Senegal, 1982

I should like first of all to express the

heartfelt congratulations of the Senegalese

delegation to you, Sir, on your brilliant

election to the presidency of the Assembly. Your

long experience in the United Nations, your

unanimously recognized competence, your solid

intellectual and moral qualities is all a

guarantee of the success of this important

session.

84. It is also a great pleasure for me to pay

a tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Kittani, for

the remarkable way in which he conducted the

debates at the thirty- sixth session. We express

these feelings to him, with pride and

appreciation, convinced that the results attained

at the many sessions that took place this year

are due in large measure to the expertise and

intelligent authority that he demonstrated in

accomplishing his delicate task.

85. I wish to pay a tribute also to the

Secretary- General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, for his

tireless efforts and to congratulate him warmly

once again on behalf of Mr. Abdou Diouf,

President of the Republic of Senegal, and on

behalf of the Government and people of Senegal,

on his election as Secretary-General. For almost

a year now, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, through his

repeated initiatives and courageous actions, has

been engaged in the promising beginning of work

that Will be remembered in history as

particularly positive for the peace and security

of the world.

86. The thirty-seventh session of the General

Assembly is opening at an especially disquieting

time in international affairs with an increase

and intensification of hotbeds of tension and

various conflicts as well as an ever-worsening

imbalance in political and economic relations

among nations. Thus relations between the major

Powers are steadily deteriorating, the prospects

for effective disarmament seem to be receding and

throughout the world the problems dividing

peoples are multiplying dangerously. Moreover,

progress in reorganizing the world economy on a

more just and agreed basis is perilously slow.

87. We must therefore determine how to use

the framework, structures and procedures provided

us by the United Nations to improve, in peace and

stability, the situation of the world.

88. In contributing to this debate, we should

like to express first of all, on behalf of Mr.

Abdou Diouf, head of State, and of our country,

Senegal, the fervent hope that at this session

the Assembly will not shy away from the need for

a lucid analysis of the problems confronting the

international community nor from the courageous

and persistent search for the most appropriate

solutions, so that mankind may at last come to

experience an era of peace, security and

prosperity in the very spirit of the Charter of

the United Nations.

89. Indeed, the situation facing the

community of nations is but a sign that the

international order which was established after

the Second World War has run its course. Among

the anomalies in this international order,

colonialism and apartheid have shown exceptional

longevity. Outlawed by the international

community for many years now for its odious

system of government, South Africa, supported

materially, financially and militarily by certain

industrialized States, still arrogantly ignores

the resolutions and recommendations of the

Organization. Today, four and a half years after

the adoption of the settlement plan which was to

have led Namibia to independence, the Pretoria

racist regime is still trying, through

unspeakable maneuvers, to promote the

establishment of a so-called internal

Settlementóas though the edifying example of

Zimbabwe had not demonstrated the fate that

history unfailingly reserves for that type of

undertaking. Not satisfied with trampling

underfoot the resolutions and decisions of the

United Nations, the Government of South Africa

persists in its use of violence and repression

against Namibian patriots while perpetrating ever

more acts of aggression against neighbouring

States in general, and in particular, against

Angola, part of whose territory remains occupied

illegally by Pretoria's troops.

90. It is none the less a fact that the mobilization

of South Africa's political and military

apparatus can in no way affect the outcome of the

freedom fight waged by our brothers of the South

West Africa People's Organization.

91. A year ago, during the eighth special

session of the General Assembly, devoted to the

question of Namibia, a good number of us still

harbored the hope that 1982 would be the year of

independence for Namibia. Those hopes were

dashed, basically because of the delaying tactics

of the Pretoria leaders. In fact, in response to

the responsible and courageous attitude taken by

SWAPO in the negotiations initiated by the

contact group of the five Western countries,

South Africa, running out of pretexts, is today

attempting to give an East-West dimension to a

strictly colonial-type problem by making new

demands of certain sovereign States in the region

at every stage.

