United Arab Emirates, 1982

Allow me at the outset to express on behalf of

the delegation of the United Arab Emirates our

warmest congratulations to Mr, Hollai on his

election to the presidency of the current session

of the General Assembly. I am confident that his

long experience in the field of international

relations will be a positive factor in directing

our deliberations and work towards the goals we

have gathered here to achieve. I should also like

to express our greatest appreciation for the

tireless efforts of his predecessor, Mr. Kittani,

to reconcile various points of view and to search

for satisfactory solutions to numerous problems

brought before the Assembly at the previous

session and the special and emergency sessions. I

further wish to express my deep gratitude to the

Secretary-General for his continued efforts to

strengthen the foundations and principles on

which the United Nations was established. I

appreciate his sound analysis of the obstacles

facing the United Nations, along with his serious

attempt to strengthen the ability of the

Organization to perform its tasks as well as to

solve international problems.

55. The Secretary-General has pointed out in

his report on the work of the Organization the

difficulties that the United Nations is facing in

playing its role effectively and decisively,

particularly with regard to the maintenance of

international peace and security, since it

represents an ideal forum in the conduct of

negotiations for peaceful settlement of

international disputes. In this connection, I

fully agree with the unequivocal reference in the

report that for our most urgent goal is to

reconstruct the Charter concept of collective

action for peace and security so as to render the

United Nations more capable of carrying out its

primary function. It is incumbent upon all

Government to commit themselves to that sound

approach, without which the logic of force will

prevail and States, especially the smaller ones,

will consequently be exposed to only dangers that

threaten their security, safety and territorial

integrity. This situation is not a myth; rather,

it is a fact and it is sharply and tragically

represented in the area of the Middle East,

specifically in a Lebanon in agony.

56. The events in Lebanon have underscored

the fact that the method of force and fait

accomplis to which Israel resorts cannot achieve

security and stability. The question of Palestine

stands clearly before the international community

in spite of the attempts by the Tel Aviv leaders

to emasculate it with their military machine.

Obviously the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the

continued Israeli occupation of Lebanese

territory both reflect the quagmire into which

Israel's employment of its military might to

cover up its political failure and international

isolation have led it.

57. The United Arab Emirates, as a peace-loving

Arab State, expresses its revulsion at and strong

condemnation of the ugly massacre perpetrated

against the Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila

camps by the Zionist occupation forces. It

appeals to all Member States, and especially to

the great Powers, to take serious action to stop

Israeli aggression against the Lebanese and

Palestinian peoples and to work for the immediate

and international withdrawal of the Israeli

forces of aggression from all Lebanese territory,

M order to preserve Lebanon's independence and

territorial integrity and accordance with

resolutions of the Security Council and other

international bodies.

58. In this connection, I cannot fail to stress

the responsibility of the United States of

America as a sponsor of and partner in the

conclusion of the agreement that led to the

evacuation of the Palestinian fighters from

Beirut and the guaranteed the safety of the

Palestinian in the refugee camps as well as the

civilian potation of West Beirut. Any reliance

on the part of the United State, of America would

constitute a violation of Us political,

contractual and moral obligations. We ask the

United States to do its utmost, based on its

obligations in this regard, to prevent the

recurrence of crimes such as those committed in

Lebanon, crimes unprecedented in contemporary to

force Israel to withdraw unconfidently from

Lebanese territory.

59. The PLO emergence from an unequal war

victorious in its perseverance, flexibility and

ability to negotiate from a position of right and

its responsiveness to international resolutions

demonstrate its desire to reach a just and

peaceful solution unlike Israel, which has proved

that it is an aggressive entity that does not

respect international resolutions, norms or

rules. The PLO emerged from the conflict more

determined than ever to restore the legitimate

rights of the Palestinian people, despite the

Israeli illusion that its war in Lebanon would

destroy the Palestinian people and hence the

Palestinian cause.

60. The shameful Israeli policies and

practices reflected in its flagrant defiance of

United Nations resolutions and its use of armed

violence to attain illegal goals call for the

reconsideration of its membership in the United

Nations. Israel has unequivocally demonstrated,

by the heinous massacre it committed in Lebanon

and by its continued inhuman and illegal

practices in the occupied Arab territories, that

it is a Member that is neither able nor willing

to carry out its elementary obligations of

membership under the Charter. Its membership in

the United Nations and all other international

organizations should therefore be reconsidered.

61. President Reagan's initiative for peace

in the Middle East represents progress in the

American position, however, we hope that this

position can evolve positively towards the

recognition of the rights of the Palestinian

people and their legitimate representative, the

PLO, so that the Palestinian people may exercise

their national rights to self-determination and

the establishment of an independent State. In

order to attain this objective, which is based on

the noble purposes and principles enshrined in

the Charter, I urge the United States Government

to reconsider its military and political support

of Israel. Recent events have confirmed that such

support is the backbone of Israel's arrogance,

intransigence, continued aggression against the

Arab people, especially the Palestinian and

Lebanese peoples, and rejection of all peace

initiatives.

