YouSaid · the spoken record

Rashid Abdullah Al-Noaimi

lines on the record: 149
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 2005-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Mr. President, it gives me pleasure to extend to you, on behalf of the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, my congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. I am confident that your experience, diplomatic skills and political ability will contribute effectively and positively to the success of the session’s proceedings. I should also like to express my thanks to your predecessor, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Mr. Didier Opertti, for the prudent manner in which he directed the work of the previous session. I avail myself of this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his efforts in strengthening the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“That will be in line with our policy of continuing to hold a series of multifaceted regional and international conferences and exhibitions in the cultural, social, economic, political and environmental fields. All these are regarded as complementing the United Nations efforts in the various areas of sustainable development. In conclusion, I should like to stress the need to adopt values of security, peace and freedom as the formula for attaining a deeper understanding and a more comprehensive view of the issues of our common destiny. Let us, then, unite our efforts in building a world based on respect for the rule of law and justice, a world where peace, tolerance, prosperity and progress reign supreme.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It therefore continued to provide development assistance to the developing and least developed countries, including, for example, humanitarian assistance and concessional loans provided by the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, the Zayed Benevolent Society and other multipurpose humanitarian institutions. Within the framework of our commitment to enhancing the contribution of the private sector in supporting the activities of the United Nations, we are pleased to announce that we shall be hosting a conference on the role of the private sector in supporting the United Nations, which is scheduled to be held in the Emirate of Dubai in mid-October.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We also support all efforts aimed at promoting and enhancing the role of regional and international development organizations, at the forefront of which are the World Trade Organization, the World Bank and others, each within its own mandate, in the implementation of a global strategy for comprehensive development. In seeking to enhance its participation in such regional and international institutions, the United Arab Emirates, thanks to the wise guidance of its Head of State, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, has achieved a qualitative and quantitative leap in the developmental, economic, social, environmental and human fields in the past two decades. It contributed, to a large degree, to the expansion of the bases for investment, commerce, industry and the liberalization of trade.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The creation of an equitable and just economic environment built on a foundation of cooperation requires joint efforts by developing countries on the one hand, and by developing and developed countries on the other. We 23 must also take into consideration the special requirements of the least developed countries, in particular by increasing, rather than decreasing, official assistance to them and by lifting existing trade barriers and economic obstacles. This would contribute to a sharing of common responsibilities and interests among them.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We also call upon the parties directly concerned to work and cooperate with efforts and endeavours designed to contain such situations in order to achieve peace and stability at the national and regional levels. The first positive results achieved by globalization, development and the growth of world trade have not met the expectations of countries in advancing and strengthening their development or environmental and social policies. This is particularly true in the developing and least developed regions that continue to suffer from the spread of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, as well as the burden of foreign debts, in addition to fluctuations in the rates of exchange and several other problems.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the European continent, for example, manifestations of tension and ethnic and racial bias still persist among some factions in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of the continued pursuit by certain Bosnian Serbs of policies that conflict with the peaceful solutions of the Dayton peace accords. There are also situations of tension, insecurity and conflict battering parts of the continents of Asia and Africa, such as Afghanistan, Somalia, the Great Lakes region and other areas. It is therefore imperative that more effective international and regional efforts be made in order to find peaceful and objective solutions to those conflicts.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We therefore urge the international community and the relevant international organizations to make effective efforts to render the region of the Middle East and the Arab Gulf a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, and to demand that Israel accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and comply with the international control and safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Efforts by the United Nations and the regional organizations to deal with national and regional tensions and conflicts, as well as with the concomitant destruction of development infrastructure and human suffering in some developing countries, have not resulted in the containment of the causes or extent of such conflicts.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Consequently, we emphasize the inalienable right of peoples to resist occupation and aggression and condemn all forms of terrorism, whether they are aimed against individuals or practised by States, because terrorism has a direct impact in undermining regional and international stability and security. We also regard the stockpiling of banned weapons and the threat of their use against other States as another dangerous manifestation of terrorism.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the same context, and given that the other Arab parties adhere to the peace process as a sine qua non strategic objective strategy, the Israeli Government must make a similarly serious commitment to end its occupation of, and repeated attacks against, the territory of Lebanon in implementation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and to resume unconditional negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks so as to ensure its full withdrawal from the Syrian Arab Golan to the lines of 4 June 1967, as well as from southern Lebanon and the west of the Bekaa valley. The requirements of security, stability and a just and lasting peace in the region are urgent not only for Israel, but for all the countries of that region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We also commend the tireless efforts of the countries of the European Union to persuade the Israeli Government to reverse its policy and seriously abide by all of its commitments in the context of the peace accords and international legality, in a manner that would enable the Palestinian people to exercise their legitimate rights to self- determination, repatriation and the establishment of their independent State on their national soil, with Jerusalem its capital.