Saudi Arabia, 1999

It is

my pleasure to express my sincere congratulations to

Mr. Gurirab on his election to the presidency of the

General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. His election

to this eminent position reflects the appreciation of the

international community for him personally and for the

positive role played by country, Namibia, in the

international arena. I am confident that his presidency at

this session will be an effective factor in achieving the

objectives to which the international community aspires

under the present critical circumstances.

I would like to take this opportunity to convey to

Mr. Didier Opertti, Foreign Minister of Uruguay and

President of the General Assembly at its fifty-third

session, our appreciation, esteem and praise for his

effective, wise and objective conduct of the Assembly’s

work. I am also pleased to express my appreciation and

esteem to Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the

United Nations, who manages the affairs of this

international Organization with great competence born of

experience and who makes continuous efforts and

persistent endeavours to achieve peace, security and

stability in our modern world.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is also pleased to

welcome the admission of the Republic of Kiribati, the

Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga to the

membership of the United Nations and hopes that their

admission will further enhance the effectiveness of the

Organization in achieving the noble goals it was created

for.

Some years have passed since we celebrated the

fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. That

celebration was a glorious occasion on which we

reviewed the purposes and principles of this international

Organization and the opportunities and challenges it had

faced over the previous decades. We also reviewed its

achievements in maintaining world peace and security and

the difficulties and obstacles that it managed to deal with

and overcome through the belief of its Members and the

nobility of its ideals and objectives. The existence of this

Organization, and its ability to find solutions to many of

32

the problems that have rocked our turbulent world, despite

all the challenges it has faced, makes us all the more

convinced of the vitality of its role, a role that has become

more pressing and urgent due to recent developments in the

world.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a founding Member

of this Organization, continues to hold the same ideals and

values that motivated it to join this universal effort with the

other founding Members. The founders called for the

rejection of war and the establishment of peace and for

constructive cooperation among all peoples of this world.

This was after a series of disasters and catastrophes had

overwhelmed the human race during two destructive world

wars that claimed millions of lives and left behind

devastation and ruin.

Wars and military confrontations are no longer thought

of as politics or diplomacy by other means. Violence and

warfare with modern lethal weapons can never be an

effective means to attain political ends, nor a viable

approach to achieving diplomatic gains. In today’s world

there is no victor in any military confrontation.

Our Organization’s objective of achieving cooperation

in social and economic areas among peoples of the world

is no longer a mere wish or luxury; in fact, it has become

an unavoidable necessity as a result of recent political and

economic developments, as well as of major advances and

revolutions, unprecedented in human history, in technology

and communications. As a result of these changes and

developments, the world has been transformed from a vast

collection of entities and multilateral trends and patterns

into a village in which every part is affected by what ails

the other part. These parts are interdependent as regards

many of their vital needs and environmental conditions. The

concept of globalization, which has become an integral part

of our daily discourse, is nothing more than a condensed

formula for the intellectual and existential changes that have

overtaken the lives of our people and the work of States in

the last two decades. If we are going to deal with this

phenomenon in a way that emphasizes the positives and

discards the negatives, we must adjust to it by developing

our institutions and procedures.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirms, as it always

has in the past, its steady commitment to the purposes and

principles of the Charter of the United Nations and would

like to reiterate the need for supporting this Organization

and its specialized agencies. They provide a viable

framework for cooperation between countries and peoples

for facing the tidal wave of globalization. The Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia also emphasizes once again that the ability

of this international Organization to resolve global

problems and to fulfil its basic responsibilities depends

very much on the political will of the Member States to

implement the principles, ideals, visions and expectations

embodied in the Organization’s Charter. What is meant

by political will here is the degree to which each Member

State is ready to carry out its commitment, adhere to the

letter of the Charter of the United Nations and submit its

conduct to the rules of the Charter. In this regard, my

Government is quite cognizant of the importance of

modernizing the agencies of our Organization in a manner

that enables the Organization to play its required role and

to deal with the new developments that are taking place

in contemporary international relations.

The Security Council, being responsible for

preserving international peace and security, remains the

pivot around which different kinds of ideas for reform are

being expressed. In this regard, my country’s point of

view continues to be based on a deep conviction that any

restructuring of the Security Council must endeavour to

improve its capabilities to perform effectively its role

under the Charter and to be more active in implementing

its own resolutions and in dealing with international

crises. In addition, the policies of the Council should

harmonize with the will of the General Assembly in a

manner that achieves the required balance and the desired

objectivity.

