The delegation of Chile participates in this international forum with the sincere intention of helping to achieve effective co-operation between States and of. contributing to the solution of the humanitarian, social, cultural and economic problems that concern the United Nations.
166.... The purpose and goals of the Charter of San Francisco continue to be the purpose and goals of the foreign policy of Chile. We accordingly reaffirm our adherence to the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations [resolution 2625 (XXV), annex] and to the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security [resolution 2734 (XXV)]. Chile believes that today more than ever we must respect the basic principles of international coexistence.
167.	Prohibition of the use or threat of force, prohibition of intervention of any kind in the internal affairs of any nation," respect for the rights of peoples to self-determination, as well as unlimited respect for international treaties, are some of the basic principles that inspire our participation in this Assembly's general debate, as well as in the study of the many subjects that will be considered by the Committees.
168.	We have attentively followed the efforts of the United Nations for the maintenance and restoration of world peace. The current negotiations in the Middle East, thanks to the intelligent role played by the Secretary-General as well as by the dynamic Secretary of State of the United States of America, clearly demonstrate that the United Nations is an effective instrument for the solution of international conflicts when the political will exists voluntarily to adhere to its standards. The disengagement agreements are an essential first step toward the achievement of a just and lasting peace in that part of the world.
169.	Recent events in Cyprus have caused my Government concern. This is not the proper moment to examine the causes, which sure already so well known to this international body. In our judgment, what matters is the survival of that United Nations Member State, which currently finds its integrity and independence so seriously threatened.
170.	We consider that this General Assembly should give maximum priority to the problem of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and obtain the cessation of tests, whether underground, at sea or in the atmosphere. The fact that a number of countries are now able to produce devices of this type, along with the temptation of some nations to become atomic Powers, might lead to a nuclear race that is as risky as it is absurd, and which could develop into a war so destructive as to affect the whole human race. The gradual proliferation of members of the nuclear club thus poses a grave danger for international peace and security.
171.	We believe that the best way to achieve these objectives would be to extend geographically denuclearized zones. In this regard, I should like to declare that the Government of Chile is completing the internal legal arrangements for the ratification of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America, which was signed at Tlatelolco. Within a very short time we shall deposit the relevant instrument of ratification.
172.	Some South American Governments have expressed the desire to reach a regional arms limitation agreement in order to allow for a more accelerated economic development of their countries. Chile has declared its outright support for this initiative and believes that, in general, offensive weapons should be especially limited, while those needed to fulfill the defensive aims of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance should be maintained.
173.	Ever since the time of the League of Nations, Chile has supported the principle of the universality of international organizations. We consider that the ability of the United Nations to accomplish its basic goal -to secure a just and lasting peace in the world- depends upon the strict application of this principle. Thus we rejoice at the admission into our Organization of the States of Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea- Bissau. We extend our warmest welcome to them and we feel certain that they 'will make a timely and active contribution to our deliberations. I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate Chile's support for resolution 1514 (XV) concerning the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
174.	The Republic of Honduras was recently the victim of a catastrophe bringing desolation and ruin to thousands of homes. My delegation wishes to reiterate to the Honduran delegation the warmest and most heartfelt feelings of the people and Government of Chile. At the same time, we should like to request the Secretary-General, whose dedication and skillful action merit our fullest support, to invite the relevant specialized agencies of the United Nations and other institutions to grant our sister nation their swiftest and most ample co-operation.
175.	The world economic situation is certainly not encouraging. The crisis the world faces probably has no parallel in history. Deep-seated problems exist which have been developing for a long time and which, far from being solved, tend, on the contrary, to become dangerously acute. I refer to rapid population growth, the food crisis, ecological destruction, the deterioration of the environment and the gradual extinction of non-renewable natural resources.
176.	We are going through what the experts call "international economic turbulence", most visibly and probably most dramatically manifested in the energy crisis. The old post-war order, characterized by the Bretton Woods Agreements and the traditional trade patterns associated with GATT, has demonstrated its total inefficiency in our time and, as repeatedly pointed out, has turned into a new international economic "disorder". Both institutions and mechanisms created nearly 30 years ago have demonstrated their inability to cope with the problems of today and have jeopardized the objectives of the International Development, Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade [resolution 2626 (XXV)]. At the same time, the industrialized nations have not given priority to financial co-operation for the benefit of developing countries, nor have they fully opened their markets to the exports of developing countries. Peace and economic prosperity together constitute the guiding principles of our Charter. Therefore it is regrettable and dangerous that the results achieved in the economic, financial and commercial sectors are not comparable with those achieved in the political and military areas.
177.	A number of recent new developments call for a re-examination of current economic policies. Industrialized countries have suddenly been faced with the fragility of the structure of their economic systems, while the developing countries have seen their negotiating potential unexpectedly raised. For the first time a certain symmetry of interests and benefits has emerged between those two groups of nations, which affords a unique opportunity for negotiating fair agreements.
178.	The foregoing impels me to insist that we urgently adopt specific measures that will accelerate multilateral trade negotiations on a preferential basis that will apply to tariff as well as non-tariff trade barriers. At the same time, it is necessary urgently to accelerate decisions for the reform of the international monetary system that would give the developing nations a much larger participation than that afforded them so far.
179.	Chile believes that Latin America has something to say and something to offer in all those areas. Our region can rely upon existing co-ordinating mechanisms, and these should be used fully. An example is the Special Committee on Latin American Co-ordination. This body expresses the genuine Latin American personality. Likewise, we have organizations such as the Latin American Free Trade Association and the Andean Subregional Integration Agreement (Andean Group) to the improvement of which Chile is fully committed.
180.	Latin America's efforts towards establishing a guaranteed international economic order are borne out by the draft Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States by Venezuela's valuable contribution to the Inter-American Development Bank, and by our countries' active participation in the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The second session of this Conference, recently held at Caracas, should be viewed in terms of both the successful organization of the Conference by the host country and the effective and useful work undertaken. The Conference defined what could be called the basis of, or key to, international solutions, particularly the 200-mile economic zone and the formulation of the concept of the ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction being the common heritage of mankind.
181.	Chile, the first country in the world to proclaim, in 1947, a 200-mile marine zone, was joined by Ecuador and Peru in a later defense of this doctrine in some memorable diplomatic battles. While at that time we seemed isolated in our position, new we are gratified to note that we are supported by the great majority of nations. Conceived as an economic zone or patrimonial sea, that doctrine has become fundamental to an international solution. It is not. only a triumph for the developing countries; it is also an expression of the justice of the fundamental relationship existing between a country and the resources of its adjacent sea,
182.	One proof of Latin America's commitment to overcoming the most urgent problems of our time was the efficiency and dedication with which the representative of Ecuador, Mr. Leopoldo Benites, presided over the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly. We wish to pay him our warmest tribute for the brilliant manner in which he discharged his lofty duties.
183.	The people of Chile recently celebrated with spontaneous joy the first anniversary of its liberation from the Soviet-oriented totalitarian regime that had tried to impose its dictatorship on the country and its people, and in multitudinous rallies held throughout the land the people reaffirmed its support for the present Government of national reconstruction.
184.	This year, with the enthusiastic support of all sectors, healthy economic foundations have been laid and are already yielding initial results. Central Bank reserves, which were only $3 million a year ago, now exceed $300 million. Exports between January and May of this year increased by more than 200 per cent over the same period in 1973. In spite of higher import prices, Chile's balance of trade has ceased to show a deficit, and now shows an appreciable, surplus. Agricultural production will increase significantly this year, since essential planting is 50 per cent greater this year than in 1973. This increase is a result especially of the fact that the Government has turned over rural land, which had been nationalized by the previous regime, to authentic peasant farmers. Particularly noteworthy has been the increase in copper production, total output being 46 per cent higher this year than last year.
185.	The recovery of our economy has created confidence abroad and made it possible for Chile to renegotiate its external debt within the framework of the "Paris Club", on mutually acceptable terms. The runaway inflation we were suffering is being controlled, and a program for the gradual reduction of the inflation rate is under way. In order to avoid dislocations, it is based on increased productivity and reduced government spending.
