Libya

1958 Session 13

1. The delegation of the United Kingdom of Libya to the thirteenth session of the General Assembly is deeply grateful to have this opportunity to convey, on behalf of the King of Libya, his Government and his people, the best and most sincere wishes for peace and prosperity to all the States Members of the United Nations and all the peoples of the world who cherish the ideals, purposes and principles which inspired the Charter of our Organization and to which this Assembly seeks regularly each year to give substance. 2. My delegation is also happy to greet the delegations to the thirteenth session of the General Assembly. In assuring them of our closest and most sincere cooperation may I express the earnest hope that the deliberations of this session of the Assembly will be harmonious and that success will crown its work. 3. On the occasion of your recent election to preside over the General Assembly for this thirteenth session, I should like to offer you my warmest personal congratulations and those of my delegation on the confidence which the Assembly has shown in you in electing you to preside over its work. The Libyan delegation is convinced that, with your broad knowledge and wide experience, you will fill this high international office with wisdom, independence of mind, neutrality, equanimity and detachment — qualities that are essential to the proper conduct of the business of a session which promises to be so important to international peace and security and to the destinies of a region with which my country, is vitally concerned. 4. I should like also to take this opportunity to express my delegation's esteem for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sudan — a brother Arab and African country — who has shown himself, both by his personal qualities and by the support he received from the representatives of many countries, to be worthy of the highest honours in our Organization. 5. I wish also to say that the Libyan delegation recalls with deep satisfaction the wise and effective manner in which the President of the twelfth session, Sir Leslie Munro, performed his functions and I should like to pay a sincere tribute to him. 6. The United Kingdom of Libya, which was born under the auspices of the United Nations, has, since the proclamation of its independence on 24December 1951, been guided by a profound desire to abide by the principles of the Organization within which it became an independent and sovereign State and it was with scrupulous regard for the letter and the spirit of the Charter that Libya took up and settled the delicate problems of international relations that arose in the early years following its entry into the family of nations. 7. Thus it was that Libya defined on a basis of understanding, friendship, mutual respect and strict regard for its territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty its relations with the Allied Powers to whose cause the Libyan refugees in neighbouring countries rallied in the Second World War with the full support of free Libyans in Libya, led by their chief, now King Idris I of Libya, who was then in exile in Egypt, with a view to liberating their territory from the foreign conqueror. Libya subsequently put forth a great effort and succeeded, under the aegis of the United Nations, in solving with patience and tolerance and in a spirit of compromise the delicate and complex problems implicit in the transfer of sovereignty. In considering the question of the United Nations Tribunal in Libya the General Assembly at its tenth session was able to appreciate at first hand Libya's determination to solve these problems in such a spirit. May I add that these efforts culminated in the establishment of a new era in the relations between Libya and post-war Italy based on mutual respect and fruitful co-operation with due regard for the dignity, equality and independence of both countries. Libyan-Italian relations are an example of the peaceful, fruitful and lasting basis on which relations could be established with another Latin country in Europe now engaged in the vicinity of our southern frontiers in a hopeless war against a Sister nation which resolved almost four years ago to take up arms in valiant defence of its right to self-determination and independence and its national integrity against the blind forces of selfishness, exploitation, ostracism and bad faith. 8. I should like to make it clear that, while Libya has placed its relations with what is generally known as the Western world on the footing of frank understanding I have described, it maintains normal relations with the Eastern world while preserving its own spiritual values and its Islamic vision of the world, thus demonstrating its sincere desire to follow dispassionately and without prejudice the path of good neighbourliness and international understanding required by a clear understanding of the Charter and a sound interpretation of its provisions. 