Libya

At the outset, I am pleased to congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty- seventh session. I would like to commend Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser for his leadership as President at the sixty-sixth session. I also wish to express our profound gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his valuable efforts to achieve the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Three years ago, a despot who ruled my country for 42 years with tyranny and oppression stood at this very rostrum and tore up a copy of the Charter, saying that he did not recognize the authority of the document. Today, I am standing on the very same rostrum to assure the Assembly of my delegation’s support and respect for the Charter. Today, I stand before the Assembly and the whole world to apologize for all the harm and the crimes committed by that despot against so many innocent people, as well as to apologize for the extortion and terrorism he inf licted on so many States. I want to assure the Organization that the Libyan people are determined to build a State that respects its neighbours, its international obligations and human rights, and that believes that genuine peace in the world will not be realized unless the conscience of every individual is brimming with peace. Libya will be a land of peace and security and a strong force for peace. I am speaking today before this international gathering to convey the greetings of the Libyan people, whose revolt on 17 February 2011 turned into a comprehensive, explosive revolution that shook the very foundations of the regime of the despot Muammar Al-Qadhafi, who declared that he would burn and destroy Libya and make it swim in a sea of blood. He killed thousands of civilians, recruited mercenaries from everywhere, assaulted peoples’ honour, ordered his militias and mercenaries to rape minors, and destroyed cities. However, our people did not kneel; they did not back down. Thousands of martyrs were lost among the wounded and missing. The price of freedom was paid in blood, lives, amputated limbs and lost youth. In this forum, on behalf of the Libyan people, I salute the United Nations system, which stood with our people, with the will of freedom against blood lust and annihilation, and adopted Security Council resolutions 1970 (2011) and 1973 (2011) to protect the innocent people in Libya from crimes against humanity and violations of human rights. I stand before the Assembly today representing the Libyan people, who are building the institutions of democracy after the fall of dictatorship. The whole world has witnessed the first free, transparent elections in Libya, when the General National Congress was elected and I was honoured to be elected as its President. The world, through the United Nations, has given us complete, genuine support for that achievement. In our revolution of freedom and in the challenge of establishing democracy, the conscience of the world was with us, both in deeds and in thoughts. Support was offered from everybody and from everywhere. Among those offering help was Ambassador Chris Stevens, a voice of reason and conscience, a man of love and a messenger of friendship, who came to Libya after the outbreak of the revolution for freedom. He touched people’s emotions in Benghazi and travelled from Tripoli to the western mountains and back and all across Libya. Chris Stevens spoke with everyone in Arabic; he always smiled and showed the utmost concern. This humane diplomat has found his place in the consciousness and emotions of the Libyan people. It was a day of sadness throughout Libya when he was assassinated, along with three of his aides. We would like to express our deepest condolences to the friendly American people for the grave loss. It was a loss for Libya as it was a loss for the United States of America. We assure the Government and the people of the United States that this tragedy will only increase our solidarity to entrench the hopes and objectives in which Ambassador Chris Stevens believed. We will defeat the schemes of the backward terrorists, who do not represent Libya or Islam. Islam is a religion of tolerance, peace and love. As President Obama said from this rostrum two days ago, “our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens, and not by his killers” (A/67/PV.6, p.11). In that context, I would like to express my condolences to the Libyan people, particularly the people of Misrata, on the death of Imran Juma Shaban, who joined the long list of martyrs some five days ago. I would like to express our profound appreciation for the understanding shown by the United States Administration following that incident, and to assure it that my country is determined to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice. We will spare no effort to strengthen the necessary protection for the diplomatic and consular missions and all guests and ensure the safety of their staff and facilities. That tragic incident does not at all represent the feelings of the Libyan people, who are known for their moderation, hospitality and gratitude. Perhaps the massive demonstrations condemning that abominable crime that took place in Benghazi and other Libyan cities best represent the genuine feelings of the Libyan people and their total rejection of all forms of violence and extremism. Libya will never become an incubator for radical extremist groups and will remain a peaceful Muslim country where moderation prevails. The new Libya will be based on democracy, openness, transparency, combating corruption and empowering women and youth. The new Libya will be by, and for, one and all. Meanwhile, it would be remiss of me not to condemn the campaigns against Islam and to defame the Prophet Muhammad. Such campaigns foment hatred and aim to