1720Th GENERAL PLENARY MEETING
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United Nations 1720th GENERAL PLENARY MEETING ASSEMBLY Friday, 15 November 1968, TWENTY-THIRD SESSION at 3 p.m. Official Records NEW Y,O RK CONTENTS makes it clear that the need tor the continuing services of Page the United Nations High Commissioner is still very great. Agenda item 19: We are heartened by the High Commissioner's view that the Election of the United Nations High Commissioner for international community is showing increasing support for Refugees 1 the principles governing his work. Agenda item 15: Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency ..... 3 5. It is very rare to find a man with qualities of realism and imagination and diplomacy so fitting for a post bearing Agenda item 93: such a heavy responsibility. The High Commissioner is Restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of blessed with these qualities in full measure, and I am very ~ 8 China in the United Nations (continued) . happy to express my Government's continuing support for the High Commissioner and his Office. President: Mr. Emilio ARENALES (Guatemala). 6. Mr. SHAW (Australia): I should like, on behalf of the Australian delegation, to express our pleasure that the In the absence o/the President, Sir John Carter (Guyana), General Assembly has just approved the recommendation Vice-President took the Chair. of the Secretary-General that the term of office of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan as united Nations High Commissioner AGENDA ITEM 19 for Refugees should be extended for a further period of five years, from 1 January 1969 to 31 December 1973. Election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 7. After the conclusion of the Second World War Australia participated in the work of the International Refugee • 1 1. The PRESIDENT: The Members of the Assembly have Organization and supported the establishment of the Office before them a note by the Secretary-General [A/7317], of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in proposing that the term of office of Prince Sadruddin Aga 1950. In 1951 I had the honour of participating in the fITst Khan as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees meetings of the Executive Committee of the High Commis be extended for a further period of five years from sioner's Programme in Geneva, and Australia 'has continue(~ 1 January 1969 to 31 December 1973, and that during that to be a member of that Executive Committee ever since. In period the High Commissioner should receive the salary and addition to our financial contributions to the Programme. emoluments of an Under-Secretary-General. May I assume Australia has been glad to co-operate with the High that the Assembly approves the Secretary-General's recom Commissioner in providing new homes and new settlement mendation by acclamation? opportunities for some hundreds of thousands of refugees coming within the High Commissioner's mandate. The recommendation was adopted by acclamation. 8. We have worked with successive distinguished High 2. The PRESIDENT: In accordance with the decision just Commissioners: Mr. Van Hoeven Goedhardt, Mr. Lindt and taken by the General Assembly, I declare Prince Sadruddin' Mr. Schnyder, and now with Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. Aga Khan elected United Nations High Commissioner for We believe that the present incumbent is continuing the Refugees until 31 December 1973. I take this opportunity high standards set by the earlier holders of this difficult to congratulate Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan on the renewed office. His task is to stimulate and co-ordinate various confidence that the General Assembly has placed in him~ activities in the field of refugees and to provide a nucleus and I wish him continued success in the important task that around which multilateral forms of aid are developed. The he is performing on behalf of the refugees. High Commissioner has the complicated task of making ,i sure that his programme dovetails with those of the United I 3. Lady GAITSKELL (United Kingdom): Ii: gives me very Nations Development Programme, the specialized agencies f great pleasure, on behalf of my delegation, to add my of the United Nations and the World Food Programme and, i I Government's warm congratulations to the many which will in particular, with the very valuable work of the voluntary be expressed today to the High Commissioner on his and non-governmental organizations. Prince Sadruddin Aga re-eiection. His unanimous re-election, no surprise in this Khan has performed his duties with great dedication and I Assembly, is evidence of the immense respect which he and skill. his office command. 