33. Mr. President, on behalf of the Venezuelan Government and its delegation, and on my own behalf, I should like to offer you our warmest and most sincere congratulations on your election as President of the nineteenth session of the General Assembly. The unanimous vote you received bears witness to the great esteem and prestige you enjoy, both in your country and in this Organization, because of your outstanding personal qualities. At the same time I express the fervent hope that your actions will be crowned with many successes, leading to greater harmony in our debates and the adoption of effective decisions.
34. Three new nations, Malawi, Malta and Zambia, have taken their places among the Members of this Organization. I extend a most sincere welcome to their distinguished delegations and express the confidence of the Venezuelan delegation that they will make a valuable contribution to the joint task of pacification, which is the main objective of the United Nations.
35. Its historical traditions and the constant will of the majority of its people have led Venezuela to pursue an independent international policy, dictated solely by its steadfast devotion to democracy and by the basic interests of its people, within the framework of loyal and voluntary co-operation, which should be mutual and of reciprocal benefit to all the Members of this world Organization. The aim of this policy is the preservation and strengthening of Venezuela's political and economic independence, in conditions which not only permit but actually favour peaceful and constructive collaboration with all the other nations of the world. This assertion may sound presumptuous, but the Members of this Assembly are fully aware that democratic Venezuela has on many occasions proved its steadfast commitment to law, to its international obligations and to the loftiest principles of justice.
36. In conformity with that policy, my country has encouraged and observed strict compliance with the principles and provisions of the United Nations Charter, both at the world level and at the regional level within the Organization of American States. This explains why our differences with other countries have never resulted in any aggression on the part of Venezuela. Even in those cases where there has been brazen intervention in our internal affairs, with the avowed aim of destroying what has been created by the self-determination of our people, my Government has had recourse to the appropriate international organization and through the justice of our cause, has obtained the condemnation of the aggressors. Similarly, it is by means of friendly negotiation and irrefutable historical and legal arguments that Venezuela is endeavouring to obtain reparation for an act which, through a transaction between third parties, disguised as an arbitral award, obviously invalid and unjust, deprived it of part of its territory, which is still under foreign domination.
37. Long before the United Nations was established, the objectives of this Organization were already deeply rooted in our history or were among the goals which the Venezuelan people were determined to attain. Devotion to peace, to liberty, to respect for human dignity and to adherence to the universal principles of law has been at the very heart of our existence as an independent nation.
38. It is good to recognize and to proclaim that the successful peace-keeping activities of this world Organization, as also the hard-won progress it has achieved in the improvement of living standards in various regions of the world and in the accession to independence of a large group of colonial territories, do it great credit. But no one can expect mankind to be satisfied with the small fraction that has been achieved of the enormous task imposed by the fundamental objectives of the United Nations.
39. The disquiet that this idea inevitably arouses does not, however, weaken our firm resolve to cooperate in the common struggle as we take part in this Assembly. In many parts of the world the Assembly is being watched with great concern, because of the havoc caused by apparently internal wars and the annihilation of human life by poverty, hunger, and racial and religious persecution, in open disrespect for the authority of this world Organization, which is called upon to remedy such evils, and in defiance of the real desires of the great majority of the peoples of the world.
40. In the background of this panorama lurks the spectre of an atomic war. No sooner has a step forward been taken with the banning of nuclear explosions by the Powers possessing this deadly weapon, than new explosions increase the anxiety of the peace-loving peoples of the world and there is a feeling that, instead of progressing, we have moved backward along the path of coexistence. The universal hope that man's intelligence and scientific resources will be devoted to combating cruel diseases and creating better living standards and greater educational opportunities is discouraged by the fact that, in order to withstand the aggression of potential enemies, the so-called great Powers allocate thousands of millions of dollars in their budgets to cover the growing expenditure necessitated by the development of new weapons and monstrous means of destruction.
41. The world is beginning to lose faith in the effectiveness of the efforts that have so far been made to achieve disarmament. In the short lapse of half a century mankind has witnessed the annihilation, in two world wars, not only of soldiers in the field but of civilian populations and it views with horror the threat of a new conflagration whose outcome cannot be foretold. To judge by present means of destruction, such a conflict would inevitably bring about the end of our civilization. That is why world public opinion clamours for more realistic and effective action, designed to end the arms race by means of an agreement ensuring universal disarmament with adequate control and guaranteeing the cessation of the manufacture of both strategical and technical atomic weapons.
