Egypt

Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. President, At the outset, I would like to congratulate you and your country on assuming the presidency of this General Assembly session and to wish you every success in your work. I commend the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the constructive role he has played by relentlessly striving to uphold the principles of the Charter, which has been the constitution and reference point of international relations for more than 75 years. Our hope still rests on consolidating a rules-based international order and working to establish peace. Ladies and gentlemen, The global pandemic, now approaching the two-year mark, has once again demonstrated that, just as humanity shares the same bonds of fraternity, it also faces the same challenges , irrespective of development gaps. The theme of this year’s General Assembly session is vital. To confront the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, we need resilience; to recover, we need hope. In order for that to happen, we need to overcome obstacles and ensure, as a top priority, that the countries and peoples of the world have fair and equitable access to vaccines. Allow me, before this important forum, to explain how Egypt — as a founding member of the United Nations and of a number of regional organizations — understands the international situation, and what it has done to tackle the world’s current challenges. Mr. President, The Government of Egypt finds it alarming that countries’ economic recovery rates di-verge depending on their capacity to meet vaccine needs. Developed countries account for the largest share of the world’s production of vaccines. In particular, Egypt stresses that the vaccine needs of Africa must be met promptly and effectively. Our continent has been the hardest hit by the repercussions of the pandemic, at a time when our peoples are facing other challenges that are no less of a threat than COVID-19. Egypt has therefore focused on the domestic production of vaccines, both to meet its own needs and to export vaccines throughout Africa. Ladies and gentlemen, The current circumstances have merely exacerbated decades of inadequate regional and international cooperation. International support for the developing world must be expanded to include middle-income countries, which are vitally important because they account for the majority of the world’s population. Middle-income countries are a major hub for the consumption of goods and services internationally and a key driver of global economic growth. The International Monetary Fund has moved to allocate approximately $650 billion in special drawing rights. Egypt considers it critical to explore appropriate ways to utilize those resources to serve the needs of the developing world, including low- and middle-income countries. Developing countries, especially African and middle-income countries, should be granted debt relief. Conditionalities that apply to loans from international and regional institutions should be loosened. For those purposes, concessional financing should be made available, investments should be encouraged, and investment flows into the countries should be sustained. Such measures are vital to supporting national development efforts, in line with the relevant regional and international development agendas. Mr. President, Development is a comprehensive framework: it includes a broad range of rights that are necessary in order for individuals to flourish and for societies to enjoy a dignified existence. Egypt has implemented economic reform policies that have paved the way for ambitious social programmes benefiting the most vulnerable groups. Egypt has achieved the Sustainable Development Goals across the governorates and reduced the development gap between rural and urban areas. These actions are rooted in our belief that, by delivering basic services nationwide, the Egyptian State can enhance political and social participation and create a healthy environment in which free thought and creativity can flourish, allowing for continued progress. Mr. President, Egypt is well aware that environmental degradation poses a threat to all aspects of life and to the future, indeed the very existence, of generations to come. This is especially true of climate change, whose detrimental effects are now plain for all to see. We have recently seen many severe weather phenomena worldwide, from floods and torrential rains to un-precedented rises in temperature and forest fires. The attendant humanitarian, economic and social repercussions have placed an added burden on countries and Governments as they at-tempt to achieve prosperity for their peoples. Guided by our shared moral responsibility to future generations, in line with the objectives of our national vision and our international obligations, Egypt is making every effort to promote coordination on climate issues. It seeks to avoid reaching the point of no return, at which climate change would have run its course and become irreversible. Egypt has played a proactive role in climate change negotiations and looks forward to hosting the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2022. Mr. President, Terrorism is one of the greatest challenges facing the human family. It violates civilians’ most fundamental rights, foremost among them the right to life. It hinders Governments’ efforts to achieve their peoples’ economic, social and cultural objectives. Egypt therefore stresses that terrorism can be eradicated only by confronting the takfirist and extremist ideology that causes this abhorrent phenomenon . Such an effort should be part of a comprehensive approach including not only security operations to confront terrorist individuals and organizations, but also economic, social, developmental and intellectual dimensions. The aim should be to tackle the root causes of terrorism and address the circumstances that drive some people to embark on that criminal path. This requires both national efforts and international cooperation. All States must abide by their