Mediterranean security & cooperation – First Cttee debate – Verbatim records (excerpts)

Official Records

United Nations

General Assembly

Fifty-first session

First Committee

23rd Meeting

Thursday, 14 November 1996, 3 p.m.

New York

Chairman:   Mr. Sychou ………………………………………..(Belarus)

The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.

/…

The Chairman: The Committee will proceed to take action on draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.33. I call on the Secretary of the Committee.

Mr. Lin Kuo-Chung (Secretary of the Committee): Draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.33, entitled "Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region", was introduced by the representative of Algeria at the 14th meeting of the Committee, on 4 November 1996. In addition to the sponsors listed in the draft resolution, it is sponsored also by those which appear in document A/C.1/51/INF/3.

The Chairman: The sponsors of draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.33 have expressed the wish that the draft resolution be adopted by the Committee without a vote. If I hear no objection I will take it that the Committee wishes to act accordingly.

Draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.33 was adopted.

The Chairman: I now call on those delegations wishing to explain their positions.

Mr. Yativ (Israel): Israel joined the consensus on resolution A/C.1/51/L.33. However, my delegation wishes to state our position that all regional security matters pertaining to the Middle East are subject to the peace negotiations in our region. Paragraph 7 of the draft resolution does not take this into account.

Mr. Moradi (Islamic Republic of Iran): My delegation supports the basic thrust of draft resolution A/C.1/51/L.33 on the strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region. However, we would like to go on record with our reservation on the seventh preambular paragraph, on the Middle East peace process. The Islamic Republic of Iran has a principled position on the Middle East peace process and does not believe that the current process will lead to the fulfilment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people or to the establishment of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region.

/…

The meeting rose at 5.35 p.m.