Saudi Arabia, 1982

113. Sheikh ALHEGELAN (Saudi Arabia) I wish at the outset to

convey to you, Sir, our sincere congratulations on your well-deserved

election to the presidency of the thirty-seventh session of the

General Assembly. That election was indeed a wise decision and

testifies to your great competence for this post. 1 cannot fail to

pay a tribute to the outgoing President of the thirty-sixth session

of the general Assembly, Mr. Kittani, and to express to him my

country's very great appreciation of his untiring efforts in

presiding over the proceedings of the general Assembly. 1 also thank

him sincerely for his successful presidency of that session. It gives

me great pleasure, too, to express on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia our sincere congratulations to Mr. Perez de Cuellar on his

election as Secretary-General. We wish to express to him our hopes

for his success in strengthening the effectiveness of the

Organization so that it can achieve the purposes and principles of

the Charter.

114. The thirty-seventh session has opened in an atmosphere of

tension and anxiety. International conflicts and crises are becoming

all the more complex and interlinked, and the factors that divide

nations outweigh those that bring them together. The agenda of the

Assembly is replete with complex problems that involve a genuine

danger to international peace and security. A careful consideration

of the international situation reveals to us clearly that the gap

between our aspirations to a peaceful world, where relations between

peoples are based on right and justice, and the actual situation,

dominated by criteria of force, the policies of hegemony and attempts

to impose apartheid exists and has indeed probably widened.

113. International relations at present are characterized by grave

indications of cold war. Polarization breeds instability in the world

and detente, which marked relations between East and West in the last

decade, has turned into confrontation, with unforeseeable

consequences.

116. There is an escalation in the arms race. The use and threat of

force and terrorism have become dominant characteristics in

international relations. On the other hand, the continued stagnation

of the North-South dialogue and the resultant widening of the gap

between the industrialized and the developing countries have resulted

in a further deterioration of the international situation, which has

dashed the hope of establishing a more stable world. In short, the

world is gliding back to the old system based on zones of. political

and economic influence based on hegemony, domination and dependence.

There is no doubt that this is a source of anxiety and fear. Hence we

must master all our resources to tackle this grave situation.

117. Is it not ironical that man, who in this age has been able to

achieve incredible progress in science and technology, is unable to

solve some of the problems that he himself has caused? Is that not

enough to make us intensify our efforts to face these challenges and

seek ways of ensuring stability, peace and security for the

international community and of protecting the interests of peoples

and nations? It is not enough simply to draw attention to

international crises and problems. In order to solve and eliminate

them it is necessary, after taking objective stock of the

international situation, to put forward practical concepts and

positive ideas which will enable the international community to face

the dangers that confront it.

118. As pointed out by His Majesty King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz in hi&

address to the Saudi people last August, we in the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia,

... work on the comprehensive international scene within the

framework of the United Nations, its agencies and organs. We abide by

its Charter, support its efforts and fight any abnormal action aimed

at weakening it and restricting the force of international law with a

view to replacing it by the force of arms and the language of

terrorism. Our actions have effectively reflected and will continue

to reflect our sense of commitment to the international community, as

one family, no matter what the difference in interests, and our

belief in the principles of peace based on right and justice. We

believe that international security and political stability are

linked to economic justice.

119. Proceeding from that premise, we believe that the following

conditions must be fulfilled in order to erect a solid edifice of

relations between States through which it will be possible to reduce

international tension and overcome many of the dangers that threaten

international peace and security.

120. First, we join those who insist on the need for reform of the

present political system and believe that in this respect the

following must be taken into account.

121. One of the main things that encourage nations to try to

acquire zones of influence and to adopt a policy of force to solve

problems is that they do not accept the rule of law or respect moral

and ethical principles. Therefore if such States really want to

maintain peace and stability in the world and ensure prosperity,

progress, wealth and well-being for the peoples, they must

scrupulously observe moral principles and be guided by them in the

labyrinthine complexities of contemporary international relations. In

this respect, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers its experience to

the international community as its contribution to ensuring stability

and peace and eliminating the problems that jeopardize the very

existence and survival of nations.

122. As pointed out by His Majesty King Fahd,

Saudi Arabia is one of the Islamic nations and was created so that

the law of God would be respected and God has honoured it by allowing

it to serve as His house of worship and the sanctuary of His Prophet.

