I should like at
the outset to congratulate you warmly, Sir, on
your election to the high post of President of
the thirty- seventh session of the General
Assembly and to assure you of our full
co-operation and support. Having known you
personally for a long period of time and being in
a position to appreciate your outstanding
qualities, I am confident that under your most
able leadership the Assembly will conduct
fruitful deliberations and that it will
successfully pursue the many important issues
which are pending before it. In paying a
well-deserved tribute to you on this occasion, I
recall the excellent relations we maintain with
your country, Hungary.
2. At the same time I should like to express
our sincere feelings of appreciation to your
predecessor, Mr. Kittani of Iraq, for the
exemplary way in which he presided over the
deliberations of the thirty-sixth session of the
General Assembly and the resumed and special
sessions.
3. Almost four decades ago, following the
deliberations at Dumbarton Oaks, representatives
of 50 countries assembled in San Francisco to
draft the Charter of the United Nations, an
organization which was established with the
objective of saving future generations from the
scourge of war. As a culmination of man's
historic yearning for peace and justice and
having just witnessed the ravages of the Second
World War, the founding fathers manifested a new
spirit of unity and co-operation in their noble
pursuit of upholding mankind's lofty ideals of
peace, freedom and justice.
4. As we approach the fortieth anniversary
of the United Nations, the peoples of the world
would naturally expect us to renew our commitment
to the letter and spirit of the Charter, which
should guide our thoughts, our deliberations and
above all our actions. A total, unequivocal and
unconditional commitment by all States to the
principles enshrined in the Charter would
undoubtedly contribute to the strengthening of
the effectiveness of the United Nations which is
so much needed, particularly as regards the
paramount goal of promoting international peace
and security.
5. It is in this spirit that the Republic of
Cyprus is participating in the deliberations of
the thirty- seventh session of the General
Assembly. We strongly believe in the United
Nations and, in spite of its present weaknesses,
we trust that the day will come when its
principles will prevail all over the globe. We
regard the principles of the Charter as the
cornerstone of our political credo and the main
shield of our security, for we hold that the only
assurance of peace and survival is freedom and
justice.
6. Beyond the pledges of dedication,
however, each new session also gives an
opportunity to take stock of the world situation.
The attention of the world community is focused
on the major problems which are debated here,
especially in these days when international peace
and security are in serious jeopardy owing to the
confrontations and hostilities which we have
witnessed this year. The situation is grim and
the prospects ominous. Never before since the
coming into existence of the United Nations has
the world slid into such a predicament.
7. We are in the midst of such a depressing
deterioration of the world political and
economic situation that the possibility of
general conflagration looms menacingly on the
horizon. Detente is not nowadays a feature in the
international situation. It is the opposite that
now prevails. We are living in a world
characterized by continuous insecurity and
crises, where the use of force is the order of
the day. And what is even worse is that
aggression, violation of human rights and
terrorism remain unpunished and unremedied
because of the failure of the Members of the
United Nations, and in particular those that are
members of the Security Council to give the
Council the necessary means for the enforcement
of its resolutions. The failure of the United
Nations to deal effectively with world problems
causes a serious crisis of confidence which
erodes the very usefulness of the organization.
8. The remarks of the Secretary-General in
his report on the work of the Organization are
very pertinent, he said:
"Certainly we have strayed far from the Charter
in recent years. Governments that believe they
can win an international objective by force are
often quite ready to do so, and domestic opinion
not infrequently applauds such a course. The
Security Council, the primary organ of the United
Nations for the maintenance of international
peace and security, all too often finds itself
unable to take decisive action to resolve
international conflicts and its resolutions are
increasingly defied or ignored by those that feel
themselves strong enough to do so. Too frequently
the Council seems powerless to generate the
support and influence to ensure that its
decisions are respected, even when these are
taken unanimously. Thus the process of peaceful
settlement of disputes prescribed in the Charter
is often brushed aside. Sterner measures for
world peace were envisaged in Chapter VII of the
Charter, which was conceived as a key element of
the United Nations system of collective security,
but the prospect of realizing such measures is
now deemed almost impossible in our divided
international community. We are perilously near
to a new international anarchy."
9. The dismal performance of the
international community in the execution of its
duty to respect and honour the Charter is
portrayed very aptly and clearly by that
statement of the Secretary-General. And although
the findings of all of us, as set out in speeches
before the Assembly, are identical with the
conclusions of the Secretary-General, those who
wield power do not appear to be willing to take
the necessary remedial action.