62. My delegation reaffirms that the just

solution of Middle East problem lies in

solving the Palestinian question on the basis of

the following principles; first, complete and

unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all the

occupied Arab territories, including Holy

Jerusalem; secondly, enabling Palestinian people

to exercise their inalienable rights, including

their right to return to their homeland, to

self-determination, to national independence and

to full sovereignty through the establishment of

an independent State on their national soil and,

thirdly, participation on an equal footing of the

PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the

Palestinian people, in any endeavors, efforts or

conferences to settle this question. The

conclusions reached at the Twelfth Arab Summit

Conference underscore the principles that

determine the just and comprehensive framework

for the solution of the Palestinian question.

63. Israel's rejection of the proposed

options, whether advanced by the Arabs or by

others, is nothing more than blackmail and an

attempt to influence the current trend of

international thinking. The comprehensive Arab

peace plan, which is based on international

legitimacy, forces the world to face its

imperative responsibilities for attaining a just

peace in the region. The plan does not address

itself to any particular international party;

rather, it addresses all peace-loving parties by

assigning a highly important role to the

Organization and to the members of the Security

Council in supervising the guarantees for peace.

64. My country is concerned about the war

between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran

that broke out over two years ago and that is

draining the human, military and economic

resources of both countries. Moreover, that war

threatens the security and stability of the Gulf

region, which is of world-wide strategic and

economic importance. The continuation of this war

does not serve the interest of either country or

of the international community. In this

connection, my country commends the concrete

response of Iraq with regard to ending the war in

the interest of both countries and of the region

as well, and particularly the withdrawal of its

forces to the international borders. That

initiative won the appreciation of the

international community as a step towards rapidly

ending the conflict. We also commend the efforts

made by the Secretary-General of the United

Nations, by the Organization of the Islamic

Conference and by the non-aligned movement, as

well as all the other international efforts made

to restore peace and work for conciliation

between those two Moslem countries and to

establish new foundations for relations between

them on the basis of peace, good-neighborliness

and mutual respect, which are conducive to the

welfare and safety of the region. We hope that

Iran will respond to these initiatives designed

to end the bloodshed and achieve peace in the

region.

65. In recent decades the Indian Ocean region

has been a centre of rivalry among the great

Powers bent on establishing spheres of influence;

that is due to its economic and strategic

importance. As a State which is adjacent to that

ocean we are deeply concerned about the continued

escalation of tension in the area. We support

General Assembly resolution 2832 (XXVI), the

Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of

Peace. In that regard, we cannot but express o r

regret that the attitude of some States has led

to the postponement of the international

conference which had been scheduled to be

convened :n Sri Lanka in 1981 for the purpose of

adopting the measures necessary for the

implementation, particularly by the

super-Powers, of that Declaration

66. The continued presence of foreign forces

in Afghanistan, despite the numerous appeals made

by the United Nations and other organizations for

the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces, is

preventing the Afghan people from choosing its

Government by means of free elections: a choice

which it must be able to make without the least

foreign interference.

67. That military presence jeopardizes the

independence, sovereignty and territorial

integrity of that country as a non-aligned State.

The Government of my country has repeatedly

condemned the foreign intervention in Afghanistan

as a flagrant violation of the Charter and as an

act of aggression against human rights and the

freedom of peoples. We affirm that there should

be a comprehensive political solution based on

full respect for Afghanistan's independence,

sovereignty, territorial integrity and

non-aligned status.

68. With regard to Cyprus, it seems to us

that the holding of negotiations between the two

communities constitutes one of the fundamental

conditions for reaching a just settlement of the

crisis which that State is experiencing. In this

connection, the United Nations should continue,

through the Secretary- General, its efforts to

help the two c <n unities reach some

understanding and to provide conditions which

would be conducive to the restoration of peace.

69. Since its inception, the United Nations

has worked to secure respect of the right of all

peoples to self-determination and independence in

accordance with their hopes, aspirations and

interests. Although most peoples of the world

have gained their independence, some Territories

are still under colonial domination, notably in

southern Africa, where the Government of South

Africa persists in its racist policy

notwithstanding the international condemna-tion

of that policy as a crime against humanity. The

denial to the people of South Africa of the

ability to exercise their fundamental right of

self-determination constitutes a violation of

the most important principles of the Charter and

of United Nations resolutions, as well as a grave

challenge to the international community.

70. The continued economic, military and

political co-operation which that racialist

regime receives from certain States Members of

the United Nations is what encourages it in its

intransigence. My Government considers Security

Council resolution 435 (1978) to be the soundest

framework for the resolution of the question of

Namibia. It reaffirms the basic responsibility

towards that Territory which the United Nations

has held since the termination of the South

African Mandate in 1966. The Security Council

should impose sanctions on South Africa and adopt

the necessary measures envisaged in Chapter VII

of the Charter.

