YouSaid · the spoken record

AL-KHALIFA

lines on the record: 631
first: 1973-09-24
most recent: 2005-09-24
sittings or episodes: 21
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

“Obstacles of all sorts have not been able to halt the spread of knowledge to all parts of the world, and history teaches us that learning and knowledge cannot be isolated or made the exclusive realm of one particular region or State. The technological revolution has enabled man to overcome those barriers, and technological innovations have had a far-reaching influence on bringing peoples together and making every people feel itself an integral part of one big interrelated society and that its interests are affected by what happens to other peoples. On the level of international relations, the United Nations is truly the most important expression of this age and one of its salient features.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We trust that this will be followed by the complete elimination of all manifestations of social discrimination and the restoration of the political and constitutional rights of the black majority in South Africa. Concerning the Cyprus question, we hope that progress in the talks between the two Cypriot communities, under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, will be achieved so that Cyprus can regain its unity. We look forward to seeing the countries of the world cooperating with each other through the United Nations. May their cooperation in peaceful areas expand and surmount all obstacles and barriers so that international solidarity may be strengthened and harmony among the peoples of the world may prevail.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We hope that the current United States initiative and other efforts exerted in the international arena will contribute to creating an atmosphere conducive to holding the peace conference and reaching a just and lasting solution to the Middle East issue. As regards Lebanon, we call upon the international community to support the decisions and actions taken by that country's Government to firmly establish the rule of its legitimate authority. We also appeal to the Security Council to take action on implementing its resolution 425 (1978) by ensuring the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and the restoration of the authority of the Lebanese State and its sovereignty over southern Lebanon. With regard to the situation in South Africa, this year has witnessed positive steps towards repealing the policies of apartheid.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He therefore call upon the Security Council to impose international legality, elaborate the bases for peace between all parties concerned in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and take a firm and serious international stand that may force Israel to accept a comprehensive and just solution to the question of Palestine, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, and to recognize the right of the Palestinian people to establish its own independent State on its national soil. It should be emphasized that the Israeli occupation forces must withdraw from all occupied Arab territories, including Al-Quds, southern Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Golan.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Of particular interest is the matter of the Kuwaiti prisoners of war detained in Iraq, because it bespeaks defiance to Security Council resolutions and international conventions. We appeal to the international community to move towards a speedy solution to this humanitarian problem, freeing those prisoners forthwith and repatriating them safely to their homeland. In the forefront of other international issues is the question of the Palestinian people and the various kinds of repression it continues to suffer at the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities. At the heart of the peace process in the Middle East is the exercise by the Palestinian people of its right to self-determination.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This pattern of relations between people is inspired by the teachings of the holy Koran, which exhorts humans to seek harmony and affinity among themselves, as in the words of the Almighty: 0 mankind! We created You from a single (pair) Of a male and a female. And made you into Nations and tribes, that Ye may know each other Not that ye may despise (Each other). Verily The most honoured of you In the sight of God Is he who is the most Righteous of you. (Sura XLIX. verse 13) The events which have taken place in the international arena since the General Assembly's last session embody numerous indicators that point at a tendency to peaceful solutions to many international and regional issues and problems.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Now that wars have become an even more heinous evil, we are duty bound to find a way to eliminate the conflict between cultures and to draw them closer together. Because wars begin in the minds of men, we should embark on establishing peace education, promoting the concept of the interrelationship between the cultures of the world and erasing the motives for war from people's minds. At a time when the United Nations is seeking to create a more balanced and just world order, it is imperative that no particular culture should look down from a position of dominant strength upon the cultures of other nations. This requires a more profound dialogue between cultures in a new spirit inspired by the recognition of the co-equal cultural interrelatedness of all the peoples of the world.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Any person who knows his history must know that, over the centuries, States crumble and civilizations disappear after they had made great strides on the road to progress and advancement. Today, however, science and technology have brought together nations and peoples from various parts of the world and made isolation a non-starter in a world of interwoven interests that is closely knit by the modern means of communication and the activities of giant transnational corporations whose arms extend to every part of the globe. Throughout history, disparity and differentiation among peoples have often led to conflict and war, making rivalry and hostility the predominant characteristics of relations between States motivated by narrow self-interest.