10. That crisis of confidence was recently
further accentuated by the failure of the twelfth
special session, the second special session
devoted to disarmament, to call a halt to the
ever-escalating arms race, and to conform to the
directives of the Pinal Document of the Tenth
Special Session of the General Assembly for the
creation of an effective collective international
security system, concurrently with disarmament.
The Final Document is emphatic and clear in
asserting that "Genuine and lasting peace can
only be created through the effective
implementation of the security system provided
for in the Charter of the United Nations and the
speedy and substantial reduction of arms and
armed forces".
11. It has all along been our position that
disarmament cannot be achieved in isolation,
without simultaneously setting into motion the
system of international security through the
United Nations. Only after collective security
establishes confidence and States are no more
victims of aggression, can disarmament be
effectively dealt with. Such confidence is at
present lacking and, as a result, the arms race
continues unabated. The world lives constantly
under the threat of a holocaust. Mankind is
confronted with new, more sophisticated and more
destructive weapons, posing an unprecedented
threat of annihilation and extinction.
12. The colossal amounts laid out on
armaments is an additional important element of
strain and also a continuous drain on the
economies of nations. A considerable part of
mankind, living under conditions of deprivation
and starvation, is compelled to watch helplessly
while vast amounts and resources are diverted to
the accumulation of deadly nuclear weapons. Thus
we have the paradox of man adopting and fostering
the means of destruction in his effort to survive.
13. The nuclear arms control talks between
the two super-Powers, which were resumed last
week in Geneva following their two-month summer
recess, justifiably attract the attention of all
peoples in all continents, for upon their outcome
lies to a considerable extent the greatly
desired return to detente and consequently to the
securing of conditions for the peaceful solution
of international problems. Their success would be
a major contribution to peace. That is why Cyprus
joins all peace-loving countries in urging that
the utmost effort be exerted for their success.
14. The present bleak picture dictates that
the state of world affairs cannot and should not
remain unchecked. It has consistently been the
position of Cyprus that the Security Council
should be given the means for enforcement action
for the maintenance of peace and security through
the availability of a United Nations force, as
called for in Article 43 of the Charter. Such a
development would act as a catalyst to the arms
race and would make the decisions of the United
Nations binding in a real sense. We have
maintained all along that we should concentrate
not merely on the adoption of resolutions and
declarations, but also —which is certainly more
important—on their implementation. This is an
absolute necessity if the United Nations is to
perform the task entrusted to it by humanity. Let
us listen to the voice of our Secretary- General
and commence without further delay the process
towards remedying the situation. If we fail to do
so, we will not be doing our duty and the very
future of the United Nations will be at stake,
with the net result that anarchy and chaos will
continue increasingly to prevail in the world
instead of the rule of law and the principles of
the Charter.
15. Recent debates on the question of
Palestine and Lebanon brought to the foreground
and demonstrated in a crude and tragic way the
inability of the Organization to fulfill its
paramount responsibility of maintaining
international peace and security. Ten Security
Council resolutions went unheeded whilst the
tragic siege of Beirut and the indiscriminate
bombing and shelling were going on. The
Organization stood literally helpless while the
Palestinians were targeted for extinction.
16. In expressing my deep concern in this
respect, I made a proposal for the convening of a
special session of the General Assembly to deal
with the question of the implementation of United
Nations resolutions. Developments since then, as
boldly and clearly elaborated upon in the report
of the Secretary-General, have strengthened my
conviction that it is imperative that the General
Assembly should, as a matter of urgency, consider
this question in depth with the aim of producing
definite and positive results. While repeating my
proposal for a special session, for which
consultations may commence, I today propose
formally the inclusion in the agenda of this
current session of a separate item entitled
"Implementation of the resolutions of the United
Nations" and I have instructed the delegation of
Cyprus So enter immediately into appropriate
consultations in this respect. I urge the General
Assembly to accept the inclusion of this item and
to attach to it the importance it deserves. I am
confident that a full and constructive debate on
this item will result in setting in motion the
proper process for finding the right answer to
this extremely serious and outstandingly
significant issue.
17. The contradictions between the
expectations of mankind and the performance of
the United Nations are also illustrated by the
absence of any meaningful progress in the
North-South dialogue for a more equitable
distribution of wealth. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that ours is a civilization
of opulence and abundance and at the same time of
famine and deprivation, a civilization of "haves"
and "have nots". While about a tenth of the
population of developing countries is exposed to
starvation, a quarter suffers from malnutrition
and the rest lives in deprivation and
destitution, others can spend lavishly and live
comfortably. The International Meeting on
Co-operation and Development, held at Cancun in
1981, unfortunately failed to remedy that
disparity and socio-economic injustice.
