Egypt

 At the outset, Sir, I should like to convey to you, both personally and in your capacity as a representative of your country, Saint Lucia, my sincere congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session. I am confident that you will lead its work with efficiency and skill. I should also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic, for his remarkable and effective contribution to the results achieved during the last session, results we value and seek to deepen further. We meet today at a critical juncture in world history. More than ever before, we need to chart and define clearly the path we wish to take to avert the confusion of concepts and the undermining of established principles. Doubts have been raised about the United Nations and its role; attempts have been made to circumvent it and ignore the fact that it was born out of the world's tragic experience in the first half of the previous century. From that experience, the world drew the necessary lessons concerning the need for collective action to solve problems, to prevent wars and to enable peoples to rule themselves and to cooperate for a better future. I believe that the time is now past for such doubts. Everyone has come to realize the importance of 17 taking action through the Organization in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity. That is the only way to save the world from new divisions and scourges. That new development places new responsibilities on us all to cooperate within the United Nations in a spirit that seeks unity rather than division, cooperation rather than conflict, real solutions to problems rather than ways of addressing them without justice and respect for the Charter, thus lacking legitimacy and effectiveness. Commitment to the Charter and to international law is the safety valve for the international community. The role of the United Nations cannot be reduced to the role of the Security Council alone and to the questions that it can or cannot address. In our opinion, the United Nations is much larger than that; its contributions embrace all the elements of the wide-ranging and complex international agenda. In that regard, we reiterate that challenges such as terrorism and illicit drugs, diseases, disarmament, protection of the environment, AIDS and achieving sustainable development can be met only through coordinated action in which all States, large and small, act within an international framework that enjoys legitimacy and is conducive to the attainment of common objectives. In that connection, I should like to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his distinguished role and his continuing efforts in strengthening the purposes and principles of the United Nations to enable the Organization to shoulder its responsibilities and to achieve its goals. Kofi Annan played a significant role in returning the Organization to the centre of events. In the course of United Nations efforts to carry out its noble principles, many of its staff members lose their lives. In the recent tragic events in Baghdad, Egypt lost two of its and brave nationals who had been working ably in the service of the Organization's principles. Tragic events have struck many countries and peoples. Foremost among them were the events of 11 September 2001, which afflicted the friendly people of the United States of America events that we fully condemn and deplore. In the midst of the agony and anxiety generated by such events, inescapable conclusions have been reached: we must unite in combating terrorism on realistic, sound and legitimate bases; we must avoid confusing terrorism with certain legitimate acts that are inspired by the wish to break the shackles of occupation, domination and injustice; and we must understand that the desire to combat terrorism must not become the only yardstick for judgement. Experience has proven that in combating terrorism we must not fail to see that it is not a product of one of the world's major cultures. We must not ignore the fact that terrorism is not confined to a certain region and that the fight against it must not be restricted to the perspective of security or politics alone. Terrorism is by nature a multifaceted phenomenon. As such, it must be dealt with in a comprehensive manner that encompasses its political, economic, security, legal and psychological aspects, as well as the conditions exploited by some to justify it. The United Nations has proven its ability to coordinate international efforts and to achieve tangible results in this field. Egypt has participated seriously in all activities aimed at strengthening international efforts against terrorism. This has been Egypt's objective all along. In 1995, Egypt launched President Hosni Mubarak's initiative to convene a high-level international conference under United Nations auspices to consider ways and means to combat terrorism. This initiative gave expression to Egypt's keen interest in supporting the international efforts aimed at reaching a clear and precise understanding of the fight against terrorism, including through special negotiations on the comprehensive convention to combat international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The Egyptian initiative must not be construed as a chance for protracted polemics or disagreement that clouds our objective. On the contrary, it is a call to frame a document that expresses the international political will and reflects the international resolve to eradicate the scourge of terrorism, to restore peace and security, along with justice and stability, and to clarify the responsibilities of each and every member of the international community. Our world today is facing numerous challenges regionally and internationally. There are challenges to the logic of fairness, justice and peace and challenges related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the slow pace of international action in the field of nuclear disarmament. We are witnessing tendencies to consecrate the right to possess, develop, and modernize nuclear weapons. Some States still cling to the obsolete doctrines of deterrence and attempt to find justifications for the use of nuclear weapons. 