1. Mr. President, allow me first of all, on behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, to associate myself with the previous speakers in congratulating you on your sweeping election to the Presidency of the General Assembly at its twenty-second session. In so doing, we are paying a well-earned tribute to your gallant country, with its deep Latin roots, and acknowledging your outstanding qualities as a public servant and an experienced diplomat.
2. We are happy that it has fallen to Romania to be the first Eastern European country to hold this high office and conduct the deliberations of this Assembly, representing almost all the countries of this world, and that you, with your knowledge, experience and devotion to the principles which imbue this Organization, have been chosen to discharge the duties of the office on its behalf. In offering you our congratulations, we wish you every success in the important and complex task entrusted to you and offer the wholehearted co-operation of our delegation.
3. At the same time, my delegation would like to pay a very warm tribute to the outgoing President, Mr. Pazhwak, who showed great tact and ability in conducting the meetings of three consecutive Assemblies, carrying out the task in an indefatigable and praiseworthy manner.
4. El Salvador comes to this Assembly imbued with its unshakable adherence to the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and convinced that the only road to harmonious coexistence for all nations and to the maintenance of peace is through the Organization. This Assembly is a forum for world-wide discussion and the ideal instrument for international co-operation and the peaceful solution of the problems dividing and disquieting all nations.
5. We must recognize that the United Nations has not proved capable of taking energetic action to solve the most critical of the conflicts which have arisen in recent times and that the atmosphere in which this session is beginning is darkened by the shadow of the dire threats hanging over us; but we have faith in the Organization and we are anxious to collaborate with it in every way we can, so as to try to establish calm and security throughout the world.
6. My delegation wishes to repeat at this session what you yourself have said, Mr. President, that the primary duty of small nations like ours is to promote unfailing and genuine respect for the principles of law and justice which, in the International order, are the sine qua non of coexistence and friendly co-operation between States in accordance with the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.
7. With regard to the disarmament problem, my delegation believes it to be an undeniable fact that vast human and economic resources, which should be contributing to the welfare of nations, are still being poured into an absurd arms race which Is not only detrimental and distressing to the small developing countries, but puts a burden even on the great Powers, in that they are forced to bear the exorbitant cost of these weapons.
8. However, at times countries are obliged to increase their defence forces to be able to meet the danger of attempts against their territorial integrity or of subversive machinations fostered from outside, In flagrant violation of the principles of sovereignty and self-determination. In such circumstances, we condemn the aggressiveness or the subversive acts of the Governments which force peace-loving countries to shoulder heavy defence expenditure that would otherwise be unnecessary but is the only way of ensuring survival.
9. At a time when the Organization is on the threshold of the International Year for Human Rights and is involved in the work which the Development Decade involves for all of us, the most convincing and complete proof it could offer of its integrity and wisdom would be a firm decision by all Member States, and In particular the great Powers, to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons as one decisive step towards complete and general disarmament.
10. There is no doubt that, without the agreement and concurrence of the great Powers, the majority of nations could not by themselves provide an effective solution for all the problems connected with the definite banning of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, the smaller countries are in duty bound to band together in prohibiting the presence, manufacture or use of nuclear weapons on their own territories, not only to outlaw their destructive power, but also to bring closer the fulfilment of the ideals of peace which are dear to all mankind and to exert a beneficial influence on other regions where the situation is similar to ours. The success of Mexico's judicious and clever initiative in bringing about a Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Tlatelolco Treaty) sets an admirable precedent for other regions of the world anxious to be freed from the threat of nuclear war.
11. We likewise express our sincerest hopes for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon — which we shall fully support. Identical texts of the draft treaty were introduced at the same time on 24 August last by the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at the Conference of the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament held at Geneva.
12. I now turn to a problem which has been of the utmost concern to mankind for several years — the Viet-Nam war, a prolonged struggle which continues to cause untold loss of life and destruction in that ill-starred part of Asia.
