The
sixty-third session of the General Assembly is taking
place against the backdrop of various international and
regional events and developments that are closely
linked to the peace and security of all humankind.
Among those are the global food crisis, the increase in
energy prices, global warming and climate change and
their negative and catastrophic repercussions for the
entire world, the global economic downturn that is
bordering on being a worldwide recession, the sharp
global increase in poverty, our diminishing collective
ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), the rising rate of infection with HIV, malaria
and other deadly diseases, and the fight against
terrorism. Egypt believes that all those challenges, as
well as others, are high priorities on the international
agenda. Their diagnosis and treatment require a
concerted international effort. We must all be fully
aware that jointly overcoming those problems depends
upon our collective diagnosis and our united stand in
addressing them.
We need a new approach, vision and
methodology to deal with global problems.
Unfortunately, the existing frameworks have proven
incapable of dealing successfully and effectively with
the challenges under consideration. As an example,
Egypt believes that the global food and energy crises
require serious dialogue between importers and
exporters of energy and food. President Mubarak called
for such a dialogue at the recent African Union Summit
and at the Rome meeting of the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO).
The channels currently available for addressing
and resolving the problems of food and energy are at
odds with each another, to say nothing of the fact that
none of them can provide for a genuine and meaningful
dialogue between importers and exporters. It was for
that reason that President Mubarak was keenly
interested in participating effectively in the emergency
summit convened by FAO, to which I have referred, on
the question of the rising price and availability of
foodstuffs.
Along the same lines, President Mubarak has
strongly supported the African endeavour to adopt a
clear strategy to tackle that phenomenon. In turn, that
led to the adoption of the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration
at the last African Union Summit, which contains
Africa’s comprehensive vision for addressing the
matter. Egypt has also supported the strategy put
forward by the Secretary-General to deal with the
issue. We have also called for utilizing that strategy as
the basis for more effective international action.
In an effort to translate the growing international
concern into an integrated plan of action to address that
phenomenon, Chile, Indonesia and Egypt have
proposed that that question and its repercussions
should be a main theme at this session of the General
Assembly. In that connection, I would like to thank the
President for his positive response to our initiative and
also for including the issue of strengthening
international democratic action at the United Nations.
By the same token, urgently establishing
collective international political will is necessary to
deal with climate change. As one of the countries
vulnerable to the repercussions of that phenomenon,
Egypt is acutely aware of its gravity. While reiterating
our full support for the Bali Plan of Action and Road
Map, we call for focused international attention on the
issue of categorizing low-lying coastlines, which
applies to Egypt. A list of the States most vulnerable to
climate change is needed so the United Nations and the
international community can provide them with the
necessary support as a matter of priority, including
technological and financial support.
Based on our belief in globally addressing those
urgent economic challenges, Egypt and Norway are
facilitating the current negotiations at the United
Nations on the final document of the Review
Conference on the Implementation of the Monterrey
Consensus on Financing for Development. The goal is
to amend the international development agenda for the
upcoming stage, while taking into consideration the
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agreements reached in all the international meetings
and conferences held thus far.
Egypt believes that using language that implies
double standards is an affront to human rights. Despite
the fact that everyone is adamant in declaring that
human rights constitute an indivisible whole, the
reality, which we need to change, is that economic,
social and cultural rights are not, unfortunately,
accorded the same attention as civil and political
rights. That adversely affects public perception in
many of our societies, in particular those that face dire,
and occasionally destructive, economic and living
conditions. For such people, talking incessantly about
human rights is a luxury they cannot afford, and results
in the neglect of their basic requirements for
sustenance. The promotion of economic and social
rights must therefore be viewed as crucial to
strengthening the human rights regime, which is
essential to promoting the awareness and practice of
the components of that regime.
In that regard, I wish to discuss the important
question of using the concept of freedom of expression
to incite hatred based on religion. With the utmost
respect for the value and importance of freedom of
expression, I emphasize that we reject repeated affronts
to religions and holy symbols being portrayed as a
legitimate exercise of freedom of expression: there are
many glaring slogans in whose name crimes have been
committed against thousands and millions of people by
offending them and their religious beliefs. Egypt calls
upon everybody to consider this matter judiciously and
objectively with a view to striking the proper balance
that protects freedom of expression while respecting
the rights and sentiments of all. Egypt will continue to
seek such a balance, with the aim of reaching a
consensus on the content of draft United Nations
resolutions on this matter.
Here, I wish to convey to the Assembly that we
are concerned by the unconstructive cultural friction
that the world is witnessing, which causes severe
divergence in opinion and action; this in turn inflames
public emotions and increases the nature and severity
of the polarization and confrontation between the
followers of different cultures and creeds. This matter
must not be ignored.