provoke tensions among civilizations. They go beyond the concept of freedom of expression and opinion and require that the General Assembly adopt a legal document to criminalize the defamation of all religious symbols and figures. We Muslims have an absolute belief in the unity of humankind and solidarity among all human beings. We express our support for the dialogue among religions and for cooperation, tolerance and eternal humanitarianumanitarian values and ideals. My country therefore supports all efforts carried out within the framework of the dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions under the United Nations and relevant international organizations. Since the revolution of 17 of February 2011, Libya has witnessed many changes due to the uprising of its people against social injustice and political tyranny. It has not only achieved a change of the tyrant regime but has progressed towards a genuine democratic regime based on respect for and promotion of human rights, political pluralism and peaceful transfer of power, as well as on commitment to the principles and provisions of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The Assembly may have followed the sequential political developments that Libya experienced during the past few months along the path to democratization. Those include the rebuilding of State institutions; the election of the General National Congress, which will, through a constituent committee, draft Libya’s permanent constitution; and the formation of the first interim Government following elections that were commended by international observers as fair, democratic and transparent. We shall work to rebuild, reorganize and reform State institutions, primarily the police, the national army and the judiciary. Various programmes and plans are being implemented towards disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating the former revolutionaries within the ministries of defense and interior and other State institutions. For the first time since independence, political parties have emerged on the political stage, as have freedom of the press and expression, unconditional freedom to demonstrate, freedom of assembly and freedom to establish civil institutions, trade unions and intellectual, political and social organizations without restrictions. That has led to free dialogue and the active participation of all segments of the people throughout the country. For four decades, the former regime f lagrantly violated human rights through torture, detention without trial, extrajudicial killing, forced disappearance and ill-treatment of citizens and violations of their dignity. The outbreak of the 17 February revolution in the form of peaceful protest was confronted by the security brigades of the former regime with bullets and brutal repression, in f lagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The Human Rights Council decided to suspend Libya’s membership in the Council and formed an international fact-finding committee that voiced the condemnation of the international community of such violations. The Council certified violations of human rights by the regime’s forces and by some revolutionaries, which has required the new Libyan authorities to give the human rights file particular attention and to take many specific measures. Some may wonder whether the Arab Spring was worthy of support. To them I say, would it have been better for the corrupt, dictatorial regimes to continue for decades more with their practices of tyranny, oppression, injustice, arbitrary treatment, corruption, exploitation, and violations of the most basic human rights? Should they have been allowed to continue pillaging the wealth of their peoples, pushing some of the oppressed towards extremism or a certain agenda incompatible with peace and security, an agenda that promoted violence and terror to achieve its objectives? Democracy did not prevail in France a year, or even a decade, after the French Revolution. That pattern has been repeated in other States that have gained their freedom. A period of liberation was followed by stages of instability and a sometimes long and bloody civil war before those States were able to achieve stability and security and to build their democratic institutions. At the current stage of building the new Libya, we are facing extremely serious challenges that threaten national and regional security. Some are a result of illegal activities by the sons of Al-Qadhafi and certain elements of the former regime who are being sought to face justice but have unfortunately found refuge in neighbouring countries and some other countries from where they carry out criminal activities that threaten security and stability in Libya. But we in Libya also face other security threats — trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances, illegal immigration and smuggling and trafficking of weapons. As the Assembly knows, the nature and scope of such threats to national and border security require a bilateral and multilateral response that promotes and strengthens national efforts. Therefore, last March my country hosted the Regional Ministerial Conference on Border Security in the North African and Sahelian Region, which resulted in the adoption of the Tripoli plan of action. The plan establishes common mechanisms and structures for cooperation and exchange of information, consultations, experience and communications on border security. Among our national priorities is Libya’s right to restitution of moneys that were pillaged from the State treasury and secreted outside the country. Those funds have been used to finance criminal activities and operations in order to destabilize the country and threaten its national security. That has had an impact upon neighbouring countries as well. We therefore