Oman, 1997

Mr. President, at the outset allow me to take this

opportunity to congratulate you on your election to preside

over the work of this, the fifty-second session of the

General Assembly. Your unanimous election reflects the

active role of your country, Ukraine, with which my

country, the Sultanate of Oman, enjoys relations of

friendship and cooperation. We are fully confident that your

diplomatic capabilities and skills will stand you in good

stead in managing the work of the Assembly at its present

session. My delegation assures you of its fullest cooperation

in making this session a success and in achieving its

desired objectives.

I would also like to pay special tribute to Ambassador

Razali Ismail of friendly Malaysia for his successful and

constructive efforts in steering the work of the General

Assembly at its previous session.

By the same token, I wish to stress our continued

support for the genuine efforts of the Secretary-General of

the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, in restructuring the

United Nations and in revitalizing its role in all areas of

endeavours.

Owing to the arbitrary policy of the current Israeli

Government since it came to power in late May of last

year, the peace process in the middle East is going

through a difficult phase. The rigidity of the Israeli

Government has manifested itself in the non-

implementation of what had been agreed upon with the

Palestinian National Authority in Oslo and in its non-

recognition of the land-for-peace formula, a principle on

which the whole of the Madrid Conference was built and

a measure which was accepted by all the parties as a

foundation for reaching a just and lasting peace.

Israel’s failure to comply in good faith with its

international commitments and its continuation of building

settlements in occupied Arab Jerusalem and other

occupied Palestinian territories have resulted in the

disruption of the peace process. Therefore, we fully

understand the awesome responsibility that falls on the

two sponsors of the peace process. We are confident that

they, as well as other peace-supporting nations,

particularly those of the European Union, are capable of

narrowing the existing chasm between the Government of

Israel and the Government of the Palestinian National

Authority on the basis of justice and equity that will

produce substantial progress which will restore a climate

of trust and cooperation between the Israeli and

Palestinian Governments and that will renew hope once

more among the fraternal people of Palestine as well as

among the people of Israel for life in peace and harmony.

My delegation wishes to recall that the status of

Jerusalem was one of those issues that were agreed to be

deferred to the final stage of negotiations. However, the

measures being taken by the Israeli Government in

Jerusalem and its vicinity totally run counter to what was

agreed upon in Madrid in 1991.

We therefore call upon the international community to

express solidarity with the Government of the Palestinian

National Authority in resisting these Israeli policies which

lead to more tension, violence and bloodshed.

Proceeding from its conviction of the importance of

the peace process in the Middle East and the need to

contribute to giving it impetus for further progress, my

country, the Sultanate of Oman, has actively participated in

supporting that process. It continues to adhere to the goals

of establishing peace in the Middle East in accordance with

the relevant resolutions and agreements which have been

concluded. Therefore, we demand that those agreements be

implemented, since peace is an imperative, and is in the

interests of all peoples in the region, ridding them of all

forms of repression, terror, poverty, and hunger.

The Sultanate of Oman reaffirms its solidarity with the

fraternal people of Palestine and supports the peaceful

position of the Government of the Palestinian National

Authority, which aims at Israeli withdrawal from the

Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

We call upon the international community to enhance

the peace process by providing its support to the

Government of the Palestinian National Authority, both

materially and psychologically, thus enabling it to establish

the foundations for stability and security in the Palestinian

territories and to build the necessary infrastructures for the

Palestinian economy, which is an important factor that will

safeguard what has been achieved and what we hope will

be achieved in the future.

We also call upon the people of Israel and all political

actors in that country to promote and defend the peace

process. We also reject all forms of terror, repression and

fear, which have had an adverse impact on the national

interests of all the peoples in the region, including Israel

itself.

We reaffirm the desire of Syria to establish a just and

comprehensive peace, a desire it has always reiterated in all

international forums. We support the Syrian position calling

for the resumption of the negotiations with the current

Israeli Government from where they ended with the

previous Israeli Government, based on full and complete

Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan to the

boundaries prior to 4 June 1967, with the concomitant

mutual obligations to guarantee the establishment of a just

and comprehensive peace between Syria and Israel and in

the region at large.

We would also like to reaffirm the importance of

Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories

to internationally recognized borders, in accordance with

Security Council resolution 425 (1978). The world has

witnessed the increased tension between Israel and

Lebanon over the past two years, which has inflicted

tremendous financial losses on the Lebanese economy,

not to mention the killing of innocent civilians and the

spread of terror and destruction, which is a natural result

of the continuation of Israel’s occupation of a part of

Lebanese territory.

