130. On behalf of the South African delegation I wish to add my congratulations to those already extended to the President on his election to the high office of President of the General Assembly. I am sure that under his wise guidance the business of the Assembly will be conducted expeditiously and efficiently.
131. The United Nations was created in the hope that world peace would replace armed aggression, that peaceful and fruitful co-operation would take the place of discord and friction and that the international rule of law would be restored to its honourable position. It was believed that the United Nations would maintain justice and uphold respect for international obligations, that well-being and higher living standards would be promoted within the framework of freedom, self-determination and the sovereign integrity of States and that friendly relations between States, based on equal rights of all nations, would be developed. Members undertook to carry out their obligations under the Charter in good faith and, in their international relations, they agreed to refrain from the threat or use of force.
132. Now, twenty-two years later, this Assembly is convening in an atmosphere of frustration and impotence. The representatives are overwhelmingly conscious of the intractability of the problems with which the world is confronted.
133. We are all familiar with the problems which have recently been posing a very real threat to world peace, as well as those which may erupt at any time. As Ambassador Pazhwak, our distinguished past President, stated in his farewell address to the General Assembly [1501st meeting], the United Nations has suffered no lack of warning signals. Apart from, the problems of the Middle East and Viet-Nam, there has been civil strife, with considerable loss of life and property, and a sustained campaign of subversive aggression in various parts of the world. We are no less aware of the fundamental problems which must be solved if mankind is to have that future which we should all like to see: a future free, or relatively free, from poverty, disease, famine and despair.
134. Far be it for me to suggest that those problems are easily solved. It is nevertheless difficult to avoid the conclusion that the serious issues which confront this Organization are largely of its own making, firstly because it has tended to deviate from the provisions of the Charter and secondly because it has permitted itself to be turned into an arena where different nations contend for personal political advantage, regardless of the high ideals of the Organization and of the interests of the world at large. As a result, much of the Organization's energy has been expended in pursuing selfish interests, while friction between nations has increased rather than diminished.
135. As the Secretary-General has on several occasions pointed out, the resources of the United Nations are sorely taxed today. We cannot afford the luxury of dissipating our energies in the pursuit of controversial ideological or political objectives when the problems of the world are so pressing as to threaten untold misery in the remaining decades of this century.
136. What, then, are we to do about the present situation? I suggest that we turn for inspiration to the Charter. I would in particular commend for consideration a simple injunction in the Preamble, an injunction which has its roots deep in all civilizations and its counterpart in all the great religions of the world, but one which has proved appallingly difficult to implement on a world-wide scale. I quote: "... to practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbour". The first concern of the United Nations in the opening words of the Charter is: "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". But if we are to create a climate where this is possible, it is imperative that we should practise tolerance in our international relations on a basis of mutual respect, regardless of ideological differences.
137. One of the main reasons for the history of incessant disputes between nations and the impotence of this Organization is the fact that Member nations have tended to concentrate excessively upon furthering their own interests, with resulting friction between them, instead of coming to grips with the real problems of the world, High enough priority has not been accorded to alleviating the suffering and want of the world's peoples. Those are the real problems. Their solution is vital but instead of diminishing they assume greater dimensions each day.
138. The urgency of meaningful action has recently been emphasized by the Secretary-General in the introduction to his annual report on the work of the organization when he said: "We are not winning the war on want" [A/6701/Add.1, para. 91], to which he added a serious warning:
"We are near the point of no return. Unless all countries are prepared to do more, much more than they have been doing, the world will not solve the food problem. The lives of hundreds of millions of rural youth will be wasted. The swelling migrations to the cities will make living in urban centres in developing countries almost intolerable. Violence will become the rule rather than the exception." [ibid., para. 83]
139. It is clear therefore that we should concentrate our efforts and resources on the elimination of basic evils such as poverty, ill-health and illiteracy, instead of squandering them on unproductive and disruptive ideological activities. Our starting point should be the recognition that modern technological progress has not been able to remove the disparities in the economic levels of peoples it has tended rather to accentuate them.
140. Economic development is essentially human development, and human development requires respect for and understanding of the social and cultural systems peculiar to a given nation. Development planning which does not take into account the needs and aspirations of a nation, but which is based on a dogmatic approach to be indiscriminately applied, might be administratively convenient but will not promote well-being and progress for all. If the developing nations are entitled to assistance, surely they are entitled to receive that assistance in a way which will not Jeopardize their traditions, characteristics and national consciousness. The human family is a diverse family. To impose preconceived formulas on a nation or group of nations amounts to ideological imperialism. Human development can only be viable if it respects the history of a nation and if it is applied to meet the needs and aspirations of a given society. As our President so aptly put it in his opening statement:
"Every nation has its own special background deserving of respect, interest and a receptive attitude. Obviously, every nation has its peculiar historical development which ultimately determines its particular physiognomy and personality within the great family of nations. Far from being a source of tension and conflict among States, this diversity, viewed in the light of the aims and methods of the Charter, constitutes a valid basis for their joining together, a factor calculated to stimulate increasing participation by each of them in consolidating international peace and security" [1560th meeting, para. 60].