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He trust that the eighth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to be held in Colombia in February 1992, and the third United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, scheduled to be held in Brazil in June of that year, will lay the groundwork for international accord and cooperation to solve those problems. The third foundation of any new world order is the necessary cultural interaction between the peoples of the world. Now that mankind has no other way of progressing and developing but to cooperate and achieve harmony between peoples, the time has come to give this issue the priority it deserves and to draw attention to its various human dimensions.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Climatic changes, pollution of the air and the sea, desertification and the depletion of the ozone layer all have negative effects on mankind's present and future. The war in the Gulf added new dimensions to the problem of tampering with the environment when the Iraqi forces leaked oil into the waters of the Gulf and set fire in Kuwait to some 732 oil wells that blazed for several months, and in fact many of them continue to burn despite all efforts to extinguish them. We hope that both the world economy and the environment will soon improve through the ongoing constructive dialogue undertaken within the framework of the United Nations system.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The main objective of development is to satisfy human needs and aspirations and to eliminate reasons for denying the individual his right to economic well-being. Unfortunately, the world suffered during the past year a marked reduction in economic growth. Horse still, the United Nations, in its world economic survey of 1991, expected the rate of world economic growth for this year to be zero. In the light of such trends, both the developed and developing States should cooperate within the framework of the United Nations to overcome the negative aspects of the world economy and stimulate equitable growth in the economies of the developing countries so as to reduce tensions in the world. One of the most important issues related to development is that of the environment, which has lately come to the forefront of international concerns.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“The second foundation for the structure of the new world order is the fact that development and security are closely and inseparably linked. The founders of the United Nations ware aware of the dialectics of the linkage between development and peace and explained the extent of that association in the provisions of the Charter. When peace is threatened, the march of peoples towards a better tomorrow is obstructed, the individual is denied his daily needs, and the gap between the poor and rich widens, leading to increased tensions between States. Emphasis on economic considerations and their relationship to the problems of peace and security in the world should gain the attention of the international community, and States should become more aware of the concept of collective economic security.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“In the previous session, I reiterated our conviction that the Middle East should be proclaimed a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, specifically nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Today, we are even more resolved to achieve this goal because of our belief that international security is intrinsically linked to its regional constituents and our conviction that strengthening the security of the Middle East region by making it completely free of weapons of mass destruction will be a positive contribution to the maintenance of world peace. On the other hand, proclaiming the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction would turn the attention of its States to the question of economic, scientific and technological development and lead them to cooperate in the field of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“This is an essential prerequisite of the national security of all the States of the region. Third, non-interference in the internal affairs of States and respect for the principle of the sovereignty of every state in the Gulf region over its natural and economic resources. Fourth, adherence to the principle of settlement of disputes by peaceful means alone. At the same time, our conception of security in the Gulf region takes into account the geographical and political dimensions of the Middle East, since it is impossible to effectively buttress security along the shores of the Gulf without us all having a clear picture of all dimensions of security issues in the neighbouring States of the region.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“He are resolved never to relive that bitter experience, no matter what the reasons or the circumstances. The war for the liberation of Kuwait drew a dividing line between the end of the cold war era and the start of the era of the new world order, which began with the repulsing of the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait, on the principles of collective security. This, however, does not mean that all possible threats of the use of force have been eliminated with the termination of the cold war. In this context, our recommendations for the future components of regional security in the Gulf are as follows: First, security arrangements capable of deterring any aggressor should be used to avert any potential threats. Second, earnest action to achieve comprehensive economic, social and cultural development.