Jordan

It gives me great pleasure to begin my statement by congratulating you, Mr. President, and the Government and people of your friendly country on your election as President of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. I am quite confident that you will conduct the proceedings of this session efficiently and competently, given your renowned skill and experience in both diplomatic and international affairs. I would also like to express our utmost appreciation and gratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Razali Ismail, for his successful and distinguished management of the affairs of the fifty-first session which has just ended. It is also my pleasure heartily to congratulate the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on his election to the office of Secretary-General of the United Nations at the beginning of this year. I wish him success and wish our Organization progress and prosperity under his leadership. Since the start of the peace process in the Middle East, Jordan has carefully upheld the purposes and terms of reference of this process, which began in Madrid in 1991 with the participation of all the concerned parties. Since recovering its territory and water under the peace treaty signed with Israel in October 1994, Jordan has maintained its pivotal role in the process and continued its efforts with the other parties to achieve the desired goals of establishing a just, comprehensive and lasting peace which will be accepted, preserved and protected by future generations. We fully believe that the durability of peace is closely tied to the need for it to be just and comprehensive. We understand comprehensiveness in its broadest sense, namely, all parties to the conflict without exception must be involved and all aspects of the conflict must be dealt with, whether its inherent causes or those which have evolved and been aggravated over the years and during the various phases of the conflict. Jordan has always emphasized its adherence to Security Council resolutions, particularly resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978), as the basic terms of reference for the peace process, in addition to the principle of handing back occupied Arab territory in return for peace. Based on this and on relevant United Nations resolutions, legitimacy and justice, we call for the resumption of negotiations on the Syrian-Israeli track and the Lebanese-Israeli track. We have also made and continue to make our best efforts to achieve the implementation of the transitional phase agreements and go on to the final status negotiations on the Palestinian track. We do this out of our firm conviction that the peace process will not attain comprehensiveness nor justice unless the Israelis and Palestinians arrive at a just solution for the question of Palestine, including the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent State on their national territory. Jerusalem, the city of peace, which is the seat of the Holy Places of the three heavenly religions, and to which the hearts of believers the world over turn, deserves our utmost attention, with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution that ensures to all freedom of access to the Holy Places, preserves the holy character of the city and keeps it as a symbol of peace among peoples across the world. We affirm that East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian Arab city to which Security Council resolution 242 (1967) applies, as it applies to all occupied Arab territories. If the security problem is a major obstacle to peace, confidence-building and peacemaking are the best means 6 to achieve individual and regional security as well as stability in the Middle East. There is no peace without security and no security without peace. Accordingly, we would like from this international rostrum to call upon Israel — the State with which we have concluded a peace treaty — to do everything possible to build and consolidate confidence with the peoples of the region in general and the Palestinian people in particular. A first step toward that would be to abandon, in its dealing with security matters, the language of force, the language of siege and restrictions on the livelihood of the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel must abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention by abandoning the settlement policy and the policy of creating a new fait accompli on Palestinian territory, including its attempts to change the demographic structure and the religious, historical and cultural character of the occupied territories, including Jerusalem. We also call upon Israel to implement the agreements concluded with the Palestinian side in letter and spirit as soon as possible, for delay and siege will create a state of despair in which it becomes impossible to control extremism and prevent it from wreaking havoc on security and stability. Extremism undoubtedly finds in these policies a fertile ground for the achievement of its anti-peace objectives. On the other hand, in order to build confidence with the Governments and peoples of the region, Israel has to abandon the production and development of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. All the Middle East States, except Israel, have become parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The whole world recognizes that the current situation in the region is indeed a unique situation unparalleled in other regions of the world. A single State has a monopoly of nuclear capabilities, while the other States of the region are bound by treaties and international law. Because the presence of nuclear weapons is a major obstacle preventing the peace process from reaching its goals, the ideal solution for this problem would be to remove this obstacle by establishing in the Middle East a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction. In this context, permit me to announce the decision of the Government of Jordan to accede to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. This decision was motivated