102.	Mr. President, I wish to begin by expressing the gratification of the Government of the State of Bahrain at your election to preside over the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly. We are looking forward with hope to a successful session under your wise leadership. I should also like to pay a tribute to our former President, Mr. Trepczynski, for the manner in which he directed the work of the previous session. Also, I should like to welcome the presence at this session of the delegations of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic and the presence of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as full-fledged Members of this Organization.
103.	The present session of the General Assembly has witnessed major developments in the relations between the big Powers. This has been the culmination of a series of events which took place during the last two years and which heralds a new era of relaxation in international tension and co-operation among the big Powers.
104.	The restitution of the lawful rights of China in the United Nations [resolution 2758 (XXVI)/ has-been one of the encouraging factors in the new international climate. Meanwhile, there are many serious pending problems which urgently need action. We should not neglect these questions simply because they are not of immediate interest to the big Powers. In the view of my country, colonialism, apartheid and poverty have a large impact on the future of international relations and will adversely influence the international climate unless we grapple with these persistent problems and find a speedy solution for them which is not based on expediency but which will be in conformity with the dictates of right and justice.
105.	I shall start with the Middle East question which contains elements of all the evils I have just alluded to, namely, colonialism, racism and poverty.
106.	It is not my intention to review the Middle East question with which Members are all familiar. The question is now so well known that the peace-loving peoples all over the world take every opportunity to express their support for the Palestinian people and their just cause and insist on the withdrawal of Israel from the territories it occupied in 1967.
107.	In the beginning of this month, more than 70 nations and Heads of State met in Algeria for the Fourth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non- Aligned Countries, representing more than half of the population of the world, and adopted a momentous resolution regarding this question. This resolution, which contains practical measures for settling this question, should serve as an incentive to our Organization for taking appropriate action to uphold the rule of law and restore to the victims of Israeli aggression their lawful rights. I shall quote the main provisions of this resolution, which now forms part of the Political Declaration of the Conference:
"In the Middle East, the situation continues to give rise to deep concern. Israel's obstinate persistence in its policy, of aggression, expansion and annexation, as well as its policy of oppression directed against the inhabitants of the territories occupied by force, is a challenge to the international community, the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a threat to international peace and security.
"Drawing renewed attention to the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territories by force, the Conference calls for immediate and unconditional withdrawal by Israel from all the occupied territories, and pledges itself to assist Egypt, Syria and Jordan in liberating their occupied territories by every means.
4
"In this connexion, the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinian people is a basic prerequisite for the establishment of an equitable and lasting peace in the
area. The struggle of the Palestinian people to recover their usurped homeland is an integral part of the struggle of all people against colonialism and racial discrimination and for self-determination. Member countries of the Conference call upon all States, and in particular the United States of America, to abstain from providing Israel with arms, or any political, economic or financial support which may enable it to continue its aggressive and expansionist policy.

"The Conference gives its firm support to and expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people in their sore trial and the heavy sacrifices it is making to recover its national dignity and entity."
108.	As long as the aggressive Zionist State is dispossessing the Palestinian people of their homeland and rights, and is illegally occupying territories of three Arab countries, the world will not witness peace, as this troubled situation could explode at any moment, exposing our civilization to the danger of devastation. Bahrain would like to see the United Nations playing its proper and effective role in world affairs and see the countries which hold in their hands the key to the solution of this dangerous situation take an active part in doing so rather than stand aloof as mere observers.
109.	This year, the United Nations will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Bahrain is looking forward to participating ii this celebration. Bahrain attaches great importance to safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms for all peoples. It is significant to note in this respect that the new Constitution of Bahrain, which was approved by the Constituent Assembly, upholds the rights of the citizens of Bahrain in civil, political and social affairs. The Constitution of Bahrain is a solid foundation for a democratic life supported by both the people and the Government of Bahrain. One of the aims of the Constitution is to maintain the dignity and worth of the people of Bahrain and lead them to an honourable and fruitful life.
110.	This year a major step towards world peace has been achieved by the signature of the cease-fire agreements in Viet-Nam. Nations all over the world have shown their relief at the cease-fire in that part of the world. Nevertheless, the situation in Indo-China is still precarious and may threaten the stability of political and economic life in that area. Accordingly, we hope that all parties involved will work towards the ending of hostilities and armed confrontation.
111.	It is true that it is not in the interest of nations that the arms race should continue at a time when millions of people are living in misery and poverty. Statistics indicate that some $200,000 million a year are spent on military activities, while only half this amount-is spent on economic and social development. The world has not yet forgotten the destruction inflicted on human civilization by the last two world wars. So long as the arms race is not curbed, the threat of another world war will remain with us. The United Nations, through the goodwill and determination of its Members, can call a halt to the arms race and the production and stockpiling of destructive weapons. It is high time that the United Nations should play a more effective role in achieving general and complete disarmament and that Member States should meet their moral obligations towards the nations of the world, which are longing for peace and security.
112.	The Indian Ocean is a vital area for the many nations who want it to be a zone of peace. The United Nations has declared that the Indian Ocean is a zone of peace [resolution 2832 (XXVI)] and should not be used as an arena for military activities which endanger the political and economic stability of the littoral and hinterland States. Bahrain, which declared its approval of this principle, appeals to all other nations to do the same and to refrain from jeopardizing the peace and stability of this area. Also, we believe that the Gulf area should also remain free from big-Power rivalries and foreign intervention.
113.	Another aspect of global unrest is the policy of apartheid and racial discrimination. The United Nations has in the past spared no effort to combat these policies and practices through the resolutions that were adopted year after year. Nevertheless, these efforts have been in vain, mainly because those who carry out such practices persist in their wrong-doing and turn a deaf ear to all voices that condemn them. Moreover, these racist regimes are able to adhere to their vicious policies because of the moral and material support they receive from some other industrially advanced countries. The latter claim to be among those who laid the foundation of human rights, while at the same time they support racist regimes which suppress the indigenous populations and deny them their fundamental freedoms and inalienable human rights.
114.	Colonialism and apartheid are crimes against humanity and can no longer be condoned. The international community must compel colonial and racist regimes to give up these odious practices.
115.	The liberation movements in Africa are legitimate causes that must be supported and encouraged. Every nation on this earth has the right to self-determination, which, if denied, can be achieved through armed struggle. Bahrain confirms its support for the legitimate struggle of the peoples of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and the Cape Verde Islands.
116.	In 1970, the United Nations initiated the Second United Nations Development Decade with a view to achieving the target of raising the national income of developing countries by 6 per cent. In order to achieve this objective there must be international co-operation, and in this respect the developed countries can help a great deal. Nobody can deny that the developing countries are primarily responsible for their own development. However, this should not prevent the developed countries from helping to improve the standard of living in the developing countries. The offer of technical assistance and the provision of financial aid can diminish the wide gap between the poor and the rich countries.
