S U D A N
H.E.Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail Minister for Foreign Affairs Before The United Nations General Assembly
58th Session
New York Monday 29th September 2003
In the name of Allah the most compassionate
the most merciful. "mankind! We created you from a single
(pair) of a male and a female, and made you into Nations and tribes,
that Yea may know each other (Not that ye may despise (Each other).
Verily The most honoured of you Mr. President, At the outset, it gives me great pleasure
to congratulate you on your well deserved election for the presidency
of this Session. Our thanks also go for your predecessor Mr. Jan Kavan.
We would also like to express our appreciation to the important role
that the Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan continues to play to revitalize
the work of the Organization, and in this connection we welcome his
initiative regarding the institutional reform of the organization. I
would also like to seize this opportunity to express our heartfelt condolences
for the early passing away of Mr. Serjio Demilo and his colleagues in
the tragic incident in Iraq. Mr. President, Last year when I addressed the Assembly
from this podium, I illustrated the keenness and seriousness of my country
to continue to achieve peace in the Sudan, hence I am happy to inform
you that we matched words with deeds, and the prelude of peace is now
in the horizon, to put an end to an armed conflict which hindered the
human and natural resources of the country, and handicapped the Sudanese
people from achieving their development. Mr. President, My Government has continuously reiterated
its keenness for dialogue and negotiations with the SPLA. Its efforts,
together with the efforts of the mediators, have continued for more
than ten years and lastly crowned with the agreement of both parties
to the initiative of IGAD countries, under the patronage of sisterly
Kenya and with the appreciable positive support of the IGAD partners.
The last round of negotiation in which
H. E. The First Vice President Mr. Ali Osman Mohamed Taha led the Government's
delegation and Dr. John Garang De Mapior led the SPLA delegation, has
reached, four days ago, an agreement on the security arrangements and
the extension of cease fire. This agreement is perceived to pave the
way for a final and just peace very soon in the Sudan. On this occasion
we would like to express our gratitude to the IGAD member countries
for the role they played in the Sudan peace process under the stewardship
of the Kenyan president and his special envoy. Our thanks and appreciation
also go to IGAD partners, namely the USA, Britain, Italy and Norway.
In this regard, we would like to express special gratitude for the positive
intervention of the Government of the USA at the most critical juncture
of the negotiation process. We also appreciate the great attention that
Egypt and Libya have continued to render for the peace initiatives in
the Sudan, as well as the efforts of the Arab League and the African
Union. Mr. President, We are confident that you would recognize
the impact of the cease-fire agreement on the humanitarian situation.
The report of the Secretary General to this Session on the humanitarian
situation in the Sudan has demonstrated the extent of the progress in
this field. The peace remains the basic pillar for the rehabilitation
of the areas affected by war and will allow for the transition from
relief to comprehensive sustainable development. Mr. President, While talking about peace, we would like
to reiterate our full conviction that, regional peace, security and
the stability of the countries of the region are directly linked with
the peace in the Sudan. This is why my country has endeavoured to heal
the wounds of the past in its relations with the neighbouring countries,
in particular Egypt and Ethiopia with which the relations have surpassed
reconciliation to the paradigm of strategic ties which ensure the interests
of our peoples and consolidate peace and, security in the entire region. Mr. President, It gives me great pleasure to convey to
this august Assembly that we have achieved great constitutional achievements
which will open the door for wide participation by all Sudanese in all
matters of national concern. The economic plans and policies adopted
by the government have started to reap fruits weather in reducing inflation
or achieving a high rate of growth or stabilizing the exchange rate.
We will continue to enhance those policies to reduce poverty and achieve
sustainable development within the framework of the twenty five year
comprehensive development strategy for the period 2003-2027. Mr. President, In his report to this Session, the Secretary
General reminds us that as challenges change, we have to change our
methods to face them too. It is high time to avail the political will
to reform the Security Council through enlarging both the permanent
and nonpermanent categories to make it more representative to the UN
membership. The decision making process should also be reformed through
abolishing the veto right. While talking about the Security Council
reform we would like to express our warm welcome to the Council Resolution
number 1506 which lifted the sanctions imposed on the sisterly Libya.
