Saudi Arabia, 2006

It honours me to deliver the statement of Saudi Arabia

on behalf of Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister of

the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the outset, it gives me

great pleasure to express to you and your Government

my most sincere congratulations on your election as

President of the sixty-first session of the General

Assembly. I am fully confident that your diplomatic

expertise and thorough knowledge of international

affairs will guarantee the success of this session. I

would like to express my appreciation to your

predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson, Foreign Minister of

Sweden, who presided over the previous session with

wisdom and expertise. The constant and diligent efforts

of the Secretary-General were essential for revitalizing

the role of the United Nations and for upholding its

principles, despite the difficult times and crucial

challenges we face. He, therefore, deserves our full

support and deepest gratitude.

The world today faces a host of global problems

that can be successfully addressed only within the

context of multilateral cooperation under the umbrella

of the United Nations. Human suffering caused by

poverty, hunger, malnutrition, the spread of diseases

and epidemics and natural disasters still require the

concerted efforts of the international community in

combating them. These global challenges do not

distinguish among people on the basis of colour,

religion or nationality. Invariably, it is the most

vulnerable who suffer the most from these

humanitarian threats, making it all the more urgent for

the international community to assume its collective

responsibility in addressing these issues.

The Middle East is in the midst of a very

dangerous phase, with the emergence of new crises and

the worsening of old ones, such as the continued Israeli

occupation of Arab lands in Palestine, Syria and

Lebanon; the volatile situation on the Lebanese-Israeli

border; the invasion of Lebanon; the challenges posed

by continued instability and sectarian violence in Iraq;

and the as-yet unresolved issue of Iran’s nuclear

programme. The accumulation of crises and tensions in

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the region can only encourage an environment in which

extremism and terrorism will thrive with undesirable

consequences. It is, therefore, imperative that we warn

specifically against the continued trend towards

stopgap crisis management that has taken the place of

the serious pursuit of a comprehensive and just

solution based on the principles of international law

and resolutions of international legitimacy free from

partiality, double standards or selectivity.

Undoubtedly, the key to resolving these multiple

crises will be to invigorate the peace process with the

aim of achieving a just and durable settlement of the

Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the oldest conflict in

modern times. This conflict is the most enduring

international conflict today, and its continuation

negatively affects the prospects of reaching effective

solutions to other crises.

The ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine

represents a flagrant breach of international law and

the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of

territory by force and blatant disregard for resolutions

of international legitimacy. This issue lies at the core of

the Middle Eastern problem. The international

community should no longer tolerate procrastination or

repeated failures in resolving this situation. The

international community, and especially the major

Powers, must set aside their divisions and face up to

the vital task of reaching, as soon as possible, a

peaceful, just and lasting solution, in accordance with

the principles of international legitimacy.

The resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

must be placed in its appropriate context by reconciling

the rights of the Palestinian and the Israeli people and

establishing two neighbouring States enjoying security,

which is a natural outcome of peace. It is peace that

ensures security, and not the other way around. The

basis for a solution is clear to all of us, as expressed by

the President of the United States in the context of his

two-State vision, which is in harmony with relevant

United Nations resolutions and with the Arab Peace

Initiative, adopted unanimously at the Beirut Summit.

What is urgently needed today is to link that vision

with a clear agenda bound to a specific time-frame.

Regrettably, the problem has been portrayed as

inextricably complicated and not amenable to

customary solutions. Using security considerations as a

pretext, exceptional provisions allowed one of the

parties to the conflict to specify unilaterally the basis

and conditions for negotiations, to choose its

negotiating partner, to violate previously concluded

agreements, to impose unilateral measures and to use

force to impose a status quo. Our purpose here is not to

enter into futile debates, but it is important to

recognize that the peace process has suffered greatly

from these exceptions, which give rise to double

standards and inequitable obligations.

Reviving the peace process will require serious

international cooperation so as to realize the two-State

vision within a reasonable time-frame. Recent events

have once again proved that military solutions only

undermine the interests and the security of all parties.

It is therefore essential that we learn the lessons of our

previous failures in the pursuit of peace. These failures

resulted from an exaggerated emphasis on procedural

and provisional issues. The establishment of interim

security arrangements proved complicated and

exhausting, while procedures for building mutual trust

enabled the enemies of peace to undermine the peace

process in its entirety.

