Kingdom of the Netherlands, 1982

Mr. President, I should like to convey to you, on

behalf of the delegation of the Netherlands and

on my own behalf, my congratulations on your

election to the presidency of the thirty-seventh

session of the Assembly. I am convinced that your

long experience in United Nations affairs will

enable you to shoulder the heavy

responsi¬bilities of your high office and to

guide us in our deliberations.

42. Much will depend upon your wisdom, for

the Assembly convenes at a juncture marked by an

atmosphere of crisis in international affairs, as

well as a crisis in the multilateral approach to

international affairs. Respect for and the use of

multilateral forums both within and outside the

United Nation seem to be on the decline, while a

tendency towards bilateralism and a preoccupation

with national prob¬lems are growing. We consider

this to be a disquieting development. In times of

crises such as those through which the world is

now passing, we, the Govern-ments and the States

Members of the United Nations, share a particular

and common responsibility to see to it that this

trend is reversed and that co-operation among

States resumes its rightful place in

international relations.

43. This session of the General Assembly owes

much to the Secretary-General for the way in

which he has put before us the central problem of

the Organiza¬tion's capacity to keep the peace

and to serve as a forum for negotiations. I fully

share his anxiety and his disappointment about

the inability of the United Nations to live up to

the hopes the peoples of this world placed in it

at its inception. I welcome his report on the

work of the Organization as an important signal

to the international community and as a challenge

to us all. We, for our part, will do our utmost

to help him in his efforts to improve the

credibility and the effectiveness of the

Organization.

44. Two objectives which are fundamental to

our mutual relations would, if properly pursued,

make the world a better place to live in for

everyone. They are complementary and are

intertwined in such a manner that the one cannot

be neglected without harming the other. Those

objectives are peace and security on the one hand

and justice on the other.

45. It is sometimes argued that peace is the

most important of all. Indeed, would a major war

in our nuclear age not be synonymous with the

annihilation of our civilization or even of

mankind itself? Peace is certainly a prerequisite

for the fulfillment of our aspirations, but we

should not forget that security is essential to

the process of peace. The principal organ of the

United Nations concerned with peace is called the

Security Council, not the Peace Council. Indeed,

one of the major challenges before us is to make

our system of collective security work.

46. Still, it is impossible to think of peace

without at the same time thinking of justice, for

there will be neither lasting peace nor genuine

security without justice. Not only should

relations between States, peoples and individuals

be governed by it, but justice is also foremost

in our minds when we come to think of such

matters as the eradication of poverty and the

promotion of human rights.

47. There are a number of areas in the world

where peace is at best precarious or where a

breach of the peace has already occurred. The

most conspicuous of those areas is the Middle

East, where—notwith¬standing the presence of a

United Nations peace¬keeping force—a military

invasion took place only three months ago. I

shall not repeat here what Mr. Ellemann-Jensen,

of Denmark, speaking on behalf of the members of

the European Community, said so eloquently

yesterday at the 8th meeting. Suffice it to say

that the Netherlands fully associates itself with

his condemnation of the invasion and with the

indigna¬tion at the complete disregard for all

the relevant resolutions of the Security Council

and the sorrow for the suffering caused to the

many—too many—victims.

48. In this connection I would pay a tribute

to the memory of those who fell victim to the

senseless murder in the refugee camps of Beirut.

Atrocities of this magnitude call for an

authoritative inquiry.

49. We cannot hope to find a durable solution

to the problems of the Middle East unless such a

solution is based upon security and justice.

There is a clear need for all peoples in the

region to live within secure borders. We shall

have to keep in mind, however, that a line drawn

on the map cannot provide genuine security.

Borders can be secure only if they are

recog¬nized by all concerned as part of a

comprehensive, just and lasting settlement. There

will have to be justice for all peoples: for

those who lack a national home, for those whose

territory is under foreign occupation and for

those whose State has yet to receive full

recognition.

50. The countries of the European Community

have repeatedly stressed the need to ensure both

security and justice for all peoples in the

Middle East. We therefore welcome President

Reagan's recent initiative as an important

opportunity for peaceful progress to this end. I

am equally happy to note that at Fez the Arab

leaders expressed their readiness to work for the

achievement of peace for all States in the

region. I sincerely hope that these statements

will pave the way for the negotiated settlement

which has eluded us so far and for which there is

no alternative but endless war.