42. Despite the fact that emphasis is frequently laid upon the right of peoples to self-determination, there are Governments which, in covert and sometimes overt, brazen alliances with rebellious minorities, strive through violence to overthrow the legal, social and economic order that other peoples have established for themselves in the free exercise of their sovereignty. My Government and my people are deeply concerned by the tendency of some groups in various parts of the world to unleash hateful, cruel and inhuman racial persecution where none existed before or to exacerbate persecution where, unfortunately, it was already rampant. We wish to express here our hope, which is undoubtedly shared by the majority of the representatives present in this Assembly, that the United Nations will take effective steps, designed to put an end drastically to such outbreaks of racial hatred.
43. It is not in a mood of pessimism or discouragement that Venezuela is attending this Assembly. On the contrary, it comes to offer its co-operation in order to give a greater and more determined impetus to mutual co-operation in a common endeavour to consolidate peaceful coexistence among nations of all ideologies, for the purpose of building a civilization worthy of God and of man.
44. Due credit must be given to the technical and financial co-operation offered to Governments through the appropriate machinery of the United Nations and the international financial institutions, in support of the programmes of the developing countries. Nevertheless, the attempts to take practical steps towards the United Nations objectives of eradicating poverty and elimination, or at least alleviating, the economic inequality between peoples have proved unsuccessful. In this connexion we must draw attention to the commendable concern shown by our Secretary-General, U Thant, and the efforts he has undertaken to find a satisfactory solution.
45. In order to attain these objectives, trade relations and development plans must be reinforced through mutual co-operation and self-help. But then there is the question of the exorbitant profits made by the economic Powers and the great international consortia. Thus the peoples of the world are hampered in the exercise of their right to live and develop worthily, on the basis of balanced trade and reasonable prices for their resources and the fruit of their labour.
46. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held in 1964, demonstrated the imbalance that exists between the different areas of the world and the unavoidable need to correct it, and showed that an adequate revision of the terms of international trade is the only way of ensuring that wealth is equitably shared among all the peoples of the world. No one today can question the right of the developing countries to fair conditions for the sale of their products on world markets at prices comparable with those obtained by the products of the industrialized countries. There is similar inequality in the social and political fields, too, and it is to a large extent responsible for the continuance of present world tension. This, therefore, is one of the urgent problems which must be solved if lasting peace is to be maintained.
47. Our civilization will be unable to move forward towards universal harmony and a full and decent life for mankind unless the great economic Powers abandon their nationalism and devote themselves with true zeal to contributing sincerely to an adequate readjustment of the trade between themselves and the developing countries. This is the only way to achieve an equilibrium which will enable the less developed nations to carry out their plans for progress, within a correlation of exports and imports which would encourage more satisfactory world distribution of the products of economic activity.
48. That is why my country categorically and unconditionally supports the efforts of the so-called group of seventy-five countries which, at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development held at Geneva in 1964, expressed the aspirations of millions of men and women in all parts of the world, who demand their place in a world that is better for all and not just for a few. If we sincerely intend to build a world based on justice, the Geneva resolutions must not become a dead letter but must be given dynamic momentum by this Assembly.
49. Venezuela recently attended the Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Cairo, as an observer. The deliberations of the Conference, with the exception of the aggressive statements of an interventionist country, left us with the hope that the action of those countries may be directed towards the pacification of the world and the creation of conditions of peaceful coexistence among all Governments. This would make it possible to devote their financial resources to the improvement of the material and spiritual standards of living of their peoples. We hope, however, that this rapprochement between the non-aligned countries will not lead to the establishment of organizations outside the United Nations, which would entail the fragmentation and dispersal of resources and efforts. It is essential to avoid weakening the central body, the only instrument that is capable of co-ordinating the will of all countries and in which world public opinion exercise the most effective influence.
50. In order to attain the objectives of the United Nations, it is also essential to eliminate both political and economic colonialism, by means of the effective exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, through universally accepted methods. I am convinced that not only Venezuela, but other countries which were forced to wage cruel wars in order to obtain independence, advocate the liberation of territories which, despite the fact that they have achieved the necessary political and cultural maturity, are still under colonial administration.
