The people of Uganda have placed their hopes for world peace and
security in this Organization which was founded 37 years ago after
the most disastrous war this planet has ever known. The collective
determination which the peoples of the United Nations expressed in
1945 to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war must
remain the fundamental objective of the Organization. I should like,
on behalf of the delegation of Uganda, to extend to the President our
warm congratulations on his unanimous election to the presidency of
the thirty seventh session of the General Assembly. His wide
diplomatic experience and his extensive knowledge of the United
Nations uniquely qualify him to discharge the onerous
responsibilities we have entrusted to him. Our satisfaction at his
election is all the greater because he hails from Hungary, a count y
with which Uganda enjoys very cordial relations. I take this
opportunity to pay a most well deserved tribute to his predecessor,
Mr. Ismat Kittani, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq. Mr.
Kittani presided over the various sessions held by the General
Assembly during his term of office with exceptional skill, devotion
and competence. We wish him well in all his future endeavors. I also
wish, on this occasion, to pay a very warm tribute to our
distinguished Secretary General, who has worked hard, since his
election to that high office, with much courage and rare commitment,
to restore and enhance the effectiveness of the Organization. We are
meeting here at a time when the question of Namibia is uppermost in
our minds. We are asking more urgently than ever: when is Namibia
going to be free? For how long will the present maneuvers to postpone
the day of independence for the people of Namibia? There is no need
any more to recount the number of occasions on the long journey
towards Namibian independence when our hopes have been elevated only
to have been crushed at every critical turn on the road. In the
course of the last three months we have been treated to well
publicized reports about substantial progress towards a negotiated
settlement. Today, however hard we focus our gaze on the distant
prospects, we cannot see any real or concrete manifestations of a
settlement. Instead we are witnessing the injection of extraneous and
irrelevant elements into the negotiations. We see no justification
for any linkage between Namibian independence and the presence of
Cuban military personnel in Angola. The former is a clear cut
colonial issue and has been treated as such by the United Nations and
by the entire international community. The latter, on the other hand,
is a bilateral arrangement, which is by no means unique, between two
independent, sovereign States. In any case, how can anyone forget
that the presence of Cuban military personnel in Angola was
occasioned in the first instance by South African aggression against
Angola. Moreover, these acts of aggression have continued unabated to
this very day. Even as we deliberate here today, South African troops
continue to occupy the southern region of Angola. We challenge anyone
to cite even a single instance of Angolan incursion into South
Africa, with or without Cuban military personnel. Those who are
touting the so called linkage are attempting to rewrite history. In
spite of the obvious facts to the contrary they are seeking to create
a make believe world, a world in which the aggressor appears as the
victim and the real victim is projected as a threat to the aggressor.
This so called linkage is a very suspicious scheme indeed, one which
we find inadmissible and unacceptable. We want to state once again
that Security Council resolution 435 continues to be the only basis
for a negotiated settlement for Namibian independence. I wish to
stress, moreover, the special political and moral responsibility
which the five Western States bear in this matter. We urge them to
admit that responsibility and to bring to an immediate end South
Africa's intransigence and procrastination. We salute the people of
Namibia, under the leadership of the South West Africa People's
Organization, their sole and authentic representative, for the heroic
struggle they continue to wage against the occupying Power, as well
as for the exemplary statesmanship they have demonstrated throughout
the process of negotiations. In South Africa itself the situation has
continued to deteriorate dramatically. The racist minority regime
continues its oppression of the majority of the people with impunity.
Freedom fighters have been given death sentences by the apartheid
courts. Trade union movements are being subjected to the most
repressive laws. Opponents of apartheid have been assassinated in
detention centers and in neighboring countries. Helpless women and
children have been forcibly evacuated from their urban settlements
and dumped like waste into remote and unproductive reserves. In a
vain attempt to consolidate further the apartheid system and divide
the ranks of the oppressed, the Pretoria regime has tried to coopt
some sectors of the oppressed communities into the segregated power
structure, while that power structure continues to exclude the vast
majority of the people from any exercise of political or economic
power. This transparent ploy of divide and rule, like the other ploys
before it, is bound to fail. In addition to supporting the internal
resistance which is gaining momentum every day, the international
community must spare no effort to isolate the racist minority regime.
We condemn those countries that continue to strengthen the system of
apartheid through their collaboration in the economic, military and
nuclear fields. In this regard, we want to see the full and effective
implementation of Security Council resolution 418 on the arms embargo
against the minority racist regime. We urge the Security Council to
act with speed to block the existing loopholes in the arms embargo
regime. We take this opportunity to pay a tribute to the front line
States for their relentless commitment to the cause of freedom and
justice in southern Africa. We also reaffirm our solidarity with the
liberation movements of South Africa in their just struggle to free
their homeland from the grip of oppression. In particular, we salute
the African National Congress for its significant contribution in
this regard. We also take this opportunity to reaffirm our support
for the just struggle of the Sahraoui people under the leadership of
POLISARIO. In the Middle East the peoples of the region are today
living through a terrible nightmare, a nightmare which started with
the massive and unprovoked Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June this
year. Employing some of the most inhuman methods of mass destruction,
such as cluster and phosphorous bombs, Israeli troops massacred
thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians, the vast majority of whom
were innocent and defenseless civilians. Most recently we were deeply
shocked by the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and
Shatila camps in west Beirut. Israel's aggressive conduct can be
explained only in the context of its long standing designs on
Lebanon, namely the dismemberment of Lebanon and the control of the
Litani River. We demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of
Israeli forces from Lebanon in accordance with the relevant
resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly.