71. My delegation affirms its support for the

legitimate struggle waged by the South West

Africa People's Organization [SWAPO] for

self-determination and independence for the

Namibian people. It strongly condemns the

repeated acts of aggression carried out by South

Africa against neighbouring States.

72. The deterioration of the climate of

confidence in international relations has led to

the continuation of the arms race, which

constitutes a serious threat to the whole human

race. Despite the declaration of the First

Disarmament Decade, and the Programme of Action

adopted by the tenth special session of the

General Assembly, the first devoted to

disarmament, little progress has been made in

this field because of the absence of political

will on the part of the big Powers. The failure

of the recent disarmament session is clear

evidence of that fact.

73. We believe the , while disarmament may be

the concern of all States, the responsibility for

halting the arms race falls primarily on the

shoulders of the big Powers, which are the ones

producing nuclear and other weapons of mass

destruction. The declarations by the United

Nations of nuclear-free zones represent a

significant contribution to the creation of a

climate of peace and security in the world. The

possession of nuclear weapons by States which do

not respect the norms of international behavior

and the provisions of international conventions,

and which violate the United Nations resolutions,

truly constitutes a serious threat to

international peace and security. General and

complete disarmament under international control

remains a prerequisite for a general atmosphere

of confidence, for reducing the dangers of

tension in the world, and for the removal of the

obstacles to channeling huge material resources

into economic and social development, for the

purpose of attaining prosperity and better living

conditions for all mankind.

74. The results achieved at the Third United

Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea during

its last session held in April at United Nations

Headquarters here in New York, namely, the

approval by the overwhelming majority of the

States of the world of the consolidated text of

the Convention on the Law of the Sea/ which sets

forth a comprehensive legal system for the

peaceful exploitation of the seas for various

purposes, especially maritime and economic

onesówas the product of a comprehensive

compromise which harmonized differing interests

and points of view in the light of the principle

of the for common heritage of mankind ' adopted

by the United Nations many years ago. The success

attained may be attributed to the United Nations,

which endorsed the call to hold the Conference:

to the Secretary-General, who sponsored it

throughout its many sessions over several years;

and to effective participation in the Conference,

particularly by the Group of 77, which exerted

commendable efforts in favor of conciliation.

75. Noting with deep concern the extent of

the deterioration of the world economy, my

country considers that it is necessary to

reconsider the existing international economic

order so as to make it more just and equitable,

in the interest of humanity. The world economy is

still confronted with problems regarding economic

growth, international trade, and the continuing

rise in the rates of inflation and unemployment.

Therefore, international co-operation should be

strengthened and arduous efforts should be

exerted to cope with this deteriorating situation

which threatens not only the developing

countries, but also the economies of the

industrialized States, since the world has become

closely interdependent in the various political,

economic and social fields. The inter-related

nature of the world's economic problems calls

for total rather than partial solutions. The

industrialized States should be aware of this

fact and should effectively contribute to

reforming the current world financial and

economic order. They should also favorably

consider the proposals made by the developing

countries, which hope for a further positive

contribution to the development of their

economies, which suffer from continued recession,

stagnation and balance-of-payments deficits.

Co-operation among developing countries in

solving these problems should be considered as a

supplement rather than an alternative to

co-operation between the North and the South. It

does not relieve the industrialized States of

their responsibilities and duties towards the

developing countries. Such responsibilities

require that the industrialized States adjust the

policies currently controlling commodity and

service markets, with a view to presenting

long-term solutions which give special attention

to strengthening food security.

76. As a third world country, the United Arab

Emirates requires various resources to develop

its economy and to provide for the welfare of its

people, yet it plays a concrete role in extending

assistance to other third world countries through

the financial mechanisms that it has established

for that purpose. Most notable among these

mechanisms are the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab

Economic Development, created in 1971 to provide

foreign assistance, in addition to assistance for

development from other sources, such as the

Special Fund of the Organization of Petroleum

Exporting Countries, the Arab Fund for Economic

and Social Development, and the Arab Bank for

African Development.

77. My country fully recognizes that the hope

of solutions to the various international

financial and economic problems lies in the

credibility of a constructive North-South

dialogue. The positive response of the

participants in the June Versailles Economic

Summit to the proposals made by the Group of 77

is an encouraging factor. We hope that the

Versailles group will respond quickly to the

proposals recently submitted by the Group of 77,

which are considered a great concession, made to

facilitate the progress of those negotiations.

The present condition of the world economy makes

more necessary than ever before the restructuring

by the international community of the

fundamental factors which control economic and

social progress throughout the world and

especially the development of the States of the

third world.

78. Despite this gloomy international

picture, I stress my country's full confidence in

the ideals and principles of the Charter as an

ideal framework for permanent consultation and

dialogue to resolve the problems of the world by

peaceful means. In this connection, I should like

to urge the United Nations to do its utmost to

play the fundamental role assigned to it by the

Charter and to create conditions conducive to

peace, harmony, progress and prosperity for all

nations.