13. Despite the praiseworthy efforts of the Secretary-General, the United Nations has not been able to participate effectively in finding a solution for this tricky problem. Nevertheless, there are hopeful signs.
14. The Government of the United States recently made known that it would whole-heartedly welcome a constructive attempt by the United Nations in the next few days to find a peaceful solution. We regard this statement on the part of the great Western Power involved in the regrettable conflict as invaluable and completely sincere. The Secretary-General's repeated attempts to restore peace in Viet-Nam, and His Holiness the Pope's important message expressing the Holy See's similar pleas for peace, naturally deserve our support and applause.
15. We trust that these gestures and the United States Government's repeated offers will be reciprocated by the Government of North Viet-Nam and will be successful in the very near future, so that this serious conflict, which in one way or another affects ail mankind, can be settled at the conference table rather than on the battlefield.
16. During the current year, the General Assembly has held two special sessions to deal with crucial problems — the one to study the situation in South West Africa and the other to attempt to resolve the difficult situation in the Middle East.
17. In view of the persistent refusal by the Republic of South Africa to comply with the General Assembly decision which terminated the Mandate conferred on South Africa by the former League of Nations to administer the Territory of South West Africa, we should like once again to express our faith in the indisputable legitimacy of the resolution, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the Members of the Organization, indeed practically unanimously. Thus it was made manifest that world public opinion was opposed to an administration exercised in a manner contrary to the purposes for which it had been established and subjecting the inhabitants of the Territory to racial discrimination at variance with human dignity and unacceptable to freedom-loving people everywhere.
18. My delegation trusts that, despite the stalemate caused by the South African Republic's attitude, the United Nations will devise the practical measures required to implement General Assembly resolution 2145 (XXI), adopted at its twenty-first session, and take over the administration of South West Africa until that country is sufficiently mature and ready for independence. My delegation fervently hopes that the Republic of South Africa will co-operate with the United Nations, thus giving an example of solidarity and respect for the fundamental principles of the Organization.
19. With regard to the situation in the Middle East, we find it profoundly discouraging that bloody clashes, with painful, tragic repercussions for the civilized world, are still occurring between two countries which are both active Members of an Organization such as ours, established specifically for the joint maintenance of peace and the friendly settlement of international controversies.
20. In any case, it should be borne in mind that this is not a situation resulting from an armed conflict or an unexpected and unforeseeable war between Israel and the Arab States. It is rather a new crisis — the last, let us hope — in a complex of chronic belligerency which has prevailed between the countries concerned ever since the State of Israel was founded. It is a deterioration in a tense situation whose origins go a long way back and which had always shown a tendency to grow steadily worse in a climate of heated passions and constant threat, and under the pressure of continual struggle, overt or covert, between the Middle Eastern countries. The disastrous results of the latest Arab-Israel crisis, the most violent to date, arouse our humanitarian feelings. We are impelled to try to alleviate the suffering and to do everything in our power to help to bring about an honourable and equitable settlement between the contending parties.
21. With the utmost sincerity we must say that we are overcome with grief and sorrow at the spectacle in the Middle East resulting from the conflict which divides It. In this distressing situation we should like to tell the people that the geographical distance between us in no way lessens our concern or our anxiety over their problems. But it does allow us to assess the tragic happenings more objectively and calmly than countries which are closer or more affected by influences not existing in our case to impair the impartiality of our judgement.
22. Like all Latin American nations, El Salvador has inherited a tradition in which the Arab influence can be felt even through the beautiful language which is our legacy from Spain. But our links with the Arab countries are not only spiritual and cultural. We have in our country a large and highly esteemed Arab community, composed of hard-working, honourable people who are making a real contribution to the development and expansion of the country and who, as excellent Salvadorian citizens, become daily more integrated in the life of their new nation.
23. At the same time, El Salvador maintains cordial relations with the State of Israel, A distinguished Jewish community, equally enterprising and honourable, has settled in our country. It has earned for itself an outstanding position in the economic, social and cultural life of the country and thus also deserves our esteem. Nor can we forget that, we too are co-heirs of those noble spiritual values which have their roots in the history of the Jewish people.
