text: thatcountry to'thebrinkofdisintegration andchaos.ItsGovernment hadtostatestotalitarian orauthoritarian government continues tobetherule. To'manyWhilethissessionisakindofmilestone onaroadthatstarted in1945itismeasut'es, supported. byasmanycountries aspossible. Forthatreason my Organization, towititsuniversality. Wehaveadutytoadmitintoourranks(Mr.vandenBroek,Netherlands)A/40/PV.9 111 theunitedNations, weretoundermine theCharter. Weall,nations largeandRepublic ofKorea. Wealsohavetorespect therulesoftheCharterifvoicesare TheveryfutureofourOrganization wouldbeputinjeopar~y ifwe,theMember~ ofItispeaceful changeinSouthAfricathatwearestriving for.Wedonot thosecountries thatarewilling toaccepttheCharter's obligations, likethegiveallsupporttotheforcesinSouthAfricaworking foranon-racial andmeasures. Whileexerting pressure ontheSouthAfrican Government weneedalsoto fitting toremindourselves ofoneoftheconcepts fundamental tothispeaceful society. Evenatthislatehourwemustnotlosehopethatattheend raisedtoexpeloneofthepresent Members ortocurtailitsrightsofmembership.significant progress inharmonizing theirattitudes onanumberofrestrictive reasonandhumanity willprevail.totalisolation ofSouthAfrica, asoftenadvocated, willin~yviewonlywanttopromotecivilstrifenordowecondone violence, fromwhatever quarter. A Government remains infavourofactionbytheSecurity Council. Fortheirpartthecounterproductive. ~~atwedoneedisagradual build-Up ofpressure byselectivebadapartheid. Thesystemshouldbeabolished initstotality. strengthen thehandofthechampions ofapartheid andthustendtobe TenmembersoftheEuropean Community, together withSpainandPortugal, havemadecomponents oftheapartheid system, buttherecanbenosuchthingasagoodandaJSM/gmr basednational dialogue. Inourviewasetofconfidence-building measures bythe southAfrican Government isessential topromote thepossibilities forthatInourview,tht'onlyhopeforpeaceful changeinsouthAfrica13suchabroadly :national dialogue. wenotethatcertain stepshavebeentakentodissolve someMexican Government.thirty-ninth session. beforethisAssembly.(Mr.vandenBroek,Netherlands)A/40/PV.9 112 Westandonthethreshhold ofthecelebration ofthefortieth anniversary ofMr.GUTIERREZ (CostaRica)(interpretation fromSpanish): Itiswith Similarly, Iwishtoexpress mydelegation's thankstohisillustrious theunitedNations. InamonththeUnitedNationswillhavebeenactiveforfourourpeopleandGovernment aredeeplymovedbythetragedy whichhasbefallenTheGovernment ofCostaRicawishestoexpressitswarmappreciation foritsthefortieth anniversary oftheunitedNations. theSecretary-General toco-ordinate multilal~ral aidinconsultation withtheelection tothepostofVice-President oftheGeneral Assembly. Thisfurtherparticular pleasure thatmydelegation joinsinthecongratulations expressed to thePermanent Representative ofSpain,Ambassador DonJaimed-ePinies-an predecessor, Mr.PaulLusaka, thePermanent Representative ofzambia, forthetendtodisrupt worldsociety. Whatweneedisgenuine international co-operation ourbrothers inMexico. Thatiswhywenotedwithgreatpleasure thespeedandthe senseofsolidarity withwhichth€lAssembly considered theproblem andinstructedasPresident ofthissessionoftheGeneral Assembly, atwhichwearecelebrating decades. Thisanniversary therefore, givesMemberStatesauniqueopportunity tosuccessful wayinwhichheledtheworkoftheGeneral Assembly duringitssmall,needtheunitedNations inourfightagainst thecentrifugal forcesthat outstanding diplomat andwell-known withinunitedNationscircles forhistmportant commits mycountry toincrease itsefforts toco-operate inthearduous taskssoastomaketruethisanniversary's motto,"united Nations forabetter wor~". contributions totheworkoftheunitedNations -uponhiselection 5yacclamationJSM/gmrA/40/PV.9 113-115 (Mr.Gutierrez, CostaRica) makeafar-reaching andsincere self-appraisal. Itisafitting mmenttolook backwards, toexamine thepurposes announced atthefoundation oftheOrganization andtoseetowhat ext~mtanefforthasbeenmadeto!'!Y!kethemareality Iftowhat extenttheunitedNations hasliveduptothehopesplacedinitwhenitbeganits workinthathopeful autumnof1945.Itistimetotakestock,andtoreflect on theOrganization whichitsfounders hadinMind,thatwhichwehavenow,andthat whichwewishtofleeinthefuture. Fortyyeau'ago,DonJulioAcosta, thethenMinister ofForeignAffairs of CostaRica,signedi:heclocument whichledtothebirthofthi~organization. Like theotherfounding nationl'~, CostaRicasetgreatstorebytheunitedNations asthe keystone toanewinternational orderinaworldcommunity whichwouldbean effective guarantor ofpeaceandco-existence amongallthepeoples oftheworld. Webelieved thatthetraumatic experienceoftheSecondworldwarhadbeenenough tomakeeverybody awarethatitwasessential forthesurvival ofmankindthat thereshouldbeaninternational organization whichwouldworkeffectively for peace,abrotherhood ofStateswhichwouldmanagetoovercome differences between peoples andwhichwouldnotrelapse intothepainful ineffectiveness and frustrating irrelevance oftheLeagueofNations. unfortunately, wearefacedtodaywithaharshreality. Itistruethatit hasbeenpossible toavoidthebloodyspectreofaworld oonflag~ation, butonemay wonderwhether thisisduetoafeelingoffraternity, orwhetheritissimplythe balance ofterrorwhichhasprevented thisfinalholocaust fromoccuring. Whatever theanswertothatquestion, wemustacknowledge thatitisnotpeacewhichhas prevailed intheworldoverthelast40years. Howmanyconflicts, crisesand disputes haveafflicted mankind since1945?Howmuchbloodhasbeenshed?How manymenandwomenhavediedasaresultofviolence? Howmanyhavesuffered imprisonment, torture, exileandoppression?MLG/rd A/40/PV.9 116 (Mr.Gutierrez, CostaRica) Whatisperhaps mosttragicaboutsuchself-appraisal isthediscovery thattonone
analysis: The text is a speech delivered by a representative of Costa Rica in the United Nations General Assembly, discussing the 40th anniversary of the organization. The speech focuses on the challenges and failures of the UN, particularly in regards to promoting peaceful change in South Africa, and calls for a more effective and cooperative approach to international relations. The speaker also reflects on the history of the UN and the hopes and expectations that were placed in it.