United Arab Emirates, 1994

On behalf of the delegation of the United

Arab Emirates it gives me pleasure to extend to the

President our congratulations on his election to the

presidency of the forty-ninth session of the General

Assembly. This is a clear recognition by the international

community of his wisdom, diplomatic skills and a sign of

esteem for his country, Côte d’Ivoire. We would also like

to pay tribute to his predecessor, Ambassador Insanally, for

his efforts and his efficiency in steering the deliberations of

the last session. In this connection, we salute the

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his

efforts aimed at improving the work of the Organization

and its efficiency so that it may face up to the challenges

and changes of today’s world.

On this occasion, I am happy to welcome the return of

South Africa to the fold of the international community.

We are fully confident that by its return, it will effectively

contribute to enhancing the work of the Organization.

The end of the cold war has created a new climate in

international relations as better prospects have emerged

which promise to make possible the achievement of

tangible progress towards finding solutions for a number

of international problems. Such encouraging

developments afford unprecedented opportunities for

international cooperation in the interests of peace,

security, stability and sustainable development. At the

same time, we must take stock of the new realities that

have emerged on the international scene.

In a number of regions, the escalation of wars and

regional conflicts poses a serious threat to international

and regional peace and security and has led to a state of

economic, social and developmental instability. New

forms of racism, nationalism and religious fanaticism

have emerged, and acts of violence and terrorism in all its

forms take place. All these situations and factors impede

the building of the better world of peace, coexistence,

tolerance and prosperity after which humanity aspires.

This makes it clear that the tasks the United Nations

undertakes in performing its role in such areas as the

resolution of conflicts, peace building and the prevention

of regional conflicts are not easy, given the complex

nature of the problems of today’s world which differ from

those of yesterday’s world. Therefore, we must intensify

our efforts in support of what the Secretary-General has

proposed in his report “An Agenda for Peace”, in order

for that agenda to be translated into a concrete reality. I

refer in particular to the proposals concerning the

strengthening of cooperation, partnership and coordination

between regional organizations and the United Nations, in

line with the provisions of the Charter and the rules and

norms of international law. I should mention in particular

the organizations associated with our region, such as the

Gulf Cooperation Council, the League of Arab States and

the Organization of the Islamic Conference, all of which

possess a good deal of comprehensive knowledge of the

affairs of the region and the nature of its problems.

In the current international situation, it is important

to reconsider the question of reforming the structure of

the United Nations — particularly the Security Council

and the General Assembly — in accordance with the

Charter, so that, in the exercise of their functions, they

may respond and adapt to the nature of the current world

situation. The responsibilities of the Security Council

have greatly increased over the past few years. This fact

makes it necessary to ensure greater participation by all

Member States, taking into account the fact that equitable

and just geographic and regional distribution would

contribute to the maintenance of international and regional

peace and security.

23

Developments in international and regional situations

over the past years have made it clear that radical solutions

to regional disputes can be reached only by peaceful means,

through dialogue and negotiation between countries in

accordance with the United Nations Charter and the rules

and norms of international law. Proceeding from this, the

policy of the United Arab Emirates is based on full and

mutual respect for States’ sovereignty and independence

and for the principles of non-interference in the internal

affairs of other States, good-neighbourliness and peaceful

coexistence.

Thus, throughout the years, we have had a sincere

desire to conduct direct negotiations with the Government

of Iran with a view to the restoration of our full sovereignty

over our three Islands — namely, Lesser Tumb, Greater

Tumb and Abu Moussa, which were militarily occupied by

Iran in 1971, an action which we consider to be illegal and

in breach of the United Nations Charter and the rules of

international law.

On a number of occasions, my country has declared

from this rostrum its complete readiness to settle this

dispute by peaceful means. Hence the initiative by the

United Arab Emirates which called for serious and direct

negotiations to put an end to the Iranian occupation of our

three islands. This stance on our part stemmed not only

from the nature of the traditional and historic relations

between the two countries and from the current trends on

the international scene in dealing with issues of peace and

security, but also from our adherence to the principles and

tenets of the Islamic Sharia’a, the provisions of the Charter

and the rules of international law.

