Saudi Arabia, 1993

It is with pleasure that I convey to Your Excellency at the

outset of my statement, our sincerest congratulations on your

election to the Presidency of the forty-eighth session of the

18 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

General Assembly of the United Nations. Your election

reflects appreciation for you personally, as well as for the

positive role played by your country in the international

arena. I wish you every success in the pursuit of your

mission.

On this occasion, I also wish to congratulate your

predecessor for his effective guidance of the affairs of the

General Assembly at its previous session.

I also wish to acknowledge the sincere efforts

constantly exerted by the Secretary-General of the United

Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to enhance the

prospects for peace and reduce the elements of tension

which prevail in many parts of the world.

I am also pleased to welcome, on behalf of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all the States that have joined our

Organization to participate, along with all other Member

States, in realizing the noble objectives towards which we all

strive.

This session of the General Assembly takes place

amidst important developments in the international arena that

require us to strive to conclude our work with successful

resolutions on the problems and crises we face. These

resolutions must be within the context of our efforts to

benefit from the opportunities provided by the emergence of

what has come to be known as the new international order.

We have all contributed, through the United Nations to

establishing the new international order, the foundations of

which are based on the principles enshrined in the United

Nations Charter and inherent in international law. This new

order respects the sovereignty and independence of States

and guarantees the inviolability of their international borders.

It guarantees the territorial integrity of States and rejects

interference in their domestic affairs. It is based on equity

among nations, small and large, rich and poor, and its goal

is to replace war and destruction with cooperation between

nations and peoples. The new international order strives for

the peaceful resolution of conflict and rejects the use of

force or coercion. It operates to preserve the dignity of man

and to spread security, stability, prosperity and development

to all corners of our world.

The emergence of this new order has been a source of

hope and optimism for the international community,

particularly when serious and constructive international

cooperation succeeded in confronting the Iraqi aggression

against the State of Kuwait. Today, however, we are

saddened and pained by the inability of this order to confront

the aggression committed against the Republic of Bosnia and

Herzegovina, a State Member of our international

Organization. This crisis, if not resolved in a manner

compatible with the principles of the new world order, will

cause this new order to lose its credibility and effectiveness.

We therefore call for enhancing the role of the United

Nations from one of mere crisis management and

maintenance of peace to one of active and effective

peacemaking.

A general overview of the current international situation

reveals that there remain pockets of tension which threaten

security and stability in many regions of the world. With

the persistence of such challenges, the role of the United

Nations is becoming increasingly important, not only for the

maintenance of peace, but as an effective means for creating

conditions conducive to peace and stability throughout the

world. Without a doubt, the creation of such conditions will

be made much easier if the opportunities for cooperation

between nations are increased and support for the United

Nations is strengthened so that the Organization may

function in a manner that would guarantee that no country

commits aggression against another or threatens its security,

sovereignty or territorial integrity.

The honourable role played by the United Nations more

than three years ago when it stood firmly in the face of

Iraq’s aggression against its neighbour Kuwait, and the

resolutions it adopted led in the end to repelling aggression

and restoring legality to Kuwait the peace-loving nation.

This positive role portrays our expectations of this

international body in the present circumstances. We hope

that it will continue to be played and ask that it be enhanced

by efforts to ensure the complete implementation of all

Security Council resolutions regarding the Iraqi regime,

which continues to flout international legality. Two years

after the liberation of Kuwait, the Baghdad regime continues

to resort to threats and false allegations against Kuwait. It

continues to delay efforts to implement United Nations

resolutions and rejects all international obligations. We

point in particular to the Iraqi regime’s objections to the

recommendations of the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait

Boundary Demarcation Commission and its rejection of

Security Council resolution 833 (1993), as well as its

continued detention of Kuwaiti hostages and prisoners of

war. This regime has arrogated the right, on the basis of

sovereignty, to starve and abuse its people and subject Iraq

to dangers which threaten its unity and security. It falsely

blames the international community for the dangers and

tragedies to which Iraq and its people have become subject.

The surest way of facing up to the threats this regime poses

Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 19

to the region as a whole, and to the Iraqi people is to fully

and completely implement Security Council resolutions.

The Declaration of Principles between the Palestine

Liberation Organization and the Israeli Government, signed

in Washington, D.C. on 13 September 1993, has raised

expectations and hopes that a just and permanent settlement

can be found to the Arab-Israeli conflict, which has persisted

for far too long. This development, though representing

only an agreement on autonomy in the occupied Palestinian

territories, beginning with Gaza and Jericho, nevertheless

represents a step towards the establishment of a just,

comprehensive and permanent peace between the Arab

States and Israel. A solution to the Palestinian question will

obviously contribute to a just and comprehensive settlement

of the Arab-Israeli conflict as it is the core issue of that

conflict.

