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Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit CAUTION; ADVANCE TEXT Wf^JWJ/Ijj} SG/SM/2945 Not for release before W^^w^W n July 198° 10 a.m. (EST) Monday, 14 July

SECRETARY-GENERAL'S STATEMENT AT OPENING OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE OF UNITED NATIONS DECADE FOR WOMEN, COPENHAGEN

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim at the opening of the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women:

It is a great pleasure and a privilege for me to open the World Conference of the United Nations Decacie for Women, a Conference devoted to one of the great human objectives of our time.

First of all, I should like to convey to Her najesty Queen Margrethe II my most sincere gratitude for her personal interest in this Conference and for her presence here today which is highly appreciated by all of us. We are indebted to the Government and people of Denmark for their warm hospitality. Denmark's offer and readiness to host this gathering is another effective expression of the support which, as a founder-Kcmbcr, it has consistently given to the endeavours of the United Nations. The beautiful city of Copenhagen is indeed an excellent venue for this Conference.

We are meeting today at the mid-point of the Decade which is dedicated to improving the condition of women around the world. Five years ago, at the opening of the World Conference of the International Women's Year in Mexico City, I said that, we had reached a stage in our understanding of global problems and their causes which made us realize that these problems are closely interlinked. The search for their solutions must, therefore, proceed simultaneously along several paths and cimensions. The three goals of the Decade for Women are equality, development and peace. These are so fundamental that they might be said to be those of the United Nations itself. The events which constitute human experience furnish daily proof that rot one of them can be entirely detached from another. Nor can they be pursued by any segment of society, a nation or even a group of nations in isolation from others. Their attainment demands n world-wic'e movement and a level of international collaboration higher than any we have so far reached.

Pc-ace is the condition without which neither true equality nor meaningful development is possible in any lasting sense. In a climate of fear and tension, social development becomes the first victim. At no time in the recent past has there been such widespread global instability, so many volatile situations, so much distrust and misunderstanding. There is frequent

(more) For information media - not an official record - 2 - Press Release SG/SM/2945 11 July 1980

resort to violence both at local and international levels. The arms race increasingly consumes resources and energies which could be far better expended on controlling disease, reducing hunger and improving social conditions. There is not the sustained dialogue between nations which is necessary if the world's ills are to be remedied.

This deterioration in international relations is compounded by the sombre outlook for the world economy. The developed countries are in the grip of a severe recession or are facing structural difficulties. The growth rate of the developing countries has been slowed so much as to threaten their very survival. Their external deficits are mounting. The plight of the low-income countries is particularly alarming. Such is the gravity of the situation of the third xvorld that international political stability will be further eroded if rapid changes are not forthcoming in the field of economic co-operation between nations. The North-South dialogue has so far achieved only very limited results. Therefore, as we are about to formulate a new international development strategy, it is absolutely necessary that a more vigorous effort be made to build bridges and to achieve the consensus required for establishing a new international economic order.

I am speaking of these two great anxieties at the opening of this Conference because it is evident that women have the same proven concern with peace and stake in development as men. Both are equally confronted with the critical issues of our time. If the quest for solutions of the world's problems is to emanate from the popular level, as it must, it demands as much involvement from women as from men. One of the most positive results of the thinking, study and effort of the first half of the Decade for Women has been the perception of the need to integrate issues apparently specific to women into the whole question of development and peace. Without this integration, the capacity of the world's women to contribute to the promotion of peace and progress around the world will not be fully utilized.

The World Plan of Action which was unanimously approved five years ago is based on this approach. This Conference has the mandate

— to examine the progress that has been made in implementing the Plan;

— to identify the obstacles to progress; and

— to formulate action-oriented programmes for reaching the targets of the Plan in the remaining half of the Decade.

I am sure that, in discharging its mandate, the Conference will carefully consider the global reviews available to it. While I would not like to anticipate your conclusions, I consider it necessary to emphasize that new approaches and constant efforts are necessary if the goals of the Plan of Action are to be realized. ,

Five years, of course, is a short period within which to expect dramatic results. What is needed is a realistic appraisal of the gains that have been achieved and the tasks that are still to be fulfilled. We should by no means

(more) - 3 - Press Release SG/SM/2945 11 July 1980

overlook the progress that has been made. By proclaiming the Decade for Women, the international community decided to underline a fundamental change in consciousness concerning the respective positions of the male and the female halves of society. What is involved is a reform of stereotyped attitudes and perceptions. Its immense scope notwithstanding, the change is decidedly taking root. Governments, policy-makers, planners and institutions, both national and international, are showing an increasing recognition that women's participation is critical to the achievement of their goals.

One area where this progress is most visible is that of legislation to ensure equality between women and men. It is encouraging that a great variety of national mechanisms have been devised by different countries for this purpose. I should like, in this regard, to acknowledge with appreciation the tireless services rendered to this cause over decades by the Commission on the Status of Women.

A few months ago, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Considering the enormous diversity of cultural traditions and social systems in the world, the achievement of the common understanding which this Convention reflects is truly remarkable. The Convention is a comprehensive international instrument and I hope that, by general acceptance, it will lend an added impetus to legislative activity at the national level.

Legislation and national machineries are indispensable but, by themselves, they are not enough. The fact is regrettable but well known that, not too infrequently, gaps occur between laws and social practice. Laws can become empty promises if they are not backed by sustained social action, resources and political will.

This becomes all the more apparent that when we view the current realities of economic and social development affecting women, there is little cause to be complacent. By and large, women are permanently at work but not permanently employed. They work long hours but are often not proportionately rewarded. Their place in the work-force is too frequently insecure. Much of what they produce is not recognized in official statistics of national production. In many parts of the world, they are given neither the training nor the services nor the tools required to increase the productivity of their work.

. In most developing countries, women are especially vulnerable to chronic poor health and inadequate nutrition. This situation is all the more disturbing since the health of children is closely related to the living conditions of their mothers.

Moreover, women still lag far behind men in literacy. Two out of every three persons in the world who cannot read or write are women. Even in countries with a high degree of literacy, the content of education is still not adapted to the changing nature of women's responsibilities and opportunities.

(more) - 4 - Press Release SG/SM/2945 11 July 1980

These are some of the realities which you will have to consider during your deliberations. But they should not cause any degree of pessimism. What is discouraging should spur us to further effort and what is promising should strengthen us in it. Indeed, no evaluation of what is happening now would be correct if it did not take into account the surge of a new movement in many parts of the world. It is a story of incredible courage and determination. Without much help, with few facilities, with no easing of their traditional household and maternal tasks, women are increasingly taking part in economic activities essential for the survival and progress of their societies. They are supporting each other in villages and cities, through co-operative and grass-roots organizations. Recognizing these strengths, many Governments have taken action, within their resources, to support such efforts.

The United Nations system has also been rendering growing assistance for such initiatives since 1975. I would appeal to Member States to make the increased contributions for the Voluntary Fund for the Decade for Women which would permit such activities to expand.

While there are large areas in which much is yet to be accomplished, there is now a general recognition of the wealth of courage, intelligence and imagination x^hich women bring to the business of life. Humanity has reached a stage where this energy and strength cannot be confined to the private sphere. It is to be put to work in the collective domain if we are to achieve the goals to which we are all committed.

To find effective and speedy ways to accomplish this objective is the central task of this Conference. The preparatory work which has been done for it through the dedicated efforts of Lucille Mair and her staff, in collaboration with Helvi Sipila, has earned our deep appreciation. I take this opportunity to express to them my most sincere gratitude. The Conference will have lasting impact on the endeavour to improve the condition of women if it succeeds in formulating programmes motivated by idealism but also achievable in practice.

We survey today a world situation which is full of anxiety and fear, no doubt, but which also commands great promise and hope. To reduce the fear and to amplify the constructive promise is the basic mission in which we are all engaged. Let us all, women and men, belonging to various nations, adherents of different ideologies, inheritors of diverse cultures, accept that there is a unity of purpose which binds us in a common pursuit. The pursuit is that of enhancing the quality of life.

The purpose is to release humanity from the bondage of hunger and disease, hate and prejudice, conflict and injustice. The task demands a high degree of commitment which, I believe, this Conference will reflect and help to stimulate.

In this spirit, I extend to all of you my warmest and best wishes for a very rewarding outcome.

* *** * i, M©w Yoiii

SG/T/968 14 July 1980

SECRETARY-GENEPAL OPENS _WORLD CONFERENCE IN COPENHAGEN

(Received from a United Nations official accompanying the Secretary-General. )

Secretary-General Kurt Waldhcim today, (14 July), opened the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, being held at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, 2nd was guest of honour at a luncheon given by Her Majesty Queen Mar gar e the of Denmark.

This morning, the Secretary-General held a series of meetings with his top aides, including Jean Riper t, Under-Secrctary-Gcncr.il for Economic and Social Affairs, and Lucille -M. Mair, Secretary-General of the World Conference.

iir . Waldhcim then drove to Copenhagen Harbor for the luncheon aboard Queen Mar gar e the1 s yacht.

Following the luncheon, the Secretary-General went to Bella Centre where he opened the World Conference, which was attended by Her Majesty the Queen, Prime Minister Anker Jorgen;;en, and the President of the Conference, Mrs. Lise Octergaardj Minister for Council Affairs of Denmark.

During the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General also accepted an appeal tor peace presented to him by a group of Nordic women and signed by 509,000 women.

In the late afternoon, the Secretary-General will receive a group of Danish and foreign journalists.

He will then be guest at a reception given by Queen Margarcthe at Chris fiansborg Palace on the occasion of the opening of the World Conference.

Later in the evening, he is scheduled to meet with Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines.

Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will have talks with Prime Minister Jorgensan at Marienborg, followed by a luncheon given in his honour by the Prime Minister and Mrs. Jorgensen.

The Secretary-General will return to New York tomorrow afternoon.

(more)

For information media - not an official record - 2 - Press Relcace SG/T/963 14 July 19SO

Th? Secretary-General arrived in Copenhagen yesterday evening, 13 July, on an official visit to Denmark in connexion with the opening of the Wei Id Conference of the United Nations Decade for

The Secretary-General was met at the airport by the Prime Minister of Denmark, i'4r. Jorgcnscn, ana representatives of the Danish Government, as well as high-ranking members of the secretariat of the World Conference .

Later in the evening, the Secretary-General met with i-lrs. Mair , Sccrctrry-Gencral of the Worlu Conference , who reported to him on the latest developments in the preparatory work of the Conference.

G

* *** * DRAFT STATEMENT

FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE OPENING OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE UNITED NATIONS DECADE FOR WOMEN DRAFT STATEMENT

Your Majestyf Prime Minister Jorgensen, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure for me to open this Conference which marks the mid-point of the Decade dedicated to improving the condition of women around the world.

First of all, I should like to convey to Your Majesty my most sincere gratitude for your personal interest in this Conference. We are indebted to your Government and to the people of Denmark for their warm hospitality. Copenhagen is an excellent venue for this Conference. As a founder- member of the United Nations, Denmark has made important contributions to peace-keeping in various areas and given steadfast support to the endeavours through which our organization strives to attain the ideals of its Charter.

I should also like to express my great appreciation to Mrs. Lucille Mair, the Secretary-General of the Conference, and her staff for their dedicated efforts in preparing this Conference. Thanks are equally due to Mrs. Helvi Sipila, who was the Secretary-General of the World Conference of the International Women's Year and whose responsibility as head of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs included the ground-work for this Conference and support and collaboration at all stages of its preparation. - 2 -

Five years ago when, in Mexico City/ I had the privilege of opening the World Conference of International Women's Year, I said that we were engaged in a journey of discovery of our planet, its peoples and their problems. It is evident that, until we achieve a better understanding of these problems and their causes, we cannot hope to find enduring solutions for them. To speak specifically of the world's women in this context, the realization has grown in the last five years that if women are to assume — as they must — their full role in solving the world's political, economic and social problems, they must be recognized as being active participants in the great issues of our time. They must be seen as producers of development, and not only listed among its beneficiaries. They must be perceived as protagonists in the struggle for justice and not merely as victims or bystanders of strife. Without the full contribution of this half of humanity, none of our common goals can be realized.

The three objectives of the Decade for Women are Equality, Development and Peace. These are so fundamental that they might virtually be said to be those of the United Nations itself. The daily events which constitute human experience serve to reinforce our conviction that all three are interdependent, and that none can by itself be attained. - 3 -

At the same time, it becomes manifestly more clear that these goals cannot be pursued unilaterally by segments of society or by a nation or even a group of nations. They demand levels of understanding and cooperation higher than any we have so far reached.

The World Plan of Action unanimously approved by the 1975 World Conference provided a set of specific objectives for women and suggested a series of strategies for realizing them. The Decade for Women set a time-frame for this activity. The decision, therefore, to hold this Conference at the mid-point of that Decade defined your task:

- to examine what progress has been made in five years in reaching the targets of the World Plan of Action; to identify the obstacles to progress; and to formulate and agree upon action-oriented programmes for reaching those targets by 1985.

In carrying out this task, you have been asked by the General Assembly to consider and make recommendations for national, regional and international action, keeping in mind all the possibilities for cooperation and collaboration at those levels. You have further been asked to give particular attention to the areas of employment, health and - 4 - education, and to evolve programmes of action which can be adapted both to the needs of Member States and to the resources of the international system.

Five years is a short period within which to expect significant results. However, the goals of the Plan of Action are comprehensive, and their significance has increased. We have important additional knowledge about the reality of women's lives. We have evidence that an increasing number of governments, policy-makers, planners, and national and international institutions are recognizing that women's participation is critical to the achievement of their goals. We should not underestimate such signs of progress. Moreover, when these national and international institutions express the need for more specific guidance in this area, an opportunity arises giving added impetus to the work of this Conference. This is especially so when we are on the eve of a new Development Decade and about to formulate a new international development strategy.

