Jordan, 2002

I wish

at the outset to extend to you, Sir, and to your friendly

country, the Czech Republic, warm congratulations on

your election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its fifty-seventh session. Your record of

prudence and diplomatic skill will certainly be

instrumental in meeting the lofty goals sought by all

nations and peoples. A word of thanks and tribute goes

to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Han

Seung-soo, for his outstanding stewardship of the fifty-

sixth session.

Two States are being admitted to the membership

of our Organization: the Swiss Confederation and,

soon, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Despite

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their differing histories, each will strengthen the fabric

and enrich the tapestry of the United Nations. Jordan

bids a warm welcome to both of them and wishes them

well.

The opening of the current session coincided with

the first anniversary of the heinous terrorist attacks

against New York City, Washington, D.C., and

Pennsylvania. As I reiterate Jordan's condemnation of

those terrorist acts, let me express once again our deep

condolences and sympathy to the families of the

thousands of victims who lost their lives as a result of

the cowardly and criminal acts that targeted our

Organization's host city and host nation. The list of

victims is multinational, multi-ethnic, multi-religious

and multicultural. That graphically illustrates the fact

that terrorism is indeed blind to all those criteria. The

international community rose to the occasion when it

provided a prompt, collective, decisive response.

Indeed, it was the United Nations itself that provided

the forum for a global coalition underpinned by both

our common political will and the compelling case

before us. Thus, the Assembly adopted resolution 56/1,

while the Security Council adopted its resolutions 1368

(2001) and 1373 (2001). That set of decisions,

embraced by our world body, which represents all

human cultures, ideologies and ethnicities, created the

official platform for launching the ongoing global

campaign against terrorism.

My country, Jordan, has also suffered from

terrorism and its evils. Terrorists have struck at our

national symbols, our citizens and our interests because

of our principled positions, foremost among them our

firm commitment to fight terrorism. All along, Jordan

has been in the vanguard of every international effort

aimed at hunting down this plague and confronting it,

including by draining its resources as part of an overall

drive to uproot it altogether.

In parallel, Jordan's stance is clear-cut and

decisive. We reject and condemn terrorism in all its

forms and manifestations. We have declared in no

uncertain terms this firm conviction against terrorism,

irrespective of its source, the perpetrators or the

identity of the victims. Furthermore, we allow no room

for any justification whatsoever, including any possible

arguments on religious, ethnic or national grounds.

Thus, Jordan treats all forms of terrorism as criminal

acts.

In the same context, let me stress our conviction

that the eradication of terrorism is a common goal of

all States and societies. I wish therefore to draw the

Assembly's attention to the blatant tendency, driven by

pernicious and wicked intentions, to falsely link

terrorism to a specific religion or culture. I trust that

this gathering shares my view that it is now imperative

to confront these dubious attempts. Indeed, dealing

with such schemes is indispensable if we are to

maintain the sustained and concerted campaign to

achieve the paramount objective: the total eradication

of terrorism.

The current situation in the Middle East is

extremely dangerous. The whole landscape is

constantly changing for the worse, especially in the

occupied Palestinian territories. Israel's reoccupation

of the Palestinian Authority's territories and the

perpetuation of this occupation, together with the

measures and policies emanating thereof, particularly

policies of closure and siege, have created intolerable

living conditions for the Palestinian people. These

unbearable conditions have prompted several

humanitarian agencies and international organs to

declare a state of emergency. Israeli measures to

strangle the Palestinian people economically and

politically, with a view to bringing the Palestinians to

their knees and to coercing them into surrendering their

rights, have reached inadmissible levels of seriousness.

Malnutrition rates among the Palestinian population

have doubled. Diseases related to malnutrition and

hunger have become widespread, particularly among

children, women and the elderly. The joint impact of all

these factors has created breeding grounds for

frustration and despair, which inevitably generate

hatred, grudges and violence.

Therefore, this situation must be addressed

effectively and expeditiously. We hope that the first

move will come from Israel in the form of ending its

occupation of Palestinian towns without delay. We also

expect Israel to cease forthwith its policies of closures

and siege. It is in Israel's interest to pursue

constructive policies towards the Palestinians in order

to restore mutual confidence and to rehabilitate the

values of reconciliation and coexistence between the

two peoples. It is our considered view that Israel's

current approach is irrational, as it results in excessive

use of force, which in turn fuels and deepens hatred

and replenishes the sources of violence.

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While we welcome the few visible signs of relief,

as reflected in the accord reached by the Palestinian

and Israeli sides on 19 August 2002, which calls for

progressive withdrawal by Israel from certain

Palestinian towns that have been reoccupied by Israel,

we call on Israel to implement faithfully and

expeditiously Security Council resolution 1402 (2002),

which provides for full Israeli withdrawal from all

Palestinian cities.

