1. May I ask you, Sir, to convey to the President of the General Assembly at this session, Mr. Arenales, our sincere congratulations upon his election to the highest office of this Assembly. We are fortunate indeed that our deliberations will be guided by a President who, as Foreign Minister of his country, is playing such an active role on the present international political scene, and who, through his past experience at the United Nations, has acquired a deep insight into the problems and procedures of our Organization.
2. I also wish to associate myself with previous speakers who from this rostrum expressed appreciation to the Foreign Minister of Romania, Mr. Corneliu Manescu, who served with such distinction as President of the General Assembly at its twenty-second session.
3. May I also avail myself of this opportunity to express, on behalf of the delegation of Austria, all good wishes to the delegation of Swaziland, which we have had the opportunity of welcoming to our midst as the newest Member of our Organization. The accession of Swaziland to independence marked another step in the long process which, over the past two decades, has led one-third of mankind from colonial dependence to independence and equality in the family of nations.
4. Our President has assumed his functions at a moment marked by uncertainty and tension. We thus link our congratulations on his election with an expression of hope that, by the time this Assembly has concluded its work, we shall be closer to the solution of some of the grave international problems, and that our joint efforts, under his wise leadership, may have contributed to this end.
5. The hazards and dangers which we find in the present international situation were clearly discerned by the Secretary-General in his annual report to the General Assembly [A/7201 and Add.1]. That report, as well as the general debate during the past two weeks, reflect the deep and widespread concern about the fact that the war in Viet-Nam, with all its tragic consequences, is still continuing, that it has still not been possible to restore peace to the Middle East, and that a new element of insecurity in international life has been created by the events in Czechoslovakia.
6. In our statement in the general debate last year [1578th meeting], we were able to note with satisfaction the relatively encouraging development in Central Europe. Remarkable political stability had been achieved in an area where the acrimony of the cold war had, at long last, been replaced by a certain détente and by increasing co-operation between the nations of that region. This development has been seriously endangered in recent months. The events which have taken place in our immediate neighbourhood could only produce a feeling of anxiety and disillusionment.
7. Ever since 1955, when Austria re-entered the international political arena as a fully sovereign and permanently neutral State and became a Member of the United Nations, it has been — and continues to be — one of the main objectives of its foreign policy to promote actively peace, stability and co-operation, especially in Central Europe, of which Austria is a part. However, peaceful co-operation can be achieved only if all nations, large and small, will respect the principles of the United Nations Charter and of the Declaration of Human Rights, the rule of international law, the sovereignty, integrity and independence of all nations. Austria therefore deplores and rejects all acts, wherever they may occur, which violate these principles and thus endanger the order on which the security of all of us depends.
8. Although Austria and Czechoslovakia adhere to different political and social systems, it is obvious that events in that country, with which we share a common border and with which we have been linked throughout our history in so many respects, are followed by the Austrian people with particular attention. The developments of the recent past have naturally caused deep concern among the Austrian people. At this juncture we can express only the sincere and earnest hope that everything possible will be done to ease the situation and to remove all external restraints, in accordance with the wishes of the people of Czechoslovakia, so that mutual confidence, which is a prerequisite for stability, will be restored.
9. Let me turn now to those conflicts which for years have perturbed the international community. We cannot but view with grave concern the continuing war in Viet-Nam. Apart from the tragic human suffering which every day of prolonged fighting inflicts upon the people of Viet-Nam, its impact and its international repercussions represent a serious danger to international peace and security. We have therefore repeatedly urged the cessation of hostilities and a political settlement of the conflict through negotiations, on the basis of the Geneva Agreements of 1954. In our view, this seems to be the only realistic hope for a termination of the war and for the restoration of peace to the people of Viet-Nam, which must be given the right to determine their future by their own free will.
