137. Before beginning this brief statement, I should like to join previous speakers in congratulating the President on his election to this high office for the thirteenth session of the General Assembly.
138. At this time when it is customary, both in our own countries and in the international community, to reaffirm our fundamental principles I find myself attending this session of the Assembly just after the completion by the Chilean people of a new stage in their uninterrupted democratic progress, in the shape of presidential elections which have been a model of public order.
139. By this act of democratic faith Chile has shown that it will not hesitate to give its fullest co-operation in the maintenance of international peace and security, which are so gravely threatened today throughout the world. We shall continue as before to exert all our endeavours to promote the greatest possible degree of economic development both in our own country and beyond its frontiers, and we shall spare no effort to bring to an end the state of under-development in which so large a part of the human race is living and which constitutes a major obstacle to the achievement of the essential purposes of our world Organization.
140. In this connexion I should especially like to draw your attention to one plan, viewed with approval by Chile, which is aimed at stimulating the much-needed economic growth of the under-developed countries, I refer to the measures recommended by the Economic and Social Council at its twenty-sixth session held at Geneva, with a view to launching the Special Fund. We feel confident that Governments will respond to the resolution in question and that they will very soon be making statements on their contributions so that this well-conceived plan can take shape.
141. We must also stress the urgency of speeding up the process of ensuring the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms by all human beings, without distinction as to race, religion or political ideology, We are anxious to see improvements in the intergovernmental institutions responsible for co-ordinating the search for peaceful and constructive solutions to problems created by clashes of interest and conflicting ideologies.
142. In the American regional sphere, common historical traditions form a bend which unites us effectively in the face of our common problems. We are therefore concentrating our attention on material progress and a more effective pattern of coexistence as the most practical and useful contribution which we can make to the improvement of living conditions for all peoples. To enrich the collective patrimony of our territories to which all men of peace and good will are free to devote their mental and physical abilities, we are seeking to build up, on a foundation of ancient culture and civilization, new standards of social behaviour to take place of the inequalities which can give rise both to domestic and international conflicts.
143. I come from Washington where we American Foreign Ministers have been meeting to consider what joint measures would make the most effective contribution to solving the problem of economic under-development of so many of the peoples of our continent, and to continue our often rather dispersed efforts to find solutions to world problems. The admirable proposal made there by the Brazilian representative, Mr. Juscelino Kubitschek, is in the best interests of the American peoples and of the entire world. The growth of the population, the use of vast untapped natural resources and the improvement of economic and social well-being, now inadequate and a cause of political instability, can all contribute to the restoration of normal criteria in international relations.
144. The United Nations Charter recognized that the best way of co-operating in the maintenance of peace was by the use of regional machinery. The inter- American regional system is a good example of the effectiveness of machinery of this kind. The experience we have had of the working and improvement of our own regional system encourages us to believe that the best way to find a peaceful solution to the problems of the coexistence of peoples is to rely in the first instance on the equal co-operation of States which have common traditions and origins and which are most immediately interested in the preservation of peace in their own economic and political spheres.
145. Nevertheless the search for peace through regional procedures in no way detracts from, the powers of this Assembly as defined in the letter and the spirit of the Charter and in the "Uniting for peace” resolution passed at the fifth session of the General Assembly [resolution 377 (V)]. It is not our purpose to weaken this world Organization; on the contrary we wish to keep it vigorous and alert and endowed with full authority with all its organs becoming increasingly efficient. Accordingly Chile believes in and is determined to support the principle of equality of opportunity for all men and all nations and favours the full acceptance of individual and collective responsibilities based on a realistic acceptance of the existing inequalities in the strength of the States.
146. We realize that the new complexities of international life call for the use of new methods to prevent conflicts and maintain peace, and we attach the greatest importance to the use of the preventive measures laid down in the Charter. We also appreciate how important has been the personal contribution made by the Secretary-General, and I should like to pay a tribute to him on his recognized and proved abilities and on his skill in diplomacy. Nevertheless although satisfactory results have been achieved by the efforts made to deal with situations which were potentially very serious, we feel we must stress the fact that the measures taken have been no more than temporary expedients and that it is essential to use any respite to advance the solution of basic problems. This is the method used in our inter-American system, especially as the outcome of the Gondra Treaty signed at Santiago in 1923.