From a political and humanitarian point of view,

Jordan stands against targeting Israeli civilians and

concurs with the need to address the whole spectrum of

security issues. However, it maintains that the only

viable course for addressing the Palestinian-Israeli

question lies in the resumption of the peace process as

a whole, from the point where it stalled and within the

agreed framework established on the basis of complete

Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied

since 1967, including the Palestinian, Syrian and

Lebanese territories; the establishment of an

independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as

its capital, pursuant to relevant Security Council

resolutions, particularly 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 425

(1978) and 1397 (2002).

In that context, I wish to stress the significance of

the initiative adopted by the Arab leaders at the Beirut

Arab Summit last March. That initiative outlined a

balanced approach in terms of practical ideas and

arguments that demonstrate beyond any doubt a

genuine pan-Arab commitment to just, lasting and

comprehensive peace. That plan is a pledge by Arab

States to conclude peace agreements with Israel in

return for its complete withdrawal from the Palestinian,

Syrian and Lebanese territories to the 4 June 1967

borders, the establishment of an independent

Palestinian State with East Jerusalem its capital and

finding a just and agreed solution to the Palestinian

refugees question on the basis of the relevant United

Nations resolutions.

I trust that the Government of Israel will rise to

the level of the hopes and aspirations of the Arab

peoples and the people of Israel to live in peace, justice

and dignity. We hope that the Government of Israel will

be forthcoming in response to that balanced and sincere

initiative, which gained the acceptance of all States and

parties interested in the peace process. Furthermore,

this initiative is also in line with the vision and the

commitment outlined by President George W. Bush of

the United States on the form and aim of a final

solution on the Palestinian-Israeli track based on the

establishment of an independent Palestinian state

existing alongside the State of Israel by mid-2005 at

the latest.

In that regard, Jordan supports efforts being made

to draw up a clear road map leading to the

implementation of President Bush's commitment

through, first, defining the obligations of both the

Palestinian and Israeli sides; secondly, setting a clear

timetable for all phases of carrying out those

obligations so that the deadline for the birth of the

independent Palestinian State will not, under any

circumstances, extend beyond mid-2005; and, thirdly,

agreeing to the creation of an international supervisory

mechanism that ensures the timely and orderly

implementation of those measures as well as

monitoring the implementation process.

We hope that this vision will be examined at the

Quartet meeting in New York within the next few days,

with a view to adopting it into a plan of action and a

comprehensive international obligation. Subsequently,

the parties will embark on the implementation process

within the specified framework, whose outcome will be

the establishment of an independent Palestinian State

within less than three years. We also hope that this

achievement will generate a fresh impetus to conclude

comprehensive peace on the Syrian-Israeli and

Lebanese-Israeli tracks within the same time frame.

In compliance with the United Nations principles

enshrined in the Charter, particularly Article 2,

paragraph 4, which prohibits the threat or use of force

in international relations, and considering that this right

is exclusively assigned to the Security Council so that

the Council may exercise it in case of a breach of

international peace and security, Jordan believes that

the most appropriate means for resolving the matters

outstanding between the United Nations and Iraq is to

ensure the immediate and full implementation of all

relevant Security Council resolutions, including those

relating to Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons as

well as to the return of the weapons inspectors. If these

conditions are met, the people of Iraq, who have been

suffering for too long, would be saved from military

action that would exacerbate that suffering. The

aforementioned formula would also spare the entire

region the dire consequences of military operations.

In the context of emphasizing the principle of

resolving disputes by peaceful means, we invite the

Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the call made by

the United Arab Emirates to reach a peaceful

settlement of the problem of the three islands. We urge

Iran to accept referral of this case to the International

Court of Justice. We also encourage the efforts made

by the two sides in Cyprus to reach a just and peaceful

solution to the Cypriot question. We also call for the

peaceful resolution of the dispute between India and

Pakistan over Kashmir. We have no doubt that the

Assembly will support and strengthen those efforts.

Jordan recognizes the nature of the

transformations that have taken place in international

relations and the global landscape over the past decade.

Thus, we stress the need for the United Nations to

adapt accordingly, through effective streamlining, so

that it will maintain its relevance as the primary

international forum of global cooperation and

coordination in all human fields. A robust United

Nations would also remain the true embodiment of the

hopes and the aspirations of all mankind.

Here, I wish to pay special tribute to Secretary-

General Kofi Annan for the foresight, dynamism and

flexibility he brings into play while performing his

duties. Those fine personal qualities enhance his

impressive performance, which Jordan supports and

appreciates.

In closing, I would like to warmly welcome the

establishment of the International Criminal Court and

the entry into force of its Statute. Our expectation is

that the Court will enhance the great principles and

purposes of the United Nations itself. Let me underline

our absolute support for all efforts aimed at

strengthening and revitalizing the United Nations

system, including the ongoing structural reform

exercise and the review of Security Council

membership with a view to its expansion in order to

make it more representative of the new international

realities. Finally, I wish the Assembly all success in its

deliberations.