141. We have all subscribed to the high ideals of the Charter. In doing so we have agreed to be led by certain principles. But we have not committed ourselves to preconceived immutable methods in achieving our aims. If the aim of self-determination of all peoples, or peaceful coexistence, or the promotion of well-being of less developed peoples is to be achieved, should we not first agree to show respect for the different methods employed by different States in striving to achieve those aims? Should we not be slow in passing judgement involving the good faith of fellow States simply because we differ politically? And in our deliberations in this Assembly, would it not be wise at least to make the experiment of practising respect and tolerance in our relations with one another?
142. In the conduct of our debates, in the selection of items for consideration by the Assembly, in the elaboration of our budgetary and administrative programmes, the bold acceptance of realities will make it easier to concentrate more on the basic needs of mankind: the raising of living standards, the provision of essential housing, the combating of food shortages, the development of health standards, the improvement of communications, the extension of energy and power sources, the eradication of illiteracy and the advancement of education, the training of a cadre of administrators to provide a competent administrative infrastructure and, above all, a greater recognition of each other's needs. Those are the basic problems and, if we should devote our major attention to their solution, it will become easier for us to co-operate, without any ulterior motives, as neighbours or as groups of States; for, however much we may differ in our social, religious, economic, political or cultural outlooks and systems, we cannot escape being neighbours.
143. My own Government takes the stand that international friendship and co-operation should at all times be based on mutual respect, the recognition of the sovereign independence of all States, and noninterference in the affairs of others. Differences in political beliefs and approaches with regard to internal affairs ought not to be an obstacle to fruitful cooperation between Governments in matters of common interest.
144. It is obvious that no country or nation should endeavour to dominate another politically, economically or otherwise. Only in this way can every nation be assured of the free exercise of its right of self-determination. Various methods have from time to time been evolved for achieving progress in the fields of government, economy, education, social welfare, health and the like, and each State is entitled to respect for the sincerity of its approach. Our own efforts in those fields are meeting with success and are already producing results which are there to be seen by all.
145. In southern Africa, my Government has committed itself in word and deed to maintaining the closest economic and technological co-operation among all the countries of the region, for their mutual benefit and joint development, while each nation continues to retain its political autonomy and therefore the right freely to choose its own political, social, cultural and economic systems. This is the regional situation, but my Government has also continued to extend the hand of friendship to all other countries in Africa, and indeed elsewhere, wishing sincerely to co-operate on a basis of mutual understanding and respect.
146. In the southern African International community we have a widely heterogeneous mixture of peoples. States and territories, with widely differing political philosophies and orientations. Despite these differences, and perhaps because of them, we in the region as a whole are now reaping the fruits of practising tolerance and mutual respect in our relationships with one another. We have developed a sense of good neighbourliness, with recognition of the responsibilities and duties of being a good neighbour, which augurs well for the future stability and progress of our area. In other words, In our part of the world there already exists evidence of the peaceful coexistence of a number of diverse nations which by chance find themselves in the same geographical area. The nations concerned can thus by their example make a valuable contribution to greater harmony and fruitful co-operation between States in general.
147. The spirit of co-operation, good neighbourliness and tolerance which is being displayed by the countries of southern Africa, particularly at a time when there is so much naked hostility in the world, should surely therefore be welcomed and nurtured by Member States of the United Nations. It should not be undermined by false accusations and imputations.
148. It is regrettable, therefore, that there are elements in this world which are not content with this happy state of affairs and which are attempting to disturb this harmony. Their failure has more recently driven them to one of the most pernicious forms of aggression — namely, terrorism — in a desperate attempt to create disorder. Terrorism Is another form of piracy. Terrorists obey no law, not even the laws of those who shelter them. Their activities are directed indiscriminately at members of all population groups and the victims are usually those who can least protect themselves, including women and children. However, in this respect too, the nations and Governments of southern Africa have demonstrated their resolve to stamp out this evil.
149. I have taken as my basic them the necessity of observing tolerance and good-neighbourliness in the conduct of international relations, and of concentrating on making our world a better world instead of continually quarrelling. This thesis is as valid and as incontestable In the collective activities of this Organization as it is in the pursuance of relations among individual States. My Government, consequently, views with deep concern a serious deviation from the principles of the Charter in several recent United Nations resolutions. These resolutions introduce a new practice which permits and indeed encourages the dissemination of hostile and biased propaganda, even by the Organization itself, against the individual Member States. This deplorable and illegal development is bound to undermine the whole structure on which the United Nations is based. It will lead the Organization away from its fundamental purposes and ideals, for it can only accentuate differences and increase friction among Members. The United Nations should be a forum for serious discussion and debate and should not, by the Introduction of practices of this sort, sow the seeds of suspicion, resentment and discord.
150. However, I do not wish to end on a note of despondency. I would rather conclude with an urgent appeal that we should all make a special effort to leave our differences aside and to concentrate on the practical implementation of the ideal of good-neighbourliness extolled in the Charter. I am convinced that the results of such an effort will be both encouraging and rewarding.