– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
31 January 2020
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
On behalf of the General Assembly, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said as well as the Government and people of Oman, at this difficult time. I convey my sympathies to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
Sultan Qaboos will be remembered for his fundamental role in the modernization and industrialisation of the Sultanate of Oman. His Majesty’s foresight extended to that which can be considered most important to development: education.
Recognising that education has the potential to lift the whole of society, Sultan Qaboos created top quality schools and universities which enabled the youth to acquire needed knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of Omani society.
His Majesty was a progressive leader on climate action, establishing the Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation in 1991. As we begin the Decade of Action and Delivery on Sustainable Development with a focus on nature, I hope that all Member States will honour the Sultan by emulating his efforts to promote the protection of our planet.
We will remember Sultan Qaboos as a noble advocate for tolerance and peace. His promotion of religious tolerance ensured that communities co-exist in peace and harmony.
Sultan Qaboos demonstrated courage and statesmanship throughout his engagement with leaders in the Middle East and prioritised peace above all.
As we commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, Sultan Qaboos will be remembered as a peacemaker committed to the founding ideals of this Organisation.
May His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said rest in peace.
Amen
