Tunisia, 2002

Allow me at the outset to congratulate the President on

his election to the presidency of this session of the

General Assembly and to wish him every success in

discharging his functions. Because of the profound

friendship that exists between Tunisia and the Czech

Republic, we assure him of our cooperation and support

as he conducts the business of this session. I would also

like to take this opportunity to convey our thanks to his

predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, who conducted the

last session's work so ably and effectively.

It gives me pleasure to express our appreciation

and gratitude to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is

constantly playing a constructive and effective role in

the service of the noble goals of our Organization.

I would like to extend Tunisia's congratulations

to the Swiss Confederation on its admission to

membership in the United Nations.

The various repercussions of the events of 11

September last, that we have all vigorously

condemned, continue to be felt and to remind the

members of the international community that

strengthening our common action is essential for

meeting the security and development challenges

confronting our world today. These challenges must be

dealt with through increased discussion, cooperation

and solidarity, on the basis of a global, integrated

vision of the future. The establishment of a link

between security and development, as well as a delicate

understanding of the dialectic that exists between these

two elements, make it possible not only to find an

effective solution to certain international problems but

also to prevent their occurring.

The global vision that we advocate as a modus

operandi at the international level is basically built on

strengthened values of understanding and interaction

among religions, civilizations and cultures, on

enshrining the principles of solidarity, moderation and

tolerance, on poverty eradication, combating exclusion

and marginalization; a vision that requires a collective

stand against fanaticism and terrorism.

These principles and values are based on the

civilizational plan that His Excellency President Zine

El Abidine Ben Ali has constantly advocated during

this new era in Tunisian society. This plan was

strengthened following the essential constitutional

reform, which was unanimously adopted for the people

of Tunisia during a referendum and during which the

people opted for a Republic of tomorrow, based on the

rule of law and institutions, the protection of human

rights and solidarity among members of our society.

The successes and achievements gained in our

country, thanks to this integrated global approach that

we have adopted to redress the social, economic,

political and cultural situation of the Tunisian people,

have strengthened our conviction that international

relations must be based on the same approach for the

well-being of humanity at large and for meeting the

challenges we are facing today.

Tunisia has on a number of occasions submitted

several initiatives, in particular the appeal made in

1989 from this rostrum by His Excellency Mr. Zine El

Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Republic, for a

universal covenant of peace and progress, laying down

the foundation of a better future for the international

community in a spirit of constructive cooperation,

immune to conflicts and to wastage of resources and

energy.

Tunisia believes that it is time to hold an

international conference to draft common denominators

that would provide a basis for a code of conduct to be

observed by all parties. This code would help to initiate

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a responsible dialogue that would avoid any double

standards and would attenuate any feelings of

deprivation or oppression felt by many peoples. We

believe that the United Nations would be the ideal

forum to develop and sponsor this kind of dialogue

among States.

One year after the painful events that shook the

United States, the danger of terrorism is still felt, and it

continues to pose a threat to international peace and

security. We therefore have to demonstrate constant

resolve in the face of this phenomenon in our attempts

to eradicate it once and for all. Now that the most

obvious manifestations of terrorism have been dealt with,

the international community must tackle its causes which

are linked to security, development and culture.

Tunisia was one of the first countries to warn

about the dangers of terrorism, well before the events

of 11 September. At the beginning of the 1990s, we were

in favour of coordinated, international efforts to deal with,

contain and eliminate this scourge. It is disquieting that

certain terrorists are still present in many countries and

enjoy protection under the pretext of granting them the

right of political asylum, without any inquiry into their

actions, their activities or the crimes that they

committed against their countries of origin.

Many regions of the world still suffer the horrors

of poverty and destitution. Only through a focused,

careful approach to achieve the Millennium Goals,

which were reaffirmed at several subsequent

international conferences, will it be possible to resolve

this situation. Tunisia had already adopted an initiative

along these lines by proposing the creation of a world

solidarity fund to combat poverty in the world. Two

years after this initiative was put forward, and after its

adoption by the General Assembly, and following the

decision taken by the World Summit for Sustainable

Development that discussed setting up this fund, we

hope now that the research and studies conducted in

this framework, particularly the latest report of the

United Nations Secretary-General on modalities for the

functioning of and the use of such a fund, will make it

possible for the fund to come into being this year.

Poverty eradication is a crucial element in

guaranteeing the stability of societies and preventing

other scourges, such as wars, terrorism and diseases,

particularly since this is basic to any global strategy

that guarantees international peace and security.

Africa continues to suffer from conflicts and from

economic and development problems and requires

constant attention from the international community.

Many analyses have proven that the instability of the

continent is basically due to Africa's economic and

social problems. Many international meetings and

summits have also confirmed this. The New

Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an

initiative that might draw the attention of donor States

and the attention of international financial institutions

to this situation.

We believe that if the international community

wants Africa to have a bright future, it cannot continue

to disregard its basic needs or subject it to mere

geostrategic considerations, or, indeed, tie international

aid to harsh conditions that many African States cannot

fulfil.

