Allow me at the outset to express on behalf of
the delegation of the United Arab Emirates our
warmest congratulations to Mr, Hollai on his
election to the presidency of the current session
of the General Assembly. I am confident that his
long experience in the field of international
relations will be a positive factor in directing
our deliberations and work towards the goals we
have gathered here to achieve. I should also like
to express our greatest appreciation for the
tireless efforts of his predecessor, Mr. Kittani,
to reconcile various points of view and to search
for satisfactory solutions to numerous problems
brought before the Assembly at the previous
session and the special and emergency sessions. I
further wish to express my deep gratitude to the
Secretary-General for his continued efforts to
strengthen the foundations and principles on
which the United Nations was established. I
appreciate his sound analysis of the obstacles
facing the United Nations, along with his serious
attempt to strengthen the ability of the
Organization to perform its tasks as well as to
solve international problems.
55. The Secretary-General has pointed out in
his report on the work of the Organization the
difficulties that the United Nations is facing in
playing its role effectively and decisively,
particularly with regard to the maintenance of
international peace and security, since it
represents an ideal forum in the conduct of
negotiations for peaceful settlement of
international disputes. In this connection, I
fully agree with the unequivocal reference in the
report that for our most urgent goal is to
reconstruct the Charter concept of collective
action for peace and security so as to render the
United Nations more capable of carrying out its
primary function. It is incumbent upon all
Government to commit themselves to that sound
approach, without which the logic of force will
prevail and States, especially the smaller ones,
will consequently be exposed to only dangers that
threaten their security, safety and territorial
integrity. This situation is not a myth; rather,
it is a fact and it is sharply and tragically
represented in the area of the Middle East,
specifically in a Lebanon in agony.
56. The events in Lebanon have underscored
the fact that the method of force and fait
accomplis to which Israel resorts cannot achieve
security and stability. The question of Palestine
stands clearly before the international community
in spite of the attempts by the Tel Aviv leaders
to emasculate it with their military machine.
Obviously the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the
continued Israeli occupation of Lebanese
territory both reflect the quagmire into which
Israel's employment of its military might to
cover up its political failure and international
isolation have led it.
57. The United Arab Emirates, as a peace-loving
Arab State, expresses its revulsion at and strong
condemnation of the ugly massacre perpetrated
against the Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila
camps by the Zionist occupation forces. It
appeals to all Member States, and especially to
the great Powers, to take serious action to stop
Israeli aggression against the Lebanese and
Palestinian peoples and to work for the immediate
and international withdrawal of the Israeli
forces of aggression from all Lebanese territory,
M order to preserve Lebanon's independence and
territorial integrity and accordance with
resolutions of the Security Council and other
international bodies.
58. In this connection, I cannot fail to stress
the responsibility of the United States of
America as a sponsor of and partner in the
conclusion of the agreement that led to the
evacuation of the Palestinian fighters from
Beirut and the guaranteed the safety of the
Palestinian in the refugee camps as well as the
civilian potation of West Beirut. Any reliance
on the part of the United State, of America would
constitute a violation of Us political,
contractual and moral obligations. We ask the
United States to do its utmost, based on its
obligations in this regard, to prevent the
recurrence of crimes such as those committed in
Lebanon, crimes unprecedented in contemporary to
force Israel to withdraw unconfidently from
Lebanese territory.
59. The PLO emergence from an unequal war
victorious in its perseverance, flexibility and
ability to negotiate from a position of right and
its responsiveness to international resolutions
demonstrate its desire to reach a just and
peaceful solution unlike Israel, which has proved
that it is an aggressive entity that does not
respect international resolutions, norms or
rules. The PLO emerged from the conflict more
determined than ever to restore the legitimate
rights of the Palestinian people, despite the
Israeli illusion that its war in Lebanon would
destroy the Palestinian people and hence the
Palestinian cause.
60. The shameful Israeli policies and
practices reflected in its flagrant defiance of
United Nations resolutions and its use of armed
violence to attain illegal goals call for the
reconsideration of its membership in the United
Nations. Israel has unequivocally demonstrated,
by the heinous massacre it committed in Lebanon
and by its continued inhuman and illegal
practices in the occupied Arab territories, that
it is a Member that is neither able nor willing
to carry out its elementary obligations of
membership under the Charter. Its membership in
the United Nations and all other international
organizations should therefore be reconsidered.
61. President Reagan's initiative for peace
in the Middle East represents progress in the
American position, however, we hope that this
position can evolve positively towards the
recognition of the rights of the Palestinian
people and their legitimate representative, the
PLO, so that the Palestinian people may exercise
their national rights to self-determination and
the establishment of an independent State. In
order to attain this objective, which is based on
the noble purposes and principles enshrined in
the Charter, I urge the United States Government
to reconsider its military and political support
of Israel. Recent events have confirmed that such
support is the backbone of Israel's arrogance,
intransigence, continued aggression against the
Arab people, especially the Palestinian and
Lebanese peoples, and rejection of all peace
initiatives.
