Thank you Mr. President,

Allow me at the outset to extend to you my greetings and warm congratulations for your election as President of the 56th session of the General Assembly. I am pleased to express the confidence of my delegation on your ability to conduct the proceedings of this session in a successful manner. Likewise I am pleased to express our gratitude to Mr. Harry Holkori for the able and efficient manner by which he discharged the Presidency of the last session.

I would also like to salute Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and extend to him my warm congratulations for his reelection to lead this Organization for a Second term. I am pleased to once again congratulate him for receiving the Nobel Prize for Peace. We are confident that Mr. Annan will continue his untiring efforts to lead this Organization towards realizing its noble objectives towards a better future for the entire humanity.

This session takes place at a time the world is witnessing complex developments following the tragic terrorist incidents which took place in New York and Washington, D. C. From this podium, I would like to once again express the condemnation of Sudan to all forms and acts of terrorism, we would like also to express our sincere condolences to the Government of the United States and to the families of the victims. The Sudan calls upon the United Nations to address the enormous challenges, which resulted from those events and their further implications and lead coordinated and collective international efforts to combat terrorism and up-root its causes and origins. In this context, we have to differentiate between the good and the evil and not to put the good and the evil in one basket, and not to confuse issues, as by doing so the good might be transformed into evil.

I would like to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Sudan will continue its participation and contribution in this effort, particularly in view of the fact that Sudan is occupying an advanced position among the member countries vis a vis the ratification and accession to the International Conventions for Combating Terrorism. At the regional level, the Sudan is among the first countries, which ratified the Arab Convention for Combating Terrorism, and has also ratified the Convention of the Organization of Islamic Conference. The Sudan has also started the process of ratifying the Convention of the Organization of African Unity for the Eradication of International Terrorism. At the national level, we have adopted a law for combating terrorism thus the Sudan has contributed in laying the proper foundation for combating international terrorism.

I would like to reiterate what has been stated repeatedly by many speakers that terrorism does not belong to a certain religion or patrimony neither does it belong to a particular ethnic group. It is an international phenomenon. With this conviction, efforts should be coordinated to find remedies for terrorism. We deplore attempts by some circles that link terrorism with Islam in an attempt to create conflicts between believers and depict the issue as a clash between civilizations and cultures. Islam is the religion of peace, tolerance and as such it is far from being connected with terrorism.

The proceedings of this session have coincided with a happy incident in the Sudan. Our joint efforts with sisterly and friendly countries led to the uplifting of sanctions imposed on Sudan by the Security Council since 1996, a matter which will allow Sudan continue its cooperation with the international community. In, this context the Sudan calls upon the Security Council to continue this objective policy by reviewing the sanctions imposed on number of countries among which are Libya and Iraq. The Sudan also calls upon the Security Council to respond positively to its demand by dispatching a fact-finding mission in connection with the incident of the bombardment of Alshifa Pharmaceutical factory in Sudan, which was destroyed by the American Missiles in August 1998. We are of the view that the bombardment of the factory was a mistake committed by the former American Administration and should be recognized as such and corrected in order for the Member States regain confidence in the International Organization and remove grievances and injustice so that all people can live in a world of justice, equality, security and serenity.

The delegation of Sudan is of the opinion that the time has come to end the unilateral economic coercive measures imposed against certain countries among which is the Sudan so as to avoid their negative implications particularly on women and children.

We in the Sudan look forward for a new era in our relations with the International Organization following the lifting of sanction from our country. It gives me great pleasure to confirm that we will endeavor to exert all moral and intellectual efforts to support all the activities of the International Organization for the well being of the entire humanity. We also look forward for an effective role and a new contribution from the International Organization to assist the efforts of the Sudan aiming at the implementation of its national development programs including eradication of poverty and the rehabilitation of areas affected by the war in the south.

The Sudan, as the current Chair of two African Regional Organizations, the IGAD and the Community of Sahelo Saharan (CEN-SAD), recalls once again, the historical Declaration adopted by the Millennium Summit in order to address the challenges of the twenty first century which dominate the international arena at all levels. The Sudan hopes that this Declaration be translated into a real and tangible action aiming at achieving justice and equality, and the full participation by all states to create a better future where all human being be liberated from fear, poverty and destitution.

In order to realize what we all aspire to attain, we believe that this session should give a special attention to the reform of the Organization's Organs, taking into account that it is the mechanism through which the international community coordinates the plans to realize international peace and security, comprehensive development and the prosperity of all humanity. The Security Council is at the top of these organs, where all Member States are calling for the expansion of its membership in the permanent and non permanent categories so as to make it more representative to the current United Nations membership, and to improve the methods of its work, and the decision making to be more democratic and transparent. The General Assembly should be enabled to discharge its role in the maintenance of international peace and security, as was set in the United Nations Charter, and to exercise its duty in holding other organs of the Organization accountable. We would like to emphasize the need for the revitalization of the Economic and Social Council, taking into account that it is the forum which lay down the international development policies, and to make its resolutions more linked to the economic and social dimensions and not tend towards political nature. The council should be guided by the decisions adopted at Vienna Conference, which considered the Right to Development as a legitimate right of human rights.

