Jordan, 1994

It is my pleasure, at

the outset, to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your

election and to wish you and the members of the Bureau

every success in the discharge of your duties. Your

election is a mark of the confidence and high regard in

which both you and your country are held by the

international community. Your wisdom and your

forbearance will be crucial to the successful outcome of

the current session.

I should like to express deep appreciation for the

exemplary manner in which your predecessor conducted

the work of the Assembly during his tenure last year. I

also wish to express my gratitude to the

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, for his tireless

efforts to enhance the Organization’s ability to meet the

challenges of a rapidly evolving world.

It is gratifying to observe that the membership of the

United Nations now encompasses several recently

independent States. We share bonds of religious and

cultural affinity with some; we share friendships and

mutual respect with all. We hope that the principle of

universality, which has always been the cornerstone of the

United Nations, will soon encompass the remaining

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peoples and regions, so that this Organization can truly

represent the collective conscience of mankind.

It is, I believe, fitting to extend heartfelt

congratulations to President Nelson Mandela, to

Vice-President Frederik De Klerk, and to the people of

South Africa. They have together established a new order

in their country, one founded on justice and equality. The

world rejoices at the return of South Africa to the fold of

the international community of nations. The South African

people have proved that peace is always possible, so long

as all are given the chance to participate in its building.

This is a theme that bears consideration.

As we approach a landmark in the history of the

United Nations - the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation -

it is appropriate to look forward rather than back; to take

stock of things to come rather than things past. It is

appropriate to consider the shape that our global order is

taking.

South Africa offers a new paradigm, a fresh vision for

a changing world. It shows us that a new order must have

room for everyone. We must be able to listen to all voices:

to the weak and the powerful alike. A new order must be

inclusive and must actively encourage participation at every

level: for in our ever- more interdependent world, the

future of one is the future of all. This, I believe, goes to the

very heart of global peace.

We are called upon, then, to articulate a new

approach. We must protect the rule of law, but we must go

further, and ensure that democracy, pluralism and respect

for human rights come to govern the life of nations. We

must evolve new procedures of cooperation, communication

and accommodation. We must promote social

responsibility, national commitment and international

obligation. Nations must learn to coexist with their

neighbours; but more than this, they must learn to work

willingly together as partners in the enterprise of peace.

Such a transformation is taking place in the Middle

East. My region has been synonymous with conflict and

war for decades. At last we have an historic opportunity to

resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, and to fashion in its place

a new commonwealth of peace, hope and participation for

all.

The question of Palestine has been Jordan’s main

concern. Family ties, geographic contiguity, and shared

history and traditions ensure that this is so. Over the years,

Jordan has extended support and encouragement to our

Palestinian brethren. Our contributions and sacrifices to

the Palestinian cause from 1948 onwards have been

widely acknowledged. My country has received

successive waves of refugees and returnees, at a huge cost

to our economy, imposing an impossible burden on our

limited resources. Yet we remain committed to our

democratization process, to the protection of civil liberties

and human rights, and to the provision of decent living

conditions and services for all our citizens. Underlying

this commitment is our belief that broad-based popular

involvement in civil society is fundamental to its health.

This is why Jordan has been able to weather the ravages

of war, to survive the long years of turmoil in our region.

If Jordan has been on the front line of war, so too

has it been on the front line of peace. In those well-

known words of Security Council resolution 242 (1967),

which my country helped to draft, Jordan has always

worked steadfastly for a just, lasting and comprehensive

peace in the Middle East. We promoted the genesis of

the current process with the Madrid Conference of 1991.

When the Israeli Government of the day refused to

negotiate with the Palestine Liberation Organization

(PLO), Jordan stepped into the breach, helping the

Palestinians to assume their proper role by providing an

umbrella for their participation.

Now the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of

the Palestinian people, is negotiating directly with Israel.

They are installed in Gaza and Jericho, and conduct their

affairs as they see fit: their destiny is at last in their own

hands. Jordan welcomes these developments, and will

continue to do everything in its power to ensure the

success of Palestinian autonomy arrangements.