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We welcome the efforts of the Secretary of State of the United States of America during her recent tour of the region and hope that she will continue her endeavours to ensure that the Palestinian-Israeli accords are implemented and that negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks are resumed on the basis of the principle of land for peace and the inadmissibility of unilateral actions that would only prejudice the final phase of the negotiations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The United Arab Emirates strongly condemns all such irresponsible Israeli policies and actions, and reiterates the importance of continuing the peace process as the only alternative for the stability and security of that region, regardless of the obstacles and challenges it is facing. It calls upon the international community, especially the United Nations, and the sponsors of the peace process to shoulder their legal, political, historical and humanitarian responsibilities.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Such policies constitute a flagrant violation of humanitarian law, international legitimacy and the accords concluded between the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel, as do the ensuing serious actions, including the expansion of illegal settler activities 22 in Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, particularly in Jerusalem; the expropriation of Palestinian lands and the demolition of houses; resort to alleged security reasons in order to carry out measures of collective punishment; and the imposition of an economic blockade.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We stress the importance of full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq and consider that the suffering of the Iraqi people should be dealt with within the framework of implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995). We also urge the Iraqi Government to carry out in full all its legal obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions, especially those dealing with the release of all prisoners of war and detainees who are citizens of Kuwait and other countries, and the restitution of Kuwaiti property. The peace process in the Middle East is at a perilous juncture as a result of Israeli Government policies reneging on most of its obligations with regard to the peace process and the principle of land for peace, which are based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“These initiatives have already been supported by sister, friendly and other States, and call either for serious bilateral negotiations, without preconditions, to be entered into, or for the dispute to be submitted to the International Court of Justice. Resorting to policies of violence and force, stockpiling banned weapons and using terrorism to deal with the concerns about the political and security balance in the region must not become an alternative to dialogue or to efforts to bolster the mechanisms for building peace and achieving the economic and social development of the countries of the region. For this reason, we support all measures taken by the States of the region to protect their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This would prove that its intentions were good and give credence to its stated policy, especially given certain recent statements by some Iranian officials calling for the resolution of existing disputes through peaceful means and expressing their desire to establish stability and security in the region. The United Arab Emirates welcomed the new Iranian Government and its declared orientation, especially with regard to the promotion of good- neighbourly relations, the elimination of tensions and the peaceful solution of disputes in the region. We hope that the Iranian Government will consider all our peaceful initiatives in a spirit of objectivity and cooperation.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“All this is in complete disregard of the dangerous consequences of this policy for the future and the territorial integrity of the region and for the aspirations of its peoples to peace, stability and the achievement of sustainable development. The United Arab Emirates expresses grave concern about all such illegal actions and practices, which not only constitute a flagrant violation of its territorial integrity and an infringement of its national rights, but are also contradictory to the peaceful inclinations of the States of the region and the world at large. We therefore renew our call to the Islamic Government of Iran to fulfil its legal and political obligations and undo all its unilateral actions in the three Emirates islands.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“That occupation constitutes a source of constant tension, concern and instability in the region, particularly as the Iranian Government persists in changing the historic, legal and demographic character of the islands by constructing military and civilian installations and building bases on them. Examples of such measures are the construction of a branch of Bayan An-Nour University and two airports on the occupied islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb. Iran has also resorted to repeated military exercises conducted in the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates, including those off the three islands, thus continuing to consolidate its occupation of the islands, persisting in its provocative policy and imposing a fait accompli by force.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It also requires building bridges for multilateral cooperation, at both the bilateral and the collective level, on the basis of the principles of peaceful coexistence, confidence-building, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, mutual respect for regional sovereignties and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means rather than the use of force, in accordance with the rules of international law and the Charters of both the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations. The continued occupation since 1971 by the Islamic Republic of Iran of three islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates — Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa — is a major issue to which we and the other States of the region attach great importance.