At the outset,
it gives me pleasure to congratulate the President of the
Assembly and his friendly country on his assumption
of the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-
ninth session. We are confident that he will lead its
work wisely, and we will lend him our support as
he undertakes his duties. I take this opportunity to
express my sincere appreciation to his predecessor for
his untiring efforts as President of the Assembly at its
previous session. I also reiterate our full support to the
Secretary-General as he strives to realize the purposes
of the Charter of the United Nations.
I stand before the Assembly today as one of the sons
of Egypt, from the cradle of human civilization. From
this rostrum, I first salute the great people of Egypt.
Allow me to also salute the thousands of Egyptians who
travelled from Egypt and various parts of the United
States and who are in the city today to say that the
new Egypt is coming. From this rostrum, I salute the
great people of Egypt, who have made history twice
in the past few years: first, when they revolted against
corruption and despotism and claimed their right to
freedom, dignity and social justice; and then when they
held fast to their identity and, energized by patriotism,
rose up against exclusion, refusing to succumb to the
tyranny of a faction which, in the name of religion, put
its narrow interests before the interests of the people.
Those are simply snapshots of the defining
moments Egypt has witnessed recently. They are only
milestones in the longer journey that Egyptians, fuelled
by their dreams and aspirations, have embarked upon,
towards a better day and a more prosperous future. The
world is starting to grasp the reality of what happened
in Egypt and to understand the circumstances that
drove Egyptians to intuitively take to the streets to
rebel against the forces of extremism and darkness
that, once in power, undermined the foundations of the
democratic process and national institutions and sought
to impose a state of polarization in order to break the
unity of the people.
The upsurge in extremism and violence perpetrated
in the name of religion that the region is currently
witnessing is evidence of the true objectives of those
groups that exploit religion. We have warned against
them over and over again. They have transformed the
values of justice, compassion and mercy, which are
treasured by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, into grim
sectarianism and destructive civil and regional wars
that continue to claim the lives of innocent people of
different religions.
The Egyptian people understand — as do I, given
the responsibilities that I have shouldered since my
election as President — that the path towards achieving
our goals began with the building of a civil democratic
State, guided by the principles we sought to embody
and adhering to the road map for the future agreed upon
by the Egyptian national powers. That road map will
be completed when parliamentary elections are held,
following the presidential election and constitutional
referendum through which Egyptians expressed their
free will. Our aim is to build a new Egypt — a State
that respects rights and freedoms, honours its duties
and ensures the coexistence of its citizens without
exclusion or discrimination; a State that respects and
enforces the rule of law, guarantees freedom of opinion
for all and ensures freedom of belief and worship for
its people; and a State that is determined to achieve
growth, prosperity and a promising future that meets
the aspirations of its people.
To that end, Egypt began implementing an ambitious
comprehensive programme to spur development
until 2030, with the aim of laying the foundations of
a free-market economy that is capable of attracting
investments in a secure and stable environment. The
New Suez Canal project, a gift from Egyptians to the
world, is proof of the seriousness of our intent and of the
resolve of the new Egypt to forge a better tomorrow for
its youth. That is why I invite members to participate
in the economic conference that will be held in Egypt
in February 2015 to achieve development and build the
future, not only for Egypt, but for the entire region.
Those steps briefly reflect the gist of the social
contract embraced by Egyptians in their new
Constitution. It is to build a better today and a brighter
tomorrow for our youth and to establish a State that is
armed with strong institutions and governed by the rule
of law; a State that respects the judiciary and ensures its
independence and applies the principle of the separation
of powers; and a State that is not held back by a form
of terrorism that thinks that it can conquer and repress
our nation.
Egypt has suffered from the scourge of that
terrorism since the 1920s, when it concealed its
poisonous viewpoints behind religion to reach power
and establish the caliphate state, relying on armed
violence and terror to achieve its objectives and in
the process giving rise to a handful of extremists who
commit atrocities in the name of religion. Here I stress
that we should not allow them to abuse Islam and offend
the 1.5 billion Muslims who cherish its noble values.
Religion, by virtue of its holiness and sanctity, cannot
be put to the test by humans and judged whether it has
succeeded or failed.
Terrorism is a plague that does not differentiate
between developing and developed societies as it
spreads. Terrorists come from different societies. They
are not bound together by any true religious faith.
That is why it is imperative that we all intensify our
cooperation and coordination efforts, pursuant to the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in
fulfilment of its objectives, to end the support provided
to those terrorist organizations that enables them to
continue perpetrating crimes.
The problems facing our region emanate from
the space provided to the local and regional forces of
extremism and the state of polarization that often leads
to division and strife. They have become a serious
danger that threatens the very existence of the State and
attacks its identity. That has produced fertile ground
for terrorism and its organizations to grow and gain
influence.
In this regard, the crises facing some countries
of the region could be resolved by following a two-
pronged approach aimed at building the nation State.
