104. May I be permitted to convey to Mr. Maza my warmest congratulations and those of my delegation on his election to the presidency of this Assembly, an election unprecedented in that it was unanimous.
105. Most speakers during last year’s general debate welcomed the end of hostilities in the Far East and noted with satisfaction that for the first time for years blood had ceased to flow. This year, we are faced with an even more encouraging situation. A new era of conciliation and mutual understanding is dawning throughout the world, and it is the duty of every Member State to do all in its power to ensure that this new atmosphere leads to the attainment of those aims which all men have at heart.
106. This change of atmosphere has already produced some tangible results which deserve mention. The United Nations, in particular, is entitled to note with pride that three of its most important resolutions have reached, the stage of effective implementation.
107. In 1948, when peace was increasingly threatened by international tension, the General Assembly, reflecting the concern felt throughout the world, made an urgent appeal to the great Powers inviting them to settle their differences by peaceful means [resolution 190 (III)]. This appeal remained long unheeded. The preparatory work of the last six months, which led to the meeting of the Heads of Government of the four great Powers, has now opened up new and hopeful prospects. The entire world devoutly hopes that at their forthcoming meeting, the Foreign Ministers of these Powers will succeed in drawing up constructive plans in the field of security and disarmament,
108. It will be readily understood that I cannot recall the Geneva Conference without expressing the grave concern of my delegation at the news of the illness of the President of the United States. We express our sincere wishes for his speedy recovery.
109. In 1952, the General Assembly adopted a resolution requesting the occupying Powers in Austria to settle the differences which still existed between them and which held up the signing of the peace treaty with that State [resolution 613 (VII)]. The Powers concerned have finally responded to that appeal and have signed a peace treaty which, inter alia, defines the manner in which their troops are to be withdrawn. My delegation sincerely shares in the joy of the Austrian people and Government at the liberation of their country and its attainment of full independence, and congratulates the signatory Powers.
110. Finally, there was another General Assembly resolution, which, we are delighted to see, has been implemented in less than ten months, concerning the release of those American airmen who had been captured when undertaking a mission at the direction of the United Nations Command [resolution 906 (IX)]. In that resolution, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to give his assistance to that end, and we are glad to note that, through the goodwill of both parties and the praiseworthy and patient efforts of Mr. Hammarskjold and his assistants, the difficulties were overcome and the prisoners released. It is a very pleasant duty for me to add my delegation’s congratulations to those which have already been addressed to the Secretary-General, not to mention the distinguished I head of the Indian delegation, Mr. Menon, whose assistance in the settlement of this matter was of the utmost value.
111. Concurrently with the direct action within the United Nations, and in the same context, there occurred a new and unprecedented event which is worthy of mention. This was the Asian-African Conference at Bandung. The course of the discussions at this Conference is too well known for me to recall, but I should like to stress that the participating countries, inspired by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, contributed greatly to the reduction of tension in the Far East. They will continue to make every effort together to attain the paramount aim which we all seek: the establishment of a lasting peace based on equity and justice.
112. The favourable international atmosphere which prevails today is therefore the result, as it were, both of efforts within the United Nations and of those made outside it, but more or less under the auspices of the United Nations and in any case inspired and encouraged by it.
113. We are not among those who view with distrust accomplishments of special conferences, of direct or indirect diplomacy or of regional meetings. In our view, any procedure or action designed to facilitate the task of the United Nations is good. Nevertheless, we agree with the Secretary-General when he says in his annual report on the work of the Organization: j “There are strong reasons for using the institutions of the United Nations for questions appropriate to world organization, unless special circumstances make it necessary to go outside those institutions” [A/ 2911, p.xi].
114. We must make use of our Organization in a way that meets the needs of the international community, j We must adopt new methods conducive to the success j of efforts at conciliation. We must, at the same time, imbue our meetings with an atmosphere of serenity and try through discussion to find universally acceptable solutions to the problems of our times.
115. It is difficult, in a brief statement of this kind, to review all the questions which we shall take up during this session, but I should like to stress some j problems to which we attach particular importance.
116. In the first place, I should like to speak briefly of an item which has appeared for some years on our agenda, namely, the admission of new Members. My Government, which believes that this Organization should be universal, continues to think that applications for admission should be examined separately, on their merits, and in the light of the conditions laid down in Article 4 of the Charter. We hope that the relaxation of international tension will induce the permanent members of the Security Council to revise their policy on this subject and will facilitate the admission of States desirous of contributing to the work of the United Nations. We should like to praise the efforts of the Committee of Good Offices and to see them redoubled in this friendlier atmosphere, which holds out prospects of success where hitherto the Committee has only met with insurmountable obstacles.
117. I should like next to allude briefly to the complex problem of the prohibition of nuclear weapons and the reduction of conventional armaments.
118. The effective establishment of an international system of supervision and control still seems to my Government an essential prerequisite of disarmament. We note with satisfaction the progress achieved by the Sub-Committee of the Disarmament Commission in London and New York. In the hope that its efforts will bring about a compromise acceptable to everyone, I would prefer not to go into the details of certain proposals and leave the discussion of this important problem until it is taken up by the First Committee. I should like, however, to stress the importance which we attach to the plan proposed by the French Prime Minister, which has the advantage of combining the immediate reduction of armaments with a long-term programme of economic expansion.