9. The Australian Government was glad to welcome and 4. The High Commissioner's report for the year ending 31 be host to the High Commissioner for Refugees during his March 1968 [A/7211 and Co".2 and A/7211/Add.l] visit to Australia in April 1967. Our confidence'in Prince 1 A/F'V.1720 2 General Assembly - Twenty-third Session - Plenary Meetings Sad~ddi~ is testified to by our.continuing and active 16. During his first term the High Commissioner demon- co~tnbutlOn to the work of his office and by the strated over and over again the importance of the job he is mamtenance of our financial contribution to his pro- doing and the wealth of talents he brings to that job. He has gramme. faced problems of an ever-increasing geographic and political magnitude with flexibility, skill and great imagina 10, The Australian delegation therefore believes that the tion. President Johnson said in a recent message to the re-election of Prince Sadruddin to the office of United Senate: Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will be welcomed "Refugee problems-in their origin and in their resolu by all Member States and by those voluntary'organizations tion-cannot be divorced from the strife, tensions and which are dedicated to (he work of assisting and protecting oppression which are so detrimental to the well-being of refugees. We join with others in congratulating Prince nations and peoples." Sadruddin, and we promise him our support. 17. It is clear that the very nature of refugee problems 11. Mr. RABETAFIKA (Madagascar) (translated from requires the application of the greatest statesmanship and French): The Malagasy delegation is proud to agree with humanitarian concern. The success of Prince Sadruddin in the delegations that have preceded it with regard to the relieving those problems is evidence of the vigour, interest election of the United Nations High Commissioner for and marked operational and intellectual competence with Refugees. which he executes his programme. 12. As a member of the Executive Committee ofthe High 18. There is every indication, unfortunately, that refugee" Commissioner's Programme, Madagascar has been able to problems will continue and expand in the near future, as appreciate the positive work ofPrince Sadruddin Aga Khan throughout his last term of office. That statement does not State-to-State relationships and citizen-to-State relation ships continue to change. The appointment of Prince reflect a desire on the part of my delegation merely to take [ Sadruddin to another term is an important first step in l part in the ritual which consists in always paying the most I glowing tribute to anyone elected to a position of high meeting those problems. The United States strongly sup ! ports him and the vital work he is doing to bring relief, I responsibility. It would be failing in its duty if it did not I' repeat here the views and feelings of the representative of consolation and indeed a new life to the millions of people ! Madagascar on the Executive Committee. The questions who, without him, would be living in isolation and despair. which the High Commissioner must face, vigilantly and By alleviating these problems the High Commissioner has effectively, are complex and c;lelicate, and they also require promoted the fundamental interests of us all in enhancing co-ordinating, administrative and organizational skills as peace and promoting the dignity ofthe individual. well as a deep human understanding of problems which, 19. Mrs. SEGERSTEDT-WIBERG (Sweden): It is a great while of a general character, call for great precision. These questions, moreover, can only be tackled with an open honour and privilege for me to convey to Prince Sadruddin th~ mind and extreme objectivity. And finally, while all these Aga Khan heartfelt felicitations of the delegations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. We have qualities are essential, the question of refugees requires a spirit of initiative and imagination responsive to changing been able to follow his work closely dUring the past years and we are happy that, through the election which has just realities, human factors and certain political and economic conditions. We need only turn to the reports which the been held, the General Assembly has decided on the High Commissioner has submitted in the last few years to continuance for another five years of his imaginative and realize what day-to-day difficultif's he has encountered in dynamic leadership in the activities for the benefit of finding adequate solutions, wru/;;h I would describe as refugees. I should like to end by pledging to the High r!. always adapted to particular situations, and to appreciate Commissioner the continued whole-hearted support in his i ms untiring efforts to overcome all these difficulties in a work of the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, ~. constructive and realistic spirit, even if the results are not Norway and Sweden. l always all that we would have wished. 20. Mr. VAKIL (Iran) (translated from French): The 13. Fortunately, we have found all these qualities in Iranian Government welcomed with special satisfaction the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, whose human experience has proposal of the Secretary-General / A/7317, para.