It is with real pleasure that, on behalf of the delegation of the
Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea, we should like to extend
to Mr. Hollai our warm congratulations on his well-deserved election
to serve as President of this thirty-seventh session of the General
Assembly. My country maintains with the People's Republic of Hungary
the best relations of friendly and fraternal co-operation. We cannot
doubt that Mr. Hollai's election will indeed contribute to the
crowning of our work with just solutions to our many concerns. In the
quest for these just solutions, the President can be assured that the
delegation of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea will be
available at all times to ensure our fruitful co-operation. We should
also like to convey to the Secretary-General the warm encouragement
and high hopes of President Ahmed Sekou Toure for a successful
discharge of the lofty tasks he has assumed as the head of the
Organization. The son of a thin world country, Mr. Perez de Cuellar
will, with his recognized wisdom, be able to deal with the pressing
problems confronting the international community. This session is
taking place at a particularly difficult and disquieting moment in
international life. The aggravation of political tensions, to which
has been added a chronic and testing economic recession, is the
hallmark of our time. Thirty-seven years ago, on behalf of perceptive
humanity, the peoples of the world endorsed the Charter in San
Francisco, thereby committing themselves: "... to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has
brought untold sorrow to mankind... "... to establish conditions
under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from
treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained,
and "to promote social progress and better standards of life in
larger freedom". Never had a human act and the legitimate will of
peoples raised so much hope, confidence and faith in the future of
nations. Between 1945 and 1982, 37 years have gone by; 37 years of
thought, action and experience, 37 years of efforts crowned, to be
sure, with victories, but more often ending with failure,
disappointment and bitterness. This session is thus being held at a
moment when the international situation is from various standpoints
extremely unstable. The tragedy being acted out here and there
demonstrates to the world the degree of anguish and the urgency of
the responsibilities that must be assumed. On 29 June last, at the
twelfth special session President Ahmed Sekou Toure stated from this
very rostrum, in this connection: ' War, local though it be in a
given geographic area of the world, is always universal in scope.
"War is raging in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Lebanon is under attack by Israel, and Angola by the Republic of
South Africa. In Namibia, in Western Saham, ... in Afghanistan, ...
in El Salvador ... the fires of war have not been extinguished. Human
lives are lost and property is destroyed. Violence continues
threatening the life of man and the well-being of society.
"International forums remain indifferent or powerless... Is the
unhappiness of some creating the happiness of others?" The outrageous
attitude and the extraordinary stubbornness of racist South Africa,
which is continuing not only to oppress and exploit the Coloured
people of South Africa, but is obstinately maintaining a state of war
along the Angolan border and in southern Angola and is illegally
keeping Namibia under its colonialist domination, can be cited in
this connection. The Namibian question is a question of rights, the
inalienable right of peoples to independence. There is no ambiguity
as to the correct or incorrect exercise of this right.
Alibis arising from the Cuban presence in Angola, used to perpetuate
the grip on Namibia, are unacceptable to our delegation. The Cuban
presence in Angela falls within the sovereign rights of the Peoples
Republic of Angola. Angola cannot be told to renounce that sovereign
right. The open aggression of South African troops perpetrated
against Angola is inadmissible and repugnant. It is even more
intolerable to link that act of aggression to the Namibian question.
