities as a diplomat, I am convinced that

you will guide the Assembly’s discussions with competence

and to the satisfaction of the delegations which, by their

votes, have appointed you to perform the difficult functions

that are yours from now on.

4. I should next wish to pay a well-earned tribute to the

memory of your predecessor, Mr. Emelio Arenales, the

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, whose sudden

passing has caused us deep grief.

5. I should also like to associate my delegation with the

tribute you have just paid to the memory of Mahatma

Gandhi, that great philosopher who gave mankind many

lessons in wisdom and who throughout his life contributed

to the establishment of peace and friendly co-operation

among all peoples.

6. Nearly a quarter of a century has gone by since the

establishment of the Organization. Since then many important

changes have occurred in the world. the population

explosion, an increase in wealth, remarkable progress in

scientific and technological discoveries, the liberation of

many peoples in Africa and Asia. But the most disturbing

fact is the ever-widening gulf between the wealthy and the

under-developed countries.

7. The conscience of the world has been, and still is,

faced with grave problems. Throughout the world, centres of

tension and crises have created dangerous and highly

explosive situations.

8. The principal aim of the United Nations being to

maintain international peace and security, the people and

Government of the Republic of Mali welcomed with great

hopes the statement made in this Assembly on 17 September

1969 [1755th meeting] by the President of the

United States of America, in which he declared that since

he had assumed his weighty responsibilities, no question

had cost him more time and effort than the search for a

way to put an end to the war in Viet-Nam, an end that

would be just to the population of the North as well as to

those who would be affected by the settlement of the conflict.

9. We think that this language is the language of wisdom

and realism, and that it corresponds to the enlightened

self-interest of the people of the United States and

Viet-Nam. But we are still convinced that a just peace for

the populations both of North and South should be

negotiated and freely determined by the genuine representatives

of the whole people of Viet-Nam, without any

foreign pressure or intervention whatsoever, in accordance

with the Geneva Agreements of 1954. The people of

Viet-Nam, which has already suffered greatly to win its

unchallengeable claim to national independence and unity,

has again been cruelly tried by the death of its much-loved

leader, President Ho Chi Minh, who was for all the peoples

of the third world the symbol of patriotism and of

self-denial in the service of his country.

10. The people and Government of the Republic of Mali

believe that the international community should now move

with great determination and impartiality in order that the

valiant people of Viet-Nam may once again live in peace

and national unity in order to devote themselves

whole-heartedly, with the courage which is typical of them, to the

difficult problem of their economic and social development

along the lines they will have freely chosen. Through the

intermediary of the Government of the United States of

America, we make an urgent appeal to the American

people, which has given mankind such eminent personalities

as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Samuel Adams,

John F. Kennedy, who devoted their lives to making the

United States a progressive country and a great democracy,

we make, I repeat, an urgent appeal to the American people

and its leaders to overcome the possible susceptibilities of a

great Power and to recognize the legitimate aspirations of

Viet-Nam so that its martyred people may at last exist in

peace and know the joy of living in security after more than

a quarter of a century of heroic strife.

11. Did not a great thinker once say that the greatness of a

nation is not measured by the amount of blood it has shed

but by the number of human problems it has solved?

12. We are convinced that the American people, which,

through its creative initiatives, its courage and its genius

succeeded in solving formidable problems relating to its

own nationhood, such as the Civil War, a people which

contributed, in co-operation with the heroic Red Army and

the other allied forces, to the crushing of nazism and

fascism, will also know how to act like the great nation

postulated by the author of my quotation, and will find an

honourable and just solution to the agonizing problem of

Viet-Nam, to the utmost satisfaction of all mankind, which

is at present living in a state of distress and profound

anxiety. The initiative already taken, the measures and

intentions announced from this very rostrum by President

Nixon already give us grounds for hoping that reason and

wisdom will triumph over the forces of war.