The warm welcome with which the Palestinian-Israeli

agreement was received within Palestinian, Arab and

international circles genuinely and clearly reflects the desire

of the Arabs to establish a permanent, just and

comprehensive peace in the Middle East. It also indicates

the seriousness with which the Arab side has pursued the

current peace process, which was launched in Madrid in

October 1991 under the sponsorship of the United States of

America and the Russian Federation.

As we witness today the optimism generated by the

Palestinian-Israeli agreement, we cannot but feel that it is

incumbent upon the international community to lend support

to the progress that has been achieved in this area by

providing the necessary economic and developmental

assistance required to build the administrative structures

needed to make the agreement on self-rule succeed. At the

same time, it is also incumbent upon us to work diligently

to exploit the momentum generated by this agreement in

furthering the cause of peace.

The consolidation of this step requires the achievement

of tangible and positive results in the areas of negotiation

between Palestinians and Israelis; at the forefront of those

are the issue of Al-Quds, which is an integral part of the

occupied Arab territories, the issue of the return of

Palestinian refugees, and the settlements built by Israel in the

occupied Arab territories contrary to international law and

the Geneva Conventions. At the same time, genuine

progress along all the other bilateral negotiating tracks is

needed.

The issue of the occupied Arab Syrian Golan Heights

is clear: it is governed by the principle of respect for

international borders. The maintenance of security is not

feasible, as the realities of contemporary history teach us,

through the occupation of territory by force, but rather

through the establishment of peace. Thus, peace on this

front will be achieved only by a complete Israeli withdrawal

from the occupied Golan Heights.

Likewise, the Lebanese-Israeli negotiating track is

governed by United Nations Security Council resolution

425 (1978), which clearly calls for the immediate,

unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese

territory.

I wish to express the appreciation of the Government of

the Custodian of the two holy mosques to President Clinton

for his prudent initiative in calling for, and hosting, an

international donors’ conference to solicit political and

financial support for the Palestinians as they prepare to

assume the responsibilities of self-rule in the occupied

territories. I also wish to take this opportunity to express

our pleasure at the positive results achieved at that

conference.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given, and continues

to give, its full support in all possible forms to the Middle

East peace process since it began in Madrid. It has

participated effectively in the multilateral talks, and

genuinely hopes that the process will lead to a just,

permanent and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian

question and the Arab conflict with Israel on the basis of

United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and

338 (1973).

Despite the financial burdens the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia bears in building an advanced economy in which the

expectations of its citizens for a better future are fulfilled,

and despite its current international obligations at a time of

difficulty in the international economic system, the Kingdom

of Saudi Arabia participated in the international donors’

conference that recently concluded its meetings in

Washington.

The Custodian of the two holy mosques has bestowed

upon me the honour of announcing the Kingdom’s

commitment to providing substantial developmental

assistance to improve the infrastructures in the West Bank

and Gaza Strip in coordination and cooperation with the

World Bank’s special five-year programme for the occupied

territories. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will participate,

through the Saudi development fund, to the tune of

$100 million for the year 1994. We believe that this

assistance will improve the living conditions of our

20 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

Palestinian brethren in the occupied Arab territories and

contribute positively to the peace process.

The Lebanese Government has made great strides in its

efforts to implement the Taif Accords, and has taken the

necessary political and constitutional measures to achieve

this aim. We must continue our support for the efforts of

the legitimate Lebanese authorities and contribute to the

process of reconstruction in Lebanon.

In this regard, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appeals to

the international community to help Lebanon by all available

means in order to enable its Government to continue moving

forward with the process of reconstruction and allow

Lebanon to regain its material and cultural position.

It is important to reiterate the need, if this goal is to be

achieved, for an Israeli commitment to implement, fully and

unconditionally, United Nations Security Council resolution

425 (1978), which requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanese

territory to enable the Lebanese Government to extend its

legal authority over all Lebanon.

We should like to emphasize our desire for the Middle

East region to obtain its legitimate share of security, peace

and stability so that it is able to direct all its energies

towards development and devote all its resources towards

prosperity for its people.

One of the most important tasks facing us in this

respect is to strive towards the elimination of weapons of

mass destruction in the Middle East. The Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia is a signatory to the Convention on the

non-proliferation of chemical weapons and the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We continue to

believe that the goal of making the Middle East a region free

of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, whether

nuclear, chemical or biological, will be realized only when

all States in the region, including Israel, refrain from the

production, stockpiling, or possession of any kind of weapon

of mass destruction.

