Millennium summit – Statements by Bahrain/LAS/OIC – Press release (excerpts)

Fifty-fifth General Assembly

Millennium Summit

8th Meeting (PM)

WORLD LEADERS ADOPT ‘UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DECLARATION’

AT CONCLUSION OF EXTRAORDINARY THREE-DAY SUMMIT 

Resolve Action to Strengthen Peace, Development, Human Rights;

To Improve UN’s Ability to Act on Behalf of Humanity’s Priorities

Assembly Work Programme

As the Millennium Summit met this afternoon, it was expected to conclude its work and adopt the final document of the three-day long session, the Millennium Declaration.

Statements

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SHAIKH MOHAMMED BIN MUBARAK AL-KHALIFA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain:  Our gathering here should be an opportunity to identify the future priorities of the new century, and in particular the issue of maintaining international peace and security.  We must strive for peaceful and amicable solutions to all regional and international conflicts, if only to avoid the negative effects of such conflicts on world progress and prosperity.  The conflict and wars witnessed by the Middle East region for over half a century have proved, by draining the resources of States and peoples and hindering development projects, the necessity and importance of such solutions.

Today, while efforts are continuing to search for a solution of this conflict, we hope that the efforts of the co-sponsors of the peace process, and those of the United States in particular, will succeed in achieving a just, comprehensive and durable peace that would ensure the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in the establishment of their own independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital.  The negotiations and contacts between the parties to the peace process have proved that Jerusalem is the key to peace, because of its distinguished status for both Arabs and Muslims.  Withdrawal from the occupied Syrian territories is an important component of comprehensive, just and durable peace.

Looking to the future of humanity, and safeguarding that future from other dangers such as weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, should also be one of the priorities of the new century.  Guaranteeing respect for human rights while ensuring that such rights are not exploited as a political pretext for interfering in the internal affairs of other States, promoting dialogue and mutual enrichment among civilizations and establishing regional and international cooperation based on partnership and mutual interest, should also be among these priorities.

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AHMED ESMAT ABDEL MEGUID, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States:  The Millennium Summit is of overriding historical importance for the future of international relations.  It is an opportunity to learn the lessons of the past, and to benefit both from United Nations achievements and United Nations shortcomings.  This will give the Organization new momentum for the future.  

The United Nations must abandon double standards and come up with peaceful solutions to the maintenance of peace and security, guarantee a dialogue among nations and combat problems such as disease, environmental degradation and terrorism.  The developing countries should be helped to reduce their foreign debt.  Throughout its history, the United Nations has achieved enormous successes, including the solution of various conflicts throughout the world.  We believe that the faithful, total implementation of resolutions already adopted is the only way to restore peace to the Middle East.  This would be brought about by the total withdrawal by Israel from all occupied areas, and by the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.  

I pay tribute to the role played by the United Nations in shepherding the resolution which calls for disarmament in the region, particularly nuclear disarmament.  The United Nations is the forum where efforts are made to seek to fulfil the aspirations of all humankind.  The Arab League is trying to strengthen its links with the United Nations.  I hope the Summit will lead to a better future for humanity, so that Member States can renew total commitment to the resolutions and Charter of the United Nations.

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AZEDDINE LARAKI, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference:  The notion of dialogue among civilizations, if pursued in a constructive spirit with mutual respect, should take us a long way towards the attainment of the noble objectives of peace and prosperity for all.  With regard to globalization, we must ensure that it promotes equity, guarantees equality of opportunity, enforces transparency and fosters confidence and mutual respect among all peoples and nations in the world.  Towards this goal, it is indispensable that an environment of freedom and justice prevail in the world.  Every human being deserves to breathe the air of freedom and to be empowered to exercise his or her role in constructive developmental undertakings for the benefit of all.  

This calls for the end to foreign occupation and the exercise of the right of self-determination in places that remain deprived of it, particularly in Palestine and Kashmir.  Until such time as people are released from bondage, all of humanity remains in a state of shame.  It is incumbent upon the United Nations to help redeem these members of human society from their long-suffered predicaments so that they may regain their dignity and self-respect and join forces with the rest of us, as free and equal partners in the development tasks that lie ahead.  

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