136. Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to extend to you the warmest congratulations and best wishes of my Government and myself. We greet you as an outstanding representative of the great nations of Latin America which, throughout the existence of the United Nations, have played an important role in promoting the development of a peaceful world order; and we know that, under your leadership, the General Assembly will be able to complete its task effectively and constructively.
137. The General Assembly meets in an atmosphere of tension and a sense of insecurity. At the beginning of this year we still had reason to hope for an improvement in international relations. In the Middle East, the resolution unanimously adopted by the Security Council in November last year enabled the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Jarring, to establish contact with the parties to the dispute. On the Viet-Nam conflict discussions were begun between representatives of the Governments of the United States and North Viet-Nam. The wide support received by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons also seemed to strengthen international peace and security. But the hopes raised by these developments have been frustrated. No progress has been made towards settling the political issues affecting the security of the Middle East. In Viet-Nam, the fighting continues unabated. And, finally, the intervention in Czechoslovakia, although it has been presented as a matter that concerns only the Socialist States of Eastern Europe, cannot but weaken confidence in such a development of international life as would preclude the use of force in relations among States.
138. The attitude of the Finnish Government to these current issues of international life has been made clear. As I said in the general debate a year ago, our position “is based not only on our well-known policy of neutrality, but also on the principles which we wish to apply to relations among States in all circumstances” [1577th meeting, para. 5]. I went on to say that:
“Every nation must be free to order its own affairs without outside interference or pressure. Every State has the right to peace and security. All States must respect each other’s territorial integrity and political independence. International disputes must be settled by peaceful means through negotiations. The use or threat cf force in international relations must be rejected everywhere” [Ibid.].
139. Accordingly, on the issue of Viet-Nam, the Finnish Government has consistently supported the proposals of Secretary-General U Thant that the bombing of North Viet-Nam should be halted and all military activity reduced, so as to prepare the ground for a peaceful settlement that would enable the people of Viet-Nam to determine their future without interference or pressure from outside. On the question of the conflict in the Middle East, we believe that the Security Council resolution of last November provides the basis for a settlement which would bring about the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories belonging to Arab States and enable all the States in the area to live in peace and security. With regard to Czechoslovakia, it is the earnest hope of the Finnish people that foreign forces will be withdrawn from the country and that all external restraints will be removed as soon as possible in accordance with the wishes of the people of Czechoslovakia.
140. In the light of the events to which I have referred, it can again be said that the worsening of the international situation endangers especially the security of small nations. The small nations of the world are the most faithful supporters of international co-operation and international law. It is natural that repeated violations of the principles of the United Nations Charter should create a sense of insecurity among them, As the Secretary-General states in the introduction to his annual report:
“This tendency to return to force as a means of national policy strikes at the very basis of the United Nations... If this trend is not reversed, and if the principle of non-intervention in the free destiny of nations is not re-established, the future of international peace and security itself is indeed a very dark one.” [A/7201/Add.1, para. 174.] .
It should be in the interest of the great Powers to dispel these apprehensions and to find a new basis for a rebirth of confidence. For we live in a world of mutual interdependence among all nations, great and small, and the rules of international conduct among nations cannot be neglected without grave consequences for everyone.
141. In times like these, there is a tendency to dismiss efforts towards achieving a reduction of international tension as useless or harmful and to place greater reliance on military force. We in Finland are not prepared to draw such conclusions from recent events. In our view we must continue to work persistently for the restoration of confidence among nations and to repair the damages caused to international co-operation. We are convinced that despite recent set-backs only thus can world peace be secured.
142. In addition to the increasing feeling of insecurity, one of the dangers which the world community is facing today is that we might fail to recognize the necessary priorities. Despite all that has happened—and perhaps just because of what has happened—first things must be put first. Nuclear anarchy threatens all of us without distinction. Greater security for all nations can be attained only through disarmament and arms control. The way to proceed is step by step; we cannot obtain everything at once.
143. In the opinion of my Government this applies to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [see resolution 2373(XXIII)]. The Treaty is open to criticism. It is not, nor can it be, an all-embracing instrument. Yet this Treaty in itself, recommended by the United Nations General Assembly and signed so far by about eighty Member States, is one of the most remarkable international achievements of recent years. It also continues to be the essential prerequisite for further disarmament measures. We feel that it is necessary to concentrate our efforts on making the treaty operational. For this purpose, a co-operative and constructive spirit is needed on the side of both non-nuclear States and nuclear Powers.
144. Of paramount importance in this regard is article VI of the Treaty, according to which the parties undertake
“to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament ...”.
This commitment to pursue disarmament negotiations in good faith should, in practice, lead to the beginning of bilateral negotiations between the two super-Powers on agreements to restrict the strategic nuclear arms race, to a comprehensive test-ban treaty and to other arms control measures outlined during the last session of the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. The great Powers bear the principal responsibility for all these
measures.
