the peaceful restoration of Argentine territorial integ- rity. This would have prevented a war for which there is no justification and a terrible breach between two peoples belonging to the same Western civili- zation. 9. In the circumstances, and as is indicated in the Secretary-General’s letter to the President of the Council [S//SOUC,l. we members of the Council must be fully aware of the responsibility which is incumbent upon us under the Charter of the United Nations. The Security Council is the proper body to act effec- tively and to prevent an irreparable loss of human lives and the escalation of a conflict the consequences of which are becoming disastrous for world peace. A formal meeting was postponed during the last few days simply because we still hoped that the negotia- tions then under way between Argentina and the United Kingdom, through the mediation of the Sec- retary-General, would yield the desired results. But we can wait no longer. We are faced with the historic responsibility of ending this senseless war and paving the way for negotiations and peace. IO. My delegation’s attitude in regard to the Mal- vinas question was reflected in my statement of 3 April to the Council [235&/z nzccfin!: 1. Nevertheless, as there have been further developments, I shall try to summarize as briefly as possible the most important points of our position. I I. At the beginning of the crisis, my Government expressed its concern over the situation created in the Malvinas and pointed out Spain’s consistent position on the substance of the problem, to the effect that decolonization should take place by ensuring Argen- tine territorial integrity and safeguarding the interests of the population. On the other hand, the Govern- ment of Spain stated that it was opposed to the use of 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a diplomatic statement discussing a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Malvinas question, with a focus on the responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to prevent a war and promote peace. The language used is formal and emphasizes the importance of preserving territorial integrity and safeguarding human lives.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief