Morocco, 2012

His Majesty King Mohammed VI asked me to

convey his appreciation and respect, and I am pleased

to read my speech at the sixty-seventh session of the

General Assembly.

First, I would like to warmly congratulate Mr. Vuk

Jeremić, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-

seventh session, on his election. That election is a mark

of esteem for the friendly country of Serbia as much as

it is a recognition of the vast diplomatic experience he

brings to the presidency.

I also would like to commend Mr. Jeremić’s

predecessor, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President

of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, on

his efforts and achievements during the past year.

Similarly, I would like to commend Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon for his untiring action and his

keen desire to tackle crises. I applaud his initiatives

aimed at enabling the United Nations to rise to the

growing challenges facing our world.

Sweeping changes are affecting today’s

international arena. They include, in particular, a

protracted global economic crisis that has various

implications and consequences. There are also a growing

number of hotbeds of tension, political disputes and

armed conflicts, as well as complex global challenges

that exceed the capabilities of individual States, such

as achieving sustainable development, protecting the

environment, ensuring respect for human rights and

fighting against the growing scourge of international

terrorism and all forms of organized crime.

Given the current changes in the world, we, the

States Members of the United Nations, ought to provide

the Organization with the means it needs to tackle those

challenges. To that end, we must expand the scope of

the Organization’s actions and revitalize its approach,

while preserving its principles and purposes, so as to

make it an active player in ensuring effective political

governance and an instrument for equitable economic

governance.

The Kingdom of Morocco fully backs the decision

to give special importance to resolving disputes by

peaceful means. My country applauds the General

Assembly’s decision to make the strengtheing of the

foremost principle in the Charter of the United Nations

the key objective of the current session.

Achieving international peace and security remains

the core historic mission entrusted to the United Nations.

The tens of thousands of United Nations peacekeepers

serving throughout the world to protect civilians and

working to bring about the right conditions for political

dialogue between the concerned parties clearly attest to

the vital role played by our Organization in that regard.

The Kingdom of Morocco takes pride in being one

of the first States to have contributed to peacekeeping

operations under the United Nations banner. So far,

my country has sent more than 50,000 members of

the Royal Armed Forces to places around the world to

serve in promoting the lofty objectives of the United

Nations. Morocco will remain committed to managing

crises and will support efforts to promote preventive

diplomacy.

The experience gained by the United Nations in

conflict-affected countries points to the importance

of securing smooth, systematic transition from peace

restoration to peace consolidation. That requires, above

all, a prompt response to the pressing needs raised by

current developments and threats. Otherwise, the threat

of a return to violence and partition will continue to

hang over the countries and regions concerned.

During the past year, the African continent has seen

a serious deterioration in the situation on the continent,

particularly in the Sahel and the Sahara regions, owing

to criminal, terrorist and separatist activities, which

now threaten the stability of the countries concerned.

Our sister nation, the Republic of Mali, is

confronted with a situation that threatens the country

and its national unity and territorial integrity. Despite

the sincere efforts exerted by countries in the region,

including Morocco and the Economic Community of

West African States, the contribution of the United

Nations is also needed in order to achieve national

consensus, overcome the political crisis and confront

separatist activities in the north. Only an independent,

focused effort on the part of the United Nations can

help achieve those objectives. I should like, in that

respect, to reiterate to our brothers in Mali Morocco’s

commitment to continue to provide them with aid and active support for the success of the political process

and the preservation of their country’s national unity

and territorial integrity.

At the same time, the Kingdom of Morocco lauds

the notable progress made in several parts of Africa,

especially in the sister nations of Côte d’Ivoire and

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, towards the

promotion of national reconciliation and a return to

political normalcy. Moreover, Morocco reiterates

its firm commitment to pursuing cooperation and

solidarity programmes with various African sister

nations, using efficient, dy!аmic approaches to South-

South cooperation for the benefit of African citizens.

The changes witnessed in the Arab region reflect

the will of the peoples involved to build democratic

societies where human rights are respected and where

citizens enjoy equal opportunities and a dignified life.

The peoples in the sister nations of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt

and Yemen have ushered in a new era and have made

great headway towards a democratic transition, despite

a complex and tumultuous political environment, a

fact that makes it incumbent upon the international

community to provide support and assistance to those

countries to deal with the constraints and difficulties

that they face.