The General Assembly resolution declaring 2001 the

United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations

manifests the desire of the international community to

enter the third millennium firmly resolved to see

harmony, justice and equality prevail among nations. It

also shows the Assembly’s desire for everyone to

participate in building a world that is balanced in terms of

interests and mutual benefits in which people enjoy

equitable living conditions free from fear, terror, hunger

and poverty; a world in which the principles of justice,

triumph and peace and prosperity are available to all. The

dialogue among civilizations is the ideal alternative to

theories of conflict and of the inevitable clash of

civilizations. This compels us to affirm the importance of

dialogue and harmony among nations and the need to

observe differences in the nature of societies and in their

beliefs, and to respect peoples’ and nations’ freedom of

choice, as well as the need to abide by the rules of

international law.

This Organization, in both the Security Council and

the General Assembly, has been preoccupied throughout

33

its history with the Middle East question and the

achievement of a permanent and comprehensive solution to

the Arab-Israeli conflict. When, in Madrid at the end of

October 1991, the peace process was launched — with all

its bilateral and multilateral tracks and on the basis of

principles accepted by all parties to the conflict — everyone

believed that a new era of peace, stability and growth was

looming and that this era would put an end to the phase of

wars and conflicts that had exhausted the energies and

capabilities of the peoples of the region. In fact, the peace

process in all its aspects did move forward and some

progress has been achieved, especially on the Palestinian

and Jordanian tracks. The multilateral talks relating to

regional cooperation also gained some ground. The peace

process then suffered from paralysis and reached an

impasse due to the policies and practices of the former

Israeli Government, and in spite of the fact that the Arabs

had declared peace an irrevocable strategic choice.

However, this did not change the practices of the former

Israeli Government and its disregard for the principles of

the peace process, nor remedy its failure to fulfil its

obligations under the agreements signed with the

Palestinians, including the Wye River Memorandum.

At present there is an attempt to revive the peace

process. Assurances issued by the new Israeli Prime

Minister indicate that he intends to activate the peace

process on all tracks. The Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum,

signed on 4 September of this year, could be a good step if

followed by similar steps to move the process towards the

bases and principles that were established at the Madrid

Conference — the principle of land for peace, first and

foremost.

On the Palestinian track, peace requires withdrawal

from the occupied territories and the restoration of all the

legitimate national rights of the Palestinians, including their

right to establish their own independent State with

Jerusalem as its capital. The final status issue of Jerusalem

should be addressed in accordance with Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967) and 252 (1968). Jerusalem is part of

the occupied territories, and Israel should refrain from

undertaking any unilateral measures that prejudice the status

of that sacred city. It is imperative and natural that any

comprehensive and permanent settlement address the issue

of the return of the Palestinian refugees, in accordance with

General Assembly resolution 194 (III). It should also

address the issues of the release of prisoners, settlements

and water resources, among others.

As for the Syrian track, negotiations should resume at

the point where they left off because of a decision of the

previous Israeli Government. It is well known that Syria

remains willing and prepared to reach a comprehensive

and permanent solution based on the principle of land for

peace.

The Lebanese track is subject to Security Council

resolution 425 (1978), which calls for the immediate and

unconditional withdrawal of the Israeli forces from

southern Lebanon and western Bekaa.

More than nine years after Iraq’s aggression against

the State of Kuwait, it is still procrastinating on the

implementation of crucial parts of the relevant Security

Council resolutions. The Iraqi people are still paying the

price for crimes committed by their regime and for its

continual challenges to international legality. In spite of

all Arab and international initiatives and proposals aimed

at finding an effective mechanism and process to lift the

economic sanctions imposed on Iraq and to end the

suffering of the Iraqi people, the Iraqi Government has

not responded in a manner that might help move matters

in the right direction.

What encourages the Iraqi Government to continue

manoeuvring and procrastinating is the fact that the

Security Council itself is unable to take action due to the

inability of its permanent members to agree on a common

approach and on the proposals under discussion. These

proposals are aimed at finding a way out of the current

crisis by reviving the inspection and monitoring of banned

Iraqi weapons and at regulating the present and future

relations between Iraq and the United Nations. No matter

what the circumstances, Iraq should be required to fully

implement all international resolutions relating to its

aggression against Kuwait and to cooperate seriously with

the International Committee of the Red Cross to achieve

the release of all Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti prisoners and

detainees, as well as the restitution of Kuwaiti property.

It should also refrain from all provocative or

aggressive acts against the State of Kuwait and other

neighbouring countries, in compliance with Security

Council resolution 949 (1994), and prove its peaceful

intentions towards its neighbours in word and deed. This

is the proper way to put an end to the human suffering

for which the Iraqi regime bears sole responsibility. The

pain which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its sisterly

countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) feel

towards such human suffering is commensurate only with

their keenness to preserve the independence, unity and

territorial integrity of Iraq.

34

Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the

Gulf Cooperation Council member States have lately been

buoyed by the positive attitude of the Iranian Government.

