N.Z.’s Call To Smaller Powers

Press, Volume C, Issue 29637, 6 October 1961, Page 13

N.Z.’s Call To Smaller Powers

NEW YORK, Oct. 5. New Zealand called yesterday upon the small Powers to save the United Nations in its present crisis. The New Zealand Secretary of External Affairs (Mr A. D. Mclntosh) told the General Assembly that the smaller member States must ask now “not what the United Nations can do for them, but what they can do for the United Nations.”

But while the small countries could act as conciliators and catalysts, they had to take care that they did not conciliate at the expense of the United Nations itself, he said.

Nevertheless, they could do much “to introduce a helpful element of tolerance and flexibility in the conduct of international affairs.” said Mr Mclntosh. United Nations observers said Mr Mclntosh’s comments were timely, because a number of small States currently were seeking a compromise arrangement for the interim succession in the Secretariat after the death of the Secretary-General (Mr Hammarskjold*. Speaking of the role of small nations, he said: “In their own way, they can sometimes set a good example by showing restraint and by scrupulously discharging their duties under the Charter.”

In the midst of political turmoil. Mr Mclntosh said, the strength and authority of the United Nations were of paramount importance, but the organisation could only be as strong as its executive arm. and New Zealand firmly opposed any weakening of the executive.

"This is one reason why we must reject the paralysing device of the ‘troika’ and its variants,’’ he said, in a reference to the Soviet bid to supplant the office of Secretary-General with a veto-ridden triumvirate.

Such an idea was also unacceptable in principle, he said, because it repudiated the whole concept of an impartial international authority.

"Small countries, in particular, cannot and must noi allow such an authority to be destroyed, impaired or even called into question,” he said.

“I would emphasise that this is an urgent and crucial matter, not only for the small Powers themselves, but also for the proper functioning of the United Nations.” Ne Sacrifice Of Principles The high principles of the Charter, which had been “so faithfully” observed by members of the Secretariat must not be sacrificed to the untenable proposition that there was no such thing as a neutral man. Mr Mclntosh said.

(N Z.P. A .-Reuter—Copyright)

He also referred to the reinforcement of New Zealand's doubts and misgivings about “the effect of regional consolidation, especially in the economic field.”

Without citing specific instances, New Zealand had observed with mounting concern that developments within some economic blocs had not always shown that regard for universalism that was implicit and, indeed, explicit, in the United Nations Charter.

“World trade, including our trade, has for many years been confronted with the threats and consequences of inward-looking policies of countries whose social systems do not encourage free or fruitful external relationships,’’ he said. “But if friendly countries, with whose political aims we sympathise, should threaten the future well-being of countries such as ours by the adoption of policies leading to exclusiveness, our concern would become a desperate one.

“Applied without qualification, economic regionalism could have on other countries a cumulative effect similar to that of severe economic sanctions, such as used to be applied to a country defeated in war.” The question of general interest to the United Nations was “the extent to which groups of members can. consistently within the spirit of the Charter, pursue what may appear to be legitimate mutual interests to the serious damage of third parties,” Mr Mclntosh said. New Zealand was concerned lest the formation of an economic union among industrial countries, which together were responsible for a large part of world trade and production, should seriously weaken the relative economic bargaining power of smaller countries outside the group. ‘ ‘The wider and more powerful such regional groups, the more important it is for their members to adjust their policies in order to minimise the adverse effects which the creation of their union may have on outside countries, especially those which are small and economically weak in the process of development, or are dependent on exports of a few primary commodities of raw materials,” Mr Mclntosh said. “Strange Conclusion’’

“Is the moral to be drawn from current trends that small countries can look forward to no future unless they merge their economic identities in large continental blocs—those, that is, who have a continent available?” be asked. “This would be a strange conclusion to reach in the United Nations, an organisation based on the sovereignty and equality of rights of all members, large or small. “If this equality does not mean that a country which efficiently produces goods needed by mankind should be able to live and prosper without being squeezed out of existence by monster continental organisations. It is hard to see how the Charter’s concern for nations large and small had any reality. "My Government firmly believes that the only hope ►

for effective and world-wide international co-operation in the political, as in the economic field lies in the United, Nations.

"By co-operation, I mean a positive working together for the good of mankind.”

At no point in his prepared statement did Mr Mclntosh allude specifically to the European Common Market, which Britain is negotiating to join, in spite of the serious reservations of other Commonwealth nations, including New Zealand.

On other questions, Mr Mclntosh criticised the resumption of nuclear weapons testa in the atmosphere, saying this came as a “great shock” to New Zealand. A treaty to ban testa and enforce the ban by international supervision must be concluded without further delay, he said.

The freedom of the people of West Berlin must be respected, and, in present circumstances, this could have no sure guarantee without agreement among the four Great Powers.