On the Jordanian-Israeli track, our common agenda

has paved the way for us to agree upon modalities in

areas such as water, the environment, energy, territory,

borders and regional security. These agreements resulted

in the meeting between His Majesty King Hussein and

Prime Minister Rabin of Israel, on 25 July 1994, at which

they signed the Washington Declaration. This historic

document ended the state of war between Jordan and

Israel. I myself have just held constructive talks with

President Clinton and Foreign Minister Peres, the goal of

which is to build a framework of trilateral development as

well as an economic equilibrium in the region, and to

maintain the momentum towards peace.

Jordan and Israel are engaged in substantive talks,

seeking just and mutually agreeable solutions to the

outstanding issues listed in our common agenda. Our aim

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is to conclude a treaty of peace based on solid grounds that

can withstand the winds of change. Such a treaty, we

believe, will delineate our rights and duties under

conditions of peace. It will open the door to cooperation at

the regional level, so that the benefits of peace may be

enjoyed by our peoples. It has always been Jordan’s vision

that the Middle East, cradle of civilization and birthplace of

the three great monotheistic religions, should be a region of

cultural tolerance and mutual interdependence.

Important as our bilateral talks with Israel may be, we

are keenly aware that no two nations stand alone. Our aim

remains a comprehensive peace. Many of the issues we are

currently addressing defy the confines of bilateralism and

require regional and international participation.

One such issue concerns the spiritual significance of

the city of Jerusalem. For believers in the three great

monotheistic faiths, Jerusalem must be the ultimate symbol

of peace and its glorious manifestation. A final settlement

on the political and administrative status of the city,

however, will occur in negotiations between Palestinians

and Israelis. Any arrangement reached must serve the

needs of the millions of followers of Islam, Christianity and

Judaism.

The economic dimension of peace is likewise a

transnational concern. The economies of the Middle East

have been shattered by the conflict. They must be revived

if peace is to take root on the ground. Access to more

equitable opportunities for economic growth will be vital.

International debt relief and write-off strategies should be

planned, encompassing improved concessionary terms by

the Clubs of Paris and London.

But the States of the region must also play their part.

Restrictions on trade should be relaxed. We must develop

a non-discriminatory approach to sustainable development

and economic well-being. We hope that the Middle

East-North Africa Economic Summit at Casablanca will

build on the achievements of the Regional Economic

Development Working Group and prove a useful forum to

explore the potential partnership between Governments,

private businesses and international financial institutions -

for this partnership surely holds the key to the economic

future of the region.

International changes wrought by the end of the cold

war have affected the political situation in the Middle East

as elsewhere. The transformation of world power politics

has been accompanied by a shift in attitude, modifying the

cost benefit calculus of regional States. National strategic

objectives can no longer be sought at the cost of others in

a supposedly "zero sum game". In the context of a

regional security regime, the size, the role and the

function of the armed forces in individual States of the

region are likely to undergo radical changes. These will

favour peace-keeping functions, allowing scarce resources

to be released for development needs.

ln this context, Jordan fully supports the five

dimensions of world peace and security outlined by the

Secretary-General. I would like to add that Jordan

supports the ongoing effort to streamline the United

Nations, and fully endorses the attempt to increase the

number of permanent members on the Security Council.

We also support the American proposal that

peace-keeping operations be strengthened by additional

personnel, more effective field capabilities, greater

cooperation between the United Nations and participating

countries and a more united approach to training.

Here again, Jordan is at the forefront of change.

Our armed forces as peace-keepers under the United

Nations command as far afield as Georgia, Angola and

the former Yugoslavia value the opportunity to take part

in these missions, for in a very real sense, they allow us

to participate in the unfolding world order. Jordan is

proud to be involved in shaping global security

arrangements.

As the peace process develops, it will be necessary

to promote a common regional identity and a shared

regional vision. All the Middle East must contribute to

the articulation of this vision. The key, again, is

participation. If the countries and peoples of the region

have a say in shaping its future, they will have a stake in

its success. And success will accordingly be all the more

likely; for the diversity of our region is a positive asset

that we must learn to use creatively. We will inevitably

differ on certain issues, just as we will agree on others.