117.	The increasing problems of the environment are placing a new challenge before those who are endeavouring
to find solutions to combat them. No State whatsoever is immune from the problems of pollution of the environment. The United Nations has initiated an environmental programme and has set up a secretariat entrusted with the duty of following up the programme. It is hoped that all nations will co-operate amongst themselves and with the various international organizations in the struggle to combat the problems of pollution.
118.	Now that we are meeting in this grand Assembly to discuss the matters included in our agenda, which may exceed 100 items in number, we should look back on the work of our Organization to see whether it has achieved its aims and purposes, particularly the maintenance of international peace and security.
119.	The United Nations has been exceptionally ineffective in maintaining international peace and security. To take one significant example, our Organization succeeded in repelling the aggression committed by Israel during the Suez war in 1956, while it has so far been unable to compel Israel to renounce the fruits of its aggression in 1967.
120.	It is our fervent hope that the lessons of the past will be heeded and that the General Assembly will take effective measures to maintain and promote the aims and purposes of the United Nations. Meanwhile, I would take this opportunity to reiterate my country's firm support of the principles and ideals of the Charter and to proclaim its co-operation with the Secretary-General, who needs our help and whole-hearted assistance in the noble cause he is working for.


It should not be surprising that, for a citizen of the third world like me, it is difficult to speak once again before this Assembly-difficult because I cannot forgo accomplishing my duty to express here the point of view of my Government on the important problems which preoccupy us collectively.
2.	I cannot be pleased at having to denounce here once again, in the same circumstances, exactly the same evils-in spite of the rather fragile hopes that have appeared in the South-East Asian region. Members must understand that I am concerned over all the factors that have been created and maintained to aggravate and perpetuate underdevelopment in the third world.
3.	I rise up against retrograde selfishness on the part of all those who-while our common destiny depends upon universal solidarity-are still hesitating about co-operating frankly in keeping the weakest and the most destitute among us from achieving social well-being. I rise up against the constant threat of weapons of destruction which is weighing upon mankind. Lastly and especially I rise up against the abject conditions of colonialism, apartheid and occupation which still hold Africa in bondage, in spite of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and contrary to the spirit of our Charter.
4.	I am therefore obliged to re-examine with members the same problems that have been debated at such length- problems of economic and social development, problems of international co-operation, problems of universal peace and, of course, problems of the sacred right of all peoples on earth, and in particular the Africans, to decide upon their own future.
5. All those preoccupations would, of course, have made me pessimistic if we had not had a man of the dimension of Mr. Benites to preside over our Assembly. An erudite jurist, a politician well informed about, and fully acquainted with, this house and all the problems that we shall have to debate here, he is certainly the President that we were awaiting in order to find together the solutions that our apprehensions call for. On his election, which was so brilliant because it was well deserved and justified, I offer him the heartfelt congratulations of my delegation.
6.	With Mr. Kurt Waldheim, our Secretary-General, who is always between two aeroplane flights in his aim of getting first-hand knowledge of the various problems with which our Organization is confronted, Mr. Benites forms a team of distinguished men whose competence and dedication to the service of the world make it possible for us not to have doubts about the United Nations and to look forward to the future. My delegation assures the President, and all his colleagues in the General Committee and in the Secretariat, of our gratitude.
7.	The same feelings guide my memories of the President and the General Committee of the twenty-seventh session.
8.	In rushing to the United Nations as soon as they had acceded to political independence, we, the small countries, thought first and foremost that we would be part of a great human collectivity within which mutual understanding could engender greater justice. In our view, that justice necessarily had to begin with a better considered distribution of riches and consumer goods and all the other means which make it possible to struggle effectively against ignorance, disease and poverty.
9.	Our attachment to that ideal was all the deeper as we had total confidence in the industrialized countries, which, following one of the greatest conflagrations they had inflicted upon the world, had succeeded in placing before our eyes the new charter of a better future based upon a thousand altruistic obligations.
10.	But, after 28 years and in spite of a better-organized and more profitable exploitation of our riches, our purchasing power is decreasing, whereas the industrialized nations are selling their products at higher and higher prices; so we grow poorer for the benefit of those very nations which are becoming richer and richer.
11.	So, I repeat, after 28 years three quarters of mankind suffers from famine while a minority has surplus in its agriculture, and enormous sums continue to be sacrificed to sterile purposes while millions of children grow up illiterate because it is not possible for us to give them teachers,

classrooms, books-in a word, all that is necessary for them to become citizens worthy of our society.
12.	As it now stands, the economic and social situation of the world must preoccupy the United Nations and lead its specialized agencies to restructure themselves in order better to help our States tackle the various aspects of the problems of underdevelopment that weigh upon us. It is an absurdity to try to deal with world peace before attempting to eliminate from the world the fundamental causes of social inequality which lead men to destroy each other through violence.
13.	Only when those causes have been eliminated will our faith in international co-operation as an indispensable means in the service of development be justified. There is no doubt at all that the Central African Customs and Economic Union, the European Common Market, the Group of 77 and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [UNCTADJ, to which Gabon is making its modest contribution, are not in our view exclusive clubs for this co-operation.
14.	My country is prepared to co-operate with the whole world and, repeating the statement of His Excellency Mr. Albert Bernard Bongo, President of the Gabonese Republic, I would say that our only policy is to continue to give our peoples the means of emerging from underdevelopment.
15.	We agree that other efforts should be joined to ours, provided that those who want to help us in this noble task by offering their co-operation to us respect our sovereignty. And it is not through any accident that our President, Albert Bernard Bongo, upon his accession to power, signed an "investment code" for all those who sincerely wish to help us; that code recognizes that businessmen who come to our country have a right to make a fair profit.
16.	In regard to our sovereignty, I wish to go beyond the strict framework of the political situation exclusively and to speak of the full enjoyment of the riches which a generous and bountiful nature has placed upon our soil and buried within our subsoil and under our waters. Such a sovereignty can suffer no restriction. We intend to remain, in spite of our limited means and possibilities, the only masters of our soil, of which our territorial sea to a limit of 100 miles is an integral part.
17.	This affirmation is in no way inconsistent With our universalist orientation. It is simply an explanation of the reality that we Gabonese, while prepared to co-operate for our economic development, do not intend to have any of our national wealth exploited to the detriment of our people. And if naturally we are in favour of the exploitation of the sea-bed for peaceful purposes, we reject its spoliation.