18. The perpetuation of the North-South
dichotomy, of the highly unbalanced distribution
of wealth, not only is a stigma on our
civilization but also poses considerable
obstacles to any efforts to deal with related
political issues confronting the world.
19. Interdependence, which is one of the main
traits of the political and economic
international life of today, reinforces the need
to define the content of the new international
economic order and of reaching an acceptable
agreement. Our commitment to international peace
and security and to the uniform progress of
mankind makes us even more determined to work
resolutely towards the establishment of the new
international economic order.
20. The failure to get the global round of
negotiations off the ground so far is
disappointing. Despite the fact that certain
areas of agreement have been identified, it has
not proved possible to reach agreement on basic
pre-conditions. But I repeat: we all share a
responsibility towards mankind, towards future
generations. We cannot let them down. And the
responsibility of those who can afford to make
concessions to ensure the success of this
objective is even heavier. We must redouble our
efforts, brushing aside the disappointments and
bitter experiences of the past, and strive even
harder for success. It is neither simple nor easy
to reach solutions based on principles. On the
other hand, only such solutions will be lasting
and effective.
21. Once again we reiterate our belief that
the principles of non-alignment are becoming
even more relevant today than when they were
first formulated and disseminated. In the light
of the realities of today's international
situation, the principles of non-alignment
provide small countries with the foundation upon
which they can build a structure of positive
relationships with all countries without being
drawn into bloc rivalries.
22. Cyprus, one of the founding members of
the movement, is today, 21 years later, proud to
note that non-alignment has contributed
positively to the promotion of peace and to the
prevalence of the principles of justice and
freedom. The role of the non- aligned movement in
international affairs has been consolidated and
there can be no question as to its significance.
In fact, the purposes of non-alignment as regards
detente and the peaceful solution of
international problems and its goals of freedom,
justice and lasting peace in the world are the
purposes and goals of mankind. We Shall
consistently follow the policy of non-alignment
and shall continue actively to participate in the
efforts and the activities of the movement as we
have been doing since its inception.
23. Equally, I wish to stress the
significance of the continuation of the
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
and the application of all the principles and
provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, to which
Cyprus reaffirms its commitment. Together with
the other neutral and non-aligned countries of
Europe, we are doing our utmost for the success
of the follow-up Conference to be reconvened in
Madrid in November, which will substantially
contribute to genuine detente in Europe and will
enhance the prospects of peace throughout the
world.
24. The Middle East crisis continues,
confounded and bedeviled as never before, and it
will not be solved without the withdrawal of
Israel from all the territories it has occupied
since 1967 and without the solution of the
Palestinian question with the participation on
an equal footing of the Palestine Liberation
Organization [PLO], the sole, legitimate
representative of the Palestinian people. We
hold the view that the Middle East problem is one
of the most serious problems facing the world
today and threatening international peace, and at
its core is the Palestinian question. The
inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to
dignity and freedom must be recognized. And the
aspirations of the Palestinians to the creation
of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State
must be realized.
25. That has been our consistent and
principled position on the Middle East and we
shall keep striving within the context of the
United Nations, along with the other members of
the non-aligned movement to contribute to a just
and lasting solution to that problem. It was in
line with this brotherly solidarity with the
people of Palestine, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab
Republic and the non-aligned movement that we
acted as host from 15 to 17 July in Nicosia tothe
Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the
coordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries on
the question of Palestine. In the same spirit,
Cyprus participated in the Ministerial Committee
formed at that meeting which had a number of
constructive contacts aimed at the promotion of
the rights of the people of Palestine.
26. We reaffirm our full support for the
sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity
and unity of much- tormented Lebanon. The
abhorrent massacre of Palestinian civilians,
women and children, has appalled and brought
unparalleled shock to our people and has
underlined the need for effective measures for
the protection of all the population in Lebanon.
27. The war between Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Iran continues unabated, causing much
loss of life and property to two countries in the
non-aligned movement. This is another tragic
example of the inability of the Organization to
meet its primary objectives of maintaining peace
and security and ensuring the peaceful settlement
of disputes between States.
28. There is hardly any other issue in
international relations in regard to which the
world community has been able to arrive at a
higher level of understanding and agreement than
the imperative need for the elimination of all
forms of racial discrimination and in particular
of its worst manifestation, namely, the odious
doctrine of Yet this abhorrent doctrine is
still alive, and so are other practices of racial
discrimination, emanating either from internal
oppression or from foreign aggressive designs.
