Allow me to congratulate Mr. Joseph Deiss
personally, as well as his country, Switzerland, on his
election to the presidency of the sixty-fifth session of
the General Assembly. His experience and competence
qualify him to ably discharge his responsibilities, and I
wish him every success in his endeavours. I also thank
his predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, and extend
to him and his fraternal country our appreciation for
his skilful stewardship of the work of the General
Assembly during the previous session. I would also
like to express to the Secretary-General our
appreciation and wishes for success in fulfilling the
tasks entrusted to him.
The Middle East region has been rife with
tensions for many decades. It has survived major
events and numerous wars. The policies, interests and
trends that have unfolded on its soil have converged at
times but clashed at others. Due to its geographic
location, the Middle East influences neighbouring
countries in Asia, Europe and Africa and is, in turn,
influenced by them. Syria, which lies at the heart of the
Middle East, has experienced these tensions, policies,
events and outcomes and has reacted to them.
This fact — which has spelled both positive and
negative consequences for the Syrian Arab Republic —
prompted us to define our perspective in addressing
external issues, particularly the nature of our
international relations. Safeguarding and sustaining
Syrian and Arab interests is our priority. Therefore, our
door remains open for an in depth and meaningful
dialogue aimed at reconciling differences with others
and reaching common ground on the basis of which
progress can be made. That was our response when
Syria endured attempts to isolate and blockade it, a
response we reaffirm today as Syria discharges its role
as a major player in matters related to the security and
stability of the region. We believe that civilized
international relations must be built on openness and
dialogue as opposed to insularity, isolation,
confrontation and aggression. This is our approach,
which we hope will prevail in a world driven by
multiple interests and perspectives, overwhelmed by
problems and complications, yet at the same time
sustained by hopes and noble visions.
The world has declared that it is determined to
achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle
East, and has stressed that peace is an urgent
prerequisite for the maintenance of security and
stability in the region. In Israel, there is much talk
about peace, yet the drums of war continue to sound.
Land appropriation for settlement-building goes on
unabated. Peace negotiations, we are told, are currently
under way on the basis of the two-State solution, but
settlement activities are about to make this two-State
solution a dead letter that stands no chance of survival.
Israel is intensely pursuing its Judaization plans for
Jerusalem in order to depopulate it of its Palestinian
inhabitants. Israeli actions threaten the safety of
Jerusalem’s holy sites. Through settlement activities,
actions and declarations concerning Jerusalem, Israel
pursues a fait accompli policy on the basis of which it
imposes its will regardless of whether negotiations
continue or stall.
Peace can be genuine only if there is a genuine
will to make peace. That is the litmus test. Political
manoeuvres during negotiations under the umbrella of
the desire for peace strain and exacerbate the situation
and may make it more volatile and explosive.
Syria seeks a just and comprehensive peace
achieved through the implementation of Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and the
Arab Peace Initiative. Our position has been known
and declared for years. We have the will to make peace
and we are the masters of our decision, which is
unwavering. The occupied Syrian Golan is not
negotiable nor is it a bargaining chip. Recognition of
10-55264 20
the fact that it must be returned fully is the basis on
which peacemaking arrangements should be made.
Syria is ready to resume peace negotiations from the
point where they stopped, through the Turkish
mediator, if it finds in Israel a partner committed to the
terms of reference of peacemaking, and if that partner
has the political will to achieve peace.
We note with satisfaction the objective opinion of
the report of the Human Rights Council fact-finding
mission investigating the Israeli attack on the freedom
flotilla that was headed to Gaza on an exclusively
humanitarian mission (A/HRC/15/21). We look
forward to the conclusions to be drawn from the report
of the international commission now that the necessary
legal grounds and supporting evidence have been
established by the Human Rights Council’s fact-finding
mission.
Syria is a fraternal Arab neighbour of Iraq. For
us, Iraq thus remains a subject of interest and a cause
for concern, particularly when the situation there
deteriorates. We embrace any improvement in
conditions there with a major sense of relief. The
restoration of Iraq’s full sovereignty and independence,
the preservation of its Arab and Islamic identity, the
unity of its people and its territorial integrity are of
utmost priority for our approach towards Iraq and its
future. Undoubtedly, national unity remains the
cornerstone of a secure, prosperous and strong Iraq.