24. For these reasons, both communities have our sympathy and affection; and this is the very reason why we find the tragic events of last July, with their train of destruction, hatred and misery, so very distressing, and why we hope that an agreement will be reached which will once and for all guarantee peace and tranquillity in the Middle East.
25. We should like to take this opportunity to stress the Latin American group's carefully thought-out efforts during the emergency special session of the General Assembly convened to discuss those events, with a view to drafting a just and equitable resolution which took into account the rights and the interests of the Arab nations and Israel alike. El Salvador was a sponsor of the Latin American draft resolution which unfortunately was misinterpreted by some countries. We consider that it was honest, just and well-balanced, and we shall maintain this stand during the present session.
26. We consider that the first and most important of the points which should be agreed is the immediate withdrawal of Israel forces from the occupied territories. The time has passed when peace conditions can be interpreted under the pressure and threat of force, and one of the principles accepted by all the American countries is that military victory does not give the right to annex any territory. At the same time, we feel that parallel to the resolution, not as one of its provisions but as a counterpart to it, the Arab countries should explicitly and unequivocally renounce all aggression and take steps to safeguard the security and survival of the State of Israel.
27. We also feel that the Holy Places, sacred for the three great monotheistic religions, should be internationalized as soon as possible as a demonstration of respect for mankind's spiritual heritage. Similarly, free and innocent passage by the ships of all countries through the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba should be guaranteed, in conformity with the recognized principles of international law derived from the doctrines of Victoria and Grotius. Lastly, we consider it imperative to find effective ways of improving the lot of the Arab refugees immediately. This problem has become more acute since the recent conflict and is an outrage for the whole of mankind.
28. Before concluding this brief outline of the international aspect of the problem, I should like to refer to one matter in which El Salvador has always taken special interest. It is the principle of non-intervention, which we regard as one of the pillars of the inter-American legal system.
29. El Salvador has fought for the acceptance and observance of this principle as a rule of law vital to international coexistence, and we continue to oppose all intervention, of whatever kind and from whatever quarter, in the internal affairs of another State. Thus we must repeat that we utterly condemn all the infringements still being perpetrated against national sovereignty and self-determination, even if they do not constitute direct intervention. They usually take the form of instigation and systematic financing of subversive and terrorist activities designed to overthrow the régime and system of government of other States by violence.
30. During the present year, the Latin American Governments have made extremely vigorous and constructive efforts to further the over-all advancement and development of their nations. El Salvador has participated in these activities, firmly believing that they will not only ensure greater prosperity for the nations of the continent, but will help our countries to, make a real contribution, of the kind needed by the world, to human welfare.
31. One such activity was the third Special Inter-American Conference, held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 15 to 27 February 1967, to approve structural and functional reforms in the Charter of the Organization of American States. The reforms included new social, economic and cultural norms intended to strengthen the specific operations of the inter-American system in the future, Another was the memorable Meeting of American Chiefs of State held at Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 12 to 14 April 1967, which solemnly reaffirmed the solidarity between the nations of the continent on the basis of a just and democratic socio-economic order. Finally, during the Conference of the States members of the Latin American Free Trade Association at Asunción, Paraguay, there was the meeting of the Chancellors of the Central American Common Market countries held on 10 September last, when a co-ordination commission was set up to bring the two integrationist systems together more speedily.
32. In accordance with its principles, El Salvador, as a developing country, is making a systematic and concerted attempt to achieve just social and economic standards for its working classes through better distribution and channelling of its productive resources and through its trade relations with other nations. My Government has given clear proof of its adherence to this policy by its real concern for the balanced development of the Central American countries and its effective co-operation in the establishment and promotion of an increasingly solid economic structure in keeping with our production and trading capacity, within the integrationist framework.