9. Being convinced that the best and most effective way of applying the principles and achieving the purposes of the Charter is for the Member States to live together in peace and a spirit of good neighbourliness and positive co-operation, Libya has earnestly worked to maintain with its neighbours — the United Arab Republic, Tunisia, the Sudan and Morocco — as with all the other Arab countries, the most friendly and close relations based on brotherhood, friendship, mutual respect and free co-operation with a view to achieving economic prosperity in the interests of all and contributing to the safeguarding of peace and security in those two vital areas of the world — North Africa and the Middle East. 10. The United Kingdom of Libya continues, as a member of the League of Arab States, to discharge its obligations within that regional organization in the firm conviction that it is thereby contributing to the fulfilment of the joint destinies of the Arab peoples and helping to establish bonds of. understanding and helpful co-operation between the Governments of Member States and to create and develop conditions of stability, peace and tranquillity throughout the region in which the member countries of the Arab League are situated. 11. The Libyan delegation considers that the League of Arab States is an appropriate regional agency for the maintenance of international peace and security, in the sense of Chapter VIII of the Charter, which deals with regional arrangements. Accordingly, the Libyan delegation believes that it would be just and would contribute to the dissemination of the ideals of the United Nations and the fulfilment of its Purposes and Principles for the United Nations to recognize the League of Arab States and give it the place it should occupy in the Organization. Such recognition could, we believe, only enhance the prestige of the United Nations and guarantee and facilitate the carrying out of arrangements made under its auspices for the maintenance of international peace and security in the important region with which the League of Arab States is concerned. Such recognition would also, we believe, make it easier to apply any economic measures taken by the United Nations to promote the prosperity of the peoples of the region. 12. I should now like, in referring to the prospective extension of the field of activity of the League of Arab States, to welcome the decison taken by the Governments of two neighbouring and brother countries, Tunisia and Morocco, to adere to, the Pact of the Arab League. This decision, impatiently awaited by the Libyan Government and people, was acclaimed in Libya and throughout the Arab world with the utmost satisfaction. Libya, which has worked to lay the foundations for an Arab Maghreb united in complete independence and pure Arabism, expresses the fervent hope that it will soon see another Arab country, Algeria, take its proper place within the family to which it belongs. 13. The Libyan delegation has the honour to inform the General Assembly that the United Kingdom of Libya recognized the Algerian Provisional Government immediately after its formation. This decision, which had the full support of the Libyan people, was taken in the conviction that the Algerian Provisional Government represents the true will of the Algerian people Who have, for more than four years, been waging a sacred struggle to achieve their ideals of self- determination and liberty so that their nation, which is determined to regain its dignity and independence, may take its rightful place in the world. Our decision also took into account the fact that the Algerian Provisional Government, which stems from the national organs at war 'with France, exercises de facto control over vast regions comprising the major part of Algerian territory; it ensures the effective administration of these regions, levies taxes there, administers justice, runs the education and health services and ensures the food supplies of the people that it is defending in the front line against aggression by a foreign army. 14. My delegation considers that recognition of the Algerian Provisional Government by Libya and the other countries which have recognized or are about to recognize it, is not an unfriendly or a hostile gesture towards France. On the contrary, this action is in keeping with the principles of the French Revolution which nave unfortunately been distorted and deprived of their high human value by the insatiable appetites of colonialism, thus preventing them from being applied to the peoples affected by the European colonial expansion that began in the nineteenth century. 15. The Libyan delegation believes that recognition of the Algerian Provisional Government, in addition to being a necessary act of justice towards the Algerian people, is a positive contribution to the settlement of the Franco-Algerian dispute. The atrocious war which the French army is waging against a peaceful population is not only a grave affront to the most elementary human values and a challenge to the authority of the United Nations; it is also a serious threat to the security of neighbouring countries such as Libya, Tunisia and Morocco and is largely responsible for the disorder and instability in this area, whose development and prosperity it is retarding. 16. Only a few days ago, on 25 September 1958 to be exact, French military aircraft violated Libya's air space and machine-gunned the peaceful village of Eissine in south-west Libya not far from the Algerian- Libyan border. This raid resulted in the loss of human life and considerable material damage. Furthermore, this hostile gesture was not the first of its kind. On 3 October 1957, French armoured units supported by French military aircraft committed a grave act of aggression from their bases in Algeria against the same village, causing many victims; the village was set on fire and substantial material damage resulted. Since then the French Army has made repeated incursions into Libyan territory. The Libyan Government has protested on every' Occasion to the French Government against these hostile activities; it has even proposed the establishment of a joint Franco-Libyan commission to investigate these repeated aggressive, activities and set up the necessary machinery to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Algerian-Libyan frontier. All these efforts have failed because of the unco-operative attitude of the French authorities. 