13. Still in the search for peace, stability and security in

Asia, the Government of the Republic of Mali hopes that

the States Members of the United Nations will be more

realistic and more conscious of national independence, so

that the People’s Republic of China may be restored to its

rights as a founding Member of the Organization. It is

extremely perilous to pretend to ignore realities and to

move against the current of history. Whether one approves

or disapproves of the political, economic and social régime

of the People’s Republic of China, the fact is nonetheless

certain that this State is a very great Power in every field

and that it alone accounts for more than a quarter of the

world’s population. In attempting to maintain a Power of

this dimension outside the United Nations—this great forum

where all the major problems of international peace and

security are discussed — seems to the Government of Mali to

be a dangerous violation and abuse of the principle of the

universality of the Organization.

14. To adhere to the Charter of the United Nations, to

recognize the universal mandate and character of the

Organization and at the same time obstinately to exclude

from it the most populous nation in the world — 700 million

inhabitants — are the elements of a grave contradiction

which should be eliminated as soon as possible in the higher

interests of peace and of the essential co-operation between

nations with differing political, economic and social

régimes. The People’s Republic of China should be restored

without delay to its rights as a founding Member of the

United Nations and take its place as a permanent member

of the Security Council as the only authentic representative

of China, the cradle of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

The Government of the Republic of Mali makes an

urgent appeal to the Government of the United States of

America to rise to its broad and high responsibilities on the

international stage, and strongly hopes that it will not

continue to oppose the restoration of the People’s Republic

of China to its rights as a founding Member of the United

Nations and as a permanent member of the Security

Council. We are sure that that is not beyond the powers of

comprehension and the sense of reality of the Government

of the United States, the first nation whose scientists and

technicians have succeeded in freeing themselves from the

force of gravity and, for the first time in the history of

mankind, in walking on the moon, that distant planet

which has always been an object of curiosity and investigation

for scientists and a source of inspiration for poets at all

times and in all places.

15. For the benefit of those Governments which may still

doubt the will of the People’s Republic of China to respect

the obligations, purposes and principles of the Charter of

the United Nations, I will cite a passage from the statement

made at Peking on 30 September 1969 by the Prime

Minister, Chou En-lai, who said:

“The peace that we seek is based on five principles:

mutual respect for territorial integrity and for sovereignty;

mutual non-aggression; mutual non-intervention in

internal affairs; equality and reciprocal advantages; and

peaceful coexistence.”

It is this not the best possible expression of the purposes,

principles and objectives of the United Nations?

16. Turning now to the subject of decolonization, that is,

the liberation of colonial peoples, the delegation of Mali is

firmly convinced that the United Nations should reconsider

its methods of approach and of search for solutions to this

painful problem, which in our day and age constitutes a

true anachronism. We note with great regret that the long

discussions in the Committee of Twenty-four and in the

Fourth Committee have done little to hasten the attainment

of independence by the peoples still under colonial

rule. Very often, alas, the inclination to rhetoric, and

sometimes to strong emotion, which is certainly justified,

have had the better of realism and of a reasoned search for

objective and effective solutions.

17. Having had the honour and heavy responsibility of

presiding over the Committee of Twenty-four for four

years, I believe that the time has come for the United

Nations to rethink its working methods, its ways of tackling

the problem of decolonization. The time seems to me to

have passed for long discussions in the Fourth Committee,

where the 126 delegations of the States Members of the

United Nations feel obliged to speak, for requests for

information, for petitions and so on. The purpose of those

discussions and petitions was to render international

opinion more sensitive to the inhuman conditions of life,

the humiliations, the deprivation of rights and freedom

imposed on colonial peoples by the colonialist Powers.

