1.
SV INT. U THANT WALKS DOWN CORRIDOR AND IS SURROUNDED BY NEWSMEN
0.13

2.
SCU U THANT REPLIES TO QUESTIONS (SOUND ON FILM)
2.11


TRANSCRIPT



U THANT: "MY ONE REGRET IS OF COURSE THAT SOME OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE STILL OUT."



REPORTER: "HOW SOON DO YOU THINK THEY'LL BE IN?"



U THANT: " I WOULD SAY AT A GUESS, THE TWO GERMANIES WILL BE IN NEXT YEAR. AND OF COURSE THE EUROPEAN SITUATION HAS IMPROVED AS YOU KNOW. ALTHOUGH UNFORTUNATELY ASIA IS A SCENE OF TURMOIL SOUTHEAST ASIA, SOUTH ASIA AND WEST ASIA IS A SCENE OF TURMOIL I'M AFRAID FOR SOME TIME. BUT THE EUROPEAN SCENE HAS IMPROVED A GREAT DEAL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS."



REPORTER: "THE THINGS YOU'VE EMPHASISED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS, LIKE ERADICATION OF ILLITERACY AND THE ELIMINATION OF HUNGER AND THOSE THINGS WHICH CREATE CONDITIONS FOR A YEAR MR SECRETARY-GENERAL, CAN YOU SEE THOSE SITUATIONS IMPROVING?"



U THANT: "IMPROVING DEFINITELY. THEY ARE PEACE BUILDING - THESE ARE PEACE BUILDING ASPECTS, TO WHICH I ATTACH EQUAL IMPORTANCE WITH PEACE KEEPING. IN THIS PEACE BUILDING FIELD, THE U.N. AND ITS SISTER AGENCY HAVE ACHIEVED TREMENDOUSLY IN THE LAST TEN YEARS."



REPORTER: "IT'S SURPRISING THOUGH THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE SOME PUBLIC RELATIONS PROGRAMME FOR THE UN?" (LAUGHTER)



U THANT: "NO, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS NOW."



REPORTER: "GETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT....."



U THANT: "IT IS NOT, I THINK, NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF REPUBLIC RELATIONS. THERE'S A QUESTION OF DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC. FOR INSTANCE, SOME MEMBER STATES ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE UN THAN OTHER MEMBER STATES. YOU HAVE TO SEE THE REASONS WHY. I DON'T WANT TO PINPOINT WHICH COUNTRIES, BUT IN MY VIEW, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE MANY MEMBER STATES WHERE THE MAN IN THE STREET IS MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE UN ACTIVITIES THAN OTHER MEMBER STATES."




Initials OS/1611 OS/1613



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE RETIRING SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, U THANT PREDICTED ON THURSDAY (30 DEC) THAT THE TWO GERMANIES WOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE NEXT YEAR.

SYNOPSIS: ON HIS LAST DAY IN OFFICE -- AN IMPROMPTU NEWS CONFERENCE FOR THE RETIRING SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, U THANT. HE WAS LEAVING AFTER TEN YEARS IN OFFICE.