Sudan

I should like to begin my statement with a quotation from the Koran: “O mankind! We created You from a single (pair) Of a male and a female, And made you into Nations and tribes, that Ye may know each other (Not that ye may despise (Each other). Verily The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah Is (he who is) the most Righteous of you.” (The Holy Koran, XLIX:13) Peace be upon you. I should like at the outset to congratulate Mr. Julian Hunte on his well-deserved election to the presidency of the General Assembly at this session. I should also like to express the gratitude of my delegation to his predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan. We would like to express our appreciation for the important role that the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, continues to play in revitalizing the work of the Organization. In this connection, we welcome his ideas regarding the institutional reform of the Organization. I would also like to take this opportunity to express to the United Nations our heartfelt condolences for the untimely deaths of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues. When I addressed the Assembly from this rostrum last year, I made clear that my Government and my country were eager to achieve peace in the Sudan. I am very pleased, therefore, to inform the 23 Assembly that our words have been matched with deeds, and peace is now on the horizon — peace that will put an end to an armed conflict that has squandered the human and natural resources of the country and hindered the development of the Sudanese people. My country has continuously reiterated its desire for dialogue and negotiation with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army Movement (SPLM). Our efforts, together with those of the mediators, have been continuing for more than 10 years and have recently been crowned with success in the form of an agreement by both parties as a result of an initiative put forward by the countries of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, under the patronage of the sisterly country, Kenya, and with much appreciated positive support by the IGAD partners. At the most recent round of negotiations, His Excellency Mr. Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, First Vice- President, led the Government delegation, and Mr. John Garang led the SPLM delegation. Four days ago, it resulted in an agreement on security arrangements and the extension of a ceasefire. It is expected that that agreement will pave the way for a final round of negotiations that will lead to just and lasting peace throughout the Sudan as soon as possible. I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the IGAD member countries for the role they played in the Sudan peace process, under the stewardship of the President of Kenya and his special envoy. Our thanks and appreciation also go to IGAD partners, namely the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy and Norway. We would like to express particular gratitude for the positive intervention of the Government of the United States of America at the most critical juncture in the negotiation process. We also appreciate the considerable efforts that Egypt and Libya have continued to make in the interests of peace in the Sudan, as well as those of the Arab League and the African Union. We are confident that Members will understand how important the ceasefire agreement is for the humanitarian situation. The report of the Secretary- General on the humanitarian situation in the Sudan demonstrates the extent of the progress made in this area. Next month will mark the one-year anniversary of the cessation of hostilities. Peace remains a basic requirement for the rehabilitation of the areas affected by war and will allow for the transition from humanitarian relief to comprehensive sustainable development. We would like to reiterate our full conviction that the peace, security and stability of the countries of the region are directly linked with peace in the Sudan. That is why my country has endeavoured to heal the wounds of the past in its relations with neighbouring countries, in particular Egypt and Ethiopia. Our relationship with those two countries has moved beyond the reconciliation stage; we now have exemplary strategic security ties with them, thereby protecting the interests of our peoples and consolidating peace and security in the entire region. We would like to express gratitude to our friends and brothers and to the United Nations in general for their humanitarian assistance during the conflict. We call upon the international community to help in the post-conflict reconstruction of our country and the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons and refugees, and to assist in the achievement of sustainable development in support of the fledgling peace. It gives me great pleasure to tell the Assembly that we have made appreciable constitutional achievements that will open the door wide for participation by all the Sudanese people in all areas of political life. Economic plans and policies adopted by the Government have started to bear fruit, whether in the form of reduced levels of inflation, high rates of growth or the stabilization of exchange rates. We will continue to enhance those policies with a view to reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development within the framework of the 25-year comprehensive development strategy for the period 2003-2027. In his report on the work of the Organization, the Secretary-General reminded us that, as the challenges facing us change, so must we alter our methods of dealing with them. It is high time, therefore, that we summon the political will to reform the Security Council by dealing with the double issues of membership and the right of veto so as to make it more representative and democratic in its membership and in its decision-making. While touching on Security Council reform, we warmly welcome Council 24 resolution 1506 (2003), which lifted the sanctions imposed against fraternal Libya. In that connection, we wish to stress the need to lift all unilateral sanctions, used as a means for the political and economic coercion of States. We urge the Security Council not to be quick to impose sanctions on countries, particularly the developing countries, because of their adverse impact on their people. The high-level participation at this session to discuss various international issues is clear evidence of the General Assembly’s importance. We strongly support its efforts to rearrange its priorities and agenda items, in order to improve the administrative and procedural aspects of its work, to enhance its relations with the Security Council, the highest organ in the United Nations, to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and to face ongoing challenges. Another challenge of great concern to us lately is the increasing acts of terrorism. Terrorist acts that occurred in various parts of the world last year clearly prove that no country is immune to terrorism. All of us, regardless of our religion or beliefs, could be the victims of such crimes. As I mentioned earlier, terrorism has no religion or country. Hence, in order to face this grave threat, we need to reach an