I should
like at the outset to congratulate Mr. Ali Abdussalam
Treki on his election as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fourth session and to express my
appreciation to his predecessor, Father Miguel
d’Escoto Brockmann, for his efforts. I should also like
to thank in particular His Excellency the Secretary-
General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his comprehensive
annual report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1)
and for the special attention that he has consistently
devoted to the concerns of Lebanon and its people.
Lebanon closely follows all political, economic,
social and legal issues on the agenda of the General
Assembly, and we are hopeful and confident that we
will be elected as a non-permanent member of the
Security Council for the period 2010-2011, with the
full support of brotherly and friendly nations in that
regard. Lebanon looks forward to that election with
great confidence, because we are a founding member
of this universal international Organization and
contributed significantly to the drafting of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For thousands of years, the people of Lebanon
have made vital contributions to the development of
civilization, including innovations that have promoted
communication, interaction and dialogue among
nations and peoples. These are the same people who set
sail in search of new horizons of cooperation and
communication and have played a vital role in
spreading the values of freedom and democracy,
reinforcing the concept of Arab nationalism and
establishing the pillars of the intellectual and literary
renaissance of the Arab world.
Today, from this rostrum, Lebanon reaffirms its
commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and
to the resolutions of international legitimacy, in
particular Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), as
well as its willingness to contribute seriously and
responsibly to the deliberations and resolutions of the
Council for the coming two years, especially those
aimed at ensuring peace and security in the Middle
East. Furthermore, Lebanon will give special
consideration to the deliberations on reform of the
United Nations and its organs that will enable it to
become more effective in addressing the challenges of
today’s world.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the
Lebanese Constitution, which was adopted in 1926,
two decades before the United Nations was established,
stipulates that “There shall be absolute freedom of
conscience. The State ... shall respect all religions and
creeds and guarantees under its protection, and the free
exercise of all religious rites”.
09-52463 16
The model of coexistence embodied by Lebanon,
which allows various confessional communities to
participate actively in its political life in an
environment of democracy and freedom of thought and
expression, runs counter to all trends towards ethnic or
religious cleansing and doctrines of the single-thought
theory. That is why, last year, I called for the
establishment of Lebanon as an internationally
recognized centre for dialogue among civilizations,
cultures and religions, in keeping with our role as a
bridge of communication between East and West and
our message as a country in which 18 different
communities interact in a unique and exemplary
manner.
One of the primary tasks entrusted to the Security
Council is to strive to maintain international peace and
security. Indeed, it is very unfortunate that the Arab
Middle East, a region that gave rise to the three
monotheistic religions, has been an area of tension,
conflict and war ever since the Nakba, the tragedy that
befell Palestine in 1948 and displaced its people.
Any settlement of the Middle East crisis must be
based on a predetermined and comprehensive plan
whose basic elements have been set out in the
resolutions of international legitimacy, at the Madrid
Peace Conference and in the Arab Peace Initiative.
Above all, such a settlement requires the genuine
political will of the parties to commit themselves to
peace and its obligations.
However, the Israeli side has not demonstrated
such will, because the soundness and usefulness of a
just peace are still being discussed both by the
Government and at the grass-roots level in Israel.
Furthermore, Israeli threats of attacks and wars
continue as ways to exert control and hegemony and
impose a fait accompli, if not to bring about expansion,
displacement and further encroachment on the rights of
Palestinians and Arabs. Meanwhile, Arab countries
have together introduced a comprehensive Peace
Initiative, which was unanimously adopted at the 2002
Arab League Summit, held in Beirut.
It is thus essential that the international
community take appropriate measures to compel Israel
to fulfil its international obligations under the peace
process within a specific and reasonable time frame, in
accordance with the Declaration of the recent Arab
League Summit held in Doha, Qatar. How can we
persuade our peoples that the international community
is capable of achieving a just and comprehensive peace
and thus of putting an end to the various aspects of the
Middle East conflict, including through an Israeli
withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the
establishment of an independent and sovereign
Palestinian State with Al-Quds as its capital, if it
cannot force Israel to halt its settlement construction,
lift its unjust siege on Gaza and stop the Judaization of
Jerusalem?
In that context, it is important to note that people
have the right to reclaim their occupied territories by
all legitimate and available means, in accordance with
the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and
the relevant United Nations resolutions. Everyone here
knows how Lebanon was able to liberate most of its
territories occupied by Israel in the spring of 2000 after
Israel had refused to implement resolution 425 (1978),
which called for its immediate and unconditional
withdrawal from all Lebanese territories. That
occupation lasted 22 continuous years.