10. We were heartened by the fact that the Governments of both the United States and the Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam agreed to meet in Paris for preliminary talks to end the war. Like others, we are worried about the lack of progress in those talks. We renew our appeal to all parties concerned to take whatever steps may appear likely to set in motion the process of de-escalation of hostilities. No initiative in this respect should be discounted, and any step which may open the road to peace should be taken with courage and determination.
11. The Austrian Government also expresses its concern that, over the past year, it has not been possible to bring peace to the Middle East. The basic problems of that area which so often in the recent past have led to the outbreak of hostilities remain unsolved. Belligerency has not come to an end. Tension along precarious cease-fire lines persists. The consequences of last year’s hostilities have not been liquidated.
12. There have, indeed, been numerous efforts during the past year to bring about a solution to the conflict. On 22 November last year, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 242(1967) laying down what we consider equitable and realistic principles for a settlement of the situation in the Middle East. We trust that, if executed in all its parts, it will bring a lasting solution to the crisis and the problems of that troubled area.
13. In the same resolution the Security Council asked the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative to promote agreement and assist efforts to reach a peaceful and accepted settlement. We know that Ambassador Jarring has spared no effort in the :meantime to achieve the purposes of that resolution. We fully support his mission.
14. We must, however, be aware of the realities of the situation. The United Nations can provide the machinery to assist the parties in negotiating a settlement. The United Nations can arrange and help to maintain armistice agreements. The United Nations can assist in alleviating the problems of refugees. A lasting solution, however, can be achieved only if the nations of that area themselves have the wisdom and determination to agree to a settlement of their deep-rooted differences by peaceful means, and if they have the political will to implement it, guided by the principles laid down by the Security Council last November.
15. History has created manifold links between Austria and all peoples in the Middle East. It is with this in mind that we hope and trust that the peoples of that area, aware of their proud past, will lack neither imagination nor courage to find a common road to peace and into a promising future.
16. I should like to turn now to the problem of South Tyrol. You will recall that the General Assembly, in 1960 and 1961, unanimously adopted resolutions 1497(XV) and 1661(XVI) urging Austria and Italy to settle through negotiations the dispute relating to the interpretation and implementation of the Paris Agreement of 5 September 1946 concerning the South Tyrol.
17, The bilateral negotiations which were taken up in accordance with the above-mentioned resolutions focus on two main problems: one of substance and one of procedure. The problem of substance consists in granting to the German-speaking population of the Province of Bozen the amount of autonomous authority necessary to safeguard the ethnic, economic and cultural development of the South Tyrolean ethnic group.
18. The Italian Government, recognizing the necessity of improving the situation of the minority, in 1961 entrusted a special commission with the task of studying the problems of the Province of Bozen and reporting to the Italian Government on the results of its inquiry. That commission elaborated a series of proposals in the light of which the bilateral negotiations were resumed. In the course of those negotiations, basic agreement was reached on the substance of the above-mentioned autonomy. Our present efforts concentrate on working out a procedure which will enable us to settle the pending dispute. This has proved particularly difficult because both sides to the dispute maintain different juridical positions. Under these circumstances we have agreed to conduct the negotiations without prejudice to the respective juridical positions. Those negotiations are still going on.
19. The Austrian Government is resolved to proceed with calm and determination in the way which we have chosen. In accordance with the mandate given to us by the United Nations we are ready to make our contribution towards a satisfactory solution of the problem. We trust that the Italian Government on its part will take all steps conducive to achieving that goal.
20. In the long and often discouraging history of our disarmament efforts, the past year has at last led to certain concrete results. The approval by the General Assembly, in June, of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [see resolution 2373(XXII)], and the fact that this Treaty has been signed since then by more than eighty nations, are major steps forward towards a goal which the United Nations has been seeking ever since the beginning of
the nuclear age.
