82. On behalf of the people of Costa Rica, who have recently been obliged to take up I arms in defence of their fine democratic tradition, and of a Government sworn to promote greater social welfare within the framework of deep respect for human freedom, I have the honour to present fraternal greetings to all the peoples and Governments represented in this Assembly, which we hope will be a memorable one.
83. On behalf of the people and Government of Costa Rica, I present cordial greetings to the President of the tenth session of the General Assembly, Mr. Jose Maza, whose constant devotion in the service of high ideals has been unanimously rewarded by the representatives of the 60 Member States of the United Nations, who at the same time rendered homage to the noble Chilean nation, that outstanding bulwark of democracy and social progress in Latin America.
84. On behalf of the people and Government of Costa Rica, I present greetings to the Secretary-General, with our applause for the work which he is so energetically and wisely performing as the chief executive officer of the United Nations whose duty it is to act upon the resolutions of the Member States. This greeting and this expression of gratitude is extended to each and every member of the Secretariat. By their unremitting and selfless toil they have deserved well of mankind.
85. This General Assembly is even more important on account of the atmosphere in which its debates will he carried on than on account of its agenda: that atmosphere is one of growing concern, mutual confidence and firm hope.
86. It is an atmosphere of growing concern owing to the oppressive uncertainty in the minds of the peoples as to the goals towards which their leaders may guide them. Will they be goals of destruction, death and barbarism, or of an active peace in which life can flourish and the human personality develop to the full? Will they be sought along the path of endless privation which the peoples have been suffering through the centuries in consequence of flagrant injustices, or along those of the better use of the riches of the earth, and their devotion to the full satisfaction of man's needs? Will they be sought along the paths of enslavement of the human person to the despotic will of those who hold the reins of power, or through the sincere and effective recognition of human freedom and of the principle that authority derives from the free consent of peoples? It is a reply to these questions that history is awaiting both from the United Nations and from the leaders of each Member State. That is what the men, women and children of the whole world are awaiting, with anxious eyes.
87. It is an atmosphere of mutual confidence, because of the new spirit happily prevailing, particularly in those countries which, by reason of their enormous economic and military resources, bear the heaviest responsibility for satisfying the aspirations of the peoples. Distrust between nations as between persons, constant suspicions between men, tormenting doubt as to the underlying sincerity of treaties or declarations, have all hampered the progress of humanity because they have hardened men's minds and paralysed constructive, action. Only a spirit of mutual confidence can put the peoples on the road to the achievement of their destinies. It is precisely this spirit with which the international atmosphere in which we are meeting today is imbued. On behalf of a small country, I must express my gratitude to those who in a gesture of generous understanding have decided to remove the obstacles to the free circulation of life through the arteries of mankind.
88. It is an atmosphere of stronger hope because the world has glimpsed infinite prospects of-increased wellbeing. It is the hope that mankind will at last achieve its destiny. This hope cannot and must not be disappointed.
89. It should be put on record that this atmosphere has been produced precisely by the existence of the United Nations. This Organization was set up as an earnest of the promises made to the peoples and as the agent to complete the task for which mankind had already sacrificed so much. In it different currents of human thought and national experience have met together, sometimes in conflict, sometimes neutralizing one another, sometimes merging together in a common stream.
90. The last session of the General Assembly may well be considered as the dawn of a new era. As a result of its debates, certain resolutions were adopted on subjects on which agreement had not previously been obtained. Those resolutions set the course towards a better world.
91. As the representative of a people whose Constitution has abolished the army, I should like to refer first to the unanimously adopted resolution on disarmament programmes and the control of atomic energy [resolution 808 A (IX)], The nations showed clearly that they were weary of the armaments race, and, as an unprecedented feature of increased mutual confidence, unanimously agreed to procedures for the regulation, limitation and balanced reduction of all armed forces and all armaments, It is true that the implementation of this great resolution has proved difficult, but the important point is that the nations cannot now change the course which they set for history with this noble gesture so fraught with hope for mankind.
92. Secondly, there was the almost unanimous approval of resolutions to ensure the economic development of industrially under-developed countries [resolutions 822 (IX), 823 (IX) and 824 (IX)], to establish a world food reserve [resolution 827 (IX)] and to promote land reform in those parts of the world where the distribution of land was impeding its use in the service of man [resolution 826 (IX)]. The trend was towards building up a system of international solidarity in which countries both rich and poor, industrialized nations and those with limited means, joined together to settle the problems of material existence for all the peoples of the world, as a prelude to great achievements of the spirit. The United Nations thus affirmed its conviction that extreme poverty in any area endangers the peace of the whole world; that there is a close relationship between the satisfaction of basic human needs and the strengthening of universal collective security and the maintenance of human freedom.