186.	Social development is and has been one of the Chilean Government's fundamental concerns. The difficult anti-inflationary campaign is being carried out as fairly as possible, with benefits accruing to the workers through long overdue substantial pay rises and social improvements. So, for the first Time in our country's history, the dilemma of the most helpless groups of people has been confronted squarely and in depth through a complete study of the factors involved and a program of action designed to. put into effect urgently needed solutions.
187.	Within this brief summary of my Government's efforts, special mention should be made of the children's nutrition program now being carried out in Chile with the full knowledge of UNICEF and other international organizations. We are confident that the success of our studies and accomplishments in this area will enable our country to co-operate usefully with other nations. We are pleased to offer them our experience for mutual benefit.
188.	The Chilean Government has passed a new law, the Foreign Investment Statute, which establishes rules to attract foreign capital but, at the same time, clearly protects our national interests. This foreign investment law has already produced a significant increase in the number of requests to expand current investments or to invest in new industries, and has attracted numerous national and private groups from abroad, which have all been anxious to co-operate in our development on fair, serious and well-defined terms.
189.	While laying the groundwork for the economic reconstruction and social development of the country, my Government has assigned top priority to the rehabilitation of the judiciary, which is a spiritual and moral legacy of the people of Chile and the very essence of their historical identity. Upon taking office, my Government acknowledged its patriotic obligation to revive the fundamental attributes of the Chilean character, and to restore justice, and the institutions that had been violated, destroyed or negated by the previous Government. It gives me great pleasure to be able to describe how the Government of Chile is fulfilling the promises made to the citizens of our country.
190.	The fully independent Judicial Branch administers justice without any interference whatever from the Government, which accords it the most absolute and total respect and prompt implementation of its sentences and resolutions. This situation is in contrast with the violent and defamatory attacks against the High Court which occurred under the preceding Government. At that time the judicial Branch's constitutional powers were disregarded and its sentences and judgments were not carried out, all of which conspired against the independence of the Judicial Branch. It is enough to point out that at the time there were more than 7,000 sentences handed down by the courts which were never carried out.
191.	The Comptroller General's Office, an autonomous institution responsible for confirming the legality of the acts carried out by the Executive Branch, fulfills its fiscal responsibilities with total autonomy and efficiency. It has been enlarged and strengthened in its attributes. The Comptroller Genera's observations and administrative notices are no longer scoffed at as they Were under the procedures that operated under the preceding administration.

192.	Also, in line with a legal tradition of more than 150 years of republican life, the Government of Chile a few days after assuming power named a Commission to draw up a new political Constitution. The Commission is made up of distinguished university professors with vast judicial experience and ample knowledge of public affairs. More than 70 distinguished professional experts co-operate with it, representing a varied spectrum of activities. The work of this important Commission is carried out in an atmosphere of complete freedom and along the lines of certain general principles proposed by the Commission itself and approved by the Government prior to publication and dissemination throughout the country.
193.	The new Constitution will encompass the basic principles that derive from our Chilean legal tradition and from the historic cultural identity of our homeland. It aims at the improvement of institutions to the fullest extent possible and in accord with universal experience and Chilean specific realities, and will institute a representative and democratic system, with authorities whose power will originate in the law and who will be elected by the people in free, pluralistic, secret and informed elections.
194.	The legal reorganization in Chile and the intense task of effecting legislative renovation which are currently under way are inspired and determined by the principles and values which the Government of Chile proclaimed and published last March. It would be rather lengthy to refer at this time to the declaration of principles. Suffice it to say that the declaration encompasses the highest human values and is consistent with the highest Western and Christian philosophy. In my country this document has been widely published and I can assure this Assembly that these are-the principles that inspire Government action, as well as the principles that are defended and guaranteed in Chile today.
195.	Some politicians or institutions, whether misinformed or in bad faith, have sustained a media campaign designed to create the impression that the Government of Chile upholds repressive measures and ignores both legal rules and human rights. For the most part, these attack* originate with individuals who see the flaw, in others but do not wish to recognize their own flaws.
1,96. The truth is that Chile is a country with borders open to any representatives of official international institutions and to private persons who wish to visit our countryside and cities in order freely to converse with our people and. understand the reality of a people that is marching with unity towards a better future.
197.	The International Committee of the Red Cross, ever since the advent of the current Government, has maintained a permanent delegation that has received ample authority to visit those who have been detained and tried and, from time to time, found guilty. This delegation periodically reports to its headquarters in Geneva as well as to the Government of Chile.
198.	The Office of the United Nations High Com-missioner for Refugees has conveyed to my Government its appreciation for the co-operation extended in the solution of problems deriving from the presence of over 14,000 foreigners who are in the country illegally. The majority were individuals who had been expelled from their home countries and who had gone to Chile to continue their subversive and terrorist activities.
199.	We have invited a commission of conciliation and investigation of the International Labor Organization so that it may observe how Chile is complying with its international obligations and how the law protects the social progress achieved by workers.
200.	Chile fully agreed to the granting of asylum in foreign diplomatic missions, although many of them exercised that right for the first time, with no claim to do so since the Governments concerned are not parties to the Conventions on the subject. Regardless of the fact that in many instances asylum was not warranted, the Chilean authorities agreed to grant all the requested safe-conducts. It gives me pleasure to announce that no refugee remains in asylum in foreign embassies. In view of the scope which some have tried to give to diplomatic asylum and which Chile de facto did not want to deny, my delegation assigns top priority to the discussion and approval of a universal convention on the subject.
201.	The Government of Chile authorized the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights to hold an extraordinary session in my country in order to study on the spot the status of such rights. We granted all the facilities that were requested. Have our detractors allowed international committees into their countries in order to carry out an in-depth investigation of human rights, permitting them to visit detention centers and to hold conversations unobstructedly and privately with detained persons?
202.	On 1 of September the Chief of State of Chile, General Augusto Pinochet, made the following statement:
"The Government wishes to announce that, in spite of serious legal or moral charges for which persons arrested under the state of siege and those facing trial have been held responsible, it is ready to authorize such persons to leave the country for good, should they so desire, with the sole exception of particularly grave cases.11
Subsequently, he called on other nations which have attacked us violently to act similarly under the super-vision of the'International Committee of the Red Cross. The Committee has offered the Government of Chile to undertake the necessary steps to implement this initiative, and we have given it full support in this noble task. We are drawing up the list of those persons who voluntarily wish to take advantage of this offer, and there is nothing to prevent them if they so wish it from leaving the country with their families.
203.	In brief, we can guarantee with deep conviction that today Chile is one of the countries where every person whether a national or a foreign resident has complete personal security and where human rights are fully respected.
204.	these past few days, efforts have been made to associate Chile with interventionist acts from abroad. My Government did not hesitate to denounce the impudent involvement in Chilean internal politics during the past administration by several Communist countries. Such acts were intended to unleash civil war in my country. Now, in accordance with the traditional attachment to independence which is characteristic of our policy, and the authentically Chilean roots of my Government, we firmly reject, irrespective of their aims and their place of origin, any acts of intervention that directly or indirectly entail foreign entanglement in the internal or external affairs of Chile.
205.	Social justice, solidarity and the participation of every Chilean in the common effort to reconstruct our motherland a demonstration of how we have overcome artificially engendered hatreds and an illustration of a new mechanism aiming at the efficient and prompt solution of the problems confronting the people of Chile. This is the path we have chosen. We have committed ourselves to this endeavor with austerity and sacrifice but also with dedication and faith in the future of our land.
206.	The Chilean delegation is present at this session of the Assembly with the intention of extending this very same spirit of co-operation and solidarity to the accomplishment of the tasks incumbent on the international community. In so doing, we trust that the over-all result will be the attainment of positive agreements worthy of the fundamental goals of the Organization.


Mr. President, I have the great honor of congratulating you, on behalf of the Finnish Government, on your election to the office of President. We know you as a highly respected representative from the continent of Africa. Algeria has, over the years, assumed an active role among the developing countries and within the group of non-aligned States. It was at the initiative of President Houari Boumediene that the General Assembly was convened last spring in its historic sixth special session, a session devoted, for the first time, exclusively to development and economic problems. It is therefore most fitting that the Assembly, has elected you to preside over this regular session.
