I should like first to express to Mr. Hollai on this occasion my
sincere congratulations on his unanimous election to the
distinguished office of the President of the thirty- seventh session
of the General Assembly and also to extend our congratulations to the
other members of the General Committee. The presidency of the General
Assembly constitutes a singular honour to the Member State that
occupies it, as well as to its regional group. My delegation also
congratulates Mr. Kittani, who presided over the thirty-sixth session
of the General Assembly with great success. My delegation also wishes
to express its gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez
de Cuellar, whose experience and hard work in the service of the
United Nations have already been clearly demonstrated, and represent
for the countries of the American continent a source of legitimate
pride and satisfaction. The report which he has submitted to the
General Assembly is brilliant, and is proof of this; of the many
documents that the Organization produces, only a very few are as
important as this call to reflection. His words not only enumerate
the great problems that oppress the world, but also propose solutions
to these grave and multiple problems. With the sincerity and emotion
essential to the task of considering the fate of peoples, the
Secretary-General has made recommendations that do not shrink from
criticism of and alternatives for the action of bodies within the
United Nations itself, such as the Security Council. His considered
and valuable presentation has won the support and general approval of
world opinion, and my delegation supports it fully.
The Dominican Republic is conscious of the complex and serious
problems affecting the international community that are being debated
at this session, and of the fact that those problems require measures
commensurate with their seriousness and urgency, We are confident
that within the framework of the law and the principles of the
Charter will be possible to adopt the measures that can lead to a
better and more just international order.
It is for me a source of great satisfaction to participate in the
Assembly as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the new
constitutional Government of my country, inaugurated on 16 August of
this year. The Government headed by President Salvador Jorge Blanco
assumed office in the Dominican Republic through the free and
sovereign will of our people, expressed in free elections.
This Government is the result of the institutional strength of a
country that has been fulfilling its democratic vocation through
constant struggle and great sacrifice. During the last 20 years we
have not only removed the obstacles that checked our democratic
development, but we have also overcome situations that affected our
standing as a sovereign nation.
The Dominican Republic is now enjoying a period characterized by the
consolidation of its political democracy and is facing the urgent
task of promoting economic development and social justice. At this
time, within our institutional framework and with full respect for
human rights, ideological pluralism and absolute freedom, the
Government intends to make those changes and reforms that are
necessary to strengthen our economic democracy, one of the most
legitimate aspirations of developing countries.
We consider it appropriate to point out those accomplishments because
we firmly believe that the continuous and strengthening exercise of
democracy in a small country such as ours, belonging to the group of
third world nations, is an example to be proud of and strengthens our
national purpose to achieve our own destiny without interference.
The political stability of Dominican Republic has created conditions
which enable us to increase our effective participation in
international relations, and to that end we offer our full
co-operation in the search for peaceful solutions, strictly adhering
to the principles of international law and of the Charter, at a time
when great conflicts and tension are shaking the international
community. This activity will be exercised within our sovereign
rights, without prejudices, inflexible positions or hegemonic
constraints.
The strengthening of the traditional bonds of friendship that join us
to certain countries will not be an obstacle to the substantial
broadening of our frontiers in the vast and complex field of
international relations, in as far as this is required by our
national interests. Above any other consideration, the unchangeable
norm of our conduct in the international community will be absolute
respect for and adherence to the legal and moral principles sustained
and supported by the nations which together with ours form the
Organization.
In his inaugural speech as constitutional President of the Dominican
Republic, Mr. Salvador Jorge Blanco outlined the attitude of his
Government in international affairs in the following words: "We
declare ourselves men of America, an essential part of an
international community full of heroic deeds, an integral part of the
new world searching daily for a collective existence, of the union of
wills and efforts dedicated to the defense of social justice, to the
struggle against underdevelopment. "In these difficult moments for
the countries of the third world the solidarity of the people of
America is necessary and urgent and requires mutual support to help
them overcome their pressing problems of subsistence and their
terrible economic and political problems. In these difficult times,
America, our Magna Patria, as it was called by Pedro Hennquez Urena,
should be a spearhead to thwart the constant menaces of a world
holocaust and should be a bulwark of equilibrium in the concert of
nations of the world." Within this new spirit, the Dominican
Government has decided to exercise further its traditional vocation
for peaceful action and to participate as an active element in the
search for solutions to the conflicts presently afflicting our
brother countries of Central America, and we are also prepared to
collaborate in alleviating the international tension that affects
other nations in the Caribbean basin.