92. My delegation wishes once again to appeal

to the group of Western countries that initiated

the settlement plan to bring more pressure to

bear on the Pretoria regime to induce it, in the

negotiations under way, to comply with the

provisions of Security Council resolution 435

(1978), the only valid framework in which a

solution in accordance with the legitimate

aspirations of the Namibian people can be founds

93. In this respect, it is fitting to

underscore the efforts undertaken, in sometimes

difficult conditions, by the five countries of

the contact group. May they find in our words

renewed encouragement to continue these efforts,

because a solution to the Namibian problem will

be an important stage towards peace and stability

in that part of the world?

94. We say "stage" because genuine peace

cannot be established in southern Africa so long

as the racist minority continues to deny the

majority in South Africa itself the fundamental

right to a life of dignity and freedom. The

condemned system of apartheid, which has created

a dangerous and explosive situation throughout

southern Africa, calls for active solidarity on

the part of all of us with the oppressed majority

of South Africa. I take this opportunity to

reaffirm here, on behalf of my country, the

determination of the Government and the people of

Senegal to continue to provide aid and support

to our brothers in South Africa organized in the

African National Congress and the Pan Africanist

Congress.

95. At the other end of the continent,

Western Sahara is today the basis for problems

which Africa couM and should have been able to

avoid. We in Senegal continue to hope that a

dynamic African-style compromise will be found

soon in order to extract the continental

organization from the present dangerous impasse.

96. As for the Comorian island of Mayotte, we

shall continue to encourage the parties concerned

to engage in constant dialogue and we reiterate

our readiness to do everything within our means

to help them to do that.

97. It often happens that on the eve of a

session an important event moves to front stage

on the international scene. This applies today

to the Middle East crisis. The deterioration of

the situation in that part of the world has now

reached alarming proportions. The problem before

us in that region is all the mote alarming

because the Security Council has still not

managed to obtain the implementation of the

measures it has adopted to achieve the

restoration of a just peace in that area through

respect for the immutable principles of

international law.

98. Since the last three sessions of the

General Assembly, the Israeli leaders have not

confined themselves to making further claims on

the occupied Arab territories: they have again

moved into action with the annexation of the

eastern part of the city of Jerusalem in June

1980, action which the international community

condemned in the most categorical terms and which

my country, Senegal, continues to oppose within

the Al Quds Committee of the Organization of the

Islamic Conference.

100. Thus, after having annexed the Syrian Golan

Heights last December, the Tel Aviv authorities,

deaf to the repeated appeals of the international

community, seem today to have decided to

accelerate the process of annexing the occupied

territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,

while the occupation of part of the Lebanese

territory continues. The criminal massacre just

a few days ago of innocent Palestinian

civiliansówomen, children and the

elderlyóunfortunate once again demonstrates a

policy which is immoral and categorically

condemned by international law. By that new act

of blind violence, Israel has once become an

outlaw in our communally, which has M down its

rules for peaceful and sound coexistence based on

philosophical and political principles that have

constituted and still constitute the positive

extension of all that is lofty and great in the

history of human endeavor.

101. Need we recall the bloody premeditated

invasion of Lebanon by Israel in June 1982, with

the avowed purpose of drowning the resistance of

Palestinian patriots in blood? The military

liquidation of the PLO, in Israeli logic, was

designed to allow the Tel Aviv authorities to

impose on the inhabitants of the occupied

territories an ' autonomous" status which would

only facilitate the final annexation of the

territories occupied by force since 1967. The

blind massacre of Lebanese id Palestinian

civilians therefore compounded the most serious

challenge that has ever been posed to the

authority of the Organization.

102. Thus defying with impunity the authority

of the United Nations, Israel continues to demand

that the legitimate rights of the peoples of the

region be sacrificed to the imperatives of its

so-called security. It is clear that the United

Nations could not and cannot accept the dangerous

prospect of such a situation.

