Achievements of U.N.
Today is the thirty first anniversary of the signing of the U.N. Charter. Anniversaries provide a useful occasion for reflection and stock-taking and I would like to say a few words on the achievements of the U.N. over the years and the areas on which attention needs to be focused in the future.
The U.N. can claim considerable credit in the process of decolonisation. Indeed, the majority of the Members of the U.N. today are erstwhile colonies that have been liberated over the years. It is our earnest hope that the last vestiges of colonialism would be speedily eradicated and that the determined efforts of the liberation movements fighting for their freedom and independence would meet with success.
The recent wave of repression and killings in South Africa and the last-ditch struggle of the racist regimes all over southern Africa are a reminder to us that the momentum of the struggle for liberation needs to be stepped up so that southern Africa could be freed from the scourge of colonialism, racism and apartheid.
A principal aim of the U.N. has been the maintenance of international peace and security. We, in India, have always repudiated the concept of the "cold war", and along with the growing majority of newly-independent nations, followed the path of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence. In the U.N., non-aligned countries have consistently worked to move away from confrontation to co-operation and dialogue. We therefore welcome the detente between the super powers, as exemplified by
the Helsinki Agreement, though it still seems to be limited and rather tenuous. Detente can have real meaning for the rest of us only if its benefits accrue to all continents and countries, big or small, developed or developing.
Peace has come to the Indo-Chinese people after many years of their valiant struggle and suffering. But the situation remains critical. There can be no just and lasting solution until Israel vacates all the territories occupied by aggression and the national rights of the Palestinian people are restored. The U.N. has played a significant role in this area by securing greater international recognition for the P.L.O.
A major step towards peace has been the U.N. declaration on the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace. It is unfortunate in this context that the expansion of the Diego Garcia base continues against the declared wishes of the littoral States of the Indian Ocean.