Lebanon, 1998

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Mr. Opertti on

his election as President of the General Assembly at its

fifty-third session. I would also like to commend the

efforts of his predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko,

whom we recently welcomed to our country.

I should also like to place on record our appreciation

to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. He has been

working tirelessly to promote the authority of the United

Nations, advocating respect for the international

legitimacy for which it stands, especially in the area of

finding peaceful solutions to the explosive conflicts that

are raging in some parts of the world. The international

community has recognized his great achievement when he

succeeded a few months ago in defusing an ominous

military confrontation in the Arab Gulf region. We hope

that this will be followed by similar successes in other

volatile situations plaguing different parts of the world.

The hopes that are pinned on the United Nations

assume a special meaning at this session, which coincides

with the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, an instrument which Lebanon

participated in framing. Today, human rights are a major

pillar of the new world order. Respect for human rights

has become the yardstick by which the democracy

practised in countries is judged. Compliance with the

provisions of the Declaration under all circumstances and

conditions guarantees not only the peace, security and

stability of societies but also the establishment of relations

of cooperation and understanding among States.

The United Nations is duty-bound to enhance its

independence since it was liberated from the impact of

the cold war and of the bipolarity which held sway over

international relations in the post-Second World War era.

Today, it is called upon to reactivate its role in making

and consolidating peace. This task can be achieved

primarily by addressing the root causes of conflicts,

through preventive diplomacy and through various

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technical and development assistance programmes in

various fields.

It is important here to refer to the fact that

international institutions have an important role to play in

providing the developing countries with the necessary

technical assistance. Such assistance will enable them to

take advantage of the accelerated pace of globalization in

the field of trade and finance. It will also give these

countries sufficient time to adapt and get ready to face the

new challenges. This will help many developing countries

avoid the negative effects of surging globalization, given

the inadequacy of their production capabilities and the

absence of a competitive edge. In this regard, Lebanon is

effectively contributing to the establishment of a free trade

zone specifically in the Arab region while continuing its

commitment to the establishment of trade liberalization

worldwide.

On the eve of the twenty-first century, the United

Nations role requires it to fulfil the tasks of reform and

streamlining so that it can keep up with the fast pace of

international relations. Thus the reform measures initiated

by the Secretary-General must be completed. Furthermore,

the reform of the working methods and streamlining of the

Security Council to increase its membership and make it

more representative should also be completed. Once

reformed, different States, particularly small States, will be

enabled to participate in the decision-making process

relevant to the maintenance of international peace and

security.

We commend the efforts that went into the

establishment of the International Criminal Court whose

Statute was recently adopted in Rome. Lebanon supports

the establishment of the Court and is determined to study

its Statute positively.

More than ever before, the international community is

called upon to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes,

especially in extremely sensitive regions of the world. We

need also to address the root causes of the problems and

thereby to defuse the crises before they turn into full-scale

conflagrations.

The time has come to solve pending problems,

particularly those of the Middle East region. For instance,

a settlement must be found to the question of the three

islands in the Gulf disputed by the United Arab Emirates

and Iran. Such a settlement should restore the disputed

islands to their rightful owners and thus promote peace and

stability among the States and the peoples of the region.

If we are truly interested in the promotion of

regional and international peace and security, we must

work in all seriousness to build a world free from

weapons of mass destruction. In this context, we aspire

and call for the establishment of a zone free from nuclear

and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle

East.

Five years ago, I was privileged to stand here before

the General Assembly to speak about Lebanon and about

its commitment to a just and comprehensive peace. From

this very rostrum, I declared that Lebanon is committed

to the principles of democracy, liberty and human rights,

and that it has succeeded in safeguarding these principles

even through its darkest moments.

In this context, reference should be made to

Lebanon?s firm position of condemning terrorism in all its

forms and manifestations including political, cultural and

economic. We condemn terrorism whether sponsored by

States or by individuals. Lebanon condemns attacks

against civilians, embassies and diplomatic missions,

plane hijacking and any other act that jeopardizes the

lives and property of civilians. However, we must stress

the importance of distinguishing between terrorism and

peoples? rights to resist the forces of foreign occupation

in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and

in its successive resolutions adopted by the international

Organization and other fora, especially the Declaration of

the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United

Nations.

Lebanon is fully committed to the role of the United

Nations and is keen on furthering this role and on

safeguarding the equilibrium and integrity of international

relations. We therefore believe that it is important for all

States, large and small, to commit to the principles of

international legitimacy and refrain from undertaking

unilateral measures that are driven solely by narrow

interests and dictated by expediency.

Today, as we reiterate these constant positions of

principle, we can point with confidence to the originality

of our experience in coexistence, which is based on

moderation and tolerance, and our firm belief in both

deserves to be a living model that should be emulated

whenever solutions are sought to the problems of societies

afflicted with wars, racial or factional strife all over the

world. This is particularly true of societies that are trying

to restore civil peace as part of their post-conflict peace-

building efforts.

