Tunisia

I am pleased to begin by extending to Mr. Han Seung-soo and through him to his friendly country, the Republic of Korea, our warmest congratulations on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty- sixth session. I wish him every success in his tasks during the session. I would also like to convey our sincere thanks to his predecessor, Mr. Harri Holkeri, for the skill and efficiency with which he conducted the work of this Assembly during the past session. I am also pleased on behalf of my country to renew our sincere congratulations to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on his unanimous re-election to continue his noble mission. We congratulate him and the United Nations on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. This session is taking place at a time when the world is anxious about the consequences of the atrocious terrorist acts that struck the United States on 11 September. We have strongly condemned these acts and reiterate our condolences to the friendly American people and the families of the victims at this difficult time. States were unanimous in the recently adopted Security Council and General Assembly resolutions in emphasizing the need to combat terrorism with all determination in order to uproot and prevent this scourge. Since the early 1990s, Tunisia has warned against the dangers of terrorism. It has called for adopting the necessary measures at the national, regional and international levels to fight this phenomenon with all available means. Today, we reiterate our earlier statements. It is important to develop cooperation among States to fight terrorism, by taking all necessary and strong measures to implement Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). This should apply to those who abet directly or indirectly or are involved in perpetrating terrorist acts in their countries of origin or elsewhere. All acts of terrorism must be condemned without double standards, particularly with respect to the granting of political asylum or residency. Tunisia's belief in the necessity of adopting such measures has spared it the presence of extremist elements and terrorism on its territory. If we are to develop international cooperation in this field, we will need to enhance approved legal 36 norms. This can be done through a comprehensive international treaty allowing for a comprehensive plan of action. In the same vein, Tunisia supports the convening of an international conference against terrorism. The conference would identify the legal framework and machinery needed to protect the international community from the dangers of this scourge. In Tunisia's view, the struggle against and eventual elimination of terrorism requires the adoption of a comprehensive approach that makes prevention and the identification of the root causes of this phenomenon the bases of the methodology of international efforts. It is also necessary to consider the international circumstances that influence and promote the increase in terrorism. This will allow us to find the appropriate approach to ending the spread of this phenomenon and its existence. In this context, it is imperative that we address all aspects that lead to feelings of injustice, the absence of justice, deprivation and marginalization. This will prevent suspicious parties from exploiting these feelings to fuel extremism and terrorism. There is no doubt that the United Nations and the General Assembly in particular have an effective role to play in clarifying that vision. Any comprehensive approach to fighting terrorism must stress the interdependence and interaction between stability, security and peace, on the one hand, and development and progress on the other. The Millennium Summit, which brought together the most important assembly of heads of State and Government in the history of our Organization and provided a unique opportunity to discuss the state of international affairs in all its aspects, stressed that linkage. It highlighted the need to formulate an international strategy and operational plans to achieve the unanimously agreed objectives specified by the leaders for the next millennium. This session is thus especially important in that it provides an opportunity, a year later, to take stock of the principles and objectives approved at the Millennium Summit. It also permits us to develop concerted action based on these principles and objectives. These include a common, cooperative and consensual approach to the problems of our world, be they issues of international peace and security or of development and the eradication of poverty. Solidarity, then, is imperative in the light of the many challenges faced by mankind. In this context, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia has stressed before several regional forums, including the Millennium Summit and the Security Council summit, the importance of solidarity in dealing with poverty, which is one source of tension and crises in societies. We believe that we cannot guarantee stability and security in the world without eliminating all forms of poverty, marginalization and alienation. In this context, President Ben Ali launched his appeal to establish a world fund for solidarity towards the eradication of poverty. From this rostrum, I extend my sincere thanks to all parties that responded to this proposal and participated in the consultations held by the Secretary- General. In this regard, I cannot fail to commend the efforts of the Secretary-General to prepare a positive report, which we hope will be the basis for establishing the fund at this session. We have repeatedly affirmed that the fund will not duplicate existing United Nations bodies concerned with fighting poverty; it will, instead, complement their efforts and provide a means of financing through voluntary contributions by individuals, institutions or societies, in addition to Governments. These contributions will be deposited in an account to be administered by the United Nations Development Programme. There is no doubt that the strengthening of the foundations of international peace and security is a task entrusted primarily to the Security Council, which in recent weeks has proved particularly effective in its reaction to current developments. We hope that that important body will maintain the same effectiveness in seeking solutions to all international problems. From this perspective, developments in the Middle East must take priority among the issues before the Council. This is particularly important in view of the continuing instability in the region caused by Israel's intransigence. We call on the Security Council, and especially its permanent members, to play an effective role so as to spare the Middle East from the spectre of an endless conflict, by urging Israel to take urgent measures to ensure the protection of the Palestinian people. Tunisia reaffirms its initiative, calling for the protection of the Palestinian people through the deployment of international forces in the region. 