107. Before I begin my statement, I should like first of all to express my delegation's pleasure at the election as President of this august Assembly of an eminent public figure from our sister republic of Chile, Mr. Maza. I should also like to express our best wishes for the rapid recovery of the President of the United States of America, Mr. Eisenhower.
108. In addressing this tenth session of the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of the Argentine Republic, let me say at once that the people of my country are most gratified at the emergence of a new spirit of harmony and understanding in international relations. The pessimism with which we formerly watched the course of these relations is now happily being dissipated by events such as the Geneva and Bandung Conferences, which we hope mark the beginning of a new era in international affairs. I sincerely trust that now the world will find the road to peace, all private and local interests being subordinated to the cause of universal understanding. My Government is ready to do all in its power to contribute to this end.
109. Perhaps at this point I may be allowed to make a digression which I think will answer some of the questions which have understandably exercised public opinion in the countries represented here. I wish to speak about the political situation in Argentina.
110. Although history has already given its sanction to the principles governing our international policy, it is fitting that I should restate them before this Assembly, to show that the fundamental and permanent policy of my country remains unchanged, and has indeed taken on an even more liberal and generous character at this time, when our feet are once more firmly set on the path of law, justice and human freedom. The people of Argentina have shown that they are able to risk their lives rather than live without honour and freedom.
111. The provisional Government of General Lonardi guarantees respect for the human person, freedom and the rule of law, in accordance with the true feelings of the Argentine people. It therefore declared, clearly and emphatically, from the very outset, that the Argentine nation would scrupulously fulfil all its international commitments, that it would promote friendly relations with all countries throughout the world, especially with its sister nations of the American continent, and that it offered its unconditional support to all peoples ranged in defence of the principles of liberty, which are the heritage of our Western world, without excluding those who are struggling to maintain similar principles anywhere else in the world. One of the corollaries of these principles is that liberty, that noble ideal which we never abandoned, implies an effective guarantee of the rights which make its exercise possible, among them freedom of religion, freedom of the Press and freedom of association and assembly.
112. I claim for my country the unqualified confidence of all free peoples on the grounds of its clear record of honourable conduct, of the respect for law which has been an invariable feature of Argentina’s foreign policy from the very beginnings of our nation, and of the complete good faith in international dealings which has always been characteristic of my country, so much so that Argentina is now without question the champion of every noble cause throughout the world.
113. The Argentine Government, with the genuine and sovereign support of the people, is at pains to re-establish this international confidence; and our past history, known the world over, gives us the right to give this assurance in this world forum, in the confident knowledge of the respect we have earned by our unsullied international conduct, from which we have never wavered, in defence of fundamental human rights. This confidence has been generously confirmed by the spontaneous manner in which practically every nation of the world has recognized our new Government, which faithfully reflects the traditions characterizing and inspiring the Argentine nation.
114. Before stating its views on the various items on the agenda for this session, my delegation would like to refer to the position it has always upheld on one particular point, and which was most clearly expressed at the Tenth Inter-American Conference held in Caracas in 1954. At that Conference it was stated that the peoples of America were determined to eliminate colonialism completely, as well as the occupation of American territories by non-American Powers. Argentina’s position on this point applies also to the American Antarctic territories which, as a result of scientific and technical advances, have now become regions of special importance. In this matter, the Argentine Republic confidently relies on the principles of international justice and law which govern political coexistence and respect for territorial integrity.
115. The proposal for the inclusion of certain items in the agenda of this Assembly has given rise to heated debate, and it has even been suggested that a generous policy with regard to the inclusion of items put forward by Members might jeopardize the very existence of the United Nations.
116. In the controversial cases of Cyprus and Algeria, the Argentine Republic voted in favour of their inclusion in the Assembly’s agenda. I shall not at this point elaborate on the legal interpretation of the text of the Charter on which our vote is based; but I feel it desirable to make certain points which I think are important in clarifying the stand taken by Argentina during the discussions which have taken place.
117. In the first place, I should like to say that, when the alternative is put, whether it is advisable for certain matters to be discussed publicly here in the Assembly, or whether it would be preferable to try to settle them in a more discreet way through ordinary diplomacy, my delegation is decidedly in favour of the former course. For surely the aim of the United Nations is precisely to establish better understanding and closer relations between peoples, and one of the best ways of achieving this is to bring them together here, so that they can work in concert for the solution of problems which may affect their future and the maintenance of international peace and security. Senator Vandenberg put it in a nutshell when, in his now famous phrase, he called the United Nations “the town meeting of the world”. This idea would seem to imply a form of public diplomacy contrasting with the secret diplomacy which has been the rule hitherto.