The phenomena of violence and terrorism that target

the lives of innocents require strengthened international

efforts and a firmer will to stand against these heinous

acts. In this regard, I reiterate my country’s condemnation

of these phenomena and its absolute rejection of all forms

of violence and terrorism. We call on the international

community to coordinate its efforts to put an end to these

acts and to guarantee that those who commit or advocate

such crimes be brought to justice.

With regard to the situation between the United

Nations and Iraq, we believe that the implementation of

resolution 986 (1995) and its further extension are

important steps that deserve the acknowledgement and the

commendation of the international community, for it will

alleviate some of the sufferings endured by the brotherly

people of Iraq. My country has welcomed this and

expresses its satisfaction that the cooperation between Iraq

and the Special Commission is being built on a

foundation of trust that will certainly enable its new

Chairman, Ambassador Richard Butler, to submit an

appropriate final report on the future of the economic

sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Despite these encouraging indicators between the

United Nations and Iraq, some fundamental issues remain

that have yet to register any progress, particularly the

question of Kuwaiti prisoners and detainees of other

nationalities, and the return of Kuwaiti properties. This

question is of particular importance and we would

reaffirm here the urgent need for the United Nations to

make greater efforts and to establish further contacts with

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Iraq with the aim of putting this issue to rest, since it is

largely related to humanitarian and social matters.

My country attaches primary importance to the peace

and security of the Gulf region, cooperation and coexistence

among its nations and peoples in accordance with the

principles of international law, peaceful neighbourly

relations, mutual respect and non-interference in each

other’s internal affairs. On this understanding, we have

been striving, in the context of the combined efforts of the

Gulf Cooperation Council, to solve all disputes and sources

of tension, whatever they may be, between the countries of

the region through dialogue and peaceful means. Thus, the

question of Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb and Abu Musa

islands constitutes a dispute that might jeopardize the peace

and stability which we are seeking. In this regard, we

support all efforts aimed at solving this question through

direct peaceful dialogue and legal means between the

concerned parties, the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic

Republic of Iran, in a manner that will safeguard

neighbourly relations, stability, security and peace in the

region.

With regard to the situation in Somalia, my country

applauds the efforts recently made by Egypt that led to the

signing of an agreement between the leaders of the Somali

factions. We call on those factions to pursue the peace

dialogue among them in order to attain Somali national

unity. We call upon the United Nations to render concrete

support to Egypt’s efforts to help the Somali factions to

implement their national programme.

My country has continuously supported international

efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and

security. In this regard, my country’s announcement at the

previous session of the General Assembly of its accession

to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

(NPT) emphasizes our policy, which was followed by other

steps represented by its deposit of the instrument of

ratification in early 1997 and its initiation of negotiations

with the International Atomic Energy Agency to finalize a

safeguards agreement, in accordance with our obligations as

set down in the Treaty.

The Sultanate of Oman, while taking this historic step,

certainly hopes to bestow more strength and credibility on

the Treaty, which it considers to be the most important

multilateral disarmament treaty, by encouraging all

countries that have not yet joined the NPT to do so. In this

regard, we call on Israel in particular to expedite its

accession to the Treaty and to place all its nuclear facilities

under international supervision, which we believe will

create an atmosphere of trust and confidence and limit the

level of armament in the Middle East — a move that

would bring about just and permanent peace to the region.

The Chemical Weapon Convention is no doubt an

important multilateral disarmament treaty prohibiting a

whole category of weapons of mass destruction amenable

to verification measures. All of us have an obligation to

uphold these measures for the benefit and welfare of

humanity at large. In order to avoid a similar fate for the

NPT, we believe that all nations should accede to it.

Preserving the universality and comprehensive nature of

this Treaty should constitute one of the highest goals on

the international community’s list of priorities.

At a time when the international community is

preparing to enter the twenty-first century, the African

continent continues to suffer the blight of endless,

successive wars. These wars have taken the lives of

hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and created

more than 6 million refugees and about 12 million

displaced persons in the continent.

We add our voice to those who have called on the

African nations within areas of conflict to exert every

possible effort, including regular negotiations, to provide

an environment conducive to national reconciliation

among the warring factions and to enable the refugees to

return securely to their lands through safe passages.

My country supports the United Nations role in

coordinating worldwide efforts — through international

donor agencies, the regional efforts represented by the

work of the Organization of African Unity, and countries

that border those areas of conflict — aimed at achieving

progress and development for the individual in Africa,

who has and continues to suffer from deprivation, despair,

poverty, natural disasters and other man-made

catastrophes.

