I should like at the outset to express heartfelt congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its present session, as well as my best wishes for every success during your tenure. I also wish to thank Her Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa for her constructive and tireless efforts during her remarkable and fruitful presidency at the previous session, which was a source of pride for her country, Bahrain, and for the international community. As this is the first session of the General Assembly under our newly appointed Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, I should like to reaffirm, on behalf of the Kingdom of Morocco, our full confidence in and support for his tireless efforts and good offices aimed at enabling the United Nations to attain its lofty objectives and to fulfil the aspirations of all nations. It is our hope that, at the dawn of the third millennium, a more just and effective world system can emerge, enabling nations to achieve collective peace and sustainable development. Our session takes place at the eve of the celebration by the United Nations of the sixtieth anniversary of two important historical events that have marked its activities, forged its identity and proved its added value and its outstanding contribution to strengthening international cooperation, protecting human dignity and consolidating world peace and security. These events are the General Assembly’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the deployment of the first United Nations peacekeeping operation in that same year. In this context, it is appropriate to pause and take stock of what has been done in these two vital areas, and to outline the work objectives of our Organization in order to develop and optimize our common assets in a complex international melieu. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights laid the foundations of international consensus regarding universal values and subsequently contributed to international efforts for the codification, protection and respect of basic cultural, social, economic and political rights. To this end, the international community is invited, through the United Nations, to take concrete measures to implement the provisions of this Declaration and give effect to confirm concretely its political and legal values. In that connection, His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated in a royal address on 9 December 1999 that among the appropriate means of ensuring respect for human rights was the commitment to the relevant international covenants and the setting up of mechanisms for respecting and safeguarding these rights. He added that those legal and institutional instruments were, however, insufficient if respect for human rights was not part of standard conduct at all levels, or if, in other words, it did not become a shared culture. The Kingdom of Morocco has embarked, under His Majesty’s enlightened leadership, on a thorough and ambitious process of political openness, human development and social modernization. In parallel, it is willing to participate in constructive international efforts aimed at establishing world consensus on human rights concepts, so that they no longer constitute a source of conflict and confrontation but are rather a motive for cooperation and consultation. Those concepts should not remain mere universal values but should become a reality, taking into consideration the diversity and indivisibility of human rights. In this regard, the Kingdom of Morocco proposed last March, in the Human Rights Council, the adoption of a universal declaration on training and education in the culture of human rights, whose objective would be to consolidate and reinforce the values, principles and concepts of human rights by all international social components, so that they become a daily concern and a responsible practice. Morocco hopes that this proposal will be supported by all States, so that it may constitute a valuable contribution to the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Peacekeeping operations are a key element of the activities of the United Nations, embodying the collective security principle that is one of the pillars of the United Nations Charter. Thanks to this mechanism, the United Nations has displayed a great capacity to adapt to change and has been able to participate in a direct and effective manner in the reinforcement of international peace. The importance of peacekeeping operations has increased with the evolution of the traditional concept and the accumulation of tasks, which are no longer limited to peacekeeping per se. These tasks have also broadened in scope to encompass assistance to States undergoing reconstruction or engaged in the implementation of transitional justice, the consolidation of human rights, or good governance. In this respect, the Kingdom of Morocco has been a pioneer in United Nations peacekeeping efforts, sending since 1960 more than 50,000 Blue Helmets to 13 peacekeeping operations across four continents. Thanks to their sacrifice and determination to uphold the principles of the United Nations, the Royal Armed Forces, along with the other peacekeeping troops, helped the United Nations to win the Nobel Peace prize. In view of its cumulative experience and field expertise, the Kingdom of Morocco believes that it is high time to examine ways and means of reinforcing the legal basis and organizational framework of peacekeeping operations, while taking into consideration the changes undergone by this United Nations mechanism, as well as the need for improvement of the deployment conditions and work arrangements of its personnel. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Morocco proposes the organization next year of a high-level meeting to examine this issue in all its aspects, with a view to adopting recommendations for the development of new norms and work arrangements that will ensure the success of peacekeeping operations. Despite its efforts, Africa still faces major security challenges and significant difficulties in improving the health and living conditions of its citizens. Given its deep-rooted African identity and its profound historical, human and cultural ties with African States, the Kingdom of Morocco has, as directed by His Majesty the King, made its relations with the continent one of the priorities of its foreign policy. These relations are based on the principles of mutual respect, active solidarity, fruitful cooperation and constructive involvement in the regional initiatives and international strategies related to the continent. Besides participating in development programmes aimed at effectively revitalizing South- South cooperation and undertaking numerous solidarity activities with African States victims of natural disasters, the Kingdom of Morocco