international consensus on its definition, root causes and means to combat it, under the auspices of our international Organization. In that context, we express our support for the call of His Excellency Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to convene an international conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, to address the issue of terrorism. In the context of its international and regional role, the Sudan will have the honour next year to host the Non-Aligned Movement ministerial conference. We hope that the conference will consider issues of collective security and challenges. The deteriorating socio-economic situation of the least developed countries requires the international community to make every effort to extricate them from the labyrinth of poverty, hunger and disease. Our experience in the Sudan has proved that, regardless of their endeavours, the least developed countries cannot achieve the objectives of the Brussels Programme of Action without substantial assistance from their development partners. I commend the tireless efforts of the High Representative of the Secretary-General for the Least Developed Countries in mobilizing international support for initiatives on the subject. We join the appeal to the international community by His Excellency Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of Mozambique, as Chairman of the African Union, to extend support and assistance to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the framework adopted by the African continent and endorsed by the United Nations and donor countries as a tool for coping with development challenges in the continent. I am pleased to inform members that the Sudan, as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), has tried its best to formulate policies and take steps that will further consolidate and promote links of cooperation between EGAD and COMESA member States. Such efforts are in line with the NEPAD initiative aimed at achieving peace, development and prosperity for the peoples of the entire African continent. To that end, a number of specialized conferences have been convened in the Sudan to address issues of economic cooperation, disarmament and combating terrorism, as well as issues of internally displaced persons and refugees, all with the aim of attaining the NEPAD goals. Another agenda item subject that we think will negatively impact the future of humankind if not properly addressed is that of human cloning, which is now at the centre of a heated scientific, religious, legal and ethical debate. The Sudan strongly supports the call for an international convention against the reproductive cloning of human beings. We also condemn all medical ventures that disdain human dignity and the sanctity of the Creator. Statements over the past few days clearly demonstrate the keen interest of the international community in maintaining international peace and security. While adding our voice to those calling for the revitalization of multilateral diplomacy, we also call for the prompt handling of the critical security and humanitarian situation in Iraq. Furthermore, we call for the empowerment of our Iraqi brothers so that they may exercise their right to sovereignty, as guaranteed to them by international law, and live in peace and harmony with their neighbours. It gives me pleasure to remind the Assembly of the important resolution adopted a few weeks ago by the Council of Ministers of the League of Arab States, which recognized the 25 transitional Governing Council of Iraq. Such recognition is a significant step that will, hopefully, enable Iraq to regain its sovereignty and to play its regional and international role. The question of Palestine has been a deep concern to the human conscience. For more than five decades, it has been a major threat to international peace and security. We have been firmly convinced that Israel’s maintenance of a huge military presence, its aggression and its killing and suppression of the Palestinian people, will only aggravate a situation that is already deteriorating. The only viable way to achieve peace is to adhere to the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and international law. The international community, particularly the influential parties in the peace process, are urged to exert pressure on Israel. The conflict in Somalia has been a bleeding wound in the Horn of Africa and the time has come to stop that painful bleeding. We call upon the leaders of all Somali factions to join hands to preserve the unity and stability of their country, and to achieve development and prosperity for their people, in order to protect them from the scourge of war and fighting. We remain confident that the neighbouring and other interested countries will spare no effort to help reach an agreement that will preserve the unity, security and stability of Somalia. The Sudan is now a genuine partner in the international efforts aimed at the prohibition of chemical weapons. One of the significant roles played by the Sudan in that regard was its hosting last August of the First Conference of the African National Authorities of the Chemical Weapons Convention States Parties. We are committed to implementing the recommendations adopted at the conference, particularly to creating a chemical-weapon-free zone in Africa and to enhancing international cooperation in the peaceful use of chemical materials. I call upon the international community to make renewed efforts to declare the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons and of all other weapons of mass destruction. That inflamed region must abide by international agreements banning nuclear weapons. The nuclear facilities of all States, without exception and with complete fairness, must be subjected to the comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Here we recall, shortly after its fifth anniversary, the unjust bombing of the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical and veterinary factory by the former United States Administration which claimed that it was used to manufacture weapons. It was a baseless accusation, as Members are aware, that has been refuted by American scientific and academic institutions before relevant international organizations. The Sudan’s complaint is still alive in the Security Council. In that connection, I call upon the current United States Administration to rectify the serious mistake that it inherited from its predecessor, by compensating the Sudan morally and financially. I hope that before the end of this session my country will finally bid farewell to the longest African conflict, an achievement that would enable the Sudan to play its role at the regional level and to contribute to the stability and sustainable development of the African continent. In conclusion, I reaffirm our deep conviction that the United Nations is the sole, irreplaceable mechanism for administering and promoting international cooperation in all fields. Therefore, we should distance the United Nations from serving narrow interests and from attempts to exploit it to pursue special agendas. In that connection, we express our readiness and our commitment to assist the United Nations system in achieving the lofty goals enshrined in the Charter.