But we must be able to discuss our views in the

knowledge that they will be heard, for honest

communication is the basis of genuine involvement in any

joint enterprise.

In this spirit, Jordan feels honour-bound to register

its concern over threats to the process of global

reconciliation. Inertia must not be allowed to dominate

the conduct of world affairs. Deep-seated conflicts will

not disappear by themselves. We urge the international

community of States to take swift action to facilitate their

resolution.

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One glaring example is the ongoing situation in Bosnia

Herzegovina. The appalling practices of "ethnic cleansing"

and genocide continue even as we speak. My country

abhors these atrocities. Jordan supports all the international

community’s efforts to end this tragic and wasteful conflict,

and we have taken positive steps to alleviate the hardship

it has caused. Jordan has joined the Non-Aligned

Movement’s task force on Bosnia. Our soldiers, who form

the second largest contingent of the United Nations

peace-keeping effort in the Balkans, are engaged in both

humanitarian relief and peace-keeping duties. Jordan has

supported the Vienna and Washington Agreements to

establish a federation between the Muslims and Croats of

Bosnia, and has welcomed the peace plan advanced by the

Contact Group, supported by the G-7 summit in Naples.

The Serbian challenge to the plan, in the face of Muslim

and Croat acceptance, is cause for deep disappointment.

I turn now to the situation in the Gulf. The

importance of stability and security cannot be overstated.

International norms must be observed; the territorial

integrity of all States must be preserved. Their sovereignty

and political independence must be upheld on the basis of

non-interference in their internal affairs. My country also

wishes to reiterate its serious concern for the plight of the

people of Iraq, where living conditions are deteriorating

rapidly. We intend to do our utmost to alleviate the

suffering of the Iraqi people, so far as is consistent with the

provisions of United Nations resolutions.

The distorted image of Islam remains a cause for

grave concern. The attention of this body should be turned

to the spreading of Islamophobia, or hate for Muslims.

This phenomenon occurs in all manner of ways, from the

purely verbal to the bluntly physical. Its proponents deal

in inflammatory rhetoric. They preach the inevitability of

cultural apocalypse, tarring all Muslims with the brush of

fanatical extremism. They ignore the fact that Islam is a

broad and adaptable concept and institution. One billion

Muslims now live on this earth. Thus, Islam encompasses

all shades of political opinion, different patterns of

theological thought, and countless varieties of human

experience.

Jordan urges Member States to join forces in bringing

about a better understanding of Islam as a religion, a

culture and a civilization. The expression of anti-Muslim

sentiment, and other manifestations of Islamophobia, should

be monitored and combated by educational campaigns,

cultural exchanges and similar endeavours. We have

always advocated an interfaith dialogue as the surest way

to combat bigotry and stereotyping.

More than a decade ago now, I stood before this

Assembly and called, on behalf of my country, for a new

international humanitarian order. That led to the

establishment of the Independent Commission on

International Humanitarian Issues. The Commission was

charged with investigating a wide range of pressing

humanitarian issues. It performed its duties well,

producing a series of reports that made clear the scale of

the impending global humanitarian disaster.

It would be comforting to stand before this

Assembly today and tell it that its work has made a

significant difference. It would be comforting, but it

would not be true. A new international humanitarian

order has not come into being. The powerless remain

powerless. The dispossessed have not recovered their

birthrights. There are more refugees, more street

children, more innocent victims of conflict than ever

before. What is worse, these issues are still addressed in

a piecemeal fashion. It is often said that one should not

try to treat a mass of symptoms, but to seek out root

causes. Remarkably, it sometimes seems that far from

seeking causes we are doing our best to ignore the

symptoms.

Today, I have tried to address causes. I have spoken

of the fundamental need for participation at all levels. I

have put before the Assembly a vision of a global order

characterized by partnership and communication, tolerance

and trust. In some places this vision is on the road to

realization; in others, it has seldom been more remote.

The alternatives are very clear, and the choice is ours.

I pledge my country’s full support to this

Organization, for as we move towards the twenty-first

century, and as the Organization moves towards its

fiftieth anniversary, the ideal that inspired the Charter of

the United Nations has never been more important.