Thus its responsibility was increased, its policy became set and its

duties expanded. It performs those duties on the international scene

by respecting God's way of wisdom and morality. Islam is a religion

of mercy, of mind and of strength; it fights terrorism and overcomes

disorder, weakness and humiliation.

123. The United Nations is the principal body for the promotion of

freedom, peace, and justice, security and international co-operation.

Therefore we must make available to it all that it needs to face the

challenges that confront it. It should become an effective instrument

for promoting world peace and economic and social progress for all.

If the Organization is to continue as an effective instrument of

peace, the peoples of the world should place their trust in it, and

our commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter should

be beyond discussion or doubt.

124. The arms race and the magnitude of the resulting expenditure

has increased tension in the world, and that has forced many

countries, and especially the least developed, to devote a great

portion of their limited resources to defence, at the expense of

their progress and economic and social development. We hope that the

efforts which the international community expects the Organization to

exertand the positive role that it can play in this respect will lead

to concrete progress which will protect humanity from the dangers

which threaten it and will spare the developing countries the

conflicts and struggles for influence that have become a danger to

humanity in general.

125. Secondly, one of the important goals of our contemporary

world and for the future is the establishment of a new and more

equitable international economic order which will meet the

aspirations of the peoples of the world to higher standards of living

and a better life. In order to establish such a system we must

grapple with the many important economic subjects that demand our

attention.

126. The agenda includes many subjects and issues of extreme

importance as regards international economic co-operation for

development. Therefore we deem it important that the launching of a

new round of global negotiations be accelerated in a serious attempt

to improve the economic performance and increase the efficiency of

international co-operation for development.

127. It is regrettable that the general Assembly's efforts aimed

at the launching of a new round of global economic negotiations have

been hampered by the existence of differences over certain procedural

questions which we had earnestly hoped would be solved in the light

of the conclusions of the International Meeting on Co-operation and

Development, which was held at Cancun in 1981, for the establishment

of confidence between developed and developing countries. We also

maintain that real efforts should be exerted to achieve the

objectives of the International Development Strategy for the Third

United Nations Development Decade and to support in every way

FAO, WFC, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and WFP

in their efforts to overcome world food problems in general and to

increase food and agricultural aid to Africa.

128. I should also like to stress the importance of economic and

technical co-operation among the developing countries. In Saudi

Arabia we consider it to be complementary to but not a substitute for

co-operation between developed and developing countries. The

international community should pay careful Attention to this.

129. Thirdly, word peace, security and stability are affected by a

number of international problems at present afflicting the

international community. If we really want to maintain international

peace and security and to make progress, well-being and prosperity

available to the countries and peoples of the world, we must,

intensify international efforts and work tirelessly to find rapid and

equitable solutions for those problems. These problems increase and

worsen with the passing of time and increasingly threaten world peace

and security.

130. In South Africa, the racist regime continues to enforce a

policy of racial discrimination and M against the vast majority

of that country's population. That violates the most elementary

international norms and humanitarian principles. While we support the

people of South Africa, we call on the international community to

exert the necessary pressure on the States which support the racist

South African regime in order to put an end to it and to force the

regime to submit to the will of the international community. South

Africa must cease its invidious practices, immediately halt launching

attacks on neighbouring African countries, put an end to its

occupation of Namibia and comply with relevant United Nations

resolutions.

131. We further call on the international community to take a firm

stand against the aggressive attitude manifested in the present

co-operation between South Africa and Israel, especially in the

nuclear field, and in their joint nuclear tests in particular. That

poses a direct threat to the peoples of Africa, to the Arab nations

and to the rest of the peoples of the world.

132. One of the most serious problems facing the international

community and requiring an effective, urgent solution is that of

Afghanistan. The continued foreign military interference in the

internal affairs of Afghanistan constitutes a flagrant violation by a

superpower of the sovereignty and independence of a small,

non-aligned country. Today, after almost three years of Soviet

interference in Afghanistan-coupled with continuous acts of

aggression against the Afghan people, against mosques and peaceful

villages, bombardment with incendiary bombs, the use of chemical

warfare, and violations of the most elementary principles of human

rights-we once again urge the Soviet Union to withdraw from

Afghanistan so that the fraternal Afghan people may regain its

freedom and independence and have the final say in the choice of its

leaders and representatives and so that it may exercise sovereignty

over its own land.

