Excerpts from statements by UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar made between 1 July and 30 September 1988.

The guns of war are silent. . .

Today, we rejoice that the guns of war are silent in some parts of the world. They will, we hope, soon

become silent in others. Today, we are sustained by the growing recognition that the principles of the United Nations Charter must be faithfully applied so as to achieve a durable peace. Today, we are encouraged that the Governments and peoples of the world are looking more and more to our Organization to steer the world towards peace.

No day of peace should pass without a special salute to the brave men and women of our international peacekeeping forces. For them, every day is devoted to peace. For this, they have earned the respect, the admiration and the gratitude of the international community.

Against force and arbitrariness . . .

The elaboration and development of international law, its visionary potential, constitute the very air we breathe at the World Organization. That might appear a somewhat rarefied air. Indeed, international law might be termed the ozone layer of our common future. It is the protective

factor-mostly unseen, often misunderstood-upon which humanity's continued existence may depend. Whether domestic or international, the law seeks to prescribe rules for the orderly governance of society. In the final analysis, national and international societies submit to the rule of law because they wish to afford due respect and protection to the dignity of men and nations. Both domestically and internationally, legality is the bulwark against unrestrained force and arbitrariness.

From a message to the American Bar Association meeting in Toronto, Canada, 8 August

An infant of four decades . . .

Compared with Leiden University's four centuries of history, the United Nations is but an infant of four decades. It is still striving to develop the most effective working methods for achieving its goal of a better world where peace and security may prevail. Nevertheless, I believe we may take some satisfaction in the progress achieved since 1945, not least in the realm of international law. The United Nations and its family of organizations now comprise a framework for the international consideration of practically every field of human endeavour. In our attempt to provide a suitable response to the ever-changing challenges before international society, the United Nations can be vastly assisted by the academic community. Universities such as yours have made a tremendous contribution to the advancement of human understanding and knowledge. Together, we can help to create an environment in which there is greater respect for law and justice, for mutual understanding and peace.

At Leiden University, the Netherlands, on receiving an honoray degree, 7 September

No more Verduns . . .

What spokesman for a peace organization would not feel moved at speaking on behalf of that organization at Verdun? Verdun, whose name has become the tragic symbol of the absurdity of war in a century when this absurdity has assumed global dimensions. Those wooden crosses I saw this morning, reaching as far as the eye can see from the very steps of your city, these old lands forever ravaged and furrowed by weapons, who could fail to hear the cries of pain which still rise from them: "No more war, no more martyrdom of man by man, no more Verduns"? May the hideous echo of the guns which here tolled for the end of an era and, perhaps, an entire civilization sound from age to age in dire warning to those who still believe that man's history and destiny can be forged in combat.

At ceremonies in Verdun, France, to inaugurate the headquarters of the World Union of Martyred Cities and Cities of Peace and World Centre for Peac, e Freedom and Human Rights, 8 September

Reversing a rush to destruction . . .

The maintenance of peace relates closely to all the major issues that concern us today, including development, disarmament, human rights and the environment. Without peace, the human and natural resources so essential for development and preservation of the environment are squandered. Without peace, there is less incentive to disarm. Without peace, the full exercise of human rights may be jeopardized. As I speak to you today, the United Nations is directly involved in peace-making efforts in several parts of the world where regional conflicts have raged for years. Belligerents, who only a short time ago were unwilling to speak to each other, are now negotiating. They are requesting the United Nations to assist them in finding solutions to disputes that have cost millions of lives and billions of dollars, and pose a major threat to international stability. These developments prove once again that through patience and persistence, it is possible to reverse what once seemed an inevitable rush to destruction.

To the 1988 Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations, organized annually ,by the Department of Public Information, this year's theme, "The role of the United Nations in conflict resolution, peace-keeping and global security', 14 September

The great, the medium, the small . . .

The advent of a new year, decade or century, or even a new millenium, does not necessarily open a new page in the calendar of human experience. There seems to be a growing consciousness, however, that, while humanity has made phenomenal progress in the twentieth century, it has also reaped a harvest of wars and upheavals which, with better wisdom, could have been avoided. The current and preceding decades have witnessed much dangerous confusion. It is not a fanciful supposition that Governments will adjust better to a qualitatively changed and changing world environment. If the expectation is right, the United Nations will be used more purposefully than it has been before. I have in mind the use made of it by all Powers-the great, the medium and the small.