We have called for the withdrawal of all foreign
forces from Iraq. In this context, the partial withdrawal
of the American forces from Iraq constitutes, in our
view, a positive first step in the direction of Iraq’s
assumption of its power over its own affairs and the
restoration of its full sovereignty over its territories.
We hope that Iraq will ultimately develop strong
military and security capabilities to safeguard its
internal security and safety as an independent and
sovereign State.
It should be reiterated that Iraqi security is
contingent upon its national unity and is based on its
Arab-Islamic identity and the principle of the
participation of all segments of Iraqi society in
building their country’s present and future. Syria is
willing to cooperate with Iraq in every aspect to serve
Iraq’s interests and the common interests of our two
fraternal countries.
My country has been advocating the
establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the
Middle East since 2003, a demand we included in a
draft resolution we presented to the Security Council at
the time. We continue to stress that Israel must be
made to comply with international decisions calling on
it to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to submit its nuclear
installations to the comprehensive International Atomic
Energy Agency safeguards regime. Israel’s accession to
the Treaty is of extreme significance for the security
and stability of our region.
We often wonder why some States talk about the
universality of the NPT but hasten to make strenuous
efforts to shelter Israel from the Agency’s oversight.
They are encouraging Israel to continue to develop its
nuclear military programme, which is a cause of
concern to the people of the region. Furthermore, this
policy of double standards runs counter to the
non-proliferation prerequisites, not only in the Middle
East region, but also in the world at large.
We reaffirm that all States have the right to
acquire nuclear technology for peaceful uses, as
guaranteed by the NPT. We also call for the peaceful
resolution of all disputes relevant to this aspect through
dialogue.
Syria follows the developments in the Sudan
because we are dedicated to the Sudan’s unity,
sovereignty, security and stability. In that context, we
are grateful to the State of Qatar, the League of Arab
States and the African Union for their efforts. We also
appreciate and support the African Union’s efforts in
settling disputes in the Sudan and other conflict zones
on the African continent, and in promoting Africa’s
role within the international system.
We also strongly reiterate our call to lift the
embargo that has been imposed on Cuba for decades.
The world has suffered numerous natural
disasters this year resulting from climate change and
global warming. We all know that these disasters are
but a prelude to more severe and wider-scale calamities
that could well threaten natural life on this planet. We
have an obligation towards nature, yet we have
exceeded all limits in abusing it.
Many countries have chosen to ignore the
warnings of scientists and the ominous signals from
nature. We must rise to this serious challenge and
assume our historic responsibility, so as to make up for
past imbalances and shortcomings.
21 10-55264
We look forward to an expression of international
solidarity in Cancún, Mexico, based on scientific
evidence and on the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities. It is our hope that the
Cancún outcome will take into account the priorities of
sustainable development in order to arrive at a
comprehensive and legally binding post-2012
framework agreement. We believe that it is extremely
important to address the shortcomings of Copenhagen
and to renew the commitment to the Bali Action Plan
and the premises of the Kyoto Protocol.
The painful situation in Pakistan, a typical
symptom of climate change, is yet another example of
the devastating disasters that we must expect unless we
work seriously and collectively to address this grave
situation. The people and Government of my country,
Syria, wholeheartedly sympathize with Pakistan and
other disaster-stricken countries. I stress the urgent
need for States to increase assistance to Pakistan, both
in cash and in kind, to mitigate the tragic and
widespread damage there and prevent any further
exacerbation of the situation.
We aspire to a better, more just and secure world
and look forward to strengthening and revitalizing the
role of the United Nations and guaranteeing respect for
international law. We must not forget, though, that our
planet Earth is home to the world we are aspiring to
build. This home is besieged by an ominous
phenomenon, climate change, which entails tragic
consequences for humanity. This year was only a
prelude to what is yet to come. We sincerely hope that
the Cancún conference will be the herald of a direly
needed rescue effort.