103. The Palestinian nation exists; it is

built on suffering and frustration and seasoned

by years of struggle for freedom and

independence. As it hails the courage and

determination with which the valiant Palestinian

patriots continue to resist the repeated assaults

of the Israeli aggressor, my country, Senegal,

wishes solemnly to reaffirm here its constant and

unswerving support of the Palestinian cause,

under the guidance of its authentic and

legitimate representative, the PLO, courageously

led by Yasser Arafat, to whom I wish here, on

behalf of my country, to pay a heartfelt tribute

for the admirable and victorious way in which for

several weeks he organized the heroic Palestinian

resistance in west Beirut. To that I add the

support of the Senegalese people for the brother

people of Lebanon which, through its dignity and

spirit of self-sacrifice, is providing the world

a living example of its genius and capacity for

survival.

104. The Committee on the Exercise of the

Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People,

over which my country has the honor to preside,

long ago outlined the framework for a just and

comprehensive solution of the Middle East

question. In the past as today, our basic

objective must be to implement the

recommendations of that Committee, as well as

those of the

Security Council, so that the Palestinian people

will not lose hope in the triumph of

international law, for, if it did, that would

only pointlessly prolong a tragedy whose outcome

in the short or long run is perfectly clear:

nothing can be imposed on a people which refuses

to submit.

105. The stakes are high. At issue is the

credibility of the United Nations in small

countries and with oppressed peoples, which, like

the Palestinian people, are only claiming their

right to freedom and independence.

106. It makes our countries very bitter to

note that the indifference to the appeals of the

community of nations has become almost deafness

today when problems directly affecting the

freedom and dignity of third-world peoples are

involved. Like the peoples of South Africa,

Namibia and Palestine, the peoples of Kampuchea

and Afghanistan remain subject to laws imposed

upon them by foreign Borders in defiance of the

principles of the Charter, in all those cases the

Nations has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of

the occupying troops and the restoration the

sovereignty of those States by the formation of legitimately

chosen government. My country, Senegal with

continue to support law and justice, which are on

the side of those who are subjected by force to

intolerable situation, as is the case today of

Kampuchea and Afghanistan.

107. With respect more particular to the

problem of Kampuchea, the Net/ Committee Mel's

was created by the International Conference

convened on the question in July 1981óa Committee

ever which my country presidesóis continuing it?,

efforts to formulate concrete proposals so Chat

negotiations may at last take place, to the

benefit of the Kampuchean people, which has

suffered so much from this tragedy. True, a

solution is certainly not yet in sight, but there

is reason for hope, as attested to by the

formation last June of coalition government

composed of the various components of the heroic

resistance of the people of Kampuchea.

108. With regard to Afghanistan, my country

has been following with sustained interest the

efforts made by the Secretary-General to achieve

an acceptable solution to this problem in the

true interest of this sorely tried brother

people. We remain ready, in the name of

solidarity among nations and the principles

contained in the Charter, to contribute to these

peace efforts within the limits of our modest

possibilities, convinced as we are that a

stubborn desire to find a solution by force will

simply pointlessly prolong the tragedy of the

people of Afghanistan and serve only to increase

tension among the States of the region.

109. As for the distressing Iraq-Iran

conflict, the international community should show

greater tenacity by increasing and strengthening

the efforts already undertaken under various

auspices to induce the two belligerents to settle

their dispute by peaceful means, within the

framework of a comprehensive, just and honorable

solution. The Islamic Peace Committee,

established in January 1981 at Taif, the

mediation committee of the movement of

non-aligned countries, and the United Nations

have made praiseworthy efforts in this

connection; the international community should

encourage pursuit of those efforts in order to

put an end to a conflict with many repercussions

for international security.

110. We should also give our attention to the

question of Korea. The principle of

reunification, which has been accepted by both

countries, should be encouraged by the

Organization.

