30011952 Text of the Speech made by Mr. Muniz (Brazil) in the Security Council Meeting No. 571 held on 30 Jan, 1952

 Text of the Speech made by Mr. Muniz (Brazil) in the Security Council Meeting No. 571 held on 30 Jan, 1952

In the first place, I wish to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Sir Mohammad Zafrulla Khan, for his very able and impartial expose of the question of demilitarisation from its origin until its present stage after the intervention of Mr. Graham.

The Brazilian delegation wishes also to pay a warm tribute to Mr. Graham for his earnest and painstaking efforts to bring about a solution of the dispute on the demilitarisation Not only of the State of Jammu and Kashmir as a precondition of a plebiscite to decide the future of the disputed area. During his stay in the sub-continent, but also in New York and afterwards in Paris, Mr. Graham exerted himself through long negotiations with the interested parties, in order to bridge the difference on the question of demilitarisation.

Although the diligence and great wisdom with which he endeavoured to fulfil his difficult mission were not crowned with immediate success, we cannot say that his efforts were in vain or that they met with failure. In a matter such as this, involving old antagonism and exacerbated nationalism, the task of conciliation is a hard and long-protracted one. It requires patience, forbearance, constant application and the intervention of time with its healing qualities in order to bring the parties to see, above the passions of the hour, their real and permanent interest, and to produce the necessary adjustments leading to final settlement.

For the reasons which I have stated, the Brazilian delegation does not believe that the Security Council ought to consider Mr. Graham's mission as terminated. Nor does it consider that his past endeavours were fruitless. On the contrary, his twelve point proposal has greatly clarified the issue. We agree, therefore, with the suggestion of the United Kingdom representative that Mr. Graham, in fulfilment of the mission entrusted to him, should proceed again to the sub-continent and report to the Security Council at the end of March 1952 in order to seek to expand the area of agreement which has been enlarged through his intervention.

Another important consideration prompts my delegation to accept that suggestion. Within a few days the complete results of the Indian general elections will be known, and this fact is likely to exercise some influence on the issue and establish a favourable climate for the task of conciliation.

The Brazilian delegation is, therefore, of the opinion that a renewed effort to achieve conciliation at this juncture may greatly facilitate the settlement of the issue of demilitarisation.