text: attheb4!9inning ofeachsession theGeneral Assembly shallappoint, onthe proposal o~l;thep~esident, aCredentials Committee consisting ofninemembers. Accordingly, itisproposed t.hat,forthefortieth session, theCredentials COllll1ittee shouldconsist ofthefollowing MeIlberStates: BOtswana, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, China, PapuaNewGuinea, suriname, theUnionofSovietSocialist Republics andtheunitedStatesofAmerica.A/40/PV.l 4 (~eTemporary president) MayItakeitthatthestat(!SIhavementioned areherebyappointed membersof theCredentials Conunittee? Itwassodecided. ADDRESS BYTHETEMPORARY PRESIDENT TheTEMPORARY PRESIDENT: EveryyearoftheGeneral Assenbly isan important milestone inthelifeofthisOrganizati'on. HCMever, therearecertain yearstowhichweattachaspecial significance. Onesuchyearis1985-the fortieth anniversary oftheunitedNations. Iwasprivileged duringthetermofmypresidency oftheGeneral Assembly also toserveasChairman o~thepreparatory Committee fortheFortieth Anniversary of theUnitedNations. FromtheworkofthatCommittee, frommyofficial visitsto several countries andinprivate talkswiththeirHeadsofStateorGovernment, and fromthemanycontacts anddiscussions Ihavehadwithmembers ofthemediaand private individuals, Ihaverealized morethaneverbeforethatthecommemoration ofthefortieth anniversary issignificant andappropriate. Thisindeedisanappropriate timeforseriousreflection onwheretheunited Nations standstoday,onwhatithasdoneorhasbeenunabletodo,andonwhatis expected ofitintheyearsahead. Thecommemoration isunlikely tobea culmination oranend.Itwill,inmyview,bethebeginning ofaperiodofa changeofattitude andofgreater conunitment. IfallMemberStatesrepresented in thisAssembly puttheirmindsandheartsintoit,thiscommemoration couldassure humanity adequate prosperity -atleastbytheendofthiscentury. Theunprecedented interest inthiscommemoration, aswillbereflected in reports tothissessionoftheGeneral Asserrbly, canonlyhaveoneexplanation, whichisthatthepeoples oftheworldarescared~ theyareconcerned andare I _._------~A/40/PV.l 5 (TheTemporary President) anxiously waiting forrealistic assuran';:es andrenowed hopes. Theo1rcCX1sciousness ofthestateoftheworldhasincreased considerably duringthel;,tstfewdecades thankstoscience, technology andmoderncommunication facilities. Neverhasthe numberofpeoplewhowanttoraisetheirvoicesandparticipate intheshapingof abetterworldbeensogreat. Although manyvoices,areoftendrowned inthedinof .'unfairandsometimes destructive criticism ofthisuniversal buthumaninstitution, wecanstillhearotherviews'andperceptioos ~outtheUnitedNations.A/40/PV.l 6 (TheTemporary.President) TomanypeopletheUnitedNations doesnotappeartobeasbadastheyhad thought. Wedohearprofound statements suchas:Qltheworldwouldbeworseoff without tileUnited P.ationsB~ BiftheUnitedNations weretobeabolished, a."1other wouldbecreated initsplaceB• Uponreflection, onewouldevendiscover thattheUnitedNations hasnotdone badlyafterall,especially giventheunprecedented newgla,alproblems whichhave arisenduringthepast40years,andalsogiventheincredible distances which animosity andopenconflict havecreated between EastandWe!3t,between Northand South,between geographical neighbours, between kithandkin.,between religions, waysoflifeandsystemsofgovernment. Inthecourseofthiscommemoration andstock-taking ~xercise, wehaveheard andshallstillhearmanyvoices. Weshouldbeawareofwhatwehavebeenunable todo.Somemayrefertothatinability asafailure. Weshouldnotbedeafto thevoiceofreasonandtothatofcriticism. Wehaveheardandweshallcontinue tohearthattheUnitedNations hasbeenunabletoprevent manyconflicts. The figureoftencitedis140conflicts since1945whichhavecostthelivesofsome 20million humanbeings. Manyoftheunresolved conflicts areoveradozenyears old. LetuslistentothevoicesthatsaythattheunitedNations hasdismally failedinthefieldofdisarmament, thattherearedefinitely morefrightening weapons onthisplanettodaythantherehavebeensincetheUnitedNations was founded 40yearsago;thathumanrightshavebeendefined butnotimplemented world-wide; thatthe12million refugees inthisworldareconsidered an intolerable blemish; thattheUnitedNations hasbeenunabletomakearealand deepimpactontheeconomic andsocialconditio?s ofthepoor,especially through theNorth-South dialogue andon-going negotiations onanewinternational economic order;thatthereismuchunfinished business -wh.~hcanonly'A/40/PV.l 7 (TheTemporary President) ontheagendaofthevarious organsoftheUnitedNations, suchasthequestions of Palestine, Namibia, apartheid, theMiddleEast,terrorism andsoon. weshouldalsobeawareofothervoices, relatively mutedthOl.!9btheyare.If welistencarefully wecanhearmanypeoplesaythatthisfirstuniversal organization inhumanhistory hasopeneditsdoorsnotonlytoCbenewStatesof Asia,AfricaandtheCaribbean, butalsotothecountries defeated intheSecond WorldWar;thattheUnitedNations isheretostayandthatnoMemberStatecan affordtoabandon it~thattheUnitedNab-ons hasproventhat11:isindeedacentre forharmonizing theactionsofnations, ameeting placeandachannelof communication between nations whichdonothavediplomatic relations witheach other;thattheUnitedNationsisasafetyvalveintimesoftension andpolitical crises, andthatitprovides atimeforthecoolingoftempers; thattheUnited
analysis: The text is a speech by the Temporary President of the United Nations General Assembly, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the United Nations. The speech highlights the organization's achievements and challenges, emphasizing the importance of reflection and change. The text touches on various issues, including international relations, peacekeeping, disarmament, human rights, and the role of the United Nations in addressing global problems.