Syria, 2005

It is my pleasure to congratulate you, Sir, on

your election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixtieth session. Your renowned

experience in international affairs, especially in the

United Nations system, will undoubtedly guarantee

success for our deliberations. I cannot fail to seize this

opportunity to express to your predecessor, Mr. Jean

Ping, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Gabon, our thanks

and appreciation for his efforts towards the successful

conduct of the deliberations of the fifty-ninth session

of the General Assembly. It also gives me pleasure to

express to the Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Mr. Kofi Annan, our appreciation for his efforts to

implement the resolutions of the Organization and to

fulfil the purposes of its Charter.

During the 60 years of its existence, the United

Nations has witnessed heated debates and bitter

differences. Yet this Organization remains a forum for

dialogue among nations on the means of building a

secure world. While we agree with others on the need

to reform the United Nations and take new

international developments into account, we stress that

such a process should be constructive and should apply

lessons learned and the positive experiences that the

United Nations has had. We also believe that such a

process should unite and not divide us. It is through

broad agreement that we will be able to enhance the

authority and legitimacy of the United Nations, as well

as its ability to effectively respond to the challenges of

the twenty-first century.

We must not forget that this Organization belongs

to us all, and not merely to one particular party. We

should therefore find the wisdom to preserve it for

future generations.

Five years ago, we adopted a declaration in which

we set out the international communityís vision for the

new millennium. Regrettably, both facts and figures

show that the results have not lived up to our

expectations. The objectives defined remain

unfulfilled. Poverty, hunger and epidemics are

prevalent throughout the world, while tension and

foreign occupation continue to threaten international

peace and security and hamper development for those

living under foreign occupation. Failure to eliminate

weapons of mass destruction, foremost among which

are nuclear weapons, haunts us and threatens peace. It

is no longer feasible to delay the reform of the world

economic order. Moreover, reform should not be

confined to this international Organization. Rather, it

must encompass all international economic and

financial institutions, particularly those that contribute

to economic decision-making. The road ahead lies in

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fairness, equality and democratic participation. The

Bretton Woods institutions, whose decisions bear

directly on life in our countries, should be the prime

candidates for the overdue reform. We deem it fit to

recall the recommendation of several summit meetings,

in both the North and the South, supporting the

developing countriesí right to join the World Trade

Organization, with no hurdles and in a depoliticized

way.

Speaking of development, we welcome the

important outcomes of the three summits held during

the past five months on development, namely, the

Asian-African Summit, the South American-Arab

Countries Summit, and the second South-South

Summit. Those meetings rejected the imposition of

unilateral sanctions, considering such a policy to be in

violation of the principles of the Charter and

international law and dangerous to development plans

and reform processes in the targeted countries.

The main focus of discussions in the High-level

Plenary Meeting was the reform of the United Nations.

We believe that the reform process will not be

complete if it does not take into consideration the

inability of the United Nations, for reasons known to

all, to implement its resolutions pertaining to the Arab-

Israeli conflict. These reasons are primarily embodied

in the generous support and unlimited protection

offered by some to Israeli aggression against the Arab

states and to Israelís continuing occupation of the

Syrian Golan, the Palestinian territories, and parts of

southern Lebanon.

Syria has declared that the withdrawal of settlers

and Israeli forces from Gaza is undoubtedly a first step

but that this alone is not enough for peace. What is

required is the implementation of all United Nations

resolutions, the establishment of an independent

Palestinian State, the return of the occupied Golan

Heights and the return of refugees. There are relentless

attempts by the Israeli side in particular and also by

those who support it to portray this withdrawal as a

great accomplishment that is also painful. However,

they are neglecting the fact that the painful Israeli

occupation of the Gaza Strip lasted for over 38 years,

during which our brothers in the Gaza Strip in

particular suffered from the horrors of occupation and

its inhumane practices.

Moreover, this abominable occupation persists in

the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as well as in the

occupied Syrian territories in the Golan. As affirmed

by many delegations in their statements this session,

the international community must be wary and must

demand that the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip be a

full withdrawal from land, sea, and air in order for it to

be considered a complete withdrawal. Moreover, this

withdrawal cannot be accepted as a cover for the

continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East

Jerusalem, nor can it be a cover for the continued

existence of settlements and the separation wall in

these territories, especially since the General Assembly

has expressed its support for the legal opinion of the

International Court of Justice on the illegitimate nature

of the wall. Israel has rejected the opinion.

In 1981, the Security Council passed resolution

497 (1981), deeming the Israeli decision to annex the

Golan null and void. The General Assembly has passed

dozens of resolutions condemning all the measures and

actions taken by Israel ó the occupying Power ó to

change the nature of the occupied Syrian Golan and its

legal status and considering such measures null and

void and a blatant violation of international law and the

Geneva Conventions. In defiance of resolutions of

international legitimacy, Israel has evicted almost half

a million Syrians from their land and continues to

detain dozens of Syrians, some of whom have been

imprisoned for over 30 years. Israel still calls for the

construction of more settlements in the occupied

Syrian territories. The question is: If Israel claims that

withdrawing its settlers is painful and if it is genuine in

its desire for peace in the region, then why does its

Government continue to build settlements and bring

settlers in to the occupied Syrian and Palestinian Arab

territories?

Syria has exerted every effort possible to achieve

a just and comprehensive peace in the region. It has

continued to declare its readiness to resume the peace

process unconditionally, keeping in mind that the

implementation of resolutions of international

legitimacy is not considered a precondition. However,

all these efforts have gone to waste because of Israelís

greed and its defiance of international legitimacy.