118. If anything weakens the Organization, it is just this — the removal from its cognizance of problems which can be discussed under the terms of the Charter itself. It was for this that we created the United Nations and hence we must firmly oppose any restriction of its competence. Otherwise, we might sap the vitality of the United Nations, on even deal it a death blow. But again I must emphasize that any such discussion must be conducted on the basis of good faith on either side, which implies understanding and friendliness on the part of States. We should all be ready to seek the best solution — within the realms of possibility for each case that arises, since diplomacy is, so to speak, the science of facts and the art of the possible.
119. My country advocates an equally liberal policy in regard to the admission of new Members to the United Nations, on the grounds that the broad and unrestricted application of Article 4 of the Charter cannot fail to be helpful in achieving the aims of the Charter.
120. In this connexion, I should like to refer to a case which, for reasons both of history and sentiment, is of special concern to Argentina. While in principle we endorse the support given by the USSR to sixteen States which have not yet been admitted to the United Nations, we ask you to consider how incongruous it would be for the Security Council not to recommend the admission of a nation like Spain, the motherland of America, the history of whose civilization has been marked by the most admirable achievements in the fields of religion, art, science, discovery, and indeed in every important field of human endeavour. If the only qualification for membership of this Organization is to be peace-loving, I am sure that no Power would venture to use its veto against Spain, the cradle of an ancient culture of which we today are the direct heirs.
121. My country regards the question of reduction of armaments as a matter of vital importance to all mankind. If the vast sums now being spent on armaments by the great Powers could be used for economic and social development programmes, it would mean a substantial contribution to the well-being of mankind. For this reason, I should like here and now to pledge our agreement to any constructive programme to this end, and 1 sincerely hope that the discussions now taking place in the Disarmament Commission, as well as those to be held at Geneva, will make it possible for this Assembly to achieve tangible results.
122. With regard to the peaceful uses of atomic energy, I should like to convey the congratulations of the Argentine Government on the recent United Nations Conference on that subject convened on the United States Government’s initiative, and on the admirable way in which the Conference was organized by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Argentine Government is most anxious that in the near future this stupendous source of energy should be placed once and for all at the service of humanity instead of hanging like the sword of Damocles over the very prospect of human survival.
123. These ten years during which the United Nations has been in existence, while they have been marked by slow but sure progress towards international stability, have undoubtedly revealed defects, some important, others insignificant, in the structure and functioning of our Organization. The Argentine Government realizes that this is quite natural in any constitutional body, and therefore feels that an effort should be made to adapt the Organization to the new claims of a world which has undergone marked change in the short time since the San Francisco Conference was held. But as with any constitutional revision, we must await the opportune moment and the circumstances in which modifications will be acceptable and appropriate.
124. Meanwhile, it may not come amiss to recall what Mr. MacMillan, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said [529th meeting] with reference to the Geneva Conference, that the same words are often used to mean different things. We would add that what matters is that we should reach agreement, not on the letter of the texts which govern our action, but on the spirit underlying those texts.
125. At the same time, whether these ideas are shared by the majority or not, it is clear that the Charter can and should be thoroughly studied in the utmost detail with a view to perfecting it as much as possible. Perhaps we should add that any revision of the Charter must of course keep strictly intact the great fundamental principles set forth in the preamble for, as Grotius so well put it, fidelity to its word is the basic principle not only of each individual State, but of the great community of nations as a whole.
126. It is more or less unanimously agreed that the world economy during the last few years, in spite of its ups and downs, has on the whole developed favourably. At the same time, it is also recognized that this development has not been homogeneous.
127. The most striking and significant features of the upswing are to be found mainly in the industrially more highly developed countries of North America and Western Europe. In contrast, while the countries belonging to the less developed regions throughout the world, where the bulk of the world’s population is to be found, have also made notable progress, their rate of progress has been far slower, so that there is an ever- widening gap between the volume of economic activity in the more highly developed countries and in the less developed countries. This has aggravated instead of relieving the lack of balance in the international economic structure.
128. Without going more deeply into past history, we feel that at the present time we are faced with a new problem which strikes us as highly important. In our view, it is essential to the expansion of the world economy that its structural deficiencies should be remedied and its foundations strengthened so as to ensure a sound dynamic balance.
129. The Argentine Republic has developed its economy essentially on the basis of its own efforts and resources. Today more than ever, therefore, we feel we must stress the fundamental responsibility of each country for its own economic development.
130. We feel, too, that countries which are in the process of development must give adequate, palpable evidence of their ability and willingness to promote that development, and make every effort to use all their productive resources in the most efficient manner possible. There is no denying that economic development implies certain prerequisites, without which no effort can bear fruit, namely, a clear sense of responsibility and a complete willingness to work on the part of every citizen. At the same time, there must be an honest and efficient public administration.