18.	But how can we prepare and develop this cooperation, how can we improve the, standard of living of our peoples in a world which is uncertain of its own future, a world replete with weapons of destruction, a world in which those who have more than others are spending more for war than for the general well-being?

19.	Of course, the Powers responsible for our collective peace have been able to avoid the worst by opening treaties for our signature; of course, an important document has been drafted and signed prohibiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons." All these measures, including the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament, are so much evidence of a genuine desire to achieve peace.
20.	But the Government of Gabon is still asking itself, What is the purpose of the bombs that were already stored before the publication and entry into force of the text to which I have referred?
21.	To set our fears to rest for all time and to provide a satisfactory reply to all the small countries which are only dreaming of peace, there is a solution: formally to prohibit the manufacture of new nuclear weapons and immediately to establish international commissions for the systematic destruction of existing stockpiles. Not to accept that would mean purely and simply, as far as we are concerned, to shirk the sincere search for peace.
22.	The Powers concerned which adopted our point of view would emerge ennobled by their decision. As for our world, enjoying the resources thus liberated and delivered from its anguish, it would at last know true happiness.
23.	It is because of our faith in the principles of our Organization that I come to set forth here the thinking of my Government.
24.	However, for every African, for every citizen of the third world, as well as for all peoples imbued with lofty moral values, there is very little hope of achieving this world that we all desire as long as colonialism and apartheid are still the rule in Africa and one of the greatest peoples of our continent is still under military occupation.
25.	And yet, following the signature of the Charter at San Francisco, the African peoples, which had seen scores of thousands of their people die in order to help others reconquer their freedom, had seriously hoped that, because of the new international code, the day had at last come when they could enjoy independence.
26.	Indeed their hope was well founded; the freedom of peoples being inalienable, the France of Charles de Gaulle and the British Crown had decided in favour of honour, greatness and the future by substituting for the basically fragile ties of domination the almost indestructible relations of friendship, confidence and co-operation. The evidence is there that people who can have the most confidence in their common destiny are those who have forgotten their relations of the past in order to build a future through mutual consent.
27.	It is unthinkable to observe that in Guinea-Bissau, the Cape Verde Islands, Angola, Mozambique, Cabinda and the Sao Tome and Principe islands genocide still goes on, punctuated by unjustified massacres of the aged, of pregnant women and of children, who are daily burned with napalm. An entire village of 200 inhabitants has just

been stricken from the map of Mozambique. And, as if it were living in a dream world, Portugal continues to believe that its country is part of Central Africa.
28.	To complete this anachronistic picture, racism of the most humiliating and repugnant kind is still prevalent in South Africa, Namibia and Rhodesia. The African populations, on the soil of their ancestors, live in conditions so well known that it appears superfluous to us to refer to them here once again.
29.	Indeed, the allied regimes of Portugal and South Africa, having remained deaf to the voice of reason, the African peoples concerned have risen up in the armed struggle which has been imposed upon them by the colonial systems. Blood is flowing and the United Nations is neutralized through the intrigues of the settlers.
30.	But everyone knows "hat this situation could not last were the Portuguese Government alone and if the white minorities of Southern Africa did not have outside support, making it possible for them to defy world public opinion with impunity.
31.	As for the Middle East problem, it is the responsibility of the great Powers to restore the Jarring mission in order to find agreement within the framework of Security Council resolution 242 (1967), The recent refusal of Egypt and Israel to have this resolution amended makes it possible to think that each of the parties finds it acceptable.
32.	While we are pleased to see among us the qualified representatives of the German people, we should not lose sight of the other divided States-the two Viet-Nams and the two Koreas. It is high time for all inhabitants of the world to be represented in this Assembly.
33.	In the case of Korea in particular, the non-aligned countries have advocated at the Fourth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Algiers, what might be considered as a basis for the settlement of the problem [see A/9330 and Corr.], p. 49]; but the fear of permanent insecurity which is making the southern part of the country hesitate to the point where it is attempting to modify this solution is such that we must seriously consider the statement made on 23 June by the South Korean President, a statement which we think lays down the essential bases for finding a just solution to the problem.
34.	The two parties have arrived at a point where hope is possible. They should not fall back on misunderstandings, hesitations and errors, which have until now complicated the solution of their problem.
35.	delegation has no magic formula for a perfect settlement of all the problems on the agenda of the present session. But it has the firm desire to make its modest contribution to the collective effort to find, with all men of goodwill, the majority of those data which might simplify examination of what unfortunately divides us, and thus attain the unity of thought which is our only salvation.
36.	May I therefore be permitted to make a solemn appeal to all those who are particularly responsible for the weal and woe of the international community to give our world, at last, more justice, more progress and more peace.


154.	 On behalf of my delegation, and with the greatest pleasure, I greet the President of this Assembly, the most illustrious universal gathering, to assure him that Paraguay is happy to see this enlightened personality of a brother people, Ecuador, presiding over this session, so rightfully, so impartially and so brilliantly.
155.	We know what a difficult commitment this honour entails. We know what a responsibility it is to preside over this General Assembly. We feel sure that the vast experience of Mr. Leopoldo Benites, his talents placed at the service of his country and of the peoples of the world, and his recognized international erudition and sagacity will make it easy for him to discharge the task so honourably given to him. Paraguay, in congratulating him and wishing him every success in the task assigned to him by the world, promises him full co-operation.
156.	The United Nations was built on the ashes of a world in material and moral ruin 28 years ago. Not in vain have waters run under the bridges of life! in that period of history. The evolution of things has meant a logical and substantial change in the characteristics of the world, as compared with 28 years ago. Prosperity has reached some-relatively few — countries while the just aspirations of the majority to achieve development rise day after day like an uncontainable tide. The then warring nations, destroyed by war, have today recovered their economic splendour, their industrial potential and their possibilities for permanent expansion, and they forget the priority needs of giving integral assistance in creating a better and more humane world so that economic and financial relations with the developing countries may be organized through a just system of equity which will make possible the progress of all countries.
157.	All peoples and nations anxiously seek international peace and harmony. All men and women dream of a calm and fruitful world, where man will sing hymns in praise of labour, creative labour, with no asphyxiating clouds on the horizon. With the advance of technology in those 28 years the world has become small and relations between men and peoples have become so close that a conflict in one part of the world is a burning-point which touches one and all equally and undermines the desire for peace at its roots.
158.	The United Nations has become ecumenical and in the course of time many nations which have at last attained a free and sovereign life have joined it. This universality of the Organization's membership requires work which in the field of peace and its strengthening has not been completed. The man of our world knows that, despite all the labour of the United Nations in so many areas of concern linked to man and his habitat, peace is in daily and horrifying danger. And there is the daily sadness of the universal citizen at the inextinguishable hotbeds of violence and aggression which, while they may appear to cool down at times, require only two or three accidents for a return to the initial explosive stage.
