First, I
would like to extend to Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
and our brotherly country, Qatar, my sincere
congratulations on his election as President of the
11-51390 24
General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. We are
deeply confident that he will contribute actively to the
success of its work. I would also like to express my
gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Joseph Deiss for his
laudable and tireless efforts as President at the
preceding session of the Assembly.
I take this opportunity to again congratulate
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his reappointment
to a second term. We are ready and determined to
provide all possible support to ensure the success of
the plan, to be announced in the coming weeks,
detailing his vision of the priorities of the Organization
over the next five years.
On behalf of my country, Tunisia, I would like
also to welcome the sisterly Republic of South Sudan
to the United Nations and wish the new State
prosperity and progress and its leaders great success in
their noble mission.
Allow me to pay tribute from this rostrum to the
memory of the martyrs and youths of Tunisia’s valid
and peaceful revolution, a revolution for freedom and
dignity that brought the Arab Spring to the world. This
historic event infused new hope into the conscience of
humankind, which yearns for justice and democracy
and places the highest value on freedom and human
rights.
This spontaneous revolution — which had no real
political or ideological leadership and did not involve
any foreign intervention — has indeed succeeded in
putting an end to one of the most dictatorial regimes in
our region. The revolution exposed its practices and
those of similar regimes, which in their hysterical lust
for power blocked all political views, stifled freedom
of expression and deprived young people of their hope
for a better future, self-fulfilment and effective
participation in political, economic and social life.
What happened in Tunisia is but the natural
outgrowth of decades of tension and frustration. At the
same time, it expressed the aspirations of its people to
live in dignity and freedom. It was a decisive turning
point in the country’s history that enabled us to regain
our natural place in the community of nations and
powers. It exemplified the strength of the common
human values of freedom, democracy, tolerance, equal
opportunities and respect for human rights, in all of
their aspects.
Today, having removed all obstacles to its
political, economic, social and cultural progress,
Tunisia is at a turning point in its history and is on the
threshold of a new stage. It yearns for the
establishment of a genuine democracy, founded on
strong guarantees that uphold the people’s sovereignty
and enable them to exercise their rights and determine
their destiny in a political system that is truly
pluralistic and that enjoys peaceful transition of power,
in accordance with the objectives of the glorious
revolution and the faithful memories of our brave
martyrs.
In seeking to achieve the goals of the revolution,
the provisional Tunisian Government has made every
effort to preserve all mechanisms needed to restore
stability and security in the country, ensure the
continuity of the State and its institutions and protect
the interests of all segments of society.
We have therefore created the Higher Authority
for the Protection of the Revolution, Political Reform
and Democratic Transition. It brings together a range
of political views and orientations, as well as
representatives of civil society and national
organizations. It has been entrusted with drawing up a
road map to ensure a successful transitional period in a
consensus-based and harmonious atmosphere.
The work of the Higher Authority, along with the
consultations it held with the various national parties,
resulted in a balanced and integrated plan of action
from the legal and practical perspectives. This strategy
will map out Tunisia’s political future in accordance
with the aspirations of its people for a democratic,
peaceful and quiet transition.
The main features of this strategy were evidenced
in the interim President’s decision to suspend the
Tunisian Constitution, dissolve the two chambers of
Parliament and establish a provisional public
administration comprised of an interim President and a
provisional Government. This Government, whose
competence and integrity are well known, will be
responsible for running national affairs until a national
constituent assembly is elected. The latter will draft a
new constitution and establish a legal framework for
the upcoming transitional period and thereby gain
credibility in the eyes of the people.
Important strides have thus been made in
preparations for the national constituent assembly
elections, to be held on 23 October. We will spare no
25 11-51390
effort to enable the Tunisian people to elect their
representatives in a popular, free, pluralistic,
transparent and fair fashion.
We have established an independent higher
national authority to monitor the various stages of the
electoral process and have endowed it with the
necessary legal foundations and financial support so
that it can fulfil its mission independently and
effectively under the best possible conditions. This
highlights the fairness of our national approach and the
clear vision of the political actors involved.
In that respect, it is worth recalling that for the
first time in its history, Tunisia has adopted by
consensus the principle of mandatory parity in its voter
registries. That will enable us to maximize the potential
of Tunisian society, men and women alike, and to
preserve the well-deserved position held so
competently by women in the fabric of Tunisian
society. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of the Netherlands, made a comment in that regard a
few minutes ago.
In parallel with the progress made in the political
field, the provisional Government is pursuing its
comprehensive reforms in all sectors and fields.
Upholding human rights and protecting public
freedoms are the Government’s highest priorities.
Tunisia believes deeply in the universal values of
solidarity, justice and international cooperation. In that
respect, we urgently appeal to the entire international
community, including Governments, international and
regional organizations and civil society activists, to
lend their support to our country’s efforts to repatriate
the assets stolen from the Tunisian people by the
former President and all of his family members and in-
laws. The Tunisian people have the right to those funds
and are in urgent need of them during this critical
period fraught with tremendous economic and social
challenges.
Tunisia also calls on all States that have received
requests for extradition of persons involved in those
crimes to respond positively to those legitimate
requests. That will allow Tunisian justice to hold
accountable all those who committed crimes against
the Tunisian people, within the framework of a fair
trial that guarantees the rights of the defendant under
Tunisian law and international instruments.
We thank the friendly, kindred countries that have
responded favourably to those requests. We hope that
all States will efficiently and swiftly respond to
Tunisia’s requests, pursuant to the noble principles of
international cooperation and solidarity and to ensure
that the values of justice, equality and fairness before
the law will be respected by all.