18 Therefore, it has become necessary to widen the establishment of zones that are free of weapons of mass destruction. In this regard, I recall Egypt's repeated assertions, in all international forums, that rendering the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, in a comprehensive framework that applies to all without exception or discrimination, is the only way to spare the region and the world the dangers that threaten all our achievements and all that we strive to achieve. It is unacceptable that Israel's possession of such weapons should remain a reality that some prefer to ignore or should prevent the international community in Vienna, New York or elsewhere from facing it fairly and squarely. The Middle East region continues to suffer from the absence of peace. There were high hopes that the historical reconciliation between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples was within reach after the Oslo accords, the parties' mutual recognition and the subsequent agreements and negotiations. Yet the efforts failed every time, seemingly because the Israeli party does not yet fully share the conviction of all, expressed by President George Bush and the Quartet, that the solution lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, within the 1967 borders, that would live side by side with Israel in peace and security. The Palestinian people continue to be subjected to oppression, provocation, and aggression. They continue to languish under the oppression of a cruel and unfair occupation that generates feelings of despair and frustration and leads to a spiral of violence and counter-violence whose victims are innocent civilians. It is high time for the international community to reiterate its call to the parties to return to the negotiating table in order to implement the principles of international legality and to achieve a just peace in the entire Middle Eastern region on the basis of a complete withdrawal to the 1967 borders and of respect for rights. Egypt has continually made efforts to achieve that objective in Palestine, the Govan and in the occupied Lebanese territories, confident that the logic of peace will prevail over the logic of aggression and that the resolve of the people who yearn for a peace that achieves security and opens the door for development will prevail over those who continue to harbour ambitions of expansion and aggression and thus put the interests of their peoples in danger. They will bear a heavy responsibility for that. The situation in Iraq is cause for grave concern. We reaffirm anew the need for respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Iraq, as well as the need to create conditions conducive to the earliest possible withdrawal of the occupying forces and the assumption by the United Nations of a central role in assisting the Iraqis in the political and economic reconstruction of their State. Egypt affirms its readiness to contribute to the reconstruction process, in accordance with the wishes and needs of the Iraqi people and in cooperation with the rest of the international community, under the aegis of the United Nations. We look forward to the day when the aspirations of the Iraqi people are realised and when it becomes an effective and free partner working with its Arab brothers for a better future. Egypt welcomes the recent agreement between the government of the Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), an agreement that paves the way for a consolidated effort towards a better future for the people of a united Sudan and one that ensures equality, security and prosperity for all its citizens. Egypt calls upon the international community to assist in securing the implementation of this agreement. The profound and eternal ties and relations between Egypt and the Sudan and our firm belief in the commonality of the hopes we entertain and the threats we face impel us to be in the vanguard of action for the achievement of that lofty goal. It alone can guarantee the maintenance of the interests of the Sudanese people as a whole, as well as the interests of the Arab world and the African continent. Egypt believes that cooperation for development is the cornerstone of multilateral international action. The eradication of poverty is a moral, human, and political responsibility shared by the countries of the North and the South. It is the shortest route to achieving international peace and security. A fair look at the international economic situation must conclude that it is impossible to accept the continuation of the current imbalance in the distribution of wealth among the peoples of the Earth. Equally impossible to accept are the lack of democracy in international economic decision-making, the grave fluctuations in the efficiency of the work of the world financial markets, the unfair trade practices against the interests of developing countries and the policies that lead to recurrent financial crises which eliminate, in a few days, the achievements of decades of great sacrifice. 