Lebanon, 2011

First of all,

I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election

as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth

session, especially since you represent a brotherly

country that has constantly shown solidarity with

Lebanon and has played a key role in advancing

agreement and mutual understanding in the Doha

Agreement and in Lebanon’s reconstruction. I do this

hoping that our deliberations will contribute to

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shedding light on rightful causes and buttressing the

logic of justice.

This year’s General Assembly is held in a context

dominated by major Arab developments and the

rightful Palestinian endeavour for the State of Palestine

to be recognized and to obtain full membership in the

United Nations. In addition, there are other issues such

as the persistent tensions on the Korean peninsula,

natural disasters that threaten different parts of the

world and the persistence of the phenomenon of

terrorism as we commemorate the tenth anniversary of

the 11 September attacks, which we strongly condemn.

I stand before the General Assembly today as the

representative of a country that since its inception has

carried the message of freedom, concord and

moderation. Lebanon strives to consecrate and

consolidate that message, in spite of the challenges and

threats, both in the East and the West, to models of

coexistence and cultural diversity. In accordance with

its Constitution, Lebanon is “a parliamentary

democratic republic based on respect for civil liberties,

especially the freedom of opinion and belief”.

Moreover, “[t]he people are the source of authority and

sovereignty; they shall exercise these powers through

the constitutional institutions”.

Indeed, Lebanon has committed itself to those

principles, to the devolution of power and to the

participation of all religious communities in the

management of public affairs, in spite of the wars and

aggression it has suffered over decades. Moreover,

Lebanon has always been committed to respecting

legitimate international decisions and resolutions,

including those of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as

the ministerial statements of the successive Lebanese

Cabinets have asserted.

Over the past months, the Arab region has

witnessed events and mass popular movements calling

for freedom, democracy and the establishment of the

rule of law, rejecting authoritarianism, favouritism and

corruption. Lebanese intellectuals, members of the

media and activists have championed and laboured for

every movement of reawakening in the Levant, to

make the region a beacon of revitalization. Along with

them, Lebanon welcomes any peaceful approach or

means to achieve reform, to consecrate the principles

of democracy, justice and modernity and to preserve

human dignity and fundamental freedoms.

Only through those principles and systems can

security and peace for all segments of our societies be

achieved and an environment conducive to sound

human development be ensured. We must respond to

the recent upwellings and changes in the Arab world in

such a way that they serve its common good, foster its

progress and dignity and prevent it from veering

towards extremism, chaos, fragmentation and religious

or sectarian division.

At the same time, it must be brought to the

attention of the international community that the wave

of popular protest that has arisen in some Arab

countries cannot be perceived as stemming simply

from demands to improve living conditions. Therefore,

allocating funds to support economic and social

development in Arab countries undergoing transition is

not by itself sufficient to promote democracy,

moderation and openness. Indeed, means should be

explored to dispel feelings of injustice and oppression

rankling in the hearts of Arab peoples, who have been

marginalized for decades, their development and

growth impeded by Israeli practices and threats, on one

hand, and by their exclusion from the tide of modernity

and globalization, on the other.

Any such approaches require serious, determined

efforts — within the framework of an integrated

process — to impose a just and comprehensive solution

to all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East, based

on international resolutions, the Madrid terms of

reference and the Arab Peace Initiative in all its

provisions. That would lay the foundation for a broader

dialogue and understanding between the East and the

West and among civilizations, cultures and religions.

Such an understanding is historically overdue, after

decades marked by feelings of injustice and hostility,

destructive wars and missed opportunities.

In that connection, it is important to underscore

the right and just Palestinian effort to earn full

recognition of the State of Palestine and for its full

membership in the United Nations, in accordance with

the right to self-determination. Lebanon will work for

the success of those efforts, with the coordination and

cooperation of brotherly and friendly countries.

However, recognition of the Palestinian State and its

accession to the United Nations, though greatly

important, would neither restore full rights to the

Palestinians nor represent a final solution to the

Palestinian question.

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Until a final and just political solution to the

question of Palestine is reached — one guaranteeing

the Palestinian refugees’ right of return — the United

Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine

Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) remains

responsible for the relief of Palestinian refugees, in

cooperation with the host countries. Along with our

Palestinian brothers, Lebanon rejects any form of

permanent settlement of those refugees. For that reason

the UNRWA budget must be constantly maintained.

The Agency must not be merged with other United

Nations bodies, which would weaken its capacity.

