Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

Mr. Presi¬dent, the delegation of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic warmly congratulates you on your unanimous election to the presidency of the thirty-seventh ses¬sion of the General Assembly. Your outstanding personal qualities and your diplomatic skill have won you the deep respect of delegations. It is a particular pleasure for us that the post of President of the Assem¬bly is occupied by a representative of the fraternal Socialist Republic of Hungary. Our delegation would like to assure you of its co-operation and wish you success in the performance of your responsible and difficult task. 2. Whenever one comes to the rostrum of the General Assembly one is keenly aware of the high responsibility entrusted by the peoples of the world to the United Nations. Here at the United Nations we find a reflection of the most urgent problems facing mankind, which require collective solutions in the interests of all countries and peoples. 3. No conflicts or contradictions among States, no differences in social systems, ideologies or ways of life can eclipse the common need: to preserve peace and prevent a nuclear war. The speeches of the majority of representatives have had as their theme a feeling of alarm for the fate of the world, an awareness of the fact that it is at a dangerous point and that everything must be done to avert the nuclear threat hanging over mankind. 4. Today, when the international situation has seriously deteriorated—and for this the imperialist forces are to blame—when those forces are pursuing an unbridled arms race which threatens to lead to a nuclear catastrophe, the words of the Charter, that the United Nations is called upon for to save succeeding generations from the scourge of warfar , are particularly relevant. The Ukrainian SSR, which played its part in the creation of the United Nations, in defining its purposes and principles, is working as always for an effective contribution by the United Nations to strengthening international peace and security, overcoming crisis situations and enhancing its role in the struggle to rid mankind of the threat of war. We believe that more active efforts by the United Nations aimed at securing peace and developing co-operation among States in accordance with the provisions of the Charter are of particular importance today when the world faces a situation in which its purposes and principles are ignored and violated. 6. In this difficult period of acute struggle between two opposed orientations in world policy there is no more important or more urgent task than that of limiting the arms race and striving for disarmament. The future of mankind depends upon the fulfillment of that task. For those reasons the Ukrainian SSR, together with all the socialist countries, supports the idea of the adoption of immediate and realistic measures to avert a nuclear war, to curb the arms race and bring about disarmament, to eliminate the hotbeds of international tension. 7. To preserve peace, to ensure the peaceful coexis¬tence of States with different social systems and to solve all controversial issues by peaceful means—these are the key goals of the Programme of Peace for the 1980s, adopted by the Twenty-sixth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It is those goals which have determined the general thrust of the foreign policy initiatives of the Soviet Union. This coincides with the vital interests of the majority of the non-aligned countries and is in accordance with the peace-loving aspirations of all peoples and with the purposes and principles of the Charter. 8. Aggressive imperialist circles, however, particularly the United States of America, take a com¬pletely opposite position on questions of war and peace. The United States and its closest allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] have adopted a course of intensifying confrontation, speeding up the arms race, undermining the existing strategic stability in order to achieve military superiority, interfering in the internal affairs of States and encouraging aggression and the rule of inter¬national arbitrariness. 9. The United States has blocked the negotiations on the general and complete prohibition of nuclear- weapon tests, on the prohibition and destruction of chemical weapons, on the [imitation and subsequent reduction of military activities in the Indian Ocean, on the limitation of trade in and transfers of con¬ventional weapons and on anti-satellite systems. The NATO countries are to blame for the slowing down of the Vienna Talks on Mutual Reduction of Forces, Armaments and Associated Measures in Central Europe. United Nations decisions aimed at prohibiting the manufacture of neutron weapons, the renunciation of the development of new types and systems of weapons of mass destruction and the holding of talks on nuclear disarmament remain unimplemented. Moreover, official representatives of the Unite j States Administration and certain leaders of NATO countries have put forward justification for the idea of the first use of nuclear weapons and the constant building-up of nuclear arsenals to those ends. 10. It is precisely that which is the true reason for the deterioration of the situation in the world and the intensified danger of war. 11. The world has witnessed material preparations for war, the constant threat of the use of force, the use of methods of power diplomacy and the indoc¬trination of the population with a spirit of militarism. This is a concrete manifestation of the reactionary nature of contemporary imperialism. Adventurism in international affairs which is inherent in imperialism is fraught with particular danger today precisely because the world has accumulated a vast potential of the most deadly weapons, which are capable of destroying life on earth. 