In this context we would like to stress the necessity of lifting all
the unilateral sanctions as a means of political and economic coercion,
and we call upon the Security Council not to precipitate in imposing
sanctions on countries specially the developing countries for their
negative impacts on their peoples. The high level participation in this 58th
Session is a clear evidence of the importance of the General Assembly.
In this regard we strongly support your efforts to reschedule its priorities
and agenda, to improve the administrative and procedural aspects of
the General Assembly, and to enhance its relations with the Security
Council in its capacity as the highest instance in the United Nations,
to contribute to the maintenance of the international peace and security,
and facing the new challenges. Mr. President, Another challenge of great concern to all
of us, is the increase of acts of terrorism. These acts which take place
in different places in the world, proved that no country is immuned
from terrorism, all of us regardless of our religions and beliefs can
be victims of these crimes. As I have mentioned before, terrorism has
no religion nor patrimony. To face this threat, we need to reach a consensus
on its definition, root causes and the means to combat it under the
auspices of the United Nations. In this regard we express our support
to the call of H. E. Mohamed Hussni Mubarak, President of the Republic
of Egypt for the convening of an international conference under the
auspices of the UN to address the issue of terrorism. I would like to
mention that the Non-Alignment Movement Ministerial Conference to be
hosted by the Sudan next year, will consider issues of collective security
and challenges. Mr. President, The Sudan is committed to all international
human rights instruments. My country, inspired by its beliefs in the
sacred principles of human rights, joins all those who reject the politicization,
selectivity and double standards when dealing with human rights. At
the national level, my Government continues its endeavours to promote
the protection of and the respect for human rights. The international community is becoming
more convinced that the root causes of the violations of human rights
could be addressed better through dialogue and cooperation rather than
through confrontation. From here stems the importance of dialogue among
civilizations. In this regard, we highly commend the initiative of H.
E. the President of Iran and the efforts of the United Nations. We recall
here that my country has hosted a number of conferences and forums on
the subject and has recently established a national council for dialogue
among religions to promote tolerance and religions coexistence. Mr. President, The widening gap between the rich and the
poor and the increasing marginalisation of the developing countries
in the global economy are clear indicators for the failure of the international
development cooperation policies in the context of a globalization believed
to work for the benefit of all. It is regrettable to notice that, in
spite of the consensus spirit emerged in recent international conferences,
specially the international conference on Financing for Development
and the World Summit on Sustainable Development, unfortunately the gap
between the North and the South continues to widen. Therefore, there
is an urgent need for the establishment of a just and democratic international
economic order that guarantees better trade terms between all countries,
increases the volume of the official development aid to developing countries,
and alleviates their debt burden, thus enabling the international community
to achieve the millennium development goals on top of which comes the
overarching goal of poverty eradication. Mr. President, The collapse of the trade negotiations
in Cancun is a serious blow to the aspirations of the developing countries
for a fair world trade system that offers them free and unimpeded market
access. In fact, in the absence of a real political will from the part
of the developed countries, as the meeting in Cancun revealed, any talk
about the nexus between trade and development, is nothing but hypocrisy. The deteriorating socio-economic conditions
of the Least Developed Countries need a special attention from the international
community to address this daunting challenge in order to pullout these
countries from the labyrinth of poverty, hunger and disease. Our experience
in the Sudan has proven that whatever the least developed countries
do, they cannot achieve the objectives of the Brussels Programme of
Action without a substantive assistance from their development partners.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend the tireless efforts
of the High Representative of the Secretary General for LDCs , LLDCs
and SIDS in mobilizing the international support for the efforts of
the Least Developed Countries. We would also like to join the appeal of
H. E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of Mozambique and current
Chairman of the African Union, to the international community to provide
the necessary assistance to the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD), the framework adopted by the Africans, the United Nations and
the donors as the tool to face the challenges of development in the
continent. Mr. President, Sudan, in its capacity as Chairman of IGAD
and COMESA, has spared no effort in its endeavours to formulate policies
and taking steps that would further consolidate and promote links of
cooperation between both IGAD and COMESA membership. Such efforts are
perceived to be in line with the NEPAD initiative aimed at realizing
peace, development and prosperity for the peoples of the entire African
Continent. To this end, a number of specialized conferences were convened
in the Sudan to address issues of economic cooperation, disarmament,
combating terrorism and the question of internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and refugees. Mr. President, One item in our agenda that we think will
negatively affect the future of humankind if not properly addressed
is the issue of human cloning which is now at the center of a scientific,
religious, legal and ethical heated debate. Sudan strongly supports
the call for the finalization of an international convention to ban Mr. President, The statements delivered during the few
past days clearly demonstrated the keenness of the international community
to preserve international peace and security. We, while adding our voice
to those calling for the revitalization of multilateralism, call for
a prompt handling of the security and humanitarian situation in Iraq.
