It is a great honour for me to convey to you, Mr. President, the congratulations of my Government upon your election to the high office which your personal ability and distinction deserve. The way in which you were elected demonstrates the unity among the Members of the General Assembly and points the way towards the strengthening of that unity.
106. I should also like to congratulate the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon for an action which not only does honour to his country but to all those who supported his candidacy.
107. There has been much criticism of the defects of the United Nations. The Secretary-General took it upon himself to refute that criticism in the introduction to his annual report [A/3594/Add.1] and did so brilliantly and with an excellent sense of proportion. The United Nations is a valuable instrument for the use of the Member States, and cannot be more than the reflection and projection of the policies of their Governments. Let us not, then, blame the instrument for without it, the world situation would be worse than that which we confront today with some trepidation.
108. Every important institution acquires a life of its own, which is to some extent independent of the life of those composing it: that is the characteristic of institutional development. That development has been satisfactory for the twelve years of the Organization’s existence, and it is continuing to improve and to acquire its own physiognomy, which distinguishes it as unique in the world. The atmosphere in this hall is in itself the recognition of a democratic world, a world endeavoring to advance to better international coexistence and to work out solutions which will safeguard the most precious gift of mankind, peace. In this Assembly, the principle of a better world is being established, the nucleus of a world conscience which will affect and shape the lives not only of nations but of individuals, the life of the human being.
109. Only five days ago [678th meeting], the representative of the Federation of Malaya was seated among us, and we were moved to see him mount this rostrum dressed in the national costume of his country. It was a solemn moment; it signified the recognition of the universality of the United Nations and also demonstrated the firm resolve to grant full rights to the peoples and to recognize their equality before the law.
110. We have heard the criticism that small nations, or nations whose natural resources are still meagre, have equal representation in this Assembly with great and powerful nations at the peak of their development. That criticism is utterly unfounded. There are specific provisions in the Charter, perhaps unduly strict provisions, which ensure that the great Powers shall have a substantial influence on the Organization. Moreover, the comportment of the small nations has been sober and restraining. Nor should we forget that the whole structure of the United Nations is based on a democratic ideal which naturally may account for some of its defects, but also offers great advantages. It is no mere coincidence that the first words of the Charter are virtually identical with those of the Constitution of a democratic country like the United States: "We, the people…”
111. I have referred to the institutional life of the United Nations, and I maintain that in the short space of twelve years, it has developed soundly and dynamically. Perhaps the best evidence of this is the fact that although the Organization began with only fifty Members and now has eighty-two, the basic principles and broad lines of its policy have not been changed by this vast growth. On the contrary, those basic principles have been strengthened. That fidelity to the provisions of the Charter illustrates to what extent its principles derive from natural law, which, in the words of Lord Bryce, is simple and rational as opposed to what is artificial and arbitrary; it is universal, as opposed to what is local or national.
112. It is not the small nations which imperil the future of the United Nations. To some extent, the position might turn out to be quite the reverse. The world is watching with dismay an armaments race of the great Powers which is on an unprecedented scale. The danger inherent in this state of affairs cannot be overemphasized. It is a danger to all mankind, capable of destroying our civilization altogether. Furthermore, it is a heavy burden which hampers the progress of its peoples and diverts the production of consumer goods, so essential to the material and cultural well-being of any society, to destructive purposes. Lastly, it is especially unfair to the small countries, which, although not participating in the armaments race, suffer its consequences most acutely.
113. The report specially prepared by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for this session of the Assembly states: "One of the ironies of the Post-war world has been the coexistence of a growing demand for foreign capital to accelerate economic development and a marked reluctance of investors in the capital-exporting countries to commit their funds abroad, except in the case of such extractive industries as petroleum. The present situation contrasts vividly with that of the last century when European countries, notably Great Britain, financed a wide variety of enterprises overseas, ranging from power, rail and port facilities to plantations, mines and manufacturing industries.” The report speaks of a vital problem which may be summed up in these words: private capital has not the capacity to build the economic infrastructure of the under-developed countries - the necessary power, transport, communications, education, health and housing, which are prerequisites of development and cannot be financed in the expectation of immediate or short-term returns.
114. Through technical assistance and the specialized agencies, the United Nations has contributed greatly to the raising of the economic level of many countries, particularly in Asia and Latin America. Its work in that direction represents a first step, and it represents a great deal. But technical assistance is not enough. For years now, the Economic and Social Council has been discussing the establishment of a special fund to satisfy the demand for capital which I have mentioned. That Fund would be SUNFED, and my Government is especially anxious to commend it to the Assembly. There have been long and difficult negotiations regarding the structure of that special fund in various working committees and expert groups. The idea in itself is not inconsistent with the flow of private capital which we so urgently need, nor does it provide a substitute for it. It is merely an instrument to facilitate the building of an economic foundation which would stimulate the flow of private capital. Many countries would like to see a more constructive and a more positive approach to this proposal. We are confident that this time our hopes will not be disappointed.
115. Other events have happened which make worldwide economic measures an urgent necessity.
116. The countries producing basic raw materials are still confronted with a sharp decline in world prices and with situations which are beyond their control and which they cannot rectify. Without the intervention of world organs, economic equilibrium cannot be achieved, and the United Nations cannot remain indifferent to a situation which vitally affects the welfare and development of many countries.
117. In other respects, specific and decisive measures have been taken which but a few years ago would have been considered revolutionary. For example, the declaration of President Eisenhower in December 1953 [470th meeting] has led to the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Preparatory Commission, which prepared the Statute of the Agency, held more than eighty regular meetings, not to speak of many informal meetings, which ultimately resulted in agreement and the establishment of a new agency which represents our hope for the future of our civilization. It is to be hoped that in the near future the production of fissionable material, which is now being stockpiled for military purposes or used in tests that may be harmful to human life, will be channelled towards the peaceful purposes represented by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
118. Many other bodies also owe their existence to the United Nations. Their activities have an equally decisive, though less spectacular, influence on the lives of peoples. My Government is in duty bound to express its gratitude for the work of the United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], the International Monetary Fund, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as for that of the Economic Commission for Latin America, whose research is most helpful to each and every one of the countries of the American continent.
119. I shall not refer to the remaining items of the agenda, on which my Government will explain its traditional policy in the course of the specific debates. It is my duty, however, to mention item 50, proposed by the Secretary-General, which deals with a gift of land to be transferred by Chile to the United Nations in perpetuity as yet another token of its loyal cooperation in the common cause.
120. It would also be wrong not to recognize the gradual progress being made in multilateral agreements concerning questions ranging from human rights to postal services and the list of dangerous goods. The variety of those agreements and conventions, concluded under United Nations auspices, is almost as great as the innumerable activities carried on in the modern world.
121. Over and above that network of agreements and treaties which form a system of international coexistence, we can discern a striking phenomenon: in the course of twelve years, a world conscience has been created, an expression of common feeling which wells up from the innermost depths of the human community. Its voice was heard immediately after the tragic events considered at the Assembly’s eleventh session. It must not be lost; it must not be stilled. The world Press echoed it and it reached the humblest homes in the far corners of the earth. That voice of the world's conscience belongs to this Assembly, and nobody can rob the Assembly of this voice.