131. Even where those conditions are fulfilled, of course, the underdeveloped countries will still have to rely to a considerable extent on the international cooperation of the more highly developed countries, their initiative and their understanding. If the countries in process of development had to rely solely on their own resources then, at best, their advance would be too slow to ensure the attainment of a reasonably even balance. The recent easing of international tension opens up vast possibilities and raises great hopes for international co-operation in the field of economic progress.
132. In our view, the United Nations should assume the paramount responsibility for promoting an international economic system based on justice. We also believe that there can be no healthy international economy until the national economies have first achieved a sufficiently sound basis. For this reason, we feel that the problems of international trade deserve the utmost attention from the organs of the United Nations.
133. For the past ten years, we have been witnessing a series of attempts to re-establish a system of multilateral trade and to promote its expansion in a balanced manner. The problems still outstanding are extraordinarily complex, and the attempts made so far to arrive at a solution of some sort have either failed or have yielded meagre results. Of all the schemes put forward within the United Nations since the war, perhaps the most signal failure in the field of trade has been, that of the Havana Charter, which in its turn largely inspired the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
134. We attribute the failure of the Havana Charter and the difficulties encountered by GATT to the fact that, in the world today, the necessary conditions are not forthcoming to enable an international organization to impose contractual obligations which ensure the elasticity vital to the trade policy of individual countries. This is especially clear if we bear in mind the great variety of ways in which the various States depend on international trade for their stability and economic development. But at the same time it is not right that, in such a vital matter as this, the instrument should be lacking which would make it possible to take a comprehensive view of trade problems and to discuss the best way of directing the efforts of each country for the benefit of all.
135. Hence the Argentine Government considers it essential that within the United Nations there should be adequate organs and machinery for thorough discussion and analysis of the tendencies of international trade, and for the study of the most suitable ways and means of finding solutions for the benefit of all.
136. The same applies to the question of basic commodities. In international trade, the trade in basic commodities is a definitely critical sector, first of all because of its importance, and secondly owing to the fluctuations attending it, which affect not only the producing countries vitally dependent upon such trade, but in a very serious way the industrial countries which in general are large-scale importers of basic commodities. For this reason, we attach great importance to the current international action to study this problem, especially in the United Nations Commission on International Commodity Trade, and in the appropriate organs of the Food and Agriculture Organization.
137. Without prejudice to the over-all study of international trade, we attach great importance to the study of regional trade problems. The important part played by trade in the recovery of Western European economy is no indication that Europe’s experience should weigh heavily in the study of the problems of other regions, particularly those of Latin America. Hence we regard as highly important the studies carried out at the Meeting of Ministers of Finance or Economy of the American States held at Rio de Janeiro in November 1954 and, secondly, by the Economic Commission for Latin America.
138. The question of the international financing of economic development programmes is also a matter of great moment. Ever since the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development was established, there has been evidence of great progress in the granting of international credits. During the last few years, there has been a very healthy trend towards promoting the movement of private capital for financing economic development. Any increase in this trend will depend upon the joint efforts made by the capital-investing countries and the countries which need capital for their development. We are confident that regular co-operation and mutual understanding will further accentuate this healthy trend.
139. Without pretending to lay down a universal rule, the Argentine Government affirms its belief and its confidence in private enterprise as the most effective factor in economic development and social progress. Consequently, no effort should be spared to ensure that international economic co-operation is directed in accordance with these principles.
140. With regard to the noteworthy progress made in the studies carried out by the United Nations, the Argentine Republic would like to express its appreciation of the benefits they have brought, especially in the economic, legal and social fields. These achievements have a direct influence on intellectual circles in the various countries, which have grown to seek their inspiration in the general trends revealed by the brilliant teams of experts working for the United Nations.
141. Human rights, as now being crystallized in practical schemes, declarations and enlightened debates, embody true ideals which it is hoped will be applied in every country. These rights were recognized in the Argentine Republic from the very dawn of our national life;
142. I should like also to refer to the importance attached by the Argentine delegation to the reorganization of the Secretariat and the economies which have been effected, and to point out the necessity for a realistic and discerning policy, so as to ensure that objectives which we regard as vital to the purposes of the United Nations are not jeopardized.
143. The delegation of the Argentine Republic would like once again, with the help of Divine Providence, to pledge its enthusiastic co-operation in the cause of maintaining peace, perfecting the international system and promoting the advancement of peoples and of the human person; and to express its sincerest wishes for the success of the work of this tenth session of the General Assembly, which opens in such auspicious circumstances