First of all, I wish to extend the hearty congratulations of my Government and the Afghan people to the representatives of Rwanda, Burundi, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, on the occasion of their joining the United Nations. We are confident that the admission of these countries to the United Nations and their participation in the task of the Organization will contribute to the attainment of the ultimate aims of the United Nations.
2. The increasing membership of the United Nations is of particular significance in the present circumstances. It is significant because it is the most convincing result of the great achievement of this Organization in securing the rights’ of peoples and nations to independence, and their equal right to contribute to the work of building the world in which they live through the direct and legitimate exercise of their will without any influence of alien domination. It is significant because at a time that has been referred to as “a critical period in the life of the Organization” by the Secretary-General, more and more, countries express their deep conviction by joining the Organization, and the Member States express their willingness to strengthen the United Nations by admitting them with a unanimous voice.
3. In extending our congratulations, we are anxious to express our earnest desire to see among us representatives of the countries which, by their admission to the United Nations, will add stillmore.to the present great, increase in the membership of the Organization. This desire emanates from our deep aspirations for the achievement of the universality of the United Nations. Therefore, while we are anxious to greet Algeria and Uganda in the near future, we also wish that the co-operation of the present Members would create the atmosphere which would make it possible for a number of other countries, desirous of membership in the United Nations, but confronted with certain difficulties which have not yet been solved as a result of the prevailing international situation, to lake their places here.
4. The question of the representation of China in, the United Nations should receive the full consideration of all Members of this Organization. Afghanistan recognizes the Government of the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate Government of that, country and hopes that its representatives will occupy their rightful? seats in the United Nations without any further delay.
5. In the introduction to his annual report (A/5201/ Add.1] the Secretary-General states .that the past year has been a critical period in. the life of the Organization. The reasons for this statement are well known to all of us, but it is a source of confidence and hope that even in this critical period the United Nations has continued its activities, and that they have resulted in certain important achievements, in various fields. In this connexion, I would like to express the great satisfaction of my Government at the solution of a problem longstanding on the agenda of the United Nations, a solution which has resulted in the independence and sovereignty of Algeria, as a great contribution not only in ending a "hot war", but also in establishing the right of a heroic nation. The realistic policy followed in this connexion by France has never been ignored nor left unappreciated by the Afghan Government. The role played by United Nations deliberations in this problem has been historic, and great.
6. The spirit of understanding in the settlement of the question of West Irian has strengthened all sincere hopes that differences between nations can be eliminated by understanding and by earnestly seeking a peaceful solution to all problems. The initiative taken by the Secretary-General in this matter on behalf of the United Nations and the spirit of co-operation demonstrated by Indonesia and the Netherlands in a serious matter which was pregnant with the dangers of war, are highly appreciated. It is a source of satisfaction that the solution of the problem is based on the principle of full respect for the peoples of West Irian. We sincerely hope that such policies of understanding, co-operation, and adherence to peaceful means and methods will guide all nations in the settlement of their differences.
7. Representing Afghanistan, the first point, which I should like to put before the Members of the Organization as one of the most important matters to which the General Assembly should give its full consideration in a spirit of collective co-operation and with a sense of great responsibility, is the question of strengthening the Organization-itself. It is a strong United Nations that comes first as an international instrument in which we can place our hope for the, solution of all major and minor problems confronting the world. The ways and means to achieve this end are many and various, and the most effective of them are difficult and not simple. Therefore it is most necessary that the problems confronting the United Nations itself will see a new approach and a new spirit of co-operation, so that further deterioration of situations may be avoided and an atmosphere of co-operation and harmony secured. This is the only way in which the Organization can become more active and effective. Our expectations in this connexion should have been very great, but it is surely not too much to expect that all of us should do our best to avoid intensification of international tension and furthering of the cold war. This makes it necessary for each one of us to think of the world as a whole, a world in which we can either live in peace together or be destroyed altogether. It is now more than essential that the major problems which affect mankind as a whole should be concentrated upon by the United Nations and dealt with in a more effective and dynamic manner.
