Saudi Arabia, 1996

It gives me pleasure, as we begin the work of this

session, to convey to you, Sir, on behalf of the delegation

of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our sincerest

congratulations on your election to the presidency of the

fifty-first session of the General Assembly. Your

assumption of that important position reflects the

appreciation of Member States both of your personal

qualities and of the positive role your country plays in the

international arena. We wish you success in fulfilling your

mission and assure you of our readiness and desire to

cooperate with you fully in achieving the objectives of this

session.

I wish also to take this opportunity to congratulate

your predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for his

effective guidance of the affairs of the General Assembly

last session, which witnessed the celebration of the fiftieth

anniversary of our Organization.

I would also like to convey my sincere appreciation to

the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros

Boutros-Ghali, who manages the affairs of this international

Organization with exceptional ability and competence in

a rapidly changing world. In order to deal with increasing

expectations regarding the present and future role of the

United Nations, we consider that a renewal of his tenure

will provide him the opportunity to complete ongoing

plans and efforts to reform the United Nations and to

restore its constructive role in the international arena.

A year has passed since we celebrated the fiftieth

anniversary of the United Nations. That celebration,

attended by many world leaders, gave us a valuable

opportunity to recall the importance of the role of the

United Nations in maintaining international peace and

security and in enhancing international legitimacy. It also

provided us with an opportunity to review the

Organization’s accomplishments and challenges over the

past 50 years.

The current session of the General Assembly marks

the beginning of a new era for the United Nations, which

we hope will witness a consolidation of its role on the

international scene to the benefit of Member States and in

accordance with the principles and purposes of the

Charter. It is our firm belief that this international forum

can play an extremely important and effective role in

managing crises, in averting wars and conflicts, and in

providing the means for international cooperation. This

obliges us to be more persistent than ever before in

supporting this institution and enhancing its constructive

role.

The changes which have occurred in the world over

the past decade are so dramatic that they have created a

new international reality with a host of new challenges.

These developments offer new opportunities to bolster the

principles of the United Nations for the benefit of

strengthening international legitimacy including justice

and equality among nations, the rejection of the use of

force in the settlement of conflicts, the preservation of the

dignity of mankind, and providing security and prosperity

for all. We should also recall the fact, to which many

world leaders referred during the fiftieth anniversary

celebrations, that the ability of this international

Organization to resolve global problems, crises and

conflicts depends greatly on the political will of Member

States to abide by the principles of the United Nations. It

is our hope that the future will witness greater

determination by Member States to ensure the

achievement of the objectives upon which the future of

our Organization depends, a future which is also ours.

8

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is fully cognizant of the

importance of reforming United Nations bodies so that they

may fulfil their prescribed roles and deal effectively with

the global changes we have witnessed in recent years.

Among these bodies, the Security Council, as the principal

organ directly concerned with the maintenance of

international peace and security, remains the focus for

reform. My country’s view was and remains that any

changes to the structure of the Security Council should be

geared towards enhancing its ability to accomplish its role

effectively as stipulated in the Charter and to refrain from

any action that would limit its effectiveness in fulfilling its

purposes.

Arab leaders, at their summit meeting in Cairo last

June, expressed their firm commitment to continue the

peace process which they regard as an irreversible strategic

goal. The Cairo meeting reaffirmed that the realization of

a just and comprehensive peace within the realm of

international legitimacy presupposes a serious and

unequivocal commitment by Israel to abide by the

principles of the Madrid Peace Conference and Security

Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978),

as well as by the land-for-peace formula. The Arab leaders

also reaffirmed that any breach by Israel of these principles

and agreed-upon commitments and agreements, or any

delay in their implementation, would result in a setback to

the peace process, with all its dangerous consequences.

We view with great concern the Israeli Government’s

failure to demonstrate a degree of seriousness and

commitment to the peace process comparable to that

demonstrated by the Arab States. Since assuming office, the

Government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has

continued to issue statements and undertake actions that do

not serve the cause of peace. In contrast to the Arab States’

commitment to the Madrid principles, to Security Council

resolutions and to the land-for-peace formula, the

statements made by the Israeli Government indicate an

insistence on consolidating of its occupation of Arab lands;

maintaining its annexation of East Jerusalem; and delaying

the agreed-upon redeployment of its troops from Al-Khalil.

We are also concerned by the Israeli Government’s

continued closure of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,

together with its proclaimed rejection of withdrawing from

the Syrian Golan Heights. Recently, the Israeli authorities

opened a tunnel under the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This was a

flagrant infringement upon the Islamic sanctuaries and a

clear violation of binding international resolutions on the

status of Jerusalem. We welcome Security Council

resolution 1073 (1996), which the Council issued after the

events that resulted from the Israeli measures. We hope that

the summit conference sponsored by the President of the

United States of America will help with the

implementation of that Security Council resolution and

give momentum to the peace process on the basis of that

resolution and in accordance with its principles.