Mr. President,

All countries which participated in the Durban Conference on combating racism, have unanimously confirmed their utmost determination to eradicate all forms of racism and xenophobia, and to address their root causes, in order to achieve justice and fairness to all peoples who have suffered and continue to suffer from the scourge of these heinous practices. The Sudan supported establishing of the mechanisms recommended by Durban Conference including the Group of Imminent Personalities.

Mr. President,

As regards the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the Sudan expresses its deep concern towards the stalemate of the peace process, and reaffirms the necessity of the total Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories in accordance with United Nations resolutions to enable the Palestinian people to regain its sovereignty over its territories and establish its independent State with holy Quds as its capital, as well as to enable sisterly Syria and Lebanon to restore their sovereignty on all of their occupied territories.

The Sudan also reiterates deep concern of the negative humanitarian impacts of the current military operations on the civilians in Afghanistan.

Regarding Somalia, where the tragedies of the ongoing war spilled negatively over the whole region of the Horn of Africa, the Sudan delegation calls upon all the Somali parties to respond to the voice of wisdom and endeavor to accomplish the national reconciliation in Somalia enable Somalia undertake its regional and international role.

In line with the decision adopted at the 8th IGAD Summit in Khartoum last November, the Sudan was mandated together with neighboring countries to accomplish national reconciliation aiming to restore stability in Somalia, H. E. the President of the Republic of the Sudan Omer Hassan Ahmed Albashir, the current Chairman of IGAD, has appointed a Special Envoy for peace in that sisterly country. The Special Envoy is engaged in intensive contacts with the countries of the sub-region, the Transitional Government in Somalia as well as the different Somali factions and the IGAD Secretariat. From this podium, the delegation of the Sudan calls upon the United Nations and the international community to support the efforts of restoring security and stability including rehabilitation of infrastructure in Somalia.

Mr. President,
 

We understand the concern of the international community of the continuation of the war in southern Sudan, and I would like to bring to your attention the view of the Government of the Sudan which aim at putting an end to the war and achieving peace on the basis of the following steps:

a- Immediate cease-fire,
b- Regular access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the population in need,
c- A political resolution to the problem through dialogue,
d- The reconstruction of the areas affected by the war.

In this context, I would like to refer to the statement of the Special Rapporteur of Human Rights in the Sudan before the Third Committee last week, in which he stated that the war in the Sudan is not a religious war as repeatedly alleged by some circles that do not want to know the truth.

Mr. President,
 

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Libyan Jamahiriya for their joint initiative to achieving peace and reconciliation in the Sudan, and likewise the IGAD Member States and their initiative to stop the war in the Sudan as well as all the genuine efforts to restore peace in my country.

Mr. President,

The Government of the Sudan will continue its commitment to cooperate with the United Nations, the donor countries and the humanitarian organizations to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the victims of the war.

As regards the economic field, the Government has continued to maintain and enhance implementation of reform and liberalization programs, and has introduced measures and incentives to promote local and foreign private investment. The Sudan has now succeeded in normalizing its relations with regional and international financial institutions the positive sign of which has been an increase in local investments and steady flows of foreign direct investment to the Sudan.

Mr. President,

We are mindful of the acceleration characterizing the phenomenon. of globalization in the domain of International Law, especially in the field of criminal responsibility and to bring the individuals charged with committing atrocious crimes, which are prohibited by International Law, to international criminal jurisdiction.

In this connection, we believe it is imperative that all States and individuals should stand as equals before International Law. Avoidance of double standards is the safeguard against any distortion of international justice and will insure keeping it on the right path. We have exerted much efforts in the few past years, in coordination with a wide range of other countries of the world, to ensure the faithful application of these standards and noble principles. To this end, Sudan chose to match words with deeds by an early singing of the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court.

International cooperation in the area of the disarmament should be based on commitment and adherence to international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter, including sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity and the principles of peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and the right of States to self-defense.

In conclusion, I would like to invite this august gathering to reaffirm the political will required to achieving peace and security. I call upon all to uphold and adopt concrete assurances by which globalization becomes a positive engine of progress and its advantages and benefits should be shared by humanity at large, and that such benefits should not be restricted to a few minority, and that globalization should not lead to cultural and intellectual hegemony, or be used as means for political and economic pressure, a matter that will undoubtedly result in widening the development gabs and the clash among the diversity of cultures between the North and the South.

Mr. President,

Let us all join in a new era of international relations based on rejecting conflicts and confrontation, mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of others. To this end, I would like to reaffirm Sudan's commitment and pledge to cooperate with the International community with a view to moving forward in this direction for the realization of the common aspirations of humanity at large.

Thank you Mr. President.