Tunisia, 2011

First, I

would like to extend to Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser

and our brotherly country, Qatar, my sincere

congratulations on his election as President of the

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General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. We are

deeply confident that he will contribute actively to the

success of its work. I would also like to express my

gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Joseph Deiss for his

laudable and tireless efforts as President at the

preceding session of the Assembly.

I take this opportunity to again congratulate

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his reappointment

to a second term. We are ready and determined to

provide all possible support to ensure the success of

the plan, to be announced in the coming weeks,

detailing his vision of the priorities of the Organization

over the next five years.

On behalf of my country, Tunisia, I would like

also to welcome the sisterly Republic of South Sudan

to the United Nations and wish the new State

prosperity and progress and its leaders great success in

their noble mission.

Allow me to pay tribute from this rostrum to the

memory of the martyrs and youths of Tunisia’s valid

and peaceful revolution, a revolution for freedom and

dignity that brought the Arab Spring to the world. This

historic event infused new hope into the conscience of

humankind, which yearns for justice and democracy

and places the highest value on freedom and human

rights.

This spontaneous revolution — which had no real

political or ideological leadership and did not involve

any foreign intervention — has indeed succeeded in

putting an end to one of the most dictatorial regimes in

our region. The revolution exposed its practices and

those of similar regimes, which in their hysterical lust

for power blocked all political views, stifled freedom

of expression and deprived young people of their hope

for a better future, self-fulfilment and effective

participation in political, economic and social life.

What happened in Tunisia is but the natural

outgrowth of decades of tension and frustration. At the

same time, it expressed the aspirations of its people to

live in dignity and freedom. It was a decisive turning

point in the country’s history that enabled us to regain

our natural place in the community of nations and

powers. It exemplified the strength of the common

human values of freedom, democracy, tolerance, equal

opportunities and respect for human rights, in all of

their aspects.

Today, having removed all obstacles to its

political, economic, social and cultural progress,

Tunisia is at a turning point in its history and is on the

threshold of a new stage. It yearns for the

establishment of a genuine democracy, founded on

strong guarantees that uphold the people’s sovereignty

and enable them to exercise their rights and determine

their destiny in a political system that is truly

pluralistic and that enjoys peaceful transition of power,

in accordance with the objectives of the glorious

revolution and the faithful memories of our brave

martyrs.

In seeking to achieve the goals of the revolution,

the provisional Tunisian Government has made every

effort to preserve all mechanisms needed to restore

stability and security in the country, ensure the

continuity of the State and its institutions and protect

the interests of all segments of society.

We have therefore created the Higher Authority

for the Protection of the Revolution, Political Reform

and Democratic Transition. It brings together a range

of political views and orientations, as well as

representatives of civil society and national

organizations. It has been entrusted with drawing up a

road map to ensure a successful transitional period in a

consensus-based and harmonious atmosphere.

The work of the Higher Authority, along with the

consultations it held with the various national parties,

resulted in a balanced and integrated plan of action

from the legal and practical perspectives. This strategy

will map out Tunisia’s political future in accordance

with the aspirations of its people for a democratic,

peaceful and quiet transition.

The main features of this strategy were evidenced

in the interim President’s decision to suspend the

Tunisian Constitution, dissolve the two chambers of

Parliament and establish a provisional public

administration comprised of an interim President and a

provisional Government. This Government, whose

competence and integrity are well known, will be

responsible for running national affairs until a national

constituent assembly is elected. The latter will draft a

new constitution and establish a legal framework for

the upcoming transitional period and thereby gain

credibility in the eyes of the people.

Important strides have thus been made in

preparations for the national constituent assembly

elections, to be held on 23 October. We will spare no

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effort to enable the Tunisian people to elect their

representatives in a popular, free, pluralistic,

transparent and fair fashion.

We have established an independent higher

national authority to monitor the various stages of the

electoral process and have endowed it with the

necessary legal foundations and financial support so

that it can fulfil its mission independently and

effectively under the best possible conditions. This

highlights the fairness of our national approach and the

clear vision of the political actors involved.

In that respect, it is worth recalling that for the

first time in its history, Tunisia has adopted by

consensus the principle of mandatory parity in its voter

registries. That will enable us to maximize the potential

of Tunisian society, men and women alike, and to

preserve the well-deserved position held so

competently by women in the fabric of Tunisian

society. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs

of the Netherlands, made a comment in that regard a

few minutes ago.

In parallel with the progress made in the political

field, the provisional Government is pursuing its

comprehensive reforms in all sectors and fields.

Upholding human rights and protecting public

freedoms are the Government’s highest priorities.

Tunisia believes deeply in the universal values of

solidarity, justice and international cooperation. In that

respect, we urgently appeal to the entire international

community, including Governments, international and

regional organizations and civil society activists, to

lend their support to our country’s efforts to repatriate

the assets stolen from the Tunisian people by the

former President and all of his family members and in-

laws. The Tunisian people have the right to those funds

and are in urgent need of them during this critical

period fraught with tremendous economic and social

challenges.

Tunisia also calls on all States that have received

requests for extradition of persons involved in those

crimes to respond positively to those legitimate

requests. That will allow Tunisian justice to hold

accountable all those who committed crimes against

the Tunisian people, within the framework of a fair

trial that guarantees the rights of the defendant under

Tunisian law and international instruments.

We thank the friendly, kindred countries that have

responded favourably to those requests. We hope that

all States will efficiently and swiftly respond to

Tunisia’s requests, pursuant to the noble principles of

international cooperation and solidarity and to ensure

that the values of justice, equality and fairness before

the law will be respected by all.

