Egypt, 2008

The

sixty-third session of the General Assembly is taking

place against the backdrop of various international and

regional events and developments that are closely

linked to the peace and security of all humankind.

Among those are the global food crisis, the increase in

energy prices, global warming and climate change and

their negative and catastrophic repercussions for the

entire world, the global economic downturn that is

bordering on being a worldwide recession, the sharp

global increase in poverty, our diminishing collective

ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs), the rising rate of infection with HIV, malaria

and other deadly diseases, and the fight against

terrorism. Egypt believes that all those challenges, as

well as others, are high priorities on the international

agenda. Their diagnosis and treatment require a

concerted international effort. We must all be fully

aware that jointly overcoming those problems depends

upon our collective diagnosis and our united stand in

addressing them.

We need a new approach, vision and

methodology to deal with global problems.

Unfortunately, the existing frameworks have proven

incapable of dealing successfully and effectively with

the challenges under consideration. As an example,

Egypt believes that the global food and energy crises

require serious dialogue between importers and

exporters of energy and food. President Mubarak called

for such a dialogue at the recent African Union Summit

and at the Rome meeting of the Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO).

The channels currently available for addressing

and resolving the problems of food and energy are at

odds with each another, to say nothing of the fact that

none of them can provide for a genuine and meaningful

dialogue between importers and exporters. It was for

that reason that President Mubarak was keenly

interested in participating effectively in the emergency

summit convened by FAO, to which I have referred, on

the question of the rising price and availability of

foodstuffs.

Along the same lines, President Mubarak has

strongly supported the African endeavour to adopt a

clear strategy to tackle that phenomenon. In turn, that

led to the adoption of the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration

at the last African Union Summit, which contains

Africa’s comprehensive vision for addressing the

matter. Egypt has also supported the strategy put

forward by the Secretary-General to deal with the

issue. We have also called for utilizing that strategy as

the basis for more effective international action.

In an effort to translate the growing international

concern into an integrated plan of action to address that

phenomenon, Chile, Indonesia and Egypt have

proposed that that question and its repercussions

should be a main theme at this session of the General

Assembly. In that connection, I would like to thank the

President for his positive response to our initiative and

also for including the issue of strengthening

international democratic action at the United Nations.

By the same token, urgently establishing

collective international political will is necessary to

deal with climate change. As one of the countries

vulnerable to the repercussions of that phenomenon,

Egypt is acutely aware of its gravity. While reiterating

our full support for the Bali Plan of Action and Road

Map, we call for focused international attention on the

issue of categorizing low-lying coastlines, which

applies to Egypt. A list of the States most vulnerable to

climate change is needed so the United Nations and the

international community can provide them with the

necessary support as a matter of priority, including

technological and financial support.

Based on our belief in globally addressing those

urgent economic challenges, Egypt and Norway are

facilitating the current negotiations at the United

Nations on the final document of the Review

Conference on the Implementation of the Monterrey

Consensus on Financing for Development. The goal is

to amend the international development agenda for the

upcoming stage, while taking into consideration the

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agreements reached in all the international meetings

and conferences held thus far.

Egypt believes that using language that implies

double standards is an affront to human rights. Despite

the fact that everyone is adamant in declaring that

human rights constitute an indivisible whole, the

reality, which we need to change, is that economic,

social and cultural rights are not, unfortunately,

accorded the same attention as civil and political

rights. That adversely affects public perception in

many of our societies, in particular those that face dire,

and occasionally destructive, economic and living

conditions. For such people, talking incessantly about

human rights is a luxury they cannot afford, and results

in the neglect of their basic requirements for

sustenance. The promotion of economic and social

rights must therefore be viewed as crucial to

strengthening the human rights regime, which is

essential to promoting the awareness and practice of

the components of that regime.

In that regard, I wish to discuss the important

question of using the concept of freedom of expression

to incite hatred based on religion. With the utmost

respect for the value and importance of freedom of

expression, I emphasize that we reject repeated affronts

to religions and holy symbols being portrayed as a

legitimate exercise of freedom of expression: there are

many glaring slogans in whose name crimes have been

committed against thousands and millions of people by

offending them and their religious beliefs. Egypt calls

upon everybody to consider this matter judiciously and

objectively with a view to striking the proper balance

that protects freedom of expression while respecting

the rights and sentiments of all. Egypt will continue to

seek such a balance, with the aim of reaching a

consensus on the content of draft United Nations

resolutions on this matter.

Here, I wish to convey to the Assembly that we

are concerned by the unconstructive cultural friction

that the world is witnessing, which causes severe

divergence in opinion and action; this in turn inflames

public emotions and increases the nature and severity

of the polarization and confrontation between the

followers of different cultures and creeds. This matter

must not be ignored.

