Egypt, 2014

At the outset,

it gives me pleasure to congratulate the President of the

Assembly and his friendly country on his assumption

of the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-

ninth session. We are confident that he will lead its

work wisely, and we will lend him our support as

he undertakes his duties. I take this opportunity to

express my sincere appreciation to his predecessor for

his untiring efforts as President of the Assembly at its

previous session. I also reiterate our full support to the

Secretary-General as he strives to realize the purposes

of the Charter of the United Nations.

I stand before the Assembly today as one of the sons

of Egypt, from the cradle of human civilization. From

this rostrum, I first salute the great people of Egypt.

Allow me to also salute the thousands of Egyptians who

travelled from Egypt and various parts of the United

States and who are in the city today to say that the

new Egypt is coming. From this rostrum, I salute the

great people of Egypt, who have made history twice

in the past few years: first, when they revolted against

corruption and despotism and claimed their right to

freedom, dignity and social justice; and then when they

held fast to their identity and, energized by patriotism,

rose up against exclusion, refusing to succumb to the

tyranny of a faction which, in the name of religion, put

its narrow interests before the interests of the people.

Those are simply snapshots of the defining

moments Egypt has witnessed recently. They are only

milestones in the longer journey that Egyptians, fuelled

by their dreams and aspirations, have embarked upon,

towards a better day and a more prosperous future. The

world is starting to grasp the reality of what happened

in Egypt and to understand the circumstances that

drove Egyptians to intuitively take to the streets to

rebel against the forces of extremism and darkness

that, once in power, undermined the foundations of the

democratic process and national institutions and sought

to impose a state of polarization in order to break the

unity of the people.

The upsurge in extremism and violence perpetrated

in the name of religion that the region is currently

witnessing is evidence of the true objectives of those

groups that exploit religion. We have warned against

them over and over again. They have transformed the

values of justice, compassion and mercy, which are

treasured by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, into grim

sectarianism and destructive civil and regional wars

that continue to claim the lives of innocent people of

different religions.

The Egyptian people understand — as do I, given

the responsibilities that I have shouldered since my

election as President — that the path towards achieving

our goals began with the building of a civil democratic

State, guided by the principles we sought to embody

and adhering to the road map for the future agreed upon

by the Egyptian national powers. That road map will

be completed when parliamentary elections are held,

following the presidential election and constitutional

referendum through which Egyptians expressed their

free will. Our aim is to build a new Egypt — a State

that respects rights and freedoms, honours its duties

and ensures the coexistence of its citizens without

exclusion or discrimination; a State that respects and

enforces the rule of law, guarantees freedom of opinion

for all and ensures freedom of belief and worship for

its people; and a State that is determined to achieve

growth, prosperity and a promising future that meets

the aspirations of its people.

To that end, Egypt began implementing an ambitious

comprehensive programme to spur development

until 2030, with the aim of laying the foundations of

a free-market economy that is capable of attracting

investments in a secure and stable environment. The

New Suez Canal project, a gift from Egyptians to the

world, is proof of the seriousness of our intent and of the

resolve of the new Egypt to forge a better tomorrow for

its youth. That is why I invite members to participate

in the economic conference that will be held in Egypt

in February 2015 to achieve development and build the

future, not only for Egypt, but for the entire region.

Those steps briefly reflect the gist of the social

contract embraced by Egyptians in their new

Constitution. It is to build a better today and a brighter

tomorrow for our youth and to establish a State that is

armed with strong institutions and governed by the rule

of law; a State that respects the judiciary and ensures its

independence and applies the principle of the separation

of powers; and a State that is not held back by a form

of terrorism that thinks that it can conquer and repress

our nation.

Egypt has suffered from the scourge of that

terrorism since the 1920s, when it concealed its

poisonous viewpoints behind religion to reach power

and establish the caliphate state, relying on armed

violence and terror to achieve its objectives and in

the process giving rise to a handful of extremists who

commit atrocities in the name of religion. Here I stress

that we should not allow them to abuse Islam and offend

the 1.5 billion Muslims who cherish its noble values.

Religion, by virtue of its holiness and sanctity, cannot

be put to the test by humans and judged whether it has

succeeded or failed.

Terrorism is a plague that does not differentiate

between developing and developed societies as it

spreads. Terrorists come from different societies. They

are not bound together by any true religious faith.

That is why it is imperative that we all intensify our

cooperation and coordination efforts, pursuant to the

principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in

fulfilment of its objectives, to end the support provided

to those terrorist organizations that enables them to

continue perpetrating crimes.

The problems facing our region emanate from

the space provided to the local and regional forces of

extremism and the state of polarization that often leads

to division and strife. They have become a serious

danger that threatens the very existence of the State and

attacks its identity. That has produced fertile ground

for terrorism and its organizations to grow and gain

influence.

In this regard, the crises facing some countries

of the region could be resolved by following a two-

pronged approach aimed at building the nation State.

