Mr. President,

I would like first to express my congratulations to you on your election as president of the current session of the General Assembly, wishing you all success in managing its deliberations with a view to arriving at conclusions that are beneficial to the international community.

I would like also to express my thanks to your predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Guirab on his successful efforts in conducting the business of the 54th session.

I would like further to express my appreciation to Mr. Kofi Allman, the SecretaryGeneral of our Organization for the incessant efforts, which he made and continues to make in the service of the United Nations objectives and principles, with a view to enhancing its role and increasing its effectiveness in the international arena.

The significance and meaning of the Summit affirm the commitment of the international community to the principles and the Charter of the United Nations. This should lead to the enhancement of its role as the best framework, for providing member states with a suitable mechanism to organize international relations on the basis of cooperative partnership, particularly after the end of the cold war era and its concepts of polarization, and balance of power, which had in the past consecrated division and confrontation, depleted huge resources, and caused wide spread suffering in vast areas of the world.

Response to the evolution of the world since the establishment of the United Nations requires a review of the methods and policies adopted so far. First, calls and efforts made to establish democracy and make it a-way of life within states should be consistent with the establishment of democracy in international relations and within the United Nations itself. It is unreasonable to continue to give advice and to urge the establishment of democracy while not abiding by it in the international arena, where there is dire need to come closer to achieving equality among the members of this organization: rich and poor; strong and weak.

While the United Nations witnessed during the past few years some changes in its methods of work, one should ensure the preservation of the role of the General Assembly. The acquisition of more authority by its executive arm for peace and security, the Security Council, should not happen at the expense of the role of the General assembly and its various organs, which are supposed to provide balance and collective representation of the international will.

Clearly, there is international consensus that the composition of the Security Council does not reflect an equitable representation of the international community and that it is, therefore, necessary to correct this situation. Since that all states have expressed their positions, through an extended debate, what needs to be done has become clearer and more specific.

Mr. President,

Member states, both developed and developing, are in agreement that globalization and the abolition of borders and barriers to economic exchanges present opportunities and pose risks. Although globalization facilitates the flow of goods and services as well as ideas, it has presented the developing world with challenges deepening the gap with the developed world, particularly in view of differences in their respective scientific and technological levels.

It has also put the identity and sovereignty of developing states to a painful test. Additionally, it indicated how difficult it is for them to meet the requirements of integration in the world economy. While a majority of the developing countries were struggling to enter the industrial era, they witnessed the entry of the developed world into the era of information technology. While they were striving to provide basic services, like infrastructure, health and social care and education, they witnessed the frightening acceleration of technological and economic changes that had shaken their hope of catching up with them.

While globalization, openness and economic integration make the world a unified economic environment, widening differences and deepening inequalities will inescapably cause damage to all in the long run This makes it imperative to reformulate economic relations on the basis of cooperation and partnership. It also requires action to reduce differences, rectify imbalances and help developing countries to adjust their economies in line with the requirements of globalization and integration. The experience of mankind proves that poverty; huge economic and social disparities have always been a major cause of instability and confrontation.

Mr. President,

The Middle East Peace Process is going through an extremely sensitive phase. During the past few weeks and months, major efforts were made to bring to maturity the Palestinian- Israeli negotiations and arrive at a permanent settlement between the two parties.

Jordan has made an essential contribution in all the phases of the peace process, out of its conviction that peace is the only real option for all states and peoples of the region. Geographic and demographic realities make it impossible for any party to settle the conflict by imposing its will and consecrating the status quo in its favour. Therefore, there is no alternative to establishing peace on the basis of law, international legitimacy, and justice.

Despite the failure of the recent Camp David Summit to reach an agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis, it enabled the parties to narrow the gap that separated their positions and made the requirements for reaching a settlement clearer. This confirms the importance of continuing the efforts, by the United States in particular and the international community in general, to build on what has been achieved so far.

The achievement of lasting peace in the region requires the realization of the national rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to independence and the establishment of their state on their national territory, with the Holy City of Jerusalem as its capital.