The global review which is before you in a series of reports indicates that new approaches as well as renewed efforts are necessary if the goals of equality, development and peace are to be realized. - 5 -

In pursuit of the first of these three goals, much has been done in the area of legislation to ensure equality between women and men. A great variety of national mechanisms have been devised by different countries for this purpose. A few months ago, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Considering the enormous diversity of cultural traditions and social systems in the world, the achievement of the common understanding which this Convention reflects is truly remarkable. I should like, in this regard, to pay tribute to the Commission on the Status of Women which has rendered tireless services over decades to this cause. It required many years of their work to elaborate this comprehensive international instrument. The Convention will be open for signature here at Copenhagen. I hope that, by general acceptance, it will serve to give a new dynamic to legislative activity at the national level.

It is an unfortunate fact that there sometimes occurs a gap between laws and practice. Therefore, neither legislation nor national machineries are by themselves enough. For lack of a sustained drive, resources and political will, they can become only empty promises. - 6 -

In the realm of economic and social development, we find little cause to be complacent. New data and studies from all regions of the world underscore the fact that women are permanently at work but not permanently employed. They work longer hours than men, but are paid less. Even when, for a variety of reasons, they assume sole financial responsibility for their households, their place in the work-force is still too often the most disadvantaged and insecure. Much of what they produce is not counted in official statistics of national production. In a world where food shortage is a major concern, women produce a significant proportion of food, but are given neither the training nor the services nor the tools required to increase the productivity of their work.

Their health is precarious. Behind the statistics that show longer life expectancy are hidden chronic poor health, inadequate nutrition, and vast gaps not only between women in different countries, but between different groups of women in the same country. This situation is all the more disturbing since the health of children is closely related to the living conditions of their mothers.

In spite of progress made in reducing illiteracy, particularly in countries which have made it a priority, two out of every three of those who cannot read or write are - 7 - women, a fact with stark consequences for any hope of their advancement. Even in those countries with high rates of female literacy, there is much evidence that the content of education for girls is lagging far behind the changing nature of their responsibilities and opportunities, and is doing little to reform stereotyped attitudes.

Looming over this situation is a world economic crisis which daily restricts further the possibilities of the kind of action required to correct these injustices. It increasingly prevents governments from extending to women even those supporting services which are theirs under the law. The evidence, therefore, suggests that inequitable and unstable economic relationships between nations are being paralleled within nations by further inequity and instability. Women become double victims.

Yet the new facts and figures also tell us another story, a story of incredible courage and determination taking place in many parts of the world. Without much encouragement, with few facilities, with no lightening of the tasks of rearing children or preparing food or keeping house, women are increasingly appearing in the factories and the commercial farms on which their countries' economies depend. They are supporting each other in villages and cities, through cooperatives and grass-roots organizations. - 8 -

They are starting projects, generating income and they are learning. There is much to be learned from them.

Recognizing these strengths, many governments have taken action, within their resources, to support such efforts, not only of their own women, but of women in other countries. Within the United Nations system, too, there have been increasing measures of assistance for such initiatives since 1975. The Voluntary Fund for the Decade for Women, to cite one example, has been able to assist 122 such projects. I would appeal to Member States to make the increased contributions which would permit this activity to expand.

The final and perhaps central goal of the Decade is peace, the condition without which neither true equality nor meaningful development is possible in any lasting sense. The world situation, indeed, largely determines the situation of women. At no time in the recent past has there been such widespread global instability, so many volatile situations, so much distrust and misunderstanding. In each of these situations of tension, women are involved, as participants and sadly as victims. Your agenda reflects this reality. The General Assembly has asked you to examine three specific situations — the effects of apartheid on the women of southern Africa, the situation of Palestinian - 9 - women inside and outside the occupied territories, and the situation of women refugees the world over. Though these do not constitute an exhaustive chronicle, they do represent situations of major concern to the international community.

There can hardly be any doubt that, in each of these complex and critical situations, the women involved have certain specific needs and concerns. In all three, you have been asked to formulate special measures of assistance to these women, without duplicating or detracting from the broad programmes of assistance which the international community has devised for the concerned peoples as a whole. By careful and rigorous examination of the issues, and by agreeing on appropriate measures, we may begin to put an end to the myth that the issue of women's condition is separate from other issues on the world's agenda. One of the enduring results of the thinking, study and effort of the last five years has been the solid realization of the need to integrate women's issues into the whole question of development and peace.

It is important that this process of integration should begin. Women, because of their proven concern, have a significant contribution to make to the achievement of peace, to the broad issues of peacemaking, and peacekeeping and - 10 - disarmament. While I consider it encouraging that in recent years the number of women holding political offices of ;the highest rank at the national and international levels has been increasing, the fact remains that women at large have still very little influence on the political decision-making process. This lack of balance needs to be rectified.

As we stand half-way through the United Nations Decade for Women our greatest progress may well be the recognition that the wealth of courage, intelligence and involvement which women, in spite of so many obstacles, continue to bring to the business of life can no longer be neglected, if we are serious about survival. Given this recognition, the holding of this Conference represents a crucial point in the evolution of activities undertaken by the United Nations system with regard to women. Its most important task will be to find practical, effective and speedy ways to put the energy and strength of the world's women to work in order to achieve the human objectives to which we are all committed.

Your Majesty, Mr. Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen:

We survey today a world situation which is full of anxiety and fear, no doubt, but which also commands great promise and hope. To reduce the fear and to amplify the - 11 - constructive promise is the basic mission in which we are all engaged. Let us all, women and men, belonging to various nations, adherents of different ideologies, inheritors of diverse cultures, accept that there is a unity of purpose which binds us in a common pursuit. The pursuit is that of enhancing the quality of life. The purpose is to release humanity from the bondage of hunger and disease, conflict and injustice. The task demands a high degree of motivation and commitment which, I believe, this Conference will reflect and help to stimulate. In this spirit, I extend to all its participants my warmest wishes for a very rewarding outcome. UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM MEMORANDUM INTERIEUR

TO: The Secretary-General DATE; 13 June 1980 A:

REFERENCE:

THROUGH: S/C DE:

FROM: Lucille M. Mair, Secretary-General DE: World Conference of the UN Decade for Women

SUBJECT: Statement for the opening ceremony of the World Conference OBJET: of the United Nations Decade for Women

1. Please find attached, as requested, a first draft of the statement vhich you have kindly agreed to make at the opening ceremony of the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women in Copenhagen on the afternoon of July Ik.

2. I should "be grateful for any comments you may have. DRAFT STATEMENT

FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

AT THE OPENING OF THE

WORLD CONFERENCE

UNITED NATIONS DECADE FOR WOMEN -2-

Prime Minister Jorgensen, Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen: At the opening of this Conference, marking the mid-point of a

Decade which the United Natifons has dedicated to improving the condition of the world's women, I should like to convey to the Government and people of Denmark my gratitude for your assistance in the preparations which have been made, and for the warm hospitality extended to us. We are deeply appreciative of all your efforts. Thirty-five years ago your country joined with other founder-members to create the United Nations, an organization which symbolized mankind's determination to seek global peace, and better standards of life in larger freedom for all the peoples of this world. In those thirty-five years Denmark has remained committed to the ideals which found expression in the Charter, and has played an important, constructive role in the debates and negotiations through which our organization strives to attain those ideals. It is therefore particularly appropriate that this Conference should take place in Copenhagen, for our purpose during the coming days will be to examine the situation and plan to maximize the contribution of that half of humanity - women - without whose full participation none of our common objectives can be achieved. I should also like to express my appreciation to Mrs. Mair, the

Secretary-General of the Conference, and her staff for their intensive work in preparing this Conference, when time-constraints were severe and the need for extensive co-ordination of efforts within the United Nations system was imperative. Equally we must thank Mrs. Sipila, Assistant

Secretary-General for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, whose responsibility for the programmes and activities of the Decade for Women included the ground-work for this Conference and support and collaboration at all stages of its preparation. -3-

Five years ago when, in Mexico City, I had the privilege of opening the World Conference of International Women's Year, I said that ve were engaged on a journey of discovery of our planet and its peoples, and that until we knew what the facts and the problems were, we could not hope to reach agreed solutions to those problems. To speak specifically of the world's women in this context, it has become increasingly clear since

Mexico that if women are to assume - as they must - their full role in solving the world's political and economic problems, they must be recognized as being active participants in these great issues of our time. They must be seen as producers of economic development, and not only listed among its beneficiaries. They must be perceived as protagonists in political struggle, and not merely as victims of strife. For these are the realities, and unless we accept them we cannot act in the long-term interests of humanity as a whole.

The three objectives of the Decade for Women are Equality, Development and Peace, goals so fundamental that they might virtually be said to' be those of the United Nations itself. The daily events which constitute human experience serve to reinforce our conviction that all three are interdependent, and that none can by itself be attained. At the same time, it becomes manifestly more clear that these goals cannot be pursued unilaterally by a nation, or by one group of nations, or by one group within a nation. They can only be attained by mutual understanding and by levels of co-operation beyond any we have so far been prepared to commit ourselves to. -4-

In pursuit of the Decade's goal of Equality, much has been done at many levels to enact, revise or remove legislation with a view to ensuring equality "between women and men. The reports before you give ample evidence of this, as they indicate the great variety of national mechanisms which have been devised by different countries for this purpose.

At the same time those reports, based on the views of Member States warn us that neither legislation nor national machinery are by themselves enough. Without commitment, resources and political will, they will remain only empty promises. A few months ago the General Assembly concluded many years of work with the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the comprehensive international instrument which covers the issues and concerns with which this Conference will deal. I should like, in this regard, to pay tribute to the Commission on the Status of Women for their work in elaborating the draft Convention.

The Convention will be open for signature here at Copenhagen. I hope that it will be widely accepted, and that it will serve to give a new dynamic to legislative activity at the national level.

The World Plan of Action unanimously approved by the 1975 World Con- ference provided, in the pursuit of Equality, Development and Peace, a set of specific objectives for women and a series of suggested strategies for realizing them. The Decade for Women set a time-frame for this activity, and the decision to hold this Conference at the mid-point of that Decade defined your task: to examine what progress has been made in five years in reaching the targets of the World Plan of Action, to identify the obstacles to progress, and to formulate and agree upon action-oriented programmes for reaching those targets by 1985. -5-

In carrying out this task, you have been asked by the General Assembly to consider and make recommendations for action at the national, regional and international levels, and to examine all the possibilities for co-operation and collaboration vithin those three levels and among them. You have further been asked to give particular attention to the sub-theme areas of employment, health and education, and to agree on action of an operational nature vhich can be adapted both to the needs of Member States and to the resources of the international system. Five years is a short period vithin which to expect significant results. However, the goals of the Plan of Action were comprehensive, and their significance has increased. We have important additional knowledge about the reality of women's lives, and evidence that an increasing number of governments, policy-makers, planners, and national and international institutions are recognizing that women's participation is critical to the achievement of their goals. We should not underestimate such signs of progress. Moreover, when these national and international institutions express the need for more specific guidance in this area, on the eve of a new Development Decade and as we formulate a new international development strategy, it presents an exciting opportunity which gives added impetus to the work of this Conference. The global review which is before you in a series of reports indicates that both new approaches and renewed efforts are necessary if the goals of equality and development are to be realized. What, then, are the realities of women's condition today? -6-

In the economic and social realm we find little cause to "be complacent. Nev data and studies from all regions of our world underscore that women are permanently at work, "but not permanently employed. They work longer hours than men, but are paid *less. Increasingly and everywhere, for a variety of different reasons, they are assuming sole financial responsibility for their households, but their place in the work-force is the most dis- advantaged and the most insecure. Much of what they produce is not counted in official statistics of national production. In a world where food shortage is a major concern, women produce a significant proportion of food, but are given neither the training, the services nor the remuneration required to make them produce efficiently. Their health is precarious. Behind the statistics that show longer life expectancy are hidden chronic poor health, chronic poor nutrition, and vast gaps not only between women in different countries, but between different groups of women in the same country.

In spite of progress made in reducing illiteracy, particularly in countries which have made it a priority, two out of every three of those persons who cannot read or write are women, a fact with stark consequences for any hope of their advancement. Even in those countries with high rates of female literacy, there is much evidence that the content of education for girls is lagging far behind the changing nature of their responsibilities and opportunities, and is doing little to change traditional and stereotyped attitudes. -7-

Looming over this situation is a world economic crisis which daily reduces further the possibilities of the kind of action required to correct these injustices, and increasingly prevents governments from extending to women even those supporting cervices which are theirs under the law. The evidence therefore suggests that the inequitable and unstable economic relationships between nations which have been identified in our world are being paralleled within nations by further inequity and instability. Women are double victims. Yet the new facts and figures also tell us another story, a story of incredible courage and determination taking place in many parts of the world. Without much encouragement, with few facilities, with no lightening of the tasks of rearing children or preparing food or keeping house, women increasingly appearing in the factories and the commerical farms on which their countries' economies depend. They .are supporting each other in villages and cities, through co-operatives and grass-roots organizations.

They are starting projects, they are generating income, and they are learning.

There is much to be learned from them.

Many governments have recognized these strengths, and have moved within the limits of their resources to support such efforts, not only of their own women, but of women in other countries. Within the United Nations System, too, there has- been growing awareness and increasing measures of assistance for such initiatives since 1975. The Voluntary Fund for the Decade for Women, to cite one example, has been able to assist 122 such projects, and it is our hope that Member States will respond to the appeals for increased contributions which would permit this activity to expand. -8-

The final and perhaps central goal of the Decade is Peace - peace vithin nations and among nations, the condition without which neither true equality nor meaningful development is possible in any lasting sense.

If the situation of the world is indeed a major determinant of the situation of the world's women, any honest appraisal in this regard can only lead us to acknowledge our failures and take heart from a few small successes. At no time in the recent past, and certainly not in 1975, has there "been such widespread global instability, so many volatile situations, so much mistrust and misunderstanding. In each of these situations of tension women are involved, as participants and most bitterly as victims. Your agenda reflects this reality, for the three specific situations which the General Assembly has asked you to examine - the effects of apartheid on the women of southern Africa, the situation of Palestinian women inside and outside the occupied territories, and the situation of women refugees the world over - though they are not an exhaustive chronicle, do represent situations of major concern to the international community, situations in which peace does not exist.

