It gives
me great pleasure, at the outset, to extend my warmest
congratulations to the President and his friendly
country, Antigua and Barbuda, on his election to the
presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth
session. We wish him every success in his endeavour
and assure him that the Sultanate of Oman stands ready
to cooperate with him and all delegations and Member
States to achieve the desired objectives.
We would like to take this opportunity to express
our thanks and appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Vuk
Jeremi., of the friendly Republic of Serbia, for the
outstanding manner in which he conducted the work
of the previous session, as well as to thank Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon for all his efforts to enhance the
role of the Organization and develop its operational
mechanisms to respond to current challenges and recent
developments and ensure optimal future preparedness.
The numerous achievements and successes of
the United Nations since its establishment, in 1945,
have contributed positively to increased security and
stability in the world. However, the rapid developments
witnessed today, including steady population growth,
rising global demand for energy and natural resources
and tremendous advances in communications and
new technologies, have given rise to numerous
difficulties. Joint efforts and greater cooperation
among Governments are required to address them and
find appropriate solutions. Such action requires that the
Organization and its various organs be empowered to
strengthen their capacity to respond to global demands
and developments, with a sharp focus on vital and
urgent issues.
Modernization, development and change constitute
the norms of life. However, they must go hand in hand
with increased security and stability, which should be
based on cooperation among all nations and should be
aimed at achieving sustainable development goals.
The recent events in various countries in the
Middle East resulted from genuine reactions to the
socioeconomic hardships faced by the peoples of the
region and to diminished institutional capacities to
respond fully to their needs and demands. Despite the
loss of lives and property in those countries, current
efforts are aimed at stability and restoring the economy,
and as such deserve our support.
My country welcomes the consensus achieved in
the Security Council on the issue of chemical weapons
in Syria and the unanimous adoption of resolution
2118 (2013). The “Geneva II” conference is of critical
importance in facilitating negotiations between the
Syrian Government and the opposition forces. We
believe that the goal should be a ceasefire and the
formation of a transitional authority with the necessary
power to overcome the enormous difficulties resulting
from a war that has been ongoing for approximately
three years.
The international community should prepare
to provide support and humanitarian assistance to
displaced Syrians and to all those affected by that
abhorrent war. My country confirms its continued
assistance to aid the displaced Syrians and expresses its
readiness to contribute to international humanitarian
aid inside Syrian territory.
We welcome the positive developments taking
place in Somalia thanks to the efforts of President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to rebuild the Somali State.
It is our hope that our brothers in the Federal Republic
of Somalia will be able to implement the political
and economic reform programme that has gained the
support of the international community.
Among the important international issues that have
yet to be resolved is the Palestinian question, which
is considered the cornerstone of any possible peace
in the Middle East. Despite the efforts made and the
agreements concluded through direct negotiations
between successive Israeli Governments and the
Palestine Liberation Organization, no settlement has yet
been reached. In that regard, my country supports the
efforts of President Barack Obama and his Secretary of
State, Mr. John Kerry, as they represent an opportunity
for all the peoples of the region to establish peace.
That would lead to economic and social development
and revive the hope for peaceful coexistence among
the peoples of the region — all of which would ensure
a positive contribution by the Middle East to global
civilization.
My country continues to support the initiatives
aimed at transforming the Middle East into a zone
free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass
destruction, as it is fully aware of the effects of those
weapons on the security and stability of States, regions
and the entire world.
With our emphasis on the right of States to
benefit from the peaceful use of nuclear energy, it is
worth mentioning that the current dispute will not be
resolved through coercive policies and practices, such
as sanctions and other tough measures. Because those
measures are limited, their effectiveness is weakened.
Rather, creative diplomacy can help all States to benefit
from nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
On the other hand, we hope that the international
community, particularly the depositary countries of
the NPT, will be able to persuade other Middle Eastern
States to become parties to the Treaty and to subject
their nuclear facilities to the comprehensive system
of safeguards that exists under the supervision of the
International Atomic Energy Agency. That would
contribute to achieving the universality of the Treaty
and would make the Middle East a zone free of nuclear
weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. That
goal deserves the support of all countries, especially
the major Powers.
We express our regret at the non-convening of the
international conference on the Middle East mandated
by the decision of the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty
Review Conference, owing to the fact that some
parties did not support its convening. That reflects a
lack of understanding of the conditions, objectives and
aspirations of the peoples of the Middle East region.
In the light of our commitment to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals, we would like to
announce that we have attained the Goals and all their
indicators. In fact, we recently announced that we had
been 100 per cent successful in achieving Goals 4 and
5.
With regard to protection of the environment and
natural conservation, since the dawn of the renaissance
led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, my
country, in line with the national strategy to protect the
environment, has consistently integrated environmental
issues into its plans and development goals, with a view
to achieving a balance between the aims of sustainable
development and the preservation of the environment.
My country has also sought to share its interests
in the environment and natural conservation with
the international community. We have participated
in many regional and international conferences on
the environment, including the eighteenth session of
the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, held
in Qatar in December 2012. We look forward to
participating in the nineteenth session, to be held in
Warsaw in November.
The right to science and knowledge should be
enjoyed by all humankind, and the great evolution
in the use and application of modern technology has
become an essential tool in our daily lives, thanks to
scientific and intellectual creativity. Consequently, my
country has sought to keep up with advances to meet
our current needs. To that end, we have established
many centres and councils that encourage research
and development, including the Scientific Research
Council, the Industrial Innovation Centre, the National
Centre for Enterprises and Commercial Activities, and
the Oasis of Knowledge. We also have a Middle East
Desalination Research Centre.
My country continues to develop the main
guidelines for a national strategy of research and
development and scientific knowledge. We are also
trying to familiarize ourselves with modern technology
and to encourage Omani youth to take part in different
science — and technology-based professions. In that
context, we welcome future constructive cooperation,
investment and partnerships with all other centres,
universities, institutions and specialized industries
in both the public and the private sectors and at the
national, regional and international levels. We also want
to take advantage of Oman’s geographical position as a
main gateway and bridge to knowledge and creativity
in regional and international markets.
In conclusion, we wish the President every success
at this session, and we hope that it concludes with a
realistic and renewed vision — an inspired vision and
one that also imparts new momentum for our times, a
vision that reflects the aspirations of every generation
and every people and makes every effort to achieve
them.