60. On behalf of the delegation of Chad, I should like to express to Mr. Abdul Rahman Pazhwak, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Afghanistan, my warmest congratulations on his election to the Presidency of the General Assembly at its twenty-first session.
61. In addition to his recognized ability and his long experience in the United Nations, Mr. Pazhwak is the representative of a country which, like Chad, has no outlet to the sea and whose problems, in more than one respect, are doubtless much the same as those facing the Republic of Chad. He may therefore count on our understanding throughout his term of office.
62. Before I proceed, I should also like to state that my country regrets the status accorded to the French language, which is accepted as a working language of the United Nations on the same footing as English. My delegation hopes that steps will be taken without delay to remedy this injustice.
63. At a time when all the nations of the world, at this twenty-first session of the General Assembly, sense that the shadow of death lies over mankind, at a time when we are relying entirely on the good will of the great Powers, my delegation believes that it is the absolute duty of the newer States like mine to raise their voices in this Assembly, in order to shatter this resignation which is creeping insidiously into all our minds: the acceptance of war as an inevitable evil against which men are powerless to act.
64. While it is true that only the great Powers can launch armed conflict on a world scale, history has shown it to be no less true that a return to peace is the fruit of long efforts by all-countries, great and small, not to mention the daily work of the common man.
65. The Republic of Chad firmly believes in the United Nations, which today is carrying out the only undertakings of man truly indicative of his intelligence and his superiority over the other creatures of the earth.
66. The Republic of Chad is entering the seventh year of its existence. It is not, therefore, one of the veterans on the international scene, but its people's will to preserve and strengthen their independence in order to ensure a future of freedom and dignity for all men is reflected in its unshakable faith in the United Nations. Otherwise, we should have to acknowledge that, despite all its striking and awesome technological achievements, our world is but a jungle where the stronger nations will destroy those that are less well equipped.
67. In these last few months of 1966, the prospects for peace seem dangerously uncertain; and yet, last year in this same hall, eminent speakers raised their voices to denounce situations in the world that might lead to war or might turn a local conflict into a general conflagration. Exactly one year ago today, on 4 October 1965, His Holiness Pope Paul VI addressed the Members of this great Assembly; from this rostrum he appealed to the great Powers to safeguard peace on earth [1347th meeting]. This voice of truth and sincerity resounded with - emotion in this hall. Was it, then, a vain entreaty?
68. Viet-Nam, or more precisely, what is happening in Viet-Nam, is a haunting knell in all our hearts. The concern of my delegation is all the more profound because the issue involves a people which until recently was colonized and which today is still far from having decided its future. After long years of bitter struggle, it is again plunged into the horrors of war, and the United Nations, witnessing this descent into hell, is impotent. The fate of mankind may once again be decided independently and unbeknown to most of the peoples of the world.
69. Men who have refused to stifle their consciences have expressed their alarm. For instance, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant, who is very highly regarded by the people of Chad and is known among us as the guardian of world peace, wrote in his letter of 1 September 1966 to the members of the' Security Council and to the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations:
"The state of affairs in South-East Asia is already a source of grave concern and is bound to be a source of even greater anxiety, not only to the parties directly involved and to the major Powers but also to other Members of the Organization. It is of the deepest concern to me personally." [See A/6400.]
70. My delegation sincerely hopes that U Thant will agree to serve another term as Secretary-General; for a situation as complex as this requires the presence of a man of faith, justice and courage.
71. There is reason to think that everything possible has not been done to seek peace in South-East Asia. Every Member of this Assembly would therefore like negotiations to be initiated, on a just basis; for they are now more necessary than ever. Objectively speaking, it is deplorable that the United Nations should be reduced to impotence in the Viet-Nam crisis, but this situation is due also to the fact that some of the parties to the conflict are not members of the Organization. Although my country is aware that the lack of United Nations representation for great communities, such as Peking China, is a serious obstacle for the Organization in its search for peace, it believes that it would be dangerous and irregular to make special provisions for the admission of any State wishing to become a Member. Needless to say, this statement in no way affects our prior commitments, particularly those which link the Republic of Chad with the republic of China.