133. The raging war between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran

is another problem which troubles us. Saudi Arabia is pained by that

war, because it is being waged between two Islamic countries. In this

regard, we wish to express our hope that the Iranian Government will

respond to Iraq's offers and to the missions of good offices of the

Organization of the Islamic Conference, the United Nations and the

non-aligned movement, so that a just settlement may be achieved, thus

ending the bloodshed and destruction, establishing a good-neighbourly

policy. That solution would be based on the principles of

non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and

international law.

134. One of the gravest problems threatening international peace and

security, one which is prejudicing stability and prosperity, not only

in the Middle East but throughout the world, stems from Israel's

continuing aggression and its terrible racist settlements policy.

Israel's continuing defiance and its aggression constitute a most

dangerous factor in the Palestinian issue, which is an important

issue for all those who believe in the right of every people to

self-determination and the right to expression of free will. When we

speak of Israeli aggression, we do net describe it merely as

aggression against a secure people settled in its own homeland, or as

usurpation of that people's territory and property, or as disregard

for all human ideals, or as a flagrant violation of and challenge to

the resolutions of the Organization. We describe it as aggression

against the Charter of the United Nations and all the ethical and

humanitarian principles enshrined therein.

133. I do not wish to go into the history of the Palestinian

question, which stretches back over 34 years. We in Saudi Arabia

consider this our primary cause, but it has rightly become the cause

of the whole world. It has absorbed more of the efforts of the

Organization than any other issue. Despite recognition by most of the

countries and peoples of the world of the inalienable rights of the

Palestinian people, including its right to self-determination and to

the establishment of an independent State on its own territory, and

despite the fact that the international community has come

increasingly to recognize the PLO as the sole legitimate

representative of the Palestinian people, Israel persists in its

aggressive policy and its imperialist settlement policy on the land

of Palestine.

136. By means of its policy of physically liquidating the

Palestinian people, and its attempts to distort the history of

Palestine and destroy its religious and cultural institutions, as

well as to bring about changes in the demographic pattern there,

Israel is attempting to put an end to Palestinian identity, with no

respect either for international public opinion or for the United

Nations.

137. If Palestine is our primary cause, the Holy City of Jerusalem

is its essence. In this connection, Saudi Arabia, on its own behalf

and on behalf of the Islamic countries which are members of the

Organization of the Islamic Conference, reaffirms its determination

to preserve the Islamic Arab character of Jerusalem and to return the

Holy City to Arab sovereignty, under which it was always a meeting

place for all believers in the three revealed religions and a place

of hope, tolerance and coexistence for the followers of the various

religions.

138. Israel persists in following a policy of force and aggression,

and it does not confine its aggression against the Palestinian people

to occupied Palestine. It goes far beyond that territory to commit

acts of aggression against neighbouring Arab countries. The flagrant

and barbaric act of aggression against the fraternal people of

Lebanon, and all the consequent massacres, which constitute a source

of shame for all of humanity, are a violation of the principles and

norms of international law and signal a return to the law of the

jungle. They are a setback for the principles and ideals which the

international community has observed, enshrined and safeguarded.

139. Israel's use, in its barbaric aggression against Lebanon, of

the most destructive and deadly weapons against civilians-women,

children and the aged- does not merely reveal Israel's malicious,

aggressive, terrorist and evil nature; it also lays responsibility at

the door of the countries that supply Israel with weapons.

Sophisticated weaponry flows to Israel under the fallacy, which has

been spread throughout the Western world and of which Israel has been

able to convince the highest-level politicians, that it is needed for

Israel to secure its safety. But that is a very dangerous policy and

Israel's arsenal and nuclear capability have become a direct threat

to world peace and security.

140. Israel's theory of security is the most dangerous and

aggressive that has been seen in our era. It is no less dangerous

than the Nazi and Fascist theories which dragged the world into a

destructive war. Today in the Middle East, the Zionists are trying to

apply the same theories as the Nazis applied in Europe before the

Second World War.