159.	This world, so deeply concerned by the possession of nuclear weapons and devices, has not lost its faith in the Organization but looks upon it with critical eyes, permanently awaiting from it and from nations, especially the super-Powers, the definite resolution, through United Nations bodies, of all conflicts which may endanger peace.
160.	We do not believe that life and the world have left the Organization behind. We believe it still has a far-reaching role to play in creating peace and for the development of peoples; and in the ensuring of collective peace, which is the supreme desire of mankind, it has total responsibility. But this cannot be achieved successfully unless all nations beginning with the great world Powers, come to the halls of the Assembly in a suitable frame of mind.
161.	Multilateral diplomacy must be used, with bilateral diplomacy placing its sometimes spectacular achievements at the service of such diplomacy. All countries, starting with the super-Powers, must be definitely prepared to submit to the rules of international coexistence as required within the Organization. If is not fair or advisable to praise peace universally by every means of social communication when interests other than those which are strictly basic for just and lasting international harmony prevail, regardless of what pretexts are adduced. United Nations meetings must be attended without prejudices or mental reservations, without ill-will or objectives determined in advance which admit of no reconsideration. Without a genuine dialogue of communication and good will there will be no peace-or if there is peace it will be only a weak flame which the first gust of wind will extinguish, so that night will again envelop the earth. There will be no lasting light without the final elimination of hatred between men, races and nations.
162.	The multilateral action of the United Nations will never be a barrier to bilateral diplomacy. On the contrary, it is its indispensable complement. Any successful action by the Organization not only solves an international problem but gives greater prestige to the entity established so that man will have more faith in a world of peace, justice and liberty.
163.	To arouse happy hopes among men in this century which is so heavily laden with disillusion and disenchantment is in itself a start towards building a better future for our anxiety-ridden mankind.
164.	The world of today, rightly concerned by many collective problems, such as those of the environment, natural resources, improper distribution of wealth, both nationally and internationally, the conquest of outer space and the utilization of the resources of the sea, must still bear the asphyxiating fear of war or of an explosive lack of harmony between peoples and nations, when everything tells us that the integration of national economies and the obvious interdependence of countries are the basic resources to be used for a good future.
165.	We must mention some notable achievements with legitimate satisfaction. Positive contacts between the great Powers have brought about a page of relief demonstrating at the same time that the quest for new means for the good of mankind is never-ending, that there are steps which have always to be taken if we have a sincere desire to shorten distances without thinking of prejudices, seeking solely understanding between peoples and countries which appear at first sight to be spiritually far apart.
166.	Freezing the long and sad war of Indo-China has been another valid step on the rough road to peace.
167.	We hope that the countries involved in this problem will find a final solution based on respect for the substantive values of mankind, without which even life is not worth living.
168.	We must not seek a solution for its sake alone, sacrificing the moral values which perish in the attainment of an easy success. Peace needs form, solid and definitive foundations, for today, for tomorrow, for ourselves and for the children of our children.
169.	Let us hope that the solution of international conflicts will always be based on respect for the free and sovereign existence of nations, the self-determination of peoples, the impossibility of waging war for military, economic or ideological conquest and on the elementary principle of coexistence and non-intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign States.
170.	The unflagging work of the Organization in the quest for peace is praiseworthy. In all explosive places-Cyprus, the Middle East or southern Africa-its presence is an effective action which the world itself undertakes to find a solution to the problems which overwhelm it. As I said, this is a ray of hope on the difficult but irreplaceable road to peace.
171.	My country, Paraguay, wishes to make public a positive affirmation of its faith in peace and in the work of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. My country appreciates at its full value that daily, silent, sometimes thankless task, which has no substitute, in the common good of nations.
172.	The opening meetings of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe which were held in Helsinki are another milestone which is worthy of mention. A united Europe, above all one clearly aware of its vast international responsibilities, both political and economic, is of concrete assistance towards a just and lasting peace.
173.	We anxiously hope to see better horizons in the conflict, by now almost classical, of the Middle East. It is a thorny and closed dilemma which places on trial not only the United Nations actions but its very existence, because the layman in every region judges the reality of the United Nations by the positive achievements in situations of conflict which are daily in the news.
174.	Paraguay believes that, subject to two governing principles — express recognition of the full and sovereign existence of the State of Israel and the right of the Palestinian people to their own country-the application of resolution 242(1967) of the Security Council of the United Nations has to be the way to a happy solution which all men of goodwill hope for.
175.	There can be different formulas to win peace. All of course require a spirit of dialogue, that is to say, a simple willingness to be receptive to reason, even though it comes from the other side, so as to be able to understand the objective realities which constitute every human conflict, and even more obviously the cooling of passions which reveal shady corners of opprobrium and lack of dignity in the very place where only good judgement should prevail.
176.	Among our hopes, we have already pointed out the achievements of the great Powers and the relaxation of tensions among them. We hope that this will be final, so that they will co-operate among themselves in the solution of problems and in positive international action.
177.		Will these achievements eradicate the obscure and terrible problem of the accumulation of arms? Will mankind continue to invest thousands of millions of dollars in weapons of every kind? Will common sense and a lasting sense of responsibility finally prevail so that the multimillion figures will be reversed and used to improve the standards of living of the developing peoples?
178.	It is up to the great and powerful nations to set an example, so that the freezing of conflicts and relaxation of tensions will bring forth fruit in a real limitation in the manufacture and sale of arms.
179.	It is impossible to understand the arms race of some developing countries whose people so urgently ask for the satisfaction of their priority and elementary needs. Such attitudes defy the hunger and poverty of millions of human beings. There are developing countries which ask of the world more credits to give impetus to their progress. In the meantime, paradoxically, they invest millions of hard currency in the acquisition of ultra-sophisticated or obsolete weapons.
180.	The roses of peace and international understanding cannot bloom along the route of an arms race. Any excessive growth in the might of military installations arouses suspicions, fears and rivalries among nations. The mere accumulation of weapons and the rivalry among States for their possession are already a beginning of war, which can lead us to painful experiences. It is best not to play with the elements of death, hatred, pain and destruction.