17. My delegation would like to express the profound anxiety which the Libyan Government and people feel in the face of these repeated acts of aggression against the territorial integrity of the country and the safety of its inhabitants. It wishes also to place on record in this Assembly its energetic protest against such irresponsible actions by the authorities of a Member State of the United Nations which has special responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council. My delegation reserves the Libyan Government's right to take the necessary steps within the United Nations to put an end to these provocative and aggressive acts by the French forces stationed in Algeria. 18. Recognition of the Algerian Provisional Government is, we believe, the most direct way for France to put an end to the terrible adventure upon which it has embarked and for which it has thus far paid so heavy and tragic a price in material damage, death, hatred and the destruction of all the values that made the French people great. The Libyan delegation is fully convinced that the enlightened self-interest of the French nation demands a sound and realistic application of the right of self-determination of the Algerian people and of its right to independence. For those purposes and for more than one reason, the Algerian Provisional Government can serve as a valid spokesman with which France can negotiate a solution in the interest of both parties. 19. According to recent news dispatches the Algerian Provisional Government, continuing to act in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the Algerian question, has made the necessary overtures. In our opinion, it would be much better to agree to enter into pourparlers than to lose precious time in vain attempts to apply a policy of integration, in whatever form it may be conceived, on the basis of a legal fiction by which no one is or has ever been convinced. The Libyan Government therefore considers that the referendum, for which thorough preparations were made by a French army and police force of 800,000 men in support of the premises of the familiar French argument, cannot be seriously considered as substantiating a conclusion carefully prepared in advance, namely, the myth of a French Algeria. 20. Libya considers that Algeria is an Arab country with all the attributes of sovereignty and independence and that nothing, absolutely nothing, differentiates it from its three neighbours to which those rights have been fully and rightly recognized. 21. Libya believes it to be its duty to tell the Assembly that France has everything to gain by recognizing one simple fact, namely, that its interests as a Mediterranean Power require it to maintain mutually profitable relations with the Arab countries of the southern shore of the Mediterranean. There is only one obstacle: the unjust and inhuman War Waged by France against the Algerian people. And there is only one condition: the settlement of the Algerian question on the basis of the freedom and self-determination of peoples and their right to independence. 22. In reply to the arguments concerning the future of the European community in Algeria, I would cite the position of the foreign communities in the other North African countries: Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. They enjoy peace, respect and security, as well as Increased prosperity, thus demonstrating the meaning of international obligations freely assumed and the traditional generosity of the liberated local populations; they serve as an example of fruitful co-operation between peoples of different races living together in human dignity and equality. 23. We would recall, moreover, that only a few days ago, the head of the Algerian Provisional Government, Mr. Ferhat Abbas, made a solemn declaration giving the most formal assurances with regard to respect for the fundamental rights and legitimate interests of the various minorities living in Algeria. 24. The Libyan delegation takes this opportunity to convey to the Algerian Provisional Government, from this room where the representatives of the States Members of the United Nations are assembled, the congratulations of the King of Libya, his Government and his people, and their sincere wishes for the early achievement of the complete liberation of Algeria. I should also like to express the hope that the French Government and people, finally recognizing the enormity of the errors they have committed and the jeopardy in which they are placing the human values proclaimed by the French Revolution on the battlefields of Europe, will comprehend the importance and urgency of recognizing the reality of an independent and sovereign Algeria as an essential factor in a national revival and the rebirth of a country rightly judged by history to be the repository of the true values of Western civilization. May the present French Government help this Assembly to efface the disappointing impression created by the refusal of successive French governments to act in conformity with the resolutions adopted by this Assembly on the Algerian question at its last two sessions, by contributing to the fulfilment of the principle of the Charter concerning the right of self-determination of peoples, and putting an end to the atrocious Algerian war which is so great a threat to peace and tranquillity in the area and in France itself. 