147. This comment is not intended as a criticism of the work of the United Nations, but arises from the fear of the difficulties which may arise as a result of the transfer of the responsibilities of Member States to ad hoc machinery administered by the Secretary-General. It is the responsibility of the States themselves to seek a peaceful settlement of their differences by making use of regional machinery and of any other machinery set up by the Charter. We can readily understand the special circumstances which have lead to the recent neglect of this responsibility.
148. The authority of a court would be gravely impaired if it failed to pass sentence for fear of giving offence to the parties. The same applies to United Nations organs if, for similar reasons, they fail to deal squarely with the substance of the questions brought before them and, for fear of aggravating the situation, deal only with the immediate consequences.
149. Although it seems likely that conflicts endangering international peace and security will continue to arise, we should not underestimate the success of the experiment of using the United Nations Emergency Force, and we should study carefully the possibility of providing the Organization with a permanent military force, as contemplated in Chapter VII of the Charter although no such force has yet been set up.
150. Chile would certainly not oppose the creation of any effective means of maintaining or restoring peace and of ensuring the rule of law in disputes. We must, however, point out that the procedures so far adopted to provide the United Nations with an armed force have proved exceedingly burdensome to our countries. In present economic conditions we are unable to meet expenditure of this magnitude, and it would be preferable to consider how far such plans could be combined with a much broader plan for disarmament.
151. I do not wish to enter into greater detail at the present stage but I think that better results would be achieved if the creation of a stand-by force went hand in hand with the limitation of armaments, since both of these are in fulfilment of the aims of tire Charter.
152. The heavy burden of armaments diverts a large part of economic resources which should be used for the welfare of the population, for increased production and for an expanded programme of social progress. For countries whose economies are under-developed, a reduction in expenditure on armaments, on the basis of effective international machinery, would be a decisive step towards the elimination of frictions caused by competition in armaments and would provide better guaranties of real progress towards a peaceful and just future.
153. The Chilean record of democracy is a fine one, and Chile has always been true to its tradition of respect for and observance of human rights. It cannot therefore remain unmoved by the tragic situation of the Hungarian people. Notwithstanding the resolutions voted by the General Assembly, the armed intervention of a foreign Power in the internal affairs of Hungary continues, and its people are unable to decide on their own future by a free and spontaneous expression of the popular will.
154. My country is keenly interested in seeing more effective steps taken to solve one problem which particularly hampers the work of international reconciliation: that of the reunification of various States which are still divided as a result of the cold war. The longstanding and close economic and cultural relations between the Chilean and German peoples make us particularly sensitive to the need to bring about the unification of the great German nation. Let us hope that the endeavours and political vision of the Powers which bear the primary responsibility, for world peace, will lead to the restoration of the German, Korean and Viet-Namese peoples as nations unified by historical tradition and common interests.
155. An important item on the agenda of the present Assembly is the calling of a second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea to continue the study of certain Important questions on which no decision was reached at the first Conference held in Geneva from 24 February to 29 April 1958.
156. Chile has taken a strong stand in favour of the recognition of the preferential rights of coastal States to take measures for the conservation of their maritime wealth, for it believes that this is the only possible basis for arriving at a harmonious solution to problems affecting the sea. These rights have already been recognized to an extent which goes some way towards meeting the wishes of the coastal States, although progress had not been sufficient to solve the problems arising from the special circumstances of some countries. This is borne out by recent serious incidents, which are the logical outcome of this state of affairs. Further progress is needed in order to avoid a situation in which principles solidly based on considerations affecting the preservation of maritime resources can be used as a pretext for attitudes Wholly governed by political objectives, which cannot be acceptable to Chile.
157. I should like to make special reference to the offer made by my Government in 1955 to turn over to the United Nations, free of charge, a park at Santiago in which buildings could be erected to house the offices of the United Nations and of those specialized agencies which have branches In my country. We are confident that, In the course of the present series of meetings, the General Assembly will decide to approve detailed plans for the realization of this project together with general arrangements for financing it.
158. It would, I think, be inappropriate to comment now on all the other items of the agenda in which my country is interested. My aim has me rely been to give a general outline of my country’s attitude to questions of major importance in these grave hours and to certain other matters which are of particular interest to us.
159. I offer this thirteenth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Chile’s full support in the examination of all the items on the agenda both as a participant in collective action on the regional plane in the Americas and also in its individual capacity, mankind is so appalled by the fearful consequences of a possible war that it implores its statesmen to spare no effort of will and deed to maintain peace and concord.