Lebanon

First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, especially since you represent a brotherly country that has constantly shown solidarity with Lebanon and has played a key role in advancing agreement and mutual understanding in the Doha Agreement and in Lebanon’s reconstruction. I do this hoping that our deliberations will contribute to 29 11-50692 shedding light on rightful causes and buttressing the logic of justice. This year’s General Assembly is held in a context dominated by major Arab developments and the rightful Palestinian endeavour for the State of Palestine to be recognized and to obtain full membership in the United Nations. In addition, there are other issues such as the persistent tensions on the Korean peninsula, natural disasters that threaten different parts of the world and the persistence of the phenomenon of terrorism as we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 11 September attacks, which we strongly condemn. I stand before the General Assembly today as the representative of a country that since its inception has carried the message of freedom, concord and moderation. Lebanon strives to consecrate and consolidate that message, in spite of the challenges and threats, both in the East and the West, to models of coexistence and cultural diversity. In accordance with its Constitution, Lebanon is “a parliamentary democratic republic based on respect for civil liberties, especially the freedom of opinion and belief”. Moreover, “[t]he people are the source of authority and sovereignty; they shall exercise these powers through the constitutional institutions”. Indeed, Lebanon has committed itself to those principles, to the devolution of power and to the participation of all religious communities in the management of public affairs, in spite of the wars and aggression it has suffered over decades. Moreover, Lebanon has always been committed to respecting legitimate international decisions and resolutions, including those of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as the ministerial statements of the successive Lebanese Cabinets have asserted. Over the past months, the Arab region has witnessed events and mass popular movements calling for freedom, democracy and the establishment of the rule of law, rejecting authoritarianism, favouritism and corruption. Lebanese intellectuals, members of the media and activists have championed and laboured for every movement of reawakening in the Levant, to make the region a beacon of revitalization. Along with them, Lebanon welcomes any peaceful approach or means to achieve reform, to consecrate the principles of democracy, justice and modernity and to preserve human dignity and fundamental freedoms. Only through those principles and systems can security and peace for all segments of our societies be achieved and an environment conducive to sound human development be ensured. We must respond to the recent upwellings and changes in the Arab world in such a way that they serve its common good, foster its progress and dignity and prevent it from veering towards extremism, chaos, fragmentation and religious or sectarian division. At the same time, it must be brought to the attention of the international community that the wave of popular protest that has arisen in some Arab countries cannot be perceived as stemming simply from demands to improve living conditions. Therefore, allocating funds to support economic and social development in Arab countries undergoing transition is not by itself sufficient to promote democracy, moderation and openness. Indeed, means should be explored to dispel feelings of injustice and oppression rankling in the hearts of Arab peoples, who have been marginalized for decades, their development and growth impeded by Israeli practices and threats, on one hand, and by their exclusion from the tide of modernity and globalization, on the other. Any such approaches require serious, determined efforts — within the framework of an integrated process — to impose a just and comprehensive solution to all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East, based on international resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative in all its provisions. That would lay the foundation for a broader dialogue and understanding between the East and the West and among civilizations, cultures and religions. Such an understanding is historically overdue, after decades marked by feelings of injustice and hostility, destructive wars and missed opportunities. In that connection, it is important to underscore the right and just Palestinian effort to earn full recognition of the State of Palestine and for its full membership in the United Nations, in accordance with the right to self-determination. Lebanon will work for the success of those efforts, with the coordination and cooperation of brotherly and friendly countries. However, recognition of the Palestinian State and its accession to the United Nations, though greatly important, would neither restore full rights to the Palestinians nor represent a final solution to the Palestinian question. 