Uganda continues to maintain that the core of the Middle East
conflict is the question of Palestine. The Middle East cannot know
any peace until the Palestinian people fully realize their right to
self determination and nationhood. The sooner Israel accepts this
reality, the better for it and for all the communities of the region.
An American writer, I. F. Stone, expressed very well a universal
concern in an article which appeared in New York Journal of 19 July
1982 under the title When Tel Aviv Was West Beirut when he stated:
Can we Jews not recognize the image in our own mirrors? Can we not
respond to a kindred people being made homeless once again, first in
Palestine, now in Lebanon? If a Jewish State in Palestine, why not a
Palestinian State, too? Who betterthan we should understand
Palestinian desperation and homelessness? It is in recognition of
this fact that Uganda reiterates its unflinching support for the
Palestinian people and the Palestine Liberation Organization, their
sole and legitimate representative. It is for the same reason that we
welcome and support the proposals adopted at the Twelfth Arab Summit
Conference at Fez last month. In our view, those proposals are in
full conformity with the various resolutions of the General Assembly
and the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. On the
question of Korea, Uganda has always supported the desire of the
Korean people for the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.
We have always maintained that the division of Korea is an injustice
committed against the Korean people through the mechanism of foreign
intervention. That injustice must be remedied through an early and
peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, free from external
interference. While we applaud the positive beginning ushered in by
the joint communique of 4 July 1972 we especially welcome the efforts
of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea wards
the peaceful reunification of Korea. The tragic war between the
Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq continues to be a matter of grave
concern to us. In our view, the continuation of that conflict is
clearly not in the interests of either the Iranian or the Iraqi
people. We appeal once again to the parties in conflict to abandon
the path of war and settle their differences by peaceful means.
Uganda remains concerned about the unhappy situations in Cyprus,
Afghanistan and Kampuchea, all of which call for negotiated political
solutions. The peoples of those countries must be allowed to
determine their own destinies, free from any outside interference. We
live in an era in which advances in science and technology have
placed in our hands arsenals capable of destroying the world 30 times
over. Even more ominous is the fact that we live in an era in which
the nations that possess those deadly weapons of destruction are
showing an increasing willingness to use them to wage limited and
winnable nuclear wars. Such talk, needless to say, is cause for grave
concern to all peace loving countries and peoples. Our concern has
been heightened by the failure of the Assembly at the second special
session on disarmament to adopt concrete measures to eliminate the
dangers of war, halt and reverse the arms race and adopt a
comprehensive programme for disarmament. The peoples of the world had
placed high hopes on the outcome of the session. The mammoth rally
held here in New York at the time of the session, as well as peace
demonstrations all over the world in favor of disarmament, were a
clear message of international public indignation at the unbridled
arms race and in favor of peace. The failure to adopt concrete
measures tor effective disarmament negotiations was therefore a deep
disappointment to all peace loving peoples the world over. Those who
contributed to that dismal outcome to the session must take full
responsibility for the consequences that may follow. We believe that
the deadlock in disarmament negotiations has and will continue to
have negative effects on other areas of international cooperation. It
is therefore of the utmost importance this session of the General
Assembly find ways and means of breaking the deadlock. In this
regard, we urge the big Powers to exercise restraint and flexibility
and to show the necessary political will so as to further the cause
of peace. We are meeting in the aftermath of the Second United
Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space, held at Vienna, 9 to 21 August, the report of which is before
the Assembly. The potential of outer space represents a valuable
common heritage for mankind. Outer space offers yet another unique
opportunity for mankind to explore new frontiers with a common
purpose and for mutual benefit. In the view of my delegation, the
exploration and exploitation of outer space should proceedon the
basis of a cooperative effort determined by an international set of
binding principles and rules. The pursuit of cooperative objectives
and common benefits precludes the promotion of contradictory
interests. It is for this reason that my delegation is strongly
opposed to the militarization of outer space. We urge strict
adherence to the 1966 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities
of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the
Moon and other Celestial Bodies. On the economic f. the situation is
equally grave. The global economic crisis, which is characterized by
recession and rampant inflation, high interest rates and
protectionism in the developed countries on the one hand and a
serious deterioration in the terms of trade and increasing external
indebtedness of the developing countries, on the other hand, has
reached alarming dimensions. The situation has been compounded by the
deadlock in international economic negotiations, the arms race and a
drastic decline in the transfer of real resources to the developing
countries. All those factors have combined to affect adversely the
world economy in general and the development of the developing
countries in particular. There has, in addition, been a sharp decline
in the spirit of interdependence and in international cooperation
aimed at finding constructive solutions to present problems. The
emphasis which is increasingly being given to bilateral arrangements
by some developed countries at the expense of multilateral
cooperation has gravely affected the operation of multilateral
agencies and programmes such as UNDP, and the economies of the
developing countries. Under these circumstances, the launching of