This attitude on the part of the Dominican Government is reflected in
the decision to offer our immediate support for the purposes
expressed jointly by the Presidents of Mexico and Venezuela in a
letter they addressed to the President of the United States of
America, to the Council of Government of Nicaragua and to the
President of Honduras, expressing their concern over the tense
situation existing between the latter two countries.
In this instance the Dominican Government did not confine itself to
simple support but expressed its willingness to participate, in
whatever useful way it could, without detriment to the principle of
non-intervention, in any effort to normalize relations between those
two brother countries.
This position on the part of my Government had already been expressed
in the joint declaration issued in Santo Domingo on 16 August last by
the heads of State of Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize and
the Dominican Republic, on the express initiative of my Government,
in which those distinguished statesmen ratified their support for the
fundamental principles of international law, which include the
sovereign equality of all countries, respect for their independence
and the territorial integrity, respect for the principle of
non-intervention, non recourse to threats or use of force to resolve
international conflicts, ideological pluralism, the
self-determination of nations and respect for and faithful compliance
with international treaties.
The declaration emphasizes: "within the framework of the different
proposals for peace in the Central American region and the mechanisms
to implement them, rejection of violent solutions, negotiations and
dialogue are necessary for the solution of this crisis, a solution
which must be the exclusive product of a common will and effort, with
a view to promoting democracy, economic development and social
justice."
Moreover, we also made a cordial appeal to those democratic countries
interested in the establishment of peace to apply their best efforts
to achieve that end. For my country that declaration forms part of a
profound commitment. We must help to stop the present bloodshed and
thus avert the possible danger of cruel and extended confrontations.
For our brother nations of Central America we desire the full
exercise of human rights. We consider it just and urgent that these
countries be able to choose freely their own destiny and to devote
their energies to full economic and social development.
We must emphasize that there is perhaps no other region as cohesive
in its geography, its history, its ethnology, its economy and its
culture as the Caribbean. This region is characterized by the
coexistence of traditional and emerging States. However, due to
causes alien to the interests of its peoples, interchanges among the
countries of the region have not been achieved to the extent that we
would desire and welcome. The Dominican Republic has special
characteristics which make it an ideal bridge for the realization of
such exchanges among Caribbean countries, especially at a time when
we are strengthening our relations with the region's new States.
For the Dominican Republic it is not Utopian to believe and to say
that the Central American and Caribbean region must become a zone of
peace, of balance, stability, pluralism and the total rejection of
military solutions.
This year there occurred in the South Atlantic a deplorable event
that disturbed the region but brought about solidarity in support of
the just territorial claims of a brother nation.
An invariable aspect of the foreign policy of the Dominican Republic
is our opposition to all forms and vestiges of colonialism in any
part of the world. This has been a firm and consistent position
expressed on innumerable occasions and in different international
forums. Within the Organization, from the very outset, the Dominican
delegation has constantly supported all anti-colonial recommendations
and measures and has with clear determination contributed to the
worthy process of decolonization that has been realized by the United
Nations.
Throughout its history the Dominican Republic has been a peace-loving
country. This position is unchangeable and is universally recognized.
We believe that peace is the common goal of all mankind, the highest
of social values, the indispensable norm for a harmonious and
civilized life within each country and internationally.
We therefore address a cordial appeal to the Republic of Argentina
and the United Kingdom to resume within the framework of the United
Nations the necessary negotiations that will through dialogue and
understanding permit a dignified, honourable and permanent solution
to the conflict through the peaceful mechanism available to sovereign
States under the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
We consider it appropriate to point out that this deplorable
experience has deeply affected public faith in the effectiveness of
the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, signed at Rio de
Janeiro in 1947, as a proper instrument for the preservation of peace
in our hemisphere and has once again demonstrated the urgent need to
enrich and strengthen the system of collective security in that part
of the world with the same firm will and resolve manifest in Bogota
when the Organization of American States was founded there.
The Dominican Republic expresses its deep concern at the grave
economic crisis affecting the international community, which is
characterized by a reduced rate of economic growth, a deterioration
in the terms of trade, the stagnation of trade, a decrease in the
prices of raw materials, high interest rates and increasing
protectionism by the industrialized nations, together with the
reduction of international economic aid and co-operation. To give
just one revealing example, the increase in the gross national
product barely reached 1 per cent in the industrialized countries for
1980 and 1981, and it will probably be at zero in 1982. This has
produced a considerable increase in unemployment and thereby a drasticreduction
in the demand for the products and raw materials on the export of
which the existence of the third world depends.
Although this problem affects all countries, it is undeniable that
the countries within the underdeveloped group that do not produce oil
are those that suffer most as a result of the present international
economic crisis. In fact, in real terms, the prices of our
commodities have reached the lowest level recorded in the last three
decades and are substantially lower than those that prevailed during
the recession of the mid-1970s. The most important consequence of
this situation for the underdeveloped countries that do not produce
oil is that in most of tl.cm real per capita income has been
drastically reduced for the first time since the Second World War.
This situation has created a grave imbalance in the external sector
of our economies characterized by high deficits, for which we have
been compelled to compensate with unprecedented increases in our
foreign debt. This high level of debt today constitutes one of the
most serious threats to the financial stability of many nations. We
want to use this international forum to request the flexibility that
the international banking community must show as regards the
repayment of those debts, because it must be remembered that they
have been caused by a very unusual economic situation.
We support the conclusions set forth at the recent meeting of the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Toronto stressing
the enormous responsibility now facing the main industrialized
countries as regards the recovery of their economies, the reduction
of present interest rates and reversal of the present isolationist
trend so as to bring about closer and more generalized international
co-operation.
We also propose the study and identification of proper
recommendations to curtail the increasing protectionist trend in
industrialized nations, which manifests itself in the establishment
of unjustified trade barriers that obstruct international trade and
limit the expansion of markets for the products of the third- world
nations.
In other words our delegation considers that the North-South dialogue
must be awakened from its present stagnation and be activated as an
instrument for frank discussions concerning the contradictions
between the developed and the developing worlds. The present
condition of the international economy reveals symptoms similar-too
similar to be ignored- to those that existed before the world
depression of the 1930s, whose disastrous consequences we all know.
Let us pledge that during the current decade, through global
negotiations within the framework of the Organization, those
indispensable measures required for the achievement of the much
awaited new international economic order will be taken and make it
possible for us to live in a more secure and just world.
As we examine the problems that affect the international community,
we cannot forget the danger posed by the policies of increasing
armaments pursued by the super-Powers. Our concern increases when we
observe with anxiety and frustration the paralysis of negotiations on
disarmament and the fact that we cannot foresee the establishment of
a new order that will give peace to the world. It is a paradox that
while the great nations argue over formulas to reduce the tremendous
power of their forces of mutual destruction new installations with
nuclear missiles of incalculable efficiency are being set up on their
territories. If this latent menace became reality, it would imply the
total destruction of the world that we live in. The danger becomes
greater with the outbreak of limited conflicts in sensitive areas of
the world, conflicts that could easily become uncontrollable and
result in a nuclear holocaust.
In this situation of extreme danger to all mankind, there is an
urgent need for all Member States to act together to create the
proper climate for constructive dialogue between the big world Powers.
One of the dangers is the explosive situation of increasing violence
in the Middle East which during recent decades has been a negative
factor for the prospects for balance and peace in the world. The
seriousness of the situation has been made tragically evident by the
recent horrible massacre of Palestinian refugees in the camps of
Lebanon, a dreadful act of genocide that has shaken the conscience of
the entire international community. Our Government has publicly
emphatically condemned that horrible massacre, and has demanded that
international bodies prevent its repetition and determine
responsibility for it.
Our voice has joined those of other nations clamouring for an
effective guarantee of the integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon, an
unfortunate country with which we have very cordial relations. We are
aware that the problems in that area of conflict have demonstrated
that the Palestinian question is one of the decisive factors in the
crisis. We believe that no permanent, serious solution can be reached
if we do not provide a mechanism that assures the Palestinian people
the exercise of its inalienable right to self- determination, which
has been recognized by the United Nations.