141. The barbaric acts committed by Israel in west Beirut, to

which thousands of Palestinian refugees -women, children and the

aged-have fallen victim in the Shatila and Sabra camps, are but

further confirmation of Israel's aggressive nature and criminal

character. These massacres of innocent and defenceless civilians were

not only aimed at the Palestinian and Lebanese people, but are a

shameful stigma for humanity itself. They have given the lie to

Israel's calumny and its fallacious claims that Israeli troops

entered west Beirut to maintain peace and security. For it has been

proved beyond doubt that this flagrant act of aggression was aimed at

liquidating the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.

142. We call on the international community to support Lebanon, to

assist it in regaining its sovereignty and securing the unconditional

withdrawal of the Israeli invading forces from its territory, and to

take all necessary measures against Israel so that it will be unable

to pursue the policy of hegemony and force that it has tried to

impose in the Middle East. The international community should be no

less courageous than the voices heard in Israel itself in denouncing

Israel's aggressive practices in Lebanon and requesting that they

leave. The absence of international deterrence and the abuse of the

veto in the Security Council encouraged Israel to persist in its

arrogance and to depend on force to achieve its expansionist aims and

ambitions. We call on all countries, especially those which support

the Zionist entity and provide it with political, military and

economic help.

to stop that help forthwith so as to put an end to Israel's

aggressive policy in the Middle East.

143. Israel should not be allowed to continue its unlawful acts

with impunity. It is time for the international community to go

beyond the stage of condemnation and take effective measures to stop

such conduct. Those who blatantly support the Zionist entity

encourage the most hateful and dangerous theories against humanity

and its rights and support aggression and expansion.

144. The Arab world is eager to maintain the principles of peace,

stability, right and justice. We wish to live in peace on our

territory and to have equal and proper relations in order to achieve

those goals, and to choose our friends and enemies on these noble

principles. Thusthe Israeli aggression which seeks to impose hegemony

in the area is met by a genuine trend in the Arab countries, seeking

the consolidation of stability and peace in the Middle East and the

world as a whole.

145. The Arab position is based on the principles adopted at the

Arab summit conferences, especially the Twelfth Conference held in

Fez last month, the resolutions of which have confirmed that the

Arabs seek to achieve right, peace and justice and to exert every

effort to maintain a peace which is just and comprehensive in the

Middle East in compliance with the resolutions of the United Nations.

146. The resolutions of the Fez Summit Conference reaffirmed the

Arab will for peace based on justice because it took into account the

true situation in the area and that involved the principles and bases

which could be an objective starting point for establishing a just

and lasting peace. Among those principles is the inalienable right of

the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment

of an independent State on its own territory and under the leadership

of the PLO, its sole legitimate representative. This is in accordance

with the principles of right and justice and the resolutions of the

United Nations. Thus at a time when the Arab countries reaffirm by

resolution adopted at Fez their will to establish peace base on

justice, Israel proves, through its conduct, that it does not wish

peace but rather seeks more expansion and more occupation of

territory. It has become clear that Israel is not the party that

seeks security. Those who look for security are the Arabs.

147. Peace will not be achieved as long as there is a people

suffering oppression, occupation, humiliation, racism, imperialism

and other forms of domination. History has taught us that the people

who have been deprived of their basic rights have stood resolutely in

defence of those rights. That resistance has taken different shapes

and forms. Genuine peace in the Middle East will not be established

unless there is a complete recognition of the right of the

Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of its

own independent State, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all

Arab occupied countries, including the Holy City of Jerusalem. There

will hot be genuine peace in the Middle East so long as Israel

persists in violating the simplest principles of human rights in the

occupied territories and in Lebanon. Peace will not be realized so

long as Israel adheres to its expansionist designs and racist policy.

148. Last, but not least, finding a comprehensive and just

solution to the Palestinian question will be a starting point for the

solution of many international problems which pose a danger to

international peace and security. If such a solution is not reached,

then international tension and a deterioration of the situation in an

unpredictable way will be a constant source of danger.

149. If we want to keep the world away from the edge of the abyss

and from the policies of extremism, force and aggression, then wisdom

and reason should prevail in all our conduct and we should also

observe all the principles and bases that can lessen international

tension and overcome many of the dangers to international peace and

security to which I have referred. We should co-operate to find a

solution for all international problems and conflicts, in order to

establish an international community which enjoys stability,

progress, peace and security.