Jordan, 1995

It gives me great pleasure to begin my statement by

congratulating you, Sir, and on the Government and people

of your country, Portugal, on your election as President of

the fiftieth session of the General Assembly, which

coincides with the Golden Jubilee of the United Nations. I

am confident that, with your skill and expertise in

diplomacy and international affairs, you will be able to

steer the deliberations of this session most efficiently and

competently.

I should like also to extend deep appreciation to His

Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, Foreign Minister of Côte

d’Ivoire, for successfully conducting the affairs of the forty-

ninth session of the General Assembly.

Allow me also to pay tribute to the Secretary-General,

His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his sincere,

incessant and dedicated efforts in the service of the

international community through this Organization.

Over the past few years, the world order has witnessed

radical changes in its structure that have entailed

developments some of which have been positive while

others have been negative. On the positive side, wide-

ranging developments have been seen in many States with

regard to the emergence of democracy, political plurality,

respect for human rights and basic freedoms. Such

developments have been accompanied by a natural

yearning for the achievement of development in both its

economic and social domains, while developments on the

negative side have generated a wider cycle of racial,

national and religious disputes in some regions of the

world that have led to a noticeable retreat from respect

for human rights and basic freedoms of the human

individual, as well as regression of development both in

the economic and social spheres. The primary task of this

Organization at this point in time is, perhaps, to focus on

strengthening the first tendency and to limit, as much as

possible, the second.

In the face of such a challenge, the task of reforming

the United Nations should be met with a view to

strengthening its role, making it more effective and

achieving a qualitative transformation of the work of its

organs. The Security Council stands in need of

restructuring with a view to increasing its membership in

such a way as to reflect balanced representation of

developed and developing countries. The present

composition of the Council, as it took shape in the wake

of World War II, no longer reflects the present balance of

power in its broader sense. Any expansion of the

permanent membership of the Council should take into

account the inclusion of countries from the developing

world which have significant political, economic and

demographic weight.

On the other hand, the veto prerogative of the five

permanent Member States should be reviewed and certain

Council mechanisms must be substantively reformed as in

the case of the mechanism relating to economic sanctions.

Reform of that mechanism should ensure: firstly, limiting

as much as possible the impact of sanctions on the

civilian population of the country on which the sanctions

are imposed, and secondly, compensating third States that

are affected by the sanctions in proportion to the damage

sustained by them.

It is also necessary to achieve the universality of the

United Nations in conformity with Article 4, paragraph 1,

of the Charter, which stipulates that membership in the

United Nations is open to all peace-loving nations which

accept the obligations contained in the Charter.

Membership should not be denied on the basis of any

political or other considerations.

Peace-keeping operations have become the corner-

stone of the overall work and activities of the United

Nations. While my country, Jordan, prides itself on its

wide-ranging participation in the operations, it deems it

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necessary to continue the process of comprehensively

reviewing peace-keeping operations in the light of the

widening scope and number of such operations, as well as

the diverse nature of the tasks undertaken by the peace-

keepers and the dangers they are exposed to.

At the same time, we emphasize the need to

strengthen the efforts made to consolidate the foundations

and bases of preventive diplomacy which aims to avert the

break-out or escalation of conflicts, in addition to

developing the machinery for post-conflict peacemaking and

peace-building.

As for the financial crisis which has impacted on

peace-keeping operations, that crisis not only affects proper

implementation and the level of performance, but affects

also the participation of many developing countries in those

operations. Those countries have now become reluctant to

participate because they have not been reimbursed on time.

If such a situation persists, it may impact adversely on the

desired comprehensive international character of the

structure of peace-keeping troops and lead to the exclusion

of developing countries therefrom, thus restricting

participation to the developed countries that are financially

able to bear the cost of their participation.

The only solution to this problem is for all countries

to meet their financial obligations on time, particularly

those countries that contribute the bulk of the United

Nations budget. Jordan has supported the establishment of

a special fund to help start new operations whenever

needed. Part of the capital of this fund should be earmarked

for the reimbursement of the developing countries that

participate in such operations. In this regard, we feel that

amendments need to be made to the reimbursement

mechanism, so that the developing countries contributing

troops to peace-keeping operations may be reimbursed on

a priority basis.

The end of the East-West bipolarity that plagued the

world during the cold war and the disappearance of the

ideological demarcation line that divided the world into two

camps should prompt us to seize this historic opportunity

afforded us by the current transitional period to lay down

new foundations for North-South cooperation and to narrow

the economic gap between them. The first step in that

direction may well be to find substantive and meaningful

solutions to the problem of the accumulated debts of the

developing countries.

While my country welcomed the establishment of the

World Trade Organization and has applied for membership,

we call for an in-depth study of the foundations and

controls upon which freedom of trade is built. We also

call for a review of the strategies of economic

development at the international level, with a view to

improving them in conformity with the principles of

sustainable development and to achieve the cherished goal

of environmental conservation.

