Saudi Arabian Permanent Mission

To the United Nations

New York

Statement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In the General Debate

Of the Fifty-Fifth Session of the General Assembly of

the United Nations

By His Excellency Dr. Nizar Obaid Madani, Assistant

Minister of Foreign Affairs

16 Jumada Al-Akher, 1421 (September 14, 2000)

New York

In the name of Allah, most compassionate, most merciful.

Blessing and peace be upon the most noble prophets

Mr. President:

It gives me pleasure at the outset of the 54^th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to convey to Your Excellency our sincerest congratulation for your election to the Presidency of this session. Your election to this important position reflects the respect of the international community for you personally, as well as the appreciation of the member states for the positive role-played by your country, Finland, in the international arena.

I am confident that your presidency of this session will contribute effectively to our efforts in achieving the objectives toward which the international community aspires under the present international circumstances.

I also wish to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Foreign Minister of Namibia and president of the previous session of the United Nations General Assembly, who managed the affairs of the session with great competence and experience that deserve our complements and appreciation.

I am also pleased to express my thanks and appreciation to His Excellency, the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan, for his continuous and tireless efforts to achieve peace and enhance security and stability in our world. As well as for the competence and ability he demonstrated, and continues to demonstrate, in leading the affairs of this organization relying on his rich and exceptional experience in the international arena. In particular, I wish to commend His Excellency for his sincere and extensive efforts exerted in organizing the Millennium Summit, which, God willing, will contributed to achieving fruitful results with positive effects on our peoples and nations while stepping into a new century full of challenges and opportunities.

On this occasion, I whish to welcome the Republic of Tuvalu to the membership of the United Nations, hoping that its membership will enhance the effectiveness of the organization and its noble objectives.

Mr. President:

The present session of the General Assembly followed immediately the conclusion of the Millennium Summit, a unique historical event. The world leaders met in a dignified gathering that exemplified the unity of the human race and the collective strive to live in peace, security and prosperity.

This summit represented a valuable opportunity to reflect on and discuss all what can lead to a better life for humanity. The world leaders pledged in the final communique of the summit to exert all possible efforts to achieve peace, security, and disarmament and eradicate poverty and disease. They affirmed the equality among all nations in sovereignty, respect for their territorial integrity, political independence and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

The Summit also provided a valuable opportunity to evaluate the course of this organization throughout its history which was full with opportunities and challenges so as to enable it to achieve its declared principles and objectives.

In this regard, a thorough and candid evaluation to the course of the United Nations was presented by His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince and the Head of the Saudi delegation to the Millennium Summit. He discussed the challenges and problems that obstruct the course of the United Nations and prevented it from achieving the goals and objectives that the human community aspires to.

His Royal Highness presented a number of ideas and notions that represent a valuable contribution to the exerted efforts that aim to promote and vitalize the role of the United Nations. He mentioned the importance of linkage between modernizing the organization's mechanisms and the nature of issues it confronts. The effects of these, reforms should consider the viability and performance of the United Nations bodies in a way that enables it to fulfill its required role on a level that provide the means to deal with the new developments that are taking place in modem international relations.

Mr. President:

One of the most apparent features of the New World Order is the emerging phenomenon of globalization, which has occupied a large portion in the current political thought of nations, being a developed framework for international relations. We view globalization as a phenomenon that should reflect the natural closeness between nations to achieve social justice, overall development, equality among nations and broadening the horizons of cooperation in a manner that serve the issues of peace and security, and stability throughout the world.

However, and I am quoting here from the speech of His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz before the Millennium Summit: "we hope that the United Nations will support us in standing against a globalization that results in the hegemony of the strong over the weak, increases the causes of the oppression and exploitation of nations, and fostering injustice and inequality in international relations. We particularly warm of the ramifications of unbridled globalization and its use as an umbrella to violate the sovereignty of states and interfere with their internal affairs under a variety of pretexts especially from the angle of human rights issues" end of quote.

Mr. President:

The United Nations call for a civilized dialogue and declaring 2001 a year for dialogue among civilizations, comes at an appropriate time to represent a civilized response to those who propagate the themes and theories of conflict and inevitable clash of civilizations. A dialogue among civilizations represents, in fact, a constructive beginning achieve globalization in its positive sense and its human aspect something that what all peoples and nations aspire for. A dialogue among civilizations would contribute to strengthening the values and principles of understanding and cooperation among cultures and civilizations. It will further promote respect for other religious believes and the inherited civilizations of other nations in a way that consolidates the principles of peaceful co-existence and proliferate the culture of peace and tolerance.

Mr. President:

The deviation from the values and principles of justice, equality and noncompliance to the basis of international legitimacy in resolving differences and disputes through peaceful means has led to the proliferation of wars and armed conflicts in many parts of the world. This has caused painful humanitarian suffering that continues to arouse the conscious of the world community.

In our region, Israel continues to take intransigent positions and is not responding to the requirements for peace. This became evident during the last talks at Camp David where the Israeli side insisted on maintaining positions that are diametrically opposed to the principles of peace which were agreed to at Madrid and to what has been stated in the United Nations resolutions with respect to the status of Al-Quds Al-Shareef. The final communique of Al-Quds Committee which convened recently in Agadir-Morroco and the resolution of the ministerial council of the Arab League in its 114 session, both re-affirmed the unshakable Arab and Islamic positions with respect to the issue of Al-Quds Al-Shareef and a permanent and comprehensive peace can not be attained without reaching a just solution to this problem in a way that preserves Arabs and Muslims rights in accordance with UN resolutions and respects the complete Palestinian sovereignty over Al-Quds Al-Shareef.

