24. As one surveys the world scene, one sees momentous events of great importance succeed each other with almost kaleidoscopic rapidity — events which are bound up with human happiness or misery, with peace or war. We also see great scientific and technical advances. Man has extracted from nature her secrets and has harnessed prodigious power which can be used for constructive or destructive purposes. What matters now is how we use these great advances in science and technology, how we deal with changing events, ever mindful that it is the human factor that is important. Our responsibility is great and specially so as Members of this Assembly.
25. It is therefore our earnest hope that under the able and wise guidance of the President, this session of the General Assembly will be able to make some positive contribution to making good use of those opportunities and to the lessening of international tension and the creation of better understanding and goodwill between nations, so that the advances we have made may be used for the good of humanity. The United Nations stands as a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of man in his quest for a life of peace and plenty. The delegation of Ceylon has consistently felt and fervently believes that in a world troubled by various clashes of ideologies and interests an organization of this kind is necessary, indeed essential, for the maintenance of peace and understanding among nations. No longer can countries be isolated and peoples be kept apart. Communications have improved and the world has shrunk to so great an extent as to make any important development in one part of the world of considerable interest in every corner of the globe. The struggles of peoples for independence and self-government are now better known and elicit friendly responses from many quarters. Economic problems of under-developed countries affect even those regions which are industrially advanced and well developed. The world of today is therefore in many respects interdependent, and the problems of one country affect the rest of us. Militarily, weapons of destruction have been perfected by the ingenuity of man to such an extent that in future a major war would bring about the total annihilation of mankind. It is against tills background that we have to view the important part which an organization like the United Nations could and should play in. bringing about better understanding among peoples of the world. From the day of its establishment thirteen years ago, this Organization has grown from strength to strength and contributed in no small measure to promoting the purposes and principles for which it was created.
26. In the political, economic, social and legal spheres, the United Nations and its specialized agencies have done a great deal for the betterment of mankind. No doubt an organization of this nature has its limitations, and there is still much room for improvement. But the contributions it has made in helping to resolve some national and international problems are indeed noteworthy. The path of peace and prosperity lies in improving and strengthening this Organization so that it can meet the demands of the times. After all, we are only thirteen years old, and thirteen years in the long history of mankind is but a short period. If in the difficult days of the post-war period we have so much success to our credit, we can look forward to the future with much confidence, provided we continue to remain faithful to the fundamental, principles enshrined in our Charter.
27. The delegation of Ceylon feels that one of the ways in which we can strengthen this Organization is to implement the principle of universality of membership. Whatever political, economic or social systems may prevail in a country, every sovereign State should have the right of representation in this Organization. This is one of the reasons that motivated the delegation of Ceylon to support the representation of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations. The admission of the People's Republic will not only uphold the principle of universality which an organization of this nature should scrupulously follow, but will also help in solving many an international problem and thereby preserve peace — the main purpose for which this Organization was created.
28. Today, a dangerous situation full of explosive possibilities prevails in the Far East. There is a dispute between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Nationalist Chinese in Formosa. Each side is supported by great Powers, and any false move in the Strait of Taiwan may trigger a major conflagration which would bring death and destruction to all parts of the world. If the People's Republic of China were a Member of the United Nations, perhaps this problem would not have arisen in this form, and, even if it had, the solution would have been easier. The delegation of Ceylon, like other delegations, views with grave concern the situation in the Far East. It is our earnest hope that wisdom, restraint and good sense will prevail on the part of all concerned and that every effort will be made to resolve this problem by peaceful measures. We therefore welcome the negotiations that are now taking place in Warsaw between the Government of the United States and that of the People's Republic of China. Every Government has a great responsibility for maintaining peace and promoting international understanding. No effort should therefore be spared to bring about a just and reasonable settlement of this question.