62. My delegation reaffirms that the just
solution of Middle East problem lies in
solving the Palestinian question on the basis of
the following principles; first, complete and
unconditional Israeli withdrawal from all the
occupied Arab territories, including Holy
Jerusalem; secondly, enabling Palestinian people
to exercise their inalienable rights, including
their right to return to their homeland, to
self-determination, to national independence and
to full sovereignty through the establishment of
an independent State on their national soil and,
thirdly, participation on an equal footing of the
PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people, in any endeavors, efforts or
conferences to settle this question. The
conclusions reached at the Twelfth Arab Summit
Conference underscore the principles that
determine the just and comprehensive framework
for the solution of the Palestinian question.
63. Israel's rejection of the proposed
options, whether advanced by the Arabs or by
others, is nothing more than blackmail and an
attempt to influence the current trend of
international thinking. The comprehensive Arab
peace plan, which is based on international
legitimacy, forces the world to face its
imperative responsibilities for attaining a just
peace in the region. The plan does not address
itself to any particular international party;
rather, it addresses all peace-loving parties by
assigning a highly important role to the
Organization and to the members of the Security
Council in supervising the guarantees for peace.
64. My country is concerned about the war
between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran
that broke out over two years ago and that is
draining the human, military and economic
resources of both countries. Moreover, that war
threatens the security and stability of the Gulf
region, which is of world-wide strategic and
economic importance. The continuation of this war
does not serve the interest of either country or
of the international community. In this
connection, my country commends the concrete
response of Iraq with regard to ending the war in
the interest of both countries and of the region
as well, and particularly the withdrawal of its
forces to the international borders. That
initiative won the appreciation of the
international community as a step towards rapidly
ending the conflict. We also commend the efforts
made by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, by the Organization of the Islamic
Conference and by the non-aligned movement, as
well as all the other international efforts made
to restore peace and work for conciliation
between those two Moslem countries and to
establish new foundations for relations between
them on the basis of peace, good-neighborliness
and mutual respect, which are conducive to the
welfare and safety of the region. We hope that
Iran will respond to these initiatives designed
to end the bloodshed and achieve peace in the
region.
65. In recent decades the Indian Ocean region
has been a centre of rivalry among the great
Powers bent on establishing spheres of influence;
that is due to its economic and strategic
importance. As a State which is adjacent to that
ocean we are deeply concerned about the continued
escalation of tension in the area. We support
General Assembly resolution 2832 (XXVI), the
Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of
Peace. In that regard, we cannot but express o r
regret that the attitude of some States has led
to the postponement of the international
conference which had been scheduled to be
convened :n Sri Lanka in 1981 for the purpose of
adopting the measures necessary for the
implementation, particularly by the
super-Powers, of that Declaration
66. The continued presence of foreign forces
in Afghanistan, despite the numerous appeals made
by the United Nations and other organizations for
the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces, is
preventing the Afghan people from choosing its
Government by means of free elections: a choice
which it must be able to make without the least
foreign interference.
67. That military presence jeopardizes the
independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of that country as a non-aligned State.
The Government of my country has repeatedly
condemned the foreign intervention in Afghanistan
as a flagrant violation of the Charter and as an
act of aggression against human rights and the
freedom of peoples. We affirm that there should
be a comprehensive political solution based on
full respect for Afghanistan's independence,
sovereignty, territorial integrity and
non-aligned status.
68. With regard to Cyprus, it seems to us
that the holding of negotiations between the two
communities constitutes one of the fundamental
conditions for reaching a just settlement of the
crisis which that State is experiencing. In this
connection, the United Nations should continue,
through the Secretary- General, its efforts to
help the two c <n unities reach some
understanding and to provide conditions which
would be conducive to the restoration of peace.
69. Since its inception, the United Nations
has worked to secure respect of the right of all
peoples to self-determination and independence in
accordance with their hopes, aspirations and
interests. Although most peoples of the world
have gained their independence, some Territories
are still under colonial domination, notably in
southern Africa, where the Government of South
Africa persists in its racist policy
notwithstanding the international condemna-tion
of that policy as a crime against humanity. The
denial to the people of South Africa of the
ability to exercise their fundamental right of
self-determination constitutes a violation of
the most important principles of the Charter and
of United Nations resolutions, as well as a grave
challenge to the international community.
70. The continued economic, military and
political co-operation which that racialist
regime receives from certain States Members of
the United Nations is what encourages it in its
intransigence. My Government considers Security
Council resolution 435 (1978) to be the soundest
framework for the resolution of the question of
Namibia. It reaffirms the basic responsibility
towards that Territory which the United Nations
has held since the termination of the South
African Mandate in 1966. The Security Council
should impose sanctions on South Africa and adopt
the necessary measures envisaged in Chapter VII
of the Charter.