18. The international community is now aware of the fate

of colonized peoples and of the reactionary and retrograde

behaviour of the colonial Powers. We think that the United

Nations which will soon have 25 years of life and

experience behind it, should seek a more realistic and

effective approach in order to accelerate the process of

accession to independence of the colonial peoples, a process

which has not shown any noteworthy progress despite the

adoption nearly 10 years ago of resolution 1514 (XV)

containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence

to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

19. Without seeking to diminish the militancy of nationalists,

it would be advisable to find a new mechanism

which, under the auspices of the Secretary-General or of

the Security Council, would make it possible to hold

discussions and serious negotiations between the representatives

of the colonial Powers and those of the liberation

movements, in order to identify the stages and steps to

independence, while maintaining links of friendly co-operation

and solidarity, as was done in the case of most of

the former French and British colonies. Although, in

certain particular and regrettable cases, typified by that of

Algeria, to mention only one, independence was only

acquired after many years of armed struggle, in many other

cases in Africa that result was achieved through negotiations

between the former metropolitan country and the

representatives of the political parties of liberation movements.

20. It is therefore desirable that, instead of long and sterile

discussions, the Organization should find, in tranquillity

and without passion, a mechanism which would put the

representatives of the colonial Powers and those of the

liberation movements in direct contact. In our opinion,

such a method would be more realistic and effective,

experience having shown that it is vital for the colonial

Powers and their former colonies to maintain the essential

degree of co-operation to meet various categorical needs.

Consequently we ask States Members of the United

Nations, particularly the allies of the colonial Powers, to

look objectively at this new approach that we suggest to the

solution of colonial problems, which, as I have just said,

constitute in our times a humiliating and repugnant

anachronism.

21. It is unthinkable that the peoples of Angola,

Mozambique and Guinea (Bissau) should remain under the

domination of a Government with such mediaeval and

unpractical ideas as that of Portugal. In spite of, and indeed

because of, the bonds of friendly co-operation which link

Portugal with certain States Members of NATO, the

Government of the Republic of Mali considers that the

latter States should cease to provide the Government of

Portugal with any direct or indirect assistance enabling it to

continue to wage an unjust, barbarous and cruel war against

the peoples of Mozambique, Angola and Guinea (Bissau),

that only aspire to exercise their inalienable right to

self-determination, a right enshrined in the Charter of the

United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights.

22. As regards the problems of Namibia and of apartheid

in South Africa, we consider that we have here a brazen

defiance of the United Nations and of all States devoted to

peace and justice. Indeed it is unbelievable and incomprehensible

that over 20 years after the adoption of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and nearly 25 years

after the proclamation of the Charter of the United

Nations, the international community should allow the

racist Government of South Africa to oppress more than 13

million Africans in their ancestral homeland. The persistent

refusal of the Governments of Lisbon and Pretoria, and of

the illegal authorities of Southern Rhodesia, to implement

the decisions of the Security Council reveals, unfortunately,

the rooted complicity of certain great Powers and the

disquieting weakness of the United Nations, which remains,

despite everything, the one hope of the smaller States and

of oppressed peoples. It is therefore time that the great

Powers, particularly the permanent members of the

Security Council, became more conscious of their responsibilities

towards mankind and co-operated with the Organization

of African Unity and the other States devoted to

peace and justice to impose upon the Governments of

Portugal, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia the principles

and rules of international morality. The tacit consent,

indeed the indirect support and the complicity, of certain

great Powers with regard to the reactionary or illegal

régimes of Lisbon, Pretoria and Salisbury give ground for

concern and despair to the peoples of Africa.

23. The Republic of Mali, as a developing country, is

keenly concerned with the development of economic and

commercial relations between the industrialized countries

and those of the third world. As a result of the steadily

deteriorating terms of trade, the economic gulf between the

developed and the developing countries grows wider every

year. Apart from any kind of philanthropic consideration,

it is time for the industrialized countries to realize that a

gradual narrowing of the gap between their own standard of

living and that of the third world constitutes a decisive

factor for international peace, security and co-operation.