29. My delegation fervently believes and is confident that such a settlement, acceptable to all, will soon be found. We cannot fail. We must not fail. Quite apart from the universal destruction that would follow in the wake of a major conflict, which we all must strain every nerve to prevent, there is the fact that all countries, great and small, want peace. The People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics adopt as their policy the doctrine of peaceful coexistence; that is also the policy adopted by the Powers that participated in the Bandung Conference. Clothed in different language, that is also the policy of the United States and of the United Kingdom and of all European and Latin American countries. The observance of good neighbourly relations is synonymous with peaceful coexistence. In fact, to the Christian world at any rate, "good neighbourly relations" may indeed be a stronger expression. That expression, which implies love of neighbour, is the rock on which Christendom is built. The whole world is therefore one in its faith, hope and belief. What is needed always, and certainly is most imperative in times of crisis, is the translation of the same belief, expressed in different words, to the facts of life and the situations of conflict, that may arise from time to time. Surely, therefore, all men of goodwill must be agreed that it is necessary to see that practice and precept are in accord.
30. We have noted with satisfaction that countries immediately concerned have agreed generally that the use of force is not the way to settle disputes. They have agreed that such settlement must be achieved by means of peaceful negotiation. We are in entire agreement that force must be eschewed. There is only a narrow gulf that now separates the contending parties. We urge the great Powers to take steps to bridge this gulf by the use of restraint and goodwill and by their wish to exist together peacefully as good neighbours in this ever contracting world of today. It is needless to say that in this endeavour the great Powers and all countries concerned will have the fullest support of the smaller Powers represented in the Assembly.
31. It was only last month that we met in an emergency special session to discuss ways and means by which this Organization could settle the immediate problems of the Middle East, heightened by the landing of United States and United Kingdom troops in Lebanon and Jordan, respectively. It was indeed a happy sign that, in a spirit of compromise and understanding, a resolution jointly sponsored by all Arab States [resolution 1237 (ES-III)] was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly as a preliminary step towards a solution of these problems. Tension in that part of the world has been greatly reduced by the action taken by the United Nations on that occasion, and we are pleased that Member States directly concerned with this question have agreed to work together. We have watched with interest the customary skill and zeal with which the Secretary-General has pursued the mission entrusted to him by the General Assembly. Our appreciation and thanks are due him. His report [A/3934/Rev.1] has just been released and will no doubt be discussed shortly. Although I speak after its release, I would crave the indulgence of the President if I find it necessary to comment on the report later in the course of the general debate.
32. I must point out that the third emergency special session which made this result possible will go down in the history of our Organization as an example of the steadfast adherence of Member States to the practical and successful application of the principle of peaceful coexistence or good-neighbour relations in the settlement of disputes. May that spirit shine ever brightly as the lodestar that guides us to the haven of world peace.
33. We have stated on earlier occasions that one of the major causes of tension in the world is the existence of power blocs. Unfortunately, this state of affairs continues unabated, thereby causing mutual suspicion and fear. This state of mind increases international tension and in turn accelerates the race for armaments. Today, we are witnessing the spectacle of mighty Powers allied with many other countries and armed with nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons, ready for any eventuality. The delegation of Ceylon feels that if this vicious circle of suspicion, fear and preparations for war is to be arrested then steps should be taken to remove mutual suspicion and fear and to build up faith and confidence between nations. There is a lot of truth in the saying that "the seeds of war are sown in the minds of men". One of the ways we can arrest this downward trend towards destruction is to abandon military blocs and to enter into treaties of non-aggression and non-interference in the internal affairs of each country. The principles of peaceful coexistence to which I have already referred, if faithfully followed by all Powers and particularly by the big Powers, will greatly facilitate the taking of a step forward in creating an atmosphere of confidence and trust. The creation of this atmosphere will help considerably in the solution of all other problems that confront us. It will help also in dealing with the problem of disarmament. And if we succeed, large sums of money that we now waste in the manufacture of dreadful weapons of destruction could be usefully channelled in the economic development of countries, particularly the under-developed ones which are badly in need of capital and technical know-how.
