YouSaid · the spoken record

ABDEL MEGŲID

lines on the record: 218
first: 1978-09-24
most recent: 1988-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“We call on Iran to support this international drive towards a just peace that would give everyone his due and herald an era of peaceful coexistence that would make amends for the material and human losses incurred during the eight years of war. In this regard, I wish to express our support for the efforts being exerted by the United Nations Secretary-General and to invite all parties to give their genuine, effective support to his endeavours and efforts.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We view the resolution as an integral and comprehensive whole, in keeping with international legitimacy. It should be implemented in its entirety within a reasonable time-frame that would neither detract from its content nor lead to its fragmentation. It would be no exaggeration to say that the implementation of this resolution will be a litmus test of the credibility of international legitimacy and the ability to carry out a decision adopted unanimously by the organ with the highest authority. I wish to commend our sister Iraq for its prompt response to the legitimate decisions of the international community.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Unfortunately, such a situation is the natural outcome of the Iran-Iraq war, which for the eighth successive year is draining the energies, potential and blood of the two brother peoples. The war has hindered development and progress, claimed almost a million lives from both countries and depleted their great potentialities. Furthermore, its ramifications have spilled over into the whole Gulf region and impeded international navigation through the Gulf. Egypt expressed full support for Security Council resolution 598 (1987) immediately after its adoption. We still believe in the imperative need for its implementation as we view the termination of this war as the unique solution to the precarious situation in the Gulf waters and on its shores, a situation which places in jeopardy one of the most important sources of energy in the world.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Although the Lebanese issue may well be one result of the freeze on the Palestinian question, we call upon all concerned to lift their hands from Lebanon so that the brother people of Lebanon may have the opportunity to heal their wounds, close their ranks and work together for true national reconciliation that will restore peace and security to the country and enable the friendly people of Lebanon to lead a normal life and assume their distinctive Arab and cultural role. The confrontation and conflict afflicting the Gulf region are being exacerbated day by day and further deterioration is threatened. The situation in the Gulf has become a source of grave international tension and causes profound concern to all peace-loving nations yearning for stability.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The progress made so far towards acceptance of the convening of an international conference may well be an incentive and an impetus for all of us to maintain the momentum and pursue the peace drive to its desired objective. Lebanon has continued to experience regrettable developments in a most peculiar and protracted civil war, in which responsibility has been lost amid successive incidents.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It should be attended, also, by the five permanent members of the Security Council, in view of their responsibilities regarding international peace and security in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter. Finally, it should be an effective framework for direct negotiations on all the elements of the Palestinian question and the rights related thereto, and on the Middle East problem, of which the Palestinian question is the essence. In the name of Egypt, I call upon all peace-loving Powers throughout the world, to muster their determination and intensify their efforts with a view to speeding up the attainment of a comprehensive and just settlement of the conflict in the Middle East.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is necessary that all efforts are concerted to persuade the parties that reject this idea that the time has come for an attitude in favour of exploring the prospects of a new era, free from strife and war) an era in which peace would reign supreme. Fourthly, Egypt believes that, to ensure that the international conference is credible and efficient, it should be held under the auspices of the United Nations. Its terms of reference should be Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), as well as the rights of the Palestinian people. It should be attended by all the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, with due attention to the composition of a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Egypt realizes that any attempt to impose a fait accompli and maintain the status quo portends serious dangers and grave consequences. There is no alternative but to act seriously and consistently to give an impetus to the peace process. In this respect, I must emphasize the following points. First, Egypt's commitment to the cause of the Palestinian people and their legitimate national rights is genuine, firm and unswerving. Egypt also reaffirms that the Palestine Liberation Organization (FLO) is the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Secondly, Egypt honours and fulfils its international obligations, abides by them and never ignores them. Thirdly, the international peace conference has become the possible and acceptable formula for the resumption of the peace drive.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In this regard, I wish to place on record our appreciation of the support expressed by the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the European Community and the countries of the Nordic Council. That such support contributed greatly to the evolution of this international consensus - so much so that the convening of the international conference has become a real possibility, indeed, the only option, after being only an idea that lacked support. In this context, I wish, in the name of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to commend the Secretary-General for his sincere efforts in exploring the views of the parties concerned and those of the big Powers on the convening of the international peace conference, and for his ideas and suggestions, which have received our full attention and appreciation.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We also realize that peace requites persistence and resolve, and that we should not lose the possible in pursuit of the impossible. We should seize every available opportunity and each propitious occasion. We should nurture every bud until it bears the fruit of justice, security and peace. Egypt has pursued its relentless efforts world-wide so that 19 8 7 may be the year of peace through negotiations between the parties within the context of an international peace conference. These endeavours, supported by the sincere efforts made by other parties, have led to what may be tantamount to an international consensus in support of the idea Of convening an international conference.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The lapse of 20 years since Israel occupied the Arab territories in 1967 and the continued rejection by the Palestinian people of that occupation confirm the need for the establishment of comprehensive peace based on justice and the restoration of the legitimate rights of those deprived of them, within a framework that ensures mutual security and recognition of the right of all States in the region to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries and of the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory through war. History and experience teach us that the rights of peoples cannot be waived by proscription or vanish through oblivion. We also know that although force may impose a fait accompli it does not grant security or establish peace, and that justice alone is the way to peace.