1. I gladly associate myself with previous distinguished speakers in congratulating His Excellency Professor Fanfani, who unfortunately is unable to be with us today, on his election to the Presidency of this Assembly. I avail myself of this occasion to wish him a complete and speedy recovery from his recent accident. In honouring him, the Assembly has brought distinction to this its twentieth session. It is so fitting that an eminent son of Italy should preside during this session Which includes the twentieth-anniversary of the foundation of this Organization, in view of the fact that Italy, together with other countries of the Mediterranean, laid down the foundation of a culture and form of civilization enjoyed by many today.
2. It gives me pleasure to be able to take the rostrum at a session which has seen the admission to membership of this Organization of three young nations. To the Gambia, the Maldive Islands and Singapore I extend a warm welcome and good wishes on behalf of the Maltese Islands.
3. My contribution to this general debate will be brief. I shall not use this occasion to enter into the merits and demerits of certain political disputes and questions before the various organs and committees of the United Nations. The interest, of the Government of Malta in the issues in Viet-Nam, Kashmir, Rhodesia and Cyprus, in the question of the unification of Germany and Korea, in apartheid and in decolonization, is real because each of these matters has an impact of importance which, however indirectly, affects Malta. But I do not propose to deal now with these matters, nor with the disquieting question of the representation of China in this Organization, except to say this: we look forward to seeing all countries represented in this Organization each undertaking, under its Charter, to observe certain obligations, to abide by a code of rules and to adopt accepted norms of behaviour.
4. This year is not only International Co-operation Year, it also marks a midpoint in the United Nations Development Decade. It has also witnessed the coming amongst us of a pilgrim of peace who addressed to us words of encouragement and hope. This session follows one which many feared would be the last of this Organization. The twentieth session has however got under way in a renewed spirit, a spirit of rededication. To us small nations this is of vital importance. To us the United Nations is the ultimate guarantor of our survival, or, in the words of the Pope [1347th meeting], "the last hope for harmony and peace". I think it is true to say that we small nations have neither the wish nor the means to detract from the importance, the influence and the grandeur of the big Powers. Can our yearnings be better expressed than in the Pontiff's exhortation for justice, dignity of life, freedom, wellbeing and progress?
5. It is for this reason that my Government fully supports the four-pronged programme for the creation of a peaceful world so ably enunciated by the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: namely, disarmament, peace-keeping, peaceful settlement of disputes, and the economic and social work of this Organization.
6. It may not be easy to say which of these four tasks is the most important. But if one could draw from the lesson of history, one would observe, perhaps, that men stopped going about armed in- the streets only after police forces became effective, courts of law evolved to a position of impartiality and ability to enforce decisions, and legislative bodies set themselves the task to meet the changing needs of society. When this stage was reached it was easier to declare the carrying of arms illegal and anti-social.
7. As certain States have found out, social forces cannot be stayed entirely or permanently by the stringency of law enforcement alone. Hence the great importance individual countries attach to economic progress and social justice.
8. The same considerations apply with equal force within the family of nations throughout the world and have been recognized in the Charter of the United Nations and underscored when this Organization instituted the Development Decade. Whilst the prospects of the Decade are not entirely gloomy, the fact that the actual growth of incomes and output of developing countries is below expectations is disturbing. The widening of the gap between rich and poor countries is a matter of concern to all. Within a country the State ensures, through fiscal policies, that wealth is distributed less unevenly among citizens. But among nations this is hardly possible and voluntary contributions on a bilateral or multilateral basis have not yet reached a volume sufficient to secure a more equitable distribution of wealth in the world. Although these contributions have increased somewhat in the recent past, they must be greatly expanded in the future if social justice among States is to be attained.
9. In recognizing the value of the contributions made by so many Members of the United Nations towards the provision of technical and other assistance in aid of developing countries, and the spirit in which they were made, I should like to pay tribute to this Organization for the way it has handled and channeled resources placed at its disposal. This is a complex operation requiring the co-operation of all. Besides the funds provided under the regular programmes of the United Nations, almost $500 million has been utilized under the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and $478 million has been earmarked by the Special Fund over the years. In this regard these two bodies can look back on a record of achievement.