There is, I believe, no question that in each of these complex and critical situations the women involved have certain specific needs and concerns. In all three you have been asked to formulate special measures of assistance to these women, without duplicating or detracting from the broad programmes of assistance which the international community has devised for their peoples as a whole. By careful and rigorous examination of the issues, and by agreeing on such programmes, we may begin to put an end to the myth that the issue of women's condition is separate from the world's agenda of political issues. -9-

It is important that this process should begin. Women, because of the concern and commitment proven over so many centuries in so many countries, have a significant contribution to make to the achievement of peace, to the broad issues of peacemaking and peacekeeping and disarmament. # All our societies have historically entrusted to women the task of resolving conflict vhen it begins, in childhood. But ve have alloved them markedly little influence 'in resolving conflict at the natiol level through the political process, and virtually none at all when conflict becomes inter- national.

Half-way through the United Nations Decade for Women, and not yet in sight of its triple goal of Equality, Development and Peace, our greatest progress may well be the recognition that the wealth of courage, intelligence and involvement which women, in spite of so many obstacles, continue to bring to the business of life can no longer be neglected, if we are serious about survival. If we accept that, the road before us is very clear. If we accept it, as I believe we must, the most important task of this Conference will be to find practical ways to put that energy and that strength to work, in the most effective ways and in the shortest possible time, to achieve the human objectives to which we are all committed. Mr. Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, in this spirit and with this hope I have much pleasure in opening this Conference. SG/SM/2944 7 July 1980

OPENING ADDRESS BY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO GLOBAL MEETING OF UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES IN TUNISIA

Tunis, 7 July 1980

Following is the text of the opening address by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim to the Global Meeting of Resident Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which began this morning in Tunis:

It is a very great pleasure for me to find myself in this beautiful and historic city in order to open the Global Meeting of Resident Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme. The Tunisian Government's cordial xjclcome and generous hospitality and the magnificent conference premises it has made available augur well for the success of our work. In thanking you most sincerely, Prime Minister, and, through you, His Excellency President Bourguiba, for this generosity, I know that I am speaking on behalf of all my colleagues in the United Nations system. I should also like to express my gratitude to the Tunisian Government and people for the support they have always given to the world Organization.

At a time when development problems are occupying a more and more prominent place .on the international community's agenda, the fact that the Administrator of UNDP has convened this meeting seems to me a token of the United Nations.1 determination to contribute actively to their solution. I take this opportunity to pay a tribute to our colleague and friend Bradford Morse, whose competence, dynamism and unflagging devotion are a remarkable contribution to the United Nations' efforts to create a better world for everyone .

During my visits to many developing countries, I have had an opportunity to meet many of you and to see for myself the value that Governments place on UNDP1 s participation in their efforts in the economic and social fields. Over the next few days, as you undertake a thorough review of your activities and prepare for the future, you will be able, I am sure, to make your collaboration with the States you serve even more fruitful.

Your Meeting is being held at a time of key importance for the United Nations. To .an ever greater extent, Governments, whether North or South, are

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For information media - not an official record - 2 - Press Release SG/SM/2944 7 July 1980 bringing their problems, both political and economic, to our Organization. Did not the authors of the Charter signed just 35 years ago clearly state that k, in order to create the conditions of stability necessary for peace, the United Nations would have to help solve the great economic and social problems of the w day?

They could not, of course, have foreseen the extent and complexity of the difficulties that would arise and the dominant position that these questions would take in our work. But they understood very well what close links there are between the idea of peace on the one hand and that of economic progress on the other, because they are indivisible. Over the past 35 years, a great many ills and confrontations have grown out of the despair and misery engendered by economic injustice. And everyone knows the disastrous effects of war and conflict on development.

Obvious as this may be, we must nevertheless recognize at the beginning of this decade that the future prospects are dark, both politically and economically. For several months we have witnessed a menacing deterioration in the international climate. In a tense atmosphere of distrust and confrontation, relations between the great Powers have deteriorated, with obvious consequences for the rest of the world. New and serious crises have broken out, while a solution to the old conflicts srems further off than ever. I am certainly not one of those who surrender to an apocalyptic view of things and predict a general conflagration for tomorrow. But while I remain optimistic and continue to believe that wisdom will win out in the end, I feel it my duty to express the very great concern I feel at the. dangerous trend of events and the risk that a localized conflict might set off a calamity.

In the Middle East only a comprehensive solution will bring peace back to a region which is particularly explosive. It is obvious that, in order to arrive at that solution, the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, who are at the very heart of the problem, will have to be'recognized and that accordingly the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the process of negotiation is of prime importance. Personally I will spare no effort to overcome the obstacles that at present lie in the way of the negotiations and to help the parties arrive at the just and lasting solution we all desire.

In Africa, while we are encouraged by the settlement of the prolonged conflict over the future of Zimbabwe, it remains true that the situation in southern Africa is still disturbing. We have reached a decisive stage with regard to the independence of Namibia. In rny view, rapid acceptance of the United Nations plan and an end to all violence are essential conditions for a solution. I condemn the recent attacks by the South African army against Angola and I deplore the large number of victims and the extensive destruction they caused.

In Asia, tension continues to rise in a region where the war has practically never let up for more than 30 years, like the devastating and interminable conflicts which brought grief to Europe for so many centuries. In all continents, the painful refugee problem reminds us of the terrible price paid in human suffering for political instability.

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i " Everywhere the sparks given off by the clash of arms are likely at any moment to set the whole world ablaze. The arms race, which continues at an accelerated rate, is a symbol of the way our world is drifting towards a prospect that is terrifying.

To you, whose chief concern is the economic and social development of the countries where you work, there is no need for me to emphasize the tragic consequences of this deadly cycle. Suffice it to say that quantitatively our planet today holds more explosive power than food, that the arsenal of weapons of mass destruction is enough to kill every individual, man, woman and child, more than 10 times over, and that at a cost of a million dollars a minute, day and night.

The economic, social, cultural and psychological dimensions of the concept of security are today much broader than in the past and are directly affected by the eternal competition for military domination which has become established between rival nations or groups of nations. What opportunities would open up for us if the fantastic resources now devoted to destruction were available to us to assuage the hunger and distress that two thirds of mankind have to suffer.

But the economic future of our peoples, it must unfortunately be recognized, remains just as disquieting as, in another way, the political tensions. It is a striking fact that various recent reports, such as that of the Brandt Commission, all contain alarming predictions for development and accordingly for world peace unless Governments undergo a profound change of attitude and make a "concrete and vigorous affirmation of their political will to succeed.

Never in the history of mankind has the question of economic co-operation among nations been of more importance for international relations. That is why the United Nations is called upon, by its very nature, to play an increasingly active role in this field. Over the past 10 years our Organization has already made an essential, though often unrecognized, contribution towards building the world of tomorrow.

During this period, Governments have, for the first time, taken stock of the major problems facing man today: food, health, population, the role of women, the environment, industrialization and, above all, the establishment of a new international economic order. These are the great priorities of our times. What is needed now is that Governments should act firmly and decisively and choose, in full sovereignty, the measures adapted to their particular requirements in order to implement the declarations and plans of action drawn up by international organizations.

If we are to succeed, there are, in my opinion, three conditions that must be met simultaneously.

First of all, there must, be a political will to succeed. Without a bold and resolute commitment by Governments, the developing and developed countries may never find common ground. Such a situation can lead only to new

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confrontations, to an increase in tension and to an aggravation of the general economic situation.

Although the past months have not been marked by a total absence of progress, they are still far from encouraging. The fact that an agreement was reached at the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, the recent agreement on the Common Fund and the decision on a new series of global negotiations are certainly steps in the right direction; they are, however, quite insufficient unless they are followed by concrete action.

In a few weeks the special session of the General Assembly on development will be held in New York. This session will have the task of examining the progress made in the establishment of the new international economic order, preparing the new development strategy for the 1980s and initiating global negotiations to find a solution to international economic problems within the restructuring of the world economy. This session should provide an opportunity to give a new impetus to economic co-operation and development.

In order to attain the objectives laid down, the second requirement is that sufficient resources should be released. Apart from the enormous resources needed for direct transfers to the developing countries, extensive reforms in trade and finance have to be made to enable the developing countries themselves to create their own resources, economic independence being at the heart of national development.

In order to do its work, the United Nations has over 30 years of solid experience and a very extensive range of skills. It has clearly proved its effectiveness in all continents. However, the inadequacy of its financial resources prevents it from functioning at full capacity in order to meet the clearly defined needs of the developing countries.

In my opinion, it would be tragic if the resources which are so badly needed cannot be found. In this connexion, I wish to pay a tribute to the Governments which, over the years, have consistently contributed so generously to development through UNDP. I also express my thanks to the League of Arab States, whose Ministers, meeting in this city just over three months ago, recommended a substantial increase in their annual contributions to UNDP. I am convinced that the implementation of this recommendation will make a valuable contribution to our Organization's development programme in the various regions of the world.

In order for the objectives agreed upon to be attained more rapidly, it is essential in the third place, that the developing countries should acquire the necessary skills and techniques. Without that all the goodwill and all the resources in the world would have no effect. Without training, enterprises decline; without planning, hopes for progress are disappointed; without maintenance, industrial plant goes to pieces; and, finally, the establishment of a new international economic order is further delayed. All those factors arc precisely those which are at the heart of UNDP's co-operation with the developing countries.

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Since its creation 35 years ago, the United Nations has consistently faced new challenges. Different problems, which had not been foreseen when the Organization was founded, have appeared. I have mentioned the deep disparity which exists between rich and poor and the disappointingly slow progress towards the establishment of a new international economic order. Howex'er , thanks to the untiring work of our Organization, we can allow ourselves new hope and cherish new aspirations for a better future.

In this process the irreplaceable role which you play is recognized everywhere. Pursue your task, therefore, with renewe-i energy, and accept with pride the heavy responsibilities which are going to he yours in this development decade. Remember that we rely on you, you who are in the front line of the development battle waged by the United Nations.

We cannot afford to lose this battle, since on its outcome depends not only the welfare and prosperity of all peoples but even, perhaps, world peace.

*** * Department of Public Information Press Section United Nations, New York

SG/SM/2942 7 July 1980

PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL AT PALAIS DES NATIONS

Geneva, 4 July 1980

Following is the transcript of a press conference by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim held on Friday, 4 July, at the Palais des Nations, received from the United Nations Information Centre, Geneva:

SARI RAUBER, Vice-Presidente del'Association des correspondants. Au nom des correspondants auprcs des Nations Unies, j'ai Ic plaisir de vous souhaitcr la bienvenue parmi nous. Nous nous felicitons qu'il nous soit donne 1'occasion de vous poser des questions sur divers problemes qui nous preoccupent ct cela dans de nombreux domaincs. Au nom de 1 "Association je vous remercic a 1'avance de votre comprehension et c'est avcc Ic plus grand interet que nous aliens ecouter vos reponscs.

Lc SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je vous remercic Madame. Je suis certainement hcurex d'etre ici de nouveau pour les reunions des Nations Unies a Geneve. Comme vous le savez, Ic but principal de ma presence a Geneve est 1'ouverture du Conseil economique et social. Cette session m'a donne 1'occasion d'exprimer mon point de vue sur la situation economiquc mondiale. Jc n'ai pas I1intention, Mesdames et Messieurs, de faire discours ici, je crois qu'il scrait mieux que vous posiez les questions tout dc suite et je suis a votre disposition.

PHILIPPE GRANDJEAN (Radio Suisse Romande): La question que je vais vous poser concerns 1'Afrique et plus particulierement 1'Afriquc du Sud. Vous avez fait des declarations recemment au sommet de 1'OUA critiquant fertnement 1'Afrique du Sud, et recemment ici a Geneve s'est tenuc une Conference des Organisations non gouvernementales sur 1' apartheid en Afrique du Sud, Conference qui a adoptc un certain nombre de resolutions tres fermes a 1'encontrc de 1'Afriquc du Sud et dc sa politique d'apartheid de memc que vis-a-vis de sa politique en ce qui concernc la Namibie. Ma question est la suivante: Estimez-vous que ces prises dc position personnelles ct de cette conference d'ONG qui a etc patronnec par les Nations Unies sont une contribution a 1'evolution pacifique de la situation en Namibie, et cstimez-vous que le processus de paix en Namibie pcut ctre ravive" par ces differentes prises de position?

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Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Ce que j'ai dit a Freetown, n'etait ricn de nouveau. Je crois que j'ai fait cette declaration plusieurs fois dans le passe a New York, aux Nations Unies et ailleurs de par le monde. C'cst porquoi je ne pcnse pas que j'ai devie dc ma position de principe bien connue. J'etais moi-mcme un peu surpris de la reaction de la pressc Internationale; appareminent cllc n'a pas suivi mes declarations a/New York. M. Botha lui-meme a fait une declaration disant que le Secretaire7 general n'a ricn dit de nouveau; nous connaissons son point de vue. Evidemmcnt il est de raon devoir de maintenir et d'appuyer les principes des Nations Unies. En ce qui concerns la Namibic, jc crois qu'il y a une chance dc surmontcr les difficultes et d'elaborer une solution pour ce problems. Vous savcz que j'ai envoye une lettre a M. Botha il y a une quinzainc de jours, dans laquellc explique la position des Nations Unies et j'ai aussi repondu, d'une facon constructive aux questions qui m'etaient posees par M. Botha. La lettre est tnaintenant a 1'etude a Pretoria d'apres ce qu'on m'a dit du cote sud-africain et j'espere qu'il sera possible de clarifier les dernicrs points ct de commcncer 1'execution du plan qui est prevu dans la resolution pertinentc du Conseil de securite des Nations Unies.

PHILIPPE GRANDJEAM (Radio Suissc Romance): Si vous le pcrmettez, j1aimerais juste poser encore une question, mais peut-ctrc un pcu plus concrete. Quelle demarche concrete voulez-vous cntreprcndrc maintcnant pour redonncr vie justement a ce processus pacifique en Namibic ct notammcnt dans la perspective de la tcnue de ces fameuses elections en Namibie.

