Guinea, 1982

It is with real pleasure that, on behalf of the delegation of the

Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea, we should like to extend

to Mr. Hollai our warm congratulations on his well-deserved election

to serve as President of this thirty-seventh session of the General

Assembly. My country maintains with the People's Republic of Hungary

the best relations of friendly and fraternal co-operation. We cannot

doubt that Mr. Hollai's election will indeed contribute to the

crowning of our work with just solutions to our many concerns. In the

quest for these just solutions, the President can be assured that the

delegation of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea will be

available at all times to ensure our fruitful co-operation. We should

also like to convey to the Secretary-General the warm encouragement

and high hopes of President Ahmed Sekou Toure for a successful

discharge of the lofty tasks he has assumed as the head of the

Organization. The son of a thin world country, Mr. Perez de Cuellar

will, with his recognized wisdom, be able to deal with the pressing

problems confronting the international community. This session is

taking place at a particularly difficult and disquieting moment in

international life. The aggravation of political tensions, to which

has been added a chronic and testing economic recession, is the

hallmark of our time. Thirty-seven years ago, on behalf of perceptive

humanity, the peoples of the world endorsed the Charter in San

Francisco, thereby committing themselves: "... to save succeeding

generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has

brought untold sorrow to mankind... "... to establish conditions

under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from

treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained,

and "to promote social progress and better standards of life in

larger freedom". Never had a human act and the legitimate will of

peoples raised so much hope, confidence and faith in the future of

nations. Between 1945 and 1982, 37 years have gone by; 37 years of

thought, action and experience, 37 years of efforts crowned, to be

sure, with victories, but more often ending with failure,

disappointment and bitterness. This session is thus being held at a

moment when the international situation is from various standpoints

extremely unstable. The tragedy being acted out here and there

demonstrates to the world the degree of anguish and the urgency of

the responsibilities that must be assumed. On 29 June last, at the

twelfth special session President Ahmed Sekou Toure stated from this

very rostrum, in this connection: ' War, local though it be in a

given geographic area of the world, is always universal in scope.

"War is raging in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Lebanon is under attack by Israel, and Angola by the Republic of

South Africa. In Namibia, in Western Saham, ... in Afghanistan, ...

in El Salvador ... the fires of war have not been extinguished. Human

lives are lost and property is destroyed. Violence continues

threatening the life of man and the well-being of society.

"International forums remain indifferent or powerless... Is the

unhappiness of some creating the happiness of others?" The outrageous

attitude and the extraordinary stubbornness of racist South Africa,

which is continuing not only to oppress and exploit the Coloured

people of South Africa, but is obstinately maintaining a state of war

along the Angolan border and in southern Angola and is illegally

keeping Namibia under its colonialist domination, can be cited in

this connection. The Namibian question is a question of rights, the

inalienable right of peoples to independence. There is no ambiguity

as to the correct or incorrect exercise of this right.

Alibis arising from the Cuban presence in Angola, used to perpetuate

the grip on Namibia, are unacceptable to our delegation. The Cuban

presence in Angela falls within the sovereign rights of the Peoples

Republic of Angola. Angola cannot be told to renounce that sovereign

right. The open aggression of South African troops perpetrated

against Angola is inadmissible and repugnant. It is even more

intolerable to link that act of aggression to the Namibian question.