South Africa, most notably, persists in its
defiant attitude towards the United Nations by
flouting and ignoring the decisions of the
Organization, by denying every single tenet
embodied in the Charter and by failing to respect
the basic principles of the equal rights of
individuals and the self-determination of peoples
without distinction as to race, religion or sex.
29. I wish to reiterate once again our
solidarity with the people of South Africa, and
indeed all oppressed peoples under colonialist
regimes and foreign domination who continue to
struggle for freedom, equality and justice. We
also reiterate our whole-hearted support for the
people of Namibia and express our conviction that
their just struggle will succeed. To this end it
is necessary that Security Council resolution 435
(1978) be strictly and urgently implemented as a
whole, to enable the people of Namibia to take
its rightful place as an independent State. We
also voice again our solidarity with the
front-line States in southern Africa and condemn
South Africa's acts of aggression against those
countries, which are shouldering a major part of
the struggle for the eradication of the evil of
Mf.
30. Despite the formidable achievements and
the concerted efforts continuously exerted to
bring about decolonization, there are still
territories under colonial or neo-colonial rule.
I take this opportunity to declare once again
that Cyprus fully supports all the efforts of the
United Nations for the eradication of the last
vestiges of colonialism in various parts of the
world, as well as for the adoption of measures
aimed against the revival of colonialism.
31. In that context I would mention the case
of Western Sahara, where the principle of
self-determination has not yet been applied.
Contrary to the numerous General Assembly
resolutions on this subject, the Sahraoui people
have not yet been allowed to exercise their
inalienable rights.
32. I do not propose to refer specifically to
the many other cases of destabilization,
conflict, dispute and Confrontation which are
scattered all over the globe. The increase in
their number, extent and intensity simply points
to the fact that man's future is in the balance.
33. Perhaps in no other United Nations
activity do we observe such a degree of
discrepancy between the resolutions we adopt and
the realities we witness as in the Held of human
rights. It is really frustrating and saddening to
note the ever-increasing gap between rhetoric and
real human attitudes and action. Even more
saddening is the helplessness or passivity with
which the international community watches mass,
flagrant and horrible violation of basic human
rights and fundamental freedoms, unable or
unwilling to do anything decisive and effective
about it. That is why we should concentrate on
ways and means to ensure effective and strict
respect for human rights. That is why we should
welcome and strongly support the trend which has
appeared in recent years towards conventions
which have a built-in machinery for the
implementation of their provisions. The
International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights are such cases, and they must be followed
by others.
34. Cyprus has consistently supported the
need for all to collaborate in the establishment
of a new world information and communications
order based, inter alia, on the free circulation
and wider and better balanced dissemination of
information, guaranteeing the diversity of
sources and free access to information. We
maintain that it is imperative to change the
dependent status of the developing countries in
the field of information and communication, which
is an integral part of the development process.
35. We salute the agreement reached on the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,'
despite some negative votes, after eight years of
intensive consultations and negotiations, to
which Cyprus made its modest contribution. The
importance of this achievement can hardly be
over-emphasized. It marks the advent of a new era
in which the nations of the world, old and new,
rich and poor, from the entire political
spectrum, have agreed to set the rules that
should govern the use and exploitation of the
resources of our common heritage in the seas and
oceans. The successful completion of the
Convention, which also regulates the many other
aspects of the law of the sea, enhances the
prospects for international co-operation and
makes a very necessary contribution to the
prestige of the United Nations.
36. The problem of Cyprus continues to be one
of the most serious international problems,
threatening peace and security in the sensitive
area of the eastern Mediterranean. This situation
is yet another example of the inability of the
United Nations to act by implementing its own
resolutions. Eight years have elapsed since
Turkish troops invaded Cyprus and occupied more
than 36 per cent of its territory; eight years of
agony, after the devastation and pillage, in
which all human rights have been and continue to
be violated by Turkey; eight years of the crude
act of occupation.
37. Cyprus has come through many tribulations
during its proud 7,000-year history but has never
before experienced such a sinister operation: an
operation whereby the occupation is coupled with
the systematic attempt to change the demographic
character of the occupied part; an operation
whereby the indigenous population of the occupied
territory was savagely ousted from its
birthplace. A birthplace does not belong to any
given generation of people. It is perennial in
character; it belongs to history. So the
aggression of Turkey against Cyprus is not only a
present-day violation of sovereignty and
territorial integrity: it is also a sacrilegious
trespass on one of the oldest recorded histories
of the world. The Turkish aggression and
occupation brought upon Cyprus many scars which
cannot be healed as long as the violation of our
sovereignty and territorial integrity persists,
as long as the Turkish army of occupation is on
our territory.