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL; J'ai 1'intention d'attcndrc encore quelque temps, pas trop longtemps naturellement, pour obtenir une reponse a ma lettre. Je suis en contact avec 1'Ambassadeur de 1'Afrique du Sud a New York. Avant mon depart je 1' ai vu et nous avons discute du probleme. J'espere bien que la reponse'a ma lettre me sera remise aussi vite que possible, parce que nous nc pouvons pas perdre trop de temps dans cettc affaire serieuse. Je n'cxcluerais pas non plus des negociations directes entre 1'Afrique du Sud et la SWAPO avec mon aide. Mais la chose importante est d'abord la reponse de 1'Afrique du Sud. Ma lettre contient un noinbre d'elcrae-nts importants. Par exemple, nous serions prets et cela, apres les consultations avec les Etats africains de la premiere ligne et la SWAPO, a accepter 20 bases de 1'Afriquc du Sud dans la zone derail i tar isec. On serait aussi pret a accepter, c'est d'ailleurs le resultat des contacts avec la SWAPO, dc renoncer aux deux bases de la SWAPO en Namibie au cas ou 1'Afrique du Sud serait pr

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pacifique. En tous cas soyez assures quc moi, en tant quc Secretaire general dcs Nations Unies, engage directement dans ce processus, je ferais tout ce que est en mon pouvoir pour ataoutir a une solution ncgociee.

ANN CROSMAN (National Broadcasting Corporation): What is the status of the United Nations Commission on Iran and when might it be able to go back to Teheran?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: Well, the Commission still exists. As you know, I sent .Mr. Daoudy to Teheran recently. You will remember that when I was in Belgrade for the funeral of President Tito, I had an hour-long discussion with Mr. Ghotbzadeh to find out what we can do to make our contribution to the solution of the problem. It was then agreed that Mr. Daoudy would go there to find out in what way we could make this contribution. Mr. Ghotbzadeh wanted the report of the Commission to be published as soon as possible. For this purpose it seemed to me necessary to clarify under what conditions the Commission could make its report, because the report still docs not exist, the reason being that the Commission during its stay in Teheran could not fulfil both parts of its mandate. One consisted of the grievances of Iran, the other of the grievances of the United States, namely the hostage crisis. Since the Commission at that time was unable to sec the hostages and to achieve their transfer from the embassy compound to the custody of the Government of Iran, the Commission returned and did not prepare or present its report to me.

In my discussions in Belgrade, I stated that the conditions for the return of the Commission and for its report would have to be clarified. It turned out during the Daoudy mission that the Iranian authorities were not able to give us the necessary clarifications and, in these circumstances, it was not possible to present the report. The main reason why we are unable to continue the efforts of the Commission for the time being is that there is no single power centre in Iran which could serve as an interlocutor with us. A solution to this problem depends upon a clearer power situation in Iran. A decision has been made in Iran that the hostage issue has to be settled by the Parliament. This will be the next step and we have to wait for it. Let me add immediately that I remain personally in contact with the different leaders in Teheran but it is my impression that the next step will probably be the discussion of this matter in the Parliament.

ALI MOSTOFI (Tribune de Geneve): L'annec dernierc ici meme vous nous disirz votre preoccupation au sujet de la continuation de la guerre au Sahara. Vous revenicz de la reunion dc Monrovia et vous dcviez partir pour Madrid ou vous alliez rencontrcr IPS dirigeants et en me~me temps parlcr de ce probleme de la guerre au Sahara. Cette annee vous rcvenez d'un autre sommet de 1'OUA et vous avez eu naturcllement dcs contacts sur place sur des sujets quc le sommet est appcle a discuter encore cettc fois, c'cst le probleme sahraoui. Quel est maintenant votrc sentiment a cc sujet? Est-ce quc vous pouvcz nous dire maintentant quelles mcsurcs vous comptez prendre dans le cadre dcs Nations Unies pour le reglement de cottc question?

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Le probleme a deux aspects. L'un est la question dc 1'admission du Polisario a 1'Organisation de 1'unite africaine. C'est le

(more) - 4 - Press Release SG/SH/2942 7 July 1980 probleme qui est maintenant devant cctte organisation ct il y a la commc vous le savez une discussion serieuse, meme acrimonieusc , entre les leaders dc cettc. organisation. La question cst si la Republique sahraouic proclamcc par le Polisario devrait etre admise a 1'OUA. Voila, 1'un des aspects du problems. L'autre aspect est le probleme de substance. Comment regler cctte affaire? Comment repondre a la demande des Sahraouis pour 1'autodetermination? L'Algerie ct nombre d'autres pays insistent pour qu'on donne aux Saharouis le droit a 1'autode termination ct le Maroc declare que pour lui le dossier est clos, en se basant sur les accords de Madrid. Cela n'est pas accepte par le Polisario ct nombre de metnbrcs de 1'OUA. C'est pourquoi on a etabli un comite des sages compose de chefs d'Etat africains qui s'occuptnt dcpuis la derniere session de 1'OUA de cette question, essayant de trouver une solution. Jusqu'a maintcnant, ils n'y sont ma Incureusemcnt pas parvenus. Je le regrette. En effet aux terines dc la Charte des Nations Unies, on doit d'abord essayer de regler de tels problemcs dans le cadre d'une organisation regionale qui, dans le cas present, est 1'OUA. Mais 1'organisation jusqu'a present n'a pas etc en mcsure de trouver une solution; die continue ccpcndant scs efforts. Lc President Scnghor a propose hier, commc vous le savez, a la Conference du sommct, la convocation d'une session speciale pour traiter de cette affaire et essayer de la regler. Voila la situation actuelle. Le probleme se trouve egalemcnt devant les Nations Unies et sera discute pendant la prochaine session de 1'Asscmblce gencralc. Mais 1'attitude de 1'OUA cst evidemment d'unc importance primordiale pour les Nations Unies.

VICTOR LUSINGHI (New York Times): As recently as last Saturday an agreement was reached here in the field of commodities which many United Nations officials here — and diplomats — considered an advance in North-South relations, but you made no mention of it yesterday in your ECOSOC [Economic and Social Council] statement which covered this question of the dialogue. Why?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: I covered in my statement yesterday a wide range of problems in this regard and I thought that a number of references which I made in that speech covered the Common Fund. During the negotiating period I was in regular contact with the Secretary-General of UWCTAD [United Nations Conference on Trade and Development], Mr. Gamani Corea, who kept me fully informed. There were some difficult moments; we did not know whether or not the Common Fund problem would be solved. Agreement was finally reached just before I left New York. Maybe you are right, I should have mentioned the Common Fund Agreement directly. I thought that the general picture I gave in my speech yesterday covered the point but I am happy you asked me the question so that I can give you a clear-cut answer: I'm extremely gratified that after very delicate negotiations it was possible to reach agreement. This is, of course, very important for the future handling of commodity issues. It is one of the few positive results in our recent negotiations in the economic field. I welcome it, and I hope that i t is a good omen for our future efforts.

JQHANN DANES (APA and ORF): Could you tell us what your think or what you feel about the report of the Brandt Commission?

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The SECRETARY-GENERAL; The Brandt Commission report is certainly a very useful and constructive document which we have studied carefully since Mr. Brandt presented it to me in New York a few months ago. I think this is a very important contribution to the efforts of the international community to find a solution for the economic and social problems in the world, especially the relationship between North and South, which is of decisive importance for the future. Many complex questions are dealt with in this report. One proposal, for instance, is to organize one or more summit meetings to overcome the stalemate in the North-South dialogue. Obviously I cannot deal^here with all the elements of the Brandt Report. Let me just say that I consider it very important that the North-South dialogue is dealt with on the^highest possible level. I think this problem cannot be solved by technicians alone. Technicians are important, but this is not only an economic problem. It is ^a highly political problem and therefore we will only achieve a breakthrough in the North-South dialogue if decisions are made on the highest possible level. This is what I tried to explain yesterday in my statement.

I appeal to you to bring this message, not only to the Governments but also to the public. Only if we are able to solve these economic and social problems in the world do we have a chance to achieve political stability. If we are not able to do so, there will be a lot of trouble in the world in the future. Don't ignore or underestimate the growing tension in the third world over the fact that practically no breakthrough has been achieved in the Worth-South dialogue. In fact, it is no longer a dialogue-, it is becoming a confrontation and I, as Secretary-General, have to tell you that if more efforts are not made to find agreement through co-operation and mutual understanding, we are heading for trouble in the coming years. This is one of the reasons why I stressed so much yesterday and again today the point that the political leadership must engage itself in the decision-making process, so that a breakthrough can be achieved in this important field.

SCOTT SHUSTER (American Broadcasting Corporation): Do you think it may be necessary for countries to yield a certain degree of their decision-making powers, a certain degree of national sovereignty to an international body in order to solve these very difficult problems which you have pointed out repeatedly? Very little progress is being made in the current situation.

The SECRETARY-GENERAL; Certainly that would be helpful, but I have learned in my many years as Secretary-General of the United Nations that we have to remain realistic. Let's not believe that the Governments and the peoples of the world have only idealistic considerations in mind. Your suggestion is a good one. I would welcome it, but I don't believe it will happen. If the Governments had enough political will to use the existing international machinery, it X7ould be. quite capable of doing the job — but very often they want to settle their problems bilaterally and come to us when i t is too 1 a te .

As far as the North-South dialogue is concerned, please don't think that I accuse one side or the other. I think both sides have to make an effort. The Worth has to make a great effort to give a chance to the South, and the South has to understand that the North also has difficulties and troubles.

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They have unemployment and inflation. They have elections. Let's not forget what this means, if you want to make a conce.osion. So let there be no illusions. You have to be realistic. What we really need is the political will to make concessions and to find a reasonable way to get us out of the present stalemate.

SCOTT SHUSTER (American Broadcasting Corporation): We have known this for 35 years. What can be done to get nations to adhere to and use the system? They signed the Charter and promised to adhere to and use it.

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: They will use the system if and when tht y realize that otherwise they will be the losers. I don't want to say that the international institutions are all perfect. Certainly not. We are but human beings. However, we are sincere in our efforts to make our contribution. I can tell you from my long experience that there is not much difference among countries. In this respect, I do not discriminate when I say that they don't see the long-range challenge of our time very often. They see only their short-range interests and the need to achieve their own selfish ends. I'm sorry to say this, but I would be failing in my duty if I did not draw attention to the problems v;e face. If we want to solve them, we have to look forward and not maintain a narrow-minded mentality. We have to look forward to the long-range interests of humanity. When we understand this, the moment will have come for a more co-operative approach. This Joesn't mean that I'm pessimistic. I remain confident. But more efforts have to be made than in the past,

MIREILLE LEMARESQUIER (Radio France Internationale): Concernant It Proche-Orient, entendez-vous prendre une initiative afin dc substituer aux accords de Carnp David une ncgociation plus large incluant Ic.s Palestinicns? Quant a la position de M. Begin sur 1'anncxion totals de Jerusalem, au cas ou cette proposition serait approuvee par la Knesset, qu'entendcz-vous faire?

Lc SECRETAIRE GENERAL: II n'est pas facile de rcpondre aux questions quc vous avez posees . II est toujours clair, a tnon avis, qu'une negociation globale est necessairc pour trouver une solution a la question du Moyen-Orient. Les evenements recents ont montr£ clairemcnt la justesse de cette opinion, que j'ai exprimec depuis longtemps et quc j'ai rcaffirmce a plusicurs reprises. On ne peut pas cspcrer resoudrc Its problemes du Moyen-Orient sans inclure toutes les parties concernees ct intcressecs. Laissez-moi aussi vous dire qu'il n'y aura pas de solution sans inclure les Palestiniens. Et la, il faut donner la possibilite a 1'OLP dc participer au processus de negociation. L'OLP a ete dc'signce par les Arabes au sommet de Rabat, il ya plusieurs annees deja, pour representcr les intercts des Palestiniens et cette decision est appuyee par les Nations Unies. Je crois done qu'il faut tenir compte de cette decision ct donner a 1'OLP la possibilite de participer au processus dc negociation et prendre en consideration les droits legitimes des Palestiniens. En ce qui concerne la deuxieme par tic de votre question, j'ai fait une declaration publiquc a ce sujet a New York. Lorsquc le comite dc la Knesset a fait cette proposition, j'ai expritne ma profondc preoccupation a ce sujet. J'estime que cela compliquerait les n£gociations pour une solution juste et pacifique du

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probleme du Moyen-Orient. . J'ai fait aussi reference aux nombreuscs resolutions adoptees par Ics Nations Unics au sujet de Jerusalem. En tant que Secretaire general, il est -de mon devoir de faire reference a ccs resolutions des Nations Unics ct je suis convaincu que si la recommendation du comite cst adoptee par la Knesset, il y aurait des consequences trcs scrieuses pour le processus de paix au Moyen-Or ient.

MIREILLE LEMARESQUIER (Radio France Internationale): Est-ce que vous pcnscz prendre une initiative concrete pour relancer Ics negociations sur le Pro che-Or ient?

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Pour le moment, je crois qu'il faut attendre. Laissez-moi aussi attirer votre attention sur les efforts qui sont faits par nombre dc gouverncmcnts, comme par exemplc le Groupc des Neuf, qui ont expnmc leur position claircment a Venise. Jc suis en contact personnel lenient avcc IPS parties concernecs ct interessecs. Je crois que c'est le moment de pratiqucr ,une diplomatic tranquille, afin de preparcr l

ANTOINE BOSSHARP (Journal de Geneve): Je me suis laisse dire que vous aviez £te invite aux jeux olympiques de Moscou ct a 1'ouvcrture. Est-il exact que vous songiez a y participer, ou plutot, y assistcr?

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Merci de votrc compliment et de me prendre pour un athlete. Je peux vous dire que 1' Arnbassadeur de 1'Union sovictique, Mme Mironova, m'a transmis oralcmcnt hicr une invitation dc son gouvcrnemcnt d'assister a 1'ouverture des jeux olympiques. Comme vous le savez, on m'a demande de convoqucr une session d'urgence de 1'Asscmblee generale des Nations Unics sur la question de la Palestine et cette session aura probablement lieu a peu pres a la mgme periode que les jeux olympiques a Moscou. Dans ces cirConstances, je serai engage dans la preparation dc cette session d'urgence qui doit c~trc convoquce , selon la procedure de 1'Assemblee generale, dans les 24 heures, des que 1'accord d'une majorit£ simple des pays membres a etc repu. C'est pourquoi je nc peux pas vous donner de reponse.