8. Looking at the agenda before the General Assembly, there is no item which is not of particular importance, to certain countries, and therefore of great importance to all of us. But, as the General Assembly of the United Nations, we must realize that the problems of life and death to humanity are of greater importance to all of us. The major problems with which the United Nations should concern itself first and foremost, are undoubtedly to secures the right of peoples and nations to independence and the observance and respect of the will of peoples and nations on the basis of self-determination and respect for human dignity.
9. It is urgent to lessen international tension and create an atmosphere of confidence in which humanity can live in peace and co-operate for universal prosperity of mankind, and to stop the race in those spheres which can bring only one result, and that is the destruction of mankind. It is essential to make it possible for mankind to achieve its greatest dream of all times through general and complete disarmament with effective and trustworthy controls. It is imperative, to fill the gap in the various standards of living of human beings, who are all equally entitled to enjoy the fruits of knowledge and civilization of mankind, by helping each other and devoting the powers of human knowledge and technology to peaceful purposes and only for the welfare and prosperity of man.
10. The United Nations consists of all those who are responsible for the achievement of these common aims, but there are those who should feel more responsible, due to the obvious logic of the facts dominating the life of mankind in our world. But we should bear in mind that this in no way lessens the responsibility of the other countries or the responsibility of the United Nations as a whole. Therefore it is essential that the United; Nations should spare no effort in fulfilling its own responsibilities as a World Organization.
11. The United Nations, as a world Organization has succeeded whenever it has earnestly played its role to the extent it has been allowed to contribute, and we are confident that more success would result with more efforts made in this direction.
12. We were cherishing great hopes that the new approach by the United Nations, in its last session, to the problem of disarmament, with the participation of more countries in the Geneva Conference for the preparation of a draft treaty on general and complete disarmament and a treaty on the cessation of nuclear weapon tests, would bring about concrete achievements. Although the work already carried out in Geneva has resulted in the pursuance of negotiations aimed at such treaties, the results are limited and no real progress has been achieved. The efforts of the new participants for the solution of some basic difficulties and finding a common ground for understanding between the nuclear Powers, although not crowned with success, should be considered a sincere and considerable contribution toward the attainment of the ultimate objectives of the United Nations. It is our hope that the General Assembly, in its present session, will give full consideration to the problem of disarmament and concentrate on the real difficulties. which hindered the complete success of the Geneva negotiations.
13. I am confident that a serious discussion of this matter by the United Nations will prove useful and help future negotiations. In this connexion, I would like to emphasize the role of the non-nuclear Powers in drawing the attention of the nuclear Powers to the responsibilities they bear.
14. The circumstances which have compelled those who possess nuclear power to continue nuclear testing are undoubtedly deplorable and alarming. The problem of nuclear; disarmament, the cessation of tests in all environments, the destruction of all nuclear weapons, and the confinement of all progressive efforts to peaceful purposes only affect humanity as a whole. Therefore, it is imperative, that the United Nations should give effective expression to the concern of mankind and assist these countries in bringing matters closer to the possibility of agreeing on a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons as soon as possible.
15. The situation in the Congo has been of great concern to the United Nations. We agree with the Secretary-General that progress in the solution of the problem of the Congo is as essential for the good name of the Organization as for the Organization's continued usefulness in similar circumstances that may arise in the future. We have always supported measures for the prestige and the effectiveness of the Organization, and we shall continue this policy. But, in all circumstances, it is our conviction that no settlement: of any problem can be considered lasting, and reliable if it is riot based, before everything else, on the full respect of the will of the peoples, themselves. It is our hope-that, in any future measures, this principle will be given the consideration it deserves. We hope that the co-operation of the United Nations will lead to more constructive efforts by the Secretary-General to achieve conciliation in the Congo, and to assist that country in bringing about conditions of peace in. which the people of the Congo may achieve their national aspirations, determined by the Congolese people themselves.