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Each State also has a legitimate right to protect its national security. Thus, we view the question of security in the Gulf region from a multidimensional perspective designed to assimilate the lessons of the past, satisfy the needs of the present and avoid the dangers of the future. The Iraqi occupation of the sisterly state of Kuwait uncovered a serious flaw in the concept of regional security in the Gulf, which compels us to search deliberately for means of deterrence to protect ourselves against the evils of the adventurous and the covetous in order to prevent them from undermining the stability and security of this sensitive part of the world. Here, I recall the words of George Santayana, who wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Second, the neutrality and objectivity of the system of collective security, in the sense that measures would be taken against the aggressor State regardless of its identity or whether it was strong or weak, rich or poor. Third, the global character of the membership of the system of collective security. All peace-loving States should participate in the system so as to ensure its universality and effectiveness. Fourth, the machinery of the system for enforcing collective measures should be potent and effective enough to deter any country which may contemplate aggression and to inflict appropriate punishment on aggressors. As regards the regional axis of security, it should be borne in mind that every State, irrespective of its size or economic means, has vital security concerns that are inherent to its history and geographical location.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“Second, a collective response by the international community, represented by the Security Council, in cases involving threats to peace, breaches thereof or aggression, in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter. As we perceive it, the application of collective security requires us to meet several conditions, the most important of which are: First, viewing peace as one indivisible whole. Given the intricacy and diversity of international relations, the outbreak of war between two States can affect the interests of other States. Under the system of collective security, all States would have a legal and moral obligation to participate in deterring aggression everywhere in the world and restoring peace.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is imperative that this new structure should include a competent international authority, which should oversee all the systems within the United Nations framework. The new system of world security must revolve around two main axes, the international and the regional. However, the most important point on which to focus at the international level during the coming phase is the development in the United Rations of a concept of collective security that would rest on two cornerstones: First, the prohibition of the use of force or the threat of the use of force in international relations for any reason whatsoever, as set out in the provisions of the Charter (Chapter I, Article II (4)).”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is at such critical moments in history that mankind needs a new vision with which to see the world in a true light, and from a multidimensional perspective based on the fact that international policy will yet again turn round the axis of a new pattern of relations that requires the development of a set of sophisticated plans to deal with the global issues of security, the environment, natural resources, population and other problems which will be influential factors in the twenty-first century. We believe that the structure of the new world order should be based on the following essential foundations: security; development in all its aspects; and interaction between cultures and civilisations and exchanges between the States and peoples of the world.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is to be hoped that the unfolding of events at this heightened tempo will make us pause, contemplate and ponder the movement of history and the paths it charts so that we may find our way to the future. It is hardly surprising when one pauses and ponders such major changes in search of the batter future which alluded previous generations, that one aspires to carry out those projects of which mankind dreams and explores the common denominators which impel nations towards cooperation, rapprochement and harmony.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“For a year now, world events have been unfolding in quick succession. It is rather difficult for the observer to plumb the depths of their significance at first glance due to the fact that those events are so interlaced that they resemble the intermingled light and darkness in the early hours of the dawn of a new day. Faced with such astounding developments, the idea of a new world order has become the topic of discussion in many international assemblies and political forums, particularly after the bastions of the cold war have crumbled and their memory has begun to fade in the pages of history. There is no doubt that the cold war, with its various implications, left its imprint on the period front 1945 to 1990. With its and, international relations no longer follow a particular pattern; they are neither bipolar nor multipolar.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“I also wish to avail myself of this opportunity to place on record my appreciation of the untiring efforts by Mr. Javier Peres de Cuellar, the Secretary-General, to strengthen the role of the Organisation in the maintenance of peace and security in the world, and of the sincere attention he paid to the Gulf crisis, which enabled the world Organisation to promote global solidarity and uphold international legality. It is also my pleasure to offer congratulations to the delegations of the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on their accession to membership of the United Nations. He are sure that their admission into our Organization will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Charter.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“It is a pleasure to extend to you, Sir, at the outset of my speech, the sincere congratulations of the delegation of the State of Bahrain on your election to the presidency of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly. It is a source of delight and happiness to see a distinguished diplomat from our sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia assume this lofty post; it is evidence of the high esteem in which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is held in the world and of the appreciation and respect you enjoy in the international community. I am pleased to express to you our best wishes for success in directing the proceedings of this session. I should also like to express our sincere thanks to Mr. Guido de Marco for the competence with which ha guided the proceedings of the General Assembly during his presidency last session.”