The situation in the Republic of Bosnia and

Herzegovina is being aggravated by the continuation of a

genocidal war waged by Serb forces, with the support of

Serbia and Montenegro, against that young Republic. The

continuing tragedy of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

which has resulted in the death of thousands of innocent

civilians and the displacement of a large portion of its

citizens, would not have occurred were it not for the

apparent indifference of the international community. This

attitude allowed the forces of aggression to benefit from

their aggression, and to continue their abhorrent policy of

"ethnic cleansing" without fear of retribution.

This feeble stand on the part the international

community, particularly the European countries, was

reflected in the inability to implement comprehensively the

resolutions of the London Conference, upon which we had

rested great hopes. It is also reflected in the failure of the

Vance-Owen plan and the collapse of the subsequent Geneva

talks on refugees.

The international community’s dereliction of its

responsibilities vis-á-vis the Serb aggression has emboldened

the Croats to embark upon a similar course of making gains

by means of force and coercion.

Against such a backdrop, it was strange indeed that

when Croatia was targeted by Serbian aggression, the

international community, and especially the European

nations, were quick to stand by Croatia and provide military

assistance that contributed to the success of international

efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement, whereas the

international community’s feeble stance in the case of

Bosnia and Herzegovina and its failure to implement the

international resolutions calling for the imposition of

economic sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro, have

deprived that young Republic of the means of exercising its

legitimate right to self-defence. Those resolutions and the

sanctions they call for remained dead letter and were not

seriously implemented until it was too late, after the Serbs

had rejected the Vance-Owen Plan, which the Bosnians and

Croats had accepted. What really shocks and amazes us is

that this war of aggression is being waged on the European

soil whereas history teaches us that such wars on that soil

have never been limited wars but have always overspilled

beyond the borders. However, no one seems to be paying

any attention to those object-lessons.

While we hope that the history of Europe’s wars will

not repeat itself, we hope that the solutions that are being

proposed do not turn out to be the seeds of future conflicts

and disputes. We hope that the international community will

give serious consideration to the demands of the Republic of

Bosnia and Herzegovina so that it may be saved from any

repetition of the policies of aggression and "ethnic

cleansing". The geographical demands of that young nation

should be satisfied by granting it access to the sea as well as

providing it with the means of legitimate self-defence, in

consonance with the principles of the United Nations

Charter.

Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 21

The principled stand by the people and Government of

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of the Republic of

Bosnia and Herzegovina emanates from their strong and total

adherence to international legality and respect for

international law and not from any religious fanaticism or

ethnic affinity. It is the same principled stand that was taken

by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of Kuwait when

it fell victim to the Iraqi regime’s aggression.

Somalia continues to be in the grip of instability and

political chaos, with all the attendant acts of violence and

bloodshed, despite all the efforts deployed to help that nation

out of its plight. International efforts, during the Conference

for National Reconciliation held at Addis Ababa, focused on

the preservation of the Somali State and the maintenance of

its independence and territorial integrity. Unfortunately, the

required steps have not been taken for the serious

implementation of that Agreement. The role of the United

Nations has been limited to the distribution of humanitarian

assistance to those in need at a time when the role it is

expected to play within the new world order is to contribute

to peacemaking and to the stabilization of the Somali State.

Such measures should help to establish a Somali

Government that can extend its authority throughout

Somalia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made a number of

attempts to contain the conflict in Somalia and has tried to

bring about national reconciliation among the various

factions. It will continue to deploy efforts to stop the

bloodshed and to provide humanitarian assistance and relief.

We support the Secretary-General’s recommendations in his

report to the Security Council, on the means of helping re-

establish Somalia’s constitutional institutions and on the

efforts needed to reach national reconciliation and to rebuild

Somalia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stood by the fraternal

people of Afghanistan throughout their jihad and celebrated

with them their victory over the forces of brutal occupation

in the struggle for restoring their national identity. The

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia spared no effort in working for

reconciliation when the infighting started between the

various mujahidin factions. Those efforts were crowned

with the signing of the Mecca Agreement and the initiation

of steps towards its implementation. A National

Government that combined all factions of the Afghan

mujahidin was established. We take this opportunity to urge

our brethren in Afghanistan to comply with the terms of the

agreement so that Afghanistan may begin to move towards

reconstruction and development and regain its place and role

in the international community.

It must be noted that that part of the world continues to

suffer as a result of the problem of Jammu and Kashmir,

which continues to be an element of instability in the region.

The Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

follows with great concern the ongoing violence there. We

are keen on finding a solution on the basis of United Nations

resolutions to this long-standing problem that has

overshadowed the relations of the two neighbours, India and

Pakistan.