FRANCISCO IBANEZ MARTIN: Une question complernentaire. Est-ce que vous cnvcrrez un representant personnel au cas ou vous ne pourrez pas y aller vous-meme?

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Je vous ai donnc la reponse et il nc me semble pas raisonnable d'elaborer davantage.

OTTO GOBIUS (Netherlands Radio) : In connexion with the situation on the Thai-Kampuchean border and the assistance being given to the Kampucheans, what in your view could or should the United Nations do with the non-governmental organizations, and I include the ICRC — the International Committee of the Red Cross — who want to stop their assistance for whatever reason they have?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: This is a very delicate problem. We are engaged in a purely humanitarian operation. We do our best to give the necessary humanitarian aid to the suffering Kampuchean people wherever they arc, whether

(more) - 8 - Press Release SG/SM/2942 7 July 1980 they are inside Kampuchea, or outside in Thailand, in the different refugee camps. There are of course also political implications to this problem and there has been recently a military confrontation in the border area^between Thailand and Kampuchea. This has created problems for the international organizations, UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund], the World Food Programme and the International Red Cross. We do our best to clarify the situation but evidently the humanitarian organizations of the United Nations have to avoid all political implications. I have sent Sir Robert Jackson, my co-ordinator for humanitarian operations for the Kampuchean people, to the area immediately, and he is now in Bangkok. He will also visit the other countries involved; he will go to Hanoi and to Phnom Penh in order to clarify the situation and to make it possible to do whatever we can in order to help the suffering people.

BRIJ KHINDARIA (Financial Times): About the North-South dialogue, you ^ mentioned that you are looking ahead to a lot of troubles. Could you explain what you mean by trouble, and do you think there could be a uar because of this?

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: Certainly not. If I emphasized this point I didn't mean that there will be a war bett^een the North and South. I ^stressed the political character of this problem because there is still the widespread opinion that this is just one of the many economic problems we have in the world. People underestimate the political implications, the dangers involved if we don't solve the problem. If people are starving by the millions^in the world, that creates tension, and if we have growing tension, then we will have the danger of a confrontation. That does not mean it has to be a military confrontation, but it will lead to upheavals anri upheavals of this kind lead to the destabilization of those regions and all this may lead to a very serious situation. That is what I meant.

BRIJ KHINDARIA (Financial Times): What is new about this tension? Starvation has been going on for decades and in fact now there is probably less starvation and less difficulty than there used to be, say 20 years ago, in many developing countries. What is so very specific about the kinds of tension? Why will they cause more trouble than in the past? .

The SECRETARY-GENERAL: The situation has not improved, unfortunately, in the way you think it has. In Africa, many of the countries are not self-reliant in food and agriculture. They have to import food from other countries, from the North especially. There are also countries which have, in the past, been self-reliant, and which are not self-reliant any more in this field. This is not an encouraging development. The North has to give them the possibility, through help and assistance, to stabilize their internal economic situation.

Here, the Common Fund is, of ccurse. a very important clement. It will hopefully give them more stable prices for their raw materials so that they can build a more stable economy. This will also help the Northern countries. They can only solve their problems, in my opinion, through a global approach to the economy. I have said before that they all produce the same

(more) - 9 - Press Release SG/SM/2942 7 July 1980 manufactured goods and can't sell them. In the South, you have many starving people. They don't have the economic capacity to buy these goods. They can only be helped by grants, through gifts, but this is not a solution. We should stabilize their economies so that they can become self-reliant and have the necessary funds in order to buy whatever they need. This is not only a moral question. We are on a two-way street; it is something which is in the interest of both sides, and this is why co-operation is needed to solve the problem.

BORKO STOSIC (Politika): Je m'excuse de vous embarrasser encore une fois avec le probleme des communiques de presse de la CNUCED en francais. Vous m'aviez promis de regler cette question. J'ai informs 1'Asemblee des correspondants de votre promessc et mes collegues qui utilisent la langue francaise etaient tres contents. Malheureusement, nous n'avons pas un seul communique de presse dc la CMJCED en francais. Et lorsqu'il en sort un en franpais, il sort si tard quc nous ne pouvons pas 1'utiliser. Je vous prie de nous aider a arranger cette affaire, parce que la CNUCED est une par tie integrante des Nations Unies.

Le SECRETAIRE GENERAL: Mcr ci d'afctirer mon attention sur ce probleme. Je vous promets de faire tout ce qui cst en mon pouvoir pour que ces communiques soient publics aussi en langue franpaise. J'attache une tres grande importance a cela et je ne manquo.rai pas d'en parlcr a M. Gamani Corea que je verrai pendant mon scjour.

* A** * .... Jilri 13 1012 - "•)' V.:.-'.' rji Drafter ;

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. FOR AHMED INFO OLVER UNDP. PLEASE TRANSMIT A • :='.!';.. :• FOLLOWING TWEJSSTY PAGES BY FACSIMILE.

MORSE TH£ ADMINISTRATOR UNfTSO NATIO*»8OEV6LOt»MENT

Geneva, 12 June 1980

Dear Attached is a draft statement for the at the opening s&ssian of the Global JJesidbnt Representatives Meeting in Tunis on 7 July. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on the draft. With kind personal regards, I am

Bradford torso

Mr. R. Ahmed CJief de Cabinet Executive Of f ice of the Secretary-General United Nations Boom 3800-E New York, DRAFT 12 June 198O

OPENING STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TO GLOBAL MEETING OF UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES

Tunis, 7 July 1980

Mr. Prime Minister, Your Excellencies, Esteemed Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen :

It is a great pleasure for me to be here in this beautiful and historic city to open officially this Global Meeting of

Resident Representatives of the United Nations Development

Programme. The warm welcome, the gracious hospitality and the use of this magnificent conference facility, that the

Government of Tunisia has provided, augur well for a most

successful meeting. I know that I speak for all of my colleagues in the United Nations system in thanking you most sincerely, Mr. Prime Minister, and through you, in thanking His Excellency, President Bourgiba, for this

generosity. I also wish to express my gratitude to you

personally for your own and your Government's longstanding

support for the World Organization. Tunisia's leadership

has been of great and lasting service to the international

community.

I am also pleased that the Administrator decided to

convene this meeting, the first of its kind in almost ten years. During official visits to many developing countries,

I have had the opportunity to meet a number of UNDP Resident Representatives on an individual basis, but this is the first - 2 -

occasion I have had as Secretary-General to meet and address all Resident Representatives from all parts of the world. I warmly welcome this opportunity.

The meeting comes at a critical time for the United

Nations and for the United Nations Development system. Increasingly, governments from both north and south are turning to the United Nations to address economic as well as political problems, and it is proper that they should do so. Indeed, while the United Nations came into being out of the ashes of destruction of World War II, at a time when international peace and security were paramount considerations, its founders definitely intended that the United Nations should play a leading role in the promotion of international economic and social co-operation. It is now clear to all of us that this intention has been realized as our Organization addresses a growing number of fundamental economic and social issues.

As Secretary-General, I am conscious on a day-to-day basis of how very closely the concepts of international peace and security, on the one hand, and international economic and social co-operation, on the other, are linked.

In fact many of the confrontations or near confrontations

which have taken place over the past thirty years have stemmed from poverty, despair and economic injustice. And frequently, once confrontation is resolved, it is the economic and social organizations of the United Nations

that are called upon to assist in helping to heal the deep wounds of conflict. - 3 -

The timing of this meeting is critical. At no point in the history of mankind has the subject of international economic co-operation had more precedence in international relations. During the past decade, the United Nations, through a series of United Nations world conferences and global meetings has made a truly significant/ but often overlooked, contribution to the well-being of our own and future generations.

In the past seven or eight years, for the first time, governments have compiled a comprehensive list of global problems affecting almost every aspect of the human condition. They have also agreed upon a set of global priorities to deal with these problems on an effective, world-wide and long-term basis. These agreed priorities include, inter alia, food, water and sanitation, health, housing, population, the role of women, the environment, rural development and agrarian reform, industrialization, trade, science and technology for development, and, most important, the establishment of a New International Economic Order. What has, in effect, been achieved is the first global inventory of agreed goals for the international community. A major part of a formidable task is therefore complete. What is now required is firm and decisive action on the part of governments — each according to its sovereign selection of actions suitable for its country specific needs — to implement the various declarations and plans of action with equally decisive support by international organizations. - 4 -

Such action, in my view, can take place only when three conditions are met on an integrated and global basis.

First, there must be political will. Without bold, determined commitment — political will — on the part of people of all countries, on the part of their Governments in their capitals, in international fora, and at the negotiating table — there is the danger of a continuing stalemate between the developing and the developed countries. This stalemate will benefit neither group, and will result only in further confrontation, increased tension and further economic deterioration for all. This was unanimously reiterated by the distinguished members of the Independent Commission on International Development Issues — the Brandt Commission — and I hope that their timely and valuable counsel will be heeded.

The record of the past twelve months in this regard, although not completely devoid of progress, can hardly be regarded as encouraging. The fact that agreement was reached at the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development, and in the General Assembly on a new round of global negotiations, was a positive and most welcome development, but to my regret, the lack of tangible progress in so many other areas has too frequently been the case. - 5 -

The second condition required to reach the goals that have been established is the availability of resources. Not only is there a massive need for resources in terms of direct transfers from developed to developing countries, but significant international trade and financial reforms are required in order for developing countries themselves to be in a position to generate more of their own resources for development, since self-reliance is at the core of national development.

The Brandt Commission Report concluded that merely to attain basic development targets, the least developed and other low-income countries will require additional allocations of at least $4 billion annually in direct aid. For developing countries with relatively higher incomes, the Commission recommended that there should be a much greater increase in concessionary finance and commercial loans.

The work of the United Nations Development system is rooted in over thirty years of solid experience and represents the widest array of expertise in the world. The system has clearly demonstrated its effectiveness on every continent. It is not, however, able to operate at its full capacity, nor is it able to go far enough in meeting the now clearly defined needs of the developing countries because of inadequate financial resources. The major part of the work carried out by the system is financed on a completely voluntary basis, and I have been, and will continue to be, personally involved in helping to mobilize more resources.

The United Nations Development Programme, as the central funding organization for technical assistance, working in collaboration with the specialized agencies and other

technical agencies, now expects to embark on an ambitious and significantly increased planned programme of $6,5 billion for the years 1982-1986. That increase of resources in itself is relatively modest in real terms and yet it is uncertain whether the funds involved will be fully mobilized. But even a programme of two or three times this size would still leave unmet many of the pressing needs of developing countries which could be met through United Nations machinery.

On countless occasions I have referred to the diversion to military uses of the resources which are vital to achieve the improvement of the economic and social conditions of humanity, and I shall continue to do so. Even a very modest part of the funds presently spent by governments for the production of weapons could have a profound impact on the lives of the 8OO million people who today suffer poverty, deprivation and despair. - 7 -

It will be, in my view, a great tragedy if the resources so critically required for development are not forthcoming. In this connexion, I wish to pay tribute to those few Governments which over the years have generously and consistently provided the great bulk of resources for development through UNDP. I also warmly commend the decision taken by the League of Arab States whose ministers in this City just over three months ago recommended that Arab Member States significantly increase their annual contribution to UNDP consistent with the level of assistance they grant to Arab States in particular and to developing countries in general. I sincerely hope that this recommendation will be followed by all Arab States which are in a position to do so.

The third condition required for accelerated progress toward agreed goals is the application of knowledge and the heightening of skills in developing countries, for without them, all of the goodwill and all of the resources that may be applied to development will not flourish. Without skills and training, enterprises fail; without planning, hopes for betterment do not reach fruition; without effective maintenance, public works and industry deteriorate; and without strengthened institutions and increased expertise, progress toward the achievement of development objectives and the goals of a New International Economic Order will be further delayed. And these are precisely the kind of inputs that are at the core of the co-operation provided by the United Nations Development Programme to developing countries. - 8 -

A number of distinguished economists have demonstrated that the main sources of real economic growth and development lie, not only in massive additions of capital and labour, but just as much in the stock of knowledge, experience, skills, social technologies and organizational refinements that are available. This important concept was perhaps best and most simply stated by a great advocate for the United Nations, the late United States Senator Hubert Humphrey, who said:

"It is not enough to build a steel mill in a

distant place without helping to train its people to operate its machinery. It is not enough to

build a school; we must train local teachers so

that they can help overcome ignorance and illiteracy. It is not enough to help finance the purchase of tractors and plows in backward rural areas; we must help train local farmers in effective techniques and the skills of modern farming. ... Dollars are not enough; they are spent and gone. Supplies are used up, equipment becomes obsolete. But education, knowledge and the skills possessed by human beings are enduring."

So many of the development practitioners of the United Nations Development system, like Senator Humphrey, know the profound validity of these truths as a result of their years of accumulated — 9 —

experience, but I fear that they do not always receive the acceptance and respect they deserve.

On the other hand, even though the vital role played by UNDP may not be well enough known in industrialized countries and it certainly deserves increased financial support from them — I am heartened that in the developing countries themselves UNDP is widely known and highly respected. It is an organization that is known and respected because your work is devoted to the practical application of effective development techniques which have led to visible results at the country level. Your unique catalytic role in the development process is seen and felt in virtually every developing country and territory around the world, helping to build national self-reliance and collective self-reliance among developing countries.

No other institution in the world offers to humanity UNDP's breadth of responsiveness to the technical assistance needs of any developing country. For example, with the

support of UNDP, in this great country an agricultural

co-operatives project has very appreciably increased food production; in India and Cuba the most advanced uses of technology available have been introduced for metal extrusion and the production of newsprint from bagasse, respectively, a municipal sewerage system has been completed in Dakar, one of the largest deposits of nickel in the world has - 10 -

been discovered in Burundi,and a patent system has been established in Brazil. Comparable accomplishments by each of the countries with which UNDP is privileged to co-operate could be cited — accomplishments of the countries themselves, with UNDP support, which in every case have improved the human condition, and accelerated progress toward each country's self-reliance. These are truly remarkable achievements, and I am proud that UNDP has played a part in attaining them.