160.	I have referred to the special session on raw materials and development. That event was indeed a milestone. It was above all a manifestation of the interdependence among all nations and the necessity for co-operation. This was plainly recognized in the Declaration proclaiming the determination of the Members of the United Nations to work jointly for the establishment of a new international economic order. The Finnish Government has stated its adherence to that Declaration. It also strongly supports the Prpgram of Action, which contains a long- term framework for the achievement of a new economic order. We furthermore consider it imperative to assure that sufficient resources, both material and human, are made available to the Secretary- General to meet the new demands now being made on the United Nations itself.
161.	The most important result of the special session was that it forced Into the open a. thorough re- evaluation of the whole foundation of international economic relations and the staggering problems that face mankind today. It is now generally recognized that only through intensified co-operation and by taking into account the interests of all nations can we save the World from political and economic disruption. The United Nations must now respond swiftly, effectively and in a co-ordinated fashion.
162.	The convening this year of three major United Nations conferences one on the law of the sea, one on population, and one on the world's food problems is proof of the need to give to the most pressing questions the' thorough consideration and worldwide attention they deserve all these issues are, however, interlinked and can no longer be dealt with in isolation. A feature common to all of them is their vital importance to each nation. We must- find a common solution which, regardless of the basic nature of the problem concerned, must be a political one.
163.	Against the background of these profound changes and challenges in political, economic and social relations among States, it is obvious that the special session of the Assembly next year will be of very great significance. It is therefore urgent that the preparations for that session be now initiated. The Finnish Government considers that the work of the United Nations to meet these formidable challenges is an integral part of our efforts to achieve the primary goal of the Charter, the preservation of international peace and security. The United Nations has indeed become indispensable in our striving to avert the scourge of war, to guarantee fundamental human rights and to promote economic and social progress.
164.	Finland has consistently stressed the importance of improvements in relations between the major Powers. At the same time, we have stated that detente, in order to be genuine, must take into account the interests of all Members of this Organization. In order fully to exploit the existing momentum of detente, it is necessary to define and develop new methods and approaches for the further relaxation of tensions in international relations.
,165. In this context, the Finnish Government is gratified to see that the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe that is now in its second stage in Geneva has already made important headway. Although much remains to be done, we believe that we can already see emerging an outline of a new set of rules of conduct to guide relations among the participating States. The fact that all the participants recognize each other's equality and that they pursue their common ends, not with the aim of isolation but with full awareness of their responsibilities towards all Members of the United Nations, should constitute an important contribution to world peace and security. The Conference is, we believe, now approaching its conclusion and it is our hope that its results will be greeted as a significant step in the development of relations among the participating States. That would, in our opinion, fully justify the holding of the final stage of the Conference on the highest level.
166. A main area in which detente should bring new potentialities is disarmament. Nevertheless, in the past year no major step forward has been taken. The important work of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament has regrettably not been translated into draft agreements on a comprehensive test ban or the prohibition of chemical weapons. On the other hand, we have been encouraged by the resumption of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the United States and the USSR. We earnestly hope that the basis for agreement in this area can soon be broadened. This would in turn create new impetus for other measures in this crucial field to bring world peace and security.
167.	The Finnish Government has carefully followed the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the World Disarmament Conference. We welcome the fact that all nuclear Powers have made their contribution to this work. We have noted with satisfaction that the Committee has succeeded in adopting realistic working methods, and we hope that our deliberations during this session will in turn lead to further progress.
168.	In searching for ways further to relax inter-national tension, the Finnish Government considers the idea of creating nuclear-free zones a constructive one. In fact, several years ago President Kekkonen of Finland advanced the suggestion that the Nordic countries could form such a zone. His initiative was based on the fact that at present the Nordic countries remain free of nuclear weapons and that all of them have adhered to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. I have noted the words of the Secretary-General in the introduction to his report on the work of the Organization that the initiatives concerning nuclear-free zones are not only a useful but a necessary part of our search for universal disarmament [sec Al960IIAdd.l, sect. X], In this context, my delegation welcomes the two new initiatives on nuclear-free zones presented to this Assembly [see AI9909 and AI99II]. Likewise, the proposal on the prohibition of action to influence the environment and the climate for military and other purposes merits constructive discussion, as it widens the scope of disarmament efforts.
169. The international community has not been spared wars and human suffering. The situation, especially in the Middle East, remains potentially dangerous. Therefore, my Government urges the parties concerned and the great Powers to do their utmost to create the necessary conditions for a just and lasting political settlement, taking into account the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
170.	On the question of Cyprus, the Finnish Government appeals to all parties concerned to abandon the use of force and, instead, to choose the road of negotiation in order to achieve a peaceful solution based on the independence and sovereignty of Cyprus. As an immediate step it is necessary that all parties, in accordance with their obligations under the Charter, fully respect and comply with the resolutions of the Security Council. Equally important is the full respect on the part of all concerned for humanitarian values.
171.	The Finnish Government gives its full support to the efforts made and services provided by the Security Council and the Secretary-General, both in the Middle East and in Cyprus. United Nations peace-keeping activities in both areas have been indispensable for the implementation of the Security
Council resolutions and the agreements negotiated between the parties.. The latest developments in peace-keeping activities give us some hope that broad guidelines for United Nations peace-keeping operations may soon be agreed on.
172.	My delegation is seriously concerned that the necessary firm arrangements for the financing of the United Nations peace-keeping operations are still lacking. As a small nation, we Finns strongly believe that peace-keeping is the common responsibility of the entire membership of the United Nations. This, fundamental and fair principle should be the starting-point when we try to agree on the financial aspects of peace-keeping.
173.	My Government is concerned that serious violations of basic human rights still occur in various parts of the world. In particular, I would address a strong appeal to the Chilean Government to cease the persecution of political opponents and to set political prisoners free.
174.	On our road to decolonization, the independence of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the agreed, future independence of Mozambique are great achievements. The firm and resolute will for independence on the part of the African liberation movements, and also their willingness fully to use all possibilities for peaceful settlement", combined with the policy of the new Portuguese Government, have opened the way to full sovereignty for these Territories without further violence. We sincerely hope that the same attitude will prevail in the case of Angola, so that the people of that Territory may accede to independence without further delay and in a peaceful manner.
175.	Despite these positive developments, southern Africa remains a potential crisis area. Again, I became aware of this during my recent visit to several African countries. The Finnish Government has consistently condemned the policy of apartheid practiced by the Government of South Africa. Likewise, we deny the legality of the Smith regime in Southern Rhodesia. The United Nations must now turn all its efforts against these last remnants of colonialism and racism in Africa. On behalf of my Government, I pledge our full support to these efforts.
176.	Special ties and feelings of sympathy link Finland to the Namibian people. My Government has always been active in seeking ways and means by which the direct responsibility of this Organization for Namibia could be exercised and the cause of the self-determination of the Namibian people advanced. We shall continue our efforts in this regard. It is in this spirit and yet another step in our consistent support for decolonization that my Government has decided to Seek membership on the United Nations Council for Namibia.
177.	This year we have again advanced towards the universality of this Organization by admitting three new Members to the United Nations. The Finnish Government welcomes the membership of Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau. We are convinced that the participation of these States in our work will be of greatest value. That these three States, as one of their first international actions, applied for membership in the United Nations strengthens our conviction that this Organization is an indispensable forum where nations together can seek solutions to common problems in the spirit of true interdependence.


Mr. President, it is a pleasure to congratulate your excellency on your unanimous election as President of this session which, in itself, is a sign of respect for the continent you hail from, which contributed greatly to the field of learning. Please allow me to congratulate you personally on this great confidence, which you rightly deserve, since I have /or many years known your personal qualities and abilities which qualified you and our beloved sister country, Algeria, to obtain the highest level of international recognition. I am sure that under your wise leadership we will bring the work of this session to a successful conclusion.
287.	I should also like to take this opportunity to thank your predecessor for the untiring efforts which were crowned with success during an eventful year.
288.	I should like to sincerely thank our Secretary- General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, for his continuous efforts for the observance of the principles of the United Nations.
289.	I should like on this occasion and from this rostrum to welcome the new Members which have joined the family of nations of this Organization thus taking their natural place among us. We are sure they will contribute their share to implement the noble purposes which all members of the international community endeavor to achieve. It is our hope that before long all other countries which have not yet attained their full right to freedom and sovereignty will also be able to participate with us in the work of this Organization.
290.	As we review the events that have occurred in the past and still confront us during this session, I find myself much more optimistic in believing that the majority of Member States which co-operate with one another in upholding the Charter will continue in their effort to carry out their obligations in fulfilling their responsibilities and in meeting the aspiration of peoples and countries of the world. Those are the obligations enshrined in the Charter.
291.	As you know, Saudi Arabia was a founding Member of this Organization, and His Majesty King Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz was amongst those who played a praiseworthy role in giving full support to this Organization and to its noble principles of peace, hoping thereby to raise the standard of moral values of postwar society in conformity with those prescribed in monotheistic religions and those spiritual values which are vital to the promotion of co-operation in a better world civilization.
292.	Despite the fact that we have been disappointed on more than one occasion when the principles of the United Nations were violated, it has not in any way diminished our faith that the truth will eventually prevail and justice will triumph. I should, therefore, like to express the hope of His Majesty's Government, while we examine our agenda containing various very important items relating to world peace and security, that we might be able to deal with these matters in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter so that oppressed people will be able to achieve their political, economic and social freedom, and to curb the aggression of those who have not heeded United Nations resolutions and have consistently refused to recognize the right of peoples to live in their own homeland peacefully and in security.
293.	Since 1948, people in our region have been living in the shadow of constant unrest and upheaval due to the violations of the Charter by the aggressor and his non-compliance with various United Nations resolutions. On many occasions our region has been subjected to military incursions of the racist Zionists with the result that Arab Palestine was occupied by those alien forces. As if this were not enough, the Zionists embarked upon an expansion by occupying territories belonging to neighboring Arab States in total violation of the principles of international law, which prohibit the acquisition of territory by the threat or use of force, challenging thereby the authority of the United Nations and disregarding its various resolutions.
294.	At this stage, I do not wish to go into all the details of the Palestine problem, at the heart of which lies the question of Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinians made homeless and stateless by the Zionists. These Palestinians have been living nurturing the hope that they would be able to return to their homeland to exercise their right to self-determination. There have been many victims of this occupation.
295.	However, I should like to mention here the unremitting efforts exerted by Arabs, coupled with those of well-intentioned friendly countries, to find a solution and to co-operate with friendly States in their search for a solution to the Palestinian question which would ultimately bring peace in the region based on equity, justice and self-determination in our region. The position of Saudi Arabia on this question has, on many occasions, been made known from this rostrum.
2%. We continue to proclaim it. In other words, there should be a total Israeli withdrawal from the Arab territories occupied as a result of repeated Israeli aggression. Arab Jerusalem should be returned to its rightful Arab inhabitants since this Holy City is sacred to hundreds of millions of Arabs and non-Arabs whether they be Moslem or Christian. We must also make it abundantly clear that the Palestinian people should exercise their right to self-determination.
297.	The position of Saudi Arabia is in conformity with that of other Arab and Moslem countries, as expressed at the Fourth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Algiers, from 5 to 9 September 1973, and also at the Islamic Summit Conference in Lahore in 1974.
298.	The non-aligned countries and the countries of the third world, as well as the OAU, have made their position clear by condemning Israeli aggression and have called upon the aggressor to withdraw from all the occupied territories. The large majority of countries in the world have taken a stand on this question. Some even went to the extent of warning Israel to abandon its aggression.
299.	Israel persisted in defying the will of the inter-national community and the resolutions of the United Nations, and has thus become a symbol of aggression, like those remaining regimes which base their policies on racial discrimination, such as South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. It is therefore not surprising that Israel has found itself isolated from the international community blinded, as it were, to the impact which its aggressive acts has had in arousing the conscience of mankind. We believe that if total withdrawal from all Arab territories is not carried out, it will be extremely difficult to establish peace in the Middle East. That is the kind of peace which all regard as being essential for the broader peace and security in the world.
300.	We also hope that Spain will adopt the Arab position as regards the situation of occidental Sahara, to consolidate the good relations which exist between Arabs and Spain. We abide by these relations and we hope that they will be strengthened as far as possible.
301.	The world is in the midst of severe trials and tribulations. The policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be summed up as follows.
302.	First, Saudi Arabia, as a member of the inter-national community, is deeply conscious of all its responsibilities to that community. It has aided some countries, and will contribute to the development bank funds; it has also granted contributions to IMF and to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, so that they may be able to finance development projects in developing countries. I have informed the Secretary-General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, of this. I should also like to state on behalf of His Majesty King Faisal and his Government that we shall also be making a grant of $30 million to the emergency fund. In this connexion, I attended the meeting last Friday on the invitation of the Secretary-General, for which I should like to thank him.
303.	Secondly, aware of its share of these responsibilities to the international community, Saudi Arabia hopes that all the countries of the world will appreciate its position and not make oil-producing countries a target for unjustified criticism and covert threats.
304.	Thirdly, the position of Saudi Arabia as regards the price of oil is well known by all. While adopting this position, Saudi Arabia hopes that the big Powers and industrial and non-industrial countries alike will do their utmost to put an end to the rampant inflation and control the spiraling prices of finished products, raw materials and foodstuffs, so that the developing countries are not adversely affected.
305.	This is not the time to go into the other items listed on our agenda, which we will deal with when they are discussed in the General Assembly and its main Committees.


It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege for me to take this opportunity to join all those colleagues who have spoken before me to express the deep satisfaction and sense of fulfillment which we all share in Ambassador Bouteflika's assumption of the high and responsible office of the presidency of the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly. His unanimous election is a clear testimony to the high personal regard, esteem and confidence which he enjoys in the Assembly, as well as the recognition of the great respect and consideration which we all have for his great country and people. We are proud indeed of the leading role which Algeria, a sister African country, has always played and continues to play with tenacity and devotion in the cause of freedom, justice and peace for all mankind. We are fully confident that with his experience and background, and his total dedication to peace, freedom and justice, his term of office as President of this august Assembly will be crowned with success.
264.	May I also pay tribute to and congratulate his distinguished predecessor in office, Mr. Leopoldo Benites of Ecuador, for the efficient and successful manner in which he directed the work of the twenty eighth session of the General Assembly as well as the historic sixth special session.
265.		On behalf of my Government, I would also wish to pay tribute to our able and distinguished Secretary General, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, whom we had the pleasure of welcoming in the Gambia earlier this year, for his unswerving dedication to the principles and purposes of the Charter and his constant and untiring efforts for peace and justice throughout the world.
266.	It is with great satisfaction that my delegation welcomes the admission of three new Members to the Organization during this session. Considering the close proximity between the Gambia and GuineaBissau, and the affinity and complete solidarity between our peoples, I take particular pleasure in welcoming the Republic of GuineaBissau. Throughout their struggle for freedom and national sovereignty, we have always stood by our valiant brothers and neighbors. I am certain that our two small but determined countries will continue to cooperate in every field for the advancement of our peoples and for the maintenance of peace and justice. As we welcome GuineaBissau to the United Nations, we cannot help but express our hope that very soap Angola and Mozambique will also take their rightful place in the community of nations.
267.	I also wish to welcome Grenada and Bangladesh, two sister countries in our great Commonwealth, and look forward to closer relations and positive cooperation between our countries and peoples for creative works of peace and progress for all mankind.
268.	We extend our deep sympathy to the Government and people of Honduras in the disaster which has brought distress and suffering to that country. We sincerely hope that timely assistance by the world community will enable the brave people of Honduras to surmount their present difficulties and that life will soon return to normal in that great country.