What is required from us today is a fundamental

change in our quest to achieve a just and

comprehensive peace in the area. It is imperative that

we go to the root and heart of the conflict by

establishing an effective mechanism to ensure

immediate and peaceful negotiations addressing all

final status issues, including Jerusalem, borders,

refugees and mutual security arrangements. The

required breakthrough can be achieved only through a

historic and comprehensive deal.

A clear outline of the solution has been apparent

ever since the adoption of resolution 181 (II) in 1947.

That resolution set out the partition of Palestine, which

was then under a British Mandate, into an Arab and an

Israeli State. It also proposed clearly defined borders

for those two States. Since then, the Security Council

and the General Assembly have issued hundreds of

resolutions, including Security Council resolution 242

(1967), which emphasized the principle of refraining

from the acquisition of territory by force, and called on

Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied in

1967. It also reiterated the need to find a just solution

to the issue of the Palestinian refugees. Thirty-nine

years after the adoption of this resolution, the

Palestinian people continue to be deprived of their

inherent right to self-determination and of their

entitlement to live in an independent State with Arab

Jerusalem as its capital.

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Only two months ago Israel launched a brutal act

of aggression against Lebanon, resulting in the

destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure, the

displacement of one third of its population, and the

wounding and killing of thousands of civilians,

including women, children and the elderly. That

senseless war, of course, did not make Israel any safer.

The only thing achieved by Israel in Lebanon was vast

destruction and devastation, provoking yet deeper

hatred and enmity. We wonder how many tragedies and

victims we and the world will have to have before

everyone understands that military solutions will not

succeed.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms its full

support for the legitimate Lebanese Government as it

seeks to extend its authority and influence over its

entire territory. The Kingdom also calls on the

brotherly people of Lebanon to stand united so that

their country may once again enjoy security and

prosperity. We reiterate the need for all parties to

remain committed to Security Council resolution 1701

(2006) and call for a rapid Israeli withdrawal from the

Sheba’a Farms area, recognized by Israel as an

occupied territory. We also call for a return to the

Armistice Agreement signed between Lebanon and

Israel in 1949, as this is the only means of

guaranteeing security and stability and avoiding a

return to the status quo ante.

As part of our commitment to reconstruction

efforts in Lebanon, we call on the international

community to hold Israel responsible for providing fair

compensation for the destruction and losses inflicted

upon Lebanon as a result of that aggression. One of the

reasons why Lebanon has been a victim of repeated

Israeli invasions — seven so far — is that we have not

held the aggressor accountable.

We are profoundly concerned and extremely

saddened by the deteriorating security situation in Iraq,

marked by daily confrontation, acts of violence and

bombings. The absence of security and stability in Iraq

continues to hamper the efforts of all countries

committed to assisting Iraq in overcoming its ordeal,

rehabilitating its economy and helping it to rebuild.

The Kingdom has always reaffirmed the importance of

consolidating Iraq’s unity, respecting its independence

and sovereignty, and refraining from interfering in its

internal affairs. We call on the international community

to support the programme adopted by the legitimate

Iraqi Government, led by Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki, to

achieve a comprehensive national reconciliation;

revitalize Government institutions in the security,

military, political and economic areas; and disarm the

militias.

It has long been acknowledged that the

proliferation of nuclear weapons has seriously

undermined the security of all countries. Over time, a

number of international treaties and conventions have

produced bilateral and multilateral obligations, but

such obligations are of no use if they are not fully

observed and fully applied. We cannot ignore the

serious threat to global peace and security that such

weapons continue to pose, regardless of whether they

are used in wars between States or fall into the hands

of terrorist groups.

Effectively preventing the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction will require abandoning

double standards and emphasizing the importance of

making the entire Middle East, including the Arab Gulf

region, a zone free from nuclear weapons. Israel is the

only country in the region that is known to possess

weapons of mass destruction but is not subjected to any

form of monitoring.

While we support the right of all countries to the

peaceful use of nuclear energy — including the

acquisition of know-how and nuclear technology for

peaceful purposes — we call on all parties to support

the path of negotiations and peaceful solutions with

regard to the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran’s repeated

statements that its nuclear programme is restricted to

the peaceful uses of nuclear energy should continue to

serve as a strong basis for negotiations.

The Kingdom and other members of the Gulf

Cooperation Council are eager to maintain and enhance

their relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and

we hope that the Government of Iran will respond

positively to the repeated calls by the United Arab

Emirates for the peaceful resolution of the issue of the

occupied islands belonging to the Emirates.