19 We regret that the Cancun Conference was unable to produce the desired and previously agreed outcome of affording developing countries a real opportunity to benefit from liberalization based on balanced trade. Instead, it made liberalization an obstacle to the efforts of developing countries to promote growth and development under difficult and complex circumstances. Egypt has welcomed the outcome of United Nations conferences and summits, including the Millennium Summit Declaration, and has called for full implementation of the letter and spirit of the decisions adopted. Hence, we view with satisfaction the decision of the General Assembly at its last session to consider in 2005 at a high level the implementation of the outcomes of international summits and conferences. Globalization, with the hope it brings for international cooperation that benefits all, could turn, if misused, into an attempt at domination, thereby exacerbating the structural flaws in the international system at both the economic and political levels. Hence, there is a need for measures to increase the effectiveness of international institutions and to achieve good governance, which is as necessary on the international level as it is on the national level, and to create a favourable economic environment. There is also a need to adopt a comprehensive package of reforms that includes international finance and for mutual respect among cultures and civilizations so that dialogue and cooperation can benefit all and can promote understanding between nations and peoples. While urging the United Nations to continue its efforts in the promotion of international cooperation for development, Egypt stresses the importance of taking the cultural diversity of societies into account. It is also important to seek acceptance of the other as an equal partner in discourse without the imposition of certain models. At the same time, we reiterate that this cooperation must be the fruit of a new philosophy that posits the common destiny of mankind in a unified and interactive manner, whereby if one part suffers, the rest will subsequently suffer. The repercussions of the economic and social problems in a given country or continent can no longer be confined to a single place. Rather, these repercussions now swiftly find their way to the rest of the world. The United Nations should place the situation in Africa among its top priorities, in view of the political, economic, social, and environmental challenges facing it, as well as the outbreak of armed conflicts, spread of deadly epidemics and plunder of the riches and resources of peoples, whether directly or indirectly through the imbalance in trade and economic relations. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) constitutes a new starting point to change the standard of living in Africa. It is an initiative created by the Africans themselves, based on their own vision of their reality, needs and the great hopes of the African peoples for a better future and their wish to be partners with the world for the sake of development and progress. Egypt reaffirms the need to implement the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly last year, which took NEPAD as a framework for development in Africa. Egypt calls for the development programmes of international organizations to be adapted to the priorities set by NEPAD. Egypt urges donor countries and economic organizations and institutions to provide support to the African countries for the implementation of NEPAD and the achievement of its desired objectives. African countries have already established within the African Union the machinery required for the implementation of the initiative. The international community is called upon to help bridge the financial gap that impedes the achievement of poverty reduction in Africa. This should be done through a prompt and comprehensive approach. Egypt's belief in the centrality of the role of the United Nations in the world, now and in the future, impels it to reaffirm the urgent need to develop and increase the Organization's effectiveness. This includes the reform of its main organs, particularly the General Assembly and the Security Council. We all agree that there is a need for reform and that this reform is a long process. Many of the steps towards reform have been implemented. However, much remains to be done to strengthen collective and international action through the revitalization of the General Assembly and reform of the working methods of the Security Council. All States should be given ample opportunity to shoulder the responsibilities of membership in the Council. Therefore, we continue to support a comprehensive approach to the reform of the Security Council and believe that this process should be based on two main guidelines: a commitment to the overall concept of reform and the rejection of a policy of 20 taking small steps in one direction or another. The Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly the only open and transparent forum available for the consideration of this important subject should also continue its consideration of this matter and abide by its mandate. The dangers that beset us all make it imperative for us to rally around the lofty principles established under the Charter of our Organization. We must translate our belief in those principles into continuous work that transcends greedy ambitions, hatreds, illusions and the desire for domination and hegemony. Our work must proceed from a belief in the equal rights and duties of peoples. Thus we will achieve the hopes of the peoples of the Earth and spare them hardship and suffering. The path towards that objective lies in the commitment to United Nations resolutions and the cessation of attempts to ignore, circumvent or adapt them to serve purposes incompatible with the Charter and with law and justice. If we uphold those principles, we will all be victors. The only vanquished ones will be the forces of evil and aggression, which will be defeated by our peoples' hopes for a more just and secure world for all.