11-50692 30 Until a final and just political solution to the question of Palestine is reached — one guaranteeing the Palestinian refugees’ right of return — the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) remains responsible for the relief of Palestinian refugees, in cooperation with the host countries. Along with our Palestinian brothers, Lebanon rejects any form of permanent settlement of those refugees. For that reason the UNRWA budget must be constantly maintained. The Agency must not be merged with other United Nations bodies, which would weaken its capacity. In another context, Lebanon has recognized the Libyan National Transitional Council, and it expects Libyan officials, with whom it is communicating for this purpose, to uncover the fate of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, who were made to disappear in Libya during an official visit in 1978. A few days ago, Lebanon hosted the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which concluded with the 2011 Beirut Declaration. That was a defining moment in the implementation of the Convention. Humanitarian considerations are at the heart of international concern about cluster munitions. The Meeting highlighted the terrible human fallout of those weapons, which were used heavily by Israel during its aggression of July 2006. To this day, those weapons threaten civilians on their farmlands and innocent children at play in open fields in South Lebanon. Israel should be condemned for its use of those weapons, and appropriate compensation should be demanded for the extensive property damage and harm to people it has caused Lebanon with those weapons. Israel should compensate as well for the overall damage caused by its repeated aggression against Lebanon, including damage caused by the oil slick that resulted from the Israeli bombardment of the Jiyeh Power Station in the summer of 2006. On the fifth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), Lebanon reiterates its commitment to persevere in implementing that resolution. Lebanon calls once again on the international community to bring pressure to bear on Israel to abide by all its provisions. Those provisions require Israel to halt its daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty and to withdraw immediately from Lebanese territories that it still occupies in the northern part of Al-Ghajar village, the Shaba’a farms and the hills of Kfar Shouba. Furthermore, Israel must cease its persistent threats against Lebanon and its infrastructure and its endeavours to destabilize the country through its spying networks and recruitment of agents. Meanwhile, we maintain our right to liberate or retrieve all of our occupied territories through all legitimate available means. On the other hand, we emphasize that we strongly uphold our full sovereign and economic rights over our territorial waters and exclusive economic zone and our freedom to exploit our natural resources, be they on land or in the deep sea, free from any designs or threats. We have addressed to the Secretary-General an extensive correspondence setting out the boundaries of our territorial waters and the legitimacy of our territorial rights. Specifically, we laid out the geographic coordinates of the southern and south- western borders of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone. We raised particular objections to Israeli violations and aggression that violate those rights. Furthermore, as we warned against any initiative to exploit the resources of the disputed maritime zones, we asked the Secretary-General to take all measures he deems appropriate to avoid any conflict. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the crucial role in south Lebanon of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) carried out in coordination and full cooperation with the Lebanese Army. I would also like to commend the dedication of UNIFIL commanders and staff in carrying out the mission they have been entrusted with, as well as the immense sacrifices they have made in the service of peace. While we thank those countries that have contributed military personnel and material for their continued commitment, in spite of the challenges they have encountered, we also firmly condemn the terrorist attacks in recent months on international forces, particularly the French and Italian battalions. We are working earnestly to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice and to prevent any recurrence of such incidents. The United Nations has played an ever-growing role in maintaining international peace and security and in intervening to resolve disputes in many troubled regions of the world. So far, however, it has been 31 11-50692 unable to show effectiveness in the Middle East, where grave dangers still threaten international peace and security as a result of Israel’s ongoing defiance of resolutions of international legitimacy; its unacceptable rejection of the basic conditions required for peace; and its persistence in conducting abusive practices in Gaza and the occupied territories, such as the illegal construction of settlements and violations of human rights. This demands that negotiations on reform of the Security Council come to fruition, so that the Council can be brought more into line with the new geopolitical situation and be capable of ensuring the implementation of its binding resolutions. In conclusion, as we celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day this year, we must take greater advantage of the potential and talents of half of humankind, rather than merely seeking to enshrine gender equality in principle. Women are making an enormous contribution to raising and educating the younger generation, promoting peace, reducing poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation, and promoting sustainable development opportunities. The general debate in the Assembly is an occasion for all of us to renew the vows we made in 1945 in order to address the challenges and crises facing us — by working through institutions of international legitimacy and agreed collective solutions, in conformity with the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations, its resolutions and the provisions of international law, provided that they are based on the spirit of justice and avoid double standards. History has taught us that this choice is the one and only reasonable solution.