Among the other conflicts in Asia I would refer to the

tragic developments resulting from the worsening conflict

between two United Nations Member States, the Republic of

Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. That conflict has

recently resulted in the occupation by Armenia of parts of

Azerbaijan. We consider that occupation to be a breach of

the principle of the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and

emphasize the importance of withdrawal by Armenia’s

forces from Azerbaijan’s territory in order to transfer that

issue to the negotiating table with the aim of reaching a

peaceful and just settlement that would ensure the legitimate

rights of the people of Azerbaijan.

Our joint and serious efforts towards consolidating the

underpinnings of the new world order aim at making it

possible to address the issues of development and the

creation of an international economic environment in which

financial resources would be diverted from arms races to

economic and social development. Those efforts are in

keeping with our ambitions and the aspirations of our

peoples for a better world of peace, prosperity and security.

Such an enterprise requires the cooperation of the developed

industrial nations by opening their markets to the products

of the developing nations, the elimination of protectionist

measures, ensuring an early successful outcome to the

Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks and finding an

urgent, rapid solution to the debt problem. On the other

hand, economic cooperation between the developing

countries themselves is a paramount issue and represents a

fundamental tool for consolidating international economic

growth.

My Government attaches great importance to issues

relating to the world economic system. The Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia represents a State open to the world,

interacting with all the trends and developments that affect

it. Thus, we are keen on preserving the health and strength

of the world economy, and we are concerned by the

disruptions and turmoil that affect its course and

development. It is on that basis that the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia is participating positively in the ongoing discussions

on energy and environment. We have shouldered our

22 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

responsibilities in this regard and have played an active role

in international discussions to find a workable and balanced

solution to global warming based on proven scientific

evidence. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is convinced that

the future of this world, its prosperity, and the well-being of

its inhabitants, depend on a clear understanding of the

environmental problems that face us all and on fully

understanding the consequences of the policies adopted in

dealing with those problems.

This requires delicate balancing of the burdens and

commitments of each and every State in addressing problems

of the environment. Due consideration should be given also

to the situation of every energy producing or consumer

developing country and the effects of environmental policies

on the economic growth of those countries. Such an

approach will certainly contribute to the achievement of

comprehensive development and to the betterment of our

peoples’ standards of living so that they may all enjoy

prosperity, peace, security and stability. The current

international circumstances, resulting from the ending of the

cold war, together with the progress achieved in arms control

and reductions of conventional weapons afford us a rare

opportunity for channelling the financial windfall towards

solving the problems of development and economic

backwardness.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront

of Islamic States that have adhered to the Cairo Declaration

on Human Rights in Islam, issued by the Organization of the

Islamic Conference on 5 August 1990. This Cairo

Declaration should be regarded as a tributary providing the

proper foundation for positive and practical international

cooperation and flowing into the main stream of universal

support for human rights and freedoms.

Most particularly, the Declaration expresses the will of

over 1 billion people, which by any measure grants it a

universal character. While the principles and objectives of

human rights are universal in nature, their application must

take into consideration the diversity of societies and their

historical, cultural, and religious backgrounds and legal

systems. We should not rush to the creation of mechanisms

that would only deepen differences and disregard the sort of

sensitivities that became noticeable during the World

Conference on Human Rights that was held recently in

Vienna.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a developing society

firmly based on the rules that constitute the pillars of Islamic

civilization. It is a society that has firmly set itself to face

up to the challenges of our times with determination and

confidence, and it is a society undergoing evolution and

significant reform. Its reforms are guided by the Custodian

of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aiz, and

embodied in the basic laws of governance, the Charter of the

Majlis al-Shura - the consultative council - and the laws of

the provinces. These laws place upon the State the primary

responsibility for the protection of human rights in

accordance with the Islamic Shariah and determine the

relationship between ruler and ruled on the basis of

brotherhood, consultation, loyalty and cooperation.

I am pleased to inform this body that the members of

the Majlis al-Shura and those of the provincial councils have

been named. These institutions are now making serious

preparations to embark upon their appointed tasks and to

serve their faith, their King, and their nation. This important

step in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s development paves

the way for participation by Saudi citizens in sharing the

responsibility for confidently building a promising and

hopeful future.

Forty-eighth session - 13 October l993 23

The political and economic challenges we face which

abound on this session’s agenda, put a great burden of

responsibility on us all towards our peoples and nations.

Our common future will depend on the way we face up to

those challenges. In the light of the current international

situation and of the emergence of a new international

outlook which rejects fanaticism and ossification and

confirms a desire for openness and progress, we harbour

great hopes that we shall be able to surmount those

challenges. In so doing, we must take into consideration the

fact that the new international order will not be able to

provide us with the peace, justice and development we desire

unless we give it the opportunity to do just that.