While world peace and stability are among the most

important prerequisites for economic development and of

the social development it entails, the development cycle,

however, will not be complete without consolidating the

underpinnings of democracy and social justice which lead

to further development and thereby promote peace and

stability.

Proceeding from His Majesty King Hussein’s belief

in the close relationship between peace, democracy and

development, Jordan’s earnest participation in the peace

process went hand in hand with the strengthening of

democracy and the consolidation of political plurality in

Jordan. As is known, the peace process which started in

Madrid four years ago has resulted, inter alia, in the

conclusion of the Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty, which

restored to Jordan all its territorial and water rights and

laid the foundation for a balanced relationship based on

mutual and equal interests between Israel and Jordan.

This, of course, reflects positively on the peace, stability

and welfare of the peoples of the region.

Efforts are now under way to bring about a huge

qualitative jump in regional economic development in the

Middle East. The States of the region are showing great

interest in the Amman Economic Summit, which is

scheduled to be held at the end of this month, October

1995, within the framework of regional cooperation, as a

product of the multilateral track of the peace process.

Jordan looks forward with optimism to the

forthcoming Barcelona Conference with the aim of

establishing a partnership that joins together the

Mediterranean States. This would contribute to the

consolidation of the comprehensive peace process in the

Middle East. In this respect, I should like to express deep

gratitude and appreciation for the role played by Europe,

Japan and other States involved in the multilateral track

of the peace process which, together with the United

States of America, support the development efforts in

Jordan and of peace-building in the region.

Jordan’s participation in the multilateral track of the

peace process stems from its conviction that it is

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necessary to find effective solutions to the problems that

have accumulated over the many years of the Arab-Israeli

conflict. Foremost among those problems is the question of

refugees. In this regard, we commend the outstanding role

played by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for

Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), stress the

importance of that role and of the essential services the

Agency provides for the refugees. Accordingly, my country,

as host to the largest number of refugees, feels that it is

necessary for UNRWA’s work to continue and indeed for

the services it provides to be expanded. This, in turn,

necessitates the strengthening of UNRWA’s budget, until a

final solution to the refugee problem is reached through

return and compensation, as provided for in the United

Nations resolutions and principles of international law.

Therefore, while we acknowledge the donor States’

contributions, we call upon them, from this rostrum, to

continue to contribute to UNRWA’s budget, so that this

noble goal may be achieved.

On the other hand, my country supports all efforts to

advance the negotiations on other bilateral tracks in order

to realize the principle of “the return of land for peace” on

the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338

(1973) and 425 (1978), which constitute the essential terms

of reference for the peace process.

On this occasion, I should like to commend the very

important development on the Palestinian-Israeli track with

the conclusion of the Taba Agreement on the expansion of

self-government in the West Bank and the subsequent

signing of that agreement in Washington, D.C., on 28

September 1995.

I should like also to take this opportunity to express

Jordan’s full support for the Palestinian National Authority

in its sincere efforts to achieve the goals of a just and

durable peace in the region. We believe that those efforts

will lead to the establishment of the independent State of

Palestine, with the holy city of Al-Quds as its capital, in

realization of the hopes and aspirations of the brotherly

Palestinian people.

My delegation did not spare any effort during the 1995

Review and Extension Conference of the States Parties to

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

(NPT) in order for the Conference to produce positive

results that would buttress this treaty which is a major

cornerstone of the international non-proliferation regime,

and may bring about its universality by the accession

thereto of all States, including Israel, and the placement of

its nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the

International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as the

provision of adequate security guarantees for non-nuclear-

weapon States.

In addition to the decision to extend the treaty

indefinitely and to strengthen the review process, the

Conference also adopted a resolution on the Middle East

which called, inter alia, for taking the necessary measures

to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region.

Jordan has participated actively and in good faith in

all the regional talks concerning arms control and regional

security within the multilateral track of the peace process.

We hope that these talks will achieve their goals, namely,

the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction and an end to the regional arms race in the

area of conventional weapons. These efforts have started

to bear fruit recently with the decision to establish three

regional security centres in Amman, Doha and Tunis. We

must emphasize here that the activation of these centres

does not at all mean acceptance of the status quo with all

its inherent imbalances, particularly with regard to nuclear

weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The

main objective that inspired the establishment of those

centres was to promote confidence-building amongst the

States of the region and to redress the present imbalances

in order to achieve a more secure and stable Middle East,

as provided for in the Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty.

At the international level, we hope that the ongoing

negotiations within the Conference on Disarmament in

Geneva will lead to concluding a comprehensive test-ban

treaty before the end of next year. We also hope that the

Conference on Disarmament will begin negotiations

aimed at concluding a treaty on prohibition of the

production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, and

another convention to provide non-nuclear-weapon States

with security assurances.