In another context, Lebanon has recognized the

Libyan National Transitional Council, and it expects

Libyan officials, with whom it is communicating for

this purpose, to uncover the fate of Imam Musa al-Sadr

and his two companions, who were made to disappear

in Libya during an official visit in 1978.

A few days ago, Lebanon hosted the Second

Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster

Munitions, which concluded with the 2011 Beirut

Declaration. That was a defining moment in the

implementation of the Convention. Humanitarian

considerations are at the heart of international concern

about cluster munitions. The Meeting highlighted the

terrible human fallout of those weapons, which were

used heavily by Israel during its aggression of July

2006. To this day, those weapons threaten civilians on

their farmlands and innocent children at play in open

fields in South Lebanon.

Israel should be condemned for its use of those

weapons, and appropriate compensation should be

demanded for the extensive property damage and harm

to people it has caused Lebanon with those weapons.

Israel should compensate as well for the overall

damage caused by its repeated aggression against

Lebanon, including damage caused by the oil slick that

resulted from the Israeli bombardment of the Jiyeh

Power Station in the summer of 2006.

On the fifth anniversary of the adoption of

Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), Lebanon

reiterates its commitment to persevere in implementing

that resolution. Lebanon calls once again on the

international community to bring pressure to bear on

Israel to abide by all its provisions. Those provisions

require Israel to halt its daily violations of Lebanese

sovereignty and to withdraw immediately from

Lebanese territories that it still occupies in the northern

part of Al-Ghajar village, the Shaba’a farms and the

hills of Kfar Shouba. Furthermore, Israel must cease its

persistent threats against Lebanon and its infrastructure

and its endeavours to destabilize the country through

its spying networks and recruitment of agents.

Meanwhile, we maintain our right to liberate or

retrieve all of our occupied territories through all

legitimate available means.

On the other hand, we emphasize that we strongly

uphold our full sovereign and economic rights over our

territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and our

freedom to exploit our natural resources, be they on

land or in the deep sea, free from any designs or

threats.

We have addressed to the Secretary-General an

extensive correspondence setting out the boundaries of

our territorial waters and the legitimacy of our

territorial rights. Specifically, we laid out the

geographic coordinates of the southern and south-

western borders of Lebanon’s exclusive economic

zone. We raised particular objections to Israeli

violations and aggression that violate those rights.

Furthermore, as we warned against any initiative to

exploit the resources of the disputed maritime zones,

we asked the Secretary-General to take all measures he

deems appropriate to avoid any conflict.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend

the crucial role in south Lebanon of the United Nations

Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) carried out in

coordination and full cooperation with the Lebanese

Army. I would also like to commend the dedication of

UNIFIL commanders and staff in carrying out the

mission they have been entrusted with, as well as the

immense sacrifices they have made in the service of

peace.

While we thank those countries that have

contributed military personnel and material for their

continued commitment, in spite of the challenges they

have encountered, we also firmly condemn the terrorist

attacks in recent months on international forces,

particularly the French and Italian battalions. We are

working earnestly to pursue the perpetrators and bring

them to justice and to prevent any recurrence of such

incidents.

The United Nations has played an ever-growing

role in maintaining international peace and security and

in intervening to resolve disputes in many troubled

regions of the world. So far, however, it has been

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unable to show effectiveness in the Middle East, where

grave dangers still threaten international peace and

security as a result of Israel’s ongoing defiance of

resolutions of international legitimacy; its unacceptable

rejection of the basic conditions required for peace;

and its persistence in conducting abusive practices in

Gaza and the occupied territories, such as the illegal

construction of settlements and violations of human

rights.

This demands that negotiations on reform of the

Security Council come to fruition, so that the Council

can be brought more into line with the new geopolitical

situation and be capable of ensuring the

implementation of its binding resolutions.

In conclusion, as we celebrate the centenary of

International Women’s Day this year, we must take

greater advantage of the potential and talents of half of

humankind, rather than merely seeking to enshrine

gender equality in principle. Women are making an

enormous contribution to raising and educating the

younger generation, promoting peace, reducing

poverty, hunger, disease and environmental

degradation, and promoting sustainable development

opportunities.

The general debate in the Assembly is an

occasion for all of us to renew the vows we made in

1945 in order to address the challenges and crises

facing us — by working through institutions of

international legitimacy and agreed collective

solutions, in conformity with the basic principles of the

Charter of the United Nations, its resolutions and the

provisions of international law, provided that they are

based on the spirit of justice and avoid double

standards. History has taught us that this choice is the

one and only reasonable solution.