1. My delegation takes pleasure in congratulating you upon your unanimous election as President of this fourteenth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We feel certain that, with your wisdom and wide experience, this session, with God’s help and the co-operation of the Members of this Organization, will contribute significantly to world peace.
2. It has been the custom at this time every year in our general debate to review international events, to take stock of the past and try to plan for the future. Fortunately, our session this year begins with revived optimism and hope for the solution of international problems. Despite the storm clouds hovering over Laos, the Indian frontier and Berlin, and the delayed reunification of Germany, rays of light are breaking through the darkened international skies. The meeting in Geneva of the Foreign Ministers has renewed our optimistic hope that we may see an end to the cold war which has undermined the morale of the world for more than fourteen years. Although these meetings did not lead to conclusive results, they did bring the two parties closer together, helped to dispel some of their mutual fears, and paved the way for the exchange of visits between the leaders of East and West.
3. The problem of Cyprus, to which the General Assembly has devoted much time during the last two years, and which evoked sharp debate among friendly nations, has been settled successfully through complete agreement by the United Kingdom, Turkey and Greece. Yemen and the other Arab States joyfully await the birth of a young Cyprus Republic so that they may renew their historical friendship and good-neighbourly relations.
4. The sinews of peace have also been healthfully exercised in wrestling with the problem of nuclear experiments. Their temporary suspension to the end of this year may spur this session of the General Assembly to lay a firm foundation for the absolute and permanent prohibition of these experiments, as well as to provide for the necessary controls over this prohibition. My delegation, however, views with deep concern the announcement by France that it plans to carry out atomic experiments in the African Sahara. Such plans create fears of great danger, especially to the northern half of the African continent. In spite of assurances by the French representative last week that precautions will be taken to eliminate all risks, the 1959 Annual Report of the Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation [A/4119] clearly reveals the futility of such precautions. Since the atomic Powers have temporarily heeded the collective appeal of the world to end these experiments which endanger the human race, we cannot suppress our hope that France will be persuaded to abandon the Sahara tests.
5. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union has presented this session of the Assembly with a proposal for general and complete disarmament [799th meeting]. The United Kingdom has presented another proposal [798th meeting]. Both sides have shown their good intentions to settle the vital problem of disarmament. But nothing practical has been achieved so far except the establishment, of the ten-power committee to discuss this serious subject. While wishing this committee all success the other Members of the United Nations, which are vitally involved, earnestly hope that the United Nations as a whole will play an effective part during this session in laying the necessary groundwork for disarmament. The peace and prosperity of the world depend upon it.
6. But disarmament, total or partial, is not in itself sufficient to guarantee world peace. Peace is social; peace is economic. The billions of dollars now being wasted on destruction should be employed in raising living standards and improving human welfare. Hundreds of millions of human beings are still doomed to poverty, afflicted by disease and ignorance. Through his scientific accomplishments man has penetrated outer space, but there is much to be accomplished still on the surface of the earth.
7. My delegation expresses its satisfaction over the establishment of the International Development Association, and hopes that more attention will be directed to the strengthening of the United Nations programme of technical aid to under-developed countries. In this area we have set the pattern for the future, although we have not accomplished enough in the past. We have much more to accomplish.
8. We do, indeed, have solid reasons for our optimism in vast sections of the world. But is there a climate of optimism in the Middle East? Assured voices in this Assembly hall have interpreted the comparative calm prevalent there as a reason for optimism. I wish my voice were one of them. But I cannot feel assured when I know that such thinking is wishful. Too many unsolved problems in the Middle East threaten the peace of the world.
9. Where are we to find optimism in the Arabian peninsula when colonialism continues its aggression? The leaders of Oman are being oppressed; the Omani people dispersed; their homes destroyed — all this for no crime committed by them, unless the demand for freedom and self-determination is a felony to be punished by death and the destruction of property.
10. Oman is an Imamate whose autonomy the United Kingdom recognized by the Sib Treaty of 1920. It continued to enjoy that independence until the area began to smell. of oil and the forces of imperialism began to occupy the land. The scale of United Kingdom operations in Oman demanded the establishment of a headquarters in the Sultanate of Muscat for the purpose of training a strong army of local inhabitants, in addition to the massing of thousands of troops there. Naturally, these forces met, and continued to meet, heroic resistance by the Omani people.
11. The situation in Oman led Mr. P. Noel Baker, a member of the United Kingdom House of Commons, to wonder: "Why is the British Government reluctant to admit that the Oman operations were connected with oil? Everything in Western Arabia is connected with oil. Of course it was for oil that military operations in Oman were undertaken."
12. Impossible and unbelievable, but the violent war now raging in Oman is a secret. A dispatch from London, published on 26 August 1959 by the New York World-Telegram and Sun is an eloquent proof of its secrecy. This dispatch informs us of the awards conferred on thirty-one United Kingdom troops who fought a secret war in the Arabian desert. The dispatch goes on to describe how the men, members of an airborne task force, flew to the United Kingdom Protectorate of Muscat and Oman in January 1959, overcame tremendous obstacles of terrain, and put down a rebellion that had assumed serious proportions. It was all done in four weeks and in secrecy.