The environment is a gift from God, the Almighty,

to man. Its preservation is a collective responsibility

which is not limited by political boundaries. This fact has

been proven repeatedly. Therefore, wherever man lives,

he should do his share to protect the environment and to

treat it with wisdom and logic, and be aware of the

diverse causes of pollution. We are called upon to commit

ourselves constantly to the implementation of Agenda 21

and its principles declared at the Earth Summit. Such

actions and principles constitute the foundation upon

which a global partnership and a collective responsibility

have been erected. Their goal is to end poverty and

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hunger and to prevent a decline in health standards and the

degradation of environmental systems. All of these are

necessary preconditions to obtaining sustainable

development, which is the only option open to humanity

that guarantees the future of coming generations and offers

prosperity and progress to the present ones.

The Sultanate of Oman has prepared a national

strategy to protect the environment that aims at achieving

balanced and sustainable development, a strategy that would

treat economic, social and environmental considerations on

an equal footing. My country has also prepared a national

plan to combat desertification in the Sultanate in due

implementation of the United Nations Convention to

Combat Desertification. Furthermore, the Sultanate has

established an integrated network of natural reserves

throughout the country that will accord with the objectives

of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Sultanate of

Oman has supported various environmental bodies,

introducing new legislation and updating old environmental

laws in order to meet the requirements of environmental

protection from the dangers of pollution resulting from

diverse development activities with a view to guaranteeing

the full implementation of regional and international

environmental agreements. It has also declared every 8

January as Omani Day of the Environment.

On the regional level, the Sultanate of Oman, in its

efforts to implement the recommendations that stem from

the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by

Dumping Wastes and Other Matter from ships at sea, has

declared its intention to build a bunkering port for ships on

its shores in preparation for their adoption in other

countries of the Gulf region.

On the international level, the Sultan Qaboos Prize for

Environmental Preservation, set up by UNESCO, is a true

testimony to the effort by the Sultanate of Oman and its

leader to translate the concept of collective responsibility

for environmental protection into a practical reality.

Protecting the environment and striking a balance between

the needs of development and the environment form a

cornerstone of the declared policy of the Sultanate of

Oman. My country looks forward to complementing its

effort with that of the international community in the areas

of training, transfer of technology and exchange of

information and to getting acquainted with the latest

modern techniques and scientific discoveries in the

environmental field. In this regard, we call on the

international community, in particular the developed

countries, to provide the necessary financial and technical

resources to rescue our planet and its natural resources.

Since the individual is the centre of development and

the moving force behind the renaissance of modern Oman

and is the real support of all development operations, the

Sultanate of Oman, as of the inception of its modern

development, has focused its attention on improving the

welfare of Omani citizens.

In the social domain, the national plans for the

development of the family and of women have been

accorded the highest priority. Our social development

plans accord special attention to issues relating to the

family and to projects that aim at providing the best care

for women and children. The efforts of the Government

in this regard have culminated in the establishment of

women’s rehabilitation centres in different parts of the

Sultanate. These centres aim to develop women’s

potential and to promote their cultural and social standing.

Moreover, the Government has played its part by

introducing new laws and legislation that are geared to

achieve social security for the family in cases of old age,

disability and handicap, in order to allow those with

disabilities to be reintegrated in society and to rehabilitate

them for participation in society’s development.

The Government has also established development

plans for women and children with a view to their

preparation for the future through setting up women’s

organizations based on volunteerism and through

launching children’s social services in remote and rural

areas of the country.

In this regard, we are happy to note that international

agencies such as the United Nations Children’s Fund

(UNICEF), have praised the efforts of the Government. In

its report entitled The Progress of Nations 1997, UNICEF

illustrated the accomplishments achieved by the Sultanate

of Oman in child protection and the country’s

commitment to ensuring the rights of the child through its

accession in 1996 to the Convention on the Rights of the

Child. The Sultanate of Oman is the number-one country

in the world in terms of reducing infant under-five

mortality by 74 per cent between 1980 and 1995. The

report notes:

“The proportion of children who reach their

fifth birthday is one of the most fundamental

indicators of a country’s concern for its people.

Child survival statistics are a poignant indicator of

the priority given to the services that help a child to

flourish: adequate supplies of nutritious food, the

availability of high-quality health care and easy

access to safe water and sanitation facilities, as well

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as the family’s overall economic condition and the

health and status of women in the community.” [See

The Progress of Nations 1997, page 28]

The UNICEF report for the year 1994 also notes that,

based on the 1992 indicators, the Sultanate of Oman ranked

as the number-two nation in the Middle East and North

Africa region in terms of girls’ enrolment in primary

education.

Recently, the achievement of modern development in

the Sultanate of Oman has culminated in the significant

achievement of the introduction of the Basic Law of the

State, which is considered a milestone in the Sultanate’s

modern history. Other serious steps are also under way to

strengthen the participation of women in the legislature, the

Majlis Al-Shura.

On the economic level, achieving balance and stability

in macroeconomics and encouraging private enterprise in a

competitive and free environment constitute the future

vision that will guide the Omani economy for the next 25

years.

