Egypt, 2005

At

this session we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the

establishment of the United Nations. We also begin,

actively and seriously, our effort to revitalize this

strong Organization, which humankind decided to

establish after it experienced two devastating wars

during the first half of the twentieth century. There is

no doubt that this session has been convened at a time

when international relations are undergoing major

changes and when hope is being tempered by threats

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and challenges to the stability of the international

community and the peace and security of all our

peoples.

Recent international developments have proved

the increasing need to strengthen the capabilities of the

multilateral framework in addressing problems facing

our nations and peoples and in achieving the required

balance on four issues that we consider to be at the

core of our contemporary interests: development,

international peace and security, human rights and the

institutional reform of the Organization.

Addressing the issue of development at the

international level requires strong political will to

implement the commitments we have undertaken,

which we reaffirmed together in the outcome document

of the High-level Plenary Meeting (resolution 60/1),

primarily the implementation of the Millennium

Development Goals adopted at the Millennium

Summit, the revitalization of the international

partnership for development and the mobilization of

the financial resources it requires, and the fulfilment of

the commitment made by many developed countries to

reach the target of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic

product (GDP) in official development assistance by

2015. I would like to take this opportunity to express

Egypt’s appreciation to the countries that have

reaffirmed their commitment to fulfil their obligations

in that regard.

In attaining our common goals, it is therefore

imperative to use the consensus we reached at the

High-level Plenary Meeting as a platform to build

greater consensus towards achieving the development

priorities of developing countries, especially during the

upcoming Ministerial Conference of the World Trade

Organization, to be held in Hong Kong, and at other

international forums dealing with issues of importance

to the developing world, especially those of trade, debt

relief, investment and industrial modernization, as well

as other issues that can bring about the justice and

openness required in our international trading system

and provide developing countries with the

opportunities they need to raise the living standards of

their peoples.

In fulfilling our long-standing commitments to

achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable

development in Africa, Egypt wishes to call upon our

partners in developed countries to play a leading role

in support of the implementation of the New

Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). That

African-owned initiative constitutes an ambitious

partnership for sustainable development that can

ensure Africa’s integration into the world economy,

lead to the achievement of good national and

international governance and promote the contribution

of civil society and the private sector in the

achievement of our development goals.

Along with achieving economic security for all, it

is essential that we strive to achieve international peace

and security by practically and realistically addressing

the challenges and threats facing the international

community. Since terrorism is the most dangerous

menace of our times, Egypt actively contributed to

reaching consensus on the Summit Outcome

document’s condemnation of terrorism in all its forms

and manifestations, as it constitutes one of the most

serious threats to international peace and security.

Contrary to what some might have imagined, the

recent terrorist attacks that have struck many

countries — including Egypt — have now made it

clear that terrorism is a danger that does not distinguish

among peoples, cultures or religions; rather it is a non-

discriminating threat to human civilization. Those

attacks have also reminded us that counter-terrorism

efforts should not be limited to enhancing measures to

combat terrorism or to finding ways to improve their

implementation. Rather, they should include effectively

addressing the underlying causes of the phenomenon.

Accordingly, Egypt has put forth an initiative to

convene a high-level meeting of the General Assembly

to draft and adopt a comprehensive plan of action that

includes the necessary legal and practical measures to

deal effectively with terrorism — without affecting the

ability of peoples under occupation to gain their

independence in accordance with established

international law and norms — until it is completely

eradicated.

In conformity with that position, Egypt pledges to

exert extensive efforts with a view to concluding a

comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

Such a convention, along with the 12 existing

international counter-terrorism conventions, to which

the International Convention for the Suppression of

Acts of Nuclear Terrorism was added this year, could

constitute the most comprehensive legal framework

possible to tackle this phenomenon.

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The issues of disarmament and the

non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction relate

to another major threat requiring concerted

international action in the near future, specially as the

High-level Plenary Meeting could not reach agreement

on how to address those issues in a manner consistent

with their crucial importance and urgency to the safety

and security of the human race. Our common

endeavour should be based on restoring the balance

between nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and

the peaceful uses of nuclear energy: the three pillars of

progress in achieving our common objectives. The

point of departure for our undertaking can only be the

consensus reached at the 1995 Review Conference of

the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which constitutes an integral

part of the package that made possible the indefinite

extension of the NPT, along with the resolution on the

Middle East adopted at that Conference. Concerted

international efforts, in particular by nuclear-weapon

States, to achieve the universality of the NPT are

essential; otherwise, we risk having the Treaty lose its

credibility and relevance.

To that end, we require strong political will to

relaunch the United Nations disarmament machinery,

reinforce the mutual and balanced implementation of

commitments and obligations set forth in existing

treaties, achieve the universality of those treaties prior

to making any attempts to impose further obligations

on States parties and fully respect the commitments

entered into under those instruments. We also need

determination to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone

in the Middle East, in order to support efforts to reach

a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

The establishment of the Human Rights Council

must prove to be a landmark in the promotion of, and

respect for, principles and freedoms. Its mandate,

composition and methods of work must be formulated

in a democratic manner and be based on the principle

of equitable geographic distribution while also taking

into consideration each region’s specific cultural and

civilizational characteristics. The Human Rights

Council must also assist and encourage countries to

improve human rights and respect for the rule of law

on their territories. To that end, we must strengthen the

human rights machinery and the rule of law in a

manner that will enable us to redress existing

shortcomings — in particular, politicization, selectivity

and double standards — and as to promote coexistence

and dialogue among civilizations in contrast to the

division and differences that characterize our current

handling of these issues. In that connection, I agree

with the previous speaker, the Minister for Foreign

Affairs of Australia.