One can never say enough about the violations of the Charter and the

open arrogance of the proponents of the shameful system of in South

Africa, maintained with the complicity of certain Powers. It would be

appropriate now to reiterate our appeal to the international

community to give material, moral and diplomatic support to SWAPO and

to all the front-line States, which are the victims of the continuing

acts of aggression perpetrated by the South African regime. The

Government of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea considers

that in view of the prevailing situation in southern Africa, the

United Nations must demand the full and immediate implementation of

Security Council resolution 435 (1978) for the decolonization and

accession to independence of Namibia, of which SWAPO is and remains

the sole legitimate representative. Elsewhere, we must recall here

the deep concern my country, the Revolutionary People's Republic of

Guinea, feels concerning Israel's arrogance in the Middle East. It is

high time for the State of Israel to face the obvious and to

understand that its peace, its development, its survival, reside

neither in its military policy, nor in war, but rather in a peaceful

and speedy settlement of the Palestinian problem. Israel's obstinate

pursuit of a policy of aggression, expansion and confiscation and

unbridled and systematic Judaization of Arab territories that it has

been occupying by force dangerously jeopardizes its own future. It is

time the world recognized that the Palestinian people, under the

aegis of the PLO, has the right to a land, to a country, to a

homeland; and that Al Quds Al Sharif should have an international

status which alone is compatible with its threefold religious

calling. The problems of the Middle East and those of southern Africa

are obviously not the only concerns of our peoples. Africa, through

its continental organization, is currently going through a serious

internal crisis. This points to the urgent necessity of finding a

just solution to the problem of Western Sahara. We consider that the

Committee established at the eighteenth session of the OAU Assembly

of Heads of State and Government should pursue its work to organize a

referendum in the Sahara. The convening of a special session of heads

of State and Government would also help to ease the crisis now

undermining and jeopardizing the moral standing of the OAU. To talk

about African problems is to talk about Chad, Mayotte, the Horn of

Africa and the serious worldwide economic recession, of which Africa

is one of the main victims. Our delegation notes with some

satisfaction the beginning of an internal improvement in Chad that

may lead to political stability and the strengthening of national

unity. It is appropriate now to appeal to all men of goodwill to

support the efforts of the Council of State of the Republic of Chad,

so that the work of national reconciliation can be completed. With

regard to the Comorian island of Mayotte, my delegation invites both

parties to conclude an agreement that would allow the return of that

island to the motherland. Another crisis is the deteriorating

situation in the Horn of Africa, the gravity of which my delegation

has constantly pointed out. Our concern is particularly great in the

light of the increasingly obvious intervention of foreign Powers in

events in that part of our continent. We call upon the two sister

countries, Ethiopia and Somalia, which are embroiled in that conflict

to turn to the art of African wisdom: constructive dialogue and

mutual tolerance. We must nurture peace where it reigns, restore it

where it has been breached, protect it where it is threatened.

Tension exists not only in Africa and the Middle East, but also in

the Mediterranean basin, in Cyprus, in the Gulf, in Korea, in

Afghanistan and in Kampuchea. Only yesterday, in the Falkland Islands

(Malvinas), such tension flared into open, murderous war. In sofar as

the situation in Cyprus is concerned, the Government of Guinea

encourages and supports all efforts at national reconciliation based

on dialogue between the Turkish and Greek communities and respect for

territorial integrity and for the unity of the Cypriot people.

With regard to the painful conflict between Iraq and the Islamic

Republic of Iran, the Islamic Peace Committee continues to do all it

can. Despite the exacerbation of hostilities in recent days it will

continue its efforts to reach a cease-fire and promote peaceful

negotiations between the two Moslem sister countries, which should by

all rights be living in peace.

Peace remains fragile or threatened in many parts of Asia. Peace is

endangered in Korea because of the continued division of that country

and foreign interference in the domestic affairs of the Korean

people. That people-in the North as in the South- seeks peace,

independence and reunification of the country, which should be one

and indivisible. My delegation reiterates its appeal to the

international community to lend continuing and resolute support to

all efforts at a final peaceful settlement of the Korean question. We

endorse the idea of turning the current armistice into a peace

agreement and effecting the withdrawal of the foreign troops

stationed in South Korea, under the aegis of the United Nations. The

Government of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea approves

the conclusions contained in the Lome Declaration, adopted in June

1982 at the African intergovernmental Conference in support of the

reunification of Korea.

In Afghanistan and Kampuchea, violation of the fundamental principle

of the Charter-non-interference in the domestic affairs of

States-which implies the inadmissibility of recourse to force in

relations among nations, is today creating tension and war. It is up

to the people of Afghanistan alone to determine freely its domestic

and external policies, without any pressure or interference.