34. We feel that in the present state of world tension uncommitted countries such as Ceylon and other smaller countries could play a vital part in bringing about better understanding between the two power blocs. This attitude of non-involvement in power bloc conflicts will not only enable us to judge issues that come up before this Assembly on their merits, but will also enable us to make positive suggestions, unhampered by any military bloc loyalties. It is our belief that this policy will help in the reduction of international tension and increase the area of peace.
35. We welcome the success of the Conference of Experts to Study the Possibility of Detecting Violations of a Possible Agreement on the Suspension of Nuclear Tests, which was recently held in Geneva, and note with satisfaction that the big Powers now are ready to negotiate about the suspension of these nuclear tests. We welcome also the proposal for a meeting of experts to discuss measures to prevent surprise attacks. It is our fervent wish that these negotiations will be a prelude to a comprehensive agreement on disarmament.
36. May I make a brief reference to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which is a great achievement of the United Nations and which I am glad to say has been ratified by no fewer than fifty-eight nations, including Ceylon. It is a pleasure to refer to it as this year marks its tenth anniversary. The Convention safeguards human beings against the danger of being wiped out of existence, as has happened in the past. The adoption by the United Nations of this Convention has helped to increase the Organization's stature in the world because of its great moral significance. My delegation hopes that those who have still failed to ratify it will delay their ratification no longer.
37. There are on the agenda of this Assembly several important problems to which I should like to refer, but as these are special problems which are likely to be closely examined in the First Committee, in the Special Political Committee and, indeed, in all the other committees, I shall refrain from discussing them here and reserve my comments until such time as they come up in those different committees. I refer particularly to the problems concerning South West Africa, Algeria and Cyprus and to the question of apartheid as practised in the Union of South Africa. The views of my delegation have, moreover, been expressed at previous meetings of the Assembly and are generally well known.
38. Regarding apartheid, the Colombo Powers, of which Ceylon is one, expressed at Colombo in 1954, and later on at Bogor, Indonesia, their great concern over this situation. In 1955, the Bandung Conference of Asian-African nations deplored the policies and practices of racial segregation and reaffirmed the determination of the Asian-African peoples to eradicate every trace of racialism. The Government of Ceylon is, therefore, pledged to uphold this policy which is in keeping with the principles of the United Nations Charter. We regret, however, to note that there are certain delegations which still put forth the argument that the Assembly is not competent to deal with this question when, at every previous session, it has, by its resolutions, maintained that this was an item coming within the competence of the United Nations.
39. My delegation trusts that these questions will receive careful attention during the present session and that satisfactory solutions will be found in keeping with the principles so clearly laid down in the Charter,
40. The subject of West Irian is not before the Assembly this year, but unfortunately it is still a matter of dispute between the parties immediately concerned. Although reference has already been made to it in the course of our general debate, I shall not deal with it except to say that it is our earnest hope that the question will be considered soberly and objectively in the first instance between the Indonesian Government and the Government of the Netherlands in a spirit of mutual trust and goodwill, and that a fair and reasonable settlement will be reached. The United Nations should, however, closely follow the discussions that take place outside the Organization on this important matter.
41. I would now like briefly to turn my attention to some vital economic problems affecting more than half the human race. These were recognized as early as 1945 when the founding fathers of the United Nations wrote into the Charter the obligations of Member States in the following words: "to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples". I would like to emphasize the words "international machinery". And, proceeding further, it was stated that: "conditions of stability and well-being ... are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations. And to that end they enjoined the United Nations to work towards: "higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development".
42. Thus it was that at the sixth session of the General Assembly a resolution was passed [resolution 520 A (VI)] requesting the Economic and Social Council to submit to the General Assembly at its seventh session a detailed plan for establishing, as soon as circumstances permitted, a special fund for grants-in-aid and for low-interest, long-term loans to under-developed countries for the purpose of helping them to accelerate their economic development.