Since poor and under-developed countries cannot be good

customers and effective partners, the industrialized countries

should make a sustained effort to speed up the

economic, industrial and social advancement of the countries

of the third world. It is in their interest and in that of

all mankind. It is discouraging to note that the Governments

of the developed countries spend enormous sums on

the conquest of outer space and of remote planets, while

here on earth thousands of human beings die each day of

hunger and of the major endemic diseases, despite the

immense advances of science and technology. We believe

that the industrialized countries should show a greater

realism and solidarity and should accept the provisions of

the Charter of Algiers!

24. In this connexion, my delegation welcomes the efforts

already made by a few industrialized countries, such as the

French Republic, which, on a bilateral basis or under the

aegis of the United Nations, are devoting one per cent of

their national income to assistance to developing countries,

or intend to.do so within a few years. Although this points

to remarkable progress towards securing acceptance of

international co-operation, this percentage, as was so

eloquently pointed out by Mr. Thorn, the Minister for

Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, in his statement of 29

September 1969 [1769th meeting], should mark a beginning

and not an end, in view of the enormous gap between

the industrialized and the developing countries. This spirit

of assistance and co-operation in accordance with the

Charter of the United Nations undoubtedly constitutes a

positive contribution to international peace. Similarly, my

delegation wishes to express its great appreciation to the

Government of the United States of America and to the

Governments of the European Economic Community for

their food programmes, which make it possible for the

developing countries to meet the hazards of shortfalls in

their grain production.

25. In so doing, my delegation wishes to express itself

without any false shame, because we look on the assistance

of the developed countries not as charity, but as a

demonstration of solidarity and of a resolve to achieve

international co-operation based on the interdependence of

the various national economies.

26. Being a country situated at the crossroads of central

West Africa and being dedicated to the maintenance of

friendly relations with the States that respect its sovereignty

and observe international morality, the Republic of

Mali is deeply concerned with the preservation of peace,

which represents the decisive factor in progress and fruitful

co-operation among Governments. We are therefore following

with deep anxiety the development of the situation in

all those: parts of the world where conflicts have arisen,

particularly in the Middle East. Although the Republic of

Mali is a secular State, its population is 90 per cent Muslim.

It was therefore profoundly disturbed and affected by the

setting on fire of the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of the most

important holy places of Islam, an act which is but one

aspect — or more precisely one of the unfortunate results — of

the explosive situation that has prevailed in this region since

the establishment of the State of Israel.

27. Although sincerely and deeply sympathetic to the

Arab peoples, the Government of Mali intends to remain

realistic. We express our full sympathy and support for the

Arab refugees in Palestine because, like every other people,

they have a right to a fatherland, a home and a national

existence as a community of men. But the fact is that the

State of Israel exists and that it was set up and recognized

by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the

United Nations, particularly by the permanent members of

the Security Council. Moreover, Israel is a Member of the

United Nations.

28. The Government of the Republic of Mali is sincerely

in favour of a policy of peaceful coexistence between Arabs

and Jews and is fiercely opposed to the annexation of Arab

territories by Israel. Consequently we will work with

determination to ensure that all the Arab territories

occupied by Israel following the hostilities of June 1967 are

restored to the Arab States concerned. The Government of

the Republic of Mali disapproves of, and wholeheartedly

condemns, all acquisition of territories by war or force. For

that reason we ask the Security Council to demonstrate its

authority and to impose on the warring factions in the

Middle East conflict the terms of its resolution of 22

November 1967 [242 (1967)]. The Charter of the United

Nations, approved by all Member States, gives the Security

Council the authority and necessary means to implement its

decisions. Regardless of the interests, the feelings and

sympathies involved, the Government of Mali considers that

the Security Council resolution of 22 November 1967

should be imposed on all the parties concerned, failing

which the Council will lose its prestige, to the great

detriment of the international community.

29. Mali, as a non-aligned country firmly determined to

pursue a policy of genuine national independence, will act

in complete freedom on the questions included in the

agenda of this session. It will do so in order to promote

international peace, security and co-operation in accordance

with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

30. Member States, particularly the permanent members

of the Security Council, should do everything in their

power to strengthen the authority of the United Nations

which, despite everything, is still the hope of mankind in

these troubled times.