145. The United Nations remains the principal instrument available to nations for the maintenance of international peace and security. This has to be said in view of the disappointments and frustrations that, understandably enough, are spreading today. In our view, the security of nations cannot be improved through devising new treaty guarantees or other arrangements outside the framework of the United Nations, but rather through constant and concerted efforts to improve international relations, to negotiate further measures of arms control and disarmament and, above all, to strengthen the peace-making and peace-keeping capacities of the United Nations.
146. In this regard, recent developments in the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations carry some promise of future progress. Finland is one of the countries which has provided the Committee with detailed information on the preparations undertaken nationally for Finnish participation in United Nations peace-keeping operations. Experience has shown that the use of United Nations forces or observers or other forms of United Nations presence has become an indispensable tool in the hands of the international community for use in crises and conflicts.
147. The United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus, in which Finnish soldiers are serving, is a case in point. Its presence on the island has been essential for keeping the peace. It has thus helped to make talks between the two communities possible. Let us hope that these talks will soon restore normal conditions. Such a result would mean a successful Conclusion of the United Nations operation.
148. It must be admitted that one fundamental weakness of the United Nations system of collective security is the failure to ensure universal membership. Only as a truly universal organization can the United Nations effectively function as "a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations”. Accordingly, the Finnish Government has consistently held the view that the seat of China in the United Nations properly belongs to the representatives of the People’s Republic of China, and we continue to hold that view.
149. A number of other important nations also remain outside the United Nations. I refer here primarily to the divided rations of Germany, Viet-Nam and Korea. Finland, in accordance with its established policy of neutrality, does not recognize the Governments :n these divided countries and, consequently, has no diplomatic relations with them. But we believe that these Governments should be given equal opportunities to participate in the work of international organizations in appropriate ways. I agree with the Secretary-General, who has suggested repeatedly that the participation of such Governments should be considered. The Finnish Government is prepared to co-operate in finding a generally applicable solution to this problem.
150. The situation in southern Africa continues to be a source of serious international concern. The growing danger of racial conflict has prompted the Security Council to take collective measures against the illegal régime in Southern Rhodesia. For the first time in history, the United Nations has resorted to total economic sanctions. This action must not be permitted to fail, for at stake is not only the fate of the black majority of the population of Southern Rhodesia but also the credibility of the whole system of United Nations enforcement measures. Finland for its part is complying fully with the Security Council resolutions.
151. The United Nations has also assumed a clear commitment with regard to South West Africa. We have pledged ourselves to enable the people of Namibia to attain self-determination and independence. Failure to fulfil this pledge would seriously undermine the authority of this Organization. We must continue urgently our search for effective and practical means by which a just and peaceful solution of this problem can be achieved.
152. While we must devote undiminished attention to the persistence of racial oppression in southern Africa, we cannot refrain from expressing our deep concern at the terrible human suffering caused by the internal war in Nigeria. The feelings of the people in Finland have been deeply engaged by this tragedy, and both the Finnish Government and many civic organizations have contributed to the relief efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Finland stands ready to join in further international relief activities for the civilian victims of the hostilities. In the words of the resolution adopted by the Conference of the Organization of African Unity, we “appeal to all interested parties to co-operate with a view to assuring the rapid dispatch of humanitarian aid to all those who need it”. Yet, clearly, no relief action can save the people in the areas affected by the conflict unless the hostilities can be quickly brought to an end and a permanent settlement ensuring the safety and human rights of all concerned can be achieved.
153. The Nordic countries have also directed their attention to the humanitarian problems which we are facing in Viet-Nam and to the assistance that could be given to that country, once military activities have come to an end. For this purpose, a study group was set up to examine what the Nordic countries could do in giving humanitarian assistance. The studies made so far have shown that the need for assistance is indeed immense. We consider that this is a responsibility to be borne by everyone. The Nordic countries, for their part, are prepared to participate actively in this work.
154. As we approach the end of the first Development Decade we have reason for critical self-examination. It must be admitted that we have not been able to cope with the problems facing us in the field of economic development. Intense efforts are needed, for example, to increase and improve food production. These efforts should be combined with an active policy of world-wide control of population growth. This problem basically concerns individual Governments, but the United Nations should give full support to their efforts to win the race between food and population.
155. The machinery of the United Nations created to deal with economic and social problems is an elaborate and complex system. It provides us with a considerable ability to fulfil the basic tasks of development co-operation. However, this machinery is an outcome of organic growth. There is not enough over-all planning. That is why the Finnish Government has followed with keen interest the initiatives taken by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and other United Nations agencies, such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the United Nations Development Programme, to assess the capacity of the present structure to deal with the problems of effective development policies. What we need in the beginning of the second Development Decade is an approach which might properly be called strategic.