The first is the application of the principles of equality

of all citizens and respect for the rule of law, based on a

social contract and national consensus, while ensuring

the enjoyment by all of all rights, especially the right

to development. That will safeguard societies from

exploitation and prevent them from succumbing to

extremism. The second aspect is a decisive confrontation

with the forces of extremism and terrorism and with

any attempt to impose opinions through intimidation

and violence or to force exclusion through rejection in

all its forms.

Egypt, in agreement with Libya’s neighbouring

countries, has actually put forward an initiative that

sets specific steps and a clear vision to end the plight

of that kindred country. We can build on that initiative

to achieve a comprehensive political solution that

strengthens Libya’s elected institutions and ensures an

end to the bloodshed, while preserving its territorial

integrity. Success requires effectively halting arms

trafficking into Libya and dealing relentlessly with

the extremist movements that resort to weapons and

violence and do not recognize the democratic process.

Despite the heartrending humanitarian situation in

fraternal Syria and the destruction and loss of innocent

lives resulting from the crisis, I am confident that it

is possible to establish a political framework that will

ensure that the aspirations of the Syrian people are met

without compromising with terrorism or replicating the

circumstances that the Syrians initially rebelled against.

I emphasize that Egypt supports the Syrian people’s

aspirations to a safe and secure life that ensures Syria’s

stability and the unity of its people and preserves its

territorial integrity.

The formation in the brotherly country of Iraq

of a new Government approved by the Parliament is

a significant development that restores hope in the

possibility of improving the situation and for success

in internal and external attempts to achieve stability,

restore the areas that have fallen under the control of

the terrorist group Daesh, maintain Iraq’s territorial

integrity, end the bloodshed.

Despite the multitude of crises threatening our

region, some of which I have mentioned, the Palestinian

issue remains a top priority for Egypt. Palestinians

still aspire to establish their independent State on the

territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as

its capital, on the basis of the principles of the peace

process that was established in the 1970s, following

an Egyptian initiative. Those principles are not up for

compromise; otherwise the basis of a comprehensive

peace in the region would erode and the values of

justice and humanity would vanish. The continued

deprivation of the Palestinian people of their rights is

undoubtedly exploited by some to inflame other crises,

achieve hidden goals, fragment Arab unity and impose

trusteeship on Palestinians under the guise of realizing

their aspirations.

I am confident that certain challenges will

require us to work seriously and with a clear vision

to achieve the ambitions of our people for democracy,

development and human dignity and for our youth and

their aspirations for a brighter future. Our success will

guarantee the future of our people.

From this rostrum, I call upon everyone to address

the Ebola epidemic. In many African countries,

combatting the disease is a collective responsibility. We

must be able to assist those countries that need help,

while providing protection to our own people. Distances

have become shorter, due to modern advances, thus

increasing the threat. As a strong State, Egypt bears a

special responsibility. In the 1990s, Egypt confronted

terrorism and extremism. I am confident that it will

succeed in uprooting terrorism by virtue of its national

identity. Egypt will always be a beacon of civilization,

supporting cohesion in the region. Egyptians will never

hesitate to assume their role to that effect.

Egypt considers the security of the Arab States

integral to its national security, on the basis of our

common heritage and destiny and our longing for the

stability of a region that is important and crucial to

the world. Egypt’s vision of international relations is

founded on respect for the principles of international

law, treaties and conventions, based on mutual respect

and mutual interests and benefits.

As the Assembly knows, Egypt was a founding

Member of the United Nations and has ever since

strongly contributed to realizing its goals, especially in

peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development. From

that standpoint, Egypt’s aspiration to a non-permanent

seat on the Security Council in 2016 and 2017 stems

from its desire to use its membership to achieve the

purposes of the Organization and protect the interests

of developing countries, especially in Africa, as well as

to accelerate the reform of the United Nations system

as part of a broader vision based on the principle of

equality of all nations. I therefore invite Member States

to support Egypt’s candidature for the Security Council.

I have conveyed in all humility the message of the

Egyptian people, women, men, youth and the elderly.

It is a message of hope, of will and of determination to

work. It is a message of openness, calling for cooperation

with all, to overcome all obstacles and difficulties. I

wish to assure the Assembly that the Egyptian people,

after their two revolutions, have become the sole source

of our internal and external policies in pursuit of

stability and development.

Egypt today has regained its self-confidence and is

upholding the principles of law and freedom. With its

Arab identity and African roots, it is the cradle of the

Mediterranean civilization and the beacon of moderate

Islam. Egypt aspires to resolve regional disputes and

uphold the principles of justice and humanity in today’s

world. I am confident that Egyptians have an infinite

capacity to give. We have inherited that gift from our

ancestors and will remain ever generous, God willing.

Long live Egypt. Long live the peace-loving peoples

of the world. Long live the principles of humanity and

the values of tolerance and coexistence. May peace be

upon the Assembly, and the mercy and blessings of God

as well.