First of all, I wish to extend the felicitations of my delegation to Sir Leslie Munro on his election as President of the twelfth session of the General Assembly. To express our sincere congratulations to you, Sir, the representative of New Zealand, our neighbour in the Pacific community, is to express our deep satisfaction at your election to this most eminent position, and to offer assurance that we from Japan are confident that, with your distinguished record of service in the United Nations and your well-known integrity and wisdom, you will surely fulfil the heavy responsibilities of this high office. At the same time, we wish to express our high respects to Mr. Charles Malik, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, for the magnanimity shown by him at the time of the election of the President of the present session.
72. It is the fundamental policy of my Government to respect the principles and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. The people of Japan wish most ardently that the foundations of this world Organization will become ever more strong and firm and that the United Nations will in name as well as in fact continue to develop into a truly formidable agency for the maintenance of world peace. In accordance with this fundamental policy, and as a Member of this Organization as well as of the Asian community of nations, my country desires to participate in all the activities of the various organs of the United Nations and by virtue of our deeds to demonstrate our will to contribute the fullest measure of our efforts to the work of this Organization for securing and maintaining world peace.
73. On the occasion of the opening of the twelfth session of the General Assembly, I wish to present the views of my delegation on the various problems confronting the United Nations.
74. It is a source of gratification that the General Assembly at its eleventh session, following an emergency session, succeeded in bringing about a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and that, pursuant to this historic action, the Suez Canal is again open to free navigation. We believe that this accomplishment has enhanced incalculably the authority and prestige of the United Nations. But, though lauding the action already taken, we add that this Organization must not relax its exertions; it must make certain that the peace it has restored will be maintained.
75. My delegation wishes to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary-General for his untiring efforts when the situation in the Middle East was most critical. My delegation wishes also to express its appreciation to the delegation of Canada for proposing [563rd meeting] that a United Nations Emergency Force be dispatched to that troubled area, as well as to the delegations of all the countries which contributed contingents to this Force.
76. My delegation believes that so long as freedom and justice are not firmly established on the basis of democratic principles, peace in the world community cannot be secured. In this connexion, I cannot help but recall the unfortunate case of Hungary. This Assembly, since the fall of last year, adopted many resolutions relating to the settlement of the Hungarian question, and pursuant to the spirit of the Charter, it recommended fair and just measures to the parties concerned. But it failed to achieve the results to which we earnestly looked forward.
77. The fact that the recommendations of the General Assembly do not carry any compulsion and the fact that, their implementation depends upon the will of the parties concerned indicate the present limits of its authority. Nevertheless, we should not forget this regrettable experience. We should consider it as a lesson in the need to strengthen this body and give this matter our most serious study. In this regard, my delegation endorses the report of the Secretary-General. It is our sincere expectation that when the opportunity for revision of the Charter presents itself, all Member States, in the interests of world peace, will demonstrate their good judgement and zeal for the improvement of the present situation.
78. The problem of world peace and the problem of world security, being essentially the same, are indivisible. On this incontrovertible premise, I feel that all States, acting through the United Nations, should co-operate fully to bring about — under feasible and effective international controls — the reduction of armaments, especially the abolition of nuclear weapons.
79. The people and Government of Japan have watched with great hope and concern the progress of the Subcommittee of the Disarmament Commission after the resumption of its meetings following the suspension of the eleventh session of the Assembly. From these meetings there came strong indications that the Powers concerned, for the first time since the second World War, were at last coming closer together. The people of the world were hopeful that the consummation of a general or partial disarmament agreement, adequate to guarantee international security, would put an end to the unrelieved nightmare of nuclear war.
80. But to our profound disappointment the Subcommittee failed to achieve any concrete results by the time of the opening of the twelfth session. The people of Japan, more than any other people, know directly the horrors of nuclear war. They earnestly believe that it is their bounden duty to propose and to support measures for the solution of this great issue, purely from the standpoint of humanity, so that people everywhere will forever be rid of the unspeakable tragedy that nuclear warfare engenders.
81. It is incumbent upon all of us to recognize with the greatest clarity the all-consuming truth that the whole future of mankind hinges upon the problem of disarmament, the foremost challenge now confronting the United Nations. We are thrust into the moment of decision: Shall we be led to destruction or shall we enjoy the abundant life? The issue is far too gigantic to be the private domain of the few nations alone now party to the discussions. It is equally the problem of all Member States, and indeed the unending concern of all mankind. Measures to solve this problem cannot and should not be dictated by the tactical and strategic considerations of the great Powers concerned. We must resolutely denounce the attempts of any single nation to utilize the disarmament negotiations as instruments of political propaganda. Our hearts and our minds must be deeply sensitive to the certainty that the destiny of mankind truly depend? upon whether we succeed or fail in our efforts to find a solution to this problem. I appeal to the great Powers concerned to endeavour, with a true sense of humility, to overcome all political obstructions and to seek an early solution of this problem in a spirit of conciliation and mutual trust.
82. In view of the importance and complexity of the issues involved, it is desirable, as a formula for settlement, to seek a comprehensive agreement which gives consideration to a balance of the various aspects of disarmament. My delegation is satisfied and welcomes the fact that the Western proposals, while giving importance to this point, embrace the suspension of nuclear tests. The people and Government of Japan, from their own experience and from humanitarian motives, attach great Importance to the suspension of nuclear test explosions. We believe that this problem commands a far greater urgency than the other aspects of disarmament. My Government believes that the suspension of tests under necessary conditions, such as control and inspection, and with goodwill and trust among the Powers concerned, will surely have a favourable effect toward impelling action on the whole problem of disarmament. Hence my delegation wishes to make every effort toward the attainment at this session of the General Assembly of some kind of settlement of this question.