93. Thirdly, and as it were deriving from the previous resolutions, it was resolved that the great resources of atomic energy should be pressed into the service of civilization. When the General Assembly decided to convene the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy [resolution 810 B (IX)], the world realized that the United Nations was taking seriously the intention to disarm and the duty of seeking the welfare of peoples.
94. Fourthly, there was the highly significant General Assembly resolution deciding that more time and importance should be given at this session to the discussion of the International Covenants on Human Rights [resolution 833 (IX)]. The ending of war and the filling 6f mankind’s store-cupboards was, not enough. That was merely the necessary prelude to a statement of the dignity of the human person and of communities. It was therefore felt that the consideration and approval of legal instruments affirming the rights of the human person and setting forth the fundamental right of self- determination of peoples should be expedited.
95. For all these reasons, it may well be said that the ninth session of the General Assembly was the dawn following a stormy night of resentments, mistrust and even hatred, and introducing a new era for a better world.
96. Once this atmosphere had been achieved, the logical consequence was the meetings at Bandung, San Francisco and twice at Geneva.
97. The African and Asian peoples who met at Bandung by that very act confirmed their entrance on the stage of history not merely as spectators but as actors, determined to give to their peoples a worthy economic, social and political life. Different views have perhaps been taken of the Bandung Conference. To a Latin American, it brings back nostalgic memories of Bolivar’s dream when he gathered together the newly liberated peoples of Latin America at the Congress of Panama to enable them to decide their own destiny and define their responsibilities. And Latin Americans can only wish for the African and Asian peoples that the Conference of Bandung may be not only a symbol of their historical emergence, but a fact of infinite importance, It should be pointed out that the Bandung Conference gave its full support to the United Nations despite the fact that many of the participants are not yet Members of the Organization. It is therefore only reasonable that we should open our doors to these peoples, who are looking to the United Nations as the true home of civilized humanity.
98. When the first atomic bomb fell in a torrent of destruction upon one people of the earth, the leader of a great nation said that so great a destructive force should have been placed only in the hands of angels. Now, when, only a month ago, the representatives of the 70 nations met in Geneva to plan ways of using atomic energy for human welfare, it could well be said that men, accepting the challenge of Heaven, were preparing in all humility to imitate the angels in spiritual excellence, and to use for the benefit of the inhabitants of the earth that great power which has so terrorized the human race. The International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, held at Geneva, opened the true atomic age which was to be one not of death or annihilation, but of life and light. For the small peoples such as that which I represent here, a debt of gratitude has been created towards the powerful nations which are the masters of atomic energy, because they decided to draw aside the veil which shrouded those great conquests of science and to offer them without haggling or suspicion, to spread health, to multiply bread, to light up the world and to promote progress.
99. It is true that a conscious effort was made by the organizers of the conference held at San Francisco to commemorate the foundation of the United Nations, and by the participants in that conference, to avoid any subject which might have aroused controversy or animosity. But it is no less true that the conference was held in an atmosphere of cordiality and understanding because such was the will of the peoples represented there, who wanted that atmosphere. Controversial subjects were avoided because everyone hoped that the conference would contribute in no small degree to the development of a different attitude in man, so that in future there might be no more controversial subjects, but only common problems to be settled by friendly effort on all sides.
100. This new attitude of mind was displayed to the world when the leaders of the peoples met in Geneva round the same conference table. We must not forget the names of those who, casting aside the heavy load of resentment and risking misunderstanding, gave the world grounds for hope and affirmed that war was not the only means of settling disputes between nations.
101. All these events, inspired directly or indirectly by the United Nations, have come to convince the world that there is no alternative to peace. War is being relegated to the past. War must be outlawed. The acceptance of the possibility of war is in itself an insult to the human intelligence. The only alternative which men are prepared to accept is peace, with all its vast responsibilities.
102. But this peace cannot be just any kind of peace. Both its name and its essence are of infinite majesty, and not to be smirched by those who are trying to establish not a peace of life and harmony, but a peace of death and fear. The peace which the world must choose is that which flourishes on the achievement of social justice, the full exercise of human freedom and the splendid revelation of truth.
