AllowmetopointoutthatthisyearPortugal celebrates thethirtiethcelebrating notonlythecreation oftheUnitedNations 40yearsagobutalsothedelegation toasession oftheGeneral Assembly, especially thisyear,whenweareItisarealhonourformetoleadforthethirdtimethePortuguese anniversary ofitsadmission asaMemberofthisorganization. Thisisnotthe rightplaceortherighttimeforafullanalysis andassessment ofthe participation ofmycountryintheactivities oftheunitedNations duringthis period. Itwasonlyin1974,withtheestablishment ofdemocracy inPortugal, that wesetasidethebackward customoftakingrefugeinconc.-epts andprinciples that wereclearly contradictory tothoseenshrined intheCharter. Onlythendidweput anendtoourdiplomatic isolation andbegintodemonstrate byouractions a constant concern forrespect forthebasicprinciples setforthintheCharter, whicharethemoralandlegalfoundations ofthisOrganization. Weattach particular importance torecognition oftherightofpeoples toself-determination, respect forhumanrightsand,lastly, respect forandpromotion oftheapplication oftheprinciple oftheprevention oftheuseOIthethreatofuseofforceinthe settlement ofinternational conflicts.* l~.Guissou (Burkina Faso),Vice-President, tooktheChair.Community on1January next. tocontact withothercivilizations, isacountry whosegeography, history and(Mr.Gama,Portugal)A/40jl»V.5 69 Withaspecial roletoplayintheNorth-South dialogue, portugal willtheLomeIXIConvention inthefieldofco-operation withAfrican countries.example, theadvantages whichcanaccrue fromtherightuseoftheprovisions oflinkintherelatiohships withthoseregions oftheworld. MayIjustmention, fortheCOrllllunities, mycountry willbecomeintheshortter.manincreasingly importantandLatinAmerican countries. Inthelightofthispledge, withintheframework oflawenshrined intheCharter ofthisOrganizati<Xl. Thusweshallcontribute tothe evolving international scene. Portugal willbefullyopentopromoting, !deningWearefUllyconvinced thattheseactions andmotivati<Xls, which,furthermore, European integration isaprtmary national project whichhasprogressively won andLatinAmerica. Wemayperhaps helptopavetheway fo~anewbreakthrough,certainly helptobringaboutgreater sensitivity onthepartofotherMemberthefirmandsustained supportoftheimmense majority ofallportuguese political statesintheinterest ofthepromo~ion andfostering ofco-operation withAfricaculture remainbasically European. Through itsmembership intheEur~an Economicsectors. Underlying thisconsensus hasalwaysbeenthepremise thatPortugal, open andstrengthening dialogue withotherregions oftheworld,namely, withAfricanenlargeuent oftheC~mmunity, asaregional andespecially dynamic body,carrying outathorough searchfornewformsofdevelopment andadaptation totheconstantlyreflect theprinciples established intheconstitutional !awof mycountry, willbe expanded andstrengthened withPortugal's accession totheEuropean Economic pioneer andisstillamajorstronghold ofthebasicprinciples ofinternationalCOlIlnunity, Portugal isincorporating itselfintoaregionthathasoftenbeenaMLG/ed-------- .._~-~-------_._------ MLG/ed 'A/40;.pV.S70 (Mt 0_Gaaa,Portugal) wbilepUticipating inthl'!achieveJleOt ofthelong-desired newbalance fespecially inthemoresensitive hotbeds ofinternational tension, thusestablishing the necessary conditions forpeaceanddevelopment. Concerned asitisabouttheNortlrSouth dialogUe, lilycountry cannotbuteall theattention ofitsEuropean partners tothemeaning andimportance ofthe (.ooncepts thathaveinspired theMovement ofNon-Align4.ld Countries.A/40/PV.5 7li Afewdaysago1hadtheopportunity ofparticipating, asa-guest-, ina meetingofMinisters oftheMovement heldinLuanda, ameetingthatwasaclear example of.what Ihavejustdescribed. Theconflicts andtensions thathavebesettheinternational community inour day,particularly thestriking lackofprogress intheachievement ofbarmonious relationships between thenorthern andsouthern hemispheres, haveseriously impaired thesecia-economic situation ofthedeveloping countries. Atpresent, inspiteoftheslightimprovement inafewindustrialized economies, theimpact o~theworldrecession oftheearly1980sstillafflicts many ofthethird-world countries. Wec~nseewithgreatconcern anddistress that,in spiteofitsendeavours, theworldstillhasaverylongwaytogobeforeWinning thebattleagainst p:.JVerty. Themostserious consequences ofthissituation canbefoundinAfrica, where ~~egreatmajority ofcountries, particularly southoftheSahara, arefacing extremely acuteeconomic problems, whic~havebeenexacerbated bycontinuing d~ought anddesertification thathavebeenworsening everyyear.Thesituation prevailing inAfricahasbrought aboutagreater awareness oftheinternational communitYJ thathasbeenteflected ininitiatives takeninallpartsoftheworld, aimedatalleviating themoredramatic aspects ofthatsuffering. ~Government stresses onthisoccasion ourappreciation oftheefforts carried outby~'e Secretary-General withintheframework oftheUnitedNations tomobilize theMeJtber