Similarly, we reiterate our policy that any serious attempt to
achieve peace and coexistence in that tormented region must take into
account Security Council resolution 242 (1967), which, among other
things, affirms the State of Israel's right to exist.
We regard as timely and essential to the peace effort the proposal
made by the Secretary-General to convert the Security Council into a
world forum where "all the parties concerned" in the problem of the
Middle East may sit at the same negotiating table.
The Dominican Republic feels closely linked to the Arab world by the
strong connections created by the historical emigrations to our
territory of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian citizens, who have
enriched the cultural, social and economic heritage of our country
over the years. Consequently, my Government has affirmed its
determination to establish or strengthen political, economic and
other ties with many of the countries of the Arab world, within the
framework of international law and the principles of the Charter.
The war between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran, an unfortunate
confrontation between two Moslem countries, is a cause of deep
concern to us. We hope that a solution will be found in the near
future, one restoring peace and making possible a policy of
good-neighbourliness, with the full guarantee of reciprocal
rights-within the framework of the United Nations, of course.
Fundamentally, the composition of the Dominican people is the product
of an interracial union of Indians, whites and blacks. The result of
this ethnic mixture is a mixed race of which we are truly proud. The
Dominican Republic reiterates in this world forum that for us any
kind of discrimination or segregation, any attempt to separate the
population on racial, religious or other lines, is a crime against
humanity. Therefore, we reject the policies and practices of
apartheid. We take this opportunity to affirm that the Dominican
Republic condemns without reservation violations of human rights in
whatever circumstances and wherever they occur.
Our profound conviction on the matter and our resulting firm
rejection of such attempts have a special meaning at this particular
time, when we have just inaugurated in the city of Santo Domingo a
monument to Brother Antonio Montesinos. A magnificent work
architecturally and sculpturally, the monument is a gift from the
Government of Mexico to the people of the Dominican Republic. Brother
Antonio Montesinos proclaimed in a sermon in our island in 151l "By
what right and with what justice do you keep these Indians under such
horrible servitude? Are they not men? Have they not rational
spirits?" That was his cry of concern from Santo Domingo, the first
act in defence of human rights in the new world.
On 12 October, Hispanic Day, our President, at the inauguration of
the monument, recalled that pronouncement and its far-reaching
consequences when, in the presence of President Jose Lopez Portillo
of Mexico,he said: "The rights of man, which, under another name,
Brother Antonio Montesinos fought for, have been a permanent guiding
light for the Dominican people. Even in those dark days when liberty
was denied to us, the pursuit of freedom became the principal motive
which unified our wills, criteria and actions. Only time has
separated those historic moments of the struggle for liberty and
democracy in our country. Our political democracy, today fully
achieved, may be the great answer to those struggles and to a full
awareness of them, and the role this plays within our continent.
Geographical differences do not prevent us from recalling the
struggles of other peoples, however distant they may be from the
Antilles. We support the efforts of the people of Namibia to regain
its independence. We also express our concern about foreign
interventions in Afghanistan and Kampuchea. We hope that through
peaceful dialogue and the use of the machinery provided by the
Charter the Korean people may be able to secure their desired
unification into one sovereign State.
At this time, when territories are the source of still-unresolved
conflicts and problems, the seas may contribute to the well-being of
the world. We are now witnessing the humanization of the seas through
the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea that
declared the sea-bed to be the common heritage of all mankind. The
Conference was one of the great successes of the General Assembly and
proof of this body's effectiveness within the United Nations. Since
1973, when the Conference on the Law of the Sea began, it has been
working with a new vision of international law and co-operation and
is laying down rules that would satisfy our aspirations to abolish
privileges, to protect the environment and to achieve peaceful
coexistence. The new Convention on the Law of the Sea, in
establishing a new and fruitful reality, is an example of the
infinite possibilities inherent in negotiation, good will and mutual
understanding.
Among the social items on the agenda of the Assembly, the Dominican
Republic considers as being particularly relevant those related to
the rights, evolution and development of women as well as to their
participation in the political, social and economic life of their
countries. In this connection, the new Dominican Government has set
up an office for the advancement of women within a Ministry of Social
Welfare as a first step towards integration of the different aspects
of human advancement. We express our deep satisfaction at the fact
that our country has been selected as host to the International
Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, whose
formal installation will take place early next year in Santo Domingo
and for which the Dominican Government has already made a substantial
appropriation.
