Tunisia

Allow me first of all to convey to Mr. Razali Ismail my sincere and heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of his election to the presidency of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. I am convinced that thanks to his wise and able leadership and his extensive experience in the field of international relations, the proceedings of our session will be successful. Malaysia’s presidency of the General Assembly is clear testimony to the respect that Mr. Razali’s country enjoys within the international community, which appreciates the great and efficient role played by Malaysia at the regional and international levels in order to strengthen and consolidate relations among nations on the basis of peace, justice and cooperation. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the excellent relations of friendship and fruitful cooperation that exist between our two countries. I should like also to convey my sincere thanks to Mr. Razali’s predecessor, Mr. Freitas do Amaral, for his valuable efforts during his presidency of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly. I wish to mention in particular his contribution to helping advance the process of reform of the United Nations, in order to make it more efficient in the light of the changes the world is witnessing. I should like also to pay tribute to Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali and to convey to him our appreciation and support for his continued selfless dedication as head of the Secretariat of the United Nations. My delegation also appreciates his courageous initiatives, especially his Special Initiative for Africa, as well as his constructive proposals within the Agenda for Peace and the Agenda for Development. Tunisia, which supports the renewal of Mr. Boutros-Ghali’s mandate, stresses the importance of continuing the reform process undertaken in recent years. With the end of the cold war, the international community has entered a new era of international relations that aims to reject the use of force and violence as a means of settling conflicts, and to put an end to the arms race. This trend favours the logic of wisdom and moderation by resorting to peaceful means and preventive diplomacy, which offer possibilities for dialogue, concertation and negotiation to resolve conflicts, disputes and crises, however complex they may be. We welcome this emerging trend in international relations, which is a consecration of the principles and purposes of the United Nations as enunciated in its Charter. This trend must be strengthened and consolidated in order to eliminate sources of tension and defuse conflicts before they break out. The international community welcomed with enthusiasm the start of the peace process in the Middle East. This raised hopes of seeing the parties arrive at a true, comprehensive, just and honourable peace, thus putting an end to a cruel conflict that has lasted for almost half a century, during which time the peoples of the region have experienced the horrors of war, destruction, exodus and occupation. This peace settlement should be based on international law and United Nations resolutions, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978), and on the principle of the exchange of land for peace. The Madrid Conference and the ensuing intensive negotiations, which resulted in the Oslo, Washington and Cairo agreements, led us to believe that the new peace process was finally on the right track. However, the agenda of the new Israeli Government has dashed the hopes of the peoples of the region. This agenda has indeed blocked the peace process on all tracks. An increase in Israeli pressures and provocations, which aim ultimately at imposing the policy of the fait accompli, has hindered the Palestinian people’s progress towards achieving their legitimate right to self-determination and to create their own independent State. The bloody events triggered by the opening of a tunnel under the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa emphasize the need for decisive international action to bring the Israeli Government to abide by the agreements concluded with the Palestinian Authority and to comply with international law regarding the settlement of the question of Palestine. 14 Tunisia is concerned by the stagnation of the peace process and its negative effects on building the future of the region on the basis of peace, security, stability and cooperation among its peoples. Tunisia considers that Israel must re-evaluate its present policy and commit itself to respecting the principles of the peace process and to implementing the agreements already signed. We also call upon the international community, particularly the sponsors of the peace process, to spare no effort in facilitating the resumption of the peace negotiations as soon as possible in order to avoid any risk of failure, which could affect the credibility of this process and lead to the return of confrontation and the escalation of violence, extremism and terrorism. We believe that confidence-building, good faith and a sincere commitment to a peaceful solution are necessary to advance this process. The commitment of all parties to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace is essential to ensuring the security and stability of the States of the region as well as the coexistence of their peoples. As stated by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on many occasions, Tunisia is committed to following the same approach it has taken since the beginning of the peace process, by establishing a close link between each step towards normalization and the progress achieved by the negotiations on all tracks. The establishment of peace in the Middle East depends on the maintenance of security and stability in the Gulf region. Tunisia, which is deeply concerned by recent developments in that region, calls upon all parties to show restraint, avoid any