This means reaching implementable and sustainable solutions to the main issues, which are the subject of permanent status negotiations. On territory, Israeli forces must withdraw from Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 in implementation of Security Council resolution 242, so that the State of Palestine may be established on those territories, with internationally recognized borders. Any security arrangements, which may be agreed upon, must not be based on any claim of sovereignty as a result of occupation.

The solution of the refugee problem must be based on rules of international law and the various international conventions and on the basis of General Assembly resolution 194, which emphasizes the right of return and compensation of the refugees. Displaced Persons as a result of the June 1967 war must be enabled to return to their homes in implementation of Security Council resolution 237.

The issue of Jerusalem is the key to peace in the region. It must be solved on the basis that East Jerusalem is a Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 to which resolution 242 applies. It should be under Palestinian sovereignty so that it becomes the capital of the independent State of Palestine. Arab and Muslim rights in the Islamic and Christian Holy Places in Jerusalem must be preserved. In no way can Israeli sovereignty over these holy places be accepted.

The status of Jerusalem and its spiritual and religious importance make it imperative that this city, should be an open city where the freedom of worship and access to the Holy Places is assured for all believers in God.

Mr. President,

Jordan has suffered immensely over the past five decades as a result of situations arising from the Palestine question, particularly the refugee problem. There are over one and a half million refugees living in Jordan, making 41% of all the refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This is in addition to the people displaced as a result of the June 1967 war. As a result of this, Jordan has shouldered heavy financial, economic and social burdens.

Jordan would be subject to pressures that threaten its stability and that of the region if a settlement did not satisfy its legitimate vital interests. Refugees and displaced persons in Jordan will only accept a settlement that realizes their fundamental rights to return and to compensation.

The vast majority of those refugees enjoy Jordanian nationality as a result of the Unity that was established between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the West Bank in 1950. The Declaration of Unity at the time provided for the preservation of all Arab rights in Palestine and for the inalienability of the rights of the refugees.

Upholding the right of return will, therefore, enable every refugee to exercise freely his or her personal choice. Jordan must safeguard and preserve the rights of its citizens, which is its responsibility under national and international law. Any solution that does not satisfy the rights of Jordan and its citizens will not lead to the establishment of a just and lasting peace.

Since the question of the refugees and their continued suffering has caused grave damage to Jordan and placed heavy burdens on it, Jordan demands the rectification of the damage and losses that it has incurred, including suitable and adequate compensation. Jordan will endeavour, through all possible means, to ensure that its legal claims with regard to this issue are considered.

The Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty provided that the solution of the refugee question must be based on international law and that it should be dealt with bilaterally and otherwise in parallel with the permanent status negotiations. It also established a mechanism to deal with all financial claims between the two parties.

The rights of the refugees and displaced persons to return and to compensation and the rights of Jordan under international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy take precedence over other considerations. Jordan, therefore, will only accept a settlement that would preserve its legitimate rights and ensure a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.

Otherwise, the conflict will remain open, carrying the seeds of instability in the region. The position of the refugees in Jordan will be a vital key to the success of any settlement reached.

Also on the question of the refugees, Jordan emphasizes the importance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to enable it to carry out its mandate, which must continue until a solution to this question is fully implemented.

Jordan, as host to the largest number of refugees and the country that contributes most to UNRWA, expresses its appreciation to the Agency's role and calls upon the international community to provide it with the needed financial resources to carry out its humanitarian functions, particularly at this sensitive phase of the peace process. It also expresses appreciation to the donor states for their contributions.

Peace in the Middle East will not be lasting if it is not comprehensive. This makes the establishment of peace on the Syrian track an essential and vital requirement for the region as a whole. Negotiations on this track must, therefore, resume in order to reach an agreement ensuring the return to Syria of the occupied Arab Syrian Golan, till the line of June 4,1967, in implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

Israel's withdrawal from southern 'Lebanon on the basis of resolution 425 is a positive development, which would hopefully serve as a foundation for the implementation of other Security Council resolutions leading to the achievement of a comprehensive peace in the region, which has suffered for many decades from the depletion of its resources and the energies of its peoples. Only peace will provide security for all. It should lead to ending the arms race and to using the resources for the development of the region and to making it free from weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. President,

Ten years have passed since the beginning of the Gulf crisis caused by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. As a result, the region as a whole continues to suffer. Iraq continues to pay a heavy price as a result of the continued comprehensive sanctions imposed on it, which caused and continue to cause unprecedented mass suffering for Iraq and its people.