1991-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 46 (1991)
“We look forward to the day when this living edifice for peace which the authors of the Charter envisioned is completed, so that it may proceed with sure steps towards achieving affluence and prosperity for all the peoples of the world.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The reason we are now hopeful and optimistic is that the current session of the General Assembly is convened at a time when the world is experiencing the easing of tension with regard to a number of international issues and an important transformation in the functions of the United Nations, the trustworthy custodian of the world's interests and a major partner in facing up to the dangers that confront it. This puts our Organization back on track, for the role prescribed for it by its Charter is that of a centre for co-ordinating the actions of nations and a vehicle for adopting the important decisions required for the preservation of international legitimacy and respect for the provisions of international law and the principles of justice, with all that this requires in clarity of thought and flexibility of action.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We also hope for success in efforts to secure the adoption of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade. Since the founding of the United Nations, this Hall has witnessed numerous debates and discussions on the problems, crises and dangers that beset the world. Those debates and discussions were held in the hope of securing the support of the United Nations in resolving them, and containing their causes. Our viewpoints on those issues sometimes converged but, more often than not, diverged.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“There are indications that the adverse effects of the deteriorating economic conditions in the developing countries will not be limited to those countries, but will spill over and affect the developed countries as well. It is our sincere hope that international co-operation can be strengthened in order to settle this indebtedness within the framework of the United Nations. We hope too that the obligations set out in the economic declaration of the eighteenth special session of the General Assembly, devoted to international economic co-operation, in particular to the revitalisation of economic growth and development of the developing countries, will be duly honoured and implemented in isolation from political differences.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The political charges in the world today, notably the policy of detente between the two super-Powers and the tendency of the majority of States to abide by the provisions of the Charter and the principles of international law have not been reflected in an improvement of the deteriorating economic situation of the developing countries, which continue to suffer from the excruciating economic crises that are the legacy of the 1970s and 1980s. Perhaps the debt crisis, the negative effects of which the world began to suffer in the early 1980s, is the most striking of the problems that developing countries have been facing of late, since it has led to economic recession and in the inability of a number of those countries to meet their financial obligations.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“On 14 December 1989, the General Assembly at its sixteenth special session, adopted by consensus the Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, which sets out principles that can be acceptable points for the elimination of apartheid in South Africa. As regards the Cyprus problem, we hope progress can be achieved in the dialogue between the two Cypriot communities under the auspices of the Secretary-General, so that the unity of Cyprus can be restored. The Korean question also occupies the attention of the international community today owing to positive developments on the political level in the two Koreas. We reiterate our support for all efforts aimed at reuniting the two parts of the Korean peninsula and at realising the hopes of the Korean people through the accomplishment of national unity.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“As regards Lebanon, it was gratifying to see the parties concerned in this crisis agreeing to the Taif accord which represents a basic foundation for national unity. We welcome the Lebanese Parliament's ratification in August 1990 of that important instrument, and hail it as a historic step towards the implementation of all phases of the accord, the restoration of Lebanon's unity and the preservation of its independence and sovereignty. The world is united in stating that racial discrimination and the policy of apartheid are a blatant violation of human principles and the dignity of mankind, and contravene the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is therefore imperative that a just and comprehensive settlement of the question of Palestine be achieved through the convening of an international conference on peace in the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 43,176 of 15 December 1988 and 44,42 of 6 December 1989, with the participation of all the parties concerned and of the permanent members of the Security Council, in order to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to the establishment of a State of their own on their national soil. The conference should also stress the need for the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the occupied Arab territories, including southern Lebanon and the Syrian Golan Heights.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This is a requirement that stems from the legitimate right of those States to self-defence and to deter any attempt to violate their inalienable rights. It is also in keeping with the concepts, values and trends of our age. There are several political, economic and social issues on which our attention and that of the world is focused. Foremost among them is the question of the Palestinian people and the various kinds of suppression and terror used by the Israeli occupying authorities against the intifadah.