43. My delegation regrets that a fund for such assistance on any considerable scale is yet to be established. Meanwhile, the less developed countries have been put under considerable economic and financial strain. It is, however, a fact that some effort has been made both in the United Nations and by some of the more advanced and industrially great countries to act in fulfilment of their Charter obligations. My delegation Wishes to give expression to our appreciation, and indeed our gratitude, to these countries for the help they have so far given. We would like also to express our appreciation of the efforts made by the Secretary-General in this direction. Unfortunately, he is unable to act on his own. He can put forward suggestions and proposals but it is for Member States to act on such proposals, and it is our unfortunate experience that his initiative has been dampened and even thwarted by lack of enthusiasm and even opposition from those countries which alone can supply the essential financial aid necessary. However, one can see a great realization on the part of strong countries of the need for economic development. I would refer to the great and generous step taken by the United States soon after the end of the Second World War when Marshall Plan aid was given to the war-ravaged countries of Europe. This statesmanlike action Saved Europe from total economic collapse. The need in Europe at that time was great and the help most opportune. The United States will always be remembered with gratitude by millions of people in Europe.
44. No such large-scale economic operation took place in other parts of the world. The under-developed countries of the world, whether in Asia, Africa or Latin America, have as much, if not greater, need of help. We are well aware of the existence of hunger and want, of Illiteracy and disease, of abnormally low standards of living in these areas where more than half of the human race lives. As a result, there is growing discontent and dissatisfaction among these peoples, many of whom have adopted the democratic way of life. The peoples of Asia are in an economic ferment. There is a revolution — fortunately, still a revolution of expectancy. The people are still looking upward and forward and are stretching forth their hands in expectancy that the good things of life to which they know they are entitled will soon be forthcoming.
45. In this connexion we cannot delay much longer the help that they need and it is up to us in the United Nations to do everything possible to help. The underdeveloped countries have many handicaps, but the most important of them Is the lack of adequate technical skill and financial resources. A great deal has already been done through the United Nations technical assistance scheme, the Colombo Plan and the technical aid programmes of the United States, the USSR and other countries. Regarding the former — that is, technical skill — grants and loans by many countries under bilateral arrangements, loans by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the limited financial resources of under-developed countries themselves have been of some help, but the sum total of all these efforts has been far below the need. Some good has been done, but a great deal more remains to be done. Recognizing this need, the United Nations attempted two years ago to obtain the support of Member States for a fairly comprehensive scheme of economic assistance which came to be described and known as the Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development (SUNFED). This move lacked adequate support from those whose support was necessary. We are sorry that this miniature Marshall Plan idea for assistance to under-developed countries therefore had to be abandoned. My delegation is, however, glad that a scheme is now before this Assembly, even though it is much more limited. On the principle that we must be thankful for small mercies, my delegation welcomes this proposal and hopes that it will be adopted and that its execution will be made free of political manoeuvres. In the Governing Council which will administer the aid scheme, representation should be such as will ensure its activities on a purely economic and non-political basis.
46. My delegation is glad that the Economic Commission for Africa has been established. Asia already has such a commission, the Economic Commission for Asia -and the Far East. These two organizations will be of great benefit to the people of these two underdeveloped continents. But they will fail if their work is not fully supported by financial aid to enable beneficial schemes of development to be undertaken.
47. It is with great pleasure that my delegation has seen a new trend developing, I refer to the recognition by the United States and other countries of the absolute need for large-scale financial assistance, My delegation would like to say that it was with the keenest appreciation that we heard the President of the United States [733rd meeting]. speaking to the third emergency special session, advocate the creation of a financial institution for the benefit of the Middle East countries, to which he pledged American support. We note with pleasure that the Soviet Union has likewise pledged its support. The other development in the same direction, which also was hailed with delight, is the information received recently that, at the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the United States and Latin American countries, held in Washington, a decision was reached to set up a banking institution with United States support to help in the economic development of the Latin American countries. These are two great developments and we hope for the speedy establishment of these institutions and their unhampered success in the future. It is the hope of my delegation that similar action will be considered in regard to the great area of South and South-East Asia where poverty, hunger and want are rampant among a people who number a quarter of the whole human race.
