Mr. President, I should like to convey to you, on
behalf of the delegation of the Netherlands and
on my own behalf, my congratulations on your
election to the presidency of the thirty-seventh
session of the Assembly. I am convinced that your
long experience in United Nations affairs will
enable you to shoulder the heavy
responsi¬bilities of your high office and to
guide us in our deliberations.
42. Much will depend upon your wisdom, for
the Assembly convenes at a juncture marked by an
atmosphere of crisis in international affairs, as
well as a crisis in the multilateral approach to
international affairs. Respect for and the use of
multilateral forums both within and outside the
United Nation seem to be on the decline, while a
tendency towards bilateralism and a preoccupation
with national prob¬lems are growing. We consider
this to be a disquieting development. In times of
crises such as those through which the world is
now passing, we, the Govern-ments and the States
Members of the United Nations, share a particular
and common responsibility to see to it that this
trend is reversed and that co-operation among
States resumes its rightful place in
international relations.
43. This session of the General Assembly owes
much to the Secretary-General for the way in
which he has put before us the central problem of
the Organiza¬tion's capacity to keep the peace
and to serve as a forum for negotiations. I fully
share his anxiety and his disappointment about
the inability of the United Nations to live up to
the hopes the peoples of this world placed in it
at its inception. I welcome his report on the
work of the Organization as an important signal
to the international community and as a challenge
to us all. We, for our part, will do our utmost
to help him in his efforts to improve the
credibility and the effectiveness of the
Organization.
44. Two objectives which are fundamental to
our mutual relations would, if properly pursued,
make the world a better place to live in for
everyone. They are complementary and are
intertwined in such a manner that the one cannot
be neglected without harming the other. Those
objectives are peace and security on the one hand
and justice on the other.
45. It is sometimes argued that peace is the
most important of all. Indeed, would a major war
in our nuclear age not be synonymous with the
annihilation of our civilization or even of
mankind itself? Peace is certainly a prerequisite
for the fulfillment of our aspirations, but we
should not forget that security is essential to
the process of peace. The principal organ of the
United Nations concerned with peace is called the
Security Council, not the Peace Council. Indeed,
one of the major challenges before us is to make
our system of collective security work.
46. Still, it is impossible to think of peace
without at the same time thinking of justice, for
there will be neither lasting peace nor genuine
security without justice. Not only should
relations between States, peoples and individuals
be governed by it, but justice is also foremost
in our minds when we come to think of such
matters as the eradication of poverty and the
promotion of human rights.
47. There are a number of areas in the world
where peace is at best precarious or where a
breach of the peace has already occurred. The
most conspicuous of those areas is the Middle
East, where—notwith¬standing the presence of a
United Nations peace¬keeping force—a military
invasion took place only three months ago. I
shall not repeat here what Mr. Ellemann-Jensen,
of Denmark, speaking on behalf of the members of
the European Community, said so eloquently
yesterday at the 8th meeting. Suffice it to say
that the Netherlands fully associates itself with
his condemnation of the invasion and with the
indigna¬tion at the complete disregard for all
the relevant resolutions of the Security Council
and the sorrow for the suffering caused to the
many—too many—victims.
48. In this connection I would pay a tribute
to the memory of those who fell victim to the
senseless murder in the refugee camps of Beirut.
Atrocities of this magnitude call for an
authoritative inquiry.
49. We cannot hope to find a durable solution
to the problems of the Middle East unless such a
solution is based upon security and justice.
There is a clear need for all peoples in the
region to live within secure borders. We shall
have to keep in mind, however, that a line drawn
on the map cannot provide genuine security.
Borders can be secure only if they are
recog¬nized by all concerned as part of a
comprehensive, just and lasting settlement. There
will have to be justice for all peoples: for
those who lack a national home, for those whose
territory is under foreign occupation and for
those whose State has yet to receive full
recognition.
50. The countries of the European Community
have repeatedly stressed the need to ensure both
security and justice for all peoples in the
Middle East. We therefore welcome President
Reagan's recent initiative as an important
opportunity for peaceful progress to this end. I
am equally happy to note that at Fez the Arab
leaders expressed their readiness to work for the
achievement of peace for all States in the
region. I sincerely hope that these statements
will pave the way for the negotiated settlement
which has eluded us so far and for which there is
no alternative but endless war.