37 We believe that the only viable option in the Middle East today is a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that guarantees for the Palestinians the return of their land and their legitimate rights, foremost of which is their right to establish an independent State. In this context, Tunisia welcomes President Bush's affirmation before the General Assembly of the necessity of establishing a Palestinian State. We also reiterate our position on the need for Israeli forces to leave Syrian and Lebanese territory. The question of sanctions prompts us to examine our consciences in the light of the suffering it causes civilians. We hope that there will be international consensus to remove the sanctions against Iraq and to deal with the humanitarian issue of missing Kuwaitis and persons from third countries. It is also time once and for all to lift the sanctions imposed against our sister country Libya, which has implemented all its obligations concerning the Lockerbie incident. As a member of the region, Tunisia is working towards more active participation in the Maghreb Union, which aspires to integrate the States of the region by enhancing the structure of the Union and guiding its work, given its function as a strategic option that reflects the will of the people of the region. Tunisia is working to promote consultation and cooperation in the European-Mediterranean space on the basis of equality, mutual respect, protection of the interests of all parties and respect for their particularities. The aim is to bring about the solid development of the peoples of the two shores of the Mediterranean so as to achieve greater security and stability in the region. Faithful to its commitment to the African continent, Tunisia supports new initiatives for Africa and has joined the newly created African Union and will support it with all our capabilities and experience. Respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter only strengthens the action of the Organization in responding to the challenges of development and the maintenance of international peace and security. In this context, we have to strengthen the role of the General Assembly, as an expression of the collective will of its Members and as an embodiment of the concept of democracy in international relations. With regard to the activities of the Security Council, Tunisia, throughout its term of office in the Council, has tried to strengthen the role of this organ by advocating consensus in dealing with the various items on its agenda. This, in our view, will enhance the Council's credibility and will reflect positively on its efficiency. During its presidency of the Council in February 2001, Tunisia adopted a new comprehensive approach to dealing with various cases of instability and crises in the world. Tunisia put forward a proposal for holding a debate on the subject Peace-building: towards a comprehensive approach. The result of this debate was a unanimous affirmation by members of the Council of the close connection between peace and development, of the preventive dimension of this approach and of the importance of solidarity in the international community when it comes to taking measures that are necessary for helping countries that are racked by tension and conflict. Within this context, I must stress the need for the reform of the Security Council so as to expand its membership of permanent and non-permanent seats on the basis of equitable geographic distribution that will guarantee the interests of all countries, particularly the developing countries. In contributing operationally to the establishment of peace and security in the world, Tunisia has participated in a number of peacekeeping operations such as its current participation in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) headed by a Tunisian ambassador representing the United Nations. The elimination of weapons of mass destruction represents one of the major challenges facing humanity. The importance of the establishment of zones free of weapons of mass destruction, particularly in the Middle East, is to be stressed in this context. Technological and scientific advances have dwarfed distances and enabled mankind to score major achievements in numerous fields, such as spread of ideas and bringing people closer to each other. Development, however, has not benefited all peoples, particularly developing countries. The widening of the quantitative gap between industrialized and developing countries is a matter of concern. Concrete measures must be taken to permit all countries to benefit from the technological and information revolution. From this standpoint, we would express the importance that Tunisia places, since the International 38 Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conference in Minneapolis, on hosting the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia in 2005. We would like to express our gratitude to all countries that have supported us in this. We would also like to express our thanks to Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, ITU Secretary-General, for his constructive role. We hope that the General Assembly will adopt at this session a resolution to begin preparations for this conference in its two phases. We also hope that the work of this conference will lead to the establishment of a true and effective world information partnership between developed and developing countries. Our ability to meet challenges, which we are all facing, including the fight against terrorism, depends on our willingness to channel our efforts towards joint action, based on cooperation, solidarity, tolerance and partnership within the framework of our Organization, which is the ideal place for the realization of our aspirations and for the benefit of all mankind.