One can never say enough about the violations of the Charter and the
open arrogance of the proponents of the shameful system of in South
Africa, maintained with the complicity of certain Powers. It would be
appropriate now to reiterate our appeal to the international
community to give material, moral and diplomatic support to SWAPO and
to all the front-line States, which are the victims of the continuing
acts of aggression perpetrated by the South African regime. The
Government of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea considers
that in view of the prevailing situation in southern Africa, the
United Nations must demand the full and immediate implementation of
Security Council resolution 435 (1978) for the decolonization and
accession to independence of Namibia, of which SWAPO is and remains
the sole legitimate representative. Elsewhere, we must recall here
the deep concern my country, the Revolutionary People's Republic of
Guinea, feels concerning Israel's arrogance in the Middle East. It is
high time for the State of Israel to face the obvious and to
understand that its peace, its development, its survival, reside
neither in its military policy, nor in war, but rather in a peaceful
and speedy settlement of the Palestinian problem. Israel's obstinate
pursuit of a policy of aggression, expansion and confiscation and
unbridled and systematic Judaization of Arab territories that it has
been occupying by force dangerously jeopardizes its own future. It is
time the world recognized that the Palestinian people, under the
aegis of the PLO, has the right to a land, to a country, to a
homeland; and that Al Quds Al Sharif should have an international
status which alone is compatible with its threefold religious
calling. The problems of the Middle East and those of southern Africa
are obviously not the only concerns of our peoples. Africa, through
its continental organization, is currently going through a serious
internal crisis. This points to the urgent necessity of finding a
just solution to the problem of Western Sahara. We consider that the
Committee established at the eighteenth session of the OAU Assembly
of Heads of State and Government should pursue its work to organize a
referendum in the Sahara. The convening of a special session of heads
of State and Government would also help to ease the crisis now
undermining and jeopardizing the moral standing of the OAU. To talk
about African problems is to talk about Chad, Mayotte, the Horn of
Africa and the serious worldwide economic recession, of which Africa
is one of the main victims. Our delegation notes with some
satisfaction the beginning of an internal improvement in Chad that
may lead to political stability and the strengthening of national
unity. It is appropriate now to appeal to all men of goodwill to
support the efforts of the Council of State of the Republic of Chad,
so that the work of national reconciliation can be completed. With
regard to the Comorian island of Mayotte, my delegation invites both
parties to conclude an agreement that would allow the return of that
island to the motherland. Another crisis is the deteriorating
situation in the Horn of Africa, the gravity of which my delegation
has constantly pointed out. Our concern is particularly great in the
light of the increasingly obvious intervention of foreign Powers in
events in that part of our continent. We call upon the two sister
countries, Ethiopia and Somalia, which are embroiled in that conflict
to turn to the art of African wisdom: constructive dialogue and
mutual tolerance. We must nurture peace where it reigns, restore it
where it has been breached, protect it where it is threatened.
Tension exists not only in Africa and the Middle East, but also in
the Mediterranean basin, in Cyprus, in the Gulf, in Korea, in
Afghanistan and in Kampuchea. Only yesterday, in the Falkland Islands
(Malvinas), such tension flared into open, murderous war. In sofar as
the situation in Cyprus is concerned, the Government of Guinea
encourages and supports all efforts at national reconciliation based
on dialogue between the Turkish and Greek communities and respect for
territorial integrity and for the unity of the Cypriot people.
With regard to the painful conflict between Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Iran, the Islamic Peace Committee continues to do all it
can. Despite the exacerbation of hostilities in recent days it will
continue its efforts to reach a cease-fire and promote peaceful
negotiations between the two Moslem sister countries, which should by
all rights be living in peace.
Peace remains fragile or threatened in many parts of Asia. Peace is
endangered in Korea because of the continued division of that country
and foreign interference in the domestic affairs of the Korean
people. That people-in the North as in the South- seeks peace,
independence and reunification of the country, which should be one
and indivisible. My delegation reiterates its appeal to the
international community to lend continuing and resolute support to
all efforts at a final peaceful settlement of the Korean question. We
endorse the idea of turning the current armistice into a peace
agreement and effecting the withdrawal of the foreign troops
stationed in South Korea, under the aegis of the United Nations. The
Government of the Revolutionary People's Republic of Guinea approves
the conclusions contained in the Lome Declaration, adopted in June
1982 at the African intergovernmental Conference in support of the
reunification of Korea.
In Afghanistan and Kampuchea, violation of the fundamental principle
of the Charter-non-interference in the domestic affairs of
States-which implies the inadmissibility of recourse to force in
relations among nations, is today creating tension and war. It is up
to the people of Afghanistan alone to determine freely its domestic
and external policies, without any pressure or interference.