The international community’s approach to

disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation is

marred by defects, double standards and regression.

This is a matter of concern for us. Egypt has always

shown great interest in these matters, as best embodied

in Egypt’s call to rid the Middle East of all weapons of

mass destruction. Our interest in this matter is based on

our unwavering belief that security and military

balance, especially in conflict areas, contributes to

laying solid foundations for peace between countries

and peoples.

However, achieving genuine peace and security

in any region requires, among other things, the

establishment of just and parallel international and

regional mechanisms in the areas of disarmament, arms

control and non-proliferation. It is notable that,

unfortunately, prominent members of the international

community are unduly lax regarding Israel’s nuclear

capability and the extent to which this constantly

threatens the security of the Middle East. This occurs

as attempts are being made to enhance the obligations

included in international mechanisms without paying

attention to the issue of achieving the universality of

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons and subjecting all nuclear facilities in the

Middle East to the comprehensive safeguards system of

the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Egypt will nonetheless persist in its endeavours,

through existing mechanisms and forums and in

coordination with friendly States that understand the

reality and danger of the situation, in order to change it

and to warn of the danger that failing to achieve

universality for the NPT in the Middle East would

entail.

In my statement today, I have given precedence

to international over regional issues. This in no way

diminishes the significance of crises, problems and

difficulties at the regional level. Rather, it reaffirms the

importance that Egypt attaches to the international

situation and international problems in general.

At the regional level, as members know, Egypt is

persistently involved in painstaking efforts to keep

open a window of hope that would allow the

Palestinians to achieve their legitimate ambition to

gain an independent State on the Palestinian territories

occupied on 5 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its

capital. The current situation, thanks to the efforts of

the United States, might suggest to some that there is

hope for a real settlement between the Israelis and

Palestinians before the end of the year. However,

through diligent monitoring of the situation, we

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understand that achieving a just and lasting settlement

of the conflict — one that provides an opportunity to

end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and to

bring about a Palestinian State — requires serious

political will on the part of Israel. This must include

the dismantlement of settlements in tandem with

withdrawal from the land, and the restoration of

Palestinian rights.

However, I must admit that we are sceptical about

the strength of the will and conviction of Israeli

decision makers. Hence the procrastination and

setbacks, as well as the hesitation in settling issues.

This is what leads to the widely condemned and

politically loaded settlement activities, which clearly

indicate the regression and weakness of the Israeli

side’s will for peace. This is also the reason for the

prolongation of the conflict, with its consequences that

the whole world knows only too well. But we in Egypt

will not lose hope; we will continue to work with

everyone in order to achieve the objectives of justice,

stability and security for the whole region.

The situation in the Sudan also remains

disconcerting in the light of ongoing developments. We

have observed numerous foreign hands interfering with

Sudan’s security and stability, as if their objective were

to drive that country towards partition. In this context,

I would like to affirm that Egypt is working sincerely

with all loyal Sudanese parties, at the forefront of them

the Sudanese Government, in order to settle existing

problems. Allow me to note, in particular, the situation

in Darfur, which remains difficult, and the significant

Egyptian participation in the United Nations

peacekeeping force there, as well as our participation

in all dialogue forums that aim to settle the crisis. I

should also note our call for an international meeting to

address the crisis and to agree on a road map to end it.

Stability in the Sudan requires outside parties to refrain

from interfering in Sudanese affairs, just as it requires

support for the development process in that country.

Egypt will continue its diligent efforts to achieve the

interests of our brothers in the Sudan as well as the

country’s and the region’s unity and stability.

In our region, the concept of regional security

should be construed broadly, and the security of the

Arab Gulf — which is currently in the international

spotlight — is one of Egypt’s principal concerns, not

only because of Egypt’s close relations with the

countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but

also because of what Egypt represents in terms of

strategic depth for its Arab brothers and sisters of the

Gulf. Therefore, we follow closely all developments in

the region, in particular the recurrent discourse about

“new arrangements” there. We affirm that Egypt is

working in coordination with members of the GCC

with a view to protecting Arab national security and

ensuring that any such arrangements — if they come

into existence — will represent true security guarantees

for all parties.

A great deal of work lies ahead of us at this

session. This requires open minds and outstretched

hands in order to meet the demands and aspirations of

our peoples for freedom, justice, dignity, security and

peace. Egypt will work throughout this session to

advance the components of our vision for the

international and regional situation, which I have just

elucidated.

All of us bear the responsibility for this, just as

we shall all bear the consequences and the results. We

pledge to work with dedication and sincerity for a

successful session under your able presidency, Sir.