269.	I should like to reiterate here today the abounding faith which the Republic of the Gambia places in the United Nations for achieving, maintaining and guaranteeing global peace. At the same time we realize that world peace is hard to attain without freedom and justice for all. But freedom and justice cannot be realized in an international economic system fraught with inequities, exploitation and indifference. We therefore believe that the present world economic system needs to be drastically restructured to reflect the aspirations and expectations of the vast majority of mankind, particularly the peoples of the developing world.
270.	The recent sixth special session of the Assembly, which met to discuss raw materials and economic development, demonstrated the growing concern with which those problems are viewed. The United Nations has a vital role to play, not only in ensuring world peace and security, but also in redressing the present inequitable world economic system. In effect, the two things are inseparable, for without doing the latter we cannot succeed in the former.
271.	The developing countries are struggling to build up their economies with a view to improving the standard of living of their people; but inequitable terms of trade, imported inflation and, recently , the energy crisis are together neutralizing all efforts in that direction. More needs to be done to find lasting solutions to those problems; and while the search for such solutions goes on, let us not forget the plight of the least developed countries, which are the hardest hit of all.
272.	In these days, when war has become so costly and destructive, so terrible in its impact and so unpredictable in its results, it is incredible that Members of the Organization still resort to it to settle their disputes. My Government is totally opposed to the threat or use of force for the settlement of disputes, believing as it does that in the United Nations we have the machinery for the peaceful settlement of differences among nations.
273.	We welcome the change in attitude evinced by the new regime in Portugal towards the liberation of the Portuguese territories in Africa. The recognition of the inalienable rights of the peoples of those territories to freedom and self-determination has not been achieved without much suffering and sacrifice. But the suffering and sacrifice have not been in vain. It is to be hoped that the United Nations and its specialized agencies will in due course rally to the call of those countries for assistance in the difficult task of nation building.
274.	The freedom and independence of Angola and Mozambique will, of course, create a new situation in the southern part of Africa. The struggle against the bastion of racial repression, apartheid South Africa, is bound to be intensified and a confrontation between black and white appears to be inevitable unless South Africa changes its apartheid policy in time. It is sincerely to be hoped that the leaders in South Africa will see reason before it is too late. Similarly, the racist regime of Ian Smith in Rhodesia should take stock of the situation and come to honorable terms with the African majority, to avert a holocaust.
275.	The international community has a heavy responsibility in ensuring that the fundamental rights of peoples everywhere are respected. Enslaved and oppressed peoples will always fight to assert their freedom and their rights. The theater of hostilities could therefore shift from IndoChina and the Middle East to southern Africa. My Government accordingly believes that the struggle against racism and oppression is a global responsibility which no Member of the United Nations can escape.
276.	In referring briefly to the situation in the Middle East, I would again call for a speedy solution to the problems of that area. The present state of uneasy peace in that part of the world should not divert our attention from the necessity for Israel to withdraw from ail occupied Arab lands, and to respect and restore the rights of the Palestinian people. A people cannot be forcibly ejected from its territory and be expected to acquiesce in the illegal and immoral acquisition of that territory. So long as the basic cause of the conflict in the Middle East -the forcible ejection of the Palestinians -remains, the region will continue to be a hotbed of hostilities, war and destruction.
277.	When the sixth special session convened, thanks to the farsighted vision of the President of the great country which the President of this Assembly represents, there was a glimmer of hope that at last the consciences of Member States had been awakened to the array of grave economic and social problems which threaten the very existence of the third world. It was expected that this would impel the developed world to demonstrate a greater moral and political commitment to the realization of our development goals. Despite those hopes, the international monetary crisis, imported inflation, the deterioration in the terms of trade and aid, and prevalent drought conditions continue to pose grave problems to the third world. No one will deny that the least developed countries are having to bail out fast in order merely to keep afloat. For the developing countries it would appear that aid will have to be accompanied by a disproportionate amount of high-quality technical assistance, to execute rather than to advise. Emergency aid must also go hand in hand with broad development efforts. Such development efforts, if immediate, will have to be based on inadequate data, with relatively high risks. But for many of us poorer nations it is that or nothing.
278.	On the question of inflation, it is unfortunate that in the industrialized countries this phenomenon is not only showing signs of gaining renewed strength but may well be accompanied by a sharp slowdown of economic activity -in other words a general recession in the industrialized world. The consequences of a persistent fall in export earnings, coupled with soaring prices for imported commodities, could be disastrous for the economies of many of us.
279.	The Gambia, along with the other members of the SudanoSahelian subregion and other parts of Africa, has been facing for the past few years the problems of severe and prolonged drought conditions. In the Gambia, annual rainfall has decreased to an alarming extent over the past three years. This has resulted in reduced yields in some parts of the country and complete crop failure in others.
280.	While local food production has drastically decreased, it has been revealed by our recent population census that approximately 10 per cent of the population are nonGambians, representing a rapid increase in migrants from surrounding countries over the last three years. That increase, which has no doubt resulted from the drought, has compounded our problems of procuring food, precipitated land problems relating to settlement and farming, and put an immense strain on our social and medical facilities. While friendly countries have been responsive to the critical and urgent needs of our drought stricken populations, continued and intensified international effort will be needed for the foreseeable future if those populations are to be brought back on the road to recovery. The drought conditions in certain parts of the world today must be regarded as a global problem, thereby strengthening the sense of solidarity and genuine good will that is required if we are to meet the challenge of such natural calamities.
281.	In Caracas, a little over a month ago, the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea adjourned its work at the end of a 10 week session. I am pleased to reiterate our sentiments of admiration and gratitude to the friendly Government and people of the Republic of Venezuela for the warm hospitality, solicitude and attention which characterized the stay of our delegation in that country.
282.	The Gambia is a developing country, dependent predominantly on an agrarian economy and under difficult constraints of Sahelian soil and unfavorable climatic conditions over the last few years. Nevertheless, my Government continues to ensure that the resources available to support our dense population and to provide for its material progress and protection are utilized to the full. Thus, we attached a great deal of hope to the deliberations and outcome of the Caracas Conference. The reports we have received so far on the work of the Conference have given us cause for guarded and cautious optimism. I regret to say, however, and without prejudice to the positive achievements of the Conference, that we have been persuaded to suspect that noble and well-intended declarations made at the Assembly were not given full practical effect at the Caracas Conference. It is the view of my delegation that the rich industrial and technologically advanced nations, which for so long dominated the world and commanded its resources, aimed at maintaining at Caracas a virtual status quo between the rich and the poor countries, thus serving to perpetuate the domination of the disadvantaged by the rich and powerful. My delegation regrets this attitude, but hopes that when the Conference resumes its work in Geneva next spring the rightful aspirations of the developing countries for a balanced and just regime for the exploitation of the resources of the seas and oceans beyond territorial limits will be matched by the appropriate political will of the rich, technologically advanced and privileged nations. If these hopes are fulfilled, the result would then augur handsomely for peace, justice, and the orderly exploitation of the resources of the global sea and for the equitable sharing of the proceeds for the benefit of all mankind.
283.	The problems of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, however, do not rest here. There is also the situation among the developing countries: the coastal vis-a-vis the landlocked and other geographically disadvantaged States. It is therefore the view of my delegation that, with regard to the proposed exclusive economic zones, the only sensible and realistic approach would be to adopt the OAU Declaration on the Law of the Sea adopted by the Council of Ministers of the OAU at its twenty first session, held at Addis Ababa in May 1973, and at its twenty-third session, held at Mogadiscio in June of this year. This Declaration not only recognizes the sovereignty of the coastal States over the proposed exclusive economic zones and all their resources but will also allow the full participation in the exploitation of the living resources of the zones by neighboring landlocked and other geographically disadvantaged States.
284.	We remain confident that in the present circumstances the continued efforts of the United Nations under its noble Charter represent a fountain of hope. The tenets of the common heritage of mankind, the equal sovereignty of all states and peoples, and the peaceful, orderly settlement of disputes, if given full rein, will surely bring peace, progress and prosperity to all. It is in this context that the Gambian delegation welcomes and supports the proposal, put forward by Morocco [2249th meeting, para 204] and Mauritania [2251st meeting, para. 162], that the problem of Spanish Sahara be referred to the International Court of Justice.