call on all our friends and on States to allow us to recover Libyan moneys, investments and property located in other countries, particularly in some countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, where those funds have been subject to coercive measures by some Governments. In that context, we call upon all States of the world to cooperate in combating corruption and money laundering. We call upon financial institutions, particularly those located in Western countries and some island States, to shoulder their responsibilities and not accept suspicious funds, particularly from Third World dictators who are bleeding the wealth of their peoples and hiding those funds under fictitious company names. In March 2010, Global Financial Integrity issued a report estimating that the gross offshore deposits were $10 trillion. We look forward to the signing and ratification of an anti-corruption convention by 130 States. We believe that that would promote cooperation among States to combat corruption and bring about the restitution of stolen funds. I would now like to pay tribute to the great contribution made by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, previously headed by Mr. Ian Martin, despite the many challenges and difficulties that were natural and to be expected in the transitional phase. We also welcome the appointment of Mr. Tarek Mitri as the new head of the Mission. We wish him every success and look forward to further cooperation. We are committed to providing all the necessary assistance to him and the Mission. The new Libya undertakes to respect all of its commitments contained in the international instruments and covenants on disarmament and the maintenance of international peace and security. We are fully prepared to cooperate transparently and sincerely with the international community to support efforts, both regional and international, to implement the provisions of international conventions and protocols and to create an international environment that would foster progress towards definitively eliminating weapons of mass destruction. We are also determined to review all other international instruments to which we are not yet party and take the appropriate decisions thereon as soon as the permanent constitution is adopted and a Government and parliament are elected. We condemn Israel’s measures designed to Judaize occupied lands and its violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. The international community must assume its responsibilities by taking strong, urgent measures to put an end to Israeli aggression and ensure the full protection of Palestinians. It must come up with a radical solution to the question of Palestine through a just and lasting settlement that includes Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied lands and the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homes, as well as the establishment of the independent State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital, in accordance with the relevant international resolutions. The suffering of the brotherly Syrian people is unimaginable. The regime in power is violently repressing its citizens, shedding their blood and attacking their dignity, and has thus lost its legitimacy. In order to put an end to such a tragedy, Libya urges the Security Council to act promptly, in accordance with the principle of the responsibility to protect, to take immediate action to end all forms of murder, violence and destruction, find a way out of the crisis through a peaceful transition of power, and fulfil the legitimate demands of the Syrian people. This can be achieved only through consensus among members of the Security Council and support for the efforts of the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. Libya condemns the social and political injustice, harassment and killings being inf licted on the Muslim minority in Myanmar on the basis of ethnicity and religion. That is a f lagrant violation of human rights and constitutes crimes against humanity. We call on all relevant human rights institutions to immediately intervene and put an end to the tragedy. We underline the necessity of forming an international committee of inquiry to identify those responsible for such violence and killings, bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure that victims are duly compensated and refugees returned safely to their homes. States Members of the United Nations have convened every year at the General Assembly ever since the Organization was established in order to reflect on the purposes and principles set out in its Charter. We have achieved much, but many challenges remain, such as reforming the United Nations, eliminating weapons of mass destruction, reducing poverty, ignorance and disease and wars and armed conflicts, fighting terrorism and organized crime, protecting the environment, achieving sustainable development, respecting human rights, in particular the rights of women, and ensuring the rule of law and combating racism, hatred and fanaticism. Libya wishes to stress its affi nity with Africa and the importance of shifting its policies towards, and relations with, Africa and the world — which were once based on personal whims and acts of extortion — to policies and relations firmly grounded in the best interests of all peoples. The new Libya dissociates itself from the repugnant past and extends its hands in freedom and friendship to build new relationships based on mutual respect and fruitful cooperation. In conclusion, let me wish the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session full success in solving the issues on its agenda. I express the hope that a spirit of solidarity and cooperation will prevail so that we may create a better world, one blessed with security and stability.