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In that contest, we laud the alacrity of the sister and friendly States - totalling more than 22 from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America - in responding to the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to join it in the defence of its territory, and in responding to the behests of international legitimacy with determination and firmness in order to deter aggression and preserve peace in the Gulf region. The third point relates to our conviction that the Middle East must be made a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, namely nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The achievement of that goal will be a step forward towards safeguarding the future of peace-loving States in the region and removing the spectre of the nuclear and chemical threat under which they live.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“For if we do so we shall be contributing, intentionally or unintentionally, to the aggravation of the damage to international legitimacy. Our clear ain should be to prevent developments from jeopardising peace and security in the Gulf region and to insist on the implementation of Security Council resolutions in letter and in spirit. The second point relates to the importance of emphasising the right of any State to adopt all legitimate measures of self-defence and safeguard the security and safety of its citizens, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter, which deals with legitimate self-defence.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It may be appropriate now to pause to consider a few points of special importance to my delegation by virtue of their relevance to regional security and their impact on our vision of the future of the region in which we live and the Arab nation to which we belong. The first point relates to our absolute rejection - which I reiterate - of the logic of occupation by force of the territory of others or the invasion of one State by another and its annexation under threat of the use of arms. The starting point to deal with this subject in all its dangerous and complicated dimensions is that we must not hesitate to tackle it. Nor must we be satisfied with voicing protests that are devoid of content and do not produce results.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This explains, perhaps, why international unanimity against Iraq crystallised so quickly and why the Security Council adopted such crucial resolutions to confront the crisis and its serious ramifications. There can be no doubt that the 9 September 1990 Helsinki summit between Presidents George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev was an important milestones on the road towards the laying of the foundations of a new international order that is based on respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. We fully support the joint statement of the Helsinki summit, which reiterated several fundamental principles, among the most important of which is that no peaceful international order is possible if larger States are permitted to devour their smaller neighbours.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The international community, which had suffered immensely fro, the effects of the cold war and its negative effects over the past four decades, cannot permit any contravention of international legitimacy in this phase of trust detente which the world is experiencing now. Iraq's occupation of the State of Kuwait was the first serious test of the new international order, since it represented a departure from the general atmosphere of defeat, which stresses dialogue and understanding in resolving international problems and emphasises a balance of interests rather than a balance of power. The States that had already begun reorganising their affairs within the framework of this new international order were not ready to allow a regional Power to depart from these rules.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The widespread condemnation of the Iraqi invasion of the sister State of Kuwait has proved that it is possible to apply the system of collective security in the post-cold war era, especially after the Soviet Union and the United States had agreed on the way to deal with regional crises. The Security Council has been able to adopt the wise and apt resolution 660 (1990) in which it demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal by Iraq of all its forces to the positions in which they were deployed on 1 August 19S0. Faced with the failure of the Iraqi authorities to comply with that resolution, the Council did not hesitate to adopt its historic resolution 661 (1990) imposing economic sanctions against Iraq and more recently, resolution 670 (1990) strengthening the blockade imposed against Iraq.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“However, the security challenges posed by the Iraqi invasion make it imperative for us to reconsider the question of the security of the Gulf in , new context, that would be compatible with the requirements of the era of detente and ensure the protection of regional and international interests. In this respect, I would like to refer in particular to the need to adopt the necessary international Measures in times of crises, especially those prescribed in Chapter VII of the Charter, which call for the application of measures agreed to by the members of the Security Council in cases where there exists a threat to or breach of peace or act of aggression against any State Member of the United Nations.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Since its inception, the Gulf Co-operation Council has worked consistently on co-ordinating political and economic ties between its members, developing the indigenous capabilities of their peoples and proceeding forward on the road to laying the foundations of co-operation between its member States, with the aim of developing positive attitudes on achieving security and stability in the Gulf, in co-operation with all States in the region through understanding and dialogue, as well as respect for the principles of good-neighbourliness, territorial sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We call upon Iraq to comply with the resolutions of the Security Council and to respond to the international community's unanimity with a view to preserving international legitimacy. The acute crisis created by Iraq has caused a basic disruption in the regional security system of the Gulf, constituting as it has a blatant breach of the principles of the United Nations, of all international norms and covenants and of the provisions of international law and fundamental human rights.