International terrorism is a threat to us all. The

ongoing atrocities perpetrated by terrorists continue to

test our resolve to combat and counter terrorism. There

is no acceptable justification for any form of terrorism,

but we cannot ignore the fact that it has roots and

causes that enable it to thrive. Achieving a decisive

victory over terrorism will require not only that we

deny all financial support to terrorists, but also that we

address the origins of extremist thought and the

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conditions in which terrorists prosper. If we address the

feelings of despair, anger and frustration experienced

by peoples when they are denied their legitimate rights,

we will deprive extremists of their causes and rallying

cries.

As one of the main targets of terrorism, the

Kingdom has repeatedly denounced terrorism in all its

forms and manifestations and has achieved tangible

success in combating it. The Kingdom has acceded to

most of the international counter-terrorism agreements,

as well as the Arab Convention on the Suppression of

Terrorism and the Convention of the Organization of

the Islamic Conference (OIC) on Combating

International Terrorism. The Custodian of the Two

Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud,

has proposed the establishment of an international

counter-terrorism centre under United Nations

auspices. The only way to thwart the evil plans of

terrorists is through the exchange of intelligence and

updated information among countries and agencies.

Innovative solutions can be found to adequately

address reservations regarding the sensitivity of such

information and its secret sources.

As we renew our commitment to and

participation in the international campaign against

terrorism, we must at the same time draw attention to

growing worldwide concerns about its flagrant use as a

pretext by extremist forces and by advocates of a clash

between civilizations and cultures.

We must periodically evaluate the effectiveness

and success of our methods of combating terrorism and

extremism. Here, I must reiterate that no true religion

advocates the use of terrorism; all of the world’s great

religions promote noble values. We should not hold the

vast majority of true believers responsible for the

deviant behaviour of a very small minority of

adherents of any religion. Saudi Arabia strongly rejects

the characterization of Islam as a violent religion that

in any way supports terrorism. Saudi Arabia calls on all

those who want to learn more about Islam and its

attitude towards terrorism to consult reliable

authorities or documents such as the 10-year plan of

action adopted unanimously by the members of the

OIC at its recent extraordinary summit held in Saudi

Arabia. The success of the global counter-terrorism

campaign will depend on our strict adherence to the

rules of international law, human rights, norms and

humanitarian values, and respect for all religions.

The continued humanitarian suffering in Darfur is

unacceptable to all of us. We hope that the current

efforts to remedy the situation will be given a chance

to succeed. We hope that this destructive conflict,

which is causing unjustifiable losses on all sides, will

swiftly come to an end. The Sudanese authorities, who

have achieved a historic success by bringing about

reconciliation in the South, are cooperating with efforts

to achieve reconciliation in Darfur, and have welcomed

the deployment of African Union forces. Arab States

have committed themselves to providing those forces

with the support and financial resources that they need.

We are concerned that the deployment of international

troops without the consent of the sovereign

Government of the Sudan will make them part of the

problem, rather than part of the solution.

Saudi Arabia, itself a developing country, plays a

major role in promoting development in other

developing and least developed countries. To help

those countries overcome their problems of poverty

and underdevelopment, Saudi Arabia provides

generous aid through its national institutions, as well as

through international and regional institutions. Over

the past three decades, Saudi Arabia has contributed

approximately 4 per cent of its gross domestic product

in official development assistance (ODA) — the

highest percentage contributed by any country in the

world. Saudi Arabia has also offered debt relief

amounting to more than $6 billion to a number of least

developed countries.

In order to ensure continued global economic

growth, Saudi Arabia has increased its petroleum

production capacity to stabilize petroleum markets, to

ensure the continued flow of sufficient petroleum and

to curb artificially high prices. Saudi Arabia hosts the

secretariat of the International Energy Forum, which it

established as a forum for discussing areas for

cooperation and dialogue between petroleum-

consuming and petroleum-producing countries.

Increased cooperation between those countries will

contribute directly to the stabilization of petroleum

markets. Petroleum, of course, is an essential strategic

commodity for the promotion of sustained global

economic growth.

Our world is experiencing ever-accelerating and

increasingly complex political, economic and social

changes. Now more than ever, it is vital that we

cooperate with one another to address the complex

issues and changes facing us. Balanced and respectful

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relations among countries, based on the principles of

justice, mutual trust and true partnership, are essential

to that end. Promoting healthy relations and

understanding among nations will best equip us to meet

future challenges and to respond to them in a way that

will benefit all of humanity.