As for the situation in the Gulf, Jordan reaffirms its

interest in the security of that vital region and its earnest

desire to establish strong relations of cooperation based

on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal

affairs of any State. In this regard, Jordan firmly supports

and upholds the right of the United Arab Emirates to

sovereignty over the three islands occupied by Iran.

Jordan also supports all efforts aiming at bringing about

an end to the Iranian occupation so that good neighbourly

relations among the States of the region may be

established and consolidated.

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While we appreciate the positive step taken by Iraq in

recognizing the sovereignty of Kuwait and its international

boundaries, we emphasize the need to work for lifting the

sanctions imposed on the brotherly people of Iraq, with a

view to putting an end to their suffering, preserving the

unity and the integrity of the people and the territory of

Iraq and preventing its fragmentation which would endanger

the security and safety of the region. Jordan also stresses

the need to resolve the issue of the missing and detained

Kuwaitis. We consider this a matter of utmost importance

because of its legal and humanitarian dimensions. We call

for Iraq’s full compliance with all relevant Security Council

resolutions in order to discharge the commitment to

properly implement Council resolutions in accordance with

the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United

Nations.

Having said this, Jordan affirms its solidarity with and

sympathy for the Iraqi people in their plight and

underscores the need to respect their legitimate rights and

aspirations to freedom and democracy and to safeguard

their unity. Jordan states this with a clear conscience, in

consonance with the Declaration of Human Rights and the

Charter of the United Nations.

Jordan has consistently made clear its stand on the

tragic situation in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It supports the sovereignty and independence of this young

republic and affirms the need to put an end to the Serbian

aggression against it. Jordan also supported the position of

the Contact Group established by the Organization of the

Islamic Conference, which called for the lifting of the arms

embargo imposed on Bosnia, in conformity with its inherent

right to self-defence. Now, following the latest positive

developments, represented by the Declaration of Principles

agreed upon by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the

States parties to the conflict under the auspices of the

Western Contact Group and following the cease-fire

decision, Jordan supports the position of the Government of

Bosnia and Herzegovina and commends its flexibility in

trying to reach agreement. We attach great importance to

the continuation of diplomacy supported by force, which

has led to the withdrawal by the Serbs of their heavy

weapons from the areas surrounding the capital city of

Sarajevo, with all that that entailed in terms of putting an

end to the shelling of civilians, and of leading to the

aforementioned Declaration of Principles.

While we are to work in earnest for the establishment

of a safer and more secure world order that would be

founded on the values of freedom, tolerance and equality,

we must recall the early calls made by Jordan during the

1980s, when His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan

called for the establishment of a new humanitarian world

order. Those calls were echoed in the proceedings of the

United Nations General Assembly and translated into

resolutions which called for and encouraged the

establishment and consolidation of such a world order.

Perhaps this new humanitarian world order, because of its

aims which would make the human being the main focus

of international action in such areas as the eradication of

poverty and unemployment and the bridging of the gap

between the rich and the poor, on both the individual and

societal levels, may well furnish the solid foundation upon

which we can build the desired new world order whose

parameters have not crystallized as yet.

In the same context, we should encourage interfaith

dialogue. Such a dialogue would bridge the gaps between

the beliefs and concepts of millions of human beings and,

also, would make great strides towards advancing human

development. If achieved, this would limit religious,

sectoral and ethnic conflicts, both internally and amongst

various communities at the international level. Perhaps

there is a window of opportunity now afforded by the end

of the cold war and of ideological and political conflicts.

This could be a rare and historic opportunity to activate

an interfaith dialogue, thus adding a new and valuable

forum to the existing forums of dialogue.

We in Jordan have always advocated interfaith

dialogue as a safe way to combat blind bigotry and

stereotyping. In order to achieve this, and in the midst of

the painful labour that the process of establishing the new

world order is undergoing, we must not marginalize one

billion Muslims, exclude them or eventually drive them

to radicalism. Muslims must be partners in the building of

this new world order and must be actively involved in its

development.

Islam’s bright image is being distorted, which is a

matter of grave concern for us. The pervasive anti-Islamic

phenomenon, based on unjustified generalizations, aims at

tarnishing the good name of Muslims and stigmatizing

them as terrorists and blind extremists, with a view to

totally distorting Islam’s image. This matter must receive

greater attention from this international Organization. One

should not ignore the fact that Islam is an adaptable

civilization, comprising all shades of political opinion and

all kinds of different religious thought, in addition to a

vast, multifaceted human experience. Jordan urges the

Member States of this international Organization to try to

reach a better understanding of Islam as a religion, as a

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culture and as a civilization, and to reject the phenomenon

of antagonism to Islam in all its forms and manifestations.

In conclusion, the road to a world of peace, security

and stability inhabited by democratic societies, a world

whose main goal is to attain the highest level of economic

and social development, is a long and arduous road indeed.

But the achievement of these lofty and noble aims of the

Charter of the United Nations is worthy of our sacrifices,

and requires more serious and sincere action at the

international level.