13. This war is unknown to the world because the imperialistic forces have used every effort to keep it that way. They besiege the area and prevent newspaper correspondents from penetrating it. This secret war should be publicized from this, rostrum, so that the world will realize the danger which threatens the south Arabian peninsula and world peace. My delegation strongly recommends that this Assembly send a fact-finding mission to penetrate the imperialistic curtain, to investigate current military operations, their casualties and losses, and to submit a report to this body.
14. Where is the optimism in southern Yemeni territories? The situation in occupied southern Yemen — Aden and the neighbouring so-called protectorates — is no less grave than that in Oman. Here imperialistic authorities form fictitious federations, not based upon the wishes of the inhabitants but aimed at strengthening their own ambitions. Terrorism and oppression have been so utilized in setting up such federations that the Sultan and the principal members of the Lahj Government have had to flee the country. Yemen has formally protested to the United Kingdom Government that such federations contradict the third article of the 1934 Treaty between the United Kingdom and Yemen.
15. The imperialistic authorities, however, continue their military operations in Yemen proper, with resultant heavy Yemeni casualties. Harib, El-Sauma'a and Shuqueir are but a few examples of the destruction brought to southern Yemen by the attacks of United Kingdom planes. The Yemeni delegation has brought these aggressions to the attention of the Security Council more than once. Yemen has tried several times, but in vain, to reach a settlement with the United Kingdom through peaceful negotiations. The aggression continues, and Yemen still endeavours to solve these problems peacefully.
16. The war in Oman and the successive waves of aggression in occupied southern Yemeni territories, and in Yemen proper, are manifestations of the nationalist spirit now prevalent in the Arab world, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf. The peoples of this area are determined to continue their fight for their rights of freedom and self-determination. Brute force can never separate the southern part of the Arabian peninsula from the. rest of the Arab homeland.
17. How much optimism is there for the Arab refugees from Palestine? The Israel aggression on Palestine and its subsequent partition was, and still is, a black spot in the book of humanity, a great injustice plaguing the conscience of the world, a grave responsibility for this international Organization, and a continuous threat to world peace. A million Arab refugees have been thrown out of their homes by Israel to live in tents and caves, in utter despair and misery. For the last ten years UNRWA has been engaged in alleviating the misery of those unfortunate refugees. An important question to be reviewed during this session is the continuation of UNRWA. The Secretary-General has strongly recommended it, and we support his recommendation.
18. These Arab refugees are not destitute. They could be partially sustained by their own vast fortunes left behind and now exploited by Israel. These fortunes produce large incomes which could be utilized to replace an important portion of the funds needed to maintain the refugees, without having to beg contributions in their name. It is imperative that the United Nations take the necessary measures to protect Arab properly now exploited by Israel, by the establishment of an office to take over these properties, administer them, and prevent Israel from disposing of them. The United Nations has already exerted a praiseworthy effort in recording these Arab properties [see A/4225], but this effort is in need of completion.
19. An elaborate economic study attached to the Secretary-General's report, containing proposals for the continuation of the United Nations assistance to Palestine refugees [A/4121 and Corr.1, Annex], points to the possibility of reintegrating the Arab refugees in neighbouring countries. Thus, an economic factor has been needlessly injected into the issue of continuing that Agency. Such integration is in conflict with the General Assembly, resolution [resolution 194 (III)] on repatriation and is inconsistent with the desire of the refugees themselves. The General Assembly has, on many occasions, reaffirmed the refugees' right to repatriation. The fundamental principles of justice and freedom demand that the Palestine refugees should be allowed to choose between repatriation and resettlement with adequate compensation. This is the least that the United Nations can do for these oppressed people.
20. Another important issue relating to the right of the refugees to repatriation is the increasing threat of Zionist immigration into the occupied territory of Palestine. This immigration, during the past thirty years, has been, and still is, the basic cause of tension and instability in the Middle East, and continues to be the main obstacle in the way of implementing the United Nations resolutions. The Arab countries consider any political or financial assistance given to facilitate this immigration as an unfriendly act detrimental to stability and peace in our area.
21. This Assembly has recently listened to statements stressing freedom of passage through the Suez Canal. Such statements are pointless, because ships pass through it freely. Following the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, Egypt formally declared its intention to respect the principle of free transit, and passage of ships has continued on a regular and ever-increasing basis. The services rendered under the Arab management of the Suez Canal have evoked the satisfaction and admiration of world navigation. Furthermore, continued improvements in the Canal assure increased, shipping through that important waterway.
22. The United Arab Republic has declared on more than one occasion her determination to adhere to the 1888 Constantinople Convention and, moreover, has communicated to the Secretary-General in a letter that she accepts in this matter the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. What more could be expected of the United Arab Republic?
23. In his intervention yesterday [820th meeting], the representative of Israel pretended that no country supported the United Arab Republic's policy in the Suez Canal. Nothing if further from the truth. The United Arab Republic is fully supported by many peace-loving nations, including all the Arab States. Yemen declares her full support to the United Arab Republic in her stand, and in so doing, she and the other Arab States implement the decision unanimously adopted in the meeting of the League of Arab States in Casablanca on 1 September 1959 on this question.