25. My delegation wishes to .inform the Assembly of the increasing, interest with which the Libyan Government is following the efforts being made under the auspices of the United Nations to bring about agreement on disarmament. The Libyan Government earnestly hopes that the conventional arms race and the manufacture and testing of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons will be halted in the very near future. Libya whole-heartedly desires a resumption and intensification of the efforts made at the twelfth and previous sessions to devise a satisfactory solution of the problem of practical arrangements to halt the arms race and has noted with gratification the success Of the technical talks held in recent months at Geneva on controlling nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons tests. My delegation hopes that those talks will be resumed in the near future with the same measure of success, to the great satisfaction of the peoples everywhere. 26. I cannot let this opportunity pass without conveying to you the grave concern aroused in Libya by the’ frightening hews that France intends to hold its first atomic bomb experiments in the Sahara. I need not dwell on the harmful effects of experiments with a weapon which the representative of France, only a few days ago: [758th meeting], described from this rostrum as "devlish". I would, merely add that all the peoples of the African continent are outraged and shocked by such plans. 27. The United Kingdom of Libya believes that the huge expenditure on armaments, which greatly contribute to the aggravation of international tension and increase the danger of world war, could instead be a factor for peace and prosperity and contribute substantially to the expansion of natural wealth and the development of mankind's resources, thus Increasing the welfare of the people. 28. We are therefore most attentively following the experiments that are being made under United Nations auspices with a view to the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. At the eleventh session [602nd meeting], we had occasion to express our Interest In this matter in connexion with the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We then announced Libya's readiness to co-operate with, the Agency by placing at its disposal the space it might require to carry out its Important work and, at the same time, make It possible for Libya to benefit from the peaceful use of this potent source of energy. 29. In the belief that poverty, disease and ignorance breed despair and disorder, and seriously obstruct the genuine development and emancipation of peoples and the establishment of harmonious relations among them, my delegation is happy to be able to pay a tribute to the world-wide efforts of the United Nations to combat these scourges of mankind, thus paving the way for a brighter future and a better standard of life. On this occasion, the Libyan delegation is happy to express the Libyan people's gratitude for the technical assistance Libya is receiving from the United Nations. 30. The Libyan Government, which appreciates the high value of United Nations technical assistance to Libya and its Important contribution to the advancement of the country in all fields, pays grateful tribute to the efforts made fay the Organization to discharge its special responsibility towards Libya. It is confident that the United Nations will continue with the same sense of unselfish responsibility to assist the growth of a State that was born under its auspices. 31. After taking part in the Bandung Conference in the spring of 1955, subscribing to its principles and pledging Itself to carry out its resolutions in the belief that in so doing it was working towards the strengthening of the United Nations and the promotion of its Ideals and principles, the Libyan Government actively participated in the work of the Conference of Independent African States held early this year at Accra, the capital of the new Independent and sovereign State of Ghana. I wish to take this opportunity to salute the African peoples of that new independent State who have recovered their dignity after, long years of slavery, oppression and exploitation. The Accra Conference, which took place in an atmosphere of responsibility, seriousness and tolerance, provided a profitable opportunity for the independent States of Africa to discuss their common problems, establish the ties of friendship, good nelghbourliness and co-operation necessary for the fulfilment of the principles of the United Nations on the African continent, consider the problems of peace and security in Africa, and promote this principles of self-determination and respect for human dignity among the African peoples. In that spirit, the Libyan delegation will follow with particular interest the discussion on questions relating to the Non-Self-Governing Territories at the current session. It hopes that the General Assembly will resolve those questions in conformity with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations. 