The international community must now play a

prominent role in prevailing upon Israel to halt its

aggression against the Palestinian people, withdraw

from the occupied territories and abide by international

law on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242

(1967), 338 (1973) and other relevant resolutions, as well

as on the basis of the principle of “land for peace”.

The Palestinian people need the unflagging

support of the international community so that it can

recover its legitimate rights, primarily its right to create

a State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Israel's

policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders, of

maintaining a blockade against the legitimate President

Yasser Arafat, of starving civilians, and of massacring

people and expelling them from their land in violation

of the Fourth Geneva Convention only worsens this

situation and fans resentment and a desire for revenge.

The international community must redouble its

efforts to bring about a return to the negotiating table

in order to give real meaning to the vision of two

States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within

secure recognized borders, as advocated by President

Bush in his speech made in June 2002, and on the basis

of the comprehensive approach advocated by the Arab

plan adopted at the recent Arab Summit in Beirut.

Tunisia has always worked for peace in the

Middle East. We have taken part in the multilateral

negotiations and today are ready to continue our

constructive role for the resumption of talks and the

establishment of a just, comprehensive and lasting

peace that will guarantee the liberation of Arab

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territories still occupied by Israel since 1967, including

the Syrian Golan and the remainder of the Lebanese

territory still under Israeli occupation.

Furthermore, lasting peace and stability for all the

peoples of the Middle East requires continued

international efforts to make progress on the question

of Iraq through peaceful means and by implementing

relevant Security Council resolutions.

We believe that dialogue between the United

Nations and Iraq remains the best way to resolve all

outstanding Iraqi issues.

We welcome, in this regard, Iraq's decision to

accept the return of the weapons inspectors without

conditions. This is, as was noted by the Secretary-

General at the beginning of our session, a step towards

détente in the region and the lifting of sanctions.

Tunisia supports the Arab position that rejects

attacks against any Arab country and any further

suffering and harm to the brotherly Iraqi people. Our

position also supports maintaining the sovereignty and

territorial integrity of Iraq, as well as the sovereignty

and territorial integrity of the State of Kuwait, while

stressing the need to avoid any destabilization of

security there.

We wish to reaffirm the need to lift, once and for

all, the sanctions against sisterly Libya, which has

fulfilled all its commitments and has offered its full

cooperation towards finding a just and satisfactory

solution to the Lockerbie case.

The global vision of peace and security in the

world is no less important at the regional level, which

complements and supports joint international action.

Tunisia considers the Arab Maghreb Union as a

strategic choice and we have continuously worked to

consolidate it and to remove obstacles that have

impeded its progress. We hope that joint Maghreb

action will lead to greater integration among the

countries of the Union.

On the regional level, Tunisia is working to deepen

its relations of cooperation and partnership in the Euro-

Mediterranean region. We welcome the reactivation of the

“Five plus Five” forum, which will lead to greater

opportunities to promote dialogue, cooperation and

solidarity between the two shores of the Mediterranean

and will strengthen elements of peace, stability, and

development. In this manner, relations may develop

among countries of this forum in a spirit of mutual

respect, while preserving the interest of all parties.

Tunisia will work on this basis and do everything

it can to guarantee the success of the “Five plus Five”

summit, which we will be hosting in 2003.

The considerable technological advances

witnessed today definitely have an impact on

international economic recovery. Mindful of the

importance of this issue, Tunisia was one of the first

countries to call for the holding of a summit on

information technology, an idea that was unanimously

supported by all international parties. Tunisia will have

the honour of hosting the World Summit on the

Information Society in 2005. We hope that the General

Assembly will continue to help prepare the

groundwork in order to make it a success.

In this context, we would like to stress the need to

facilitate the transfer of clean technology to developing

countries and to promote means of cooperation among

North-South and South-South countries, as well as to

strengthen financial cooperation in order to provide

additional funding to projects relating to environmental

protection in the developing countries.

The subjects discussed in Johannesburg and the

matters discussed at the International Conference on

Financing for Development in Monterrey, as well as

the subjects dealt with in the WTO conference in Doha

should complement one another. In the interest of all

countries, particularly the developing countries,

globalization must be made a factor for progress for

everyone as well as a factor for strengthening peace

and security.

Today's world promises new hopes and ambitions

but also contains threats and challenges, the

implications of which should be understood. Tunisia's

message to this Assembly is that we should work

together to draw up an act of international partnership

in all fields based on an international code of conduct

for all parties, in the political, economic, development,

security and stability fields.

The principles that unite us in promoting the

major priorities and preventing new dangers to

international peace and security should impel us to

adopt a preventive approach based, first, on respect for

the principle of international law as the basis for

peaceful coexistence; secondly, on providing equal

opportunities for all developing countries without any

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exclusion or marginalization and thirdly, on resolving

international problems, conflicts, crises or wars on the

basis of established principles of justice and in keeping

with international law.