The international community’s approach to
disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation is
marred by defects, double standards and regression.
This is a matter of concern for us. Egypt has always
shown great interest in these matters, as best embodied
in Egypt’s call to rid the Middle East of all weapons of
mass destruction. Our interest in this matter is based on
our unwavering belief that security and military
balance, especially in conflict areas, contributes to
laying solid foundations for peace between countries
and peoples.
However, achieving genuine peace and security
in any region requires, among other things, the
establishment of just and parallel international and
regional mechanisms in the areas of disarmament, arms
control and non-proliferation. It is notable that,
unfortunately, prominent members of the international
community are unduly lax regarding Israel’s nuclear
capability and the extent to which this constantly
threatens the security of the Middle East. This occurs
as attempts are being made to enhance the obligations
included in international mechanisms without paying
attention to the issue of achieving the universality of
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons and subjecting all nuclear facilities in the
Middle East to the comprehensive safeguards system of
the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Egypt will nonetheless persist in its endeavours,
through existing mechanisms and forums and in
coordination with friendly States that understand the
reality and danger of the situation, in order to change it
and to warn of the danger that failing to achieve
universality for the NPT in the Middle East would
entail.
In my statement today, I have given precedence
to international over regional issues. This in no way
diminishes the significance of crises, problems and
difficulties at the regional level. Rather, it reaffirms the
importance that Egypt attaches to the international
situation and international problems in general.
At the regional level, as members know, Egypt is
persistently involved in painstaking efforts to keep
open a window of hope that would allow the
Palestinians to achieve their legitimate ambition to
gain an independent State on the Palestinian territories
occupied on 5 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its
capital. The current situation, thanks to the efforts of
the United States, might suggest to some that there is
hope for a real settlement between the Israelis and
Palestinians before the end of the year. However,
through diligent monitoring of the situation, we
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understand that achieving a just and lasting settlement
of the conflict — one that provides an opportunity to
end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and to
bring about a Palestinian State — requires serious
political will on the part of Israel. This must include
the dismantlement of settlements in tandem with
withdrawal from the land, and the restoration of
Palestinian rights.
However, I must admit that we are sceptical about
the strength of the will and conviction of Israeli
decision makers. Hence the procrastination and
setbacks, as well as the hesitation in settling issues.
This is what leads to the widely condemned and
politically loaded settlement activities, which clearly
indicate the regression and weakness of the Israeli
side’s will for peace. This is also the reason for the
prolongation of the conflict, with its consequences that
the whole world knows only too well. But we in Egypt
will not lose hope; we will continue to work with
everyone in order to achieve the objectives of justice,
stability and security for the whole region.
The situation in the Sudan also remains
disconcerting in the light of ongoing developments. We
have observed numerous foreign hands interfering with
Sudan’s security and stability, as if their objective were
to drive that country towards partition. In this context,
I would like to affirm that Egypt is working sincerely
with all loyal Sudanese parties, at the forefront of them
the Sudanese Government, in order to settle existing
problems. Allow me to note, in particular, the situation
in Darfur, which remains difficult, and the significant
Egyptian participation in the United Nations
peacekeeping force there, as well as our participation
in all dialogue forums that aim to settle the crisis. I
should also note our call for an international meeting to
address the crisis and to agree on a road map to end it.
Stability in the Sudan requires outside parties to refrain
from interfering in Sudanese affairs, just as it requires
support for the development process in that country.
Egypt will continue its diligent efforts to achieve the
interests of our brothers in the Sudan as well as the
country’s and the region’s unity and stability.
In our region, the concept of regional security
should be construed broadly, and the security of the
Arab Gulf — which is currently in the international
spotlight — is one of Egypt’s principal concerns, not
only because of Egypt’s close relations with the
countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but
also because of what Egypt represents in terms of
strategic depth for its Arab brothers and sisters of the
Gulf. Therefore, we follow closely all developments in
the region, in particular the recurrent discourse about
“new arrangements” there. We affirm that Egypt is
working in coordination with members of the GCC
with a view to protecting Arab national security and
ensuring that any such arrangements — if they come
into existence — will represent true security guarantees
for all parties.
A great deal of work lies ahead of us at this
session. This requires open minds and outstretched
hands in order to meet the demands and aspirations of
our peoples for freedom, justice, dignity, security and
peace. Egypt will work throughout this session to
advance the components of our vision for the
international and regional situation, which I have just
elucidated.
All of us bear the responsibility for this, just as
we shall all bear the consequences and the results. We
pledge to work with dedication and sincerity for a
successful session under your able presidency, Sir.