111. Peace through law, the basis for 4he

foundation of the United Nations, has not yet

been established as a guarantee of international

security. Quite the contrary, peace through

terror seems to have replaced the rule of law in

a world now more than ever before dominated by

clashes between the interests of Powers and

ideologies.

112. While many decisions of the Organization

remain unimplemented, 3th race for destructive

power continues inexorably, posing an increasing

threat to the pea e and security of our planet.

113. The difficulty of changing this

situation, which is so dangerous for the future

of mankind, has just been demonstrated once again

by the failure of the second special session of

the General Assembly devoted to disarmament,

which had inspired legitimate hope in all those,

like us, for whom halting the arms race is one of

the major concerns of our time. It is

disquieting, to say the least, the sum

international situation which is constantly

deteriorating, at that session it was not

possible to achieve some minimal results; this

points to a lack of genuine political will to

achieve progress. But the fact that that session

did not lead to concrete results only strengthens

our attachment to the historic validity of the

Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of

the General Assembly and to the comprehensive

program of disarmament prescribed therein, which

has become more imperative than ever. That

failure, however regrettable it may be, must not

win out over our determination to redouble our

efforts to succeed in the task of disarmament,

which remains one of the essential keys to

international peace and security.

114. Important items on the agenda of that session ófor

example, those concerning studies, the

improve-ment of the effectiveness of

institutional machinery for disarmament and new

initiativesówere not considered substantively.

Along with other delegations present here, we

hope that this thirty-seventh session will

provide us with the opportunity to go more deeply

into these matters in our debates; they have the

highest priority of any, for on them depends the

security of the world.

115. While current political events are a

source of preoccupation for the international

community, the economic situation, too, points to

the need to mobilize all possible political will

to make genuine progress. Indeed, if there are

anomalies in international political relations,

these exist alsoóand certainly to a greater

extentóin economic relations among nations. It is

good that everyone has realized this and that

there is unanimous agreement that one of the

great problems of our day is the revision of

economic relations, particular between the rich

countries and the poor countries.

116. That problem is all the more crucial

because the disparities in the world economy,

especially between North and Southóand their

consequences for international co-operation for

developmentófoster a practically chronic

instability in world political relations.

117. Within nations, revolutions have always

resulted from injustice, abuses and social

inequalities But this time the shock-waves could

affect the international order itself, for we are

heartened by a vast worldwide confrontation

which could bring the rich of the world into

dangerous collision with the poor.

H8. Unfortunately, this year, like past years,

has provided a significant illustration of the

inadequacy of the efforts made by the developed

countries on behalf of the developing countries.

119. There is, of course, some cause for

satisfaction, such as the successful outcome of

the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of

the Sea. But the various summits of the countries

of the North have not lived up with the

expectations of the countries of the South. They

have not resulted in the necessary decisions,

which would have been such as to lead to a

resumption of the North-South dialogue.

120. In our view, the thirty-seventh session

of the General Assembly is all the more important

because of the solutions it must strive to find

for the many imbalances at present facing the

international economy. In that connection, this

session should promote the launching of global

negotiations, which will provide a long-term

framework for changing the present irrational and

unjust system of international economic relations.

121. The head of State of Senegal, President

Abdou Diouf, has constantly emphasized the

special im-portance attached by my country to the

launching of global negotiations in order to

promote the international co-operation they are

bound to foster. For three years the General

Assembly has been adopting by consensus

resolutions concerning the global round of

negotiations. It is urgent; we feel that the

necessary political will will finally emerge in

order to bring about the consensus needed to open

the negotiations on an acceptable and just basis.

122. I now come to a question to which my

Government attaches very great importance. I

refer to the drafting by the Organization of an

international convention against the

recruitment, use, financing and training of

mercenaries.

123. The Government of Senegal, indeed, has

always defended here and elsewhere, on every

occasion, the principles recognized by the United

Nations, including those regarding the

independence, national sovereignty and equality

in law of States, non-interference in their

internal affairs, and the non-use of force in

relations between States. There is no need to

stress that respect for those principles is an

important condition for the establishment of

international peace and security.