Since assuming my responsibilities as Secretary-General of the United Nations, I have witnessed the growth of UNDP from a level of voluntary contributions of some $240 million in 1971 to a 1980 mark of well over $700 million. Even though, as I stated earlier, there should be vastly more

resources forthcoming to UNDP, this is a record which reflects positively upon the leadership and management of the Programme. And it reflects positively on the UNDP Resident Representatives who are truly on the front line of the United Nations development efforts and upon whose abilities, competence, leadership and dedication the entire system depends. The remarkable growth of UNDP in less than ten years is a remarkable tribute to you.

As Resident Representatives, you hold 111 of the most

demanding, challenging and most important positions in the

United Nations. Not only must you be competent managers, with a broad knowledge of the problems of development and - 11 -

of the techniques most appropriate and effective for their solution, but you must also be at all times sensitive and creative in responding to the needs of the governments you serve. You have the difficult but critical task of being in the forefront of assisting governments in translating global priorities into operational realities at the national level. You must be fully acquainted with the constantly accumulating decisions taken by your own Governing Council, and well informed of relevant decisions of other United Nations bodies including the General Assembly, and the governing bodies of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the system. You must be farsighted in assisting governments in the country programming process to deal with issues that may affect the conditions that will affect generations not yet born. And you must seek to ensure that all activities result in deeper rooted self-reliance and in making our scarce co-operation resources go as far as possible.

As Resident Representatives you wear many hats, including representation of not only the UNDP but also the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the United Nations Disaster Relief Organization, the United Nations Department of Technical Co-operation for Development and, in many cases, other organizations of the United Nations sytem. In addition, in most countries, you have - 12 -

the increasingly important role of Designated Officials for matters affecting the security of United Nations personnel and property, a function that is critical not only to the United Nations itself, but to every organization in the United Nations system, and especially to the welfare of every single individual staff member employed by those organizations.

And in addition to these already complex responsibilities, I know that you devote a great deal of time, as the principal representatives of the United Nations system in most developing countries, to activities totally unrelated to UNDP-financed programmes. On several occasions, I have personally called upon you for assistance, and I know that so, too, have many departments of the United Nations Secretariat as have the other organizations of the United Nations System.

As a result of the restructuring process, you will, in the normal case, be taking on even larger responsibilities in order to help ensure that the work of the United Nations at the country level is more coherent and better co-ordinated. The General Assembly in Resolution 32/197 called for the designation of Resident Co-ordinators at the country level. In this resolution, it was noted that these individuals to be designated would "exercise team leadership and be - 13 - responsible for evolving, at the country level, a multi- disciplinary dimension in sectoral development assistance programmes". Last year the General Assembly also requested me to ensure, in consultation with the Governments and executive heads concerned, that Resident Co-ordinators were enabled, first, to achieve coherence of action and effective integration of the various sectoral inputs from the United Nations system; second, to bear overall responsibility for and co-ordination of operational activities within the United Nations system for development carried out at the country level; third, to be responsible, in accordance with the policies and priorities of the country concerned, for evolving at the country level a multi-disciplinary dimension in the programming, implementation and evaluation of sectoral development assistance programmes; and fourth, to help in the achievement of maximum uniformity in administrative, financial, procurement and other procedures. As you know, the General Assembly has also stated that "the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme would normally be designated as resident co-ordinator,

As a result of these resolutions, considerable attention has been given by the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination to the subject of Resident Co-ordinators, .-and it has been a matter of extensive consultations between myself, the Director-General for International Economic Co-operation and Development, the Administrator of UNDP, and the Executive Heads of the Agencies. Procedures for the - 14 - designation of Resident Co-ordinators have already been agreed and set in motion /~.n:.d I expect to be in a position to make the first such designations within a matter of a few weeks .y

During the course of this meeting there will be opportunities for discussions with the Director^General and the Administrator, as well as the representatives of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, concerning this function. In my remarks I will mention only five points which should be borne in mind as this new responsibility evolves.

First, as is clearly emphasized in the relevant General Assembly resolutions, meeting the priorities and objectives of the recipient countries should be the overriding consideration of a Resident Co-ordinator, fully in accord with the wishes of the government concerned. The responsibilities of a Resident Co-ordinator must in no way infringe upon the national sovereignty of the countries you serve, for respect for that sovereignty is embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. Your work as Resident Co-ordinator will always depend on the wishes of the country or countries you serve and it is restricted strictly to operational activities for development. At the same time, it will be incumbent on you to provide the best possible advice to governments.

/Second, - 15 -

Second, it should be borne in mind that although initial arrangements for the exercise of the function of Resident Co-ordinator have been agreed upon, these arrangements are subject to revision in light of experience. This means that there may well be practical questions about the functions of Resident Co-ordinators to which there are now no precise answers. With time and experience, however, I am confident that these questions will be satisfactorily resolved.

Third, the function of Resident Co-ordinators is an evolutionary one, not a sudden break with the past. The role of Resident Representatives has changed and evolved from the time the first Representatives of the United Nations Technical Assistance Board assumed their functions in the 1950s, and it will naturally continue to do so. The added responsibility that designation as Resident Co-ordinators will carry with it is a new and important phase in this process, requiring more imagination and new tools, but in many instances UNDP Resident Representatives have already been performing on a de facto basis virtually all of the functions which Resident Co-ordinators are called upon to carry out.

Fourth, in the exercise of the functions of Resident Co-ordinators, the very highest standards of leadership, integrity, judgement and sensitivity will be essential.

/To deny - 16 -

To deny that differences may sometimes arise between

representatives of different organizations of the United Nations system would be unrealistic. It would be equally unrealistic to state that the evolution of a multi- disciplinary dimension in programming, implementation and evaluation is an easy task. It will require patience, tact, and responsiveness to the wishes of the governments served, to the pronouncements of many inter-governmental organizations, and to the procedures of the organizations

of the United Nations system. Nevertheless, the image and the effective role of the United Nations in more than

150 countries and territories will be determined, in large

part, by your own performance.

Fifth and finally, I wish to place on record that both as Resident Representatives appointed by the Administrator and Resident Co-ordinators designated by the Secretary-General, you will have my full support. It is no secret that your level of responsibilities and workload will continue to increase, and I wish to assure you that I have the greatest appreciation for the

indispensable role that you play as the principal representatives for operational activities of the Secretary-General and of the United Nations system in all parts of the world. - 17 '-

I have been pleased to note the progress that has been made by the United Nations Development Programme during recent years as a leading organization in helping to meet the needs of developing countries in a creative and innovative manner. In 1978 I had the pleasure of opening the United Nations Conference on Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries in Buenos Aires, and since that time the UNDP, in co-operation with its partner agencies, has made commendable progress in giving effect to the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. All of you should realize the importance that the developing countries attach to TCDC in their effort to achieve national and collective self-reliance as well as sustained development.

Only a few days ago the UNDP Governing Council took a far-reaching decision to devote 80 per cent of the Programme's resources for 1982 through 1986 to countries with per capita gross national products of under $500. The implementation of this decision will have far-reaching effects, I am sure, on the operations of UNDP, and I welcome this concentration on the poorest countries which is fully consistent with the mandates of the General Assembly,

The Development Programme has been judicious in the use of its resources, supporting activities which have a catalytic effect, as well as joining with other sources of finance and expertise. In this regard I commend UNDP's - 18 -

leading co-ordinating role in the International Drinking Water and Sanitation Decade, and its vigorous and innovative support for other interregional and global projects which are currently being financed by UNDP, including the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research in Dacca, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the National Household Survey Capability Programme.

In many instances the General Assembly, as in the case of the United Nations Interim Fund for Science and Technology for Development, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Volunteer Programme and the United Nations Revolving Fund for Natural Resources Exploration, has given responsibility for the administration of other programmes to UNDP. In some instances I have assigned responsibility to the Administrator for a number of other activities, as, for example, the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office. I hope that efforts will be continued to ensure that all of these instruments for development are effectively integrated so that the full range of inputs for development are available to the countries with which UNDP co-operates. - 19 -

At the regional level, UNDP has increased its collaboration with the five United Nations Regional

Economic Commissions, in accordance with the restructuring process, and I am sure that your discussions with the Executive Secretaries of the Commissions will lead to even more effective programmes of regional co-operation. Having just left Freetown where the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity met recently, I am even more conscious of the great problems, as well as the scope and potential for their resolution, that are faced on a regional basis.

In its nearly thirty-five years of existence, the United Nations has constantly faced new challenges. New problems, not foreseen when the World Organization was founded, have arisen. I have mentioned the great disparities that exist between the rich and the poor, and the frustratingly slow progress that is being made towards the evolution of a new and just international economic order. But thanks to the steady work of the

United Nations Development system, with each passing day, in every part of the world, the human condition is improved; - 20 -

new horizons of hope through training are seen; new aspirations for the future are born through productive employment; and your work brings mankind one step closer to the achievement of a New International Economic Order.

I would like you to know that all of us look to you and your colleagues from throughout the United Nations system working with you in each country, to renew your spirits and accept, with pride, the momentous responsibilities that now await you in possibly the most challenging Development Decade we have yet faced.

I thank you for your invaluable role in this process and I wish you well in your deliberations here in Tunis.

Thank you very much. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY SG/SPi/2941 3 July 1980

ADDRESS BY SECRETARY-GENERAL AT OPENING MEETING OF SECOND REGULAR SESSION

OF ECONOMIC AMD SOCIAL COUNCIL

Geneva, 3 July 1980

Follov?ing is the text of an address by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim at the opening meeting of the second regular session of the Economic and Social Council today in Geneva;

A year ago, in this very city, I pointed out to you how difficult the outlook was for the world economy and I noted with concern that no significant results had been achieved in the international economic negotiations aimed at resolving some of the difficulties. I must tell you today with deep regret that this forecast, which may have seemed pessimistic, has been borne out by developments; the economic outlook, immediate as well as longer-term, is bleak, and the North-South dialogue is not making any real progress.

Against a background of reviving political tensions, these economic difficulties can themselves introduce an additional source of tension.

In a few weeks, the General Assembly is to hold a special session whose purpose is to give needed impetus to international co-operation for development and to the negotiations which serve as its instrument. On the basis of an analysis of the progress made in implementing the new international economic order, the special session is to adopt an international development strategy for the coming decade and take the decisions necessary to launch a new round of global negotiations early next year.

In recent months, two intergovernmental committees have been actively engaged in preparing for this session. At the present time, there are still substantial disagreements concerning the texts to be adopted. In the coming days, an effort must be made to build bridges and to arrive at the necessary compromises. I earnestly hope that the deliberations of the Economic and Social Council will contribute to that end, for its task is precisely that of preparing the way for and facilitating the work of the General Assembly in the economic and social field.

If action is to be taken along the correct lines and with all the necessary vigour, the first thing that must be done is to make an accurate

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For information media - not an official record - 2 - Press Release SG/SM/2941 3 July 1980

assessment of the difficulties now facing the world economy. These difficulties are many, and they affect virtually every sector of economic activity. They have both a short-terra and a long-term impact. You will find a detailed analysis of them in the report on the world economy 1979-1980 which has been submitted for your consideration by the United Nations Secretariat.

I should like to emphasize, today, certain elements of this analysis which in my opinion give particular cause for concern.

First of all, the growth rate of most of the petroleum importing developing countries has, in recent years, failed to meet the requirements of their development. Their growth is being slowed by the economic recession now making itself apparent in the market-economy developed countries and by the rising tide of protectionism in those countries. The developing countries concerned are also feeling the negative impact of a deterioration in the terms of trade resulting from the increased cost of their imports of energy and manufactured goods. Their external deficit is showing a steep increase, while, except in the case of a very few of these countries, their ability to adjust to unsettling external factors remains limited. Their entire development process is thus threatened in the years to come.

Secondly, the plight of the low-income countries is, under these circumstances, particularly alarming. A number of them are already experiencing stagnation in production, which means that their per capitji output is declining. As matters now stand, these countries are dependent on transfers of resources meeting the requirements of official development assistance. I should like to emphasize strongly, in this connexion, what a serious matter it is that the average level of official development assistance has remained stationary and is still less than half of the target figure set by the international community more than 10 years ago.

Thirdly, the petroleum exporting developing countries are themselves confronted with serious difficulties. Their efforts to diversify their economies and create the basis for autonomous development are, as in the case of other developing countries, encountering difficulties as regards access to the markets and technology of the developed countries. The precarious nature of the financial assets available to them makes it increasingly less advantageous for them to maintain or expand oil production at levels which go much beyond the immediate requirements of the financing of their development. Their behaviour is also affected by inflation, currency instability and the uncertainty which prevails in the world economy.

Fourthly, the growth of the planned-economy countries has continued to slacken because of the structural difficulties faced by their economics and, in 1979, the impact of unfavourable climatic factors on the agricultural sector. Their performance has also been affected, particularly in the case of the Eastern European countries, by balance-of-payments difficulties resulting from the deterioration in their terms of trade and the economic slowdown in the developed market economies.

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Fifthly, the developed market economies are in the grip of a recession which now appears to be even more severe than was anticipated at the time when the report before you was prepared. At the same time, the rate of inflation, which has been at a high level in the last few years, has recently accelerated. This situation, which causes underemployment, creates conditions which foster an increase in protectionist trends. It discourages the investment that is.required in order to effect adjustments in production structures, particularly as regards energy production and conservation.

The high priority being given by the leaders of these countries to the fight against inflation, which was recently confirmed at Venice, is s. positive factor in the world economy. It would be unfortunate, however, if the measures taken were directed too exclusively towards restrictive policies in the matter of demand. Experience shows that such measures are not by themselves sufficient to control inflation. More emphasis should therefore be placed on national as well as international policies to deal with the structural and institutional factors in inflation.

Sixthly, the transition from a period in which oil was the main source of cheap, abundant energy to a period in which energy sources will be more varied and more expensive is being undertaken under difficult and unsettled conditions. Some progress has been made in the developed countries as regards the conservation of energy. This progress is less than what might have been achieved with more vigorous policies and is essentially the result of a slowdown in economic activity. Furthermore, there has been no significant stepping up of investment aimed at developing either conventional or renewable energy sources. Finally, unstable, precarious energy markets make for behaviour characterized by extreme caution or costly speculation on the part of all partners in the world economy.

