Statement by Salim Ahmed Salim (United Republic of Tanzania) Temporary President of Assembly's Thirty-Fifth Session

"On the whole, the year has witnessed a dangerous escalation of international tensions, engendering a climate of deep distrust and mutual suspicions, particularly among the great Powers and, in the process, undermining, if not seriously threatening, the spirit and letter of detente. There is no doubt that the present international situation is very disquieting and unless its further deterioration is arrested, it poses ominous consequences for world peace and security." 

Dr. Salim, September 16, 1980

In this opening address to the Thirty-Fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim warned that the international system was entering a dangerous period of renewed geopolitical rivalry and global instability. Speaking at a moment marked by Cold War tensions, regional conflicts, and economic upheaval, he called on the world’s major powers to exercise restraint and recommit to the principles of the United Nations Charter. 

His remarks reflected the concerns of many developing nations that escalating distrust between great powers threatened not only global peace, but also progress toward a more just international economic order.