285.	Finally, I should like to register my Government's support for the untiring efforts that are being made to usher in a new era of international peace and understanding. It is my conviction that the prevailing spirit of detente between the superPowers will be further extended to cover the politico-economic relationship between the developed and the developing worlds. Global peace cannot endure in the midst of affluence for the few and poverty and penury for the many, and it behooves us all to rededicate ourselves to the search for solutions to the vexatious problems confronting the international community.


Sir, it is a source of particular satisfaction and a great honor for me to start my statement in the general debate in this Assembly by expressing to yoU, on behalf of my Government and my delegation and on my own behalf, our warmest congratulations on the significant manner in which this supreme body of our Organization elected you President of its twenty-ninth session. Your vast knowledge, experience and diplomatic skills constitute the best guarantee for the successful conclusion of the work of this Assembly . May I also avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Leopoldo Benites most sincerely on the most skillful manner in which he presided over the work of the last regular session and the sixth special session of the General Assembly.
135.	It is with similar satisfaction that I express my most affectionate welcome to the States of Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau, which have now entered the United Nations. We are convinced that their participation in this world forum will make an effective contribution to the cause of maintaining and strengthening world peace.
136.	In the present general debate, as it has done in past ones, the State of El Salvador wishes, through me, to state its views on some far-reaching aspects of contemporary international realities so as to contribute to the efforts exerted by the United Nations in its struggle to achieve a better world for all mankind.
137.	The economic problems which beset the world society have become a grave crisis, and the present channels of co-operation and exchange do not meet the needs of a mankind which is in the process of unparalleled economic and social change. The widening gulf between developed and developing countries makes it urgently necessary to seek effective, practical, generally-accepted solutions. Adequate ways can be found if we manage to determine the reciprocal advantages which the developed and developing countries would derive if the latter improved their level of economic progress.
138.	The establishment of points of common interest may be the basis for the developed countries to manifest the political will to co-operate in the efforts to develop the backward countries. That political will is necessary for the viability of measures taken in response to the shortcomings of the world economic system. But we believe that there is at present no such political will of sufficient magnitude.
139.	In connexion with the foregoing, it is most important to mention the results and projections of that great international event, the recently-held second session of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held in Caracas from 20 June to 29 August of this year. The facilities for that Conference were provided by the Government of Venezuela, which also created an atmosphere of confidence and friendship propitious for the success of its work. It was in Caracas that we started work on matters of substance, since the first session, held in New York in December 1973, was devoted to organizational and procedural questions.
140.	The 10 weeks in Caracas resulted in the establishment of the bases for negotiation, which, we hope, will culminate in a general agreement in 1975. Indeed, it must be remembered that the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor beyond the Limits of National Jurisdiction had to pass over the preparatory work for the Conference; accordingly, in Caracas not only was that gap filled, but, furthermore, the channels of dialog were vastly improved as we delved more deeply that ever into the thorniest subjects, observing in the process that positions which had been very divergent in the past tended almost to converge. More eloquently than is reflected in its records, the Conference proved that in the years that have elapsed since 1967, when the United Nations launched the great theme of the international zone of the seabed as a common heritage of mankind, there has been a ripening of the general conditions necessary to produce a general agreement establishing a new regime for the seas based on the equality of States, their real claims to their marine resources, and the linking of these to the great problems of development which the international community has yet to solve.
141.	It must be pointed out that the purpose of the Conference is not to alter the bases of the 1958 Conference but to establish a new regime for the seas which will be in accord with the principles of justice as required in the present-day world.
142.	Among the achievements of the Caracas Conference there is the broad support which, regardless of geographical groupings, .was obtained for the concept of the right of the coastal State to a zone adjacent to its coast not to exceed 200 miles. The battle waged for three decades by the Latin American countries is thus about to bear fruit. With that prospect, we are warranted in trusting that the third and fourth stages of the Conference, in which we have high hopes, will recognize not only the interests of the great maritime Powers but also the just aspirations of the developing countries.
143.	Praiseworthy too are the repeated efforts of the United Nations in other areas to contribute to the reformulation and eventual solution of the most important world problems. Thus, this year it went into the population problem in depth and in breadth at the World Population Conference, 1974. This is of the utmost importance, since the real effects of the problem have not yet been fully evaluated.
144.	Population growth, to a considerable extent, determines the process and strategy of development. World-wide co-operation is indispensable so that the effect of this phenomenon on social life will be positive and not constitute a barrier. Population policy must be based on respect for the freedom of man and on the particular circumstances of each country.
145.	El Salvador reiterates its special interest in the progress of the work of formulating a Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, the main objective of which will be the rule of justice and equity in international economic relations. That instrument could contribute to bringing about a more rational distribution of wealth among countries, on the basis of possible common benefits and the elimination of barriers to international trade. In that line of thought, El Salvador considers it important that we study the desirability of setting up a council of economic security which would promote international economic justice as the supreme good.
146.	The year 1974 has been marked by events with delayed and complex consequences in international relations and in the life of each and every one of the States grouped together under the aegis of the United Nations. The holding of the sixth special session of the. General Assembly was the organized response of the international community to the energy crisis, to the growing deterioration in the terms of trade between the industrialized and developing countries and to the export of inflationary elements by the highly developed countries.
147.	The energy crisis started with a shortage of fuel, that almost instantaneously rose in price, draining the foreign exchange reserves of many countries and producing a radical imbalance in the balance of payments, which in turn forced a readjustment in imports and the adoption of extreme economic measures of austerity. A chain of repercussions shook to the very core the economies of many countries: social disquiet, development plans which became mere good intentions, growing disorder in monetary parities and new elements in the vertiginous growth of inflation.
148.	On 1 May 1974, the General Assembly adopted two most important resolutions: the Declaration [resolution 3201 (S-VI)] and Program of Action [resolution 3202 (S-VI)] on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order. These resolutions are significant milestones in the process of readjusting international economic relations. Yet, the lack of support on the part of key countries for their implementation that appeared at the 2231st meeting, the last of the sixth special session, jeopardizes the results.
149.	What is to be obtained as a result of that special session is as yet uncertain. Nevertheless, the Ad hoc Committee on the Special Program established by resolution 3202 (S-VI), which is charged with implementing the resolutions, can play a valuable role in obtaining the needed support to make of these resolutions a real basis for international economic relations.
150.	Two facts are to be emphasized in connexion with the sixth special session of the General Assembly: the maintenance of solidarity among the Group of 77 developing countries which sustain their community of interests vis-a-vis the industrialized countries, despite recent imbalances that were rendered more acute by external pressures on petroleum importers; and the negotiation, of an almost bilateral character, between the Group of 77 and the industrialized countries, which is proof of the enormOus importance in world politics of co-ordination among the developing countries.
151.	While the General Assembly opens the way to economic relations, positive political achievements have lessened tensions and indirectly assisted in the formation of new international economic relations. Among these positive achievements, which are so promising in 1974, the agreement on the disengagement of troops in the Near East and Portugal's correction of its African policy should be noted. No one can reverse the process of decolonization. An end to the practices of apartheid and discrimination has been emphasized in General Assembly resolutions as a political condition for new international economic relations.
152.	Since nuclei of colonialism still exist, it is appropriate for El Salvador emphatically to proclaim its support for the cause of anti-colonialism. Within the colonial system are included both the direct expressions of colonialism, which are clearly becoming fewer and the more subtle forms disguised by various methods and strategies. Claims against colonialism, in their focus, must assume various forms. It is to be hoped that in those regions where the burden of colonialism subsists, the principle of liberty will be claimed without losing sight of the fact that in every case and circumstance the idea of liberty without an economic basis lacks meaning, because it is only a liberty to enjoy what one has not and what, if the present international economic relations are maintained, one will never have.
153.	On the other hand, in General Assembly resolution 2919 (XXVII) of 15 November 1972 the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was proclaimed, and its activities were inaugurated on 10 December 1973, when we commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That resolution is of historic significance because it clearly states the will of all peoples to eliminate racial discrimination. Such discrimination is an anachronism which denies freedom and can only be overcome if we turn our eyes towards the full observance of human rights and direct international action to that end. We know that this is a responsibility with which the United Nations has been charged since its inception. But we must renew our faith in so laudable an objective.