32. The Libyan delegation considers that discriminatory practices and racial segregation are among the causes of friction among Member States and they may be the starting point for international complications which jeopardize order, peace and security among nations. My delegation believes that such practices, which have the effect of dividing men into hostile groups merely because their skins are of different colours, should be fought by the United Nations. This Organization is founded on the equality and dignity of man and symbolizes the final stage in the development of free men. One of its undeniable claims to. fame is that of having cleared the way for the codification of the statute of free men by the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In paying a tribute to the courage and moral integrity of statesmen of goodwill of some Member States who are resolutely fighting anachronistic segregationist and discriminatory practices with the support of national judicial organs, thus reaffirming the equality of man, my delegation sincerely hopes that countries where such practices still persist will take action to give effect to the equality of all men irrespective of colour or race both in law and in the matter of custom and tradition, thus demonstrating that twentieth century man, United Nations, man, has reached full maturity as a human being. 33. We have no doubt that one of the most important causes of tension in the Middle East is the unhappy plight of a million Arabs who found themselves overnight plunged into the direst poverty, exposed to the rigours of nature and beset with privations after being driven from their homes, their fields and the land of their ancestors in the wake of the aggression launched against their country in the tragic events in Palestine, the gravest assault in the annals of the United Nations on the sacred right of property, the integrity of the homeland and the elementary rights of groups of people to protection against the law of the jungle, banditry and terror. Pending a just and equitable solution of the whole of the Palestine issue and, particularly, pending the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 and 1949 on the question, it is our most earnest hope that the Assembly will fully assume its responsibilities when it considers the question of assistance to the Palestine refugees in the Middle East. We consider it a duty to tell the Assembly that it is of the highest importance, from the point of view of the history of the United Nations and the confidence placed in it by all the oppressed peoples of the earth, that the Assembly should continue to provide moral and material support for the Palestine refugees so that they may retain a ray of hope in the abyss of misery, privation and injustice into which they were plunged by the catastrophe which befell their country in 1948. 34. We wish also to say that the Cyprus question, in the eastern Mediterranean, is a cause of anxiety to all the countries in the area. That is why Libya, which is bound by ties of friendship, co-operation and confidence to the three parties concerned in that thorny issue, whole-heartedly hopes that the problem will be settled in accordance with the principles of the United Nations, taking into account the methods of peaceful settlement made available to Member States by the Charter. 35. Libya is deeply anxious that international peace and security should rest on a solid basis of friendship, mutual respect and co-operation and that those principles should be adopted as permanent procedures in the relations between Members of the United Nations. It therefore considers that the underlying causes of dispute between States and the regions in which such latent causes exist should be the continuous concern of the United Nations, which should seek all appropriate means to eliminate those potential causes of conflict. 36. In this connexion, my delegation considers that a free and democratic solution in Europe which would restore to Germany the unity for which the German people fought throughout the nineteenth century would help to maintain peace and stability and might bring to an end the manifestations of tension and cold war in that area. 37. Similarly, a solution of the question of West Irian in keeping with the principles of the United Nations, thus permitting the complete liberation of the territory of the Republic of Indonesia, and a normalization of the situation in Korea would also achieve the objectives of understanding and peace among nations. 38. It should also be noted that the use of force in the south of the Arabian peninsula is Inconsistent with the United Nations Charter. The problems of that area should be settled by peaceful means, account being taken of the real wishes of the inhabitants and their right of self-determination. 39. I should now like to discuss two questions which are endangering international peace and security and may plunge mankind into the dreadful abyss of atomic war, threatening the total destruction of our planet. 