181.	Paraguay has for many years struggled arduously while lacking greater financial assistance and, above all, more flexible and generous assistance, in an ardent quest for better days. The philosophy of labour and production prevails. The infrastructure moves forward at a rapid rate in every area. Education, housing, health, production, export promotion, energy-these are vital concerns of a Government which seeks only peace and thereby the progress of our nation. Its people, which in its history was viscerally torn apart several times by war and internal anarchy, embarks on these undertakings with faith and firmness. Its armed forces, which are subject to the Constitution, to order and to the law, have been placed at the service of communities and at the service of creating a better world for all without any kind of discrimination. The army, the navy and the air force are inspired by this desire for peace and development and work side by side with the people in works of national interest. Schools and public buildings, roads, new means of communication, telecommunications, the merchant marine, local and international air services, health centres and agrarian reform testify to the concern of the glorious armed forces of Paraguay, which are the legitimate pride of its people.
182.	My country and its armed forces invest in these patriotic and progressive tasks monies which could have been invested in the purchase of arms.
183.	Based on these convictions, my country will continue to advocate in this great forum the need to contain the arms race and to support a policy of an honest and honourable disarmament which would be the result of a fruitful dialogue between all countries, starting with the super-Powers.
184.	If there is one scourge which is characteristic of our times, it is the rise of terrorism. The hijacking of aircraft, the taking of innocent hostages, indiscriminate violence, horrible murders, the mutilation or killing of people without any valid motive constitute cankers which are a denial of civilization.
185.	This is the most cruel and heartless of crimes.
186.	In cold blood, in a calculated way, deliberately, in silence and in secret, terrorists prepare their destructive and nefarious activity which sometimes reaches, kills or destroys people who are tragically powerless before such refined evil.
17
187.	What have these innocent human beings to do with the causes which are cited as the reasons for such spurious criminal action?
188.	Where will our civilization go, and where will our ethical values go, if this dark and clumsy course continues?
189.	Is there really honesty when in every national and external forum we speak of peace, of tolerance, of justice, of collective well-being and yet do not put an end to or punish this heartless type of activity which is repudiated by all men throughout the world, regardless of their colour, language or religion?
190.	Paraguay wishes to affirm that this chapter of our memory must be added to the list of the major collective frustrations. The committee of our Organization which is studying terrorism  arrived at no concrete results in weeks of study and debate.
191.	The evil is everywhere. The illness stalks every day the entire geography of our planet. It is not from a definite country. At the current rate, terrorism has become international and its consequences explode in any place, at any hour, at any time, without respect for the life of anyone. There is not even any definite place for the activity, itself: today it is the point-blank assassination of a man in his home, tomorrow the painfully amputated hands of a modest employee of the post office.
192.	The basic solution is to be found in the eradication of the generating causes. Let us study the problem and find a prompt and final remedy. Here I have in mind: the oppression of peoples who seek their autonomy, their own independence and national identity; the pessimism of many men and women who see in the work of the United Nations no solution to the chronic problems which afflict their countries; the obsolete colonial status of communities which are ethnically different from the metropolis or their oppressors, which are not able to express themselves freely in order to state their sovereign will; the unjust and immoral exploitation by oligarchic groups of majorities maintained in racial or economic discrimination, or both at the same time, maintaining people in an inhuman status and persecution for ethnic, social, religious or political reasons.
193.	Without questioning the right of these peoples or communities to seek their own way towards liberation or autonomy, we should make practical efforts to put a halt to the present wave of terrorism which is making our own world impossible to live in.
194.	Mankind, in its perennial quest for greater well being, is setting its sights on and devoting its most advanced technology to the rational use of the resources of the sea.
195.	Food, energy and processing industries hope to find within the sea almost magic sources, the yield of which is as yet unknown but may reach unexpected figures and derivations.
196.	Without going into detail as to the value of the sea as a provider of resources and minerals, we must also mention its vast usefulness in the field of transportation and communications between peoples and men.
197.	Paraguay, because of an unfortunate historical determinism, not only has been deprived of a coast but is within the heart of South America bereft of the benefits which a sea coast would have given it.
198.	This fact explains, to quote my predecessor, Mr. Miguel Solano Lopez,
". . . our firm determination and our constant fight in all forums and in all organs to obtain endorsement of the principles of an increasingly enlightened international law which, through international justice, compensates for the obvious disadvantages deriving from a land-locked position.
At the meeting held on 17 April 1971 in San Jose, Costa Rica, during the first regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States [OAS], the illustrious Minister for Foreign Affairs of my country, Professor Raul Sapena Pastor, referred to the question of the breadth of the territorial sea in order to express the point of view of Paraguay. This is what he said:
"The Republic of Paraguay is "an inland land-locked country, and geographical and historical circumstances have deprived it of the extraordinary benefit of having a coastline. None the less, Paraguay has the right to enjoy freedom of the high seas and unlimited navigation and to have access to fisheries, the underlying resources and the airspace over the sea. To the extent that the States with coastlines arbitrarily increase their sovereignty by widening their territorial sea, they are also arbitrarily limiting the rights of the Republic of Paraguay and of all inland or land-locked countries.
"The breadth of the territorial sea can be fixed not by national precepts, whether they are derived from law or the Constitution; but through the consent of all States, ' including those that are land-locked and those that have coastlines, a consent expressed in the form of international agreements".
199.	Mr. Jorge Espil, who is a member of the Inter-American Council of Jurists, affirms:
"Within the American continent we must bear very much in mind the situation of the land-locked countries such as Bolivia and Paraguay, which have expressed their disagreement with the extension of the territorial sea to 200 miles, because this implies a limitation of their rights over the high seas. Without these two countries one cannot speak of a uniform regional agreement".
200.	In taking up the common elements in principles and rules on the question, the Inter-American Juridical Committee, on 9 February of this year, stated that:
"The coastal States shall authorize the land-locked countries which are part of the region to exploit the living
8 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Twenty-seventh Session, Plenary Meetings, 2062nd meeting, para. 11.
resources within the zone from 12 to 200 nautical miles and grant them preferential rights in comparison with third States and in accordance with criteria which will be stated in multilateral, regional or bilateral conventions".
201.	These common elements are the ones which the Committee recommends to the American States so that they can be taken into account and submitted to regional or world-wide conferences on a new regime for the seas.
202.	Elementary international justice requires that the land-locked or the shelf-locked countries have a right to exploit the living resources in the zone, whatever the name given to it, on a footing of complete equality with the nationals of the coastal States; and not only the living resources but also the mineral resources must be reserved for the exploitation of States in their respective regions, without taking into account their geographical location.
203.	In regard to frustrations, one chapter deserves special treatment, and developing countries continue to hope that the declarations and recommendations made at international gatherings and conferences will become a reality. Their economies continue to suffer from the continuous deterioration in the terms of trade in their trade with the highly industrialized countries, to the direct detriment of the future of their peoples.