The Government of Tunisia, with the support of
national and international economic actors, has
responded to the challenges generated by the delicate
post-revolutionary situation, including its negative
effects on our national economy. Humanitarian and
economic conditions related to the crisis in sisterly
Libya have further complicated the situation and
hampered our Government’s task. Creating jobs,
reducing the unemployment rate and eliminating social
and economic disparities have become major
challenges of the country.
Tunisia has been endowed with many national
assets that will enable us to achieve our goals. We face
numerous challenges in our endeavours for a
democratic transition and for economic and social
development, including the economic recession, which
is apparent in certain areas. Therefore our country
remains in need of continuous support and assistance
from the international community.
I would like to seize this opportunity to convey
my special thanks to the Group of Eight and the
international and regional financial institutions that did
not hesitate to support Tunisia’s democratic transition
and economic revival processes, especially within the
framework of the Deauville Partnership. I would also
like to thank United Nations bodies, regional groups
and friendly and sisterly countries for their precious
contributions, whether in assisting the successful
democratic transition or reducing the impact of the
economic crisis in Tunisia and its social repercussions.
I also welcome the seminal efforts of States and
organizations alike for their assistance in responding to
the massive influx of hundreds of thousands refugees
into Tunisia following the events that occurred in
kindred Libya. Tunisia’s deep integration into its
regional and international surroundings is a top priority
for our foreign policy, which we are keen to develop
through good relations with all States and
organizations, based on cooperation, mutual respect,
good-neighbourliness and respect for common
interests.
11-51390 26
Tunisia considers relations with its immediate
neighbours — the countries of the Arab Maghreb
Union — especially important. We reiterate our call for
resumed coordination among all of the Union’s
member States to initiate a new phase of promoting
integration through the establishment of durable and
joint institutions, mainly in development and the
economy, for the benefit of all of the peoples of our
region.
In speaking of our Maghreb region, I take the
opportunity to pay tribute also to the kindred Libyan
people and to reiterate the warm respect and
congratulations of the Tunisian people for their
victorious revolution. It represents a crucial, historic
change in the region that will pave the way for the
emergence of a democratic political system in Libya.
Those developments will have a profound, positive
impact on Tunisian-Libyan relations and on the
establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union.
As an Arab, Islamic and African country, Tunisia
remains proud and deeply attached to its various
origins. It will continue to support the political and
regional organizations and groupings of which it is a
member, as well as its economic and development
partnerships.
Tunisia will remain faithful to mutual action
within the Arab forum and to supporting the issues of
concern to the League of Arab States, including the
cause of Palestine.
Tunisia reaffirms its unwavering and principled
position in support for its Palestinian brothers and
sisters and for their request for full recognition as a
State Member of the United Nations, as expressed by
the President of the Palestinian Authority,
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, before the Assembly this past
Friday (see ). Tunisia thus calls on the
international community to support the legitimate
Palestinian bid for full membership in the United
Nations, as well as its territorial integrity as an
independent State within legally recognized borders,
with the Holy City of Jerusalem as its capital. At the
same time, Tunisia strongly condemns the unjust
embargo imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip and its
recent military aggression there, which resulted in
many innocent victims.
While congratulating the kindred Egyptian people
for their young peoples’ successful revolution based on
their legitimate aspirations for freedom and dignity,
Tunisia expresses its hope that peace and stability will
be restored in Syria and Yemen in order to meet the
aspirations of their peoples for democracy, freedom
and reforms. In parallel, Tunisia reaffirms its rejection
of any attempt to exploit the situation in those two
friendly countries. Tunisia reiterates its call to end the
Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan and the
remaining occupied Lebanese territories, in accordance
with international law.
As an African country, Tunisia attaches particular
importance to its geographic position in the continent
and to its belief in the importance of geographic
integration and strengthened cooperation and solidarity
with the sisterly African countries. Tunisia remains
faithful to enhancing this belief while reaffirming
respect for the principles and objectives of the African
Union and its unwavering support for all initiatives
aimed at promoting development in the continent and
preserving its peace and stability and its capabilities.
Given the strategic importance of its relations
with the European Union, Tunisia will further enhance
those relations with an eye to establishing a closely
knit partnership based on mutual respect and common
interests. Here, Tunisia expresses its hope that the
European Union and all of the friendly European
countries will be among the first to support the
Tunisian people and to assist them in the successful
implementation of their transitional phase in the
political, financial and economical sectors.
Tunisia will also strengthen cooperation in its
relations with the countries and the peoples of the
Mediterranean under the Union for the Mediterranean.
Our country attaches a particular importance also
to fostering its relations with Australia, Latin American
and the Asian countries, as well as with their major
regional groups, within the framework of an open and
balanced foreign policy approach aimed at establishing
a multifaceted partnership.
Tunisia will strive to re-establish its position
within the United Nations in a way that reflects its
peoples’ awareness and aspirations as well as its rich
history and positive contributions in its international
relations. In that context, we highlight our commitment
to the principles of international law and international
legitimacy and call for launching the process of
reforming the United Nations, mainly through
enlargement of the Security Council’s membership in
27 11-51390
order to ensure permanent representation of the African
continent.
Tunisia’s provisional Government welcomed the
convening by the General Assembly, in July 2011, of
the High-level Meeting on Youth and its outcome
document (resolution 65/312), which contains
important recommendations reflecting the aspirations
of young people throughout the world and based on the
awareness that unemployment had become a universal
phenomenon and thus one of the major challenges. We
reiterate our call to all concerned parties to develop a
global strategy to fight unemployment.
While organizing the elections to the National
Constituent Assembly next October is a priority for our
country, we reiterate our adherence to regional and
international commitments and responsibilities. We
reaffirm our work, as a peace-loving country, for
international legality and to uphold the principles and
values of the United Nations. We are determined to
play an active and vital role in international relations,
in line with the aspirations of our people, who have
conducted a peaceful revolution to recover their rights,
freedom and dignity.