34. Madam President, slow me
to extend the very warm congratulations of the Maldivian
delegation to you on your election as the President of the
twenty-fourth session of the General Assembly. Your
election to that high office is the expression of confidence
the Member States of the United Nations have in your
indisputably high qualifications to guide us in the work of
this session; it is an indication of the respect the Members
of this Organization have for your country; it is also an
expression of their recognition of the important role that
Africa plays in the leadership of the world of today.
35. I now have the sad duty of recalling the memorable
services rendered so skillfully to the General Assembly by
the late President of the twenty-third session. It is with
deep regret that the Maldivian delegation pays its respects
to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Emilio Arenales,
whose passing away was a great loss to his country as well
as to the United Nations; for we have lost a great statesman
of rare charm.
36. This is an appropriate occasion to record, once again,
our admiration for the distinguished Secretary-General of
this Organization and his dedicated services in the cause of
world peace. Let me convey to him the warm support of
the Maldivian Government and the people of my country
for every step that he takes towards that goal.
37. I should also like to extend our congratulations to the
Vice-Presidents and to assure them of the fullest co-operation
of the Maldivian delegation in the conduct of the
difficult task ahead of them.
38. The twenty-fourth session of the General Assembly is
being held in a year which has brought glimpses of hope in
certain areas. It also led us to the brink of a full-scale war in
another part of the world. It has been a year of outstanding
success for mankind in outer space, while the rates of
growth in income and over-all development on this planet
itself have fallen short of their target. Reason and understanding
seem to be developing among some important
countries, while in some other parts of the world incidents
leading to conflicts between neighbours have resulted in the
loss of many lives and disturbed the peace of the respective
regions. This, then, is the year we are assessing.
39. In my statement to the twenty-third session I stated
that the situation in the Middle East should not “be
permitted to worsen any further” [1701st meeting,
para. 7]. To the disturbed concern of everyone, it has
deteriorated during the past months to the extent that the
Secretary-General has had to warn that “a virtual state of
War exists”, and again that “open warfare has been
resumed” twice during the last six months. In the introduction
to his annual report, the Secretary-General further
states that “war actually is being waged throughout the
area, Short only of battles between large bodies of troops”.
[A/7601/Add.1, para. 62.]
40. Aside from the political aspects of the question, we
were shocked and deeply grieved by the recent incident in
Jerusalem, when the Al Aqsa Mosque was heavily damaged
by arson. We joined with the rest of the Moslem world in
calling for an impartial investigation into the incident and
for measures to prevent recurrence of such actions in the
holy places in Jerusalem. We continue to believe that a
permanent solution to the entire question of the Middle
East could be found on the basis of the Security Council
resolution of 22 November 1967 [242 (1967)]. We reaffirm
our support for all aspects of that resolution.
41. The Maldivian Government has been observing with
keen interest the “Big Four“ consultations and the bilateral
talks between the United States and the Soviet Union in
their efforts to assist Ambassador Jarring in his mission. We
appeal to the Governments of all countries of the region to
take note of the Secretary-General’s observation that “there
is more than one procedural route to peace”
[A/[7601/Add.1, para. 67] and co-operate with every move
towards establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle
East. Too much suffering has been experienced by millions
of innocent people in the area. Too many have sacrificed
themselves to the causes they held sacred.
42. In Viet-Nam, signs of peace seem to have appeared on
the horizon. Although the peace talks in Paris have not
shown progress, there appears to be a certain amount of
willingness on the part of all concerned to halt the fighting
and work out an acceptable peace formula in that much
embattled country. My Government remains convinced that
the people of Viet-Nam should finally be permitted to
choose their own future under an acceptable method of
international supervision and free from any foreign pressure
or force. During the twenty-third session of the General
Assembly my delegation ventured to suggest that such
supervision could be either by a United Nations commission
or by a special representative of the Secretary-General.
43. If there seems to be a ray of hope in South-East Asia,
the picture in Africa is not so rosy. The illegal regime in
Southern Rhodesia has tightened its hold on the indigenous
population of that unfortunate country. The abhorrent
policy of apartheid in South Africa continues, despite the
innumerable resolutions of this Assembly. The Maldivian
Government deplores the attitude of those authorities. We
are equally concerned over the situation in Namibia,
Angola, Mozambique and Guinea (Bissau). It is time for the
governing authorities of those Territories to realize that
their inhuman practices must stop forthwith. It is time that
racial discrimination and religious intolerance were uprooted
wherever they exist.
44. Once again we find the question of the representation
of China in the United Nations on our agenda. The
Maldivian Government’s stand on that issue was outlined in
my statement in the general debate last year [1701st
meeting]. Our position remains the same: while we cannot
support any move to expel the Republic of China, we
believe it is time to work for an acceptable and practical
method to grant membership in this Organization to the
People’s Republic of China, if that is its desire and the wish
of the majority of the Member States of this body.
45. This year has witnessed one of the most memorable
achievements in the long-history of mankind. Men from
earth have conquered the space between this planet and the
moon and, for the first time, set foot on the surface of the
moon. This is an unparalleled achievement, for which the
United States of America and its brave astronauts and
brilliant scientists are to be congratulated. Supported by
the knowledge and experience of their many past colleagues
in the field, particularly those of the Soviet Union and the
United States, the feat accomplished by the three American
astronauts last July deserves the highest praise from one
and all, for they are a credit not only to the United States,
but to all mankind.