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Despite the initiatives and the relentless efforts of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council during the past few years to contain the devastating effects of the 21 conflicts in the Arab Gulf region, which has great importance to regional and international strategies, and their continuing endeavour to support progress towards joint reconstruction and cooperation, the unstable political and security conditions in the region remain a source of concern for us. Such a situation therefore requires the establishment of a balance based on a firm political will to support all regional arrangements aimed at eliminating the causes of conflict and situations of occupation.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In addition, we support all proposals calling for the strengthening of cooperation and coordination between the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council and for widening the circle of dialogue and negotiations with regional organizations in order to achieve a broader, more effective and more comprehensive consensus for the appropriate approach to reform and renewal.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“At the same time, however, we wish to stress the importance of having the reforms reflect the aspirations of the countries of the world, particularly the developing countries, in achieving sustainable development and in promoting peace and security, stability and growth. We also support the international efforts aimed at enlarging and restructuring the Security Council and improving its rules of procedure with a view to ensuring equitable geographical representation and equality among States, achieving transparency and objectivity in the adoption of its resolutions and the follow-up to their implementation, and preventing double standards, which have proved to be too dangerous in many issues of peace and security.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The important role played by the United Nations and its specialized agencies in dealing with these new developments as a whole is now the major incentive for consolidating its permanence, supporting its objectives and upholding its Charter. This means that, more than ever before, we must provide it with the political, financial and moral support that will enable it to respond appropriately and promptly to emerging global needs. Having studied the report of the Secretary-General on the reform and renewal of the United Nations, the delegation of the United Arab Emirates welcomes in principle its recommendations and proposals aimed at strengthening and developing the work of the Organization and adapting it to the realities of the present-day world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Despite the state of openness that has characterized international relations, the success achieved in resolving some conflicts and the emergence of indications of relative improvement in the growth of the world economy, we are still facing new types of challenges. The most serious of these are reflected in racial, ideological, and ethnic conflicts and civil wars; the aggravation of poverty situations; human rights violations; violence; terrorism; and drugs. All of these have a negative effect on national security, the sovereignty of States and economic and social development. These challenges require cooperation and coordination between States at the bilateral, regional and international levels.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We are confident that his vast experience in international affairs and his competence and expertise will strengthen the role of the Organization in achieving international peace and security. I am also pleased to express, once again, our deep appreciation to the previous Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, whose efforts had a positive and concrete impact on the progress of the work of the world Organization. The present session is of special importance because of the major changes taking place on the world scene and the attendant far-reaching developments and transitions in the political, economic, social and environmental fields.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It gives me pleasure to extend to the President and to the members of the General Committee, on behalf of the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, our congratulations on his election to the presidency of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. His experience and diplomatic skills will undoubtedly contribute to the success of its work. I would also like to express our appreciation to his predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, the Permanent Representative of Malaysia, who conducted the work of the previous session with distinction. I take this opportunity also to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan on his election as Secretary- General of the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“These organizations can assist the United Nations to arrive at a better understanding of regional problems that can affect peace, security and sustainable development. In conclusion, we hope that our aspirations will find proper expression in the commitment by the States of the world to the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law. We look forward to the realization of the noble objectives of this Organization.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We firmly believe that this Organization still represents mankind’s conscience in the face of lingering world problems. To enhance its role under the Charter, the international community needs to provide the necessary political, financial and moral support to the Organization. We must undertake major structural reforms, enlarge the Security Council membership in accordance with the principle of equitable geographic distribution, and improve the functioning of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the specialized agencies, so that they can respond adequately to current regional and international developments. I would also like to stress the importance of cooperation, consultation and coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Those countries are already ailing under the heavy burden of debt and debt- servicing, and are suffering from the deterioration of living standards and dwindling development assistance from developed countries, in addition to trade barriers adversely affecting their economies. The world conferences held over the past five years achieved important results, and their recommendations have become important strategies aimed at creating an equitable and prosperous international environment. The international community, which is still plagued by persistent violence, organized crime, drugs and terrorism, must translate these recommendations into a reality that will guarantee equitable economic and social development and the free flow of trade between the developed and the developing countries.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In view of the historic relations that bind our countries together, we reiterate our support for the efforts of the Organization of African Unity in cooperation with the United Nations to contain the conflicts by peaceful means so that their peoples’ aspirations to peace, security, stability and development may be realized. The economic and social gap between the nations of the world is still wide in spite of positive political and economic developments on the regional and international scene, the creation of economic blocs, and free trade in the world. This has led to the exacerbation of poverty, illiteracy and disease in many developing countries.