71. My delegation affirms its support for the
legitimate struggle waged by the South West
Africa People's Organization [SWAPO] for
self-determination and independence for the
Namibian people. It strongly condemns the
repeated acts of aggression carried out by South
Africa against neighbouring States.
72. The deterioration of the climate of
confidence in international relations has led to
the continuation of the arms race, which
constitutes a serious threat to the whole human
race. Despite the declaration of the First
Disarmament Decade, and the Programme of Action
adopted by the tenth special session of the
General Assembly, the first devoted to
disarmament, little progress has been made in
this field because of the absence of political
will on the part of the big Powers. The failure
of the recent disarmament session is clear
evidence of that fact.
73. We believe the , while disarmament may be
the concern of all States, the responsibility for
halting the arms race falls primarily on the
shoulders of the big Powers, which are the ones
producing nuclear and other weapons of mass
destruction. The declarations by the United
Nations of nuclear-free zones represent a
significant contribution to the creation of a
climate of peace and security in the world. The
possession of nuclear weapons by States which do
not respect the norms of international behavior
and the provisions of international conventions,
and which violate the United Nations resolutions,
truly constitutes a serious threat to
international peace and security. General and
complete disarmament under international control
remains a prerequisite for a general atmosphere
of confidence, for reducing the dangers of
tension in the world, and for the removal of the
obstacles to channeling huge material resources
into economic and social development, for the
purpose of attaining prosperity and better living
conditions for all mankind.
74. The results achieved at the Third United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea during
its last session held in April at United Nations
Headquarters here in New York, namely, the
approval by the overwhelming majority of the
States of the world of the consolidated text of
the Convention on the Law of the Sea/ which sets
forth a comprehensive legal system for the
peaceful exploitation of the seas for various
purposes, especially maritime and economic
onesówas the product of a comprehensive
compromise which harmonized differing interests
and points of view in the light of the principle
of the for common heritage of mankind ' adopted
by the United Nations many years ago. The success
attained may be attributed to the United Nations,
which endorsed the call to hold the Conference:
to the Secretary-General, who sponsored it
throughout its many sessions over several years;
and to effective participation in the Conference,
particularly by the Group of 77, which exerted
commendable efforts in favor of conciliation.
75. Noting with deep concern the extent of
the deterioration of the world economy, my
country considers that it is necessary to
reconsider the existing international economic
order so as to make it more just and equitable,
in the interest of humanity. The world economy is
still confronted with problems regarding economic
growth, international trade, and the continuing
rise in the rates of inflation and unemployment.
Therefore, international co-operation should be
strengthened and arduous efforts should be
exerted to cope with this deteriorating situation
which threatens not only the developing
countries, but also the economies of the
industrialized States, since the world has become
closely interdependent in the various political,
economic and social fields. The inter-related
nature of the world's economic problems calls
for total rather than partial solutions. The
industrialized States should be aware of this
fact and should effectively contribute to
reforming the current world financial and
economic order. They should also favorably
consider the proposals made by the developing
countries, which hope for a further positive
contribution to the development of their
economies, which suffer from continued recession,
stagnation and balance-of-payments deficits.
Co-operation among developing countries in
solving these problems should be considered as a
supplement rather than an alternative to
co-operation between the North and the South. It
does not relieve the industrialized States of
their responsibilities and duties towards the
developing countries. Such responsibilities
require that the industrialized States adjust the
policies currently controlling commodity and
service markets, with a view to presenting
long-term solutions which give special attention
to strengthening food security.
76. As a third world country, the United Arab
Emirates requires various resources to develop
its economy and to provide for the welfare of its
people, yet it plays a concrete role in extending
assistance to other third world countries through
the financial mechanisms that it has established
for that purpose. Most notable among these
mechanisms are the Abu Dhabi Fund for Arab
Economic Development, created in 1971 to provide
foreign assistance, in addition to assistance for
development from other sources, such as the
Special Fund of the Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries, the Arab Fund for Economic
and Social Development, and the Arab Bank for
African Development.
77. My country fully recognizes that the hope
of solutions to the various international
financial and economic problems lies in the
credibility of a constructive North-South
dialogue. The positive response of the
participants in the June Versailles Economic
Summit to the proposals made by the Group of 77
is an encouraging factor. We hope that the
Versailles group will respond quickly to the
proposals recently submitted by the Group of 77,
which are considered a great concession, made to
facilitate the progress of those negotiations.
The present condition of the world economy makes
more necessary than ever before the restructuring
by the international community of the
fundamental factors which control economic and
social progress throughout the world and
especially the development of the States of the
third world.
78. Despite this gloomy international
picture, I stress my country's full confidence in
the ideals and principles of the Charter as an
ideal framework for permanent consultation and
dialogue to resolve the problems of the world by
peaceful means. In this connection, I should like
to urge the United Nations to do its utmost to
play the fundamental role assigned to it by the
Charter and to create conditions conducive to
peace, harmony, progress and prosperity for all
nations.