The Egyptian National Council on Human Rights

has been established in order to promote that effort. It

enjoys the institutional independence it needs to carry

out its tasks with due impartiality and objectivity. It

also has the capacity to promote respect for human

rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to

participate in the formulation, prioritization and

implementation of national policies.

We must also launch a coordinated multilateral

effort to promote human rights and to address rights

violations by enhancing the capacity of States to

protect their populations against genocide, ethnic

cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Here, we must not capitalize on exceptional situations

as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of States.

In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations

and the relevant provisions of international law, we

must draw a line between the inability of a State to

protect its population against such crimes and its

unwillingness to do so.

Our common efforts to ensure larger freedom for

our peoples are closely linked to our resolve and ability

to settle current political issues, most notably in our

region, the Palestinian question. While we welcome the

Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a few

settlements in the northern part of the West Bank, we

also call upon the Israeli Government to continue

withdrawing its troops from all Palestinian territories

and to implement all of its commitments in that

respect, in accordance with the road map, which should

lead us to our common goal: the establishment of an

independent Palestinian State coexisting with Israel in

mutual peace and security. However, until we reach

that goal, Israel must cease settlement activities in the

West Bank, stop building its separation wall, improve

the humanitarian situation of the Palestinians in the

occupied territories and launch final-status negotiations

towards a comprehensive settlement. Israel must also

withdraw from the remaining Arab territories in Syria

and Lebanon occupied in 1967.

Furthermore, we cannot address respect for

human rights unless we address the human rights

situation in Iraq, particularly every Iraqi citizen’s right

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to life. In that context, and despite the establishment of

the Interim Government and the drafting of a new

constitution, national reconciliation among the entire

brotherly Iraqi people is still needed. We urgently need

an increased understanding that violence and the

killing of innocent people will not lead to the desired

security and stability for Iraq.

Egypt will continue its support for the important

steps taken by the Sudan towards peace and stability, in

the context of maintaining that country’s sovereignty

and territorial integrity. Egypt will continue to support

the implementation of the Nairobi Comprehensive

Peace Agreement on southern Sudan and the Cairo

agreement complementing it. We will also participate

actively in peace negotiations on Darfur under the

auspices of the African Union and continue Egypt’s

support by contributing troops to the United Nations

Mission in the Sudan, as well as observers to the

African Union Mission in Darfur.

It is in that context that Egypt continues to place

the security and stability of Africa at the centre of its

regional and international policies. Egypt will therefore

continue to increase its efforts to resolve contemporary

African political problems. It has contributed, and will

continue to contribute, to all peacekeeping operations

in Africa, as well as to support all of Africa’s ongoing

efforts to implement an integrated approach to

development that covers all political, economic and

social dimensions. Egypt’s commitment to Africa is

based on an unwavering conviction of our common

destiny and on the need for continued cooperation.

Here, the African Union has a central role to play; it

must have the full support of the United Nations.

Because of the particular importance that Africa

attaches to the link between security and development

in addressing situations in countries emerging from

conflict, Egypt has supported the establishment of the

proposed Peacebuilding Commission. However, the

activities of the Commission must reflect a balance

among the various mandates of the principal organs of

the United Nations and the various steps taken in

tackling each issue. We also call for a leading in the

work of the Commission role for both the General

Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, along

with the Security Council. The Commission must

become neither a body to impose trusteeship on States

nor an instrument to bypass the will and the national

priorities of States. The Peacebuilding Commission

must always remain an effective advisory body

focusing on mobilizing assistance to post-conflict

countries on its agenda, in order to enable them to

attain their national aspirations to sustainable peace

and stability.

The United Nations will not be able to carry out

all those increasing and challenging tasks unless we

embark upon effective institutional reform that takes

into consideration the balance between the

Organization’s principal organs, that ensures the

implementation of the Organization’s tasks and that

enhances the credibility of the United Nations and

eliminates the causes of the criticism it has been

facing.

There is no doubt that among the most important

pillars of institutional reform is the revitalization of the

General Assembly and the strengthening of its role as

the chief deliberative, policymaking, implementing and

monitoring body of the United Nations. The Assembly

should cooperate with the Secretary-General within a

transparent framework and should provide him with the

authority he needs to carry out his tasks effectively

while ensuring that he remains committed to the tasks

mandated by the principal organs of the Organization.

We look forward to the proposals that the

Secretary-General is expected to present, including

those on improving auditing and oversight, which

should duly take into account the intergovernmental

nature of the existing budgetary and management

committees. We also look forward to undertaking,

through the General Assembly and other relevant

bodies, a one-time review of mandates older than five

years, while emphasizing the need to avoid a mere

regulatory approach to that issue and the imperative of

taking its political implications into consideration. We

must never neglect the international political balance,

or affect ongoing efforts to resolve contemporary

problems.

In that context, the reform and expansion of the

Security Council is becoming increasingly important,

particularly in the light of the Council’s role in the

maintenance of international peace and security. That

reform must ensure that the Security Council is more

representative of the general membership of the

Organization and more transparent in addressing the

issues on its agenda. In that regard, I wish to stress the

commitment of Egypt to the African Common Position

on this issue, as set out in the Ezulwini consensus and

the Sirte declaration, which aims at fulfilling the

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legitimate aspirations of our continent for permanent

and balanced representation in an expanded Security

Council and at remedying the existing imbalance in the

representation of Africa in particular and of developing

countries in general.

The outcome document that we adopted at the

High-level Plenary Meeting marking the sixtieth

anniversary of the United Nations (resolution 60/1) is

solid proof of the vitality of the Organization and of a

genuine desire that its essential role continue. We look

forward to working together to move ahead and to

improve the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil our

common objectives on the basis of firm political will to

implement the commitments agreed upon in that

document. We must expand the agreement’s scope to

encompass all aspects of international action. That is

the only path available to us in order to attain our

peoples’ aspirations to peace, security and stability.