51. Let me turn for a moment to another area
where peace has been regrettably absent for many
years now: Afghanistan. As a direct result of the
Soviet invasion 3 [pillion people have left their
country. We cannot but voice our indignation at
the repression which followed the occupation of
that unhappy, once non-aligned country. In order
to control a population heroically fighting for
its independence, 100,000 foreign troops are now
stationed in Afghanistan. The intervention, which
has caused the Soviet Union serious loss of
prestige, has had a profound impact on
international relations. I note in this respect,
for instance, its very negative effect on efforts
to convene a conference on the Indian Ocean.
52. We sincerely hope that it will be
possible to arrive at a political solution to
this question, and we therefore fully support the
efforts undertaken to that effect by the
Secretary-General.
53. Another victim of aggression, Kampuchea,
seems to be in a slightly better position than it
was in last year. Here various factions have been
able to form a coalition under the chairmanship
of His Royal High¬ness Prince Sihanouk. It is our
sincere hope that this development will make it
possible for the resolutions of the General
Assembly on Kampuchea to be carried out and that
there may be a better future around the comer for
that country, which has suffered so much during
the last five years. In this connection I should
like to express my country's appreciation for the
efforts of a number of States in the region, in
par¬ticular the members of ASEAN which are
playing such a positive and effective role in
furthering the cause of peace.
54. Unfortunately there are many other areas
in the world where peace is precarious or where
efforts to reach a permanent settlement have
failed so far. One such area is Korea, where, to
my mind, better use could be made of the
possibilities for dialogue and negotiation.
55. There is another area, however, where
peace has been in danger for quite some time now
but where there is hope for a settlement in the
not too distant future. I am thinking of Namibia.
If it were indeed possible to remove the
remaining obstacles on the way to a just and
lasting solution—and, need¬less to say, that is
what we are all looking forward to—then the world
will have witnessed an encouraging example of
what can be achieved by patient and careful
mediation. In that case the United Nations and
the group of five Western States can be proud of
having contributed to the accomplishment of
independence for the people of Namibia and for
having brought peace and, one hopes, lasting
stability to a region which has gone through such
a trying period. Let me only add at this stage,
while negotiations are still continuing that the
Netherlands will gladly be of assistance during
the transition.
56. Finally, whilst I am on the subject of
peace, I should like to say a few words about the
South Atlantic. I do not intend to go deeply into
the matter for I can associate myself with what
was said yesterday on behalf of the European
Community by my colleague from Denmark. Let me
only add that we are happy to note that the
recent grave events, in which force was used,
contrary to the principles of the Charter,
especially the principle of the peaceful
settlement of disputes, are now a thing of the
past. The Netherlands continues to attach the
greatest importance to its rela¬tions with the
countries of South America with which it has many
ties. Needless to say, we are looking forward to
a further strengthening of our relations with
those countries.
57. There will be no peace without security
and there will be no security if the various arms
races taking place in the world are allowed to
continue. It is sad to note, therefore, in
particular at a time when the need for concrete
progress is so great, that the results of the
Assembly's second special session on disarmament
were so meager. We shall have to redouble our
efforts in Geneva, so as to make up for lost
time. One way of doing this is to devise ways and
means which would enable the Committee on
Disarma¬ment to carry out its mandate more
effectively.
58. Only a few blocks away from the United
Nations Office at Geneva other negotiations are
taking place which are of crucial importance to
us all. A success¬ful outcome of the talks on the
reduction of strategic arms, and, one hopes, the
scrapping of an entire category of semi-strategic
weapons, could have a decisive effect on arms
control at large, and on the security of a great
number of nations present here in New York.
59. While addressing the subject of security,
I should like to make a few remarks on United
Nations peace-keeping operations. As members
know, the Nether¬lands has been, and still is,
engaged in one of the major activities taking
place in this Held. UNIFIL, which includes a
Dutch battalion, fulfilled an important task in
keeping the peace in southern Lebanon—for a
number of years anyway. Also, some progress was
made toward the restoration of the authority of
the Lebanese Government in that part of the
country. Apart from the humanitarian assistance
given to the numerous refugees in recent months,
that has remained UNIFIL's main objective.
60. However, the difference between
peace-keeping and peace-enforcing and the
limitations under which peace-keeping forces
operate and can be expected to operate have
become painfully clear. Whenever one of the
parties to a conflict shows a total disregard for
a force of this nature and applies massive
military pressure the United Nations presence is
bound to lose much of its meaning.