We believe that the reaffirmation of the previously

mentioned Basic Law of the State and the adherence to

these principles will be the guiding factor in the country’s

policy of openness that should engender confidence in our

economy and create the necessary conditions for

investments.

In the area of diversifying the sources of its national

revenue, the Sultanate of Oman is in the process of

implementing several other major projects that are expected

to capitalize on its natural gas discoveries and reserves. In

this respect, we would like to note in particular that the

liquefied natural gas project should begin operation with the

first shipment in the year 2000. Work has also begun on

building the container port in Raysút, in the south of the

Sultanate, with a view to its becoming a regional and

international port. It is our hope that this port will serve as

a regional focal point for exporters and transitional trade.

In addition to these efforts, the Omani Government is

in the process of implementing various privatization

projects through careful study. It is also updating its tax and

investment laws in accordance with the new spirit of global

partnership prevailing throughout the world.

In accord with this global partnership, the Sultanate of

Oman has adopted important measures to implement the

necessary requirements for its membership in the World

Trade Organization (WTO). It is our fervent hope that these

measures will be finalized in order to allow Oman to

assume its rightful place in the organization in the near

future. Here I would like to recall that, in compliance

with the guidelines of the WTO in the area of intellectual

property, Oman has completed the formal procedures for

becoming a member of the World Intellectual Property

Organization (WIPO). In this vein, the Convention signed

at Stockholm on 14 July 1967 has been in force in Oman

as of 19 February 1997.

On the regional plane, the economic cooperation

among the States members of the GCC is being

strengthened every day. Moreover, there is agreement

among them with regard to international treaties and

organizations. The member States of the GCC are

seriously striving to join the WTO. Coordination between

the GCC and other regional and international economic

groupings is something that ought to be noted here as

well.

The Sultanate of Oman adheres to a free-market

economy and vigorously promotes foreign investments.

And in this regard, it has introduced various incentives,

created the appropriate environment and enacted flexible

legislation in order to eliminate all the barriers and

impediments that might stand in the way of attracting

foreign investors and protecting their rights.

Based on this conviction, given our national

economic strategies and in response to international

developments that attest to the importance of economic

groupings, the Sultanate of Oman participated in the first

Ministerial Meeting for the formal launching of the Indian

Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-

ARC) which was held in Mauritius in March 1997. As a

result of many years’ work, in which my country had the

honour to initiate and take part in formative meetings, the

Indian Ocean Rim Economic Association was officially

established. This has paved the way for its members to

work together towards strengthening economic and trade

cooperation between them in one of the important regions

of the world in accordance with the goals and objectives

enshrined in the Association’s charter. These goals

include increasing economic linkages, cooperation and

interdependence between the member States and their

peoples. Besides working with the private and academic

sector, members of the Indian Ocean Rim Economic

Association are working towards establishing stronger ties

in the areas of technical and scientific cooperation and

also promoting the exchange of investment opportunities

and mutual economic benefits.

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We welcome the national-level initiatives to set up

programmes to pay arrears to the United Nations. The

adoption of such measures will revitalize the work of the

Organization in all areas, particularly in those areas relating

to organization, administration and finance. This should

strengthen the performance of the Organization in the years

1998 and 1999 in accordance with the practical framework

established by the General Assembly. At the same time, we

urge all States to refrain from setting conditions for the

United Nations during the payment of their late dues. Such

conditions ignore the will and interests of the international

community, and are characterized as focusing entirely on

short-term national interests of the States involved. Such

conditions could lead to the further escalation of old and

existing tensions in the world, until appropriate solutions

for their radical elimination are found. Here we advocate

caution and deliberateness in connection with the

elimination of some of the United Nations missions — such

as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization,

presently stationed in Jerusalem, and the United Nations

Interim Force in Lebanon. These cutbacks might have

negative political and legal implications.

Through the United Nations the international

community has proved its ability to renew its determination

and muster the necessary political will for serious collective

work and cooperation in fostering international peace and

security. In this regard the Organization has shouldered

huge responsibilities and faced complex challenges in its

efforts to restructure its system for the next millennium

through the adoption of less costly and more effective

mechanisms for attaining the desired goals.

In our view, after all the debates and deliberations in

the General Assembly, the time has now come to have a

final vision of how to expand the Security Council and to

restructure it, that Council being the most important

political body charged with the maintenance of international

peace and security. While bearing in mind the global

economic and political realities, which cannot be ignored,

the reforms should be of a holistic nature, based on equality

among nations and equitable geographic distribution. There

is also the need to establish democracy in the work and

decision-making of the Security Council. The Council’s

work also encompasses the development of an actual and

precise picture of the new international order, which should

be characterized by justice, security and peace.