UN General Assembly
1961

47. As for us, we cannot be a party to manoeuvres of any kind which aim at undermining the authority and the foundations of the United Nations. In our opinion, the status quo must be maintained, and the Organization must have at its head, as in the past, a single, all-powerful but accountable head. Otherwise the torch of civilization which it bears would be but a glimmer in the gloom. 48. The small countries, which are weak like our own and have just obtained their liberty and independence, need the protection of the United Nations more than ever. To them it is not only the best instrument of peace for localizing and extinguishing any conflagration wherever it breaks out, but also a platform where they may speak freely. 49. In the past, the intervention of the United Nations has helped to prevent the spread of conflicts which, without it, might have led to a world war. Its activities