Statements by the Israeli Prime Minister that Israel

is prepared to resume negotiations without preconditions

are no more than an attempt to distance himself from the

Madrid-based principles and fundamentals of the peace

process, in particular the land-for-peace formula. Such a

position can only mark a serious setback. Hence, we call

upon the United States of America and the Russian

Federation, as the co-sponsors of the Madrid Peace

Conference, to do their utmost to continue the peace

process on all tracks in order to reach the desired results.

In this context we value the positive and constructive

positions on this matter reflected in the Florence

statement of the European Union and the Lyon statement

of the Group of Seven. Furthermore, we reiterate our call

to all parties concerned to fulfil their commitments to

provide economic assistance to the Palestinian people.

While we call upon members of the international

community to increase their economic assistance to the

Palestinian Authority, we should remember the need to

deal with actions undertaken by the Israeli Government

which might prevent the Palestinians from benefiting from

this aid. Moreover, any efforts to achieve regional

cooperation will be meaningless and ineffective unless

accompanied by tangible progress in the peace process on

all its tracks.

We are greatly concerned about the issue of

Jerusalem — Al-Quds Al-Sharif — which is at the heart

of the Arab-Israeli conflict and is of utmost concern to

the Arab and Muslim world. The manner in which this

issue is dealt with could determine the future of the peace

process. We regret to see the Israeli authorities continue

their measures aimed at changing the demographic

composition and creating new realities in the status of

Jerusalem with the intention of prejudicing the

negotiations on the final status of the city. We believe

that in any settlement of this issue Israel must take into

consideration internationally binding resolutions legality,

in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967),

which calls on Israel to withdraw from occupied Arab

terri tories, and 252 (1968) pertaining to

Al-Quds Al-Sharif. We also believe that any settlement

should take into account the importance of the repatriation

of Palestinian refugees and the release of Palestinian

prisoners who have been detained in violation of the

9

Declaration of Principles, international law and the Geneva

Conventions.

The honourable and firm stand taken by the

international community following the brutal Iraqi

aggression against the State of Kuwait in 1990, including

the adoption of a series of historic Security Council

resolutions to repel the aggression and restore to the State

of Kuwait its legitimacy and sovereignty, constitutes the

kind of firmness we hope the United Nations will always

demonstrate. The position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

on this issue is unwavering, and is based on two

fundamental principles. So long as the Iraqi Government

has not fully complied with the internationally binding

demands set out in Council resolutions, the problem will

not be solved and the suffering of the Iraqi people will not

be mitigated. This is a matter of deep concern for all of us.

We believe that recent developments in northern Iraq

could have adverse effects on the unity, sovereignty and

territorial integrity of Iraq, since certain neighbouring

countries have in various ways attempted to interfere in the

Kurdish conflict. In the light of these realities, we have to

be very careful lest the situation lead to a collapse of the

international coalition which is responsible for full

implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions,

the foremost of which relate to the release and repatriation

of all prisoners of war and detainees from Kuwait and other

countries, the return of stolen assets, compliance with the

mechanism for compensation, and full cooperation with the

efforts of the United Nations Special Commission to

oversee the elimination of Iraq’s weapons of mass

destruction. These are the objectives the international

coalition should strive to fulfil, bearing in mind the need to

avoid any measures that might damage the unity,

sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq.

The Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy

Mosques expressed great interest in efforts to eliminate all

weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East,

including those aimed at keeping that sensitive part of the

world free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. In

this perspective, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia actively

participated in the Review and Extension Conference of the

Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons (NPT) held in New York last year, and welcomed

the efforts that have led to an agreement on the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

We believe in the need to make the NPT more

effective and universal through the activation of the

safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy

Agency. We also see a need to adopt measures and

criteria that would enhance all aspects of the process of

dismantling weapons of mass destruction in accordance

with General Assembly resolution 1 (I), which addresses,

inter alia, the issue of eliminating all weapons of mass

destruction. In this respect, we urge all States that have

not yet become parties to the Treaty to take the necessary

steps to do so, thus contributing to the maintenance of

world peace and stability.

The occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of

three islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates —

Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb — is a source

of great concern, not only to the United Arab Emirates,

but also to the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council

(GCC) as a whole, which desire the best possible

relations with their neighbour, Iran. We have repeatedly

urged the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the call

of the United Arab Emirates to settle this long-standing

problem peacefully through serious bilateral negotiations.

Consequently, we reiterate our call upon the Government

of Iran to cease imposing a status quo by force and to

halt preparations for unilateral construction on any of the

three islands. Furthermore, we also call upon the

Government of Iran to initiate efforts to resolve this

dispute peacefully in accordance with the norms and

principles of international law, including the referral of

this matter to the International Court of Justice. In view

of the persistence of the conflict, the Security Council

should place this issue on its agenda.

Based on the determination of the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia to maintain the security and stability of the

Arabian Gulf region, we support the wise actions of the

State of Bahrain to foster its security and stability. These

actions were approved and supported by the GCC and the

League of Arab States, since the security of the State of

Bahrain is part and parcel of the security of the

GCC States.