With reference to Kampuchea, my delegation considers that a solution
to this problem will emerge from the sincere adherence of all
citizens of that country, without exception, to a minimal programme.
In this connection, the legitimacy embodied by Prince Sihanouk is one
of the components that must be taken into account.
Although the guns have been stilled in the Falkland Islands
(Malvinas), there is reason to fear that peace there remains fragile
and at risk. Recent events in the South Atlantic prompt us to support
the idea of negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom,
under United Nations auspices, in search of a peaceful solution to
the question.
This rapid review of some of the problems affecting peace and
stability in the world should serve to indicate that we are indeed
living in anxious and dangerous times, times when the spectre of the
apocalypse looming on the horizon troubles the peace of cities. At
the twelfth special session of the General Assembly President Ahmed
Sekou Toure said referring to the arms race "Indeed, is there a
decent person who is not increasingly alarmed about the negative
consequences, already disastrous in many areas, of this frantic race
being carried out at the expense of the lives of all the peoples of
the world? It is doubtful that such a person exists, for if he did
the internal light that God has given us would already have been
extinguished. This is not a problem which concerns the nuclear Powers
alone; rather, it is a whole set of concerns about which no statesman
of our era can be indifferent. "What actually is threatening peace?
It is the practice of colonialism, racism and apartheid hegemonism;
the downgrading of the fate of the so- called materially deprived
peoples; the flouting of international laws which guarantee the right
of every people to peace, security and progress." I should not like
to give the impression that I have come to this rostrum to talk only
about political problems. The order designed, desired and maintained
by those customarily called the "great" of this world persists and is
being perpetuated. Because of that iniquitous order, the rich keep
getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. The disappointment
of developing countries is justified in the light of the Declaration
on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, acclaimed
here amid general enthusiasm-a new international economic order which
shall correct inequalities and redress existing injustices, and
ensure steadily accelerating economic and social development for
present and future generations. We note with regret the lack of
political will on the part of the industrialized countries to begin
global negotiations. However, the many discussions between North and
South, the various consultations held, and the adoption of Assembly
resolution 34/138 had made it possible for the various parties to
perceive a glimmer of hope in so far as the fortunate outcome of
those meetings was concerned. It now seems more indispensable than
ever for the developing countries to promote a sound and viable
co-operation among themselves. An open and frank South-South dialogue
would, we are convinced, make it possible for the developing
countries to reinforce their unity of action and to reaffirm their
common determination to solve the many problems arising from the
requirements of integrated and endogenous development. The only
possible way to ensure equality in North-South co-operation is to
establish fruitful relations of co-operation based on justice and the
reciprocity of interests, with the United Nations as the framework
for negotiations. Above and beyond economic difficulties, our
countries in some cases have to contend with natural disasters, which
remain the lot of the third world. In this connection, my delegation
believes that the restoration of the Fouta-Djallon Massif in West
Africa would make it possible for that subregion of Africa to play
its part as a regulator and supplier of water for West Africa and
would also make it possible to combat the problem of desertification
and its many disastrous consequences. By giving massive aid for the
implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification in
Africa, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 34/185, the
international community would be fulfilling its duty to act in
solidarity-indeed, to take preventive action-within the framework of
international co-operation. We shall continue to repeat that, in our
legitimate desire to perfect the Organization and to make it possible
for the majority of Member States to play a full and responsible part
in solving the serious problems that afflict the world, we consider
it indispensable to begin to reform the structures of the United
Nations and its operations. As we said two years ago from this very
rostrum, the vitality of any institution depends on its ability to
adapt to the times and to events. We still believe that if we wish to
make international relations more democratic-and indeed we must do
so-the democratization of the Organization is essential. We therefore
reiterate our appeal that the Charter be revised so as to ensure
equitable representation of all the regions of the world within the
discussion and decision-making bodies. It would then be possible to
give the United Nations system the power to intervene effectively in
the settlement of conflicts by peaceful means and to promote a policy
of balanced co-operation among nations on a footing of equality.