94. My Government believes that since the last session of the General Assembly much progress has been made towards improving the world situation. At this eighth session we find grounds for optimism. We believe, too, that in spite of the controversy which still persists in many fields, the peoples of the world can take heart and look forward to achieving real peace through the mechanism of the United Nations. But, while Ethiopia believes that there are grounds for optimism, we see clearly that there are no grounds for complacency. On the contrary, we believe that efforts in certain fields must be redoubled before it is too late. The orientation of this eighth session, the direction it takes, the matters to which major attention and the will to succeed are applied will, we believe, be decisive for the state of our world for some time. For this reason I desire at this time to point out the matters which Ethiopia believes are of paramount importance and therefore deserve our most earnest efforts.
95. In the first place, my delegation hopes that the present impasse with respect to disarmament will be resolved. The appalling waste, the dismal direction given to science and invention, and the tension created by the process of arming, must be eliminated in order to avoid irretrievable losses in the progress thus far made by civilization. We note with satisfaction that the Disarmament Commission, in its more recent report [DC/32], soon to be discussed here, has expressed the hope that it can look forward to continuing its work in an atmosphere made more propitious by recent international events. Ethiopia hopes that the General Assembly’s consideration of that report will give new impetus to the work of the Commission so that a method of disarmament will be agreed upon.
96. Secondly, my Government earnestly hopes that problems arising from so-called racial differences will be speedily solved. Ethiopia believes in the equality of all human races. We refuse to believe that, half way through the twentieth century, there is no basis upon which people of different races can live together amicably.
97. Thirdly, my delegation believes that it is essential to world peace that this eighth session of the General Assembly should continue on the road of promoting independence for people of territories now under foreign rule. The responsibility and ultimate aim of all administration in all such territories must be to lead the people thereof to self-rule. The guides to be followed in applying this principle are, first, the wishes of the majority of the inhabitants, secondly, the economic conditions of the country and the possibility of independent existence, and, thirdly, the maintenance of international peace and security.
98. Last, but by all odds the most important, my delegation believes that this eighth session should give increased support to the technical assistance programme and to schemes for the economic development of the under-developed countries. We believe that these matters are thoroughly tied up with the problem of collective security, for, unless economic development is brought to the countries with low standards of living, there can be no collective security in the political field. Indeed, we think that economic, development and the resultant improvement of the standard of living of peoples now on subsistence levels are the conditions necessary to peace, the sine qua non of peace through collective action.
99. Not all wars are traceable to personal ambition for power or to a national desire to spread an ideology. Much of the unrest today, particularly in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, is economic in origin. I think no one will deny this. And not all the pledges in the world to the doctrine of collective security, even the splendid precedent of Korea, will be sufficient to quiet such unrest. But if through United Nations effort — through collective action, if you please — the natural resources of the now under-developed countries can be put into production and the people aided in freeing themselves from the fear of want, then collective security in the political field will become an effective instrument for the maintenance of peace.
100. Here I must reiterate my country's devotion to the principle of collective security. We note with heartfelt satisfaction the results of the negotiations at Panmunjom. We rejoice to see that, for the first time in history, collective security has been tested and proved effective. Ethiopia is proud of the part its Emperor, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, has played in the development of this doctrine. Although our country was once a victim of the failure of this doctrine, this time we_ contributed both treasure and troops to aid in stopping an aggressive war.
101. The world has learned a great deal about the principle of collective security since the end of the First World War, but our progress is still too limited. It is high time that we advanced, and I believe that the most promising fields in which the doctrine may be extended and made more effective are that of technical co-operation and that which I have already mentioned, namely, the economic development of under-developed areas. We have given too little attention to such programmes. We have been too preoccupied with political problems. Ethiopia submits that the United Nations should turn collectively to the economic problem of developing natural resources where development has lagged.
102. The General Assembly has before it three schemes for promoting economic development. I refer to the proposal for establishing a special fund for grants-in-aid and low-interest long-term loans, the proposal for the establishment of an international finance corporation, and the proposal to expand the present programme of technical assistance. This is not the time to discuss these proposals in detail. In principle, however, my delegation urges that these schemes should be supported — more, they should be the dominating passion of this eighth session.
103. Ethiopia applauds the proposal that sayings from disarmament should be devoted to economic development. But while we applaud, we must caution the General Assembly not to put the cart before the horse. Political animosities which cause nations to arm will not pass away until a measure of economic development is achieved. Should we not, therefore, proceed boldly to create the conditions under which political problems can be solved, to start the motion that will facilitate disarmament? We believe that the obvious obstacles in the path of such programmes can be surmounted with a little boldness.
104. There is still time to do this, but we must get on with it before we find that our efforts have been “too little and too late”.