Israel is making a big mistake if it believes that the peace process can proceed forward with total disregard to the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to return to their homeland and establish their own independent state with Al-Quds Al-Shareef as its capital. AI-Quds Al-Shareef is an integral part of the Occupied Territories, and is subject to Security Council Resolution 242. Moreover, a comprehensive peace can not be achieved without Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to the June 4, 1967 line.

We remain at pain for the sufferings of the brotherly Iraqi people as a result of the continuing refusal of their government to abide by the full implementation of UN resolutions in order to allow for the lifting of sanctions.

In reiterating its concern with the suffering of the Iraqi people, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proposed an initiative that would allow Iraq to import all its needs of materials and goods, except those that fall within the context of military items that threatens Iraq's neighbors. Accepting such an initiative would have provided the Iraqi people with their needs and hence alleviating their suffering. However, the Iraq government was swift in rejecting this gesture which prolonged the suffering of the Iraqi people. We hope once again that the Iraqi government would act quickly to comply with Security Council Resolution 1284 and the mandate of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and other international committees concerned with the release and repatriation of all Kuwaiti and Saudi prisoners, as well as the return of all Kuwaiti properties. We once again reiterate the need to respect Iraq's independence, unity and territorial integrity.

We also aspire to the removal of tension causes in the Gulf region. Accordingly, we hope that the Government of the Islamic republic of Iran will cooperate with the efforts of the tripartite committee which is entrusted to create a conducive climate for direct negotiations between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to reach a brotherly accepted solution to the issue of the Islands.

In Somalia, my country welcomed the outcome of the national reconciliation conference that took place in the city of Arta in Djibouti, which included the election of President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan. We hope that the other Somali factions would join the reconciliation efforts to promote the national accord and achieve the unity and stability of Somalia.

In Afghanistan fierce fighting is still going on with the effect of denying Afghanistan and its people the fruits of liberation from foreign occupation.

The Pakistani-Indian conflict over Jammu and Kashmir remains a source of tension between the two neighboring countries. We call on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and to solve the conflict through negotiations in accordance with UN resolutions, which allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination.

The continuation of these disputes and armed conflicts that claimed the lives of millions and depleted huge resources and caused destruction and serious damage to the environment, makes it incumbent upon the international community to exert all possible efforts to put an end to these conflicts and find peaceful solutions to them. In this regard, we look to the United Nations to exert greater efforts that reiterate its role as a peacemaker and not just a peacekeeper. It has become evident that working to prevent conflict from happening proved to be more effective and less costly than concentrating efforts on peacekeeping.

In this respect and in compliance with the principle of resolving conflicts through peaceful means, our region witnessed two important events that constituted a positive sign in relations between nations. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen signed the Jeddah Treaty for the Final and Permanent international Land and Sea Borders in June 2000, that ended more than sixty years of border disputes. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabian has also signed an agreement with the State of Kuwait for the

demarcation of the shallow seas adjacent to the former neutral zone between the two countries.

Mr. President:

The issue of disarmament is of great concern to my country and we call for greater efforts in this area, especially weapons of mass destruction. The presence of these weapons represents a great danger to international peace and security. We hope that the nuclear states fulfill the pledges they made during 2000 Review Conference of Parties to Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and adhere to the total eradication of their nuclear arsenal.

In this context, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is very concerned about Israel's refusal to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and keeping its nuclear program outside. the scope of international control. Israel's refusal adhere to the International will and join this treaty, has aborted all efforts exerted by the peoples and countries of the Middle East to live in a region free from all weapons of mass destruction. Israel is the only country in the region that has not yet join the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a fact that has disrupted the balance of security and threatened peace in the region.

It is imperative to stress the need to increase the effectiveness of the Non-Proliferation Treaty by making it universal and mandatory.

Mr. President:

The cooperation in social and political issues has become a necessity that can not be avoided or neglected. The economic and social problems of the developing countries make it incumbent upon us to come up with policies that can alleviate the effects of these problems, which in most cases exacerbate tension within and among nations. We believe that the developed countries have an obligation in assisting to combat poverty, scarcity of food, drought and famine.

It is unrealistic to apply the concept of globalization as a means to only liberalize the markets from restrictions without drafting a framework for action that stresses the need to consider the economic situation in many of the developing countries and assist these countries to move to a stage in which they can participate in development. It is therefore important for the industrialized and technically advanced countries to help those developing nations far from selective policies in technology transfer. Moreover, globalization should be a two-way street that requires the developed industrialized nations to liberalized their markets and open them for products from developed nations.

Mr. President:

We are committed to objectivity when dealing with environmental issues through serious and informed studies based on evidence, which takes into consideration the course of development in the developing countries. In this regard, we call upon all states to abide by the Agenda for the 21st Century and urge the industrialized states to honor their international commitments regarding the transfer of environmental friendly technology to the developing countries.

Mr. President:

In conclusion, I would like to emphasis that we live the beginning of a new era that makes it incumbent upon all of us to strive in order to achieve the maximum possible level of cooperation and solidarity. Not only to confront the political and military challenges, but to face the new waves of challenges that resulted from the contemporary way of life with all its problems and complications that can not be solved or managed except through an organized collective efforts. Our firm belief in the important role of the United Nations in dealing with the current issues and facilitating the appropriate means for international cooperation that would handle and contain these problems, makes us more determined than ever in supporting this organization and consolidating its constructive role.

I wish that we enter the new Millennium with more determination and strong will in our collective strive to establish a secure world where values are victorious, and justice, equality and peace are dominant.

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

"Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor".

Thank you Mr. President

May peace and the blessing of Allah be upon you.