51. Let me turn for a moment to another area

where peace has been regrettably absent for many

years now: Afghanistan. As a direct result of the

Soviet invasion 3 [pillion people have left their

country. We cannot but voice our indignation at

the repression which followed the occupation of

that unhappy, once non-aligned country. In order

to control a population heroically fighting for

its independence, 100,000 foreign troops are now

stationed in Afghanistan. The intervention, which

has caused the Soviet Union serious loss of

prestige, has had a profound impact on

international relations. I note in this respect,

for instance, its very negative effect on efforts

to convene a conference on the Indian Ocean.

52. We sincerely hope that it will be

possible to arrive at a political solution to

this question, and we therefore fully support the

efforts undertaken to that effect by the

Secretary-General.

53. Another victim of aggression, Kampuchea,

seems to be in a slightly better position than it

was in last year. Here various factions have been

able to form a coalition under the chairmanship

of His Royal High¬ness Prince Sihanouk. It is our

sincere hope that this development will make it

possible for the resolutions of the General

Assembly on Kampuchea to be carried out and that

there may be a better future around the comer for

that country, which has suffered so much during

the last five years. In this connection I should

like to express my country's appreciation for the

efforts of a number of States in the region, in

par¬ticular the members of ASEAN which are

playing such a positive and effective role in

furthering the cause of peace.

54. Unfortunately there are many other areas

in the world where peace is precarious or where

efforts to reach a permanent settlement have

failed so far. One such area is Korea, where, to

my mind, better use could be made of the

possibilities for dialogue and negotiation.

55. There is another area, however, where

peace has been in danger for quite some time now

but where there is hope for a settlement in the

not too distant future. I am thinking of Namibia.

If it were indeed possible to remove the

remaining obstacles on the way to a just and

lasting solution—and, need¬less to say, that is

what we are all looking forward to—then the world

will have witnessed an encouraging example of

what can be achieved by patient and careful

mediation. In that case the United Nations and

the group of five Western States can be proud of

having contributed to the accomplishment of

independence for the people of Namibia and for

having brought peace and, one hopes, lasting

stability to a region which has gone through such

a trying period. Let me only add at this stage,

while negotiations are still continuing that the

Netherlands will gladly be of assistance during

the transition.

56. Finally, whilst I am on the subject of

peace, I should like to say a few words about the

South Atlantic. I do not intend to go deeply into

the matter for I can associate myself with what

was said yesterday on behalf of the European

Community by my colleague from Denmark. Let me

only add that we are happy to note that the

recent grave events, in which force was used,

contrary to the principles of the Charter,

especially the principle of the peaceful

settlement of disputes, are now a thing of the

past. The Netherlands continues to attach the

greatest importance to its rela¬tions with the

countries of South America with which it has many

ties. Needless to say, we are looking forward to

a further strengthening of our relations with

those countries.

57. There will be no peace without security

and there will be no security if the various arms

races taking place in the world are allowed to

continue. It is sad to note, therefore, in

particular at a time when the need for concrete

progress is so great, that the results of the

Assembly's second special session on disarmament

were so meager. We shall have to redouble our

efforts in Geneva, so as to make up for lost

time. One way of doing this is to devise ways and

means which would enable the Committee on

Disarma¬ment to carry out its mandate more

effectively.

58. Only a few blocks away from the United

Nations Office at Geneva other negotiations are

taking place which are of crucial importance to

us all. A success¬ful outcome of the talks on the

reduction of strategic arms, and, one hopes, the

scrapping of an entire category of semi-strategic

weapons, could have a decisive effect on arms

control at large, and on the security of a great

number of nations present here in New York.

59. While addressing the subject of security,

I should like to make a few remarks on United

Nations peace-keeping operations. As members

know, the Nether¬lands has been, and still is,

engaged in one of the major activities taking

place in this Held. UNIFIL, which includes a

Dutch battalion, fulfilled an important task in

keeping the peace in southern Lebanon—for a

number of years anyway. Also, some progress was

made toward the restoration of the authority of

the Lebanese Government in that part of the

country. Apart from the humanitarian assistance

given to the numerous refugees in recent months,

that has remained UNIFIL's main objective.

60. However, the difference between

peace-keeping and peace-enforcing and the

limitations under which peace-keeping forces

operate and can be expected to operate have

become painfully clear. Whenever one of the

parties to a conflict shows a total disregard for

a force of this nature and applies massive

military pressure the United Nations presence is

bound to lose much of its meaning.