Therefore, we would like to affirm that peace in

the Middle East, to which the international community

aspires, cannot be achieved unless Israel abides by the

resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly

Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338

(1973), the principle of land for peace and the Madrid

Peace Conference terms of reference, and unless it

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accepts the initiative that was put forth by the Arab

States at the 2002 Beirut summit and reaffirmed at the

Tunis and Algiers summits.

The international community is following the

tragic events that have been unfolding in sisterly Iraq

as a result of its occupation and the attempts to

fragment the unity of its land and its people. We are

now facing a tragic situation that has led to the death of

thousands of innocent Iraqis and to the destruction of

that sisterly countryís infrastructure. Guided by our

desire to stem the bloodshed, we have taken many

measures, which has put a burden on our resources.

Syria has deployed thousands of its soldiers along

the Iraqi-Syrian border. We have also intercepted many

of those attempting to infiltrate the border into Iraq. In

contrast, those who ceaselessly hurl accusations at

Syria have failed to shoulder their responsibility to

ensure effective control of the border from the other

side. The responsibility is shared between the two

neighbouring countries. Although some had promised

to assist us and provide technical equipment for border

control, they have failed to keep their promises.

Syria condemns the acts of terrorism that

continue to be perpetrated throughout Iraq, causing

many casualties among innocent civilians. We stress

that preserving the unity of Iraqís territory and people

in these critical times requires a full commitment to

national unity on the part of all segments and groups of

the Iraqi population. Furthermore, Syria condemns all

statements aimed at creating discord and infighting

among the Iraqi people. Such statements have been

disseminated by suspect groups that wish to spread

chaos, extinguish hope and exacerbate suffering. Syria

will continue to support the political process in Iraq,

until the country and its people overcome their plight

and are able to exercise their right to self-

determination in a unified, secure and prosperous Iraq.

Syria welcomes the interest shown by the United

Nations and its Member States in combating and

eradicating terrorism. I find it necessary to affirm that

Syria was one of the first countries to experience

terrorism and that it has fought to eradicate it. From

this rostrum, Syria reaffirms that it will continue to

cooperate with all States seeking to eradicate terrorism

and implement all relevant Security Council

resolutions.

Furthermore, Syria has signed and ratified

international conventions on terrorism, including, most

recently, the International Convention for the

Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which we

signed on the first day it was open for signature,

14 September 2005. Syria emphasizes that it is

crucially important to avoid confusing terrorism ó

which we are combating and sincerely cooperating to

eradicate ó with the just struggle of peoples for

liberation and independence, seeking to put an end to

foreign occupation. That is a right guaranteed by the

Charter of the United Nations, which most Member

States of the Organization hold dear. Syria was also

among the first countries to initiate, in 1986, the

proposal that an international conference be convened

under United Nations auspices to define terrorism and

consider its root causes.

The outcome of the Review Conference of the

Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons (NPT) held several months ago

revealed the need to refocus international efforts on

nuclear disarmament and to ensure the Treatyís

universality. The facts clearly indicate the importance

of returning to the principle of multilateralism and of

making operational the various multilateral

international conventions on disarmament issues.

At any rate, the Middle East region continues to

experience a unique situation that is both a source of

concern and a cause for censure. Israel alone runs a

dangerous military nuclear programme outside any

international framework and refuses to adhere to the

NPT, while all the other States of the region are party

to the Treaty and respect it in letter and spirit. Here, I

must recall once again Syriaís initiative, proposed on

behalf of all the Arab States to the Security Council on

29 December 2003, to eradicate all weapons of mass

destruction, including nuclear weapons, from the

Middle East region as a step towards declaring it a

zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, including

banning nuclear weapons and preventing their

proliferation.

Syria is undergoing a serious process of

comprehensive economic and social reforms. The

Syrian human development plan is modelled on the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); thus the

plan's objectives serve as stepping stones towards the

ultimate achievement of the MDGs. The Syrian

Governmentís strategy is based on the principles of

cooperation for development, as reflected in the

concept of an effective development partnership among

the State, the private sector and civil society. Syria is

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striving to develop domestic investment, to encourage

foreign investment and to improve the infrastructure

and the performance of our institutions, while

eliminating waste and fighting corruption.

Important reports have recently been prepared in

coordination with the United Nations Development

Programme, including an analysis of the

macroeconomic situation; reports on poverty, national

development and the Millennium Goals; and a Human

Development Report on education. Syria accords due

importance and attention to empowering women and

promoting their rights so that they can fulfil their role.

In addition, Syria attaches great importance to

children, to persons with special needs and the disabled

with a view to securing their future.

Syria supports reform of the Security Council

aimed at improving its working methods, including

increasing its transparency. As I have previously

stressed, we believe in the importance of just

representation of all regions in the Council through the

expansion of both the permanent and the non-

permanent membership categories, and the need for

representation of the Arab States through a permanent

seat in any Council expansion.

Africa remains at the centre of Syria's concerns.

Without stability in Africa, there will never be genuine

development in the world. The Summit Outcome

document (resolution 60/1) calls for sufficient efforts

to satisfy the special needs of Africa. We believe that

that is necessary and correct. We do not believe that the

Security Council can resolve Africa's problems by

holding more meetings on the continent. It is more

important to achieve concrete results by responding to

Africa's voice, respecting its viewpoints and taking its

concerns into account. In that regard, we should like to

pay tribute to the efforts of the African Union, as

reflected in its mediation and good offices aimed at

crisis settlement in Africa.

The modern world and multilateral diplomacy,

represented in the United Nations, stand at the

threshold of a new era. Let us all rise to the challenges

confronting us so that we may guarantee a future of

security, peace and stability for mankind.