204.	The countries supplying raw materials and exporting primary goods continue to suffer the unfavourable impact of the unstabilized prices of their export goods and the revaluation of certain currencies, which is a punishment impossible to foresee and one that has a harmful effect on the return of credits and international loans, with an increase in the prices of goods which our countries must of necessity import to satisfy their consumers and their plans for expansion and industrial development. The rich become richer and the poor become poorer.
205.	It is not possible that only a few countries should participate in reforms of the monetary system when the consequences have a repercussion on all nations and a special impact on the economies of the developing countries.
206.	Development is not an exclusive commitment of each nation; it is a responsibility for all nations and requires co-operation within the measure of the possibilities of each, with complete respect for the principle of non-intervention. Logically, the powerful and prosperous countries are obliged to co-operate more, quantitatively and qualitatively, in this ecumenical crusade. Technology, which is the key to expansion, can no longer be a closed club, the price of admission being the price of gold. Technology, trade problems, investments, financing and the opening of new markets constitute instruments which are essential for countries to progress.
207.	Peace is not only an absence of armed conflict; it is also an attitude of understanding on the part of the highly industrialized countries and just co-operation for the development and well-being of our peoples. Justice, in economic relations, monetary decisions, the policy of general preferences, the granting of credits and financial assistance, the use of technology and investment policy is the only possible vehicle by means of which to arrive at a world which will be more humane, fair and just.
208.	Disillusionment, discontent, extreme poverty, the rise in privileges, the unjust and unequal distribution of international labour and the scarcity of financial assistance for development will never be a help towards peace, stability or international understanding. If we wish for neither war nor conflict, let us see that the great countries, in the first place, put their shoulders to the wheel so as to change economic relations with a view to giving just treatment and genuine assistance to the developing countries. Their progress ultimately will be a triumph for our world and our institutions, a factor of good economics and harmonious and fruitful trade relations. The well-being and prosperity of all countries will ensure the well-being and prosperity of each.
209.	Paraguay, which is a founding Member of the United Nations, has long since emerged from a long process of political anarchy and lives under the guidance of a genuine patriot, General Alfredo Stroessner, and we live a life in which republican institutions are paramount. We have left behind us the cruel confrontations between brothers so as to devote our days completely to the tasks of fruitful labour. We have swept away hatred so as to march ever forward towards the goals of collective well-being and national development. We have superseded the provisional institutions and we work under the rule of peace and progress, with the powers of the State and public opinion functioning fully. Today, we are concerned with peace, egalitarian public education, health, housing, the opening up of new markets for exports, a policy to create employment and an efficient development of the resources of the country. That is to say, we are concerned with that which interests man and the development of peoples.
210.	Within that spirit Paraguay would reply to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Waldheim, that we wish to have a United Nations which is "more than a conference machinery and a forum for the pursuit of national policies" [A/9001/Add. 1, p. 8].
211.	Paraguay wishes this to be a dynamic Organization above the emptiness of verbalism, something far more than a simple forum: an entity of solidarity, a solidarity where the great and the powerful will genuinely assist in advancing the world and its peoples. Paraguay wishes the light to shine at every dawn for every man in every region, -with no privileged States and no countries cast into oblivion, with no foreign intervention, exploitation, economic dependence or ideological domination.


79.	Mr. President, first of all, I should like on behalf of the delegation of Thailand, to offer you my sincere congratulations on your election to the high office of President of the twenty-eighth session of this Assembly. My delegation fully endorses the expressions of confidence, respect and admiration which have been conveyed to you by previous distinguished speakers. The keen knowledge of, and deep experience in, United Nations affairs which you have acquired during the years as the representative of your country, Ecuador, are the essential attributes of a successful President of the General Assembly. Your wisdom and compassion are the human qualities which add further to the high esteem that the peoples of Latin America, as well as other parts of the world, have for you as a person. My delegation pledges its whole-hearted support and co-operation in the tasks that lie ahead of all of us.
80.	On this occasion my delegation would also like to pay a tribute and to express its deep appreciation to Mr. Stanislaw Trepczynski of Poland for the efficient and able manner in which he conducted the proceedings of last year's General Assembly as its President.
81.	The delegation of Thailand wishes to convey to the Swedish delegation, Government and people its heartfelt condolences on the demise of His Late Majesty King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden. My delegation is also saddened by the death of Mr. Salvador Allende, former President of Chile, who only last year addressed this Assembly on many important international issues [2096th meeting/. It was also with the deepest regret that my delegation noted the loss of Mr. Eduardo Zuleta Angel of Colombia, the President of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations, whose contribution to the founding of our world Organization will always be appreciated by the "peoples of the United Nations".
82.	The Thai delegation wishes to express its grateful appreciation to our Secretary-General for his report on the work of the Organization [A/9001/ and its thought- provoking introduction [A/9001/Add.l], which should commend itself to the careful attention of all Member States. Last year the Thai Government and people were pleased and privileged to welcome the Secretary-General on his first official visit to Thailand and to the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in Bangkok. It is therefore a genuine pleasure and an honour for me once again to meet you, Mr. Secretary-General, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
83.	The past year has witnessed, except in one instance, a continuing improvement in the relations among the major Powers. Despite evident difficulties generated by fears and suspicions in certain areas, the great Powers appear to be trying in earnest to promote mutual restraint in their conduct towards each other and the outside world. In so doing, they are entering a new era of peaceful accommodation and detente. Although it may take a while longer before these promising trends become an established fact of international life, they are welcomed by all peace-loving peoples of the world.
84.	In this respect, Europe has made impressive gains. The successful conclusion in Helsinki of the first phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, the agreements on and between the two German States, together with a series of treaties between the Federal Republic of Germany and its neighbours to the East, seem to justify a mood of optimism in East-West relations, and enhance the prospect of a European settlement.
85.	Since both the First and Second World Wars began in Europe, the outcome of the on-going negotiations is awaited with interest by people throughout the world. The admission of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic to the United Nations in furtherance of the concept of universality in the world Organization provides ample proof of the pragmatic wisdom of the States involved, perhaps setting a trend for an evolving accommodation of similar difficulties in other parts of the world.
86.	My delegation, therefore, was privileged to be a sponsor of the resolution that admitted the two German States to the world Organization and wishes to extend, once again, its whole-hearted welcome to them, as well as to the other new Member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
87.	Big Power moderation nay also have a salutary effect on the Middle East, where the cease-fire has continued in its fourth year, although with worrying interruptions and little lessening of tensions. However, the Security Council has found itself powerless to enforce compliance with its resolutions. The continuing occupation of the territories occupied as a result of the 1967 conflict and the subsequent measures taken by Israel to consolidate its control run counter to the spirit and letter of existing United Nations resolutions. Security Council condemnation of the lawless violence perpetrated on government orders, as well as its repeated warnings, have also not been heeded. This is a deplorable state of affairs, and one fraught with grave risks.