33. However, our zeal and concern to improve conditions in a short space of time by dint of joint sacrifice have not always been successful. In many cases, lack of under standing on the part of economically powerful countries has destroyed the high hopes for progress of the under-developed countries whose one crop primary economies have been overwhelmed by unjust market policies.
34. The Chief of State of El Salvador stated this most serious problem frankly on 1 July of this year at his inaugural address:
"The majority of developing countries are at a disadvantage with respect to the mechanisms of International trade, El Salvador is no exception, indeed it is one of the prime victims. The agricultural commodities we export to various developed countries outside the continent are faced with obstacles such as high tariffs, excise taxes, quotas, most-favoured-nation and other preferences for articles from ether parts of the world, Coffee, cocoa, sugar, tobacco, etc., do not have ease of access and are subject to duty. On the other hand, no taxes are paid on machinery and equipment we buy from the developed countries when intended for public works, nor when they are for private enterprise, thanks to the tax exemptions granted under the industrial development legislation, Thus the poor countries, producers of primary agricultural commodities, are actually subsidizing the rich, industrialized countries."
35. When the United Nations proclaimed the Development Decade more than five years ago [resolution 1710 (XVI)], new hope was born in the great group of nations handicapped by economic weakness. Unfortunately, the Decade has not fulfilled its expectations. The gap between the industrialized and the peripheral countries has widened instead of closing. The terms of trade become daily more disadvantageous to the latter. The precarious state of the international balance of payments of the developing countries is alarming. Free exchange of goods and services is hampered by outside pressure. The vegetative growth rate is becoming alarming, while the rate of growth of the gross domestic product for the period 1960 to 1964 was barely more than 4 per cent.
36. These figures mean that the developing countries are being denied the minimum living conditions. If the situation is not rectified, it could very rapidly cause great and serious economic and social problems which might easily be avoided.
37. For all these reasons, El Salvador is most anxious that the activities of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the work of the Trade and Development Board should achieve real success. At the same time, we regret that so far progress has not been made towards implementing the recommendations adopted at the first UNCTAD session. Similarly, my delegation hopes that the Conference of Ministers of the so-called Group of Seventy-Seven (now eighty-six), at Algiers, will produce good technical results. Above all, we pray for the complete success of the Second United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, at New Delhi, particularly in speeding up the conclusion of international agreements on primary commodities, special tariff concessions to developing countries, the adoption of effective measures for the diversification and growth of their exports, and all the measures which are essential for a comprehensive agreement on the principles which should govern the trade relations and the international development policies of all the nations of the world.
38. At the beginning of my statement I said that the United Nations was about to celebrate the International Year for Human Rights. It is an event which El Salvador welcomed with enthusiasm, hoping that the time when the United Nations could finally declare the banishment from the world of slavery and forced labour, all forms of discrimination for reasons of race, sex, language and religion, colonialism and the denial of freedom and independence to peoples aspiring to them would be a historic event of the utmost importance.
39. I should like to place on record that since the dawn of Us independence, El Salvador has upheld principles which coincide substantially with those laid down in the Charter of the Organization. I should like to cite one example of which we are extremely proud, namely that my country, along with the other Central American countries, abolished slavery in 1824, or long before the other American countries, and we are dedicating this year to the memory of an outstanding figure in the achievement of our independence, Fr. José Simeón Cañas, who was the prime force behind that admirable decision.
40. In the same spirit of devotion to the cause of human rights, I had the honour and satisfaction on the 21st of this month, of signing, on behalf of my Government, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the relevant Optional Protocol as open for signature by Member States in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2200 (XXI).
41. In expressing our hopes for the success of the International Year for Human Rights, we note with deep concern that the United Nations Development Decade is not achieving its very modest objectives. This concern leads us to urge all the bodies mobilized by the Organization for the purposes of the Decade to intensify their efforts. For the world will never be able to enjoy peace really and truly so long as there are still in it human beings languishing in conditions of extreme poverty which prevent them from enjoying the human rights which are theirs.