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We hope that these elections will safeguard the territorial integrity of the 3 Republic and contribute to the establishment of democratic institutions. We also hope that they will help restore normal relations among the Bosnian people and pave the way for reconstruction, following the war’s devastation. Peace, security and stability can then return to this tormented region. We take this opportunity to stress the importance of bringing to justice war criminals who have committed heinous crimes against humanity and humanitarian international law in the former Yugoslavia. The tragic events, raging wars and civil strife, and untold human suffering of the peoples of some African countries, are cause for grave concern.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We therefore appeal to the rival Somali faction leaders to shoulder their responsibility and bring this tragic bloodshed to an end. They must set aside their differences and form a national Government representing all the factions of the Somali people, a Government that can restore to Somalia its national unity, territorial integrity, security and stability. Political developments in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina testify to the importance that the international community attaches to the Dayton Peace Agreement, with a view to restoring normal conditions in the Republic. My country supported that Agreement. We consider it the first constructive step on the road to a just and permanent settlement of the Balkan problem. We welcome the results of the recent elections in the Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“I recently had the honour to sign, on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, thus enhancing its universality. We call upon the international community and the relevant international bodies to spare no effort to make the Middle East and the Arab Gulf region a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. The international community must call on Israel to accede to the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and to comply with the international safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Despite the efforts and good offices of the League of Arab States and the United Nations to save Somalia from its predicament, the civil war there continues unabated, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation is cause for grave concern.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It must also include full Israeli withdrawal from the Syrian Golan to the 4 June 1967 line, and from southern Lebanon and the western Bekaa, to the internationally recognized b o r d e r s , p u r s u a n t t o S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978), and the principle of land for peace. These measures will guarantee balanced and equitable security for all the States of the region, and realize their peoples’ aspirations for a new era of comprehensive economic and social development. We fully subscribe to the international call for a regional and international nuclear-test ban, and for the establishment of international zones free of all weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. These weapons pose a grave danger to our health, our environment and our natural resources.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We call on the Israeli Government to put an end to its barbaric practices, which run counter to the most basic norms of international humanitarian law. The Arab parties are determined to pursue the peace process as an objective and a strategic option to which there is no alternative. This calls for a reciprocal commitment by the Israeli side, without any further delay or procrastination. This commitment must be proven by the actual, unconditional implementation of all relevant agreements thus far concluded, to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their legitimate rights, including their right to self- determination and to the establishment of their own independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This is an act of provocation that will arouse the feelings of Arabs and Muslims, and will obstruct the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace settlement to the Middle East problem and the Palestinian question. At the Security Council meeting held last week, the international community reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian people, its support of the peace process, and its opposition to all the measures recently taken by the Israeli Government. The United Arab Emirates condemns all the acts of violence recently committed by the Israeli occupying authorities against the Palestinian people, which resulted in firing at and thus the martyrdom of many Palestinians, in addition to the injuries sustained by many more.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The United Arab Emirates welcomed the peace negotiations in the Middle East, beginning with the Madrid Conference through the subsequent agreements relative to the question of Palestine. We are disappointed by the position of the Israeli Government, which has not honoured the commitments entered into by its predecessor. The Israeli Government has refused to withdraw from the city of Hebron, and has embarked on an expansion of its illegitimate settlement activities. More recently, it opened a tunnel adjacent to Al-Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, which threatens the structures of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and alters the demographic character and legal status of the city of Jerusalem.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This can be realized only when the Iraqi Government complies fully with its international obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. Those obligations include the release of all Kuwaitis and other nationals 2 imprisoned or detained by Iraq and the return of all Kuwaiti property still in its possession. My country supported the Agreement on Principles concluded between the Republic of Yemen and Eritrea on the Hanish archipelago. We renew our call to the two Governments to commit to the principle of peaceful settlement through international arbitration so that peace and security can prevail in this region. We take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the Government of France for its mediation efforts.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The United Arab Emirates has followed with grave concern the recent developments in Iraq. We reaffirm the importance we attach to preserving Iraq’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We oppose any interference in its internal affairs and the establishment by neighbouring States of safety zones on its territory. In the same context, we support all the measures taken by the State of Kuwait to preserve its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. The escalating human suffering of the Iraqi people and the spread of disease and malnutrition call for the immediate and full implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995). However, the ultimate responsibility for the alleviation of the suffering of the Iraqi people rests solely with the Government of Iraq.