40. Over the last few years, we have time and again experienced how local situations in different parts of the world rapidly, almost overnight, flare up in such a way that, internationally, they become of great concern to us all.
41. Under such circumstances, the immediate assistance of the United Nations becomes vital in order to prevent that local situations develop into grave international crises which may even result in catastrophes. It is, therefore, a source of great satisfaction to the Norwegian delegation that, during recent years, the United Nations machinery for international mediation and conciliation, under Chapter VI of the Charter has been further developed and strengthened. Practical steps have been taken to assist Member States in resolving their differences, and the Secretary-General deserves our deep appreciation for his impartial and untiring efforts.
42. The United Nations is, in fact, playing an ever greater and more important role as an instrument of international mediation and conciliation. The process of conciliation, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, is developing into one of the most needed and important safeguards of peace and security against risks arising from sudden brush fires.
43. The successful endeavour of our Organization to become more determined and effective in its efforts of conciliation and mediation under Chapter VI, may, to some extent at least, offset the weakness resulting from the fact that the means envisaged for enforcement measures, have so far not been established. It is gratifying and gives justification for striking a cautious note of optimism that Member States, when faced with problems which they feel unable to solve by the processes of traditional diplomacy, have developed a habit of turning to the United Nations. Our Organization has repeatedly shown itself capable of assisting effectively in finding acceptable solutions, in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the Charter.
44. The most recent and striking example of this is, of course, the unanimous decision arrived at by the General Assembly, at its last emergency special session [resolution 1237 (ES-III)]. In his report [A/3934/ Rev.1], submitted today, the Secretary-General has outlined practical steps by the United Nations in the Middle East which will be of great help in the endeavours to bring the area back to normalcy. Thereby, the conditions will be created for the countries of the area to carry out their solemn commitment to cooperate with one another on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference,
45. It should be clearly recognized, however, that international conciliation is not a kind of new wonder drug in itself. The extent to which the United Nations efforts in the field of conciliation will be crowned with success or doomed to failure depends ultimately on the attitude of the Governments directly concerned and the action they take.
46. In other words, the role of the United Nations is one of assisting the Governments concerned, and success depends upon the willingness of the Governments to compromise and to accept a process of give and take. While this, no doubt, is a limitation, it is, at the same time, a strong inducement against adopting extreme positions and advocating unjust solutions, The assistance which the United Nations, basing itself firmly on the Charter, and always mindful of the principles of justice and of the equal rights of States, great or small, can render to Members directly involved in international disputes, thus becomes one of finding the middle ground, the ground, of mutual accommodations and conciliation and, consequently, of mutual sacrifices, thereby obtaining the desired results: the lessening of tension and the development of mutual understanding and good will. It is our hope that the course of events will permit the United Nations to develop in the years to come into an ever more effective instrument of international mediation and conciliation.
47. On various occasions, it has fallen upon Norway to contribute personnel and equipment to the United Nations machinery which has been set up to assist in implementing solutions resulting from conciliation or mediation. Within the means available and in accordance with constitutional requirements, Norway will also in the future be ready to contribute to the steps which may be agreed upon in accordance with the Charter, with a view to assisting Member States in reconciling their differences.
48. It follows from what I have said here that the Norwegian delegation favours the idea of the General Assembly enabling the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements with Member States on a stand-by basis, so as to make possible the most rapid creation of an emergency force, if in future situations such a step is deemed advisable or necessary.
49. In this connexion, I want to associate myself entirely with the Secretary-General’s statement in the introduction to his annual report to the General Assembly [A/3844/Add. 1], that it should be clear that any such force must constitutionally be a non-fighting force, operating on the territories of the countries concerned only with their consent. Furthermore, it should only be utilized after a decision by the Security Council or the General Assembly, regarding a spathic case and for clearly international purposes relating to the pacific settlement of disputes which are authorized by the Charter. It is my hope that the General Assembly, when it discusses this matter at its thirteenth session, will roach a positive conclusion.
50. Turning now to disarmament and related problems, I hope I am justified in describing the present situation with a fundamentally optimistic paradox: never has so little been accomplished within the United Nations with regard to disarmament as during the last year, and maybe never in the last ten years have the prospects for realistic progress in at least some fields of disarmament been better.
51. The Disarmament Commission, as established last year [resolution 1150 (XII)], has not been able to work. On the other hand, the great Powers have had successful talks on a technical level regarding the kind of control system which will be needed to observe compliance with an agreed stop in the testing of nuclear weapons. For the first time, we are not limited to discussing the control issue in the abstract. We now know that control in the field of nuclear tests is feasible, what it should consist of, and its degree of effectiveness. We are gratified to note that the method of taking up the technical aspects of specific disarmament problems has led to such good results. As will be recalled, this approach was recommended in a suggestion put forward by Pakistan and Norway during the twelfth session [A/3729, para. 20]. We are glad that similar technical discussions concerning measures against surprise attacks are about to commence.
52. What led me to strike a note of optimism is, above all, the fact that the parties chiefly concerned — the great Powers — are prepared to discuss separately the various elements of the very complex problem of disarmament and, in particular, that the technical aspects of these elements are discussed first.