61. It is impossible to speak of security
without touching upon the Security Council. It is
the nucleus of the system of collective security
which is at the very heart of this great
Organization of ours. A number of its resolutions
have acquired the status of generally recognized
international instruments. I very much agree with
the Secretary-General that it is our common task
to protect and enhance the effectiveness of the
Security Council. I assure him that he may count
on our full support when he takes it upon himself
to bring potentially dangerous situations to the
attention of the Council, as indeed Article 99 of
the Charter invites him to do. Furthermore, the
.Netherlands welcomes his intention to develop a
wider and more systematic capacity for
fact-finding in areas of potential conflict. The
strengthening of the fact-finding capa¬bility of
the Organization could be an important element in
our efforts to maintain peace and security.
62. Occasionally special circumstances have
led nations to resort to peace-keeping operations
outside the United Nations framework. This may
give cause for some concern. However, the
maintenance of peace and stability must sometimes
take precedence over considerations of an
institutional nature. My country, for its part,has
a strong preference for participation in
peace-keeping activities decided upon by the
Security Council. The Netherlands will shortly
provide the Secretary-General with an updated
offer for units to be made available for United
Nations service.
63. Peace and security are not complete
without justice. Therefore it is to justice that
I shall devote the latter part of my speech.
Justice has to do with the notion of the fair and
equitable distribution of wealth and
decision-making power. It implies that relations
between nations are based on respect for the
principle of the equal rights and
self-determination of peoples, and that citizens
are treated in accordance with the dignity
inherent in the human person. These basic rights
lie at the root of the international community's
commitment to support processes aimed at self-
reliance and to overcome poverty, in particular
in the third world. Conceived in this way,
justice assures the consent of individuals to the
way in which they are governed and the consent of
nations to the interna¬tional order. Where
justice is deficient that consent can at best be
partial and there will be a constant danger to
peace and security.
64. Let me give an example, that of Poland, a
country that was also referred to by Mr.
Elleman-Jensen when he spoke on behalf of the
European Community. Nine months ago the Polish
authorities, yielding to pressure from a powerful
neighbor, decided to impose martial law, with
ensuing large-scale viola¬tions of human rights.
We all know the result: con¬tinuing turmoil,
followed by increasing repression.
65. An important element in the search for
justice is the promotion and protection of human
rights, civil and political as well as economic,
social and cultural. The fact that human rights
have become a generally recognized subject of
international concern is one of the major
achievements of the United Nations. My coun¬try's
approach to human rights and to violation of
those rights, wherever and whenever they occur,
is im¬partial. We feel strongly that we should
fight any abuse of those rights regardless of
ideological context or geographical area. In this
connection, let me just mention our anxiety about
developments in Iran and Viet Nam. In some
Central American countries, more¬over, we see a
vicious circle of repression and rebellion,
resulting in massive human suffering and a
rapidly growing number of refugees.
66. In South Africa the constitutional and
political system continues to be based on the
hideous policy of The Netherlands remains
committed, as it has always been, to doing
everything in its power to help put an end to
that system, which is intolerable to the majority
of the population and has been rejected by the
entire international community.
67. More often than not when we discuss human
rights we do soon a country-by-country basis.
How¬ever, it is also possible to look at these
issues in a thematic way. This method has proved
to be of some value in the Commission on Human
Rights. One of its principal advantages is that
it allows for a sys¬tematic, world-wide approach
to such disturbing phenomena as enforced
disappearances, mass exoduses, summary
executions, torture, and the fate of people
advocating the implementation of interna¬tionally
agreed human rights instruments in their own
countries. This approach, which is certainly not
designed to enable individual Governments to
evade their responsibilities, has proved to be a
workable method in a number of cases, and one
which could be further developed in the future.
In this connection, I should like to draw the
attention of the Assembly to the practice of
extra-legal executions as a means of political
persecution. Some months ago Amnesty
International organized in my country an
interna¬tional conference on this intolerable
practice, which seems to be on the increase.
68. I think it cannot be denied that; on the
whole, the principles in the field of human
rights are clear and that what is needed, first
and foremost, %s implementa¬tion. Yet there
remains a need for further refinement, if only to
define the responsibilities of those who
contravene human rights and to assure for all
others, whether directly affected or not, the
right to speak up and to act whenever such
contraventions take place. States and individuals
have both the right and the duty to play an
active role in furthering the cause of justice.
This explains our satisfaction at the adop¬tion
of the Declaration on the Elimination of All
Forms of Intolerance #id of Discrimination Based
on Religion or belief by the Assembly last year
after 20 years of drafting. It also explains why
we look forward to the adoption of similar
docu¬ments on medical ethics and on the
protection of all persons under any form of
detention or imprisonment, both of which are on
the agenda of this current session.