21. It is now to be hoped that further measures outside and complementary to the Treaty will be stimulated by its acceptance. The Conference of Non-Nuclear-Weapon States, which concluded its very useful deliberations only a few weeks ago in Geneva, stressed a number of measures which should now be taken in this respect. In particular, the Conference dealt with the complex problem of security assurances, and advocated the acceleration of the process of nuclear and general disarmament under effective international control. The Conference also recalled that it is imperative to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the flow of nuclear materials and of scientific knowledge and nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and to ensure that non-nuclear States can enjoy the benefits of peaceful applications of nuclear explosions on a non-discriminatory basis.
22. We believe that the International Atomic Energy Agency is the appropriate organization to be entrusted with the tasks resulting from the non-proliferation Treaty with regard to the development of the application of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and the problem of safeguards. We also share the view of those who believe that the International Atomic Energy Agency could serve as the appropriate international body through which the non-nuclear-weapon States should obtain these benefits, under article V of the Treaty, if they choose do so. We recall in this connexion that the General Conference of the Agency last month devoted its attention to the problems involved.
23. We have already expressed on previous occasions the opinion that the non-proliferation Treaty has not as yet established a true balance of obligations between the nuclear and the non-nuclear countries and that the Treaty should not be considered an end, but rather a starting point for further disarmament measures and a step towards general and complete disarmament. The nuclear Powers, in article VI of the Treaty, have accepted a clear commitment in this respect. It is our sincere hope that this process will be set in motion as soon as possible, and that it will lead to concrete results.
24. We note with satisfaction in this connexion that the Conference of the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee agreed to give first priority in its work to further effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to nuclear disarmament. We trust that the work of the Committee, to whose efforts I wish to pay a tribute, will continue with urgency and at the earliest possible moment.
25. While we advocate additional measures in the field of disarmament, we should not forget that the non-proliferation Treaty, in order to be effective, still requires a great number of signatures and an even greater number of ratifications. The recent deterioration in the international climate has apparently led a number of countries to hesitate about signing or ratifying the treaty. It is our conviction that the Treaty will effectively enhance the security of all of us. We therefore hope that it will soon become a universal document.
26. We note with satisfaction the continuing international co-operation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space. The past year was not only another year of continuing scientific and technical progress in space exploration, but also one marked by great efforts to strengthen international co-operation in this field.
27. The first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which took place in Vienna in August of this year, was convened specifically to examine the practical benefits to be derived from space research and exploration and to study the possibilities for non-space Powers. and in particular for the developing countries, to enjoy these benefits. The Conference has shown, I believe, the promising possibilities in this respect. Much as we were pleased with the achievements of the Vienna Conference, we must now bear in mind that the Conference was not envisaged as a final but, on the contrary, as a first step in our efforts to bring the practical benefits of space exploration to all nations. It seems important that these efforts should now continue with increased emphasis.
28. The fruitful work which the United Nations has been able to achieve in the field of outer space justifies our hope that we will be equally successful in the new area to which the Assembly turned its attention last year: the reservation of the sea-bed and ocean floor for peaceful purposes. We have been able in international treaties greatly to limit military activities and, in particular, the threat of nuclear weapons in outer space. It is our hope that similar measures will be possible with regard to the ocean floor and that
international co-operation will be possible in the economic exploitation of its resources.
29. . The General Assembly has proclaimed 1968 as the International Year for Human Rights. It is indeed appropriate to commemorate in this way the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly. I feel that we should make a decisive effort in the closing stage of this year to translate into practice at least some of the principles of the Declaration. A considerable number of States have already done this by taking concrete steps to alleviate the suffering of people in various areas of conflict.
30. Austria indeed considers it one of its foremost tasks to extend all possible humanitarian help to those in need — wherever they may be and without regard to political considerations. It is in pursuance of this policy that, within the limits of our possibilities, we have rendered humanitarian assistance through the International Red Cross to both South Viet-Nam and North Viet-Nam.