escalation and remain committed to international legality and to the implementation of all United Nations resolutions. Tunisia also reiterates its commitment to respect the sovereignty of all States in the region as well as their territorial integrity and inviolability. We also call for an end to the suffering that the Iraqi people have been experiencing for several years, and we hope that recent developments in the region will not aggravate this situation. Tunisia believes that the time has come to lift the embargo imposed on the Libyan people in view of the numerous positive initiatives taken by Libya, the League of Arab States and the Organization of African Unity, all of which aim at reaching a peaceful and just solution and at putting an end to the suffering of the brotherly Libyan people within the framework of international legality. Devoted to peace and a staunch supporter of just causes, Tunisia reiterates its solidarity with the United Arab Emirates and its full support for that country’s endeavour to recover through peaceful means, which include appealing to the International Court of Justice, the islands of Great Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. Turning to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia expresses its satisfaction at the return of peace to this country, and hopes that the recent elections will mark the beginning of a new era in which concord, understanding and common action will prevail, thus allowing the establishment of the foundations of the Bosnian State. We note that today the international community is giving priority to disarmament as the best means of ensuring and consolidating international security. Considerable progress has been made in this regard, especially in the area of controlling the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular chemical and nuclear weapons. Tunisia welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and its opening for signature. We hope that all Member States will adhere to this Treaty, in order to ensure its universal application. The Treaty’s conclusion, as well as the anticipated strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, due to be reviewed soon in order to provide it with a verification mechanism, will no doubt consolidate the progress made thus far in the field of disarmament. While expressing our appreciation for the declaration of Africa as a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, we hope that our continent will be relieved of all weapons of mass destruction. We also reiterate our call to free the Middle East from all nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. While emphasizing the necessity of introducing efficient measures for ensuring a total ban of weapons of mass destruction, we believe that it is also essential to tackle the issue of conventional weapons, particularly the question of the accumulation and illegal trade in light weapons. This problem is not only serious but is growing more so every day, since these are the most commonly used weapons in current conflicts and recent terrorist operations. 15 In addition to its contribution to disarmament efforts, Tunisia has always supported United Nations peacekeeping efforts around the world. From the early 1960s on, it has taken part in United Nations operations in many African countries, Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and elsewhere. Convinced of the importance of these operations in maintaining international peace and security, Tunisia called on member States of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to create special units within their armed forces for participation when necessary in peacekeeping operations on the African continent. While welcoming the decision of the United Nations on establishing a system of standby forces to act to intervene rapidly and efficiently in peacekeeping operations, Tunisia solemnly declares its readiness today to participate in that system, thus confirming our commitment to the Organization and to its role in the maintenance of world peace and security. Intolerance, racism, organized crime, the illegal arms and drug trades, the illegal traffic in human beings, terrorism and extremism in all its forms are all phenomena that have taken on a transnational dimension. The international community should ensure that appropriate solutions are found by means of a global approach based on the definition and implementation of international cooperation strategies in order to contain and eradicate these scourges. On many occasions and before various international and regional forums, my country has called the international community’s attention to the dangers of re-emergent terrorism and extremism, which threaten the stability and security of States as well as the safety of individuals. In this vein, Tunisia called for the conduct of a comprehensive and thorough re-evaluation of the attitudes of all parties to these scourges through the establishment of international rules of conduct with the aim of fighting all illegal activities, particularly those related to terrorism, in order to find efficient and lasting remedies to these problems and to eliminate their deep-rooted causes. Tunisia notes with satisfaction the increasing awareness of the need for the international community to join efforts in order to fight terrorism. We hope that the United Nations will adopt mandatory measures that would address this phenomenon by criminalizing all terrorist acts. We also hope that all member States will revise and adapt their relevant legislation to these measures. Tunisia’s steadfast efforts to consolidate the foundations of the country’s political institutions and the rule of law and to promote and protect human rights in their global dimension flow from a civilized, irreversible choice made in accordance with universal values. Eager to ensure respect for human dignity and to encourage ongoing development efforts to