12. In stressing the great seriousness of the time at which the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly is being held, the delegation of the Ukrai¬nian SSR believes at the same time that the peoples of the world are entirely capable of averting a thermo¬nuclear conflict. The Ukrainian SSR, like other socialist countries, is convinced that in the present conditions we must seal, ever more actively ways and means of normalizing the international situation, using all available means which could serve to ease the unfavorable political climate. We believe that in this context the United Nations has a major role to play. The United Nations must not allow one State or a number of States to wipe out or throw overboard all the benefits brought about in international rela¬tions in the 1970s and what has been achieved by detente, and edge the world closer to the abyss of war. 13. What we need today is a genuine breakthrough towards the curbing of the unbridled arms race and promoting disarmament, and the immediate imple¬mentation of practical measures in that field. We do not need words declarations of good intentions. Only a constructive approach to the solution of the most acute present-day problems can prevent mankind from slipping towards the nuclear abyss. 14. Numerous concrete and realistic proposals on halting the arms race and on disarmament measures in various areas have been put forward by the socialist countries, with the aim of achieving this goal. They include the Declaration on the Prevention of Nuclear Catastrophe, adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 36/100, on the initiative of the Soviet Union, which declares that the first to use nuclear weapons will be committing the gravest crime against humanity and calls for joint efforts, through negotiations con¬ducted in good faith and on the basis of equality, to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race. 15. A concrete step of historic significance in this direction was taken by the Soviet Union when it unilaterally assumed the obligation not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. This gives a powerful impetus to the radical easing of the threat of nuclear war and the strengthening of confidence in inter¬national relations. But if this is to be achieved, all nuclear-weapon States must follow the example of the Soviet Union by assuming the obligation not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. Then the threat of nuclear annihilation would be banished from the life of mankind, all aspects of international security would acquire a completely new character and new prospects would open up for accelerating progress in resolving questions of limiting the arms race and bring¬ing about disarmament. 16. We also believe that at this session the General Assembly could contribute significantly to the imple¬mentation of the Soviet proposal on the conclusion of a world treaty on the non-use of force in inter¬national relations.' The preparation and conclusion of such a treaty is of particular relevance today in the context of the deterioration in the international situation and when certain States are not only ever more frequently threatening to use force but, in violation of the Charter and United Nations deci¬sions, are actually using it in order to subject other States and peoples to their domination. A treaty on the non-use of force would be a reliable instrument against the use of any weapons for purposes of aggres¬sion. The time is ripe for such a measure. We are sincerely convinced that if the General Assembly made the renunciation of the use or threat of force with any type of weapons, nuclear or conventional, into a law of international life, it would serve the security interests not only of the nuclear-weapon States but also of the non-nuclear-weapon States. 17. A solid basis for the cessation of the buildup of the most dangerous means of warfare was created by the new proposals of the Soviet Union, put forward at the second special session of the General Assembly on disarmament,2 relating to the elaboration and stage-by-stage implementation of a program of nuclear disarmament, and the realistic proposals of many other States to curb and halt the nuclear arms race. It can be stated with some assurance that support by the General Assembly for the practical implementation of these measures for limiting arma¬ments and bringing about disarmament would con¬tribute to the strengthening of international peace and security. 18. There is no doubt that a significant contribution towards the achievement of this goal would be made by concrete agreements in the current Soviet-American negotiations in Geneva on the limitation and reduction of strategic weapons and the limitation of nuclear weapons in Europe. 19. A serious obstacle to the development of new types and systems of nuclear weapons, as well as to the emergence of new nuclear-weapon States, would be created by the immediate cessation and prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests by all States in all environments. Twenty years have passed since the conclusion of the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Watery but, because of the obstructionist position of certain nuclear States, it has not been possible to achieve the complete cessation of nuclear tests. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the Pentagon is preparing new programmes for the qualita¬tive improvement of nuclear weapons and for the development of even more dangerous types and systems of such weapons. The United States has broken off the trilateral talks on the total prohibition of nuclear tests. In order to overcome this deadlock, the Soviet Union has called for the preparation and conclusion without delay of an international treaty on the complete and general prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests and has submitted basic provisions of such a treaty for consideration at this session. The Soviet proposal takes into account all the positive achievements of the many years of dis¬cussion of the problem of the prohibition of nuclear- weapon tests, it also reflects the ideas and views of many States with regard, in particular, to questions of verifying compliance with any future treaty. The declaration by all nuclear-weapon States of a mora¬torium on ail nuclear explosions, including explosions for peaceful purposes, would contribute to the creation of more favorable conditions for the preparation of such a treaty. Such a moratorium would be effective pending the conclusion of the treaty itself. 20. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR is convinced that the speedy resolution of the question of the immediate cessation and prohibition of nuclear- weapon tests would contribute significantly towards curbing the nuclear arms race and in particular halting the qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons and the creation of new types and systems of such weapons, as well as towards strengthening the non- proliferation regime of nuclear weapons. Agreement on this very important issue—provided, of course, that all nuclear-weapon States evinced the political will and a constructive approach—would contribute to lessening the threat of nuclear war. 21. The Soviet Union has proposed that at this session the Assembly consider another item, entitled for Intensification of efforts to remove the threat of nuclear war and ensure the safe development of nuclear energy. The Ukrainian SSR attaches great significance to this question. In our Republic we are actively engaged in the rapid development of nuclear energy by building nuclear power stations which enable us to satisfy the ever-goring need for energy of industry, agriculture and scientific research. 22. It goes without saying that the destruction of peaceful nuclear facilities even using conventional weapons would be tantamount, as far as the con¬sequences were concerned, to an attack using nuclear weapons, which the United Nations has already described as the gravest crime against humanity. 23. Therefore, the need to ensure the safe develop¬ment of nuclear energy flows logically from the task of preventing the unleashing of a nuclear war. In its approach to this question the delegation of the Ukrainian SSR proceeds from the belief that the safe development of nuclear energy presupposes that both nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon States, since they have an interest in the development and compre¬hensive peaceful uses of nuclear energy, should prevent actions which might lead to the deliberate destruction of peaceful nuclear facilities. Leonid Brezhnev, in his message to the participants in the twenty-sixth session of the General Conference of IAEA, stressed the need to do everything possible to ensure that nuclear energy—which is the greatest achievement of the human intellect—serves only the interests of peace and never becomes a means of destroying life on earth. 24. One of the most pressing problems continues to be that of the prohibition and elimination of chemical weapons. The draft basic principles of a convention to that effect, which were put forward by the Soviet Union during the second special session on disarmament are designed to make it possible to take a decisive step in that direction. 25. The refusal of the United States to take part in the bilateral Soviet-American talks and its open policy of expanding the production and stockpiling of new types of chemical weapons, including binary weapons, as well as its policy of deploying them in some member States of NATO, have dashed the hopes of the peo¬ples of the world for an early solution to this important problem and increased the danger of chemical war¬fare. Furthermore, the refusal to negotiate and the building-up of arsenals of chemical weapons have been accompanied and covered up by false anti- Soviet propaganda. 26. The draft basic provisions of a treaty put forward by the Soviet Union take into account the views of other States, including the question of verification, and open up real prospects of reaching mutually acceptable agreements. To that end, it is necessary for the United States and its allies to show real willing¬ness and adopt a responsible approach to the matter. 27. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR believes that it is necessary to step up the negotiations on the prohibition of chemical weapons within the Com¬mittee on Disarmament and to resume the bilateral talks on this question between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America. In our view, the General Assembly could make a contribution to the prohibition and elimination of chemical weapons by calling for a resumption of the talks and prohibition of the production and deploy¬ment of new types of chemical weapons, including binary weapons, and of their deployment in the ter¬ritory of other States. 28. The day before yesterday marked the twenty- fifth anniversary of an outstanding event—the launch¬ing by the Soviet Union of the world's first spaceship, which ushered in the space era. The world is entitled to take pride in the successes over the years in the exploration and uses of outer space, whose vast expanses should be used only as the arena of peace¬ful co-operation among States. In this connection the military space programmes which are being worked out and implemented by the United States must give rise to serious concern. Such dangerous developments call for the early conclusion of an international treaty on the prohibition of the deployment of weapons of any type in outer space, as proposed by the Soviet Union.2 29. The limitation and reduction of conventional arms and armed forces is another important task. As a first step towards this an agreement should be reached not to increase armed forces or conventional arms, thus creating the groundwork for talks on their subsequent reduction. 30. The Ukrainian SSR was among the first to ratify the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. We believe that an early entry into force of this Convention would be conducive to the solution of the broader and more important problems in the field of the imitation and reduction of conventional weapons. 31. In view of the current international situation it is crucial to take specific steps to strengthen inter¬national security, eliminate hotbeds of tension and military conflicts, and halt acts of aggression in various parts of the world. 