Nearly 10 months have passed since the signing of

the Dayton Agreement, which brought an end to the

violence and destruction that accompanied the Serb

aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This

Agreement did not materialize until the international

community expressed sufficient will and firmness to stem

the Serb aggression. We hope that the recent elections

will mark a new beginning and a new future of peace,

stability and economic development for the country.

10

Nonetheless, we must point out that the peace in Bosnia

and Herzegovina will remain fragile until it takes root. The

reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the

international support necessary to help it address the

problems resulting from years of war should be viewed as

conditions of peace without which the goals of the Dayton

Agreement can never be realized. It is also important to

emphasize the need to apprehend and bring to justice the

perpetrators of crimes against humanity and to ban them

from any political office in the future. Their apprehension

is an international responsibility that should not be taken

lightly. It is also incumbent upon the international

community to confront any attempt to divide the country

along ethnic or religious lines.

Helping Bosnia and Herzegovina set out on the road

to peace early this year was the first of a series of positive

developments in many troubled areas of the world. We

hope that the recent announcement of an agreement

between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro

National Liberation Front will mark the end of

confrontation between the Philippine authorities and their

Muslim minority after a long period of tension and conflict.

As for the conflict in Chechnya, we hope the current

truce and reports of the Russian Government’s intention to

withdraw its forces from the area will pave the way for a

resolution of this crisis.

Unfortunately, the statuses of other conflicts have not

changed. The Pakistani-Indian dispute over Jammu and

Kashmir is still tense and complicated. There is no

alternative to following the peaceful path based on the

resolutions of the United Nations guaranteeing the people

of Jammu and Kashmir the exercise of their right to self-

determination.

The situation in Somalia remains desperate. The

country is awaiting a decision by the clan leaders on a

process to save the country and its people. We urge all

factions to put aside their differences and shoulder their

national responsibilities by forming a national authority

representing the different factions of the Somali people in

order to restore unity, stability and security to that country.

In Afghanistan — in spite of all the sincere efforts of

the United Nations and all the good offices of the

Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to

achieve national reconciliation in that country — the

fighting still rages between the different factions as a result

of disagreements between their leaders. This has prevented

the country from enjoying the fruits of its victory against

foreign occupation.

The issue of international terrorism was the main

topic throughout last year. Many conferences and

workshops addressed ways and means of confronting this

growing phenomenon, which has become a source of

grave concern for the international community. The

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recognizing the need to

confront and address this serious phenomenon, has voiced

its support for all international efforts to confront this

problem. This position was illustrated collectively in the

statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council

following its last session. The GCC States have

emphasized that extremism, violence and terrorism are

global phenomena that are not limited to a specific people

or region and have unambiguously denounced and

condemned all forms of violence and terrorism. They also

expressed their support for all international efforts aimed

at preventing and combating terrorism, including denying

safe haven to terrorists anywhere and making efforts to

apprehend, convict and severely punish those involved in

such crimes.

A cursory review of world economic problems and

the role of the United Nations in overseeing international

economic cooperation shows that the success of the

United Nations in dealing with economic issues and

promoting international development has also been tied to

the commitment of Member States to the United Nations

Charter.

Although the international community has succeeded,

by dint of serious negotiations, in resolving many difficult

problems and has achieved important results in many

sensitive areas through the establishment of the World

Trade Organization, we are still concerned by the

continuing practice of trade protectionism, which runs

counter to our belief in the importance of allowing market

forces to play their natural role in economic affairs. It is

also necessary to free international trade from certain

restrictions, such as that of using the pretext of protecting

the environment as a justification for protectionist

measures. Such restrictions undermine the economies of

developing nations and have a negative impact on their

development, which is the cornerstone of their peace and

stability.

The Secretary-General has taken a commendable

initiative in this direction with his “An Agenda for

Development”, which, given concerted effort, could

become a realistic tool for enhancing global economic and

11

social development. Here, the developed countries in

particular bear a special responsibility for building fruitful

cooperation to the benefit all countries, rich and poor. We

believe that an increase in the amount of assistance

provided by developed to developing countries is a

cornerstone of such hoped-for cooperation.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a founding Member of

the international Organization and a signatory of the San

Francisco Charter, is eager to have the United Nations

continue to play its leadership role in strengthening

collective security. It reaffirms its responsibilities as a

founding Member of the Organization. This reaffirmation

was reiterated in a speech by the Custodian of the Two

Holy Mosques, King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, which was

delivered on his behalf by His Royal Highness Prince

Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and

Minister of Defence and Aviation, on the occasion of the

fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. Today, the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes this opportunity to

reconfirm its continued commitment to achieving the

objectives of the United Nations Charter. It will spare no

effort to enhance the capabilities of the United Nations in

order to achieve justice and to promote security, stability

and prosperity throughout our troubled world.

The Holy Koran provides us with guidance to lead us

towards creative actions, as exemplified in the following

verse:

“And say: Work righteousness.

Soon will God observe your work,

And His Apostle, and the Believers.'”

(The Holy Koran, IX:105)