51. This statement is a ratification of Venezuela's unchanging policy and I wish to stress once again that a territory's accession to independence must be effected without prejudice to the possible right of neighbouring nations to recover parts of their territory which have been wrested from them by force or by arrangements with a false veneer of legality. To ignore this right would be to run counter to the principle, enshrined in the Charter, of the territorial integrity of States and to the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
52. The Venezuelan delegation deems it pertinent to report that the tripartite talks concerning the recovery of part of the territory of the eastern region of Venezuela are proceeding according to the agreement reached in the Joint Communique of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela and the United Kingdom of 7 November 1963. The first stage was the meeting of experts of the three parties concerned, held at Caracas and in London, to discuss the results of their investigations and the documentary evidence concerning the question, and to proceed to the drafting of the reports to their respective Governments. As soon as those reports are submitted, a meeting will be held at Government level in accordance with the agreement reached in London in November 1963. The Venezuelan Government once again reaffirms its hopes that the question of frontiers with British Guiana will be pursued in the amicable spirit that has so far characterized these talks.
53. The decisions of the regional bodies which lie within the United Nations orbit and are linked to it by specific clauses in the Charter, such as the Organization of American States (OAS), deserve the most resolute and unconditional support. It is necessary to preserve the force of their institutional principles and their objectives of promoting peace and the progress of their peoples within democratic regimes with a high level ex social justice and respect for human rights and for the freedom and dignity of the individual.
54. Perhaps the most frequent cause of regional wars has hitherto been frontier disputes, to which has been added the emergence of a new type of indirect aggression. The latter is characterized by the assistance in money, propaganda material and weapons furnished by some States, to terrorist guerrilla groups which, having failed to win over public opinion in their countries by the usual methods of political campaigning and disseminating ideas, resort to violence and armed attacks in order to overthrow the institutions which the people have established for themselves. In addition to representing a backward step in the world's political evolution, this phenomenon represents a growing threat to peaceful coexistence among peoples who have adopted different systems of government.
55. Venezuela maintains that in order to eliminate both causes of war it is necessary to put into practice the standards and principles enunciated in the Charter of the United Nations and in the regional organizations. We feel, however, that the countries represented here should resolve to study the characteristics and methods of the new form of indirect aggression. It is a serious matter and represents a threat to the maintenance of peace; we think that in order to counteract its effects a special agreement might be concluded, containing rules and procedures and establishing exemplary sanctions to be applied against Governments which appear to be guilty of such acts of intervention and indirect aggression.
56. in this connexion, we have the impression that the results of the recent meeting in Mexico of the Special Committee on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States were very meagre. Further joint efforts are therefore urgently needed to enable this Committee, strengthened by the wisdom and support of this Assembly, to achieve more concrete results, both in the domain just mentioned and in the codification of international law.
57. In order to corroborate the sincerity and accuracy of what I have said, I should like to quote two paragraphs from the Preamble to the National Constitution of Venezuela, with which my Government is bound to comply; "Co-operating with all other nations and especially with the sister Republics of the Continent, in the aims of the international community, based on mutual respect for sovereignties, the self-determination of peoples, the universal guarantee of the individual and social rights of the human person, and the repudiation of war, conquest and economic predominance as instruments of international policy; "Supporting the democratic order as the sole means that may never be surrendered of ensuring the rights and dignity of citizens and favouring the peaceful extension thereof to all the peoples of the earth."
58. Finally, I should like to express our faith in the United Nations and our determination to work for its survival. We are sure that this desire is shared by all Member States, great and small. This Assembly is the only adequate world forum in which the small States can make their voice heard and the Organization is the most appropriate instrument for seeking a solution to their problems. It is the so-called small States which have the greatest interest in seeing that our Organization emerges successfully from the present crisis. It is those States, too, which constitute a majority in the United Nations and which cannot therefore permit the disappearance or diminished effectiveness of the only body capable, at the present state of international co-operation, of preserving peace and contributing to the solution of the numerous problems confronting mankind.
59. We therefore hope that the obstacles hindering the normal progress of the work of the Assembly will disappear and that the latter will shortly be able to begin its important work in an atmosphere of harmony and co-operation.