69. The Organisation has taken a variety of
initiatives directed towards the improvement of
the position of women and young people. As the
end of the United Nations Decade for Women draws
nearer, we should make even greater efforts to
ensure the realization of its principles and
objectives, namely, full and equal participation
of women in development, in political life and in
all social activities. We shall be successful
only to the extent that we can bring about a
funda¬mental change in prevailing attitudes and
mentalities, which too often lead to
discrimination against and, thus, to the
subordination of women in our societies. The
Netherlands will participate fully in the
imple-mentation of the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women.
70. The year in which the Decade for Women
will end, 1985, will be International Youth Year.
We attach great importance to the creation of
effective channels of communication to involve
the youth of our countries in various United
Nations activities, such as those concerned with
disarmament, arms control, develop¬ment
co-operation and human rights.
71. I need not stress the importance we
attach to United Nations activities for refugees.
During the past few years, the refugee problem
has reached staggering dimensions, particularly
in the third world. Assiduous efforts are
required to cope with this problem, and I can
only express the hope that Member States will
provide the United Nations High Com¬missioner for
Refugees with the assistance he so badly needs.
72. Finally, there are people whose situation
in some respects resembles that of refugees. They
are the migrant workers, who are dependent upon
the state of the economy in their host countries.
As a result of the current stagnation, many of
them will end up as victims of double
unemployment, both in the host country and at
home. This problem may well require our special
attention in the years to come.
73. Today, hunger is still a very real
problem for all too many people in a great number
of countries. These people do not get a fair
opportunity to earn their own living and to
provide themselves with the necessary food.
Millions cannot fulfill their basic needs. There
remains an intolerable discrepancy in living
standards, and in the opportunities to improve
them, between the industrialized and the
developing coun¬tries. Underdevelopment and
poverty are an integral part of the North-South
problem.
74. Justice requires that a wide spectrum of
measures be taken to promote the development of
the coun¬tries of the South. I am thinking of
measures in the field of sizeable and
well-defined development assis¬tance programmes,
measures of a structural nature to eliminate
bottlenecks in the areas cf trade and invest¬ment
and in the financial and monetary sphere, and
also measures to promote the exploration,
exploitation and 3ocal processing of commodities
and the search for sources of energy.
75. All these activities are destined to
contribute to the growth of the developing
countries and to a better world- vide
distribution of income and resources. We believe
that we should make a common effort to explore
ways and means to improve the international
economic order.
76. There have been numerous efforts, in
particular within the United Nations, to bring
this about. Instru¬ments for North-South
co-operation, such as the strategies for the
United Nations Development Decades, have been
devised. The implementation of such measures as
the 0.7 per cent aid target and the fight against
protectionism in trade are matters that must be
taken very seriously if justice is not to become
a hollow word. Non-implementation could, in its
effects, be almost as bad as disregard for
Security Council decisions. It is jeopardizing
co-operation between North and South, and
threatening the United Nations as an organization
whose decisions are to be taken seriously.
77. Those considerations have always guided
'my country's approach to these questions. I am
happy to add that the Netherlands' development
assistance has surpassed the 1 per cent mark.
78. The Netherlands had hoped that overall
economic co-operation based on interdependence
and solidarity between North and South could by
now have been discussed at a new round of global
negotiations. Unfortunately, we have been too
optimistic. We therefore urge all concerned to
make a serious effort to find an early solution
to the few difficulties that are still
outstanding. The world community is in urgent
need of a framework for dealing, in an
inter-related way and at a high political level,
with the key issues that bedevil international
economic relations and hamper development in the
third world.
79. In the meantime, it is important that
other nego¬tiations dealing with specific problem
areas be con¬ducted in a constructive spirit.
Solutions agreed in such negotiations should also
benefit those whose needs are greatest but who
are not in a position to offer concessions. The
notion of the survival of the fittest is not
applicable to relations between human beings or
States.
80. In a stormy and uncertain world, the
United Nations is an essential institution for
the pursuit of the two overriding and closely
interconnected objectives for international
co-operation: peace and justice. As the
Secretary-General so rightly observed, it is all
too easy to indulge in extreme and inflexible
positions. But what can one hope to accomplish by
generating rhetoric and intolerance? Instead let
us try to respect each other's views and
positions, thus paving the way for a more
meaningful dialogue.
81. With that in mind, I wish you, Mr.
President, and all those assembled here today
wisdom and good luck in the coming months. We
shall need a lot of both if we are to make
progress towards the realization of the
principles and purposes to which we are committed
as Members of the United Nations.