61. It is impossible to speak of security

without touching upon the Security Council. It is

the nucleus of the system of collective security

which is at the very heart of this great

Organization of ours. A number of its resolutions

have acquired the status of generally recognized

international instruments. I very much agree with

the Secretary-General that it is our common task

to protect and enhance the effectiveness of the

Security Council. I assure him that he may count

on our full support when he takes it upon himself

to bring potentially dangerous situations to the

attention of the Council, as indeed Article 99 of

the Charter invites him to do. Furthermore, the

.Netherlands welcomes his intention to develop a

wider and more systematic capacity for

fact-finding in areas of potential conflict. The

strengthening of the fact-finding capa¬bility of

the Organization could be an important element in

our efforts to maintain peace and security.

62. Occasionally special circumstances have

led nations to resort to peace-keeping operations

outside the United Nations framework. This may

give cause for some concern. However, the

maintenance of peace and stability must sometimes

take precedence over considerations of an

institutional nature. My country, for its part,has

a strong preference for participation in

peace-keeping activities decided upon by the

Security Council. The Netherlands will shortly

provide the Secretary-General with an updated

offer for units to be made available for United

Nations service.

63. Peace and security are not complete

without justice. Therefore it is to justice that

I shall devote the latter part of my speech.

Justice has to do with the notion of the fair and

equitable distribution of wealth and

decision-making power. It implies that relations

between nations are based on respect for the

principle of the equal rights and

self-determination of peoples, and that citizens

are treated in accordance with the dignity

inherent in the human person. These basic rights

lie at the root of the international community's

commitment to support processes aimed at self-

reliance and to overcome poverty, in particular

in the third world. Conceived in this way,

justice assures the consent of individuals to the

way in which they are governed and the consent of

nations to the interna¬tional order. Where

justice is deficient that consent can at best be

partial and there will be a constant danger to

peace and security.

64. Let me give an example, that of Poland, a

country that was also referred to by Mr.

Elleman-Jensen when he spoke on behalf of the

European Community. Nine months ago the Polish

authorities, yielding to pressure from a powerful

neighbor, decided to impose martial law, with

ensuing large-scale viola¬tions of human rights.

We all know the result: con¬tinuing turmoil,

followed by increasing repression.

65. An important element in the search for

justice is the promotion and protection of human

rights, civil and political as well as economic,

social and cultural. The fact that human rights

have become a generally recognized subject of

international concern is one of the major

achievements of the United Nations. My coun¬try's

approach to human rights and to violation of

those rights, wherever and whenever they occur,

is im¬partial. We feel strongly that we should

fight any abuse of those rights regardless of

ideological context or geographical area. In this

connection, let me just mention our anxiety about

developments in Iran and Viet Nam. In some

Central American countries, more¬over, we see a

vicious circle of repression and rebellion,

resulting in massive human suffering and a

rapidly growing number of refugees.

66. In South Africa the constitutional and

political system continues to be based on the

hideous policy of The Netherlands remains

committed, as it has always been, to doing

everything in its power to help put an end to

that system, which is intolerable to the majority

of the population and has been rejected by the

entire international community.

67. More often than not when we discuss human

rights we do soon a country-by-country basis.

How¬ever, it is also possible to look at these

issues in a thematic way. This method has proved

to be of some value in the Commission on Human

Rights. One of its principal advantages is that

it allows for a sys¬tematic, world-wide approach

to such disturbing phenomena as enforced

disappearances, mass exoduses, summary

executions, torture, and the fate of people

advocating the implementation of interna¬tionally

agreed human rights instruments in their own

countries. This approach, which is certainly not

designed to enable individual Governments to

evade their responsibilities, has proved to be a

workable method in a number of cases, and one

which could be further developed in the future.

In this connection, I should like to draw the

attention of the Assembly to the practice of

extra-legal executions as a means of political

persecution. Some months ago Amnesty

International organized in my country an

interna¬tional conference on this intolerable

practice, which seems to be on the increase.

68. I think it cannot be denied that; on the

whole, the principles in the field of human

rights are clear and that what is needed, first

and foremost, %s implementa¬tion. Yet there

remains a need for further refinement, if only to

define the responsibilities of those who

contravene human rights and to assure for all

others, whether directly affected or not, the

right to speak up and to act whenever such

contraventions take place. States and individuals

have both the right and the duty to play an

active role in furthering the cause of justice.

This explains our satisfaction at the adop¬tion

of the Declaration on the Elimination of All

Forms of Intolerance #id of Discrimination Based

on Religion or belief by the Assembly last year

after 20 years of drafting. It also explains why

we look forward to the adoption of similar

docu¬ments on medical ethics and on the

protection of all persons under any form of

detention or imprisonment, both of which are on

the agenda of this current session.

69. The Organisation has taken a variety of

initiatives directed towards the improvement of

the position of women and young people. As the

end of the United Nations Decade for Women draws

nearer, we should make even greater efforts to

ensure the realization of its principles and

objectives, namely, full and equal participation

of women in development, in political life and in

all social activities. We shall be successful

only to the extent that we can bring about a

funda¬mental change in prevailing attitudes and

mentalities, which too often lead to

discrimination against and, thus, to the

subordination of women in our societies. The

Netherlands will participate fully in the

imple-mentation of the Convention on the

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

against Women.

70. The year in which the Decade for Women

will end, 1985, will be International Youth Year.

We attach great importance to the creation of

effective channels of communication to involve

the youth of our countries in various United

Nations activities, such as those concerned with

disarmament, arms control, develop¬ment

co-operation and human rights.

71. I need not stress the importance we

attach to United Nations activities for refugees.

During the past few years, the refugee problem

has reached staggering dimensions, particularly

in the third world. Assiduous efforts are

required to cope with this problem, and I can

only express the hope that Member States will

provide the United Nations High Com¬missioner for

Refugees with the assistance he so badly needs.

72. Finally, there are people whose situation

in some respects resembles that of refugees. They

are the migrant workers, who are dependent upon

the state of the economy in their host countries.

As a result of the current stagnation, many of

them will end up as victims of double

unemployment, both in the host country and at

home. This problem may well require our special

attention in the years to come.

73. Today, hunger is still a very real

problem for all too many people in a great number

of countries. These people do not get a fair

opportunity to earn their own living and to

provide themselves with the necessary food.

Millions cannot fulfill their basic needs. There

remains an intolerable discrepancy in living

standards, and in the opportunities to improve

them, between the industrialized and the

developing coun¬tries. Underdevelopment and

poverty are an integral part of the North-South

problem.

74. Justice requires that a wide spectrum of

measures be taken to promote the development of

the coun¬tries of the South. I am thinking of

measures in the field of sizeable and

well-defined development assis¬tance programmes,

measures of a structural nature to eliminate

bottlenecks in the areas cf trade and invest¬ment

and in the financial and monetary sphere, and

also measures to promote the exploration,

exploitation and 3ocal processing of commodities

and the search for sources of energy.

75. All these activities are destined to

contribute to the growth of the developing

countries and to a better world- vide

distribution of income and resources. We believe

that we should make a common effort to explore

ways and means to improve the international

economic order.

76. There have been numerous efforts, in

particular within the United Nations, to bring

this about. Instru¬ments for North-South

co-operation, such as the strategies for the

United Nations Development Decades, have been

devised. The implementation of such measures as

the 0.7 per cent aid target and the fight against

protectionism in trade are matters that must be

taken very seriously if justice is not to become

a hollow word. Non-implementation could, in its

effects, be almost as bad as disregard for

Security Council decisions. It is jeopardizing

co-operation between North and South, and

threatening the United Nations as an organization

whose decisions are to be taken seriously.

77. Those considerations have always guided

'my country's approach to these questions. I am

happy to add that the Netherlands' development

assistance has surpassed the 1 per cent mark.

78. The Netherlands had hoped that overall

economic co-operation based on interdependence

and solidarity between North and South could by

now have been discussed at a new round of global

negotiations. Unfortunately, we have been too

optimistic. We therefore urge all concerned to

make a serious effort to find an early solution

to the few difficulties that are still

outstanding. The world community is in urgent

need of a framework for dealing, in an

inter-related way and at a high political level,

with the key issues that bedevil international

economic relations and hamper development in the

third world.

79. In the meantime, it is important that

other nego¬tiations dealing with specific problem

areas be con¬ducted in a constructive spirit.

Solutions agreed in such negotiations should also

benefit those whose needs are greatest but who

are not in a position to offer concessions. The

notion of the survival of the fittest is not

applicable to relations between human beings or

States.

80. In a stormy and uncertain world, the

United Nations is an essential institution for

the pursuit of the two overriding and closely

interconnected objectives for international

co-operation: peace and justice. As the

Secretary-General so rightly observed, it is all

too easy to indulge in extreme and inflexible

positions. But what can one hope to accomplish by

generating rhetoric and intolerance? Instead let

us try to respect each other's views and

positions, thus paving the way for a more

meaningful dialogue.

81. With that in mind, I wish you, Mr.

President, and all those assembled here today

wisdom and good luck in the coming months. We

shall need a lot of both if we are to make

progress towards the realization of the

principles and purposes to which we are committed

as Members of the United Nations.