88.	The efforts of Ambassador Jarring have come to a standstill, with no beginning of a settlement in sight. Indeed, the only glimmer on the darkened horizon has been the first official visit of the Secretary-General himself to the countries in the area; for his presence in the area has emphasized the increasing concern felt by United Nations Members and may have served to underscore the urgent need to prevent further deterioration of the situation, as well as to renew our hope of finding a just and lasting settlement in conformity with the United Nations Charter and on the basis of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) and other United Nations resolutions.
89.	Regarding Asia, one of the significant events of the past year has been the establishment of regular diplomatic contact between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America. It is, however, still too early to ascertain whether that historic step will pave the way towards a possible settlement of the outstanding problems in Asia. Nevertheless, there have been some subsequent positive developments.
90.	In South Asia, the emergence of the Agreement between India and Pakistan is a welcome development of great humanitarian significance which augurs well for the solution of the other problems pending among the nations on that subcontinent. It is hoped that, with the improved climate of understanding, the People's Republic of Bangladesh will be able in the near future to take its rightful place in the United Nations.
91.	In East Asia, where United Nations attention this year will be focused on the Korean question, recent developments on the Korean peninsula have made it possible for the United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea to recommend its own dissolution. It therefore remains for the world Organization to determine, in the appropriate organs, what new steps or further adjustments concerning the United Nations role can be undertaken to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities in Korea. It is the earnest hope of my delegation that United Nations Members, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, will be able to reach an accommodation on the remaining issues which will be to the best interest of the Korean people itself.
92.	In South-East Asia, where the legitimate aspirations of people to live their own lives have long been hampered, the situation remains a cause of deep concern and a grave threat to world peace. Subsequent violations of the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam have made it increasingly difficult to implement the already complex arrangement, and have further prolonged the bloodshed. However, the long-awaited Protocol to the Agreement on Restoring Peace and Achieving National Concord in Laos  has finally emerged. Thailand welcomes this important development which has brightened the prospects for peace and national reconciliation in the neighbouring Kingdom of Laos. It is, however, necessary that all the provisions of the Agreements be implemented in good faith by all parties concerned, and that the Geneva Agreements of 1962 and article 20 of the Paris Agreement, which was signed in the presence of the Secretary- General of the United Nations in January of this year, be fully and strictly adhered to by all the signatories.
93.	With the new accords on Laos and the Paris Agreement on Viet-Nam, the absence of a similar consensus on the Khmer Republic represents a noticeable failure of international diplomacy and a remaining challenge to us all. While the Government side is prepared to negotiate, the other side, with active and substantial support from outside, is still intent on imposing a military solution to the conflict. Although it is generally accepted that the Khmer people itself should be allowed to solve its own problems free from foreign interference, it should be apparent to all that a just and lasting solution must be firmly predicated on the preservation of Khmer independence, neutrality and territorial integrity.
94.	After the din of battle has ceased it is imperative that the vital security interests of all the neighbouring States should be assured and that they should have adequate protection to safeguard their independence as well as regional peace and stability. A basis for such a step has already been created-when the five members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations [ASEAN] signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration 27 November of 1971 stating their common aim that South-East Asia should become a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality free fr6m any form or manner of external interference. Moreover, the proposal before the United Nations to turn the Indian Ocean into a zone of peace also has an important bearing on the security of littoral and hinterland States, some of which are situated in South-East Asia. A great deal of satisfaction and inspiration can be derived from the growing acceptance of similar endeavours by major Powers in other areas, such as the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco), which has already received the formal endorsement of four of the five nuclear Powers. The latter should be persuaded also to recognize that only a new structure based on the willing and mutual co-operation of the Asian States themselves and other interested parties can promote genuine peace in that important part of the world.
95.	Thailand firmly believes that all countries in the region of South-East Asia must jointly assume primary responsibilities in establishing conditions for political stability, economic progress and social justice and genuine peace in the region. We of the region must be left free to work out our own destiny. It is essential that all countries in the region participate actively in the creation of a new order and contribute directly towards peace, freedom, stability and progress. Together they could make the South-East Asian region free from all forms of interference from outside and ensure freedom with peace, independence and territorial integrity for all States of the area regardless of differences in political systems.
96.	In the area of disarmament, improved East-West relations in Europe have made possible the encouraging progress of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). With SALT-II now in the negotiating phase, the anxious world has been promised a slowing down of only one aspect of the arms race. Progress in the field of general disarmament is disappointing, and national defence budgets do not reflect the atmosphere of detente. The proposed World Disarmament Conference has not benefited from early organizational difficulties, which can be resolved only through mutual goodwill and not by political pressure or manoeuvre. Since participation in the Conference by all the nuclear Powers and other militarily important States is indispensable to its success, we should explore every possibility of achieving a compromise and refrain from acting in undue haste.
97.	The tenth anniversary of the signing of the partial test-ban treaty12 passed by without any further movement towards the final goal of a comprehensive test-ban agreement. It may be said that a nuclear-test race is going on at fever pitch, with the more advanced nuclear Powers resorting to underground nuclear testing to maintain their superiority and the newcomers to the nuclear club rushing to develop an independent capability for avowedly defensive purposes. As this situation is a serious danger to mankind, my delegation would urge immediate cessation of all testing as a first essential step in the direction of the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
98.	We in Thailand firmly believe that all peoples are entitled to their inalienable rights of self-determination, independence and sovereignty, free from outside interference. We have therefore consistently supported the efforts of the world Organization in the area of decolonization which have resulted in the birth of many new nations and the increase in the membership of the United Nations. However, many problems are still unsolved, especially with regard to Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Cape Verde. Various resolutions of both the General Assembly

and the Security Council have been adopted, but certain Powers still place their economic, political and militaristic interests above their national conscience and human values and thus have neither strictly observed nor implemented those resolutions. Again this year, the time has now come for all of us to appeal to those countries to soften their known positions and to adopt a new policy which will help correct the long-standing injustice done to the peoples in colonial Territories and to hasten the process of self- determination and independence for the people of those Territories.
99.	Thailand also supports the legitimate struggle of millions of indigenous Africans against apartheid and racial discrimination in southern Africa. Despite the fact that this year marks the observance of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, those peoples are still denied their fundamental freedoms and basic human rights. Thailand will therefore continue to work closely with other Member countries of the United Nations to bring about the speedy elimination and total eradication of racism and the shameful practice and policy of apartheid.