All these difficulties make E bleak outlook for the decade. In this connexion, I have been struck by the fact that the conclusions of a number of recent reports, including the Brandt Commission report, coincide. This report dramatically underscores the gravity of the situation of the third world and the threats to international political stability if rapid and important changes are not forthcoming in the field of international economic co-operation. In a world of growing interdependence, any progress made in that field would contribute to the relaxation of the tension now on the political scene. That tension should not be allowed to divert the international community from the efforts it must make to create more favourable conditions for development.

A number of priorities for international action during the decade are proposed in the draft of the international development strategy.

The first priority is the acceleration of growth in the developing countries. Such is the situation of extreme poverty affecting hundreds of millions that the global and! sectoral growth targets to be adopted must be ambitious. The achievement of those targets will require a major effort on the part of the developing countries themselves:

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To mobilize their human, natural and financial resources through vigorous national policies;

To secure the participation of the entire population both in the process and in the results of development.

As far as popular participation is concerned, I should like to stress the important role of women in the development process, a role which, as you know, will be the focus of deliberations at the United Nations conference which begins in Copenhagen, in a few days.

However, the efforts made by the developing countries and the co-operation which they are fostering among themselves with a view to increasing their collective self-reliance must enjoy the support of a much more favourable international environment.

The restructuring of international economic relations, that is to say, the establishment of a new international economic order, should quite rightly be the basic objectives of the new strategy. The attainment of these objectives will call for difficult, but none the less indispensable reforms. Such reforms should focus on the mechanisms regulating the international economy in the trade, financial and monetary sectors, and in some cases, on the functioning of the institutions monitoring that process. The draft of the strategy describes the general thrust of these reforms. What is needed now is agreement on the specific conditions for their implementation. That is the purpose of the global negotiations to be launched by the special session.

These negotiations will focus on five major areas of the international economy: rax? materials, energy, trade, development, and monetary and financial questions. Among the questions thus covered, a number are of major importance and closely interrelated. I am thinking specifically of the questions of money, finance and energy. They should be given, during a limited period of negotiations, all the attention they deserve on account of their importance to all partners in the world economy. Other questions concerning raw materials, trade and development are also highly important; they should be included in the agenda, at least to the extent that the negotiating process can lead to genuine progress towards their solution.

There is still considerable disagreement regarding the inclusion or formulation of some of these agenda items. My purpose here is not to suggest possible compromises at a time when these items are still under discussion in New York; I am convinced that these compromises can be found. I will, nevertheless, highlight some conditions for the success of the negotiating process itself.

In negotiations, all countries and all groups of countries have something to gain and something to contribute. They will agree to put their assets at stake if there is enough evidence that their partners in negotiations arc also prepared to do so and to accept changes in areas where they have certain advantages.

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The negotiations should therefore be guided by a desire to find mutually advantageous solutions. It is essential, though, not to lose sight of the fact that the standard of living of the richest and most advanced countries, their economic strength and their de jure or de facto control over a number of key points in the system of international economic relations put them in a position to make a greater contribution than the vast majority of the developing countries.

As already decided by the General Assembly, such negotiations should proceed "in a simultaneous manner in order to ensure a coherent and integrated approach to the issues under negotiation". Throughout the negotiating process, the General Assembly, or the organ designated by it, will have a central role to play. No question should be excluded a priori from the deliberations of this central organ.

Still, it should be possible to call on the various United Nations specialized agencies as and when necessary, bearing in mind their different fields of competence. The existing agreements empower the General Assembly to make recommendations to the specialized agencies concerning the specific problems which it intends to submit to them for consideration. If these procedures are applied with the necessary flexibility and inventiveness, they should lead to the mobilization of the United Nations system in a process of global negotiation, which must, however, be conducted under the authority of the General Assembly.

I am impressed by the fact that, in the course of the various contacts I have had in recent months with many high-level political figures, there were very few who did not stress the need for action at the international level through consultation and negotiation. On the other hand, doubts were often expressed, if not scepticism, regarding the capacity of the United Nations to provide an adequate framework for negotiation culminating in action-oriented decisions.

There is no reason why the United Nations should be automatically precluded from serving as a useful and effective forum for such a process of negotiation. It depends on the will of the Member States to organize the composition of their delegations accordingly and to be innovative in their methods of work.

I have already suggested, in this connexion, that the participation of high-level political figures should be used for intensive short-term contacts, rather than for general debate. Ministerial sessions of this kind will be essential to ensure the progress and success of the global negotiations, since the latter will require a political impetus and political decisions.

I should like to confirm to you that I personally am ready, as are all the senior officials of the system, to give these negotiations all the support they may need in whatever form is most suitable.

I understand that there is already a measure of agreement on the time- table for the negotiations. They should begin early in 1981 and produce a

(more) - 6 - Press Release SG/SM/2941 3 July 1980 first set of results before the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly. This time-table seems to allow time for preparation and in-depth discussions, followed by the adoption of decisions. However, the time-frame which it involves must not prevent us from seeking immediate answers to certain urgent problems. As I have just pointed out, the situation of many developing countries already gives grounds for great concern and may deterioriate considerably during the ne xt few months. This situation calls for certain urgent actions involving the entire international community.

I therefore suggest that Member States should consider the possibility of adopting, at the special session, certain decisions for speedy implementation. Those decisions should be drawn up in such a way as not to affect or prejudge the results of the global negotiations, one of the objects of which is to seek long-term solutions and promote lasting institutional changes. Thus, they would not conflict with the structural changes which are needed but would prepare the way for them through measures for immediate application.

I should like even at this stage to draw the attention of Governments to some of the subjects with which such decisions might deal.

Firstly, in the coming months, all the oil-importing developing countries will need external resources to finance the current balance-of-payments deficits. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank might be urged to take measures as soon as possible, to enable increased assistance to be provided to those countries. Such assistance should be granted on terms adapted to a process of adjustment, which will inevitably be spread out over a period of time. It might consist, inter alia, in rapid development of the Bank's programme loans for facilitating structural adjustment, the principle of which was recently adopted, and an increase in the resources needed for that purpose.

Measures should be taken to encourage the developing countries to utilize the Fund's facilities more intensively and at an earlier stage by making appropriate adjustments in the terms and conditions attached to the use of these facilities. The Fund's resources should be increased not only through an increase in the quotas now in the process of ratification but also through a loan issue.

Secondly, consideration should be given to a special operation for the benefit of low-income countries with serious external balance problems. A study prepared by the Secretariat, at the request of the General Assembly, gives an initial estimate of some $5 billion for the volume of additional official assistance which those countries will need in 1981 in order to be able to increase their imports and not be forced to hold up their development process. This assistance could be provided by the industrialized countries and by other countries in a position to do so. It could be channelled, in part, through various interregional or multilateral agencies, and the United Nations itself could have a role to play. The important thing is that these

(more) Press Release SG/SM/2941 3 July 1980 additional sources of financing should begin to be available by early 1981 and be distributed according to criteria which take into account the specific needs of these countries.

Thirdly, an increse in the volume of investments for the exploration, development and exploitation of conventional and renewable sources of energy in the developing countries must not be delayed. The initiatives already taken, especially through multilateral agencies and in particular, the World Bank, should be intensified, and their resources should be very substantially increased. The industrialized countries, and also oil exporting countries which are able to do so, might contribute. This problem will no doubt be given in-depth consideration in the course of the global negotiations, but it seems to me sufficiently urgent to justify initial measures that will have an immediate effect.

I should like to recall that, faced by comparable problems, the sixth special session adopted a programme of urgent measures designed to alleviate the difficulties of the developing countries most affected by the economic crisis.

In view of the difficulties which the world economy, and the strengthening of international co-operation are encountering, there is a strong temptation for each country to adopt an inward-looking attitude and try to place on others the burden of adjustment efforts. Such behaviour should be discouraged, because it can draw the world into a series of economic and political crises. In a world where interdependence and inequality coexist, co-operation and solidarity are the only appropriate responses. We must not give into pessimism or scepticism. It is often in times of crisis that important changes have been possible. It is for the political leaders to seize this opportunity to direct change rather than submit to it. SG/SM/2856/Corr.1 21 January 1980

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO THIRD UNIDO GENERAL CONFERENCE

CORRECTION

In the first paragraph of page 2 of Press Release SG/SK/2856, the last sentence should read as follows:

"This Conference is timely because the current deterioration in the global economic situation underscores the need for a new scheme of international relations which would both restore stability and growth in the industria 1 ized countries and accelerate development in the third t-7orld."

For information media - not an official record Department cf Public information

SG/SM/2856 21 January 1980

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO THIRD UNIDO GENERAL CONFERENCE

Following is the text of a statement by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheira to the Third General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), being held in New Delhi, India, from 21 January to 8 February:

It is a great pleasure for me to be here in the beautiful city of New Delhi for the opening of the Third General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. I should like to thank the Government of India for its invitation to hold the Conference in New Delhi and for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to us. I am also most grateful for the excellent conference facilities provided by the Indian authorities.

I should also like to take this opportunity to extend to you, Mr. President, and to the people of India my best wishes on the coming celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of Republic Day.

As we open the decade of the eighties, sobered by the crisis of the seventies, it is most fitting that the first major international conference should be one devoted to the industrialization of the third world. The uncertainties and instabilities that characterized the seventies were not in my view isolated phenomena. They were part of a fundamental change in the functioning of the international economy, which requires a new pattern of global co-operation. The prevailing international system was guided by rules and institutions which had been established without the participation of most developing countries.

Frustrated in their attempts to achieve economic independence these countries called for a new international economic order based on equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interests and co-operation among all States.

In my address to the Second General Conference of UNIDO almost five years ago in Lima, I emphasized the need for an integrated global strategy to deal with urgent economic and social problems that confront mankind. These problems, as I then pointed out, are all interrelated, affecting each other in complex ways. I also stressed that global economic and social problems cannot be resolved through national or even regional approaches alone. They require an international framework which is both equitable and efficient.

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Events in the second half of the past decade have confirmed my belief that there is an urgent need for effective international co-operation in forniulating and putting into effect a framework which would redress the inequities in the relations between developed and developing countries and involve the equitable participation of all. Only thus can we achieve a more stable, more dynamic and less vulnerable world economy. This Conference is timely because the current deterioration in the global economic situation underscores the need for a PCW scheme of international relations which would both restore stability and growth in the

Of course, the need for international co-operation for economic and social development has been recognized from the very inception of the United Nations. The Charter itself declares that one of the purposes of the Organization is to achieve international .co-operation ir solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character. It calls for the use of international machinery to promote the economic and social advancement of all peoples. Over the years, the United Nations has accordingly played a leading role in promoting social and economic development. The General Assembly has set development targets for successive United Nations development uecades and proposed measures of international co-operation based on the deliberations of a large number of intergovernmental meetings and global conferences convened under its auspices. The establishment of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and UNIDO during the first Development Decade was a response to the need to strengthen the international machinery for economic and social development.

These efforts notwithstanding, the disparities in the disposition of the world's wealth arc vividly exemplified in the distribution of industrial productive capacity. In 1977, the developing countries, which contain 70 pet cent of the wo'rld's population, accounted for only 9 per cent of world manufacturing output. They also execute, only 5 per cent of the world's research and development. These unquestioned disparities arc variously explained. Some attribute them to lack of skills, know-how and organizational ability in countries formerly under colonial rule.

Others point to the bias and distortions of the world's market system which tends to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Still others attribute these inequities to the principles underlying the international market system, the profit motive, competition, unlimited growth ano materialism. •

Analyses and discussions in the United Nations and elsewhere during the 1970s have confirmed, however, that the major cause of disparities in income, wealth and associated power among countries lies in market asymmetries and distortions. This is especially true in regard to technology, access to markets, whether for commodities or manufacturers, and finance, including the mechanisms for generating and distributing international liquidity. These asymmetries reinforce the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a limited number, be they nations, enterprises or people. They are further strengthened by the existing pattern of industrialization. The considerable

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expansion in manufacturing output that has taken place in the third world over the past 25 years has been confined to a few countries. Moreover, the composition of the industrial products of the developing countries does not always correspond to the need for social change, indeed for improving the living conditions of all- segments of their populations. Nor is the significant part of: their output geared to produce capital goods and the creation of new knowledge necessary for their self-reliance.

The United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development clearly showed that' existing resources and know-how are sufficient to open up new prospects of winning the centuries old struggle against world poverty. The constraints lie in the distribution and use of these technologies. Furthermore, the present system of industrial growth, founded on short-term horizons that are further clouded by current uncertainties, has tended to exert increasing pressure on non-renewable resources. Against this background, the strong desire of the developing countries which possess a significant proportion of these resources to use them for the benefit of their people represents both an opportunity and hazard for international economic co-operation.

The hazard lies in misapprehension of the aspiration of developing countries. All too often, this aspiration is seen by some as entailing a setback for the developed countries. This is far from being true. On the contrary, it offers an opportunity of reforming the framework of international economic relations so as simultaneously to accommodate the development needs of the third world and to help sustain the growth of the industrially advanced countries. Sustained growth ir the advanced countries requires markets and an appropriate investment climate in the developing countries. Moreover, on the basis of past experience, the buying power of the developing countries, if enhanced, will help significantly in reducing the impact of recession in the industrialized world. And, finally, very great significance must be attached to the promotion of collective self-reliance among third world countiies. This IE necessary not only to secure greater utilization of their resources but also to strengthen their position as viable partners in the framework of genuine global interdependence.

But the strategics to be considered at this conference should aim also at improving the terms under which the developing countries will deepen and broaden their contacts with the industrialized countries. For it to be viable, the industrialization of the third world cannot be self-contained; it calls for the evolution of a new international divison of labour between developed and developing countries, one based on equitable exchange of specialized industrial products. It also calls for the strengthening of the technological capability of the developing countries and for ready access by their manufacturers to the markets of the advanced countries. In this regard, the Conference will no doubt wish to take into account the decisions reached at the recent United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development as well as the on-going work of a number of United Nations specialized agencies and United Nations bodies.