Owing to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s failure to

respond to all these endeavors and initiatives on the

question of the three Islands of the Emirates, the

Government of my country has declared its full readiness

to put the issue before the International Court of Justice

which is the judicial organ competent to settle disputes

between States. My Country is pledged to accepting all

that follows from the Judgment of the International Court

as that Judgment would be based on legal arguments and

documents.

This initiative was supported by our sister countries of

the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as by Arab and by

other friendly countries. We hope that the international

community will support this peaceful initiative, which is

based on international legality.

Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates hopes that

the Islamic Republic of Iran would share this sincere

desire and respond to our serious initiative, especially as

the Government of Iran has on previous occasions — I

refer to disputes in respect of which the Court was likely

to rule in Iran’s favour — had recourse to the

International Court of Justice and accepted its Judgments.

We are confident that this initiative will help to achieve

an atmosphere of stability and security in the region and

will enhance peaceful coexistence and mutual respect

amongst its States and thereby enable them to channel

their energies and resources towards the achievement of

the socio-economic development for which they stand in

dire need after so many years of conflict and war.

Although almost four years have elapsed since the

liberation of the sisterly State of Kuwait, the Iraqi regime

is still being selective in its implementation of the

relevant resolutions of international legality, indifferent to

the serious consequences. In addition, it is using delaying

tactics and procrastination, instead of cooperating by

releasing hundreds of hostages and detainees from Kuwait

and other countries.

While we in the United Arab Emirates, with our

brethren in the Gulf Cooperation Council, affirm the

need to uphold the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq,

we consider the international resolutions operative and

mandatory. Thus, we demand that the Iraqi regime abide

by its legal and political obligations, as stipulated in the

Security Council resolutions related to its aggression

against Kuwait — in particular, resolution 687 (1991)

concerning respect for the sovereignty and territorial

integrity of Kuwait; and resolution 833 (1993), which

determines the demarcation of international borders

between Kuwait and Iraq in accordance with the

provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter. Short of the

implementation of both these resolutions, there cannot be

a positive climate conducive to peace and security in the

region.

The peace dividend, the product of the atmosphere

of international cooperation in the wake of the Cold War

era, has increasingly come to determine the characteristics

and parameters of a new world order based on regional

cooperation, for whose success peace is considered an

indispensable prerequisite. Proceeding from this, the

United Arab Emirates was one of the countries that

welcomed the holding of the Madrid Peace Conference

and the conduct of bilateral negotiations. This was also

the reason why my country participated in the multilateral

negotiations.

24

While we considered the Declaration of Principles and

the agreements that followed on the Palestinian and

Jordanian tracks as the first real steps of detente in the

Arab-Israeli dispute and the Question of Palestine based on

international legality as represented in the relevant United

Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978) on the

Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian and

Arab territories, including Al-Quds Al-Shareef, the Syrian

Golan and southern Lebanon, at the same time we affirm

the necessity of attaining positive results on the Syrian and

Lebanese tracks based on these resolutions and on the

principles and the premises that were agreed upon in

Madrid Peace Conference, namely the land-for-peace

principle.

My country, which pins its hopes on the success of the

national reconciliation conference in Somalia within the

terms of the Nairobi Declaration, is still concerned about

the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation

and the obstruction of the distribution of relief supplies to

the suffering people of this sisterly country. We did not

hesitate to grant humanitarian assistance in addition to our

participation in the United Nations Operation in Somalia

(UNOSOM II).

We think that the international relief efforts cannot be

successful in the worsening internal situation. Therefore,

the major responsibility lies with the Somali leaders

themselves to formulate a serious response to mediation

efforts aimed at the political settlement and national

reconciliation, without which their country will not be

saved, its reconstruction will not be achieved and the

rehabilitation of its people will not take place or pave the

way for Somalia’s return as an active member of the

international community.

