President Carter, in remarks prepared for delivery to the United Nations tonight, declared that peace in the Middle East “is a quarter century overdue” and that “We are doing our best to clarify areas of agreement to surface underlying consensus and to help develop mutually acceptable principles which can form a flexible framework for a just and permanent settlement.” Carter also emphasized the U.S. aspiration to reduce the arms race in troubled areas of the world and said the U.S. would take the initiative in that direction.
A high Administration official told reporters that the U.S. does not have a blueprint for the Middle East by underscoring Carter’s use of the phrase “flexible framework.” He said it meant that the U.S. was doing its best to make explicit those areas of agreement between the parties that are implicit.
In his prepared speech, Carter called for a wider multi-lateral effort “to reduce the flow of weapons to all the trouble spots of this globe.” He said the U.S. would take its own initiative in this respect “since the U.S. has become one of the major arms suppliers of the world.”
ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The President, who was making his first appearance at the UN, also made a strong plea for the expansion of human rights. “The solemn commitments of the UN Charter, the UN’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights, of the Helsinki Accord…must be taken just as seriously as commercial or security agreements,” he declared. To demonstrate his commitment to human rights, Carter said he would seek long delayed Congressional approval of a number of treaties, including the UN Genocide Convention.
Carter, who has criticized the treatment of dissidents in the Soviet Union, South Korea and elsewhere, said U.S. responsibility and support for human rights was a commitment and not just a political posture. He did not name any country in discussing human rights but said the search for peace and justice also meant respect for human dignity.
“All of the signatories of the UN Charter have pledged themselves to observe and respect basic human rights,” the President said. “Thus, no member of the United Nations can claim that mistreatment of its citizens is solely its own business.” He added that when “gross and widespread violations take place, contrary to international commitments, it is the concern of all.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Israel Mission to the UN said that the Israeli UN delegation would participate tonight in the audience when Carter delivers his address and at the reception following, despite the presence of Palestine Liberation Organization representatives at both events.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