With reference to Kampuchea, my delegation considers that a solution

to this problem will emerge from the sincere adherence of all

citizens of that country, without exception, to a minimal programme.

In this connection, the legitimacy embodied by Prince Sihanouk is one

of the components that must be taken into account.

Although the guns have been stilled in the Falkland Islands

(Malvinas), there is reason to fear that peace there remains fragile

and at risk. Recent events in the South Atlantic prompt us to support

the idea of negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom,

under United Nations auspices, in search of a peaceful solution to

the question.

This rapid review of some of the problems affecting peace and

stability in the world should serve to indicate that we are indeed

living in anxious and dangerous times, times when the spectre of the

apocalypse looming on the horizon troubles the peace of cities. At

the twelfth special session of the General Assembly President Ahmed

Sekou Toure said referring to the arms race "Indeed, is there a

decent person who is not increasingly alarmed about the negative

consequences, already disastrous in many areas, of this frantic race

being carried out at the expense of the lives of all the peoples of

the world? It is doubtful that such a person exists, for if he did

the internal light that God has given us would already have been

extinguished. This is not a problem which concerns the nuclear Powers

alone; rather, it is a whole set of concerns about which no statesman

of our era can be indifferent. "What actually is threatening peace?

It is the practice of colonialism, racism and apartheid hegemonism;

the downgrading of the fate of the so- called materially deprived

peoples; the flouting of international laws which guarantee the right

of every people to peace, security and progress." I should not like

to give the impression that I have come to this rostrum to talk only

about political problems. The order designed, desired and maintained

by those customarily called the "great" of this world persists and is

being perpetuated. Because of that iniquitous order, the rich keep

getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. The disappointment

of developing countries is justified in the light of the Declaration

on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, acclaimed

here amid general enthusiasm-a new international economic order which

shall correct inequalities and redress existing injustices, and

ensure steadily accelerating economic and social development for

present and future generations. We note with regret the lack of

political will on the part of the industrialized countries to begin

global negotiations. However, the many discussions between North and

South, the various consultations held, and the adoption of Assembly

resolution 34/138 had made it possible for the various parties to

perceive a glimmer of hope in so far as the fortunate outcome of

those meetings was concerned. It now seems more indispensable than

ever for the developing countries to promote a sound and viable

co-operation among themselves. An open and frank South-South dialogue

would, we are convinced, make it possible for the developing

countries to reinforce their unity of action and to reaffirm their

common determination to solve the many problems arising from the

requirements of integrated and endogenous development. The only

possible way to ensure equality in North-South co-operation is to

establish fruitful relations of co-operation based on justice and the

reciprocity of interests, with the United Nations as the framework

for negotiations. Above and beyond economic difficulties, our

countries in some cases have to contend with natural disasters, which

remain the lot of the third world. In this connection, my delegation

believes that the restoration of the Fouta-Djallon Massif in West

Africa would make it possible for that subregion of Africa to play

its part as a regulator and supplier of water for West Africa and

would also make it possible to combat the problem of desertification

and its many disastrous consequences. By giving massive aid for the

implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification in

Africa, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 34/185, the

international community would be fulfilling its duty to act in

solidarity-indeed, to take preventive action-within the framework of

international co-operation. We shall continue to repeat that, in our

legitimate desire to perfect the Organization and to make it possible

for the majority of Member States to play a full and responsible part

in solving the serious problems that afflict the world, we consider

it indispensable to begin to reform the structures of the United

Nations and its operations. As we said two years ago from this very

rostrum, the vitality of any institution depends on its ability to

adapt to the times and to events. We still believe that if we wish to

make international relations more democratic-and indeed we must do

so-the democratization of the Organization is essential. We therefore

reiterate our appeal that the Charter be revised so as to ensure

equitable representation of all the regions of the world within the

discussion and decision-making bodies. It would then be possible to

give the United Nations system the power to intervene effectively in

the settlement of conflicts by peaceful means and to promote a policy

of balanced co-operation among nations on a footing of equality.