10. Still, there is much than can be done in technical assistance and in the economic and social fields. Even the new target of $200 million for annual contributions to the proposed United Nations Development Programme combining the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the Special Fund, will not suffice for the needs of the poor countries. This target represents an advance of one-third over the target last established in 1962 and is still very much short of what is needed. Consideration might therefore be given to releasing resources which already exist within the United Nations family for the purpose of supplementing — and perhaps even doubling — international technical co-operation activities. My Government therefore feels that, after twenty years, it might be appropriate to undertake a comprehensive review of the entire range of the programmes and activities in the economic, social, technical co-operation and related fields of the United Nations, the specialized agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations Children's Fund and all other institutions and agencies related to the United Nations system. The aim of such review should be to ensure that present resources derived from assessments, and possibly increased resources in the future, are used in action programmes designed to raise the standard of living of the less developed countries.
11. The effective utilization of the resources available within the United Nations system is absolutely vital since unfortunately there is little immediate prospect of additional resources for development being released through a substantial reduction of expenditure on armaments. It is however important that, if and when such additional resources become available, the Organization should be prepared to put them to their most effective use. We, like all other countries in our position, look forward to the dawn of that day, which explains in part the keen interest of Malta and of other small countries in the problem of disarmament.
12. I say "in part" because for Malta, in this age, a conflict in which nuclear weapons were used would spell disaster and even annihilation. We therefore have a vital interest in universal adherence to effective
treaties of nuclear disarmament and in any measure leading to it. We consequently support the Moscow test-ban Treaty and its extension to underground tests under agreed conditions that will ensure proper observance of its provisions by all nations. We are naturally opposed to the spread of nuclear weapons, even though some other nations may not entirely share our view. We believe, therefore, that it might not be unwise to define with- greater precision the terms used in the proposed treaties on non-proliferation. The time may have come to distinguish clearly between the concepts of non-proliferation and non-dissemination. Perhaps it could be agreed that the term "nuclear proliferation" be used exclusively to denote the acquisition, through independent development or otherwise, of nuclear weapons capability by a hitherto non-nuclear Power or entity, whilst the term "dissemination" in this context could well be defined as the creation by a nuclear Power of a new nuclear entity or Power, either directly by the provision of weapons or technology or indirectly by permitting control of nuclear weapons by a hitherto non-nuclear entity or Power.
13. This distinction is of some importance, as the question of nuclear dissemination concerns solely the present nuclear Powers while the question of nuclear proliferation would, if these definitions are followed, concern mainly the non-nuclear Powers. Hence, the present nuclear Powers could immediately agree on a treaty of non-dissemination. On the other hand, it is felt that a non-proliferation treaty would need to provide not only for a freeze in the production of nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles by the present nuclear Powers but also for a substantial and agreed measure of nuclear disarmament if the support of all non-nuclear Powers with the capability independently to develop nuclear weapons is to be obtained.
14. I would suggest that action on a non-dissemination treaty should in no way be delayed because of the prospects of a world disarmament conference. My Government supports in principle the convening of such a conference. But it is felt that much preparatory work is required before the conference can be usefully and effectively called. I believe, therefore, that it is important that progress be made on collateral measures designed to reduce tensions among States even before the conference meets. One such measure would be to publicize, and thus indirectly control, the transfer of armaments between States. There is scope to revise and bring up to date the Convention of 1925 on the Supervision of International Trade in Arms and Ammunition and in Implements of War. There is similar scope in regard to the 1925 Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods in Warfare.
15. Before concluding, I should like to be permitted to inform the Assembly that my Government is pledging a contribution, which because of our limitations cannot be very substantial, towards the special account established to relieve the present financial difficulties of the Organization. Although Malta Was not a member of the United Nations at the time, and therefore did not participate in the deliberations which led to the peace-keeping operations from which
the present financial difficulties flow, we would have liked to have the resources of other nations so as to be able to make a much larger contribution. We are confident, however, that, such as it is, our voluntary- contribution will be accepted as a token of the devotion of Malta to the ideals of international collaboration.