It is, on the other hand, most regrettable that the

Syrian people are each day paying a daily price in

blood for their freedom. They yearn for the kind of

democratic change that would enable each component

of the Syrian population to contribute to achieving the

desired change. Morocco, as the only Arab country

sitting on the Security Council, has significantly

contributed to mobilizing international support for the

League of Arab States’ initiatives and resolutions. We

call for concerted efforts and decisive action to compel

the Syrian regime to put an end to the violence. We

also call for a political transition process that would

allow for the full spectrum of opinions to be heard,

the aspirations of the Syrian people to be fulfilled, and

Syria’s national unity and territorial integrity, as well

as for stability in the entire region, to be ensured.

At the same time, it is necessary to raise the financial

resources required to meet the needs of refugees

in neighbouring countries and those of internally

displaced persons, as well as to ease the suffering of

our Syrian brothers and put an end to their tragedy. In

that regard, Morocco continues to show its solidarity by providing medical services on a daily basis to Syrian

refugees in the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The rapid developments in the Arab region must

not distract us from the fundamental, longstanding

challenge of resolving the Palestinian issue. In

that regard, the Kingdom of Morocco calls for the

mobilization of international support to back the steps

taken by the Palestinian National Authority to secure

non-member State status. At the same time, my country

is of the view that negotiations are the best way for the

Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national

rights and to set up an independent, fully viable and

geographically contiguous Palestinian State, living side

by side with Israel, in peace and security. I therefore look

forward to seeing the international community change

its approach to resolving that crisis by reconsidering

its intervention mechanisms and work methods in order

to ensure that direct negotiations are resumed very

soon and in the best possible circumstances, under the

auspices and with the commitment of the inf luential

Powers.

That cannot be achieved if the fait accompli

policy is allowed to continue. In that regard and in my

capacity as Chair of the Al-Quds Committee, I have

strongly condemned the Israeli plan for the Judaization

of occupied East Jerusalem, as well as the Israeli plans

to wipe out the city’s spiritual and cultural identity

and change its demographic and urban features. Let

me reaffirm, in that regard, that there can be no peace

without East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent

Palestinian state.

Steadfast in its belief in the importance and

effectiveness of joint regional action, the Kingdom

of Morocco has undertaken initiatives and bilateral

contacts to inject fresh momentum into the Arab

Maghreb Union. Indeed, my country believes that such

a strategic, inclusive regional bloc is urgently needed;

not only does it meet the legitimate aspirations of our

peoples, but it is also necessitated by the security and

development challenges facing the five Maghreb States.

In a bid to overcome obstacles that might hinder the

realization of that Maghreb ambition, the Kingdom of

Morocco has contributed in a sincere, dedicated manner

to negotiations aimed at finding a realistic, mutually

acceptable political solution to the artificial regional

dispute over the Moroccan Sahara — a solution that

would guarantee the Kingdom’s national unity and

territorial integrity, allow for reunification to take place, and respect the characteristics of the region’s

populations.

Morocco remains committed and willing to

negotiate on the basis of the principles established and

repeatedly reaffirmed by the Security Council, as well

as the autonomy initiative, which the international

community has deemed serious, realistic and credible.

Morocco will also continue to cooperate constructively

with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in

Western Sahara, on the basis of the mandate entrusted

to it by the Security Council — a mandate that will not

change in any way; neither in form nor substance.

I cannot conclude without referring to the need for

collective, effective and concerted action against all

forms of extremism, hatred, xenophobia, provocation

and rejection of those different from us and the

undermining of their beliefs, for whatever reason and

in whichever form. Given the increase in appalling

acts of that kind, often with tragic consequences, I

believe national efforts to tackle them must be part of

a concerted international strategy that should take into

account existing constructive initiatives, build on the

mobilization of all United Nations bodies, be based on

clear commitments, and encourage law-making and the

dissemination of national and regional best practices in

that area.

It is up to us as Member States to provide the

necessary means and to reiterate our political will to

support the Organization and reform its structures and

intervention mechanisms. The aim is to enhance its

effectiveness in terms of achieving peace and security

and promoting cooperation, while enabling it to fulfil

its indispensable mission of furthering tolerance and

coexistence, for the benefit of all mankind.