We are confident that the report the Secretary- General will submit
with regard to this matter, which has already been endorsed by the
Economic and Social Council, will prompt other Member States to
contribute to the support of this Institute and thereby assure the
fulfilment of its important functions.
Under the present difficult international circumstances, cultural
co-operation-widely debated and defined at the World Conference on
Cultural Policies, known as MONDIACULT, organized by UNESCO in
August-is evoked to strengthen the ties that exist between peoples.
There can be no argument that all cultures have the same dignity and
equality; that freedom is necessary to all intellectual and artistic
creation; that all patrimonies, be they architectonic, written or
oral, need to be protected and that those values are the bedrock of
an interdependence freely assumed but carefully preserving identities
and receptive to new sources of enrichment.
The Dominican Republic, which suffered for a long time from cultural
isolationism, now wishes to develop communication in education,
science, literature and art, provided such dialogues between cultures
are established on a basis of respect and reciprocity, of recognition
and a receptiveness that assures interchange in the true meaning of
that word. We wish to strengthen regional ties, the mutual
recognition of cultures, the resources and unique expressions of the
peoples of Central America and the Caribbean. To this end, the
Dominican Republic has proposed the celebration of the First Biennial
of Visual Arts in the Caribbean, to be held in Santo Domingo, a
recommendation that was approved by the General Assembly of
MONDIACULT.
However, this wish for a greater closeness to the countries of our
region and Latin America does not diminish the lively interest of the
Dominican Republic in extra-continental cultural co-operation and the
recognition of great historical events of the past that still loom
large today. We refer to the fifth centenary of the discovery of
America, and we are grateful to the Spanish Foreign Minister for
mentioning in his statement the Dominican Republic's initiative in
proposing that the United Nations General Assembly declare, in a
universal context, that 1992 be proclaimed the Year of the Fifth
Centenary of the Discovery of America.
The United Nations was founded on the ruins of that great catastrophe
that history has called the Second World War. The Organization was
conceived to guarantee international peace, to develop friendship
among peoples, to assure self-determination and to promote, through
international co-operation, their social, economic and cultural
development. The Organization was conceived in support of human
dignity, on the basis of respect for the rights and fundamental
freedoms of all mankind without distinction as to race, sex, language
or religion. The Organization was conceived to prevent the third-and
probably the last-world war.
We often forget that the founders, our predecessors who signed the
Charter of San Francisco, did so in the name of peoples, not in the
name of States or Governments. This is not a semantic artifice, nor
is it a legal subtlety. It is simply the living expression of a deep
longing for peace and solidarity that was born in the universal
conscience in those dark days. I believe that many of the problems
arise or worsen because Governments sometimes ignore the real
aspirations of their peoples. People have among themselves
spontaneous affinities, natural and pure, that are deeply rooted in
their cultural origins and common ideals. Those affinities transcend
the boundaries of circumstantial antagonisms that are characteristic
of the strict exercise of government. AH Governments, regardless of
ideology or of geopolitical location, would render a great service to
the Organization's vocation for peace should they decide to stimulate
the development of those affinities, whose roots are found in the
very depth of human awareness. A simple examination of the agenda of
the Assembly, a mere study of the multiple conflicts that divide the
international community, the anguish expressed by the brave
declaration of the Secretary- General in his memorable report, will
surely prove that we have not yet reached these ideals. However,
those harsh realities must not frustrate us to the point of losing
faith in the Organization, for if we have not been able in many cases
to prevent or to solve conflicts, we have at other times had
successes that constitute true triumphs for mankind.
In this connection, it should be pointed out that if the fear of a
nuclear holocaust is still the gravest threat to mankind today, there
is no better hope of preventing it than that offered by this exalted
forum, open without discrimination or prejudice to all the peoples
and nations of the world.
The imperfections of the Organization must not shatter our faith in
it. On the contrary, they Should inspire us to overcome them, thus
strengthening our confidence in its capacity to fulfil its
objectives. This is the best contribution we can offer to the future
of mankind.