83. Although in the area of disarmament no agreement has yet been reached on the control of nuclear materials for weapons purposes, it is most heartening that in the area of peaceful uses of such materials a system of control has been established within the framework of the United Nations. Let us earnestly hope that the development of the International Atomic Energy Agency will substantially buttress our efforts to bring about the prohibition of the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
84. My delegation joins other delegations in extending a warm welcome to a new, independent State and a new Member of our Organization, the Federation of Malaya, following the admission of Ghana. I am sure that this new State, in its glorious independence, will walk the road of progress and prosperity, and that, as a Member of the United Nations, it will play an important role in the establishment of world peace and freedom.
85. The problem common to all peoples of the Asian and African areas today is national independence and their yearning for social and economic progress so as to ensure their political independence. The people of Japan pay their high respects to the peoples of these areas for their determination to blaze their own future through their own efforts in order to attain true freedom and independence as well as a better standard of living. As a member of the Asian community, the people of Japan feel a deep sense of sympathy with the hopes and aspirations of these peoples, I need not say that such independence should be achieved on the basis of self-determination and in the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. It is the belief of my delegation that, in the settlement of disputes involving the principle of self-determination, the aspirations of the people should be fully respected and primary consideration given to ensuring their basic human rights and freedom and to promoting their welfare. Any system that denies their aspirations will never last; it will inevitably collapse. Indeed, such a system may well become a factor that disturbs the peace. So long as this principle is respected, I believe that specific formulas for settlement should be studied in accordance with the historical background and the conditions of each people separately. At the same time, we believe that it is also incumbent upon peoples who are in the process of attaining independence to desist from narrow-minded and arbitrary actions and to work for their political, economic and social progress in a spirit of tolerance and trust.
86. On the occasion of the admission of the new independent State, the Federation of Malaya, I cannot help but think of the problem of the divided States, a problem which persists even now, twelve years after the war. I am unable to conceal my profound sympathy toward the Republic of Korea, Viet-Nam, and the Federal Republic of Germany. I earnestly pray that these countries will succeed in achieving early reunification by free, democratic and peaceful means and that they will join our ranks as Members of this Organization.
87. I wish next to present the views of my delegation with respect to recent world economic trends and the problem of the so-called under-developed areas.
88. Viewed as a whole, there has been a great increase in world trade in recent years. Yet, for all this expansion, we cannot fail to note certain unhealthy trends. There is a large gap between the trade increase of the advanced industrial countries and that of the under-developed countries. Exports of food and agricultural raw materials to the advanced industrial countries, upon which the under-developed countries depend so heavily for their sustenance, are becoming stagnant or are decreasing. Should this trend continue, the disparity in the tempo of economic development between them will become increasingly great and may well become a cause of political and economic Instability in the world.
89. Related to this trend is another situation which demands our attention. I refer to the recent worsening of the dollar balance of most of the countries of the world, a situation which is particularly acute among the under-developed countries of South-East Asia. The basic cause therefor may be laid to the change in trade patterns since the war, but it must be recognized that the under-developed countries require a considerable length of time to adapt themselves to this change. Hence, if any further increase in the disequilibrium is to be avoided, it is necessary for the advanced countries themselves to take the initiative and make positive efforts to adjust the situation. As to the means of adjustment, I venture to say that there is no other way than for the advanced countries to do their utmost to remove barriers to imports and, at the same time, to promote the flow of government and private capital to the under-developed countries. My delegation earnestly hopes that an appreciation of this unhealthy state of affairs will be further deepened, especially in countries whose trade balance continues to show a large excess of exports over imports and which enjoy large reserves of foreign exchange.
90. Further, my delegation cannot overlook the fact that the extension of capital and technology so necessary for the development of under-developed areas is not proceeding satisfactorily because, more likely than not, of various political considerations. In order to maintain and promote world peace, the development and progress of the under-developed areas cannot be neglected because of immediate political factors. For this reason, I have a deep respect for the United Nations for the serious and energetic efforts it has made to establish the Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development. My delegation looks with hope and expectation to the time — which we trust will be soon — when the countries concerned will have completed their deliberations on this programme and, with full preparations to ensure effective results, will bring it into practical effect.
91, There cannot be peace in the world without peace in Asia. And peace in Asia cannot be secured without bringing economic prosperity and social well-being to this area. My country is resolved to do its utmost toward the realization of Asian economic prosperity and social well-being in co-operation, not only with the countries of Asia, but also with the friendly countries of other areas.
92. Now a word regarding the liberalization of trade. The elimination of artificial barriers and other restrictions to trade imposed for selfish motives is a condition essential to world economic prosperity and stability. My delegation has a deep interest in the work of the United Nations in this important area of activity. We emphasize to our fellow representatives that co-operation among nations through the medium of trade is the only way to maintain the livelihood of peoples all over the world.
93. Finally, a few words on the population problem. There are countries in the world today which have reached the limit of internal development and are suffering from over-population, and countries which, though they have undeveloped lands and resources, lack human resources and desire therefore to receive immigrants. It is my belief that the United Nations can play the role of an intermediary between these two types of countries. I earnestly hope that the United Nations, acting through its several agencies in behalf of areas which require manpower resources and with the concurrence of the countries concerned, will extend its good offices to effect the utilization of excess manpower, technology and capital for the benefit of all concerned. I also look to the day when emigration among nations will become ever more free. My delegation expresses this hope because we believe the solution of the problem of population is not only in the interest of the countries directly concerned; it will also contribute to the general welfare of the entire world.
94. I have expressed the basic position and hopes of my delegation on what we consider to be the major problems before the Assembly at its present session.
95. Mr. President, it is my hope that this session under your presidency will achieve a full measure of success. My delegation gives you its assurance that it will make every effort to fulfil that hope.