119. I should also like to make a few comments on the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy held at Geneva — not because I regard these two problems as necessarily linked, but because it is clear that a satisfactory solution of the disarmament problem would greatly facilitate the work of the United Nations in the field of atomic energy, and hasten the achievement of a great and noble ambition dear to our hearts, that of harnessing the power of the atom for the service of mankind.
120. I should like, finally, to reaffirm my Government’s unshakable determination ,to give its moral support to the aspirations of peoples still under foreign yoke, so that they may attain full and complete freedom and independence in accordance with the principles of the Charter.
121. Convinced as we are that the old colonial regime, based on the enslavement and exploitation of one people by another, is doomed to disappear, we express the hope that the governing Powers will take scrupulous account of the political aspirations of the non-self-governing peoples in order that they may develop their free institutions and attain their independence in calm and harmony. This is the only way to avoid violence, which inevitably leads to loss of life and breeds hatred and bitterness. Such a solution will facilitate future co-operation between the peoples concerned. The experience of these last few years, particularly in Asia, should encourage the great Powers to take this path, in the interests not only of the peoples concerned but also of world peace.
122. In this connexion, the recent appeal of the peoples of Asia and Africa at Bandung, revealing the “self-awareness” and the awakening of these two continents, should make us think about the responsibilities borne by the United Nations, for it is dangerous to leave these questions too long in the background under the pretext of having more urgent problems.
123. We cannot disguise our concern at the recent events in North Africa, which have resulted in bloodshed and loss of life. We still think that repressive measures, far from contributing to any relaxation of tension in that part of the world, serve only to inflame the situation further, being neither in the interest of the peoples concerned nor consistent with the establishment of security in Africa.
124. We hope that France, which, during its history, has made such great sacrifices and has lost so many of its sons for the cause of freedom, will make new efforts to re-establish its relations with the North African peoples on the basis of the noble principles which it has itself spread throughout the world, principles summed up in the three words, which, since the Revolution, have been the proud motto of the nation: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”.
125. A similar question to which I should also like to call attention is the dispute between the Indonesian and Netherlands Governments about the territory of West Irian. There again, we hope that the two Governments concerned will resume negotiations with a view to a peaceful settlement of this dispute and will achieve positive results in keeping with United Nations principles.
126. Finally, in the field of international economic and social co-operation, we subscribe unreservedly to the I following opinion expressed by the Secretary-General in his annual report: “... international economic equilibrium must be sufficiently dynamic and flexible to provide for the attainment of the three interrelated economic goals of the Charter: higher standards of living, full employment and economic development. Any economic balance which fails to provide for satisfactory progress towards these goals would be a false balance and could not be maintained” [A/2911, p. xiv].
127. We are glad to note that, during the past year, the industrialized countries have made progress along these lines. The same cannot be said for the underdeveloped countries, where the inadequacy of technical knowledge and the lack of national capital, not to mention other handicaps, constitute so many obstacles to their rapid and harmonious development. I venture to add that the ever-increasing speed with which the industrialized countries are moving towards stabilization and expansion widens still further the gap which separates them from the under-developed countries and, to some extent, runs counter to the economic and social objectives of the Charter.
128. For a long time, the United Nations has concerned itself with both aspects of this problem of economic development, and a programme of technical assistance has been in action for several years. What remains to be done in this field is to speed up the tempo of assistance. It is chiefly in the financing of economic development that progress has been extremely slow. Hints can be found in the Secretary-General’s report of the forthcoming establishment of an International Finance Corporation. Let us hope that we shall soon be able to announce the establishment of the Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development, and that both these institutions will get resolutely under way to help the international community as a whole to speed on its development.
129. In the Secretary-General’s view, “a substantial increase in the capital resources made available to the under-developed countries would represent only an insignificant fraction of the capital accumulated each year in the industrial countries” [A/2911, p. xv], I hope that all States will lend an attentive ear to the Secretary-General’s appeal. However bold — to use his own expression — the approach he has indicated may appear, it is one which my delegation feels to be full of wisdom.
130. This brief review leaves us with a feeling of optimism greater than any we have ever felt with regard to the Organization. The resurgence of vitality and the new fervour which characterized our commemorative meeting at San Francisco presaged this era of improved relations and conciliation which is steadily taking shape before our eyes. Thus the tenth session of this Assembly opens under propitious auspices. It is therefore its duty to try to find constructive solutions to the questions on its agenda. In particular, it is to be hoped that good results will be obtained in the field of disarmament, so that the United Nations, freed from this .crushing load of anxiety, may concentrate on the achievement of the economic and social objectives of the Charter, and so that the industrialized countries, freed from their very heavy burdens, may contribute more generously and more effectively to the desperate efforts of the great majority of mankind to do away with poverty and privations endured for generations.
131. It is in this spirit and with this hope that the delegation of Iran will take part in the work of this Assembly.