32. In recent months the situation in the Middle East has undergone a tragic and dangerous change. A military conflagration has once again Reared up which has consumed many thousands of human lives. New setbacks have emerged to a just settlement of the Middle East conflict. We have witnessed monstrous and evil crimes, the responsibility for which rests as an indelible stain on the hands of the ruling circles in Israel, which unleashed a destructive war against Lebanon. What has been done by the Israeli military clique in that long-suffering country is nothing short of genocide, a planned and deliberate extermination of the Palestinian people. The tragedy of Beirut has brought back to the memory of mankind the darkest scenes from the past—the bloody crimes of the Nazis in the Second World War. It ranks with such evil deeds of the Fascists as the massacre of the people of Babi Yar, Kiev, where in 1941 many tens of thousands of people were murdered, mainly women, children and old men and where, incidentally, side by side with Russians and Ukrainians many innocent Jews were kitted. 33. Blinded by military intoxication the ruling circles in Israel have trampled into the mud not only the time- honoured international rules and concepts that were reaffirmed in the Charter and the will of the international community expressed in numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Secu¬rity Council, but also their own human image. Such brutal behavior by the aggressor would not have been possible without the political protection and extensive military and financial aid Israel has been receiving from its influential American benefactors. Their role in the Lebanese tragedy is one of infamy, for without their support Israel would never have dared perpetrate this aggression. 34. Israel's growing aggressiveness is a direct con¬sequence of the Camp David conspiracy and of the so-called strategic consensus between Washington and Tel Aviv. It is absolutely clear to us that United States policy in the Middle East is further to escalate tension there so as to expand and consolidate its military presence, creating a spring-board for direct interference in the affairs of States of this and of adjacent regions. 33. Today, more than ever, there is a need to move in the most responsible manner towards a comprehen¬sive and just settlement in the Middle East. It is clear that such a settlement cannot be achieved by means of hostile confrontation and separate deals or attempts to remove the Palestinian problem by military or other means contrary to the will of the Palestinian people. The plan for a Middle East settlement proposed by the President of the United States lacks the main element—recognition of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to a State of their own. Moreover, it openly proclaims that the United States is opposed to the creation of such a State. 36. A comprehensive political settlement of the Middle East conflict should include withdrawal of Israeli troops from all Arab territories occupied in 1967, the exercise of the legitimate rights of the Arab people of Palestine, including their right to create their own State, and creation of the conditions for the secure and independent development of all States in the Middle East. The modalities of a comprehensive, really just and truly lasting settlement in the Middle East are contained in a succinct form in a new major initiative by the head of the Soviet State, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, made public on 15 September. 37. It is our firm belief that a lasting peace in this region can only be achieved through the collective efforts of all the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO], the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. A proposal by the Soviet Union and other socialist countries to convene an international conference on the subject is in keeping with this objective. We are ready to co-operate along these lines with all those who cherish the ideals of peace and security in the Middle East and in the world at large. 38. Developments in the world depend to a large extent to the shape of relations among European States belonging to different social systems. Through¬out the past decade the peoples of Europe have really felt the advantages of the policy of detente, which has had a favorable effect upon the political climate and has promoted the development and strengthening of mutually beneficial East-West co-operation in all fields. During this period the Euro¬pean peoples have come to realize that the only reasonable path is to continue detente and extend it to the military Held. 39. For the continent of Europe to become a con¬tinent of peace and genuine co-operation many artificial barriers put up lately must be removed and, as a matter of priority, the level of military con¬frontation in this region must be lowered. 40. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR would like to reaffirm its position of principle in support of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. Efforts to secure a success¬ful completion of the intercommunal talks held under United Nations auspices must continue, as well as with regard to the settlement of existing outstanding issues in the spirit of understanding and good will. Demilitarization of the island, providing for the with¬drawal of all foreign forces and the elimination of all foreign military bases, is an important condition for a credible settlement in Cyprus. 41. The implementation of a proposal by the Mon¬golian People's Republic to conclude a convention on non-aggression and non-use of force in relations among States of Asia and the Pacific would make a considerable contribution to improving the world climate in general, easing tension and strengthening security in Asia. A successful restructuring of rela¬tions in this vast region, on the basis of the prin¬ciples of mutual respect for independence, sover-eignty, the inviolability of borders, non-interference, the non-use or threat of force and the settlement of disputes exclusively through peaceful means, would be an historic breakthrough for future developments in Asia. Mongolia's initiative has the same thrust as proposals to makethe Indian Ocean a zone of peace and other constructive ideas of Asian States. 42. We reaffirm our position of principle on the question of Korea, as well as our solidarity with the struggle of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for a peaceful, democratic reunification of its home-land, free from outside interference, and for the with¬drawal of foreign troops from South Korea. 43. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR considers a complete cessation and the guaranteed non resumption of aggressive acts against Afghanistan, as well as of other forms of interference in its internal affairs, to be a major condition for normalizing the situation in Asia. To discuss the so-called Afghan question in the General Assembly and to ram through resolu¬tions devoid of political realism can only obstruct efforts aimed at settling the situation around Afghani¬stan. Concrete and constructive proposals for such a settlement have been put forward by the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. 44. The Ukrainian SSR also supports the initiatives undertaken by the States of Indo-China with a view to strengthening peace in South-East Asia, con¬ducting a constructive dialogue and promoting co-oper¬ation with the States members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and, in parti¬cular, the proposals contained in a joint communique of 7 July issued by the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of Kampuchea. We are confident that to make South-East Asia a zone of peace and stability is in the interests not only of the peoples of this region but also of world peace. 45. The aggressive policies of racist South Africa, which enjoys the extensive support of the United States and some other Western countries, pose a very grave threat to peace and international security. South Africa's subversion of and war actions against independent African States, particularly against Angola, in practice have not ceased. The Pretoria regime is flagrantly ignoring United Nations decisions on the granting of independence to Namibia. The inhuman system of apartheid is entrenched in South Africa. 46. The Ukrainian SSR is resolutely in favor of adopting mandatory sanctions against South Africa under Chapter VII of the Charter in order to compel the South African regime to put an end to the heinous practice of apartheid, to halt its aggressive actions against neighbouring front-line States and to grant independence to Namibia. 47. One of the tasks facing the General Assembly at the thirty-seventh session is promoting the solution of international economic problems on an equitable and democratic basis. This is an important and urgent task because in that area we are witnessing many phenomena which are seriously impeding the realiza¬tion of the progressive principles embodied in the Declaration on the Establishment of a New Inter¬national Economic Order and in the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States. The imperialist forces which in the past sabotaged the elaboration and adoption of these fundamental instruments today bear the principal responsibility for the exacerbation of tension in all areas, including commerce and eco¬nomics. Their policy continues to be the main obstacle to progress in the normalization and democratization of international economic relations. 48. The Ukrainian SSR, together with other socialist countries, supports and will consistently support a policy of placing external economic links of States at the service of peaceful construction, mutual advan¬tage and the strengthening of relations of friendship and co-operation among peoples. We are also con¬vinced that the elimination of the threat of war, the strengthening of peace and the cessation of the arms race, being the tasks of primary importance that they are, serve as a reliable guarantee for progress in the field of social and economic development and in over¬coming the backwardness inherited from colonialism. 49. The debate at this session testifies to the growing awareness among Member States that today a parti¬cularly urgent task for the United Nations is to mobilize common efforts in those fields which would most effectively promote the strengthening of peace and be better in keeping with the interests of all peoples. 50. It is quite clear that the attempts by imperialist circles to involve the United Nations in psychological warfare against countries of the socialist community and a number of non-aligned States, to misuse to intervene in their internal affairs, run counter to these efforts. Those attempts and even appeals for a crusade against the USSR and the socialist countries are seriously hampering the development of international co-operation. We have more than once heard all sorts of threats and have been subjected to sanctions but the Soviet State has developed and will continue to develop successfully. The Soviet Union confidently approaches its sixtieth anniversary pursuing a peace¬ful foreign policy and seeking to achieve a higher material and spiritual state of well-being for its working people. 51. In December 1922, for the first time in the history of mankind, a State came into being where all rela¬tions were based on fraternity and mutual aid between people of different national and racial origins. The strength of the Soviet Union has been tested in the most severe trials, under conditions of foreign inter¬vention, political and economic blockade and atrocious Fascist invasions. The humanitarian nature of the principles which underlie the Union is constantly reaffirmed. The creation of the USSR strengthened our national statehood and showed that only in con-ditions of equality, freedom and mutual respect can people’s fully realize their spiritual and creative potential. The Ukrainian SSR therefore takes pride in the fact that it was among the first to call for the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 60 years ago. Vladimir V. Shcherbitsky, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukraine, stressed during the celebration of the one thousand five hundredth anniversary of their city of Kiev: for The peoples of our country have teamed from their own experience that being together within one Union Sate multiplies their strength and speeds up social, economic and cultural development. And we shall tirelessly safeguard our sacred union and strengthen it in every way . 52. The multinational Soviet State which was born 60 years ago stands today as a powerful force in the struggle for the strengthening of friendship among all the peoples of the world and for lasting peace on earth. 53. The Ukrainian SSR, together with other Skates Members of the United Nations, is prepared to con¬tinue consistently, persistently and asolutely to multiply its efforts in the struggle for peace, social progress, co-operation and understanding among peoples.