Lebanon, 2009

I should

like at the outset to congratulate Mr. Ali Abdussalam

Treki on his election as President of the General

Assembly at its sixty-fourth session and to express my

appreciation to his predecessor, Father Miguel

d’Escoto Brockmann, for his efforts. I should also like

to thank in particular His Excellency the Secretary-

General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his comprehensive

annual report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1)

and for the special attention that he has consistently

devoted to the concerns of Lebanon and its people.

Lebanon closely follows all political, economic,

social and legal issues on the agenda of the General

Assembly, and we are hopeful and confident that we

will be elected as a non-permanent member of the

Security Council for the period 2010-2011, with the

full support of brotherly and friendly nations in that

regard. Lebanon looks forward to that election with

great confidence, because we are a founding member

of this universal international Organization and

contributed significantly to the drafting of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For thousands of years, the people of Lebanon

have made vital contributions to the development of

civilization, including innovations that have promoted

communication, interaction and dialogue among

nations and peoples. These are the same people who set

sail in search of new horizons of cooperation and

communication and have played a vital role in

spreading the values of freedom and democracy,

reinforcing the concept of Arab nationalism and

establishing the pillars of the intellectual and literary

renaissance of the Arab world.

Today, from this rostrum, Lebanon reaffirms its

commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and

to the resolutions of international legitimacy, in

particular Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), as

well as its willingness to contribute seriously and

responsibly to the deliberations and resolutions of the

Council for the coming two years, especially those

aimed at ensuring peace and security in the Middle

East. Furthermore, Lebanon will give special

consideration to the deliberations on reform of the

United Nations and its organs that will enable it to

become more effective in addressing the challenges of

today’s world.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the

Lebanese Constitution, which was adopted in 1926,

two decades before the United Nations was established,

stipulates that “There shall be absolute freedom of

conscience. The State ... shall respect all religions and

creeds and guarantees under its protection, and the free

exercise of all religious rites”.

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The model of coexistence embodied by Lebanon,

which allows various confessional communities to

participate actively in its political life in an

environment of democracy and freedom of thought and

expression, runs counter to all trends towards ethnic or

religious cleansing and doctrines of the single-thought

theory. That is why, last year, I called for the

establishment of Lebanon as an internationally

recognized centre for dialogue among civilizations,

cultures and religions, in keeping with our role as a

bridge of communication between East and West and

our message as a country in which 18 different

communities interact in a unique and exemplary

manner.

One of the primary tasks entrusted to the Security

Council is to strive to maintain international peace and

security. Indeed, it is very unfortunate that the Arab

Middle East, a region that gave rise to the three

monotheistic religions, has been an area of tension,

conflict and war ever since the Nakba, the tragedy that

befell Palestine in 1948 and displaced its people.

Any settlement of the Middle East crisis must be

based on a predetermined and comprehensive plan

whose basic elements have been set out in the

resolutions of international legitimacy, at the Madrid

Peace Conference and in the Arab Peace Initiative.

Above all, such a settlement requires the genuine

political will of the parties to commit themselves to

peace and its obligations.

However, the Israeli side has not demonstrated

such will, because the soundness and usefulness of a

just peace are still being discussed both by the

Government and at the grass-roots level in Israel.

Furthermore, Israeli threats of attacks and wars

continue as ways to exert control and hegemony and

impose a fait accompli, if not to bring about expansion,

displacement and further encroachment on the rights of

Palestinians and Arabs. Meanwhile, Arab countries

have together introduced a comprehensive Peace

Initiative, which was unanimously adopted at the 2002

Arab League Summit, held in Beirut.

It is thus essential that the international

community take appropriate measures to compel Israel

to fulfil its international obligations under the peace

process within a specific and reasonable time frame, in

accordance with the Declaration of the recent Arab

League Summit held in Doha, Qatar. How can we

persuade our peoples that the international community

is capable of achieving a just and comprehensive peace

and thus of putting an end to the various aspects of the

Middle East conflict, including through an Israeli

withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the

establishment of an independent and sovereign

Palestinian State with Al-Quds as its capital, if it

cannot force Israel to halt its settlement construction,

lift its unjust siege on Gaza and stop the Judaization of

Jerusalem?

In that context, it is important to note that people

have the right to reclaim their occupied territories by

all legitimate and available means, in accordance with

the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and

the relevant United Nations resolutions. Everyone here

knows how Lebanon was able to liberate most of its

territories occupied by Israel in the spring of 2000 after

Israel had refused to implement resolution 425 (1978),

which called for its immediate and unconditional

withdrawal from all Lebanese territories. That

occupation lasted 22 continuous years.