53. We believe that the first and most important step now will be the conference on the suspension of nuclear weapons tests which will convene on 31 October in Geneva, with the object of working out an agreement regarding a halt in the testing of nuclear weapons together with the corresponding control system. We urge that every effort be made by the nuclear Powers to arrive at a result which can finally rid mankind of further fear and anxiety with regard to the partly unknown effects of nuclear explosions. By 31 October, all three nuclear Powers will, on a unilateral basis, have suspended their tests and I, for one, feel fairly confident that the tests will never be resumed.
54. As for the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, we favour the continuation of its work and an expansion of its programme, as suggested by the Secretary-General. It goes without saying, however, that duplication of work with other international agencies, such as for Instance the World Health Organization, should be avoided. Furthermore, we sincerely hope that the technical discussions regarding measures to eliminate surprise » attacks will also result in an agreed report on what measures are possible and on their precise nature.
55. The Norwegian delegation, of course, fully realizes that the road ahead may be difficult and also a long one. But in the light of the break-through of the technical experts on the control issue, we consider It both possible and imperative that the political conference at General follow up and workout an agreement securing a controlled stop in the testing of nuclear, weapons. Generally speaking, we believe that the method of separating the political and technical aspects of the disarmament problems should be tried on other Issues as well, such as force levels, the possible establishment of geographic areas with mutually agreed limitations of forces, and the limitation of defence budgets.
56. Somewhat reluctantly I suggest, however, that it might be advisable not to be too ambitious at this time in widening the field, but to concentrate mainly on bringing the question of a halt in the testing of nuclear weapons to a successful conclusion and exploring possible measures against surprise attack. Success in these fields will, we believe, help to create the atmosphere of confidence which is required for further effective steps to be made on the road to internationally-controlled disarmament.
57. Furthermore, while we would be the last to want progress halted by procedural complications, I feel in duty bound to state that the Norwegian delegation is anxious that the United Nations should again assume its proper role in the disarmament work. I am sure that most Member Governments feel, as we do, that the follow up of any agreement arrived at between the great Powers should take place under the auspices and within the framework of the United Nations. Disarmament remains a matter of immediate concern to us all. The Norwegian Government therefore hopes that it will be possible at this session to arrive at a generally acceptable agreement on the structure and composition of the Disarmament Commission. In our view, this should not be an impossible feat, the more so, since obviously any achievements will not come as a result of majority votes but only as a product of mutual confidence and agreement. Even a small country, like Norway, can and will only disarm, if the general international atmosphere and workable agreements on effective international control warrant it. Nobody will even suggest, I am sure, that the great Powers should start to disarm on the basis of a majority vote in any commission or assembly.
58. The Norwegian delegation welcomes the initiative of the United States suggesting that an organization be set up to ensure an internationally co-ordinated approach to the conquest of outer space [749th meeting]. In our view, this question should be treated separately as a matter of peaceful co-operation, and we hope that adequate action will be taken by the Assembly.
59. To my mind, the results of the Geneva talks on technical methods of controlling a ban on atom tests, the report of the Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation [A/3P38], together with the results of the Second United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, demonstrate convincingly the importance, from the point of view of lessening of tension and, consequently, for fresh constructive efforts towards agreed disarmament, of the fullest possible freedom of information on scientific and technical development in the field of nuclear armaments. I venture to suggest that the time has come to appeal to all Governments to consider whether a greater measure of openness of information might not be a significant positive step on the road towards disarmament and peace.
60. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Mr. Gudmundsson, urged strongly in his speech last Thursday [759th meeting], that this General Assembly should take up and endeavour to find a solution to the controversial and difficult problems concerning the extent of coastal jurisdiction. He stressed the importance of having the matter settled without any further delay. My Government fully understands Iceland’s grave concern in this matter, which vitally affects its economic and social progress and the general welfare of its people. We understand it all the better, because a large part of Norway is also inhabited by a population which is overwhelmingly dependent upon coastal fisheries for its livelihood and economic development. It is, consequently, an important objective for the Norwegian Government also to preserve the basis of its fishing industry.
61. What is before the Assembly, however, is the resolution of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea inviting the Assembly to study the advisability of convening a second international conference for further consideration of the questions left unsettled by the Geneva Conference. That Conference succeeded in elaborating four conventions covering a wide range of the law of the sea. This achievement bears witness to the spirit of co-operation of the participating States and demonstrates that the progressive development and codification of international law can be effectively promoted by international conferences, even in the present troubled atmosphere of world politics.
62. I feel confident that, given good will on all sides, the question of how far States are entitled to extend their territorial waters and fishing zones can be peacefully solved on a global basis to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. The Norwegian Government, for its part, considers the Canadian proposal, which would allow States to extend their territorial waters to six miles and their fishing zones to twelve miles, as a reasonable and well-balanced compromise solution. It is my earnest hope that the Assembly will decide to convene a second United Nations conference on the law of the sea, and that the participating Governments will do their utmost to facilitate a solution of this controversial problem.
