Yemen, 2001

I am

pleased, first of all, to convey through you, Sir, our

sincere congratulations to President Han Seung-soo on

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his election as President of the current session of the

General Assembly. I am certain that with his expertise

and skill he will conduct the proceedings of this

session successfully. I should also like to express our

appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Harri Holkeri, for

the distinction with which he conducted the

proceedings of the last session.

Our current meetings are convened amid

extraordinary circumstances arising from the acts of

terrorism committed against the United States of

America on the very day set for the opening of this

session. It is regrettable that the first session of the

United Nations General Assembly of the twenty-first

century should be convened in the aftermath of those

alarming events. These events truly constitute a

negative phenomenon that will have major

repercussions on inter-State relations at the bilateral

and multilateral levels alike. Furthermore, these events

have convinced everyone that there is no alternative to

collective endeavour through legitimate structures to

confront the challenges of the future. We would like to

stress the necessity of supporting the United Nations as

an ideal framework for international cooperation,

particularly at this stage when collective endeavour is

indispensable for coping with the problems that now, in

the era of globalization, affect us all to a greater or

lesser extent. In this connection, we congratulate the

United Nations and its Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi

Annan, on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001,

which has come at an appropriate time as an

appreciative expression of the role of the Organization

and the effective leadership of its Secretary-General.

The perseverance of the host country in ensuring

quasi-normal conditions for the work of this session

reflects a will to transcend the catastrophe and displays

confidence in the triumph of reason. Permit me, as I

stand at the heart of this great and wounded city, to

convey, on behalf of the leadership, Government and

people of Yemen, our sincere condolences and deepest

sympathy to the American President, the Government

and people of the United States, and to convey these

sentiments in particular to the families of the innocent

victims whose lives were lost in the tragic events of 11

September.

Although the scourge of terrorism has struck the

United States this time, claiming thousands of innocent

victims, the phenomenon of terrorism is not new.

Indeed, it is directed against the whole world. These

recent acts of terrorism claimed victims from 70

foreign countries, including Yemen. These acts were

not targeted against the United States and Americans

alone; rather, the target was international peace and

security. Regrettably, the phenomenon of terrorism has

worsened because of negligence in confronting it. We

in the Republic of Yemen have not been spared the

perils and threats of terrorism. Our country has been

scorched by its fire and afflicted in many ways, but our

appeals for timely, effective cooperation fell on deaf

ears.

Today, in the face of this loathsome act of

terrorism, the Republic of Yemen reiterates its stand,

condemning terrorism in all its forms and

manifestations, whatever its causes and sources. As we

proclaim the readiness of the Government of the

Republic of Yemen to strive, within the framework of

international legitimacy, for the elimination of

terrorism, we also affirm our desire that those

endeavours not lead to the suffering of innocent

persons or to the practice of oppression that will result

in the emergence of a new generation of terrorists.

We also affirm the Arab Islamic position that

rejects attempts to link terrorism to Arabs and

Muslims. Terrorism, as history teaches us, has no

religion, no homeland and no identity. On the same

grounds, Yemen censures the voices that stir up

propaganda for a clash of civilizations or, to be precise,

a clash of Islam with Christianity. Instead, we call for a

meaningful intercultural dialogue and for the creation

of common concepts centred on justice, human and

religious values.

The desire to combat and eliminate terrorism

makes it incumbent upon the international community

to launch an unremitting campaign based on uniform

and clearly defined criteria identifying terrorists, be

they individuals, or collective or State terrorism. The

international community cannot shirk its responsibility

to oppose State terrorism — just as it opposes terrorism

by individuals and groups.

Logically, it follows that the Security Council

should put an end to the crimes committed daily by

Israel against the Palestinian people forcing Israel to

withdraw from the occupied Arab territories and to

implement the resolutions of international legitimacy,

first and foremost of which are Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). In this regard,

the Republic of Yemen proclaims that it welcomes

President George W. Bush’s statement on the necessity

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of establishing a Palestinian State with all the elements

of sovereignty. This declaration has met with ever-

increasing international support. Israel must realize that

its security is bound up with its neighbour’s security

and that its secure future lies in the inevitable

acceptance of the Palestinian people’s right to establish

their own independent State and in its respecting the

Palestinians’ sovereignty over their territory.

Today’s world is characterized by rapid

transformations that, taken as a whole, are the natural

labour pains that precede the birth of a new reality

reflecting humankind’s yearning for a more just and

prosperous world. The current reality and nature of

international relations differ from those of the 1990s;

in fact, they differ to some extent from the prevailing

situation only two months ago, to be precise, prior to

the tragic and bloody events of September. These

events diverted attention from globalization issues, the

furthering of the democratic process and the diffusion

of human rights to an endeavour to confront and

eliminate terrorism. Everyone is aware that the

exigencies of combating and eradicating terrorism

demand adherence to democratic decision-making

methods. Decisions must be adopted on the basis of

agreement and participation, exactly as is required at

the national level.

The logic of force has unquestionably become an

outdated logic, which can in no way lead to the

establishment of sound international relations or ensure

lasting solutions to the problems that inevitably arise

from time to time in inter-State relations. The Republic

of Yemen has striven tirelessly to ensure the best

means of achieving peace and stability at the regional

and world levels, and has adhered to the course of

resolving disputes by peaceful means and by accepting

and adhering to the principle of good-neighbourliness.

On this basis, our political leadership, represented

by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has made continuous

and unremitting efforts to help end the strife between

the warring factions in fraternal Somalia. It hastened to

welcome the outcome of the Arta Peace Conference

and was among the first to support the provisional

national Government, under the leadership of President

Salad Hassan, as a legitimate entity representing

Somali national consensus.