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Lebanon, with an open and creative society, a society

that is Arab by identity and orientation, has remained united

in territory, population and institutions; Lebanon has

remained a vibrant oasis of goodwill and beneficial

interaction.

As is well known, Lebanon has for the past few years

embarked on a reconstruction plan following a protracted

devastating war. It has been tirelessly working to regain the

prominent cultural and economic position it once held in its

region and in the world, depending on God Almighty, then

on the will and resourcefulness of its own citizens and on

the support of its brothers and the contributions of its

friends all over the world.

Throughout this period of reconstruction, Lebanon

faced difficult circumstances caused first and foremost by

the continued Israeli occupation of parts of its territories

and by the continuity of its devastating attacks against its

villages and peaceful citizens. These attacks have claimed

the lives of many innocent civilians, men, women and

children, and wounded many many more. I am confident

that the international community still remembers very well

the Qana massacre perpetrated by Israel in 1996.

Lebanon has faced a critical stage of its history

through the past few years while implementing the

reconstruction plans. The only parallel to the intensity of

this stage is the determination of the Lebanese people to

face the various challenges on more than one front.

Lebanon has succeeded in regaining the world?s confidence

in its ability to play once more a distinguished and shining

role in the cultural, economic, commercial and financial

fields. Beirut is back to its position as the crossroads of

various cultures and civilizations, a fact attested to by the

many conferences and the regional and international

meetings that were convened there. The United Nations

building that Lebanon has recently completed as the focal

point for United Nations activities in Lebanon and in the

region is proof, if any was needed, of Lebanon?s keen

interest in the return of international organizations to Beirut.

As an indication of international confidence in our

performance, the world financial markets traded in treasury

bonds issued by the Lebanese Government and institutions

of the private sector. This was made possible by the

cooperation between the Lebanese financial institutions and

their international counterparts. It is a demonstration of the

confidence that the world has in the present and future of

the national economy and of the confidence of the Lebanese

themselves in their country and its future.

But to date, Israel has not wanted to meet its

commitments; it has not done what it promised to the

Palestinians and to the international community; it does

not want to resume the negotiations with Lebanon and

with Syria from the point at which they left off.

We invite the institutions of the international

community to play a more effective role in securing

compliance with the resolutions of international

legitimacy. They must bring the necessary pressure to

bear on the aggressor to remove the causes of this conflict

and lay the foundations of a just and comprehensive

peace.

Israel cannot merely pay lip service to peace and

expect to be considered a truly peace-loving State.

Talking about peace is one thing; Israel?s actions on the

ground are another. Israel?s claim that it is a weak

country surrounded by hostile neighbours is one thing;

Israel?s military might, based on weapons of mass

destruction, nuclear weapons and state-of-the-art Western

weaponry, is another. Israel has all those weapons and is

the mightiest Power in the Middle East. But it does not

want to implement or respect the resolutions of

international legitimacy.

We went to the Madrid Peace Conference with the

other Arab parties sincerely hoping to achieve a just,

permanent and comprehensive peace that would end the

continued cycle of violence that has engulfed our region

over the past 50 years. The negotiations on the Palestinian

track remain in a vicious circle, and the repercussions of

Israeli intransigence could very well shatter our hopes for

peace; the negotiations on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks

have come to a complete standstill as a result of the

intransigent position of the Israeli Government.

We reaffirm our permanent commitment to the noble

objective of achieving peace. We have previously

declared that the accomplishment of this goal lies in the

full, immediate and unconditional implementation of

United Nations resolutions. On this occasion, we reiterate

our total rejection of any settlement of Palestinian

refugees in Lebanon. We call upon the international

community to increase its voluntary contributions to the

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine

Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) pending the

implementation of international resolutions relative to

refugees, particularly resolution 194 (III).

As we repeat our commitment to a just,

comprehensive and permanent peace, we declare that we

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in Lebanon and in Syria are ready to resume the

negotiations from where they were stopped. We are ready

to sign a peace treaty with Israel within three months, on

the condition that it withdraws from the South, from the

West Beqaa, and from the Syrian Golan to the lines of 4

June 1967. Peace negotiations aimed at achieving a just and

comprehensive peace — the peace that we always

proclaimed our desire to achieve — can only be

accomplished on the basis of the Madrid terms of reference,

in accordance with the principle of land for peace. These

should be pursued on two parallel, inseparable tracks with

Israel: the Lebanese negotiation track and the Syrian

negotiation track.

The interdependence of the twin tracks was a strategic

decision dictated by the supreme interests of both Lebanon

and Syria. This interdependence enhances the prospects of

a just, permanent and comprehensive peace. We have

previously declared, and we repeat today before this

assembly of nations, that neither Lebanon nor Syria will

sign a separate peace agreement with Israel. Lebanon and

Syria are committed to the resolutions of international

legitimacy. We continue to be committed to peace as a

strategic choice.