31. In this connexion I should like, in the name of the

Government of Mali, to pay a well-deserved tribute to

U Thant, the Secretary-General of the United Nations,

whose wisdom and perseverance have enabled the Organization

to surmount many crises which might have proved

disastrous. I should also like to thank and congratulate the

specialized agencies of the United Nations which are

making a major contribution to the economic and social

expansion of the developing countries.

32. Owing to its importance, my delegation has reserved

the last part of its statement for the disarmament problem.

We believe that the maintenance of peace, which is the

principle purpose of the United Nations, cannot be ensured

until the arms race, and particularly the nuclear, thermo-nuclear,

biological and chemical arms race, is halted. The

non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the partial nuclear

test-ban constitute, of course, important stages

towards general and complete disarmament under international

control. In the view of the Government of Mali,

however, the total destruction of all nuclear arms must be

the final objective, because as long as weapons of mass

destruction exist there is still a possibility of their being

used, either by mistake or in order to safeguard the prestige

of a great Power. The monopoly of nuclear and thermo-nuclear

weapons by the great powers is not an adequate

safeguard for mankind, because history has shown beyond

doubt that great wars are always provoked and maintained

by conflicts of interest or of influence between the major Powers.

33. The Government of the Republic of Mali firmly

supports the moving appeal made to the great Powers by

the apostle of peace, Mr. Raoul Follereau, who implored

those Powers, in the interests of mankind and of their own

peoples, to put a brake on the arms race, because the

enormous sums thus spent for reasons of pride and prestige

would amply suffice to eradicate widespread diseases which

kill thousands of people every year, to save thousands of

children who likewise die every year of disease and

malnutrition, and bring fertility to hitherto unproductive

land which has remained derelict and uncultivated for lack

of resources.

34. With all these considerations in mind, the Government

of the Republic of Mali welcomes and strongly supports the

proposal submitted for our consideration jointly by the

USSR and other socialist countries [A/7655] for the

conclusion of a convention on the prohibition of the

development, production and stockpiling of chemical and

bacteriological weapons and on the destruction of such

weapons. For the reasons just mentioned, my delegation

hopes that the scope of this convention can be extended to

all weapons of mass destruction.

35. Before concluding, I should like to suggest that the

Secretary-General and the Committee of Seven should

consider further and without delay the study on the

functioning of the United Nations and the organization of

its work. The agenda of General Assembly sessions seems to

be overloaded and includes many routine items which not

everyone is prepared to discuss, since discussion leads to no

practical or feasible solution. When it was first established,

the United Nations had only 51 members; it now has 126.

The working methods suitable at the time are therefore no

longer adapted to the present day. Moreover, the steady

increase in the staff of the central administration and the

specialized agencies, the numerous conferences and meetings

of doubtful value and the great length of General

Assembly sessions impose far too heavy a burden on the

meagre budget of young States. We therefore believe that

prompt and effective reforms are necessary in this field;

otherwise the list of countries in arrears in the payment of

their contributions is likely to grow longer each year and to

paralyse the beneficial activities of the Organization.

36. This closes the modest contribution of the delegation

of Mali to the debate at the twenty-fourth regular session

of the General Assembly of the United Nations, soon to

celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary. The international

community now has a duty to draw the lessons from its

experience and to embark on a more active programme to

promote peace and the well-being of mankind. In this

connexion, a more extensive and effective campaign should

be undertaken by the United Nations to ensure that the

Second Development Decade responds fully to the hopes of

the peoples of the third world, because, as Disraeli

observed, there is nothing so exhilarating in public life as

that which presages the future and which, through enveloping

the fog of the present, traces a path towards the light

37. The nations met here together, motivated by solidarity

and mutual understanding, can trace such a path towards

the light for present and future generations. In the

execution of this great and exalting design, I wish to

reaffirm before the Assembly that the people of the

Republic of Mali are and will always be at the side of the

forces of peace and progress.