obligations under international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions. It is essential to hold accountable those States that sponsor terrorism, harbour terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters, provide them with safe haven and support or give them free rein across their territory in a way that threatens international peace and security. Ladies and gentlemen, Egypt has worked tirelessly to strengthen the human rights of its citizens within a framework that enshrines respect for the principles of citizenship and the rule of law. The country’s comprehensive development plan is centred on the Egyptian people; its purpose is to up-hold their dignity and protect their rights and freedoms. The human rights system of Egypt has recently seen significant developments, reflecting the rights and freedoms that are enshrined in the country’s Constitution and the amendments thereto. For instance, some of the relevant laws have been overhauled. One of the best examples of my country’s comprehensive and constructive approach to human rights issues is the national human rights strategy launched a few days ago, one that is based on society-wide consultation and civil society input. Mr. President, Egypt is chairing the fifteenth session of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. Its election follows from years of consistent contributions to strengthening and operationalizing the United Nations peacebuilding architecture since the latter’s establishment in 2005. It is a testament to the international community’s confidence in Egypt, which ranks seventh on the list of troop- and police-contributing countries and has deployed men and women to serve in numerous United Nations peacekeeping operations. Mr. President, Egypt has repeatedly affirmed that the only way to stabilize the Middle East is to reach a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the question of Palestine — which remains the Arab world’s defining issue — through negotiations based on internationally recognized resolutions, with a view to establishing a Palestinian State within the borders of 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Egypt therefore underscores the importance of consolidating the ceasefire that was reached on 20 May 2021. The international community should take the necessary measures to improve living conditions and deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. Donors should support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in preparation for the effort to rebuild Gaza, an effort to which Egypt has pledged $500 million. Strategically located, the Middle East is also one of the world’s most turbulent regions. In addition to facing the same challenges as the rest of the world, the countries of the region contend with a set of specific issues. The model of a strong and cohesive nation State is being undermined by various sources of turmoil, leading to sectarian, political and ethnic divisions and fragmentation. Such strife creates major problems for the countries of the region, whether they be rich in natural resources, history and ancient civilization, such as Iraq; religiously and ethnically diverse, like Lebanon and Syria; resource-rich and optimally situated, like Libya; or in a strategic geographic location, like Yemen . We need to rally around the unifying concept of the nation State, which does not make distinctions among citizens of the same country and prevents interference in Arab affairs. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, Egypt is intimately linked to and fiercely proud of its African heritage, a heritage that is not merely geographical but part and parcel of the country’s identity. Cooperation be-tween African countries cannot, however, mean that one party determines the needs of another. Cooperation needs to be reciprocal. Egypt, which recognizes its neighbours’ right to development, is itself one of the driest countries on Earth, and its people live below the water poverty threshold. Throughout history, the Nile has been the lifeblood of Egypt, hence the overwhelming concern of ordinary Egyptians about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam . You may be aware of what has transpired during the negotiations, under way for a decade, between Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan. These negotiations have gone on for so long owing to plain intransigence and an unjustifiable refusal to engage constructively throughout the negotiation process. The decision to pursue a unilateral approach and policy of fait accompli imperils regional security and stability. In order to prevent the matter from escalating into a threat to international peace and security, Egypt has referred it to the Security Council. Egypt has called upon the Council to assume its responsibility to support and promote African mediation efforts by dispatching United Nations and Member State observers. Egypt remains committed to reaching — as soon as possible — a comprehensive, balanced and legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in order to safeguard the livelihood and capabilities of 150 million Egyptian and Sudanese citizens. Egypt appeals not only to fairness and reason, but also to the solid international legal basis underpinning the principle of fair and equitable use of shared water resources in international river basins. Ladies and gentlemen, Before concluding, I would like to stress that multilateral action is vital and that its im-portance only grows with every passing year, as new difficulties and threats emerge. Multilateral action remains a way of surviving intensified confrontations and escalating conflicts. Faced with successive challenges, we need to stop and determine how to harness the re-sources needed to confront such problems urgently so as to ensure the survival of humankind. Egypt calls on all humanity to join forces so that we can save ourselves before it is too late. To do so, we must rely on the force of logic, not the logic of force. Thank you for your kind attention. I wish us all a successful session.