63. I now turn to the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in the field of economic and social welfare.
64. In the past few years, we have witnessed the rise of serious international economic problems which call for our consideration and action. The Secretary-General discusses these problems in his World Economic Survey 1957 [E/3110]. and, in the introduction to his annual report, he expresses the view, which my Government shares, that lack of co-ordination of national
65. The international economic recession, which wo are now passing through and which is seriously affecting individual national economies, cannot be not effectively by unilateral policies. There is need for measures against a possible deterioration in world trade, production and employment. The downward trend should be met by international action to counterbalance the fluctuations in the foreign exchange reserves which are directly due to changing terms of trade and, therefore, beyond the control of individual Governments. In these circumstances, a concerted policy of renewed economic expansion would make the solution of these problems much easier and thereby facilitate the task of national Governments in maintaining full employment, it goes without saying that in this effort to set the world economy once more on the road to expansion, it is necessary that the larger countries, and particularly the creditor nations, take the lead,
66. We note with satisfaction that some of the relevant problems are already being tackled through international action. In this connexion, I would like to mention the efforts being made to counteract fluctuations in commodity prices. This situation is of primary concern to the less developed countries with undiversified economies. It also bears, however, upon the economic life of the more industrialized countries. In the long run, nobody is served by severe price fluctuations. We should realize that this sort of instability not only has harmful economic consequences but political and social repercussions as well. My Government welcomes the negotiations now taking place concerning several commodities and, in particular, we appreciate the reconstitution of the Commission on International Commodity Trade which has made it possible for the world's largest trading nations to resume their membership in the Commission, thus enabling it to deal more effectively with problems within its competence.
67. My Government realizes that the under-developed countries are the ones which are most seriously affected by the present economic situation. Not only is their trade and thus their balance of payments severely upset, but their development plans are retarded. Against this background, we are most appreciative of the increased activity we have seen in the past year in the field of economic aid programmes. We are greatly encouraged by the emphasis placed on the activities in this field by the Secretary of State of the United States of America in his intervention in this general debate [749th meeting], and sincerely hope the General Assembly will follow the lead Mr. Dulles gave us.
68. This Assembly is invited to take final action on the establishment of a special fund for technical and economic assistance. We are aware of the fact that this is not the Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development (SUNFED), so fervently wanted by the less developed countries and always supported by my Government. Nevertheless, I think we can take comfort in the fact that a beginning has been made towards the realization of a United Nations capital investment institution.
69. We are also glad to note that steps are now being taken to increase the financial resources of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and of the International Monetary Fund. The United States Government has also proposed the establishment of a now landing agency, to be named international development association, which will make available long-term, low-interest loans. In the view of the Norwegian Government, this would be a most welcome addition to the existing finance institutions. I cannot leave this subject without mentioning the plans for a development institution in the Middle East and the decision to establish a development bank for Latin America. We are also glad to see that the Economic Commission for Africa has been set up. All this shows that we are in a period of fruitful thinking and constructive action.
70. To sum up, in three of the most important fields of United Nations activity — namely, mediation and conciliation, disarmament, and economic development — the last year has seen encouraging progress, which gives grounds to hope for further constructive results in the years to come.
71. Yet, Governments and peoples the world over dare hardly rejoice in past achievements or future prospects. They are all holding their breath and are watching in deep anxiety the situation in the Strait of Taiwan, arising out of the historic accident of Nationalist China having retained sonie of the off-shore islands.
72. Such is the state of tension in the world in which we live, so deep the mutual distrust between the most powerful nations, and so far apart the positions of the principal parties concerned as to the questions of legitimate rights and the problems of international law involved, that a most determined effort of mutual accommodation will be needed on both sides to avoid steps which may start a chain of events fateful for all of us. The Norwegian Government therefore hopes and urges that the parties carry on the discussions now being held in Warsaw, in the realization of this, with full sincerity and in a spirit of true conciliation.
73. Surely, this is not the moment to discuss from this rostrum the substance of the questions at issue, while talks are going on between the parties. It is only prudent, however, to acknowledge that these negotiations are extremely difficult in themselves and that they are further complicated by the military actions going on and by the regrettable but, none the less, real mutual distrust between the parties. At the same time, the risk of further military actions which might eventually lead to a catastrophe is so great that the world cannot be kept in a prolonged state of anxiety and suspense.
74. If the parties are not able, in the near future, to make progress in their endeavours, I venture to suggest that they be assisted either by a small balanced group of nations acceptable to the parties, or maybe by the Secretary-General., with a view to arriving at mutually acceptable solutions which will ease the immediate tension. As. one of the parties is not at present represented in the United Nations, attempts to have the normal machinery of this Organization render real assistance may prove very difficult. On the other hand, no matter how severely we condemn the resort to armed force to achieve one's aims, surely, the interests and issues directly at stake in the Strait of Taiwan are not such as to justify, on the part of anyone, measures which might jeopardize the peace of the world. That is also why the Norwegian Government holds that a peaceful and honourable way must and can be found out of the present predicament and that, to this and, no stone must remain unturned,