Let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to UNIDO under the able leadership of its Executive Director, Abd-El Rahman Khane, for its tireless

(more) - 4 - Pi ess Release SG/SM/2856 21 January 1930 efforts to give effect to the Lima Declaration and Programme of Action. I would also like to- express deep appreciation for the preparatory work that has been carried.out for this Conference which, I am sure, will facilitate a constructive outcome of great benefit to the international community as a whole.

The issues confronting this Conference reach out into many important aspects of the new international economic order. In a year that could be decisive for international economic relations, the achievement of progress towards that order must be the major objective of this Conference. This would be a most constructive .contribution to the forthcoming special session of the General Assembly which will adopt a new international development strategy for this decade and launch a round of global negotiations on international economic co-operation.

In this context, I find it most encouraging that all Member States of the United Nations have responded favourably to the idea of a new set of negotiations initially proposed by the non-aligned countries at the Havana Summit and taken up hy the Group of 77 within the United Nations. The problems -'besetting the world economy arc of a global nature and they can only be overcome through the active participation of all countries. The inclusion of the major problems affecting the, world economy, including energy, within the scope of the global round of aegotiations accordingly presents a unique opportunity for all countries jointly to address the key issues of present international economic co-operation. The scar da for answers to the present difficulties of the world economy is a crucial one and must be pursued with genuine political commitment on the part of all Governments at the highest level.

Mr. President, Madame Prime Minister, Ejccellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The tasks ahead of this Conference arc most challenging and the time available is short. In successfully reaching agreement last year on the constitution of UNIDO as a specialized agency, your Governments gave an indication of their readiness to demonstrate positive political will. The present Conference is the first decisive test. Let this political will be fully manifest and let it be clearly translated into the necessary policy measures, for what is at stake is global prosperity and world peace.

We wish you every success in your deliberations.

* *** * SG/SM/2940 1 July 1980

ADDRESS BY SECRETARY-GENERAL AT OAU SUMMIT MEETING

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 1 July 1980

Following is the text of an address by Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim to the seventeenth ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of P*-ute and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), to be delivered at the opening meeting of the session at Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Tuesday, 1 July:

The annual meetings of this Assembly afford to their participants a very valuable opportunity to review urgent problems relating to Africa and the world as a whole. I am grateful for the privilege of sharing this opportunity regularly and exchanging views with the leaders of Africa.

I should first like to pay tribute to our host, His Excellency President Siaka Stevens, and express my deep appreciation to him and to the Government and people of Sierra Leone for their very warm welcome and generous hospitality. In the 19 years since its accession to independence, Sierra Leone has made valuable contributions, in various contexts, to the work of the United Nations and to the promotion of peace and understanding among nations. I have had the privilege of meeting President Stevens on a number of occasions and I have been most impressed by his candid and pragmatic attitude to the problems of our time. I extend my best wishes to him and the people of Sierra Leone for a happy and prosperous future.

May I also offer my congratulations to His Excellency President Leopold Senghor for the successful discharge of his responsibilities since he assumed the chairmanship of this Assembly in Lagos.

It has only been two months since I had the honour of addressing the summit meeting of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on economic questions. This is but one indication of the constant collaboration between te United Nations and your organization in all matters relating to Africa. We have a variety of shared concerns as we are engaged in a common quest for solutions to world problems, political and economic.

^ year, the General Assembly adopted a resolution about the need for continuous liaison, exchange of information and co-operation beteen the United

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Nations system and your organization. I am happy that, £t the joint meeting in Nairobi held last month, a set of propocsls was adopted which would intensify and broaden this co-operation. During the tenure of his high office, your distinguished Secretary-General, Mr. Edem Rodjo, has dons a great deal to promote this objective and the cause of international understanding.

This Assembly is meeting at a time of marked deterioration in international relations. Mistrust prevails to a degree which exceeds all considerations of prudence or perceptions of self-interest. Resort to violence is frequent both at local and international levels.

Ours is the most militarized peace-time period in history. The arms race is no longer merely a matter between great Powers, as it has spread to virtually all parts of the world. There exists in the world today more explosive power than food measured in pounds per person. Military expenditures are taking a toll of a million dollars per minute. They thus impose a cost which far exceeds x\rhat would be required to control disease and reduce hunger.

If the arms race is not checked, it will continually destabilize international relations. It undermines the international effort for development and causes incalculable damage to the world economy.

In addition to steps towards disarmament, measures of building trust between nations are required if the wasteful and dangerous trend signified by the arms race is to be reversed. Such measures imply a willingness to resolve conflicts through acts of statesmanship and restraint, whether on the national, the regional or the international level. Dialogue, negotiations and strict adherence to the United Nations Charter and its related instruments hold the key to the solutions of the great problems we face.

During the period now under review, an outstanding act of statesmanship was accomplished through the settlement cf the prolonged conflict in Zimbabwe. This settlement showed that it is possible to work out a solid political basis for the genuine self-determination of a people, assuring the harmonious coexistence of different races.

As there has to be tenacity in the struggle for a people's inalienable rights, so also there should be magnanimity in peace. I congratulate Prime Minister Mugabe for the policy which has given a memorable expression to this wise and judicious attitude.

I look forward to the day when the Republic of Zimbabwe will assume its rightful seat at the United Nations later this year. Meanwhile, we have already initiated important discussions with the Government of Zimbabwe for assistance in its challenging task of national reconstruction. It has been recognized by the Security Council that the country's rehabilitation from the physical and psychological consequences of a devastating conflict is an international responsibility. This should be fulfilled with all available means.

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This Assembly is aware that the problem of Namibia is one ot my main preoccupations. There has been a regrettable delay in implementing the plan of action approved by the Security Council for establishing a United Nations presence in the Territory in order to supervise and control elections leading to its independence. In this connexion, I wish to express my deep appreciation to the leaders of the African front-line States and to the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) for their co-operation and for facilitating our efforts to break the deadlock. Now that the concept of a demilitarized zone along the frontier of Namibia with Angola and Zambia has been accepted by all concerned, including South Africa, I hope that, with the necessary co-operation, the establishment of the zone and, the implementation: of the settlement proposal contained in Security Council resolution 435 (1978) can be achieved.

These and other related points have been repeatedly st.itea by me, most recently in the letter I addressed to the Foreign Minister of South Africa 10 days ago. Moreover, as I made clear in that letter, the principle of impartiality has been, and will be, consistently followed in the implementation of the Security Council resolution I referred to. The Administrator-General as well as all other officials from within the Territory are expected to show the same impartiality.

I profoundly regret the bloodshed and destruction which has been sustained by Angola in recent days as a result of attacks by South African armed forces. 1 condemn such resort to violence and wish to convey to the Government and people of Angola my sincere sympathy for the great loss ot life and for the suffering which these attacks have caused. A cessation of violence by all parties is the prerequisite for initiating the process ot settlement. At this time of renewed effort to work out a peaceful solution, we must lessen tensions, not aggravate them.

The system of racial discrimination and apartheid instituted by South Africa has long been universally condemned. In recent weeks, there has been a dangerous heightening of tensions and escalation of repression resulting in death and injury to many. The sad spectacle of schoolchildren having to take to the streets to protest the injustice of South Africa's policies in education is another grave indictment against its discriminatory system.

The solution of the problem can only be achieved through a national convention of the genuine representatives of the people of South Africa. The abandonment of apartheid, the ending of repression, the granting of amnesty to exiles and the release of political leaders constitute the essential conditions for a just and lasting settlement.

The problems of southern Africa have naturally been uppermost in the mind of this Assembly and have preoccupied the United Nations for many years. While we are striving to bring about their just and lasting solutions, it is

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most regrettable that Africa should be the see vie of other inter-State conflicts. The tragic situation in Chad, the unresolved problems of the Horn of Africa and the prolonged conflict over Western Sahara —all call for urgent action by the OAU, the international community and, more importantly, by the parties involved, to restore conditions of peace and understanding. If they are not speedily solved, they will have damaging consequences for peace and security in the areas directly affected and for Africa as a whole. I earnestly commend the efforts of your Organisation to bring about a settlement of these ard other disputes, and to strengthen its machinery of mediation and conciliation in order to bring about peaceful adjustments.

In cur interdependent world, regional conflicts and tensions, whether in Africa, Asia or the middle. East, can no longer be viewed as the distant problems of a few. Serious in themselves, such conflicts have consequences which ramify throughout the globe. Nowhere is this truer than in the Middle East, where the effort for a peaceful solution needs to be sustained against all odds and the potential for conflict reduced as far as possible.

I remain deeply convinced that a just and lasting peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive settlement which covers all aspects of the problem. Clearly, the Palestinian question is the core of this problem. No lasting solution is possible if it does not take into account the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people. It follows that the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the peace process is critically important if this process is to yield enduring results.

I am deeply concerned by the lack of progress in the search for an over-all solution to this most complex problem. In the past few weeks, there have again been frequent occurrences of violence and sharp manifestations of tension. The recent expressions of concern and the suggestions made by various groups of States, both within and outside the United Nations, underline the fact that a crucial moment has been reached. I would hope that the impetus generated leads to a reinvigorated and persistent effort by all concerned, to overcome the present obstacles standing in the way of a peaceful solution for the entire area. Naturally, I shall personally make every effort to help attain this end. In this connexion, may I express again my deep gratitude for the contribution being made by Africa in the search for peace in the Middle East and, in particular, thank those countries that have provided contingents to our peace-keeping force in Lebanon.

The exodus of people from one country to another is a most disturbing phenomenon of the current phase of international life. The extreme misery, dislocation and broken lives of large numbers of human beings are n painful reminder of the failure of political systems, national and international, to solve the problems afflicting human society.

I am acutely conscious of the size and gravity of the refugee situation in Africa. I share your urgent concern for this problem and for the burden it imposes on the countries of asylum. I am in close touch with the United

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Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and we are constantly exploring ways and means of obtaining greater assistance from the international community for the relief and resettlement of these unfortunate millions.

While the United Nations has been able to obtain additional resources to meet the needs of the situation, I recognize that much more requires to be done both in regard to humanitarian assistance and to strengthen the infrastructure of host countries to enhance their capacity to cope with this situation. I have dispatched interagency missions to several countries involved to assess their requirements and addressed a number of appeals to donor countries to make a response commensurate with the magnitude of the problem.

The international community is greatly impressed by the exemplary attitude of African countries in generously providing asylum to refugees. However, it has to recognize that the refugee problem in Africa is a world problem and all its aspects have to be considered as such.

We are all deeply disturbed by the drought situation which has reached continental proportions in Africa and is particularly serious in the Sudano- Sahelian belt. In a number of cases, this calamity has persisted for many years. The consequences are not only a perilous shortage of food, the depletion of reserves, the lack of seeds for planting and a serious decline in livestock, but also the continued deterioration of the environment and increasing damage to health.

The United Nations system is engaged in several kinds of action to assist the affected countries in dealing with their plight. However, I would emphasize that the alarming figures about the present food shortage in Africa need to be taken note of by all Governments that are in a position to help. I have stressed this point repeatedly in my talks with world leaders and I will continue to urge them to respond generously to this tragic situation.

Moreover, what is needed is not merely emergency assistance but the strengthening of the national capabilities of African .countries to cope with drought and its consequences. I believe that the plan of action adopted by the Lagos summit which highlights the problems of agriculture and gives them top priority is a very important step in that direction. I wish to assure you that, following the Nairobi meeting which I mentioned earlier, the United Nations system as a whole will do its utmost to provide, more effective support to national efforts in this key area.

The most disturbing feature of the present bleak economic prospect around the world is the situation of the least developed countries, the majority of which are in Africa. Their precariously low per capita income, their stagnant level of production and their deteriorating terms of trade call for massive efforts to redress their situation.

We are soon to meet in a special session of the General Assembly which should provide a major occasion to the international community to give a new impetus to economic co-operation for development. It will take the decisions

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needed for the adoption of a new international development strategy and for the launching of a new round of global negotiations early next year. While the purpose of those negotiations is to provide durable solutions to the long-term problems of development, I am of the opinion that some of these problems may reach a critical stage unless concerted immediate action is taken in the coming months.

The most serious and urgent is the need of developing countries to finance their current deficits. This need is vital to the economy of almost all African countries. I believe that the multilateral financial and monetary agencies should be urge to take the necessary action to provide the required financial assistance on conditions appropriate to the circumstances and the problems of these countries.

But, as far as the low-income countries are concerned, this action needs to be supplemented by an exceptional transfer of resources mainly in terms of grants, enabling them at least to maintain the existing levels of their imports. I intend to stress this point in a global context in my address to the Economic and Social Council in Geneva later this week.

It is commonly agreed that the acceleration of the growth of developing countries should be a top priority. However, the issues which are implied in this proposition call for political attention from Governments at the highest level if we are to avoid continued stalemate. The goals, including a reform of the institutions and mechanisms of international economic relations, have been defined but their achievement requires a new concerting of national policies and a dialogue based not on confrontation but on developing perceptions of common interest.

What is badly needed is the political will of Governments to solve the existing problems and not to avoid them. This would help the global negotiations to concentrate fruitfully on the central issues, which are tightly interrelated.

I would strongly urge that these negotiations break the pattern of adopting resolutions which remain unimplemented. Ws need practical decisions, not mere pronouncements of lofty objectives. We have to realize that what is needed is no less than a programme of survival in the interest of all mankind.

We are meeting at a crucial time in human affairs, both in the political and the economic sphere. Never before was mankind faced with such challenging tasks as today. The world is full of tensions. Wherever we look, whether in Africa or Asia, in Europe or the Western Hemisphere, we are faced with unresolved problems, discord and conflicts.

Surely, we have been able to avoid a world-wide conflagration. But this should not make us unperceptive of existing and potential dangers. Distrust prevails in the attitude of peoples towards one another. All too often, nations pursue their narrow ambitions and self-centred goals without regard

(more) - 7 - Press Release SG/SM/2940 1 July 1980 for the rights of others and the demands of our common future. There needs to be a greater concern for the interests of the international community as a whole.

In an increasingly interdependent world, the larger aims of humanity can be achieved only through closer co-operation and understanding between Governments and peoples. To achieve this co-operation is the great challenge of our time. It is a challenge Africa shares with the rest oi the world. Let us resolve to meet this challenge in a constructive spirit, and in this way contribute to a future worthy of the human race.

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