154.	Since the United Nations is committed in various provisions of its Charter to attain and preserve human rights throughout the world, it must have the necessary instrument to discharge this duty fully. It is true that it is a valid legal concept that the establishment or restoration of human rights calls for priority in international action—action on whose effectiveness the establishment of a firm peace throughout the world largely depends.
155.	We must single out the praiseworthy work of the Special Committee on the Question of Defining Aggression, which has submitted its final report to the General Assembly [AI9619 and Corr.l]. Aggression has been a subject for study almost since the very beginning of the United Nations, first under the responsibility of the International Law Commission, and later under the aforementioned Special Committee. It should be pointed out that the Special Committee, for methodological reasons, restricted itself in its work to direct aggression, as it indicated in one of its annual reports. Accordingly, there is lacking any consideration of the type of aggression most frequent in the twentieth century, namely economic aggression.
156.	We recognize the progress achieved in this delicate matter, but we note that at present there are ever fewer cases of armed aggression and more and more cases of economic aggression. To reduce agreement to something which is historically in a process of debilitation while ignoring something that is increasing would be to perform something less than a service to the international community. Achievement of this end must be considered a first step, one to be completed with steps that will give real dimension and content to the first one.
157.	The draft definition of aggression submitted to the General Assembly by the Special Committee on the Question of defining Aggression [ibid., para. 22] makes no reference, not even the slightest, to the very important circumstance that aggression includes two types, direct and indirect, as the Special Committee itself took into consideration in the course of its labors and as is evident in its previous reports. The proposal is conceived in terms which suggest that direct aggression is the only possible type of aggression. It was to be expected that the final report of the Special Committee would be consistent with the methodological principles that it had adopted for the discharge of its mandate. It could have recalled what happened with indirect aggression, particularly with economic aggression, in the course of the agreements among the contact groups representing the three principal proposals that were submitted to the Special Committee. The concept of the articles proposed, presented in apparently unconditioned and exhaustive terms, converts all possible aggression into direct aggression consisting in the use of armed force, and, taking a part for the whole, weakens the positive value of the agreement obtained. That outcome favors the great Powers, because in the present state of international relations the cases mentioned in the report have almost Ceased to occur; meanwhile indirect aggression, in its various forms and gradations, remains in the shadows, in a sort of political limbo. It seems necessary to draw the attention of this Assembly to the fact that the definition proposed should be set out in dimensions appropriate to its nature and purposes.
158.	I conclude these words by pointing out that the grief at this time being felt by all the countries of Central America serves to awaken feelings of solidarity that at times are momentarily forgotten. Though the enormity of the disasters varies, El Salvador shares with its sister Republics of Central America the same sufferings, a point which may itself be regarded as a promising factor for better understanding.


I wish to begin my statement with congratulations, on behalf of Nicaragua and of my delegation, and on my own behalf, to Mr. Bouteflika on his election to the presidency of the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly. Mr. Bouteflika  distinguished gifts as a statesman and his prudent strength as a young diplomat assure us that he will fulfill his duties with skill and intelligence.
214.	To his no less illustrious predecessor, Mr. Leopoldo Benites, I wish to extend, through our President, the expression of our deepest appreciation for the wise and effective manner in which he conducted the work of the General Assembly during the last two sessions. It brought great credit to his country, Ecuador, and to all of our Latin America.
215.	I wish also to ask that our greetings be conveyed to the Secretary-General, Mr. Waldheim. We have followed with interest all he has done for the cause of peace and co-operation among peoples, and his efforts to maintain the Organization at the service of the lofty interests of mankind.
216.	The disaster that recently struck our sister Republic of Honduras, which also to a lesser degree struck Guatemala and my own country, prompt me to give public expression of our condolences to the delegation of Honduras. The thousands of victims who lost their lives in the fury of the hurricane, the tens of thousands left homeless, and the material damages that have already been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, are for Honduras a most grave and distressing blow that can have very serious repercussions in the life of that Republic in the future.
217.	In the area of Central America, there tan be no country which appreciates better than Nicaragua the gravity of the natural disaster that our sister Republic of Honduras has suffered, inasmuch as in 1972 an earthquake destroyed our capital city, causing great loss of life and material damage and leaving behind it problems which even today we are still trying stubbornly to overcome. We have had two years of constant work by the National Emergency Committee and of exemplary dedication on the part of the present President-Elect of Nicaragua, General Anastasio Somoza Debayle. But in spite of everything and in spite of the efforts being made day after day by the people of Nicaragua to overcome such painful realities, the mark of the tragedy still re-mains present in the economic and social life of our people.
218.	In keeping with the fraternal bonds that unite the peoples of Honduras and Nicaragua, the Government and the people of my country have mobilized their effort while attending at the same time to those parts of our own country that were affected by the hurricane to bring our modest but relatively generous assistance to our brothers in Honduras. And in that task of assistance several heroic Nicaraguans have given their lives.
219.	This new natural disaster that has struck the area of Central America brings out the special importance of the allocation to the Second Committee of the item entitled "Assistance in cases of natural disaster and other disaster situations" [agenda item 60], the humanitarian aspects of which could be considered by the Third Committee during its consideration of item 12. Unfortunately, it would seem that the international community has failed adequately to understand the fact that the problem of natural disasters cannot continue to be treated as one involving only mercy and charity.
220.	The concentration and the ever more rapid growth of population, the greater areas being brought under cultivation and incorporated in the economic life of communities, and the complexity of the economic and social system all mean that natural disasters produce massive problems which, through the disturbances and disruptions they create, affect not only the economic aspects but also the social, political and institutional aspects of national life.
221.	Here we should like to refer to the third resolution adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the Economic Commission for Latin America.*1 It was adopted at the seventh extraordinary session to consider what action should be taken to help Nicaragua after the 1972 earthquake. It recommended the preparation of a regional plan for Latin America that would promote effective and orderly action in dealing with the disruptive effects, over the short term and medium term, of natural disasters.
222.	Those countries which are situated along the so-called volcanic chain of the Pacific, particularly those countries of lesser economic and social development, and those with coasts on the Indian Ocean and in the Caribbean, as well as the countries of the Sahel, have been hit by an awesome number of natural catastrophes and have shown great vulnerability to the social and economic effects of these disasters.
223.	The delegation of Nicaragua, with conviction born of our own distressing experience, cannot be satisfied with mere expressions of condolences for Honduras; urgent problems of a humanitarian nature must be tackled. I wish today to appeal to the international community, and particularly to Latin America, to confront the problems of Honduras and promote a broad program of reconstruction and development for the vast area affected; and I have instructed my delegation to remain open to whatever initiatives may be proposed to this end:
224.	We also hope that the study of the item on natural disasters allocated to the Second Committee will lead to conclusions and positive action going beyond the mere passing expression of humanitarian sentiment.
225.	There is another problem of ominous dimensions and serious consequences that directly afflicts societies whose land has been convulsed in the way described, although, perhaps, this problem is not limited only to them. I am referring to hunger, not to problems of nutrition, which can be an offshoot of affluence. I am speaking of the physical reality of eating to survive the elementary problem of existing and not the qualitative problem of living humanely. Indeed, hunger is a daily reality for one fifth of the population of the world.
226.	The secretariat of the World Food Conference has recognized that the present food crisis is the most serious that mankind has faced in the past 40 yeafS. The immediate effects of this crisis have been shortages and higher prices of all foodstuffs and increases in the costs of services necessary to produce and market food. To that must be added the growing seriousness of the situation of the workers, the sharpening of tensions and difficulties in society, and the growing, widespread inflation, with all the social problems that it entails.
227.	The situation becomes a tragedy when one appreciates the fact that the sectors most directly affected are not the affluent, but rather the less advantaged, sectors in all political systems: small landowners, small farmers and those who rent land, the rural landless, the unemployed of the cities and the countryside, and generally those with the least buying power in society, including a high percentage of infants and children.