Yet, there remain outstanding issues to be resolved,

particularly that of the three United Arab Emirates islands

of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. The GCC

Foreign Ministers, with the approval and blessing of the

United Arab Emirates Government, decided to refer the

matter to a tripartite committee entrusted with creating a

climate conducive to direct negotiations between the United

Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This trend

reflects the desire of the United Arab Emirates to resolve

the outstanding issues in a positive spirit. We feel

optimistic about this issue in the light of the demonstrated

desire of President Mohammad Khatami to open a new

chapter in Iran's relations with the Gulf countries,

characterized by good-neighbourliness, non-interference in

internal affairs and constructive cooperation to the benefit

and interest of both sides.

Just when it seemed that the problem of Bosnia and

Herzegovina was resolved in accordance with the provisions

of the Dayton Accords — which laid the ground for

Bosnian independence and sovereignty, paved the way for

the return of refugees, provided for the pursuit and arrest of

officials responsible for the crimes of ethnic cleansing and

genocide, and the establishment of domestic peace — the

Balkan region witnessed a crisis in Kosovo no less

devastating in its human dimensions than that in Bosnia.

Like the Bosnians, the Kosovars were exposed to ethnic

cleansing, genocide, repression, intimidation and forced

deportation at the hands of Serbian forces as the world

watched. Once again, the United Nations faced the problem

of dealing with a dangerous situation that threatened the

entire Balkan region. This situation was reversed only by

the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

forces after Serbia refused to accept the provisions of the

Rambouillet agreement.

Resort to military force without a United Nations

mandate to resolve such problems might not be the ideal

way to settle international crises, but it becomes an

unavoidable necessity whenever the Security Council, due

to disunity and disagreements between its permanent

Members, fails to fulfil its role in maintaining world peace

and security. We hope that this pattern will not be repeated,

so that the United Nations may preserve its dignity and

integrity.

Many regions of the world remain plagued by wars,

regional and ethnic conflicts, border disputes and national

and tribal conflicts. Fighting between the Afghan factions

still rages, denying Afghanistan and its people the fruits

of liberation from foreign occupation. It is regrettable to

see that some have exploited the current situation in

Afghanistan to turn the country into a terrorist haven and

training base, thereby contributing to the country's

insecurity and instability and exposing the Afghan people

to more suffering. My country supports the efforts of the

United Nations and the Organization of Islamic

Conference to re-establish peace and security throughout

Afghanistan.

The Pakistani-Indian conflict over Jammu and

Kashmir remains a source of tension and instability

between the two neighbourly countries, especially after

the recent military escalation between them. We call on

both sides to exercise utmost restraint and to settle the

conflict through negotiations in compliance with United

Nations resolutions, which recognize the right of the

people of Jammu and Kashmir to self-determination.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been following

with great concern the latest developments in East Timor.

While it welcomes the positive stand taken by the

Indonesian Government, especially its cooperation with

the United Nations, it wishes to affirm the need to respect

the regional sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia and

the importance of peace and security throughout the

region.

The scenes of fighting and armed conflict between

brothers in Africa, especially in the Horn, are a source of

pain to us. These conflicts will only deepen wounds and

enlarge the circle of poverty and distress. In this regard,

we still have high expectations in the wisdom of the

leaders of that great continent to consider the ultimate

interests of their nations and to resolve conflicts through

peaceful means.

The international community was pleased to put an

end to the Lockerbie issue, which caused much suffering

for Libya and its people. We look forward to a Security

Council resolution that would lead to a final lifting of all

sanctions imposed on Libya by virtue of its positive

reaction to international appeals and its adherence to all

conditions related to this issue.

I would also like to praise the people of Algeria for

the great mandate they gave their new leadership to move

forward with the suggested reconciliation plan that aims

at ending the era of differences and violence, which was

extremely painful for the fraternal people of Algeria.

35

The Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy

Mosques is keenly interested in the ongoing efforts to

eliminate weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East,

including the Arabian Gulf region. This is demonstrated

through its support for the efforts of the Arab League at its

101st session, which called for making that sensitive part of

the world a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction,

be they nuclear, chemical or biological. In this respect, we

are greatly concerned about Israel's continued refusal to

accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons (NPT), thus keeping its nuclear programmes

outside the range of international inspections and

constituting a serious threat to the region's security.

We believe in the urgent need to increase the

effectiveness of the NPT through the activation and

universalization of the International Atomic Energy

Agency's safeguards system. We also find it extremely

important to establish the necessary controls and measures

that would assist in achieving progress in all areas of the

comprehensive disarmament of all weapons of mass

destruction, in conformity with General Assembly

resolution 1 (I) of 1946.

