General Assembly debate – Press release

Assembly Also Hears from Foreign Ministers of Italy, Kuwait, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Morocco, Peru, Estonia

…

MOHAMED BENAISSA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, said that no State could claim to have the capacity to address the multiple problems facing the world on its own, whether it might be nuclear disarmament, the degradation of the environment, extreme poverty, transnational organized crime or drug-trafficking.  Despite the progress made during the last few decades, half of the world population still lived in poverty.  There was an international obligation to ensure the eradication of poverty and the establishment of sustainable development in order to integrate developing countries into the international economic order.  That was the only way that governments of developing countries could provide for the basic needs of their populations in terms of health, education and employment opportunities.  The Bretton Woods institutions must adopt new strategies to assist developing countries including provisions on the burden of foreign debts and on unjust trade barriers.  

…

The Middle East peace process was important to the Government of Morocco.  Peace could not be achieved before Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 were adhered to and there had been a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan.  The international community had an obligation to assist the Palestinian people.  Another regional concern was the inhuman conditions imposed upon the people of Iraq through sanctions, particularly the lack of access to food and medicine by children.  He called on the international community to lift those sanctions, adding that the territorial integrity of Iraq was a prerequisite for regional stability.  With regard to Western Sahara, Mr. Benaissa assured the General Assembly that Morocco, having initiated the referendum, had cooperated fully and made several compromises, allowing the population of the region to express their political wishes.  There had been a total respect for self-determination, and the rights of Morocco over the area were being confirmed.

…

* *** *