103. This peace, based on social justice, implies in many cases a generous change in the existing economic order; it will everywhere demand a daring, sincere and effective effort to obtain decent living conditions for all human beings as the condition of their full spiritual development. It calls for a joint assumption of responsibility by rich and poor peoples alike; it demands recognition of the right of all peoples to use their national resources and wealth within the framework, of international economic co-operation.
104. This peace, based on the full exercise of human freedom, calls for self-government and self-determination of the peoples of the world who have proved their capacity to stand alone as independent sovereign nations. It demands that where a people has proved in the past its ability to exist as an independent nation, it shall have that sacred right restored to it. It demands that peoples shall be able to express themselves freely and choose for themselves, in open discussion, the type of political organization they want and the statesmen they prefer. It demands an end to the farce of governments which declare themselves the holders of mandates from the people, when they are in fact imposed by force from inside or by the overthrow of national dignity by Some external power.
105. This peace must be founded on the untrammelled expression of truth and human thought. It cannot, therefore, be established where the citizen is persecuted for expressing his thoughts, for submitting to that searching of the spirit in the quest for truth which has always been the great incentive to the human soul. This peace requires free communication between human beings and the unrestricted circulation of information, and it must also recognize the right of human thought to soar spontaneously towards the achievement of the reign of truth.
106. This peace demands that when we speak of the free world, we shall consider as part of it only those governments which champion freedom and which at the same time allow their citizens to enjoy freedom; that when we speak of the free world we consider it free only in so far as it devotes itself to the achievement of social justice, the zealous exercise of human freedom and the triumph of truth.
107. The United Nations is showing the world the path to such a peace. Its purposes are identified with that reality, and the constant activities of its organs and its staff are directed towards this end.
108. The United Nations has had the wisdom to accept as co-workers in this immense task the regional organizations set up by nations united by ties of culture and by the common problems confronting their peoples. One of the foremost among these is the Organization of American States, entrusted by the inhabitants of our continent with the task of enforcing the rule of law as the standard of conduct in the relations between American States, strengthening democracy and raising standards of living and education, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Twice this year the Organization has proved its capacity to act speedily and effectively, enforcing law where the peaceful relations between sister- nations were threatened by violence. Costa Rica, as the first beneficiary, is deeply grateful for this achievement.
109. Still in the spirit of the United Nations Charter and in accordance with the purposes of the Organization of American States, the Central American nations have produced their own systems of closer co-operation, and set up the Organization of Central American States. In that area, the United Nations had already, through its Technical Assistance Administration, given particular attention to promoting and directing the project for the economic integration of Central America. We may hope that the action of this Central American regional organization, strengthened by the help afforded it by all the nations of the world in the form of technical assistance, will ensure a better life for the inhabitants of that region.
110. We do not believe that the existence of regional organizations will weaken the world structure of the United Nations. Relations between the organizations and the definition of their respective spheres of action should be governed by the principle of hierarchical solidarity, in the sense that the lesser organization should be allowed to achieve the purposes which lie within its capabilities, and that only when the achievement of those purposes is beyond its means should the larger organization intervene. This grading of functions and responsibilities will have the wholesome effect of contributing to human well-being.
111. Now that it has been in existence for ten years, it is desirable that the United Nations should review its achievements. In so doing, it would be as well to review the Charter and make any changes which past experience may have revealed as necessary, which new circumstances have shown to be desirable or which the aspirations of mankind demand. We should take advantage of the foresight of the founders of the United Nations and convene a conference for the purpose of reviewing the Charter.
112. I should like to echo the sentiments of the distinguished representative of an Asian country, and repeat that what matters at this time is not so much a review of statutes as a review of minds. There is a feeling among religious peoples that some mention should be made in the Charter of the name of God. It is to be hoped that, when the Charter is reviewed, this wish will be remembered. But what is more important than the mere mention of the name of God is that there should be a determination to direct the work of the United Nations, and the efforts of all of us who work for the achievement of its purposes, to the development of a deep sense of responsibility which can measure and judge human actions in accordance with the holy and inviolable principles of God’s law.
113. On one of the walls surrounding the United Nations, visitors may read the biblical text: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; ... neither shall they learn war any more.” On the occasion of the opening of this tenth session of the General Assembly, let us once again dedicate our minds to this ideal.