16. The financial difficulties confronting, the Organization are becoming increasingly serious. This is obviously of great concern to countries which have enormous and urgent needs with limited resources to promote the economic, social and cultural conditions of their people. Afghanistan is one of these countries. Nevertheless, the Government of Afghanistan has done everything in its power to participate in measures to the point of possibility, in view of, the consideration of our own difficulties. Our participation is undoubtedly of no great material significance, but we hope that, it will serve as a token of our great interest in a stronger United Nations.
17. We fully agree with the statement of the Secretary-General that: "The emergence in recent years of scores of territories from colonial rule to independence and the clear prospect that the remaining colonial areas will shortly take their rightful places among the family of nations lend urgency to demands upon the international community to provide them with material and technical assistance, if these new nations are to achieve the monumental tasks of making their newly won independence meaningful through as rapid development of their economic and social potential as possible." [A/5201/Add.1, p.3.] In giving our full support to this, I find it necessary to stress once again that, in emphasizing the responsibilities of the United Nations in assisting these areas, the assistance required by the conditions prevailing in other less developed, areas of the world should not be ignored.
18. Great changes in the political structure of our society have taken place with great speed. We are witnessing the political emancipation of one country after another, but the changes in the structure of the world economy are slow. The primary producing countries are suffering without any protection and they are not able to diversify their national economies in order to raise their standards of living by industrialization. Industrialization is impossible to achieve without the help and assistance of international organizations and the industrially advanced countries. The facts show that the developed countries are progressing with greater speed toward a brighter horizon, while the less developed countries, although struggling very hard, are still suffering from poverty, ill health, undernourishment and lack of education. More help and assistance under bilateral and multilateral arrangements is necessary to help the developing countries in their attempts to reach higher standards of living.
19. I want to emphasize that the launching of the United Nation's Development Decade is an important step which has been taken by this Organization. The Decade calls for the mobilization of all the resources of the Organization, of the specialized agencies, and of the technical co-operative organs.
20. We support the recommendations made in this respect by the Secretary-General, particularly those recommendations which call for expansion in the flow of capital, and assistance to under-developed countries; an increase of $25 million yearly in the resources of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the Special Fund, in order to reach a combined level, of $300 million annually for these valuable activities; intensification of work to develop natural resources and, in particular, action to .stabilize the international commodity markets on which the economies of developing countries depend. We hope also that the proposals concerning the creation of a United Nations Capital Development Fund will be approved as soon as possible without further delay.
21. I have one last word, on the importance of international co-operation in world trade. We have important items related to this question on our agenda. Because of its importance, the United Nations has been dealing with this question since its foundation. World trade is an important instrument of co-operation among nations. This co-operation will be strengthened if discriminatory economic and trade policies are not pursued by one or a group of nations against other nations. We, on our part. recognize the importance of international trade, and we have maintained our trade relations in an atmosphere of friendly co-operation with all countries.
22. To promote better trade, coastal States should co-operate with countries which are without a seacoast, and should not hinder their economic progress by the imposition of obstructions in the . way of their trade relations with other countries. In this respect, all Member nations should respect General Assembly resolution 1028 (XI) which decided; that the need of land-locked States, and States having no access to the sea, for adequate transit facilities, should be recognized in promoting international trade. This resolution further invites all Members of the United Nations to give: "… full recognition to the needs of land-locked Member States, in the matter of transit trade, and, therefore, to accord them adequate facilities in terms of international law and practice in this regard…." We hope that the terms of this resolution, which was adopted unanimously by the Assembly, will be respected by all Members, because now almost one-sixth of the Members of the United Nations are land-locked, and, to promote world trade, this co-operation is indeed important and-necessary.
23. Mr. President, before I leave the rostrum. I should like to address to you a final word, and join the previous speakers in expressing to you my congratulations on your election as President of this session.