40. A little over a month ago, the General Assembly held its third emergency special session to consider what was then called "the Middle East crisis". The United Kingdom of Libya, which is an integral part of the Arab world, was eager to take part in the work of that session because it believed that the United Nations, in which mankind has placed its hope and aspirations, is the fundamental instrument for the settlement of disputes. The Libyan delegation came to the third emergency special session full of confidence in the effectiveness of the United Nations which had, by a fair and just decision, brought to a successful conclusion Libya's twenty-year struggle for its dignity and independence. 41. The prestige and the moral authority of the United Nations facilitated a solution to the Lebanese and Jordanian questions and this Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution of 21 August 1958 [resolution 1237 (ES-III)]. The General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to implement the resolution by making the necessary practical arrangements to give effect to its provisions concerning neighbourly relations and mutual respect for the independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned, and by taking appropriate steps for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon and Jordan. Having voted for the resolution which, in effect, confirmed if not the letter, certainly the spirit, of the provisions on the point of being adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States meeting in special session at Benghazi in Libya in early June 1958 to consider the Lebanese complaint, the Libyan delegation was confident that the Secretary-General, with his skill, tact and patience, would successfully discharge his delicate mission. We take this opportunity to convey to him and his collaborators our greatest admiration for the discretion and efficiency of their efforts on behalf of the United Nations. 42. The Libyan Government attaches the greatest importance to the implementation of the resolution of 21 August. It considers that the Middle East situation has in fact begun to improve since adoption of that resolution and that its adoption has been an important factor in improving relations between the countries concerned. We are glad to say that this promising outlook is to the credit of the Assembly and of the Secretary-General. 43. We should like in this connexion to state that the Middle East crisis is the result of the tension, instability and bitterness prevailing in that part of the world as a consequence of the injustices and mistakes perpetrated against the Arab peoples, who were promised everything following the two world wars and whose aspirations to freedom, unity, territorial integrity, health and progress have been so cruelly disappointed. 44. Although the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon and Jordan is an important factor in the reduction of tension in the area, it cannot of itself create the stability, confidence and peace of mind which the Arab peoples must enjoy in order to fulfil their destiny. The Arab peoples are aware of their glorious past and their valuable contribution to civilization; they are aware of the importance of. their geographical position and their natural wealth; and they demand their legitimate rights, a solution of their problems and reparation of the injustices committed against the continuity and integrity of their territories. In that sense, we feel that Arab nationalism is the genuine expression of the present stage of development of the Arab peoples and of their determination to fulfil themselves in the contemporary world, to co-operate in world progress and to assume their responsibilities in whole-hearted and unselfish loyalty to the principles and ideals of the United Nations. 45. The second crisis endangering world peace is in the Far East. My delegation considers that the events taking place in the Taiwan Strait, the use of force and provocation in that area are extremely serious. We therefore appeal for wisdom, patience and a more realistic appraisal of the situation. We consider that disputes should be settled by the peaceful means indicated in the Charter. That view is particularly valid in this case where the parties, owing to their respective political positions and the powerful forces they command, can plunge the whole world into the gravest of catastrophes by a rash action or a mere accident. The Libyan delegation considers that the use of force should be discontinued and hopes that the goodwill shown in the Warsaw talks now in progress will lead to an early and satisfactory solution. 46. Whatever may happen, my delegation considers that the United Nations is the place to which should be brought all disputes which the parties fail to settle by normal peaceful means. Force has never helped to settle differences. We also believe that in this crisis a fair and realistic appraisal of the situation as a whole, free from preconceived ideas and positions assumed in advance, would greatly facilitate the solution of the problem. A willingness to make sacrifices and to accept compromises would also substantially facilitate the settlement of the issue and would enhance mankind's prospect of peace and security. 47. The Libyan delegation would like once again to assure the Assembly that the United Kingdom of Libya is devoted to the principles of the United Nations and is firmly resolved to act in conformity with the spirit and letter of the Charter. I should like to conclude by expressing the best wishes of my delegation for a most successful session of this General Assembly and the most fruitful co-operation among the various delegations.