Jordan calls for launching a new thinking to put an end to the suffering of Iraq, especially that these collective sanctions, which are the severest of their kind in the United Nations history, did not achieve their goal of consolidating peace and security. They led instead to results that gave rise to future dangers threatening the region as a whole in the long run.

Concern for the implementation of and compliance with Security Council resolutions does not conflict with the maintenance of Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor with refraining from any action that violates them. Iraq is an integral part of the region and its continued subjugation to the current situation affects security and stability in the region as a whole in the long run. Jordan calls for the settlement of all matters related to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on the basis of the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including those dealing with Kuwaiti and other prisoners of war, and missing persons.

Jordan has suffered severe economic hardships, as a result of compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions. Large segments of the Jordanian economy sustained huge losses as a result. It is, therefore, imperative to put an end to the negative effects of the sanctions on Jordan, by showing better understanding of their situations reviewing the policies and methods used in dealing with the sanctions regime and giving a more just interpretation to the relevant resolutions.

On other regional issues, Jordan values the agreement concluded between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of the Yemen and calls for the adoption of this responsible method as a means of solving bilateral differences. It also calls for the continuation of peaceful and legal efforts to solve the dispute over the three islands between of the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran in such a way as to ensure the maintenance of security and stability and to strengthen the relations of good neighbourliness in the Arabian Gulf Area.

Mr. President,

It is out of our strong belief in the role of the United Nations that, Jordanian armed forces participate effectively in the efforts of its peacekeeping operations in several areas around the world. As a result, Jordan today is the second largest contributor to peacekeeping operations.

While commending the report of the Special Committee on the Restructuring of the United Nations Peacekeeping operations, chaired by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Jordan wishes to reiterate the need for provision of adequate resources and enable peacekeepers to achieve their noble objectives. We call for a constructive and thorough discussion of the report in order to espouse the best possible means to attain that goal.

In this spirit, we would like to underscore the importance of conducting consultation with contributing states to peacekeeping operation, before the adoption of major decisions concerning and affecting the status of their forces.

On another note, we feel that the startling evolution witnessed by our world today, at various levels, makes it increasingly necessary to rely on the United Nations to develop and establish norms in all matters pertaining to Human Security. The ongoing dialogue on the need to establish complimentarily and ' balance between state sovereignty and Human Rights only reflects the importance of this issue. Sovereignty should not provide cover for violating Human Rights, hence, greater emphasis should be drawn on the importance of objectivity, non- selectivity, and impartiality when dealing with human rights issues.

It is illogical to continue to keep silent about the suffering of whole nations whose dignity is being undermined and their human rights including their economic and cultural rights violated, while prominence is given to other partial issues for purely political considerations.

Mr. President,

At the onset of the third millennium the world is entering a new epoch that necessitates the formation of a new pattern of relations in the international arena based upon our collective responsibility to develop and safeguard what has been achieved so far. Our globe needs to establish a new paradigm of international relations not based on confrontation, and exclusion, but on the new foundations of openness, and real partnership.

Integration, which encompasses the overlapping of interests and interdependence, presupposes partnership and subsidiarity among nations to help them manage change, and ease the lack of confidence and hesitation associated with the fear of failure. The international community's willingness to encourage and support the will to change will certainly reinforce the capacity to deal with such change at minimum losses and convince those taking such risk, that today's world is not based on a zero-sum option and that the challenge that we all face is: How can man, regardless of ethnic background, economic situation, and religion be the primary beneficiary of the level of development achieved by humanity in modem time? This is the acid test we all are faced with. Will we succeed?

I thank you.