31. It is under the acute impact of the awareness of human misery that the Austrian people has followed with deep-felt sympathy and strong emotion the developments in the eastern region of Nigeria. In our attempt to do everything possible to help the victims of the hostilities in that area, the Austrian Government has, as a first step, put money and relief supplies at the disposal of the International Committee of the Red Cross. We have followed up these relief measures by sending a special representative to Lagos and other capitals to examine all possibilities for further help. The mission was conducted in close contact with the International Red Cross in Geneva. In taking these measures we were encouraged by the recent resolution of the Organization of African Unity calling upon all parties to ensure immediate humanitarian relief aid.
32. I am distressed that the complex and difficult situation in the southern part of Africa has not come nearer to a solution since last year’s Assembly. This disturbing situation not only has not improved, but in fact has even deteriorated.
33. I must express here my sincere regret that the resumed session of the last General Assembly did not succeed in its attempt to solve the problem of South West Africa. We are deeply convinced that the people of Namibia have the inalienable right, like any other nation, freely to determine its future. Let me state once again that the United Nations has assumed direct responsibility for South West Africa. The termination of the Mandate is, in our view, legally binding. These important decisions have committed our Organization.
34. With regard to the situation in Southern Rhodesia, the Security Council has debated this question intensively. As a result of these deliberations the sanctions against Southern Rhodesia, which have proved inadequate, have been considerably tightened. Austria has laid down its position on the question of Southern Rhodesia in its note to the Secretary-General of 31 July 1968. I should like to reiterate on this occasion that Austria does not recognize the régime in Southern Rhodesia and that my Government will implement the Security Council resolution imposing sanctions against that country.
35. In addressing myself to the problems of southern Africa, I wish to reiterate our firm rejection of the policy of apartheid. Austria’s position in this respect is well known to this Assembly. We categorically reject all forms of racial discrimination.
36. International attention has rightly and to an ever-increasing degree been focused on the problems that result from the extreme disparities existing between the standards of production — and in consequence of the levels of living - of the technologically advanced countries and the standards of those nations which still have to strive hard in order to develop more adequate methods and structures in their economy. The solution of this problem requires a pooling of resources on the one hand and a universal strengthening of efforts — not only of a financial nature — on the other. Equally important, however, is the need to develop the conceptual framework for mastering this immense challenge.
37. Austria recognizes the primordial role the United Nations family plays and will have to continue to play in order to help ensure that all resources are put to optimal use in the interest of a continuous and well-balanced growth process. We are confident that the second United Nations Development Decade will bring us a decisive step forward in our endeavours to develop the urgently needed strategy for development, providing at the same time a strategy for international co-operation and mutual assistance.
38. Particular emphasis must be placed on the human and social components of the development process. In this respect, the creation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization — to which Austria has the privilege to be the host — constitutes an important step in the right direction.
39. I should like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his kind comments on the efforts of the Federal Government and the municipal authorities of Vienna to assist and provide facilities to international organizations and conferences. His remark that “Vienna is rapidly acquiring an international status as the headquarters of major international agencies and the site of important United Nations meetings and conferences” [A/7201/Add.1,para. 98] is greatly appreciated by the Government and the people of Austria. May I also, on our part, extend to the Secretary-General our sincere gratitude for the help which we have invariably received from him and for his tireless
efforts in the cause of the United Nations and world peace.
40. Ever since the inception of the United Nations, the peoples of the world have looked with idealism to the objectives and principles of the Charter and have hopefully anticipated that they would be translated into reality. The fact that our Organization has not been able to find solutions to some of the key problems our nations are facing today, that it has not been able to take effective action in various situations and conflicts endangering international peace and security, the fact that many of its resolutions have remained unheeded, has resulted in considerable disappointment and disillusionment.
41. Admittedly, the difficulties and problems facing the United Nations are very real. Yet we feel that the answer to this should not lie in an attitude of pessimism. What it does call for, it seems to us, is a realistic reappraisal of both our possibilities and our limitations. We are convinced that, in the light of such realistic evaluation, the essential and important role which the United Nations plays and has to play on the present international scene will become even more apparent.
42. Let me reaffirm our belief in the future of our Organization and renew our commitment to the principles and ideals of the Charter.