The 38th Floor: excerpts from statements by UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar made between 1 April and 30 June 1989.

• Position: Column

THE 38th FLOOR

'Our common future'

My fellow citizens of the earth,

As we approach World Environment Day 1989 we can take some comfort.

The peoples of the world have at last begun to face up to the threat of environmental degradation which endangers our common future.

But there is no time to lose.

The United Nations is actively assisting the global community by promoting co-operation, consensus and action on critical environmental issues.

Progress has been made in reaching agreements on the ozone layer, toxic chemicals and hazardous waste.

Let us now keep up the momentum with a renewed drive to counteract global warming and alleviate the effects of climate change.

However, we can succeed only if people everywhere pledge themselves to the simple principle that a safe environment is essential for our common future.

We owe it to ourselves, our children and our planet earth to act now.

'An imperative of survival...'

The Preamble to the Charter proclaims the faith of the peoples of the United Nations "in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small". Further on, Article 2 states that "the Organization is based on the principle which are deeply attached to the ideal of the United Nations and, first and foremost, respect for international law, which protects the weak against the strong and safeguards international security and stability. The principle of non-use of force, which is the foundation on which the United Nations rests, is more than an ideal for these countries, more than an option to be preferred above others: it is, in truth, a necessity, an imperative of survival. They do not need to ponder the dangers or cost of interminable wars in order to realize the absurdity of all armed aggression. Being more conscious of their vulnerability, small States, or at any rate those to them that behave in a rational manner, are naturally peaceable and respectful of the law.

'In a broader perspective...'

It is important to place the debt issue in a broader perspective of world economic growth and development. Much satisfaction has been expressed in recent months regarding the economic situation in the industrial countries. But this scenario continues to be compromised by important financial imbalances which, among other things, are tending to push interest rates higher. This is adding more burden to the debtor countries.

Thus, urgent action is needed to correct these trade and fiscal imbalances in the major industrial countries, as...