72. In addition to Viet-Nam, there are many other problems and situations which could lead to war. One of these is colonialism, which is still rampant in part of the African continent and which has taken on forms of genocide that defy description, because the imagination boggles at them. The United Nations has often helped in the struggle against this situation, but it is for the Africans themselves, and for all truly peace-loving nations, to make the decisive efforts.
73. Portugal and its ally, South Africa — both supported by some great Powers — continue to make a mockery of world opinion, and have even boldly set themselves up as the champions of recolonization, South Africa, with its policies of apartheid, is the symbol of a return of man, with all his animal instincts reawakened, to the dark ages of history. It is a great challenge to mankind as it is today, and a constant challenge to all Africa. Narrowly selfish interests have always engendered such situations, but very often they are but a last refuge, and these interests are therefore mistaken interests.
74. It was this feeling which led the International Court of Justice to render a disgraceful Judgment on the South West African situation. We are witnessing a gradual disengagement by the very ones who fought fascism twenty-five years ago with the support of all the peoples of the earth. Amnesia seems suddenly to have stricken some of the technically advanced nations; for there can be no other explanation of the situation which has arisen in Southern Rhodesia. The United Kingdom, which is always conscious of its own best interests, this time has played the wrong card with Ian Smith. My delegation hopes it will take back that card before irreparable harm has been done.
75. With reference to the question of the inadmissibility of intervention in the domestic affairs of States, despite the Charters of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, despite the Declaration on this subject which the General Assembly adopted in its resolution 2131 (XX), acts of subversion of: every kind continue to rock the newer States of the world. To the Governments of these countries, however, the essential thing is to know the origins and purposes of these subversive activities. As with all epidemic diseases of childhood, all that is needed is to build up an adequate defensive reaction within the affected organism. My delegation wishes to reaffirm its adherence to the principles set forth in the Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of Their Independence and Sovereignty, adopted by the General Assembly at its twentieth session.
76. Another source of world concern is the problem of the divided nations, because it may lead to armed conflict. Although the final answer rests with the great Powers involved, my delegation believes that commitments made in the past can be honoured. The ultimate solution is a matter for the peoples themselves. Settlement of the German and Korean questions is therefore possible.
77. Another long-term world crisis is the problem of the inequitable distribution of the total income from men's labours. There is a very great disparity between the industrialized nations and the newer States, Objective economists throughout the world have warned us that the gap will continue to widen to the detriment of the developing countries unless the relations governing the economies of the two groups of countries are corrected.
78. The newer nations are forced to sell their raw materials at lower and lower prices, while the prices of the manufactured goods which they consume but do not produce are constantly rising. This situation has unfavourable repercussions on all the national economies and, by causing a decline in the level of living, on social conditions. Most of the so-called poor countries are reduced to serving as markets for the major industries, and their development is halted, or even regulated.
79. Despite the praiseworthy efforts of the United Nations in this area, my delegation is convinced that, in order to break the vicious circle of poverty, the developing nations must join together to study as soon as possible practical measures to halt this drain; for, in most cases, manufactured goods are produced with the raw materials purchased at very low prices in the so-called poor countries.
80. While the world's economic, and therefore political, difficulties are clearly long-range matters, the problem of universal disarmament, and particularly the problem of the destruction of nuclear, thermonuclear, chemical, bacteriological and other weapons, is of the utmost urgency, it is a matter of life and death for mankind; yet it would seem that no one believes in disarmament any longer, and the failure of attempts to engage in a dialogue suggest that the proliferation of these terrifying weapons will continue and increase. This is no longer a "balance of terror", but a race towards world imbalance through terror.
81. In conclusion, the delegation of the Republic of Chad would like to depart from this anguished mood to welcome the independence of two former United Kingdom colonies, Bechuanaland and Basutoland. We offer them our best wishes for health and prosperity, although there again the immediate threats presented by South Africa have not been removed.
82. Last year, in this Assembly, my delegation expressed its regrets at Indonesia's withdrawal from the United Nations. Our hopes for its return have now been fulfilled, and we wish to welcome this great country back in our midst.
83. Lastly, the United Nations has this year gained another new Member, Guyana. We welcome it to the international family. This birth of a new nation proves that life goes on and will triumph, despite the muffled rumblings of war.
84. Long live the United Nations. Long live peace.