228.	Here again, my delegation hopes that this session of the General Assembly will put forward effective recommendations and that it will talk about the causes of the problem, about which something can be done. We must not content ourselves with merely saying that the artificial increase in the prices of raw materials has led to the higher prices of fertilizers which are necessary to produce food; we must also take a hard look at scientific research which is focused exclusively on these two choices; moreover, we must think about the decision-making process which has led to that situation, and we must also consider the economic problems and the cultural climate that produced the consumer habits that have created the problem. Just as the consideration of what may seem to be the cause of the problem leads to its underlying causes, so it might well be that remedies for these underlying causes may prove to be the best solution to the problem itself.
229.	We are all well aware of the fact that the world has been living through a period of economic instability with serious repercussions. The persistence of under-development and the growing gap between the wealthy and poor countries are a noticeable result. The interminable escalation and succession of crises in the political, economic and social areas are symptoms. The energy crisis is one of the most dramatic, and it has indeed become the new villain on which the blame for all the ills of the latter part of the twentieth century has been heaped.
230.	In discussing this crisis it is also necessary to talk about all its components. On the one hand, it is not entirely true that the crisis is due to the fact that the oil-producing countries have created a bloc and have tried to impose their economic views by taking advantage of their monopoly on one raw material. On the other hand, it is not entirely true either that the main reason for the crisis is that the producing countries could no longer tolerate the constant deterioration in the prices of their basic raw materials in the face of the constantly increasing prices of products they were importing, and, therefore, had to take defensive action for which they are being blamed today.
231.	To our way of thinking, other equally important aspects of the problem must be pondered. Throughout the decades, international co-operation has been such as to make petroleum a fundamental element of modern civilization, and the production of energy has been a sector requiring high concentrations of capital and technology. For some time now
we have been laying the groundwork for a very expensive monopoly, neglecting the development ; of alternative forms of technology that might use traditional sources of energy, such as hydraulic energy, which would have prevented a concentration of power in one sector where monopoly was possible.
232.	In our view, alternatives to be sought in the future must not create an undue dependence on certain sources of energy that can be monopolized, such as oil and nuclear power; we must not concentrate on sectors requiring excessive concentrations of capital or technology. The important thing, however, is that we take an overall approach to the problem of development. At the sixth special session of the General Assembly held this year, the groundwork was laid for a program of international action, and consideration was given to the problems of development and international co-operation. We must realize that a major effort must be made to create a radically new economic order.
233.	One of the corner-stones of such a new order, with which the Government of Mexico and the peoples of Latin America are so deservedly associated, should be the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, which must enshrine norms and principles ensuring and orienting this new universal economic order: the integrity and inviolability of the physical and cultural heritage of peoples, effective sovereignty over national resources and economic development leading to tangible benefits for the people of the world; the regulation of foreign investment, particularly the investments of transnational companies, which must be a. tool for co-operation and progress and not a means of domination; the banning of economic pressure as a political weapon to be used against the sovereignty of States; and the right of nationalization and expropriation of property existing on national territory, regardless of the nationality of the owner.
234.	This is a difficult task. Let us have no illusions about what we can achieve at one session of the General Assembly. There have been few occasions in history so fraught with danger and challenges, but it is in the very nature of things that the United Nations should confront these situations, and no one expects it to act hastily. The interests at stake are great indeed, the consequences of failure are serious, and we must not act with undue haste.
235.	A very telling example of all this is what happened at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. From the time it was convened we realized that the Caracas meeting would not be the end of the matter. We realized that it was not possible to reach decisions on substantive issues when practically 50 per cent of the participants had not taken part in the work of the Preparatory Committee, and the complexity of the task made it impossible for the Preparatory Committee to issue sufficient documentation and undertake the additional work of fully distributing it. However, there are those who clamor for speedy agreements and already speak in terms of the "Caracas failure".
236.	I believe that it is appropriate to express here the gratitude of the Government of Nicaragua to the Government and the people of Venezuela for their invaluable efforts to create a propitious climate
for the important deliberations of the Conference, and to extend to its President, Mr. Amerasinghe, and the other officers of the Conference a vote of confidence and the congratulations of my country on the wise way the work was conducted.
237.	It is my Government's firm belief that a mature approach, prudence and a knowledge of the facts alone can serve as the major elements in the work of reaffirmation and creation of law governing a more equitable international order. That is and was the framework of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. It must promote the deliberations and efforts of the international community, which have already been begun, to regulate the proper use of the sea.
238.	This cautious approach should not be abandoned in dealing with any of the other problems which beset mankind. The population problem is obviously a cultural problem which goes far beyond the sovereign authority of States and is closely related to individual human rights. International co-operation in this area must not be aimed at speedy results. While it is true that the immoderate growth of population creates economic and social problems which afflict our nations, it is also true that certain spiritual and political sectors say that not only should a brake be put on the growth of population, but its causes should be studied and uprooted and a more equitable order created.
239.	International co-operation must not be aimed at perpetuating the status quo. It must be aimed at the genuine development of institutions. It must replace confrontation by procedures which will promote the action of the peoples of the world. After a quarter of a century of considering aggression solely in terms of military aggression, we now find that economic aggression and the attendant use of resources and financial institutions have moved to the forefront of international relations. There can be no doubt that, given its dangers and the risk of armed struggle to which economic aggression leads, the way to deal with it is not simply to define it but to proscribe the acts which express it.
240.	That was, in fact, the course chosen by the major Powers in order to avoid the risk of armed confrontations among them. There were agreements such as those relating to disarmament, the prohibition of nuclear tests, increased co-operation in the peaceful use of a growing number of technological developments which had been used for the purpose of war. These are all practical measures which, while making it possible to avoid confrontation, created and strengthened a new sense of international morality which has become the hallmark of international relations.
241.	There is no reason why the smaller countries of the world should adopt a different approach or different procedures. We must realize that confrontations have tended to shift to the smaller countries and have created an unnecessary market for armaments, diverting resources which are needed for the progress and well-being of our peoples and maintaining a climate of tension which in no way assists the principal tasks of development and progress.
242.	The general situation in the Middle East deteriorated seriously last year with the outbreak of the crisis in Cyprus and the recrudescence of the Palestine question. My Government has always advocated a slow, cautious approach to the various points of view. We advocate careful negotiation and the use of peaceful procedures. In particular, in the case of Cyprus, my Government believes that the international community should do more than offer simple declarations of good will. Every aspect of the problem of Cyprus involves the risk of a confrontation and a violation of a basic principle of the Charter which cannot be ignored by our Organization. The right to self-determination, non-interference in the internal affairs of a country, territorial integrity, proper protection of minorities, and so on, are alt principles which must be maintained and protected, and that is the view which we must firmly uphold.
243.	My delegation has noted with pleasure that the number of countries which wish their areas to be nuclear-free areas has increased. We welcome pressure to prohibit nuclear tests. We welcome restrictions on harmful military activities or other activities which alter the climate or have an adverse effect on the quality of the environment. We share these hopes and fears and we are firmly convinced that the smaller peace-loving countries of the world must make a major effort to ensure that atomic power is not increased or used and that the nuclear Powers respect the firm determination of those countries which wish to proscribe its use and keep their areas of the world free from this terror.
244.	In particular, we should consider the application of earlier resolutions of the General Assembly relating to the signing and ratification of Additional Protocol I of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco), and we hope that all the nuclear Powers will respect the nuclear-free zone agreed upon by the countries of Latin America. Together with many other countries of our continent, Nicaragua has sponsored a draft resolution which will be circulated at a later date.7
245.	This community of nations, with so many formidable challenges and opportunities ahead of it, has recently welcomed the new States of Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau and Grenada. With their admission we have gained the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of new nations which have recently acquired statehood and have values that will serve to enrich the human treasure.
246.	Particularly, we wish to welcome the delegation of Grenada, which has joined the family of Latin American countries. Grenada has been very much concerned to promote the development of our regional institutions. We believe that because of our common history and geography there will be many opportunities for us to co-operate and we extend our very best wishes to this new Member from the Caribbean.
247.	Finally, may I express confidence in our President's abilities and skills and may I pledge to him the frill co-operation of my delegation in the joint effort to see to it that this session of the General Assembly is productive and fruitful.