by Jordan’s belief that weapons, including all weapons of mass destruction, do not establish security nor restore stability to the Middle East region or to any region in the world unless there is full confidence among its Governments and peoples. The Iraqis no longer see any ray of hope of ending their continuous suffering caused by the embargo that has been imposed on them for the last seven years. Iraqis have suffered enough and tasted enough bitter pain. It is high time that our international Organization moved to alleviate their suffering and dress their wounds, so that they may recover their livelihood and contribute anew to the development and prosperity of the region. In issuing this serious and sincere call for the lifting of the embargo imposed on the people of Iraq, we would like to reaffirm that it is necessary to preserve Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also call upon the Iraqi Government fully to implement all Security Council resolutions and to do its best to reach a solution for the problem of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons, to pave the way for the reestablishment of normal and friendly relations among the States of the region on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States. Just as the Iraqi people are suffering from the blockade, so are the Libyan people. Since the sanctions were imposed on Libya, the Libyan people have been suffering from a ban on flights. We therefore call for a peaceful settlement of the problem arising from the Lockerbie tragedy within a framework of international law and legitimacy. We call upon Iran to enter into serious negotiations with the sisterly United Arab Emirates in order to reach a peaceful solution, ensuring the return of the three occupied islands, Abu Musa and the Greater and the Lesser Tunb, to the United Arab Emirates, which would effectively contribute to the establishment of peace, security and stability in the Gulf region. Since war began in the former Yugoslavia, Jordan has joined its voice to those of all the States that called for an end to the suffering of the people of the nascent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, suffering that shocked the conscience of the whole world and moved the international community, which had held high hopes following the conclusion of the Dayton Peace Agreement. We now reaffirm that peace, security and stability in Bosnia — and, indeed, throughout the Balkans — depend largely on the full and honest implementation of that Agreement. A strong international commitment is also 7 essential for making the peace process an irreversible reality. The international community must do what is incumbent upon it in this regard, including providing effective assistance for reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensuring the effective management of public enterprises as provided in the Dayton Agreement. This would have an important impact on the preservation of Bosnia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The problem of Palestinian refugees, the resolution of which has been left to the final status negotiations, is one of the most intricate problems faced by the Middle East region. However, the international community, regrettably, does not accord this problem the attention that it deserves. The financial crisis which grips the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been escalating year after year without a solution being found. UNRWA has been forced this year to announce austerity measures entailing a large reduction in services offered to the Palestinian refugees, including the immediate cessation of the scholarships funded from the regular budget; the elimination of all medical compensation and referral to hospitals during the last two months of this year; the freezing of emergency cash assistance and shelter rehabilitation from the regular budget; a freeze on the creation of new posts, international as well as local; the suspension of recruitment of international staff; the suspension of appointments to local posts, with the exception of those considered essential for the continuation of operations; and a plan to consider collecting fees from students in UNRWA’s areas of operation. Although all those measures have been put on hold following pledges by certain donor countries during their meeting with UNRWA and host countries, held recently in Amman, to increase their voluntary contributions by an amount sufficient to cover this year’s deficit, which amounts to $20 million, the danger of cutting services remains as long as no final solution has been found, taking into consideration the need to meet the requirements of natural population growth among refugees and inflation rates. Since the beginning of the refugee tragedy more than five decades ago, Jordan has borne the heaviest burden of all the host countries. The number of refugees in Jordan is 1.5 million, 20 per cent of whom live in refugee camps serviced by UNRWA and the rest of whom are scattered throughout Jordanian cities and villages. Out of its sense of humanitarian responsibility, the Government of Jordan has provided all services needed by the refugees, including infrastructure, education, health and welfare services and financial support, in addition to public security and civil defence services. Thus, Jordan, despite its scarce resources and limited means, spends approximately $340 million annually on services provided to refugees, an amount almost equal to UNRWA’s total budget. That is not all. The Government of Jordan has also developed this year a strategic plan, a so-called social security package designed to develop infrastructure for refugee camps and disadvantaged areas, to provide sustainable development and to reduce poverty. The total share of refugee camps in this plan comes to nearly $240 million, which will be allocated to the rehabilitation of water systems, solid waste treatment, sewerage systems, water purification plants, road and electricity projects and the provision of essential public services. While Jordan affirms that improving the standards of living for the Palestinian refugees does not diminish their political right to return and compensation, as provided for in General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 1948, it reaffirms that the support of UNRWA is a collective responsibility of the international community. It also stresses the legal, political and humanitarian dimensions of the refugee question and considers that any failure to discharge the humanitarian responsibility for this question would negatively reflect on political responsibility. My country therefore affirms from this rostrum the need to take serious and sincere action and to make every effort to continue the services provided by UNRWA to Palestinian refugees until a lasting, just and comprehensive solution to their problem is reached. We also call for the abandonment of any attempts to abolish UNRWA, suspend its operations, reduce the services it provides to refugees or turn its mandates and responsibilities over to any other agency, for that would have a negative impact on the political and legal dimensions of the refugee question. It would also have a negative impact on the peace process and stability in the region. We call for compliance with the letter and spirit of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 1948 on the question of refugees, as well as with Security Council resolution 237 (1967), which calls for facilitation of the return of displaced persons. We call upon donor countries to fulfil their commitments to UNRWA and increase their contributions to an extent commensurate with the natural increase in the numbers of refugees. We also call upon the international community in general, and potential donors in particular, to give due attention to this matter. 8 The refugee problem reminds us of international humanitarian law in general and the need for its full application in particular. This subject has always been one of interest to Jordan. Since 1981, Jordan has been submitting a draft resolution to the Third Committee entitled, “A new international humanitarian order”, which calls for respect for the full application of international humanitarian law. My Government has also amended Jordanian laws to give priority and immense importance to the application of this law. I would recall here the appeal by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Jordan to work hard with the international community to bring into existence a new international humanitarian order. The report of the Secretary-General entitled, “Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for Reform”, which he submitted last July, constitutes a good basis for the reform process and a studied plan for the future, embodying a serious and real desire for change for the better. The report reviews the main strategic functions of the Organization and provides for each of them specific proposals charting the way and making Member States real partners in achieving an Organization better prepared to deal with humanitarian and political crises; based on greater efficiency; qualified to play a more vital role in the areas specified by the Charter; and made imperative by the changing security, economic, social and political circumstances of this world. Jordan calls for opening membership of the United Nations to all peace-loving States, in accordance with Article 4 (1) of the Charter, in order to achieve the universality of the Charter. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, while fully appreciating the good efforts of the Secretary-General in preparing his plan, stresses the fact that the purpose of reform is not confined to cutting costs or dealing with unwieldiness. It goes far beyond that to reactivate the role of the Organization to discharge its responsibilities and carry out its functions with a high degree of efficiency, transparency and credibility. We agree with the Secretary- General that reform is not an isolated event, but a continuing process that does not stop at the implementation of the proposals contained in the report. It extends to encompassing the general direction in which the Organization will evolve as a result of the implementation of the proposals. The coming century will witness deeper and quicker global changes. The United Nations must be prepared to deal with these changes in the five major areas corresponding to the main mandates of the United Nations: peace and security, economic and social affairs, development cooperation, humanitarian affairs and human rights. In the area of international peace and security, we find that the multiplicity and diversity of armed conflicts in the post-cold-war era have made the Security Council a hub of international efforts to establish peace and security throughout the world. This makes it very important to restructure and reform the Council. The Security Council, established after the Second World War, does not reflect the balance of power prevalent in today’s world. It has become necessary to review its structure and rules of procedure. The Working Group on the restructuring and reform of the Security Council has made tireless efforts over the past few years to achieve this purpose. There are many useful and feasible concepts that have appeared in the context of reform. What has been lacking so far is the collective political will to translate these concepts into reality. In this regard, Jordan feels that any new restructuring of the Security Council must take into account the representation of the developing countries throughout the globe. We feel that the Arab Group, in view of its major and effective role, is entitled to a permanent seat on the Security Council. There is no doubt that the United Nations peacekeeping operations will continue to be one of the most important activities of the Organization in enhancing international peace and security. Driven by its belief in this noble aim, Jordan has, on the direction of its Hashemite leadership, participated for many years in these activities to the extent that, at one point, its contribution ranked second among all the