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In this connection, we agree with and support all the measures taken by the State of Bahrain to preserve its security, its national sovereignty and its political independence. In this context, we reiterate our full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and against all threats to its national security. We believe that the member States of the Gulf Co-operation Council are bound by the threads of a common destiny defined by the requirements of peace and security of the whole region. Terrorism defies all international norms and practices and runs counter to religious and cultural beliefs, which are the pillars of stability and prosperity for all societies. It must therefore be addressed in an international context.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We therefore call on the Government of Iran to dismantle all the illegitimately established civilian and military facilities on our three islands. We also call upon Iran to respond to the peace initiatives we have advanced and which are supported by sisterly and friendly peace- loving countries; to enter into unconditional bilateral negotiations conducive to a peaceful settlement of the dispute; or to refer the case to the International Court of Justice. Security, stability and sustainable development are urgent needs of societies all over the globe. My country, which has always supported the inalienable rights of peoples to resist occupation and aggression, condemns all forms of terrorism and the acts of subversion and sabotage facing the international community today.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Through these acts and by ignoring the repercussions of such a policy on the peace and security of the region and on international navigation, Iran has consolidated its illegitimate occupation. The Islamic Republic of Iran has failed to heed the repeated, serious and sincere appeals made by the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf Co-operation Council, the Arab States of the Gulf, the last Arab Summit meeting, the Council of the League of Arab States and the States parties to the Damascus Declaration to settle the dispute through peaceful means. This violates not only our country’s national sovereignty, but also international law and all the international principles, norms and practices governing relations among States, particularly among neighbouring States.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Despite our declared peaceful intentions, the mediation efforts of some friendly countries and the good offices of the Secretary-General, the Iranian Government rejected our peaceful endeavours. It has established and equipped facilities on the three islands whose features are not exclusively civilian. It has built an electrical power plant on Greater Tunb; and an airport, a refrigeration plant and a fish-processing plant on Abu Musa. Moreover, Iranian nationals, mostly from the military, have been settled on the islands. We view this as a clear act of provocation aimed at changing the demographic character of the islands and imposing a new fait accompli.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Twenty-five years have passed since the occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of our three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. These are Arab islands, both in their history and in their origin. They are the pillars of our national sovereignty, territorial integrity and overall inalienable national rights. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United Arab Emirates has called on the Iranian Government to end its occupation of the islands and to enter into bilateral negotiations or seek the arbitration of the International Court of Justice. Referring the case to the International Court of Justice will ensure that each State has a chance to submit the relevant legal and historical documents and evidence to support its claim of sovereignty over the three islands.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Every State has the right to choose its political, economic and social system, to preserve its natural resources and to resort to peaceful negotiations as a means of settling disputes within the context of bilateral, regional and international initiatives and endeavours. We also support the peaceful efforts currently under way to complete the demarcation of borders among the States of the region in order to enhance the national sovereignty of each State. This will contribute to the achievement of lasting peace, security and stability in the region. Inspired by our tradition, our history and our commitment to peace, we in the United Arab Emirates firmly believe that the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law are the proper means of settling disputes among nations.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The security and political independence of small States is still threatened by the ambitions of States aspiring to spread their hegemony and expand at the expense of their neighbours. The political situation in the Arabian Gulf region during the past two decades has made us increasingly convinced of the importance of rebuilding confidence among the countries of the region. This confidence must be anchored in the principles of full and mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and non- interference in the internal affairs of States, and of refraining from the threat or use of force.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“My country supports his re-election for a second term and appreciates his efforts to enhance the role of the Organization in the maintenance of international peace and security. The fifty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly is being held amid new international circumstances and developments that have both positively and negatively affected the global scene. Despite the relative optimism that has permeated international relations, threats to peace and security and to economic, social and human development worldwide still remain. The present détente in regional and international relations does not necessarily mean that the international climate has become more harmonious or homogenous.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It gives me great pleasure to extend to you, Sir, on behalf of the delegation of the United Arab Emirates, our congratulations on your election as President of this session of the General Assembly. Your election is indeed an expression of the international community’s faith in your competence and vast diplomatic expertise, and of the high esteem in which we hold your friendly country, Malaysia. At the same time, allow me to thank sincerely your predecessor, who so ably led the deliberations of the previous session of the General Assembly. I should also like to take this opportunity to pay a warm tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for the positive and important role he has played in the past few years.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)