December 13 1974
Mr Sean MacBride, former Irish Foreign Minister, yesterday called for reforms of the United Nations to make it more effective as an instrument for peace and human rights.
Mr MacBride, who shared the 1974 Nobel Peace Prize with former Japanese Premier Eisaku Sato, said in Oslo last night fundamental changes involving surrender of partial sovereignty should be envisaged.
Giving his Nobel Lecture at Oslo’s Nobel Institute, Mr MacBride said there should be a provision of conciliation machinery that would automatically initiate discussions and mediation wherever the likelihood of a conflict could be foreseen.
A conciliation mechanism that would continue to operate during the existence of any conflict that was taking place should also be established, as well as a United Nations’ mechanism which would enable the receipt of complaints and investigations in cases of allegations of violations of humanitarian laws during armed conflicts.
Mr MacBride said the Secretary-General should be given authority to send fact-finding missions in cases involving gross violations of human rights and in particular, in cases involving torture of prisoners. There should be extended compulsory jurisdiction for the International Court of Justice. It should also be able to pronounce advisory opinions, he said.
Mr MacBride, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his fight for human rights, said there was nothing more damaging to the concept of world order and peace than massive violations of human rights that continued to occur in the world.
“The torture and massacre of political prisoners have spread like a malignant contagious disease from country to country”, he said.
Sean MacBride became the first Irish winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 for his work for human rights.
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Cost of Living to hit new high
Inflation will hit new records today when the latest cost of living figures are published.
Sharp rises in the price of food – especially sugar and milk – will, with coal price increases, almost certainly force the pace of inflation over the past year to November to an all-time high of around 18 per cent.
At this rate, prices will be doubling every four years.
The relentless inflation increases of the early 1970s continued to cripple people and economies deep into 1974.