46. While we take pride in our achievements, can we
afford to overlook our disappointments? While we applaud
our successes, can we forget our failures? Although we hail
the advancement of science and technology, can we be
expected to support the production and stockpiling of
nuclear and bacteriological weapons? Those are some of
the questions that run through our minds when we ponder
awhile. A glance around us will reveal the many problems
facing us and the magnitude of them.
47. The problem of the “population explosion” has yet to
be remedied. While it is estimated that the population will
increase by some 500 million people in Africa, Asia and
Latin America alone in the coming decade, it is distressing
to note that extremely poor health conditions and malnutrition
still dominate many developing countries. No
doubt, there are encouraging signs in the field of agricultural
development, but they are quickly overshadowed by
the fact that food production is still out of step with the
growth of population, which is expected, even by some less
pessimistic observers, to double by the year 2000.
48. Despite efforts and considerable expenditure on the
part of many developing countries to wipe out illiteracy
and at the same time to expand and improve their
educational facilities, much of what is aimed at has yet to
be accomplished. This is due to many factors, not the least
of which is their inability financially to move any further in
this field. Here I must reiterate what I said last year: that a
people can be made aware of the need for over-all
development only through a sound education. The importance
given to education today by the United Nations can
best be illustrated by its decision to designate the year 1970
as “International Education Year” [resolution 2412 (XXIII)].
49. I now come to the question of development. There is
no doubt that some development has taken place in every
country in the world, thanks to some donor countries, the
United Nations, its specialized agencies and the leadership
of the respective countries. However, an important factor in
this connexion must not be forgotten. The United Nations
World Economic Survey for 1968 states:
“At the outset of the present Development Decade, the
economically advanced countries agreed that 1 per cent
of their income and output should be devoted to
international assistance. Progress towards the fulfilment
of this aim on the part of most donor countries has been
disappointing.“
50. Compared with that statement, it is alarming to us as a
so-called “mini-State” to see how much of the revenue of
many developed countries is apportioned for their defence
budget for the production of nuclear warheads and other
destructive weapons. Far be it from my delegation to pass
judgement on these issues, but let me say that this does
create a doubt in our minds as to whether the noble words
we so often hear have true meaning. We wonder whether
the arms race must continue when the present stocks would
be capable of destroying the world many times over. We ask
whether the acceleration of the production of these
dreadful weapons is more urgent and important than
meeting the needs of the under-developed countries and
under-privileged peoples. If so, how could the continually
widening gap between the developed and developing, the
rich and the poor countries, ever be narrowed?
51. These are only some of the many issues that confront
us. The problems faced by mankind today were aptly
described by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of
Yugoslavia when he referred to them as “peace or war,
enslavement or independence, backwardness or development”
[1763rd meeting, para. 133]. However, as we
approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of this Organization
let us not be pessimistic, for we hear the echoes of “good
relations” from Washington and Moscow. With President
Nixon’s declaration that after a period of confrontation, we
were entering an era of negotiation, it was encouraging to
hear the offer of the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union
in his address of 10 July to the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR. Since then, we have also heard their recent
statements in this Assembly. It would indeed be welcomed
by all Member States of this Organization if quick and
meaningful steps were taken by the major Powers not only
towards easing tension but also towards general and
complete disarmament. These measures become all the
more important in view of the fact that we are about to
enter the Second United Nations Development Decade. If
the decade of the 1970s could also be designated as a
disarmament decade, as proposed by the Secretary-General
[A/7601/Add.1, para. 42], we could, we hope, look forward
to the day when the world would be a safer place to
live, with its entire population free from hunger, ill-health
and ignorance and the road paved for true development.
52. I do not wish to take the time of this Assembly to
comment here on all topics that are of interest to the
Maldivian delegation; nor is it my intention to discuss all
the items on the agenda of this session. However, I would
be failing in my duty if I were to overlook two items which
are of particular interest to us. I refer to the question of the
reservation of the sea-bed for peaceful purposes and the
problems of human environment. The Maldivian delegation
supported all the resolutions adopted during the last session
on the question of the peaceful uses of the sea-bed and was
a co-sponsor of General Assembly resolution
2467 A (XXIII). We are observing with keen interest
further measures that are being taken in this respect.
53. During the same session, a very important item — the
problems of human environment — was introduced to the
United Nations. I wish to take this opportunity of
congratulating the delegation of Sweden on its timely
action in introducing the item. This is a subject of great
concern to the entire human race. The work already done
by the Secretariat in this regard will be appreciated by all.
The Maldivian Government looks forward to many constructive
steps in reviewing and confronting successfully the
many problems of human environment.
54. In conclusion, let me assure you, Madam President
and the members of this Assembly that we, the Government
and people of Maldives, are always firm in our faith in
the principles of the Charter of this Organization. We
extend our humble support to all those statesmen who
work for the betterment of mankind. We join with those
who pray for peace and harmony in our disturbed world,
and to those of us who are assembled here we say: let us
resolve once again to make the world community one
which could fittingly be called a community of united nations.