38. Eight years have elapsed and we are still
trying to trace the fate of more than 1,600
persons, missing since the invading forces set
foot on Cyprus. In spite of unflagging efforts,
in spite of a number of resolutions adopted by
the Assembly, no progress has been made on this
purely humanitarian issue. We call upon the
international community to make its voice heard
more clearly and loudly in Ankara, so that a
workable arrangement may be achieved to trace in
a proper manner the fate of the missingpersons.
39. I stand at this rostrum once again to
convey to the Assembly the protest of the people
of Cyprus at the continued Turkish occupation
and, in general, at the contemptuous way in which
Turkey has been treating the resolutions of the
United Nations on the question of Cyprus, and to
reiterate our demands for their strict and full
implementation. The words of the
Secretary-General in his report, which still
reverberate in this Hall, were really scathing
and severely censorious of those who failed to
comply with United Nations resolutions and of
those who try "to win an international objective
by force".
40. The facts with regard to Cyprus are well
known to the Assembly. Although we are victims of
aggression and occupation, we have mustered all
good will in the quest for a lasting solution and
permanent peace. The intercommunal talks, which
have been going on in Cyprus for a long time,
have produced no results of any substance due to
the intransigent and negative attitude of Turkey.
It is incumbent upon the international community,
and particularly those who possess the necessary
influence, to make Turkey remove its forces of
occupation from, and abandon its sinister designs
against, Cyprus and comply fully with the
resolutions of the United Nations.
41. Together with my assurances that we for
our part shall continue to strive hard for a
peaceful solution in conformity with the
resolutions of the United Nations, I must
categorically state once again that under no
circumstances shall we accept the results of the
crime committed against Cyprus or any solution
which directly or indirectly might lead to the
division and partition of Cyprus or amount to the
abandonment of the inherent rights of the people
of Cyprus, such as the right of the refugees to
return to their homes and properties. We envisage
a completely independent, sovereign,
territorially integral, federal, united,
demilitarized and non-aligned Republic of Cyprus,
in which all citizens, whether Greek Cypriots or
Turkish Cypriots or Maronites or Armenians or
Latins, will be able to enjoy fully their human
rights and fundamental freedoms and co-operate
for a happy and prosperous future in peace and
freedom for generations to come. Our aspiration
is to turn Cyprus Rom a place of conflict into a
place of peace, something which would be a
significant contribution to the cause of
international peace and security. We aspire to
turn Cyprus into a bridge of understanding and
co-operation between three continents.
42. I have no doubt whatsoever that, if
foreign intervention and interference cease and
the unity of the country and the people is
restored, there would be no problem which could
not be overcome. In a genuine desire to ensure
lasting peace in our much tormented country, I
put forward some time ago the proposal for the
total demilitarization and disarmament of
Cyprus. I declared that we would be prepared to
agree to the stationing in the Republic of Cyprus
for as long as necessary, of an international
United Nations police force which would supervise
a united mixed Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
police force composed in accordance with the
population ratio. I reiterate once again my
proposal. The Greek Prime Minister, Mr.
Papandreou, offered to withdraw
from Cyprus the small Greek contingent stationed
under the 1960 Treaties, provided, of course,
that all the Turkish troops are withdrawn, in
which case Greece would be prepared to pay for
the additional expenses for an increased
international force of the United Nations. We
support this generous proposal of the Greek Prime
Minister, which was set out before the Assembly
again in the statement of the Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Greece [//f%
43. The time has really come for the
international community to act resolutely in
order to give effect to its own verdict in regard
to Cyprus. This unacceptable situation cannot go
on indefinitely. It is because of the lack of any
progress towards a solution of the Cyprus problem
and because of Turkey's continuous disregard of
the relevant United Nations resolutions that we
have asked for a new debate on Cyprus by the
General Assembly in an effort to employ ways and
means and take any steps and measures necessary
to promote the implementation of the relevant
United Nations resolutions. I call upon the
Assembly to act effectively so that a potential
source of danger can be removed in the interests
of peace and international security and for the
sake of the most sacred principles for which the
United Nations stands.
44. I fervently hope that mankind will come
to its senses before it is too late, before the
"international anarchy" to which the
Secretary-General referred in his report becomes
a way of life on this planet with all the grave
implications this would entail for the very
survival of humanity. We trust that, under the
guidance of the United Nations leadership, a new
mentality will prevail and that, with the full
support and co-operation of each and every Member
State, a new era will dawn, not of anarchy and
conflict, but of peace, justice and
international legal order in accordance with the
principles of the United Nations. To this noble
objective we for our part pledge our dedication
and full support.