24. Yesterday, also, the representative of Israel stretched out his hand for peace, and just last week [806th meeting], when Mrs. Meir was talking also about peace and waving the. olive branch, the Mixed Armistice Commission condemned and strongly blamed Israel for the unprovoked attack by four Israel fighter planes on an Egyptian airliner. The Commission termed this aggression a flagrant breach of the General Armistice Agreement. This is only one of hundreds of instances.
25. It is common knowledge that the repetitious talk by Israel about peace is always followed by aggression. It is also a well-known fact that Israel has flouted all the United Nations resolutions on Palestine. It triggered the infamous war against Egypt in 1956. It has been formally indicted by the United Nations at least twenty-five times for aggression by its regular armed forces against the Arab countries, including the United Arab Republic. In spite of this aggressive record the Israel representative has the audacity to talk about peace.
26. I submit that the deeds of Israel belie its words. Before their empty talk about peace, let them abide by the United Nations resolutions and implement them. Before their empty talk about peace, let them stop their continuous aggression against the Arab countries and give the refugees their inalienable right to return to their homes.
27. Does the Algerian situation inspire optimism? For five years the Algerian people have been struggling with courage, and in a manner unprecedented in the entire history of the Asian and African nations, to regain their freedom from France. The Algerian people have the inherent right to decide their own fate — a right guaranteed to all mankind by the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To suppress this right by sheer force is a grave act of injustice.
28. The Algerian war has resulted in thousands of killed and wounded, and hundreds of thousands of refugees, mostly women, children, and elderly people, who were forced to flee their country.
29. In a speech by the President of the French Republic on 16 September 1959, an attempt was made to solve the Algerian problem. Though the French proposals are replete with loopholes, they nevertheless recognize the right of Algeria to self-determination. It is a step forward which we note with satisfaction, brought about solely by Algerian sacrifices in their determined struggle for freedom. However, the self-determination proposed by the French is dependent upon unconditional surrender. The brave Algerians, who have struggled so long for complete liberty, can never be induced to accept such a condition. Military men everywhere, including the Algerian freedom fighters, have their ideas of honour and obligation to the dead. From the Algerian point of view, surrender and laying-down of arms are unthinkable.
30. According to the French proposals, the plebiscite to be conducted for self-determination would take place within four years, at a time and duration of French choosing. The representative of France referred [814th meeting], in his opening speech, to this plebiscite as a free election.
31. Judging from past experience, we wish we could share his conviction. But even if such a plebiscite were conducted freely, the outcome of the plebiscite would be dependent ultimately upon the desire and consent of the French people. This is tantamount to negation of self-determination. And even if the French people should approve the Algerian choice for independence, Algeria, according to these proposals, will be visited by the colonial scourge of "partition". Any plan for partition would, as explained by President de Gaulle himself, include a French part, which will naturally comprise the most wealthy and fertile lands, including the Sahara oilfields.
32. The Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic has announced, on 28 September 1959, its reply to the French proposals. This reply was formulated after long and careful study, which indicated the Government's wise statesmanship and sense of responsibility. It declares that: "… the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic ... is the trustee and the guarantor of the interests of the Algerian people until this people shall freely pronounce itself. It directs and controls the resistance of the Algerian people and the liberating struggle of the Army of National Liberation. Thus, there can be a return to peace only with its accord. This peace can be immediate.” The Algerian Government's reply declares also Algeria's readiness “to enter into conversations with the French Government, in order to discuss the political and military conditions of a cease-fire and the conditions and guarantees of the application of self-determination". The Yemen delegation fully supports and endorses the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic in its wise and constructive reply to the French proposals.
33. Under these circumstances it is imperative that conversations should take place immediately, either with the Provisional Algerian Government, which is the legitimate representative of the Algerian people, or through the good offices of friendly nations, taking place within the United Nations or outside it.
34. Every year we emphasize in this Assembly the right of the Algerian people to self-determination. This right being now recognized by France, we should, this year, reach a final solution of the problem. Within the framework of the United Nations, through direct or indirect negotiations, we should bend every effort to reach agreement on cease-fire and on conditions and guarantees for a free and liberal plebiscite for self-determination. If this objective is realized during this session, it would be one of the most outstanding achievements of the United Nations.
35. There are sound reasons for optimism because we see the possible end of the long and protracted cold war. But is there such a climate of optimism in the Middle East? The only optimism in the Middle East depends on a large “if” in Algeria. But what about other regions? Is there any cause for optimism in Palestine and among its refugees, victims of a country that persists in its aggressions and refuses to implement the United Nations resolutions? Is there any cause for optimism in Oman and the Southern Yemeni territories, where nationalists clamouring for their unity and independence are subdued by brute force?
36. Let us then dedicate ourselves during this session to the solution of the problems besetting the people of the Middle East, in Palestine, in Algeria, in Oman, and in the Southern Yemeni territories and give them hope. If we succeed, then the optimism and hope, which are now prevailing in some parts of the world, would also dawn on the Middle East. Let us share our hopes so that our children shall inherit a peaceful earth.