hosted the first African Conference on Human Development, held in April 2007 in Rabat in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme. The Conference created an opportunity to establish a complementary strategy to meet the particular needs of Africa in the context of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In this regard, the Rabat Declaration on human development and the plan of action and recommendations of the Conference, constitute a framework of reference for the holding next year of a high-level meeting on Africa and development, as proposed by Morocco. Likewise, the conclusions of the Rabat Conference could contribute significantly to the work of the World Millennium Development Goals summit to be held next year in response to a proposal made by the United Kingdom Prime Minister. Morocco expresses the hope that the Secretary- General’s next report on the causes of conflicts and the promotion of peace and sustainable development in Africa will contain practical recommendations and a clear political vision aimed at the reinforcement of stability, peace and security on the African continent, the consolidation of democracy and human rights, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African States, and the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the principle of good neighbourliness. The Moroccan Sahara issue, one of the longest regional disputes in Africa, is at a historical turning point as a result of the launching of the Manhassett negotiations between the parties to the dispute, held under United Nations auspices. This turning point results from the dynamic created by the Moroccan autonomy plan for Moroccan Shara, a plan which has opened promising perspectives for overcoming the stalemate on this issue at the United Nations. It offers the fundamental elements necessary for a realistic, applicable, definitive and final political solution to a regional dispute that has hindered the development of a strong and homogeneous Maghreb that interacts with its geopolitical and geostrategic environment. The Moroccan autonomy plan, which since 2004 has answered the calls by the Security Council for the need to find a political solution to that dispute, is in conformity with the provisions of international law. It is the result of wide-ranging international consultations and in-depth deliberations involving inhabitants of the region through the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs. In the light of that positive dynamic, the Security Council adopted resolution 1754 (2007), which represented a departure from former approaches in the treatment of the issue, since it called for negotiations while taking into account recent developments, in particular the Moroccan plan and the efforts of the Kingdom which the Security Council has recognized as serious and credible. The Kingdom of Morocco, which took part in those negotiations in good faith and with an open and constructive attitude, reiterates its commitment to advance the process in order to reach a final solution to the dispute within the framework of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as on the basis of the autonomy plan, as the ultimate objective of the negotiation process and as an open, flexible and indivisible offer. The solution to this regional dispute in the light of the Moroccan plan would lead to the creation of a stable regional security order, based on cooperation between the States of the region, which would deal with the serious security challenges of the region, including terrorism, human trafficking and other clandestine activities. The impact of such activities will go beyond the region and will affect European, Mediterranean and West African countries as well. The difficult circumstances in the Middle East require strengthened coordinated efforts in order to put an end to a lengthy and bitter conflict that has caused great suffering for the people of the region for more than half a century. The Kingdom of Morocco, which follows closely all those developments, affirms once again from this rostrum the pressing need to reactivate the peace process in the Middle East according to a comprehensive approach and on the basis of agreements signed by the parties, the Road Map and the Arab Peace Initiative. That is a strategic choice and reflects the sincere will of the Arab States to search for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East a peace that guarantees the national rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to establish an independent State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and withdrawal from occupied Arab territories in Syria and Lebanon, in order to allow the States and peoples of the region to live in peace and security. Morocco is optimistic about the positive results that will ensure from the international conference on Middle East peace to be held in the United States before the end of this year. Moreover, the Kingdom of Morocco, which chairs the Al-Quds Committee in the person of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, insists once more on the need to respect the special status of Jerusalem and to preserve its cultural and spiritual identity. In that respect, His Majesty King Mohammed VI has endeavoured to draw the attention of the United Nations and influential actors to the illegal, invalid archaeological excavations around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to obtain their good offices so as to put an end to them. The Kingdom of Morocco follows with great concern the difficult situation in the brotherly country of Iraq and calls upon the various sects and factions to allow the virtues of wisdom and clear-sightedness to prevail, through serious dialogue and national reconciliation with the aim of preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and in order to put an end to the cycle of violence threatening its stability, security and its unity. Finally, I wish to recall that the world is undergoing considerable changes and is confronted with numerous serious and global challenges, such as climate change, which is the main topic of this annual session. All these challenges call for multilateral institutions that are able to establish effective multilateral cooperation and coordination among States to promote coherence and synergy among the various national and regional initiatives. Hence the crucial importance of a stronger United Nations that enjoys the confidence and commitment of its Member States and their support in order to make a success of its reform programme. The Organization also needs to strengthen its credibility in order to harmonize its agenda with our crucial priorities and with the need to ensure a better future for humanity within the framework of more balanced, interdependent and tolerant international relations.