The scourge of terrorism, which strikes

indiscriminately throughout the world, has become an

international phenomenon with grave consequences,

requiring systematic international efforts to contain and

combat it. The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia has regularly condemned terrorism in all its forms,

lending its voice to international efforts aimed at combating

this dangerous phenomenon. What needs to be emphasized

here is that violence and terrorism are universal phenomena

not restricted to a certain people, race or religion. Precisely

because of the comprehensiveness and universality of

terrorism, the only way to combat it effectively is through

unified and collective international action within the

framework of the United Nations, which alone can put an

end to terrorism, save the lives of innocent people and

preserve the independence and sovereignty of the countries

of the world. Fighting terrorism calls for international

cooperation against sheltering terrorist groups and

individuals, thereby preventing them from exploiting the

territories and laws of the States where they live to pursue

their destructive activities, regardless of their pretexts and

arguments.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia considers environmental

issues and environmental protection of key importance, as

evidenced by their prominent place in our domestic and

foreign policies. This is because we believe that a safe

decent life for mankind is directly connected to the

environment. That is why the Kingdom has actively

participated in all relevant conferences and international

gatherings, symposiums and arrangements. We have also

become party to several regional and international

agreements that are geared towards this cause. We only

hope that international efforts related to the problems of

the environment will be formulated in a balanced and

objective manner based on serious scientific facts and

studies that take into account development needs in the

developing world. We call upon all States to abide by

Agenda 21. We also urge the industrialized States in

particular to live up to their obligations regarding the

transfer of environment-friendly technology to the

developing nations.

The emerging phenomenon of globalization, which

is forcing geographic borders to recede and sovereignty

and political barriers to disappear, has become an issue to

which all nations must adjust. We are required now, more

than ever before, to address this phenomenon in a way

that brings about a world of balanced interests, mutual

benefits and equal opportunities for all. If we are to

achieve this goal, the developing nations must redouble

their domestic environmental efforts in order to catch up

with the global economy. They are further called upon to

intensify their efforts to remove the barriers that hinder

their integration into the multifaceted world trade system.

They are also required to adjust their economic policies

and to establish the infrastructures necessary for their

manufactured goods to meet the standard specifications of

the importing countries.

In return, industrial and economically developed

nations should contribute to the fulfilment of the desired

goals in the following ways: first, by displaying greater

flexibility in the conditions of admission to the World

Trade Organization (WTO) by giving developing

countries longer interim periods that are in line with their

development needs and to help them adjust their systems

and laws to the requirements of membership; secondly, by

giving developing countries enhanced opportunities to

benefit from the system of general preferences, to expand

distribution of their products and to provide guarantees

for greater stability and transparency in the regimes

governing those products; thirdly, by limiting the

imposition of protective measures by industrialized

nations on major imports from developing nations that

hinder their integration into world markets and reduce

their ability to compete, and removing the obstacles faced

by developing countries; and fourthly, ensuring that

industrial nations carry out their obligations to developing

countries, as set forth in the Uruguay Round and in the

36

WTO agreements, by providing direct and indirect

assistance and restructuring or forgiveness of debts. The

industrialized nations should also open their markets to the

developing nations’ exports and refrain from adopting

unjust procedures to limit the size and flow of such exports.

In this context, it is worth noting that the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of contributions to

the promotion and development of developing countries,

whether bilaterally or multilaterally. In the same vein, and

in view of the Kingdom’s desire to shape future trends in

the world economy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has

applied for admission to the WTO and hopes, God willing,

to gain the support of friendly nations in order to finalize

the admission procedure as soon as possible.

As we prepare for the third millennium, we are

overwhelmed by different feelings and emotions. In view of

the conflicts and the social, economic, cultural and

environmental challenges that we currently face, optimism

is mixed with pessimism about the future of our world in

the coming historical period. If the purpose of creating the

United Nations was to convert the logic of war and

confrontation into the language of dialogue and cooperation,

at a time when the cost of using military force has become

exorbitant and the outcome uncertain, we now live in a new

period full of signs that require us to work together as hard

as possible and to cooperate not only in the face of political

and military challenges, but also in confronting the new

challenges of contemporary life, with all its complexities

and complications, which can only be solved or managed

through organized collective efforts.

Our firm belief that the United Nations can play a

major role in dealing with current issues and enhancing

international cooperation in order to resolve and contain

these issues makes us more determined than ever to support

this Organization and endorse its constructive role. One of

the valuable lessons we have learned from United Nations

activities is the need to enable our Organization to detect

crises and to move to contain them before they erupt by

applying preventive diplomacy to the fullest extent. Moving

to manage crises before they grow is the best way to avoid

their harmful consequences and repercussions.

In conclusion, I must re-emphasize a basic fact: in

order to solve today’s problems it has become vitally

necessary for us to cooperate in a spirit of total disinterest,

objectivity and responsibility. The future of the United

Nations, which is also our future, depends on this.

Allah says in the Holy Koran:

“Help ye one another

In righteousness and piety,

But help ye not one another

In sin and rancour”.

(The Holy Koran, V:2)