troop-contributing countries. I must, however, point to the financial difficulties faced by some troop-contributing States, including Jordan, as a result of the financial crisis gripping the Organization, because reimbursements have not been made in a timely manner. I appeal from this rostrum to all Member States to pay their assessed contributions to the Organization without condition, in full and on time. Moreover, Jordan has participated in the United Nations stand-by arrangements. It was the first country to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations under this system. It also participated effectively in crystallizing the idea of establishing a rapidly deployable mission headquarters to contribute to 9 enhancing the Organization’s ability to respond rapidly to crises as they occur. As for disarmament and arms control, the progress witnessed by the world during the past few years is really encouraging. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has been extended indefinitely and is now approaching universality. Last year, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was concluded, in addition to other significant achievements in the reduction of the nuclear-weapon arsenals of the United States and the Russian Federation. All eyes are now set on the Conference on Disarmament in the hopes of seeing it crown its achievements with a treaty banning the production of fissionable materials used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons and another providing full security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons. Since development in the economic and social fields is one of the primary objectives of the United Nations, serious attention must be directed towards reform of United Nations organs functioning in these two spheres, foremost among them the Economic and Social Council. This reform should enhance international cooperation in setting forth effective national policies aimed at advancing growth in all Member States with no exceptions. The most important characteristics of the world economy, as we stand on the threshold of the twenty-first century, are two: first is the global transition to market economy, and second is the rapid technical development of communication and information technology, making knowledge the most important factor of production. The new world economy is also characterized by intense competitiveness, speed, the intensive use of information and increasing globalization. We must, however, consider how we can find the means to avoid the negative effects of globalization, represented by the marginalization of some developing countries, because of their declining exports and an increase in their external indebtedness, and of social groups in these countries as a result of the inequitable distribution of income. Globalization is not concerned with the problems of distribution, but with being a prime mover of economic growth in general. In view of this situation, the industrialized countries are called upon to increase their official development assistance to the developing world, to find comprehensive solutions to the problem of external indebtedness, to integrate the developing countries into the world’s free- trade system and to improve these countries’ terms of trade. Jordan, as a developing country, has suffered economic problems since the end of the 1980s, which were aggravated by the Gulf crisis and the Gulf War early in this decade. By pursuing structural adjustment policies, however, with the assistance of the International Monetary Fund, Jordan was able to achieve very good results that exceeded expectations. The budget deficit was substantially reduced, as was the size of external debt. All macroeconomic indicators have improved. Substantial progress has been achieved in the area of privatization and the reform of internal financial regulations and the banking sector, which gave the private sector a chance to participate effectively. Jordan has gone ahead on the way to development. It has initialled a partnership agreement with Europe and is now taking the preparatory measures needed to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). To that end, we are doing our best to adjust our economy and prepare it for full integration in the global free-trade system. In association with our Arab brethren and other countries in the Middle East, we are making tremendous efforts to widen the area of cooperation, trade and investment in the region. We have succeeded in attracting substantial investments in the stock exchange and other industrial and tourist projects. The Government of Jordan is working hard to remove the remaining restrictions which limited the inflow of regional and global investments, including lifting all restrictions on foreign currencies. The world recognizes the historical responsibility that we assume towards future generations to preserve a sound global environment, in compliance with the principles adopted by the Earth Summit. In spite of its scarce resources, Jordan is committed to applying the Rio principles and is working hard to make its contribution as a partner with other countries of the world in sustainable development. Although we are committed, as a developing country, to doing what is required of us by virtue of this partnership, we, along with other developing countries, have noticed regression and procrastination by developed countries in discharging their obligations under this partnership. We have also felt that the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly was held to consecrate 10 this regression in the discharge of obligations, rather than to enhance them and to cooperate in carrying out those not yet implemented. In conclusion, if the establishment of peace, security and stability in this world is one of the noble purposes of our international Organization, we must provide the solid ground for that, which is to reduce poverty, control diseases, illiteracy and unemployment and work towards the creation of a clean environment and sustainable development for future generations.