124. In that spirit, my Government believes

that no consideration of any kind can justify the

recruitment, use, financing and training of

mercenaries, or armed support for the actions of

certain groups which rise up in rebellion against

the legal Governments of sovereign States.

125. It will be recalled that my country was a

sponsor of the text adopted as resolution 35/48

and played an active part in its adoption by the

Assembly. That resolution established the Ad hoc

Committee on the Drafting if an International

Convention against the Recruitment, Use,

Financing and Training of Mercenaries. We played

that role because Senegal believes that an

international convention on the subject would

make a contribution to the elimination of a major

cause of disturbances and destabilization in

relations between States.

126. The threat posed by the activities of

mercenaries in the third world in general, and

in Africa in particular, has been growing.

Unfortunately, despite the impressive number of

resolutions adopted by the Security Council and

the General Assembly, as well as by the

Organization of African Unity [OAU] condemning

the activities of mercenaries, it can easily be

stated that the recruitment and use of

mercenaries, with orders to take destabilizing

action in independent African countries, has not,

it seems to us, noticeably diminished.

127. In the face of that situation, the

African countries, through the OAU, have adopted

a convention on the elimination of mercenarism in

Africa. But that legal instrument is of only

regional scope and cannot solve the problem

throughout the world. To do that, there must be a

contribution by all the States members of the

community of nations, for most of those

mercenaries come from non-African countries.

Thus, only rational international co-operation

can rid the African continent and the rest of the

third world of the constant grave threat posed by

that danger.

128. It is therefore the responsibility of the

Organization, and more specifically the General

Assembly, to draw up and adopt as swiftly as

possible the text of an international convention

against the recruitment, use, training and

financing of mercenaries in order to respond

adequately to the hopes the international

community has placed and continues to place in

the Organization.

129. In this connection we should like to

welcome the draft convention that has been

introduced by Nigeria. We would venture to hope

that the Ad Hoc Committee will continue to give

this document all the attention its urgency and

importance merit. Furthermore, it is to be hoped

that the Ad Hoc Committee will not fail in its

mandate and that, after the recent adoption by

the General Assembly of the International

Convention against the Taking of Hostages, a

convention on mercenaries will complement the

range of legal instruments adopted by the United

Nations in order to provide effective protection

of human rights and the rights of peoples

throughout the world.

130. The confidence which we place in the

United Nations has prompted us at this session to

reaffirm with all sincerity our earnest

commitment to seeking a permanent solution to the

burning issues of the present day. If relations

among nations are to be based on genuine peaceful

coexistence, it is essential that conciliation

rather than conflict, co-operation rather than

confrontation, be the general rule in these

relations. Only thus can our ultimate goalóto

bring about world peace on a total basis and in

perpetuity, together with prosperity and

justiceóbe achieved. To that end, a restructuring

of the Organization is more necessary than ever.

131. In the state of restless change that is

the fundamental law of our present-day worldóand

never has change been as swift as it is todayóit

is essential that peoples and institutions adapt

to new conditions. The United Nations, our

Organization, can be no exception.

132. The revision or, rather, the adaptation

of the Charter to the present international

situation is essential if we are to enhance the

effectiveness of the United Nations in settling

problems relating to peace and security

throughout the world. In this connection the

delegation of Senegal, in accordance with

instructions received from its Government, would

like to reiterate its support for and confidence

in the Special Committee on the Charter of the

United Nations and on the Strengthening of the

Role of the Organization and would encourage it

to pursue its work actively so as to conclude its

mandate as expeditiously as possible.

133. It should not be forgotten that, by

virtue of the role it has played and continues to

play in the major turning-points in the history

of mankind, the United Nations remains the

support and hope, the refuge and benchmark for

nations in their ceaseless quest for peace and

happiness. It is for that reason that Senegal

Supports it and pledges its co-operation in its

historic, noble and inspiring work for the

survival of mankind.