48. The danger to peace and the challenge to democracy implicit in the low standards of living of Asian people must be a matter of serious concern to the United Nations and to all democratic countries, and I may extend the sense of what I have just said not only to Asian peoples, but also to the peoples of all the under-developed countries of the world. No effort should therefore be spared to deal effectively and speedily with this important matter.
49. I have tried to show how important is the aspect of financial assistance from advanced countries to less developed countries. There is, however, another aspect which is no less important. It is the aspect of self-help. Under-developed countries are now engaged in the utilization of all their resources to build for themselves a better world in their own countries through their own efforts. They would prefer to do this to the utmost limit within their means and to look for help from outside only when their limited resources are exhausted. In this endeavour, help not involving immediate financial grants or loans is still necessary. Most of the under-developed countries are agricultural, raw material producers. They, depend on the sale of their products in the world markets. The frequent and oft-times sudden price fluctuations affect seriously and adversely the economies of these countries. The lack of price stability is one of the dangers to which they are exposed. Moreover, a fair and reasonable price for their products is also important. It is imperative, therefore, that measures should be taken to prevent such sharp fluctuations and to ensure that world market prices are fair and reasonable both to producer and consumer. It is possible to take suitable measures towards this end. Indeed, this aspect of the question has been discussed frequently in the Economic and Social Council, in the Commission on International Commodity Trade and by the parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); in fact, measures have been taken with good results in respect of some commodities such as wheat, sugar and tin and, more recently, coffee. In the view of my delegation, commodity arrangements are essential for economic development, and I would urge at this time the immediate need to press forward in this direction.
50. Economic development can also be helped without financial aid if international trade can be expanded. Such expansion, however, is retarded by the non- liberal trade policies which some countries adopt. This becomes more serious when such policies are followed by the larger importing countries. Protective measures, high tariffs and quotas are inimical to the expansion of world trade and certainly have a deleterious effect on the economies of smaller and less developed countries. Thus, the latter are prevented by action over which they have no control from helping themselves through their own resources to build a better standard of living. Such measures also have harmful effects even on the more advanced countries because of the reduction of pur chasing power among the millions who live in the under-developed countries.
51. The other matter I wish to touch upon before I conclude is the need for private investment capital in under-developed countries. There is very little flow of such capital at the preset time. This matter, however, has been discussed so often in so many places that I do not wish to take up time to examine the reasons for this situation — they are only too well known, what is lacking is action — but I do wish to urge that something be done to facilitate the flow of such capital to those areas which are completely dry of investment possibilities and are in urgent need of a quick flow of financial aid.
52. I have attempted briefly to refer to some of the political and economic problems that face us at this time. Important decisions will have to be taken which will have far-reaching effects on the future history of the world. In all these matters, I repeat in conclusion, it is the human factor that has to be taken into account. We cannot deal adequately with these problems unless we fully appreciate that it is the fate of man with which we are concerned. Whether it be to win liberty and independence from foreign domination, whether it be to secure freedom from, hunger and want, whether it be to exercise freely fundamental human rights, whether it be to achieve maximum human happiness, or whether it be to bring about goodwill and good understanding among nations, or whether it is to be peace on earth or war — all these things depend on the relationships we establish between man and man and on how we act here and now in this Assembly. Should our actions proceed from fear and suspicion, hatred and enmity, and the insane desire to destroy, then there is no hope for man. If on the other hand we proceed with charity towards all, affection and goodwill, and with the desire to build and develop friendly relations, then there is still hope for us all. There can be no doubt what our choice will be. We can then look forward to the unfolding of a new era of peace and plenty throughout the world.