Our meeting this year coincides with the sixtieth

anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations

Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the

Near East (UNRWA). On this occasion, Lebanon would

like to stress that the Palestinian refugees’ solution is

first and foremost a political solution. We fully support

all efforts aimed at reinforcing the programmes and

capabilities of UNRWA, enabling it to improve the

living standards and human conditions of the refugees,

in collaboration with the host countries, until a just and

final solution to the tragedy of the Palestinians has

been reached.

Clearly, such a just and final solution for the

Palestinian refugees cannot deny them their natural and

legitimate right of return to their lands and homes, nor

can it be achieved without the host countries’

participation or in violation of their sovereignty, their

special circumstances and their national interests. This

is why Lebanon rejects any form of settling Palestinian

refugees on its territories, for by such rejection it

upholds the Palestinian refugees’ right of return, in

accordance with Lebanon’s Constitution and national

pact. Let it be clear that such a position will not be

reversed. Nor will it be subject to compromise or

negotiation. I take this opportunity to express our

gratitude to the countries that have lent their support to

the Lebanese position on this issue and shown a

willingness to defend it.

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Throughout last year, Lebanon was able to

maintain its internal stability and dismantle many

Israeli spy networks and terrorist cells while striving to

implement resolution 1701 (2006) and strengthen its

relations with brotherly and friendly countries.

Furthermore, Lebanon was able to hold parliamentary

elections. The world witnessed the transparency and

integrity of those elections, and the results were

accepted by all competing parties. Lebanon has also

been able to improve its credibility, avoid the aftermath

of the global financial crisis, attract many tourists and

investors, and raise its economic growth rate to almost

6 per cent. It is now preparing to host the sixth

Francophone Games in a few days.

While parliamentary consultations are taking

place in accordance with constitutional provisions and

the requirement to forge a national consensus, we are

looking forward to forming a national unity

government very soon. Such a government would

reinstate government dynamics and launch the

political, administrative and judicial reform process the

Lebanese people aspire to. The fruits of such a process

will serve the people and the authorities, thus ensuring

its success and continuity.

In parallel, and on the third anniversary of the

adoption of resolution 1701 (2006), Lebanon stresses

that Israel should be forced to comply with all the

provisions of that resolution, especially its withdrawal

from all the Lebanese occupied territories, including

the Shaba’a farms, the Kfarshouba hills and the

northern part of the village of Ghajar, to stop its daily

violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and its persistent

threats against Lebanon, its institutions and

infrastructure.

In this context, Lebanon would like to commend

the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

for the role it is playing in the south of the country, in

accordance with the rules of engagement agreed upon

and in full coordination with the Lebanese Army. In

addition, Lebanon would like to reaffirm that it

remains keen to preserve the safety of this Force and

reiterates its appreciation for the efforts deployed by its

commander and soldiers and for their sacrifices in the

service of peace and stability.

Lebanon will pursue its international efforts to

force Israel to pay due compensation for the enormous

damage it caused through its repeated acts of

aggression against Lebanon, including the damage

caused by the oil slick resulting from the Israeli

bombardment of the Jiyeh power plant in the summer

of 2006.

The experience acquired over the past 61 years

has confirmed a set of truths. First, the Palestinian

cause is at the core of the Middle East conflict.

Secondly, Israel’s resorting to force to impose a fait

accompli is futile and will weaken neither the will nor

the determination of the Arab people to restore their

rights. Thirdly, partial and unilateral solutions will not

achieve genuine peace, and unjust solutions are short-

lived.

Since the middle of the last century, the world has

witnessed fundamental political, intellectual and

ideological shifts that have had a profound impact on

nations and their interactions, along with a troubling

accumulation of economic, social and environmental

predicaments. No matter how local or regional some

conflicts and crises have been in the past, in the current

era of globalization they have become global in nature

or acquired a global dimension. Such has been the case

for the phenomenon of international terrorism, the

global financial crisis and the contagious diseases that

are spreading across continents.

In ancient times, and now in the modern world, as

told in the fiercest epic tales, wars beget tragic and

painful events and give rise to costly and horrific

experiences where endless blood and countless tears

are shed and disappointment and tragedies prevail. We

therefore hope that the United Nations, which from the

outset was established to prevent wars and resolve

conflicts through peaceful means, will persist in its

endeavour to achieve righteousness and establish

justice through active and unbiased international

efforts.