text: Nations critics claimed inthepastthatpersistent condemnation ofapartheid in thisHallwouldmakenodifference. Theeventsofthelastfewweeks,whereboth theSouthAfrican peopleandtheinternational community haveferociously broken downsomeofthepillarsoftheapartheid regime, demonstratQ thatthepersistence ofthisOrganization canpayoff. Unfortunately, inSouth-East AsiaVietNamcontinues todenounce andreject unitedNations resolutions onCambodia, thereby undermining thecredibility and legitimacy ofthisentireOrganization. Onlyrecently, theNon-Aligned Ministerial Meeting 'inLuandareaffirmeii cllatMovement's commitment tothe·decisions ofthe UnitedNations andtheprinciples oftheUnitedNations Charter. If,asitis oftenclaimed byVietNam,VietNamsincerely desires toliveinpeacewithitsAW/et3 A/40/l!V.4 64-65I (Mr.Dhanabalan, Singapore) neighbQurs, itsnouldcmform tothespirit andprw~iplee oftheMovement by i.rnmediatey implementing theUnitedNations resolutions OriCambodia. Idonotbelmgtotheranksofpessimists whoclamthatthedaysofthe. UnitedNations arenwnbered. Idobelieve, however, thattheUnitedNations today isinsomeperil. ThereisacleardangerthatthisOrganization maybecome irrelevant toiss~esofpeaceandsecurity, theprimary issuesforwhichitwas founded. Toprevent thatfromhappening, leteachMemberoftheUnitedNations ask itselfthisquestion: WhogainsiftheUnitedNations fails? TouseacOi1temporary analogy, wecouldlikenthesuper-Powers to super-tankers andthemajority ofnations oftheworldtolittleboatsandsomeof themeventolittleraftsthatarebarelyafloat.AP/rd A/40/PV.4 66 (Mr.Dhanabalan, Singapore) 1 Inlookingatcontemporary issuesofwarandpeace,theunitedNations has oftenfallMintothetrapoflooking 'at"theworld'from theperspective ofthe supe~-tanker •.Several disarmament resolutions proclaim thatthecentral issueof thedayisthedangerofacollision between thesetwosuper-tankers. This,inmy opinion, isnotso. Whileitistruethatallof'usmayperishifthereisacollision between thesetwosuper-tankers, sut;:hacollision isnotgoingtooccurbecause bothof themhavetoomuchtolosefranadirectcollision. ThatiswhySovietorAmerican soldiers havediedfighting eachotherinthelast40years. Eachsuper-tanker, however, hastriedtorecruit smallboatstoramintoeach other,ortochurnupthewatersaround th~minthenameofrevolution and liberation. ComingfromasmallnationlikeSingapore ithasalways beenasourceof amazement tousthattherearesomanysmallnations whicharewilling tobe seduced intothistask-ofgenerating turbulence. Whensuchturbulence occurs, the super-tankers arenottt.reatened. ItisonlytheothE'rsmallboatsthatfacethe dangerofcapsizing. Itistherefore emyth-perpetuated especially byonesuper-tanker -that revolution andturbulence aregoodforthethirdworld. ThesmallStatesofthe thirdworldwoulddowelltoremember thatamorestableinternational political orderwouldincrease ourchances forsurvival. Astableorderwouldincrease trade,investment andfinancial flowstothethirdworld,enhancing ourprospects foreconomic development. Myremarks todayaretherefore notaddressed tothesuper-tankers buttothe overonehundred nations thataresmallboatsandrafts. Letuspoolourinterests andworkforastronger, morecredible andmore effe~tive UnitedNations becauseit istheonly- Irepeatonly-international institution dedicated tosuchastable international political order.AP/rd,", A/40!PV.4 67 (Mr.Dhanab,alan, Singapore) Inhistoi:ical terms,t:he,Chart~r oftheUnitedNatioos, is.aremarkably revolutionary document. Man'srecorded history, haswitnessed theriseandfallofmanysocieties and nations. Thelawofthejungle prevai~ed. Thosethatbecamemightyclaimed the righttooccupyneighbouring territories, enslaving ormassacring populations as theirarmiesmarched acrossdifferent lands. InJune1945,abravelittledocument emerged whichdeclared thatallthishad tostop.Thisdocument wastheCharter oftheUnitedNations. Thecritics oftheUnitedNations whowishtoseethis0rganization sweptfrom thefaceofthisearthshouldpausetoconsider thealternative. IftheUnited Nations hasnotsucceeded inerasing thehabitof5,000yearsofrecorded history, itshouldberemembered thattDe'forty yearsoftheunitedNations existence isa, merewinkintime. Goingagainst thenatural unfolding ofhistory, theCharter oftheUnited NationsstatesinArticle 2thattheunitedNations"isbasedontheprinciple of thesovereign equality ofallitsMembers". TheCharter's con,cepts ofnational sovereignty andterritorial integrity means thatwhilenations havetherighttobecomestrongandmightyiftheywithtodo so,theyhavenorighttoexpandbeyondtheirbor:ders. Itistherefore not surprising thatallthefragile newStatesthathaveemerged inthelast40years havequickly reaffirmed theircommitment totheUnitedNations. Theyhavedoneso notonlybecauseitisanobleideabutbecauseitwastheclosest theycouldcorne toobtaining aguarantee fortheirsurvival. Willthisrevolutionary concept ofequalnationStatessurvive intothe21st
analysis: The text discusses the role of the United Nations in international relations, highlighting its significance in promoting peace, stability, and economic development. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the United Nations in preventing conflict and promoting cooperation among nations, particularly between superpowers and smaller states. The text also touches on the concept of national sovereignty and the need for nations to work together to achieve common goals.