My country is deeply concerned over the situation in

Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly under the

circumstances of the continued violation of its sovereignty

and of the human rights of its people, especially the

Muslims. The facts still indicate that Bosnian Serb forces

and their supporters have not refrained for a single day

from their acts of aggression or from perpetrating further

crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide. To the contrary,

they have gone to great lengths in defying the international

will and have even attacked United Nations personnel.

These Serbian actions aim at regional expansionist gains

that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the

Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Although the United Arab Emirates has continued to

call upon the international community since the eruption

of this crisis to take serious measures that could restore

dignity, security and stability to that country, yet, after 30

months, we are obliged to reiterate our call, in the

strongest possible terms, to the international community,

particularly the Security Council, to reconsider the

manner it has opted for in dealing with the question of

Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Council must once again

take firmer measures against the Serbian aggressor in

accordance with Article 42 of Chapter VII of the Charter,

and in a manner that would achieve a just negotiated

settlement.

At the same time, we reiterate our previous call for

the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the Republic

of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Security Council resolution

713 (1991) so that the people of that country may be able

to defend themselves in accordance with Article 51 of the

Charter.

In view of the rapid developments in international

relations at the end of the Cold War era, the international

situation necessitates an early settlement of the problems

left behind by that era. This will be realized only through

a general orientation towards disarmament in all its forms,

covering both nuclear weapons and weapons of mass

destruction. Thus, we look forward to the 1995

Conference on the Review and Revision of the Non-

Proliferation Treaty, hoping that that Conference will

produce confidence-building measures on the regional and

international levels that would create zones free from

weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons,

particularly in the Middle East region, which has been

plagued by conflict for a long period of time.

Despite progress in the Arab-Israeli peace

negotiations, we are deeply concerned over Israel’s

acquisition of an immense nuclear capability, which

constitutes a constant and continued threat to the security

of the countries and peoples of the region, hampers the

realization of the comprehensive objectives of these

negotiations and will also endanger international peace.

While social issues are now at the forefront of

international relations, the economic and developmental

questions of developing countries are increasingly

marginalized, and the economic disparities between

developing and developed countries continues to widen as

a result of the measures taken by developed countries.

The exports of developing countries are still impeded by

protectionist measures, and their efforts for development

25

are threatened by the burden of foreign indebtedness,

reverse financial flows in addition to the constant decline in

the price of commodities, on which most of developing

countries depend as a major source of national income, as

well as the general deterioration in the terms of trade and

finance of the developing countries themselves.

The persistence of these problems and the absence of

a solution will lead to political and social tensions, which

in turn will adversely affect international and regional peace

and security.

The nature of these problems requires us to reconsider

the structure of the current international social and

economic relations with two approaches. The first includes

the development of new measures and mechanisms for

cooperation amongst the countries of the North and the

South, and the second hinges on finding a strategy for

economic integration that addresses the elements of

developmental deficit among the countries of the South in

a way that ensures the realization of socio-economic

improvements in the process of sustainable development,

and alleviates the concerns of the countries of the South

vis-à-vis implementation of their immediate and medium-

term development plans.

International economic integration has become a

concrete reality that must be taken into account. This

concept has been recently endorsed by the agreement of

a majority of countries to the establishment of the World

Trade Organization in Marakesh in sisterly Morocco on

15 April 1994. There can be no doubt that this is a

historic event and gives new momentum to the world

economy. We hope that the setting up of this new

organization will be a positive beginning that improves

and enhances the prospects of economic, financial and

international trade relations based on justice, co-equality

and equity, with a view to bridging the gap between

developed and developing countries.

The spirit of tolerance and of adherence to noble

cultural and humanitarian values, to the principles and

purposes of the Charter and the rules of international law

should be our beacon which guides our steps towards the

future that we desire. Consequently, we call on Member

States to take advantage of the fiftieth anniversary of the

United Nations and to transform it into a historic occasion

for a comprehensive review and for ushering in a bright

future of stability, security and coexistence prevail for all

peoples and countries of the world.