Peace as we see it is a peace built on justice, a peace

that will restore usurped rights to their rightful owners fully

and without diminution. Any initiatives that ignore these

principles and bases are nothing more than manoeuvres

predestined to failure. They will only prolong the conflict

with all that this implies in terms of squandering the human

and economic resources of all concerned. They will further

postpone the permanent, just and comprehensive peace

which we still uphold and aspire to. To us, this will always

be the only viable means to achieve the prosperity and

progress of our people and of the other peoples of the

region.

The voices that were recently raised calling for the

establishment of military alliances in the region on the

pretext of confronting certain trends of thought can only be

seen as attempts to bring the region back to the atmosphere

of alliances and confrontation. Time and again, history has

proven these to be harmful to the interests of peoples. They

can only lead to negative results that will obstruct the peace

process.

So long as the Israeli occupation and assaults against

our people continue, we shall continue to uphold our right

to resist occupation and to use all legitimate means to

which peoples who have had to endure the injustices and

evils of occupation have resorted previously. The Lebanese

resistance in southern Lebanon and the West Beqaa is in

pursuit of a legitimate right supported and endorsed by

the entire Lebanese people. The Lebanese people who,

like other peoples whose lands have been occupied, have

been resisting occupation, and appeal to the international

community to spare no effort in helping to secure the

release of its citizens who are incarcerated in Israeli

prisons and in detention camps under Israeli control in the

occupied Lebanese territories. Hundreds of our sons have

been languishing in Israeli jails and detention camps for

years. Some have already served the prison sentences

handed down by Israeli courts, yet are still in custody for

reasons unknown to anyone. Others have been in custody

for years but have not yet been arraigned. Their

incarceration continues under an arbitrary measure that

Israel calls “administrative detention”.

We have been trying to secure the release of all

Lebanese detainees from Israeli jails with the assistance

of friendly and brotherly States and with the active

involvement of the International Committee of the Red

Cross. We appeal to the United Nations and to other

international humanitarian agencies to give this matter

their utmost attention. We also call upon them to plead

with Israel to improve the living conditions of these

prisoners, who live in unbearable, inhumane

circumstances that run counter to international laws and

conventions.

Lebanon finds itself today twice victimized. On the

one hand, it has to endure continued devastating attacks

by Israel, attacks that can be justified only under one

rubric: Israel?s stubborn clinging to its occupation and to

the flimsy pretext of security. On the other hand, Lebanon

sees how the international community is incapable of

doing what it takes to restore its legitimate rights through

compliance with the just resolutions adopted by this

international Organization, in particular Security Council

resolution 425 (1978), which calls for unconditional

Israeli withdrawal from the Lebanese territories. Lebanon,

which for 50 years has dearly paid for the establishment

of Israel, suffers from the double standards which have so

far obstructed the implementation of Security Council

resolution 425 (1978).

The United Nations, which has made continuous

efforts, and whose peacekeeping forces have made the

ultimate sacrifice, in the South, remains the best witness

to the indiscriminate nature and ferocity of the Israeli

attacks against the Lebanese. The United Nations

peacekeeping forces have repeatedly been the direct target

of Israeli bombardment, including the 1996 shelling of the

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headquarters of a battalion of the United Nations Interim

Force in Lebanon, in Qana, which was the scene of a

heinous massacre in which scores of Lebanese lost their

lives. Here we would like to pay tribute to the fallen

soldiers of the United Nations who have died in Lebanon,

victims of Israeli acts of aggression. Lebanon considers

them to be its martyrs too. From this rostrum, we honour

their memory. We salute each and every member of the

United Nations peacekeeping Force stationed in Lebanon.

We express special thanks and appreciation to the friendly

States that have contributed troops to that Force. On the

occasion of the departure of the Norwegian battalion that

has worked in Lebanon for over two decades, allow me to

express, on behalf of the people and the Government of

Lebanon, our thanks and gratitude to the Norwegian people

and Government for their enduring commitment to and

participation in the Force. Many members of the Norwegian

battalion sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

Lebanon has the right to demand that the international

community and the United Nations, which represents

international legitimacy, should make every effort to secure

Israel?s compliance with international resolutions and its

withdrawal from its territories.

Lebanon, which believes in peace, will work with its

brothers to consolidate this peace and make it a foundation

for a new life in the Middle East region. Achieving this

noble objective will not only translate just resolutions into

tangible action, but it will also further the confidence of

small States and nations in an authority that will guarantee

their rights, their very existence and their future.

In conclusion, I would like to address the Israeli

people to tell them that the Arabs, specifically Lebanon and

Syria, have taken a strategic decision, namely the peace

option, which is the difficult choice. This is the strategic

option which we uphold and for which we work in the

interest of the future of our nation and that of our children.

For peace to be realized, Israel also has to follow suit for

the sake of the future of its children. Peace requires courage

and a broad vision of the future. Lebanon and Syria have

made their choice. Will Israel make the same choice?