The Government of Tunisia, with the support of

national and international economic actors, has

responded to the challenges generated by the delicate

post-revolutionary situation, including its negative

effects on our national economy. Humanitarian and

economic conditions related to the crisis in sisterly

Libya have further complicated the situation and

hampered our Government’s task. Creating jobs,

reducing the unemployment rate and eliminating social

and economic disparities have become major

challenges of the country.

Tunisia has been endowed with many national

assets that will enable us to achieve our goals. We face

numerous challenges in our endeavours for a

democratic transition and for economic and social

development, including the economic recession, which

is apparent in certain areas. Therefore our country

remains in need of continuous support and assistance

from the international community.

I would like to seize this opportunity to convey

my special thanks to the Group of Eight and the

international and regional financial institutions that did

not hesitate to support Tunisia’s democratic transition

and economic revival processes, especially within the

framework of the Deauville Partnership. I would also

like to thank United Nations bodies, regional groups

and friendly and sisterly countries for their precious

contributions, whether in assisting the successful

democratic transition or reducing the impact of the

economic crisis in Tunisia and its social repercussions.

I also welcome the seminal efforts of States and

organizations alike for their assistance in responding to

the massive influx of hundreds of thousands refugees

into Tunisia following the events that occurred in

kindred Libya. Tunisia’s deep integration into its

regional and international surroundings is a top priority

for our foreign policy, which we are keen to develop

through good relations with all States and

organizations, based on cooperation, mutual respect,

good-neighbourliness and respect for common

interests.

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Tunisia considers relations with its immediate

neighbours — the countries of the Arab Maghreb

Union — especially important. We reiterate our call for

resumed coordination among all of the Union’s

member States to initiate a new phase of promoting

integration through the establishment of durable and

joint institutions, mainly in development and the

economy, for the benefit of all of the peoples of our

region.

In speaking of our Maghreb region, I take the

opportunity to pay tribute also to the kindred Libyan

people and to reiterate the warm respect and

congratulations of the Tunisian people for their

victorious revolution. It represents a crucial, historic

change in the region that will pave the way for the

emergence of a democratic political system in Libya.

Those developments will have a profound, positive

impact on Tunisian-Libyan relations and on the

establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union.

As an Arab, Islamic and African country, Tunisia

remains proud and deeply attached to its various

origins. It will continue to support the political and

regional organizations and groupings of which it is a

member, as well as its economic and development

partnerships.

Tunisia will remain faithful to mutual action

within the Arab forum and to supporting the issues of

concern to the League of Arab States, including the

cause of Palestine.

Tunisia reaffirms its unwavering and principled

position in support for its Palestinian brothers and

sisters and for their request for full recognition as a

State Member of the United Nations, as expressed by

the President of the Palestinian Authority,

Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, before the Assembly this past

Friday (see ). Tunisia thus calls on the

international community to support the legitimate

Palestinian bid for full membership in the United

Nations, as well as its territorial integrity as an

independent State within legally recognized borders,

with the Holy City of Jerusalem as its capital. At the

same time, Tunisia strongly condemns the unjust

embargo imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip and its

recent military aggression there, which resulted in

many innocent victims.

While congratulating the kindred Egyptian people

for their young peoples’ successful revolution based on

their legitimate aspirations for freedom and dignity,

Tunisia expresses its hope that peace and stability will

be restored in Syria and Yemen in order to meet the

aspirations of their peoples for democracy, freedom

and reforms. In parallel, Tunisia reaffirms its rejection

of any attempt to exploit the situation in those two

friendly countries. Tunisia reiterates its call to end the

Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan and the

remaining occupied Lebanese territories, in accordance

with international law.

As an African country, Tunisia attaches particular

importance to its geographic position in the continent

and to its belief in the importance of geographic

integration and strengthened cooperation and solidarity

with the sisterly African countries. Tunisia remains

faithful to enhancing this belief while reaffirming

respect for the principles and objectives of the African

Union and its unwavering support for all initiatives

aimed at promoting development in the continent and

preserving its peace and stability and its capabilities.

Given the strategic importance of its relations

with the European Union, Tunisia will further enhance

those relations with an eye to establishing a closely

knit partnership based on mutual respect and common

interests. Here, Tunisia expresses its hope that the

European Union and all of the friendly European

countries will be among the first to support the

Tunisian people and to assist them in the successful

implementation of their transitional phase in the

political, financial and economical sectors.

Tunisia will also strengthen cooperation in its

relations with the countries and the peoples of the

Mediterranean under the Union for the Mediterranean.

Our country attaches a particular importance also

to fostering its relations with Australia, Latin American

and the Asian countries, as well as with their major

regional groups, within the framework of an open and

balanced foreign policy approach aimed at establishing

a multifaceted partnership.

Tunisia will strive to re-establish its position

within the United Nations in a way that reflects its

peoples’ awareness and aspirations as well as its rich

history and positive contributions in its international

relations. In that context, we highlight our commitment

to the principles of international law and international

legitimacy and call for launching the process of

reforming the United Nations, mainly through

enlargement of the Security Council’s membership in

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order to ensure permanent representation of the African

continent.

Tunisia’s provisional Government welcomed the

convening by the General Assembly, in July 2011, of

the High-level Meeting on Youth and its outcome

document (resolution 65/312), which contains

important recommendations reflecting the aspirations

of young people throughout the world and based on the

awareness that unemployment had become a universal

phenomenon and thus one of the major challenges. We

reiterate our call to all concerned parties to develop a

global strategy to fight unemployment.

While organizing the elections to the National

Constituent Assembly next October is a priority for our

country, we reiterate our adherence to regional and

international commitments and responsibilities. We

reaffirm our work, as a peace-loving country, for

international legality and to uphold the principles and

values of the United Nations. We are determined to

play an active and vital role in international relations,

in line with the aspirations of our people, who have

conducted a peaceful revolution to recover their rights,

freedom and dignity.