secure the well-being of all citizens, Tunisia has been able to reconcile, in a balanced manner, economic growth with the preservation of political, economic and social rights, the requisite foundations of democracy. Tunisia will continue to advance the causes of human rights in the world and to support the United Nations Voluntary Fund for technical assistance in the field of human rights, as well as the Programme of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education. We are persuaded that the dissemination of the culture of human rights will come to fruition only with the promotion of tolerance, which is an essential civilized value upon which are based all religions and human-rights ideals. Tunisia placed particular emphasis on tolerance in the reform of its education system, since it is convinced that global change, the progress of civilization and culture, as well as economic and social growth, will be firmly established only when coming generations are well-prepared and when the values of peace, democracy and goodness are complemented by a culture of tolerance. Economic globalization has opened new perspectives for international cooperation for development. But it has also had a negative impact on the economies of numerous developing countries that have been swept up in it without adequately preparing their economic and social structures. In the new era, Tunisia has focused on setting up a comprehensive and multidimensional development strategy designed to assist the disadvantaged in society and based on a broadened concept of human rights. Tunisia’s policy in this regard was based on a development approach aimed at providing equal opportunities to all levels of society and ensuring the well-being of all its citizens. The human dimension for which Tunisia has opted in defining its development policies has led to a deeper 16 spirit of solidarity within the population towards the underprivileged and vulnerable sectors and to granting them the highest priority. In order to achieve these objectives, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took the initiative of establishing an anti-poverty programme — the National Solidarity Fund — aimed at eradicating pockets of poverty and ensuring harmonious development for all social sectors. The debt burden in the third world is a very serious problem that cannot be overlooked, since it constitutes the main obstacle to their efforts to achieve a regular development pattern, free from any shortcomings or failure. While we welcome the Group of Seven’s economic communiqué on the issue of debt, we also stress the need to take appropriate measures to alleviate the debt burden of middle-income countries. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization should implement the commitments undertaken by the international community in the framework of the major conferences held during the past five years. To this end, they need to mobilize the resources required to fund the programmes adopted by these conferences in the quest for sustainable development. We welcome the process of reform initiated by the United Nations with the aim of adjusting to the emerging international environment, improving its functions and assuming its responsibilities as the institution best able to maintain peace and security, on the one hand, and to pursue and support efforts on behalf of the economic and social development of the developing countries, on the other. To this end, it is equally important to continue the process of reform of the Organization with the aim of rationalizing and strengthening its role as the central pillar of international cooperation for achieving objectives and implementing programmes agreed upon by the international community, on the basis of priorities set by Governments seeking to eradicate poverty and to support employment and housing programmes, as well as those that provide basic services in the education and health sectors and offer protection to women, children and the socially underprivileged. These objectives can be attained only through the use of jointly agreed criteria based on transparency and democracy in international relations, and by rejecting any policy that involves a double standard. In order to preserve the prestige and credibility of the United Nations, it is necessary to implement the resolutions the Organization adopts and to follow up on the commitments entered into by States. We would also like to underline the extreme importance we attach to the restructuring of the Security Council, so as to enable this eminent body to play its key role in the maintenance of international peace and security, while taking into consideration the need for an equitable geographical representation based on new geo- political realities. I should like to recall in this respect that Tunisia supports granting Japan and Germany the status of permanent members of the Security Council, owing to the political and economic standing of both countries. In accordance with the consensus reached at the thirtieth Organization of African Unity summit meeting, held in Tunis, we reaffirm Africa’s right to at least two permanent seats on the Security Council that would rotate among all African States. Tunisia supports any initiative that takes into account these principles, and it expresses its appreciation for the initiatives and ideas presented by some States, in particular friendly neighbouring Italy, in order to achieve a comprehensive vision regarding reform of the Security Council. Finally, we believe that the success of our Organization depends on the determination of all Member States to act in conformity with the purposes and principles set out in the Charter, as well as on sincere political will, in order to allow our Organization to fulfil the aspirations and hopes of our peoples, who provide it the indispensable support it needs to guarantee its continued vitality, its renewed capacity and its durability.