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“Iraqi forces must withdraw unconditionally from Kuwaiti territory, no recognition of Iraq's annexation of Kuwait nor of any consequences thereof, but insistence on the restitution of the legitimate Government that had existed in Kuwait prior to the invasion as represented in the person of His Highness Sheikh Jaber AI-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Emir of the State of Kuwait; the rights of civilians in the Iraqi-occupied territory of Kuwait should be respected, their safety guaranteed and their lives and properties protected, in accordance with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, in addition to the demand that the Iraqi authorities refrain from effecting any changes in the demographic composition within Kuwait which would constitute a violation of international laws affirming the legal right of all injured Kuwaitis and others to receive fair indemnity for damages and losses incurred by them; and considering as null and void Iraq's decision on the closure of diplomatic and consular missions accredited to the State of Kuwait.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“In this respect, we cannot overlook the plight of the thousands of foreign nationals displaced from the State of Kuwait and the detention of some of them as hostages to serve as human shields without regard to moral principles or human values. This crisis has placed the United Nations at the forefront of events. The Security Council was quick to act, adopting eight resolutions so far, all demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwaiti territory and the restoration of the legitimate Government of the country. The common will of the States of the world was reflected in resolution 665 (1990), which expressed the insistence of the international community that economic sanctions be imposed against Iraq by every possible means. Bahrain's position, vis-à-vis the Iraqi aggression is clear and unequivocal.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“The Iraqi invasion has caused a severe trauma to Kuwaiti society and total upheaval in Kuwait's public life. Business activity has ground to a halt, institutions have been demolished, properties have been seized and all financial and economic activities completely paralysed. Hundreds of thousands of Kuwaitis and aliens residing in Kuwait fled the country in fear and dread of the pilfering, looting, sabotage, assaults, killings and destruction perpetrated by the Iraqi forces, not to mention the raiding of homes and the shooting of innocent unarmed civilians who refused to collaborate with the occupation forces. This amounted to an attempt to destroy the very foundations of the State, obliterate the identity of its people and erase it from the map of the world for all time.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It has also placed world peace atop an erupting volcano at a time when the world thought it had reached an acceptable degree of consensus on the formulation of a common regional and international policy, capable of comprehending and absorbing the détente movement in our new world, as well as a reasonable measure of agreement on the importance of resolving hot regional conflicts through dialogue and by peaceful means. The world was surprised when Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, that peaceful and pacifist country which was bound to Iraq by the strongest and deepest of fraternal relations and shared with it membership in the League of Arab States, the United Nations and several other regional and international organisations, only to be repaid for its noble postures by the victimisation and dispersion of its people.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“It is also a framework for settling differences and disputes through dialogue and accommodation, an essential requirement of collective life, whether in the past, present or future. Such a peace is a choice that genuinely reflects the aspirations and hopes of our peoples. The Iraqi invasion of the State of Kuwait, that small country noted for its positive interaction with world issues, has deeply wounded the conscience of humanity and caused a huge fissure in the wall of international security.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We agree with the statement in the Secretary-General's report that the world is in dire need of "a coherent strategy of peace" and that it is important to emphasise the comprehensive nature of the concept of peace, as laid down in the Charter. However, we do not view peace as a necessity imposed by events and developments or dictated by pressures and influences, but as an approach to the formulation of relations between peoples on a basis of equality and justice so as to preserve the legitimate rights and interests of all parties, guarantee their stability and safety and permit them to direct their energies towards meeting the requirements of construction and rehabilitation.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“This detente undoubtedly represents the return of relations between nations to their correct course, guided by a political philosophy rooted in adherence to the principles and objectives of the Charter, which the founders of the United Nations had long hoped would constitute the approach to peace in the world and the framework for the security of all mankind. In the midst of their positive orientation towards a new world order came the Iraqi invasion of the territory of the sister State of Kuwait on 2 August to test the mettle of international detente and underscore the fact that, unless there is a concerted international effort to establish an effective security system in the world, this new philosophy will collapse.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)
“We are confident that independent Namibia will assume its role in supporting the just causes in the world. Similarly, I would like to express, on behalf of my country, Bahrain, our sincere congratulations to the Principality of Liechtenstein on the occasion of its accession to the Organisation. We are sure that it will contribute to the achievement of the objectives and purposes of the United Nations. The forty-fifth session is convening as the United Nations is witnessing an important period in its history, one of transition from the cold war era to an era of détente as a result of a novel and innovative vision that seeks to carry ideological differences and rivalry of interests to a new level of international co-operation that is based on an enlightened dialogue and a clear understanding of world issues.”
1990-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 45 (1990)