Our meeting this year coincides with the sixtieth
anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA). On this occasion, Lebanon would
like to stress that the Palestinian refugees’ solution is
first and foremost a political solution. We fully support
all efforts aimed at reinforcing the programmes and
capabilities of UNRWA, enabling it to improve the
living standards and human conditions of the refugees,
in collaboration with the host countries, until a just and
final solution to the tragedy of the Palestinians has
been reached.
Clearly, such a just and final solution for the
Palestinian refugees cannot deny them their natural and
legitimate right of return to their lands and homes, nor
can it be achieved without the host countries’
participation or in violation of their sovereignty, their
special circumstances and their national interests. This
is why Lebanon rejects any form of settling Palestinian
refugees on its territories, for by such rejection it
upholds the Palestinian refugees’ right of return, in
accordance with Lebanon’s Constitution and national
pact. Let it be clear that such a position will not be
reversed. Nor will it be subject to compromise or
negotiation. I take this opportunity to express our
gratitude to the countries that have lent their support to
the Lebanese position on this issue and shown a
willingness to defend it.
17 09-52463
Throughout last year, Lebanon was able to
maintain its internal stability and dismantle many
Israeli spy networks and terrorist cells while striving to
implement resolution 1701 (2006) and strengthen its
relations with brotherly and friendly countries.
Furthermore, Lebanon was able to hold parliamentary
elections. The world witnessed the transparency and
integrity of those elections, and the results were
accepted by all competing parties. Lebanon has also
been able to improve its credibility, avoid the aftermath
of the global financial crisis, attract many tourists and
investors, and raise its economic growth rate to almost
6 per cent. It is now preparing to host the sixth
Francophone Games in a few days.
While parliamentary consultations are taking
place in accordance with constitutional provisions and
the requirement to forge a national consensus, we are
looking forward to forming a national unity
government very soon. Such a government would
reinstate government dynamics and launch the
political, administrative and judicial reform process the
Lebanese people aspire to. The fruits of such a process
will serve the people and the authorities, thus ensuring
its success and continuity.
In parallel, and on the third anniversary of the
adoption of resolution 1701 (2006), Lebanon stresses
that Israel should be forced to comply with all the
provisions of that resolution, especially its withdrawal
from all the Lebanese occupied territories, including
the Shaba’a farms, the Kfarshouba hills and the
northern part of the village of Ghajar, to stop its daily
violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and its persistent
threats against Lebanon, its institutions and
infrastructure.
In this context, Lebanon would like to commend
the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
for the role it is playing in the south of the country, in
accordance with the rules of engagement agreed upon
and in full coordination with the Lebanese Army. In
addition, Lebanon would like to reaffirm that it
remains keen to preserve the safety of this Force and
reiterates its appreciation for the efforts deployed by its
commander and soldiers and for their sacrifices in the
service of peace and stability.
Lebanon will pursue its international efforts to
force Israel to pay due compensation for the enormous
damage it caused through its repeated acts of
aggression against Lebanon, including the damage
caused by the oil slick resulting from the Israeli
bombardment of the Jiyeh power plant in the summer
of 2006.
The experience acquired over the past 61 years
has confirmed a set of truths. First, the Palestinian
cause is at the core of the Middle East conflict.
Secondly, Israel’s resorting to force to impose a fait
accompli is futile and will weaken neither the will nor
the determination of the Arab people to restore their
rights. Thirdly, partial and unilateral solutions will not
achieve genuine peace, and unjust solutions are short-
lived.
Since the middle of the last century, the world has
witnessed fundamental political, intellectual and
ideological shifts that have had a profound impact on
nations and their interactions, along with a troubling
accumulation of economic, social and environmental
predicaments. No matter how local or regional some
conflicts and crises have been in the past, in the current
era of globalization they have become global in nature
or acquired a global dimension. Such has been the case
for the phenomenon of international terrorism, the
global financial crisis and the contagious diseases that
are spreading across continents.
In ancient times, and now in the modern world, as
told in the fiercest epic tales, wars beget tragic and
painful events and give rise to costly and horrific
experiences where endless blood and countless tears
are shed and disappointment and tragedies prevail. We
therefore hope that the United Nations, which from the
outset was established to prevent wars and resolve
conflicts through peaceful means, will persist in its
endeavour to achieve righteousness and establish
justice through active and unbiased international
efforts.