The ordeal that our Somali brothers are

experiencing, both inside and outside the country,

confronts the international community with its

responsibility to provide aid and support to the

provisional Government and to increase assistance to

the Somali refugees in neighbouring countries,

including our own. Our country has opened its arms to

some 150,000 of our Somali brothers, despite the

difficult economic circumstances it is currently

experiencing.

Recent events have proved beyond doubt that

there is an urgent need to amend the rules of

international relations so as to ensure consensus in

decision-making and collective participation in efforts

to confront the growing challenges and dangers that

face us all and that are not confined within the borders

of any one State. That naturally makes it imperative to

reconsider the policy of imposing international

embargoes and sanctions that do not represent the

collective will nor the required agreements, while the

facts affirm their harmfulness and futility.

The sanctions imposed on the Iraqi people and

the suffering of that people are a burden on the human

conscience, and their continuation raises an increasing

number of questions about the truth of the aims behind

the insistence on their maintenance, now that the

justifications for the decision to impose those sanctions

no longer exist: Iraq has committed itself to

implementing the United Nations resolutions

guaranteeing Kuwait’s security and sovereignty over its

territory. My country has used its good offices with

fraternal Kuwait and Iraq and continues to do so, with

a view to finding a solution to the issue of Kuwaiti and

other prisoners and missing persons, and cooperating in

the settlement of this distressing issue. Here, we would

like to express our happiness at the decision taken by

the Security Council to lift the sanctions imposed on

Sudan.

At a time when fraternal Libya and certain other

States are still suffering from unjust embargo policies,

there is an urgent need to reconsider those embargo

resolutions that have become obsolete and have been

overtaken by events.

One cause for optimism is the desire shown by

both the United Arab Emirates and Iran, and the

current contacts between them, to find a solution to the

issue of the three islands of the Emirates in the Arabian

Gulf. Yemen welcomes this move by the two fraternal

States while wishing to affirm that direct talks or

international arbitration are the option that will

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preserve the security of the region and strengthen

relations between the two countries.

Developing countries are still experiencing

extremely difficult economic and social conditions, and

the financial sources for national development

investment are almost non-existent, since external debt

and debt servicing consume most national development

earnings. This is evident in the least developed

countries, a group to which the Republic of Yemen

belongs. In this context, we deem it essential to strive

to implement the recommendations of the Third United

Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.

The Republic of Yemen wishes to participate in

the preparatory meetings for the International

Conference on Financing for Development, to be held

next year in Mexico, as it is an international gathering

that will address, inter alia, issues related to the

mobilization of the financial resources necessary for

comprehensive development activities. These include

commitment to pay official development assistance

pledges, considering the development of ways to

increase the domestic resources necessary for

development activities and increasing donor assistance,

particularly to national plans aimed at eliminating

poverty in all its dimensions.

The Government of the Republic of Yemen is

following a comprehensive development approach

under extremely difficult economic circumstances.

Large sums are allocated in the national budget for

building the infrastructure, and particular importance is

given to multidimensional programmes for the

elimination of poverty. An effort is being made to

ensure the participation of the various segments of civil

society in the process of decision-making for

development activities.

Seeking integration into the global economy, the

competent authorities in Yemen are endeavouring to

fulfil the requirements for joining the World Trade

Organization. In this context, the Government has

adopted a number of measures related to economic

reforms and to finding new markets. However, in that

regard there are obstacles facing the Republic of

Yemen, as is the case with other least developed

countries seeking market integration. An effort must be

made to remove these obstacles by allowing access to

world markets for Yemen’s products and by affording it

an opportunity to acquire the technology needed for

development, particularly communications and

information technology.

The process of globalization, which in its current

form has some positive elements, should give due

consideration to human needs and not be confined to

market interests. Inter-State relations characterized by

justice and shared responsibility, as envisioned last

year in the Millennium Declaration, should prevail.

With regard to bilateral economic cooperation,

my country’s delegation would like to express its

thanks and appreciation for the contributions of

friendly States — in particular Germany, the

Netherlands and Japan - that are providing assistance to

development plans and programmes in the Republic of

Yemen.

The most important trend in the world today is

unquestionably the increasing move towards

democracy as a necessary requirement for the

achievement of equity, justice and social peace. In the

Republic of Yemen, the democratic process has been a

basis for guaranteeing the unity achieved on 22 May

1990 and has been organically linked to that unity.

In spite of the short time since its achievement of

unity and its proclamation of commitment to the

democratic process, my country has made major strides

towards the achievement of political pluralism, the

peaceful transfer of power and the guaranteeing of

human rights, especially with regard to the

participation of women in the comprehensive

development process. The most recent of these

achievements were the free direct elections for the

presidency of the Republic last year and the local

Government elections early this year. Our manifest

desire to develop the democratic process led to the

convening of the Emerging Democracies Forum in

Sana’a last year, which was the first conference of its

kind.

Lastly, we would like to express our desire to host

the next International Conference of New or Restored

Democracies, scheduled to take place in 2003. We hope

that our request will be supported. The Conference will

provide an opportunity for participants to get to know

first-hand the country in the land of Sheba — a country

that has practised consultation and democracy since the

dawn of civilization.

In conclusion, I hope that our meetings here will

result in the promotion of joint endeavours that fulfil

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the aspirations of our peoples for a world in which

justice triumphs over inequity and poverty and in

which peace, rather than fear and war, prevails.