100.	Eleven years ago the General Assembly proclaimed the first United Nations Development Decade [resolution 1710 (XVI)] with the expressed aim of reducing the gap between the rich and the poor nations. It is now three years since the Second United Nations Development Decade began; but the gap between the rich and the poor has widened even further. A major task lies ahead for all of us therefore in that the first biennial review and appraisal of the objectives and policies of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade [resolution 2626 (XXV)] are scheduled to take place during this session. The developing countries have a great stake in the outcome of the review, and my delegation stands ready to give its whole-hearted support to the Group of 77 in the task of breathing new life into the global development effort, the aim of which is to raise significantly the standard of living of the developing countries. This worthy goal must be vigorously pursued in the present decade, if there is to be any hope of lessening human misery and the despair affecting the majority of mankind, thus fulfilling the lofty aims of the Strategy.
101.	Several events of major importance are taking place which could be of tremendous benefit to the developing countries. First, the multilateral trade negotiations dealing with world-wide trading arrangements under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT] have begun in Tokyo. The Thai Government has shared the view that increased and expanded access of exports from developing countries to the large industrial market is one of the essential keys to the accelerated growth of developing countries. Furthermore, developed countries should lower, and eventually eliminate, trade barriers and other practices which have long curtailed the export trade of the developing countries. Such benefits can be attained only through concerted efforts by the developing countries during what will be long and arduous negotiations.
102.	Whether the multilateral trade negotiations will have a chance of success, however, is intrinsically linked to the monetary negotiations which have just ended in Nairobi.
Statements coming from the Committee on Reform of the International Monetary System and Related Issues of the International Monetary Fund indicate that a significant step forward has been made, to a point where the over-all shape of the reforms is perceptible enough to allow for greater concentration on the key issues. It is welcomed that the Committee has affirmed the desirability of effecting an equitable transfer of resources from developed to developing countries as a means of promoting the latter's economic' development. Here again it is essential that the developing countries should do all in their power to increase their individual and collective bargaining power and so improve their chances of obtaining beneficial results. In this connexion the members of ASEAN have had useful consultations concerning both the GATT negotiations and the Nairobi talks.
103.	Of equal significance to developing countries is the United Nations World Population Conference to be held in August 1974 in Bucharest at the invitation of the Government of Romania. The problem of population is of fundamental importance to the future of humanity, and a coherent approach to this highly complex issue is needed to make the best use of our available knowledge and resources. The United Nations has already made impressive progress in this field through the United Nations Fund and Population Activities and it is hoped that the conference will further help us to see this problem in all its dimensions.
104.	My delegation holds that economic relations among States should be governed by agreed principles and that a charter of economic rights and duties of States will be of benefit to all countries. One of these rights is the right of States to permanent sovereignty over all their natural resources.
105.	We fully support the concerted efforts being made to expand the capability of developing countries to apply science and technology to development, and we consider that the serious maldistribution of the world's scientific and technological resources is a major obstacle to development.
106.	Above all, we believe in, and will continue vigorously to pursue the idea of, economic self-reliance with the co-operation of neighbouring countries and within geographical subregions.
107.	All of the foregoing come under the purview of the Economic and Social Council, whose task and responsibilities for the co-ordination of all United Nations activities in the economic and social fields have grown both in complexity and scope over the past 25 years. The imminent ratification of the amendment to Article 61 of the Charter should further enhance the Council's leadership role and ensure a broader basis for its activities. It is necessary therefore that this enlargement, coming at a time when the Council has shown a spirit of revitalization, should be used to provide opportunities for member nations that have expressed their willingness to serve but have never had an opportunity in the past to participate in its important work.
108.	One of the most challenging questions facing the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly is the progressive development of the international law of the sea.
During the year's session, the Thai delegation was privileged to play a role in achieving the widest possible consensus on various procedural steps that would lead to the substantive phase of the conference on the law of the sea 1974. The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction, of which Thailand is a member, has met twice this year and has accomplished a certain amount of preparatory work. Further efforts should, however, be made to consider the legitimate and limited interests of others, particularly those arising from geographical factors, be they concerned with land-locked or shelf-locked countries, or semi-enclosed seas, in order to find compromise solutions before the conference takes place. My delegation looks forward to the organizational meeting towards the end of this year and also to the conference itself in the early part of next year as originally agreed.
109.	With regard to the exploration and exploitation of resources in the sea-bed area, progressive development in the direction where the legitimate interests of coastal States, countries with special geographical problems and maritime Powers can be harmonized, is not only feasible but beneficial to all. Perhaps it is even conceivable that with the enormous wealth lying untapped beneath the deep ocean it should be possible to share the benefits on an equitable basis without falling short of the aspirations of any State or group of States. However, there can be no derogation from the fundamental principle that every nation, whether small or large, rich or poor, has sovereignty over its own natural resources. The question is, therefore, one of delimiting areas under national and international jurisdiction. My delegation recalls the difficulty encountered in 1958 and 1960 on the limit of the territorial sea, but is confident that this problem can soon be resolved. Thus, it also hopes that the questions concerning the sea-bed outside national jurisdiction and related issues, which have important economic ramifications, can eventually be settled for the benefit of mankind.
110.	The rule of law must reign in all fields of human endeavour. The only alternative is anarchy. Nations should, therefore, accept the necessary adjustments to make the international community more responsive to basic human needs as well as more responsible to its final constituent, namely, man himself. The international community should endeavour to avoid catastrophic mistakes of the past and to ensure that man's noble instinct and ideals will not only endure but will ultimately triumph over his foibles and follies. States, therefore, have an obligation not to impede progress in this respect, but must act in concert to further it. In so doing, they have the United Nations to assist them. The Organization's inherent shortcomings are already well- known, and its many accomplishments and useful rule are widely appreciated, especially in the light of the Secretary- General's eloquent introduction to his report on the work of the Organization [A/9001/Add.l]. But whatever the shortfalls are, the world Organization, now composed of 135 Member States, embodies the international community and represents its weaknesses and virtues. Moreover, the United Nations system constitutes the only, albeit imperfect, universal instrument of peaceful change in existence today. It is, therefore, imperative' that the international community should try to improve the Organization's efficiency and effectiveness partly by positive actions of its component States. It was in this spirit that the Thai delegation last year joined with others in sponsoring the draft resolution on the strengthening of the role of the United Nations.  In the present atmosphere of detente, no opportunity should be lost, and we should explore fresh avenues that will satisfy the demands of change and the requirements of contemporary international life. The amendment to Article 61 of the Charter is a welcome demonstration of realism on the part of all concerned. The world has grown, not only in terms of population, but also in political maturity. Although it is a slow and continuing process, the time has come for us to encourage it by every possible means. Indeed, the world Organization, together with the international community which it represents, should be made truly responsive to basic human needs and more responsible to mankind.