We further call for the empowerment of the Iraqis to exercise their
right of sovereignty as stipulated in international law so that this
brotherly country could live in peace and harmony with its neighbors.
In this context, it gives me pleasure to remind this august Assembly
of the important resolution adopted, a few weeks ago, by the Council
of Ministers of the Arab League, which temporarily recognized the Transitional
Council of Governance in Iraq. Such recognition is a significant step
that would hopefully enable Iraq to play its role at both regional and
international levels. Mr. President, The Palestinian question has been a major
source of deep concern to the human conscience. It has been for the
past five decades one of the major threats to international peace and
security. We have been steadfastly convinced that the continuation of
the huge military aggression and suppression of Israel against the Palestinian
people, will only worsen the already deteriorating situation. The only
viable passage to peace is adherence to the relevant resolutions of
international legitimacy and international law. The international community,
in particular the parties who can influence the peace process, is called
upon to bear pressure on Israel. In this connection, the Sudan strongly
condemns the decision of the Israeli government to deport President
Arafat outside the Palestinian territories, or to physically liquidate
him as declared by some Israeli officials. The Sudan further condemns
the plan of Israel to build the separating wall, which will Mr. President, The ongoing conflict in Somalia has been
a bleeding wound in the Horn of Africa. Time has come to stop this painful
bleeding. We call upon the leaders of all Somali factions to join hands
together in order to maintain the unity and stability of their country,
and to achieve development and prosperity for their people, so as to
protect them from the scourge of war. We remain confident that the neighbouring
and other interested countries will spare no effort to help in reaching
an agreement that would maintain the unity, security and stability of
Somalia. Mr. President, Sudan is now a real partner in the international
effort aiming at the prohibition of the chemical weapons. One of the
significant roles played by the Sudan in this regard was its hosting,
last August, of the first conference of the African National Authorities
entrusted with the implementation of the Convention of the Prohibition
of the Chemical Weapons. Thirty three African countries have participated
in the said conference, in addition to other countries parties to the
convention like the US, France, Romania and other related organizations
headed by the Organization of the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons.
While assuming this mission, the Sudan reiterates the importance of
the implementation of the recommendations adopted by the conference,
in particular the one which calls for creating a chemical weapons free
african zone, and enhancing the international cooperation regarding
the peaceful use of chemical weapons. I would like to take this opportunity
to call upon the international community to exert all efforts to establish
a nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction free zone in
the middle east, and to compel all the countries of this boiling region
to commit themselves to all conventions banning nuclear Mr. President, While we illustrate our efforts in this
field, we recall our feeling of bitterness renewed by the fifth anniversary
of the bombardment of Alshifa Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Factory
by the previous U. S. administration, a baseless.accusation, as you
are aware, that has been refuted by the American scientific and academic
institutions before the related international organizations. Sudan's
complaint is still live in the Security Council. I would like in this
connection to call upon the current U. S. Administration to rectify
this serious mistake which it has inherited from its predecessor by
compensating Sudan morally and financially. Mr. President, I hope that before the end of this Session
of the General Assembly, my country would finally bid farewell to one
of the longest african conflicts. This achievement, would enable the
Sudan to play its role at the regional level, and to contribute to the
stability of the African continent. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate
our deep conviction that the U. N. is the sole irreplaceable mechanism
to administer and promote international cooperation in all fields. Therefore
we should distance the UN from serving the narrow interests and from
the attempts to exploit it for pursuing special agenda. In this connection,
we would like to express our readiness and commitment to assist the
UN system to achieve its lofty goals enshrined in the charter. Thank you Mr. President
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