The first is the application of the principles of equality
of all citizens and respect for the rule of law, based on a
social contract and national consensus, while ensuring
the enjoyment by all of all rights, especially the right
to development. That will safeguard societies from
exploitation and prevent them from succumbing to
extremism. The second aspect is a decisive confrontation
with the forces of extremism and terrorism and with
any attempt to impose opinions through intimidation
and violence or to force exclusion through rejection in
all its forms.
Egypt, in agreement with Libya’s neighbouring
countries, has actually put forward an initiative that
sets specific steps and a clear vision to end the plight
of that kindred country. We can build on that initiative
to achieve a comprehensive political solution that
strengthens Libya’s elected institutions and ensures an
end to the bloodshed, while preserving its territorial
integrity. Success requires effectively halting arms
trafficking into Libya and dealing relentlessly with
the extremist movements that resort to weapons and
violence and do not recognize the democratic process.
Despite the heartrending humanitarian situation in
fraternal Syria and the destruction and loss of innocent
lives resulting from the crisis, I am confident that it
is possible to establish a political framework that will
ensure that the aspirations of the Syrian people are met
without compromising with terrorism or replicating the
circumstances that the Syrians initially rebelled against.
I emphasize that Egypt supports the Syrian people’s
aspirations to a safe and secure life that ensures Syria’s
stability and the unity of its people and preserves its
territorial integrity.
The formation in the brotherly country of Iraq
of a new Government approved by the Parliament is
a significant development that restores hope in the
possibility of improving the situation and for success
in internal and external attempts to achieve stability,
restore the areas that have fallen under the control of
the terrorist group Daesh, maintain Iraq’s territorial
integrity, end the bloodshed.
Despite the multitude of crises threatening our
region, some of which I have mentioned, the Palestinian
issue remains a top priority for Egypt. Palestinians
still aspire to establish their independent State on the
territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as
its capital, on the basis of the principles of the peace
process that was established in the 1970s, following
an Egyptian initiative. Those principles are not up for
compromise; otherwise the basis of a comprehensive
peace in the region would erode and the values of
justice and humanity would vanish. The continued
deprivation of the Palestinian people of their rights is
undoubtedly exploited by some to inflame other crises,
achieve hidden goals, fragment Arab unity and impose
trusteeship on Palestinians under the guise of realizing
their aspirations.
I am confident that certain challenges will
require us to work seriously and with a clear vision
to achieve the ambitions of our people for democracy,
development and human dignity and for our youth and
their aspirations for a brighter future. Our success will
guarantee the future of our people.
From this rostrum, I call upon everyone to address
the Ebola epidemic. In many African countries,
combatting the disease is a collective responsibility. We
must be able to assist those countries that need help,
while providing protection to our own people. Distances
have become shorter, due to modern advances, thus
increasing the threat. As a strong State, Egypt bears a
special responsibility. In the 1990s, Egypt confronted
terrorism and extremism. I am confident that it will
succeed in uprooting terrorism by virtue of its national
identity. Egypt will always be a beacon of civilization,
supporting cohesion in the region. Egyptians will never
hesitate to assume their role to that effect.
Egypt considers the security of the Arab States
integral to its national security, on the basis of our
common heritage and destiny and our longing for the
stability of a region that is important and crucial to
the world. Egypt’s vision of international relations is
founded on respect for the principles of international
law, treaties and conventions, based on mutual respect
and mutual interests and benefits.
As the Assembly knows, Egypt was a founding
Member of the United Nations and has ever since
strongly contributed to realizing its goals, especially in
peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development. From
that standpoint, Egypt’s aspiration to a non-permanent
seat on the Security Council in 2016 and 2017 stems
from its desire to use its membership to achieve the
purposes of the Organization and protect the interests
of developing countries, especially in Africa, as well as
to accelerate the reform of the United Nations system
as part of a broader vision based on the principle of
equality of all nations. I therefore invite Member States
to support Egypt’s candidature for the Security Council.
I have conveyed in all humility the message of the
Egyptian people, women, men, youth and the elderly.
It is a message of hope, of will and of determination to
work. It is a message of openness, calling for cooperation
with all, to overcome all obstacles and difficulties. I
wish to assure the Assembly that the Egyptian people,
after their two revolutions, have become the sole source
of our internal and external policies in pursuit of
stability and development.
Egypt today has regained its self-confidence and is
upholding the principles of law and freedom. With its
Arab identity and African roots, it is the cradle of the
Mediterranean civilization and the beacon of moderate
Islam. Egypt aspires to resolve regional disputes and
uphold the principles of justice and humanity in today’s
world. I am confident that Egyptians have an infinite
capacity to give. We have inherited that gift from our
ancestors and will remain ever generous, God willing.
Long live Egypt. Long live the peace-loving peoples
of the world. Long live the principles of humanity and
the values of tolerance and coexistence. May peace be
upon the Assembly, and the mercy and blessings of God
as well.