global negotiations remains one of the most important items on the
agenda of the General Assembly. The hopes the international community
has placed in the General Assembly to ensure that the process of
correcting the structural imbalances in the present world economy is
embarked upon without any further delay must be realized. As we have
previously stated, our frustration has been increased by the glaring
lack of progress in implementing the decisions unanimously adopted at
the sixth special session of the General Assembly, at which a solemn
commitment to work for the establishment of the new international
economic order was made by all of us. It was therefore with a deep
sense of disappointment that we witnessed the failure at the thirty
sixth session to break the impasse in the launching of global
negotiations. In this regard Uganda is of the view that General
Assembly resolution 34/138 of 14 December 1979, which was accepted by
the international community as a whole, is the appropriate basis for
launching the global negotiations. We appeal to those countries that
are stalling to join the consensus on the need for an early launching
of those negotiations. The present economic problems must not prevent
us from charting a more stable and reliable path to meaningful
international economic cooperation for development. If the global
round of negotiations is not launched soon, we fear that there will
continue to be increasing difficulties in other forthcoming
negotiations such as those at the sixth session of UNCTAD and the
fourth session of UNIDO. Indeed, the success or failure of the thirty
seventh session will be judged by whether or not we can generate
adequate political will to bring about a breakthrough for the
launching of global negotiations. As one of the least developed
countries, Uganda attaches great importance to the Substantial New
Programme of Action for the 1980s for the Least Developed Countries
adopted in Paris last year? for the purpose of arresting the economic
deterioration of the least developed countries. We believe that its
speedy and successful implementation requires a deeper sense of
commitment to substantial resource focus on the least developed
countries, especially on the part of the developed countries,
international financial institutions and United Nations agencies. We
are very concerned that no agreement has sofar been reached on the
twin critical issues of specific additional and adequate financial
targets for new and renewable sources of energy and the establishment
of an energy affiliate of the World Bank. We hope, however, that the
consultative mechanism contained in the Rome compromise for the
mobilization of finance and the transfer of technology to the
developing countries will receive the necessary international
support. We have for a long time accepted that international measures
of assistance are only supportive and cannot indeed, should not be a
substitute for efforts by the developing counties themselves. In this
regard we commend the efforts of the developing countries to
implement the Caracas Programme of Action. The seriousness with which
a number of Group of 77 sectorial meetings with regard to the
implementation of the Caracas Programme of Action have been
undertaken is evidence that the spirit of Caracas continues to grow.
39. Uganda remains committed to the strengthening of economic
cooperation among developing countries as an essential component of
the new international economic order and as an effective means of
enhancing the collective self reliance of the developing countries.
In Africa we are trying to foster economic cooperation under the
Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Monrovia Strategy
for Mie Economic Development of Africa. The international community
should assist Africa in its efforts to implement the Lagos Plan of
Action, which we hope will in time secure the economic integration of
the continent. The year 1982 has been characterized by an increase in
armed conflicts, escalation if the arms race, the persistence of
potentially explosive territorial disputes; lingering colonialism and
foreign interference and intervention. Unbridled big Power rivalry
and the quest for spheres of dominance have continued to fuel the
hotbeds of world tension. This increasing world tension has had a
very negative impact on the work of the United Nations. It is against
this background that we salute and commend the Secretary General for
his bold and refreshing report on the work of the Organization. As a
member of the Security Council, Uganda is familiar with the trend
that has led to the steady erosion of the Security Council's
authority and effectiveness. My delegation is of the view that the
Secretary General's report deserves formal consideration by both the
Security Council and the General Assembly, in order to work out
concrete measures to improve the effectiveness of the United Nations.
Uganda celebrated the twentieth anniversary of its independence last
Saturday, 9 October 1982. In two weeks' time it will be 20 years
since Uganda was admitted as the one hundred and tenth Member of the
United Nations. On this memorable occasion I should like to recall
what the President of the Republic of Uganda A. Milton Obote, said
from this rostrum at the seventeenth session 20 years ago with regard
to the international situation: I am very conscious that Uganda joins
the Organization at a time when humanity is at the crossroads of
destiny, when great nations are re arming With the most devastating
weapons ever known, when the world Organization and the world at
large are ridden with ideological conflicts and the continuing
effects of the cold war, and when vast resources that should be used
for the alleviation of human misery are being channeled into nuclear
armaments. Today the world seems dark, but these darkening scenes,
we, as a new Member, pray, should not discourage us in the ability of
the Member nations present here to realize the shortcomings of this
Organization and to pledge their faith in its ability as the only
positive hope for the restoration of sanity and peace among the
nations of the world. Those remarks remain very pertinent today,
indeed more so than in 1962. As we enter the third decade of our
independence. I wish to reaffirm, on behalf of the Government and
people of Uganda, our full commitment to the purposes and principles
of the Charter of the United Nations and our faith in the ability of
the Organization to develop the capacity to save present and future
generations from the scourge of war.