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We seek to establish peace based on recognition of the legitimate rights of all parties. While the attainment of peace requires that each party make an effort and accept the spirit of settlement and justice, we believe that peace would be an asset to all parties. Conversely, the persistence of tension and conflict is of no benefit to anyone rather, it means loss for everyone.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“This should in no way blind us to the fact that the Palestine question is the core of the conflict in our part of the world. Despite the passage of time or the flare-up of conflicts in the region, it remains the main source of danger and the underlying cause of tension and turbulence. Peace can never be established, nor can it last, as long as the Palestinian people are deprived of their legitimate national rights, foremost among which is their right to self-determination on their national soil. Egypt, which has been committed to the Palestinian question ever since it emerged, is no less committed to it today; nor will it ever shirk its responsibility regarding it. Our commitment to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people is the essence of our endeavours to establish a just and comprehensive peace in our region.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“By the same token, Egypt hopes that the Mediterranean will become a nuclear-weapon-free zone and that the Mediterranean sea will continue to be a transit route for trade and culture and a haven of peace and security. In the same vein, Egypt stresses the importance of establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in the Middle East and Africa. Egypt has consistently called for the achievement of those two objectives and has taken the initiative of submitting specific proposals to this end. it may be appropriate to appeal from this rostrum to the States of the region and the big Powers to adopt positions and take measures conducive to translating those objectives into facts in the near future. The Iraq-Iran war is at present the centre of conflict and a source of danger in the Middle East.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In this context, the General Assembly resolution on convening the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development was recognition that international security and development are inseparable. It is high time humanity directed its efforts towards construction instead of destruction, development instead of the feverish arms race. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the efforts made to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are complementary. Egypt invites the international community to intensify its efforts to persuade the States that have not signed the Treaty accede to it.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We also commend the agreement by the two super-Powers to make urgent and intensified efforts to eliminate intercontinental ballistic missiles, which would ease international tension and decrease the nuclear threat and its grave consequences. Disarmament is an all-embracing issue - one of security and politics as well as development. Indeed, it is the issue of the very survival of mankind. It is now a universally acknowledged truth that the use of weapons of mass destruction would leave neither victor nor vanquished. Consequently, persistence in the arms race is insistence on the futile depletion of the energies and resources of peoples to no avail.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“At a time when the threat of confrontation between the two super-Powers clouds the entire globe, any progress towards disarmament by them leads to an atmosphere of detente and de-escalation, whose effect extends to several regional conflicts. Therefore, we learned with great interest the news that the two super-Powers had reached agreement in principle on eliminating some types of nuclear weapons. Such enthusiasm on our part results from our firm belief that nuclear weapons constitute the ultimate danger for humanity. Egypt congratulates the two Powers on the success of their efforts in this field, particularly as a ban on such weapons would represent a unique precedent, for it would be the first agreement leading to actual disarmament consistent with the priorities laid down by the international community in that field.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Such a state of affairs makes us more supportive of to and more insistent on the need for relations between States to be based on the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We are confident that the United Nations, which has been a principal forum for the maintenance of peace and security since the end of the Second World War, will continue to play its role and confirm its principles, whatever the difficulties or challenges. We believe that peace is indivisible and that security cannot be the monopoly of a few. In the world of today, where interdependence has been enhanced and distances have narrowed, no one can feel secure in isolation from the rest of the international community.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“The United Nations, which was born as an expression of humanity's aspirations to peace, security and freedom and whose principles have been beacons on the path to righteousness and justice, still embodies the hopes of many peoples. Forty-two years after its establishment, the United Nations still has a primary role in the maintenance of peace and security and in laying the foundations of relations among States and peoples on the principles of co-operation, solidarity, respect of rights and sovereign equality. The world today is experiencing extremely delicate international conditions, including conflicts which are being exacerbated or are potentially threatening and volatile.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It gives me pleasure to congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of the Egyptian delegation and on my own behalf, on your election to the presidency of the forty-second session of the United Nations General Assembly. We are particularly pleased to see as President a person with renewed skills who comes from a friendly country with which Egypt maintains cordial relations and enjoys mutual understanding. In the same spirit, I avail myself of this opportunity to express our profound thanks to your predecessor, Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, for his wise steering of the forty-first session and his invaluable contribution by conducting its proceedings towards the desired objectives.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is our view that, as we are on the eve of commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, it is a highly propitious time to initiate practical steps to convene such a special session. 156. On the eve of celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, let us close our ranks in solidarity in the interest of peace and prosperity for our peoples. Let us make this anniversary a unique opportunity to achieve for future generations real victory over ignorance, poverty, starvation, fear, oppression, terrorism and injustice.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Last year, at the thirty-eighth session, when President Hosni Mubarak addressed the Assembly, he underlined the necessity of convening a special session of the General Assembly to be devoted to the subject of enhancing the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. 154. We have recently received the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization, in which he made a detailed analysis of the set-back suffered by the collective system and the need to restore confidence in and credibility to the United Nations and to enhance its effectiveness. We share the Secretary-General's views and conclusions on the causes of this crisis and the necessity for them to be redressed. 155.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In this regard, I wish to recall the appeal made by President Hosni Mubarak, of the Arab Republic of Egypt, before the sixth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development last year, which was intended to instil a new spirit of international co-operation, when he called for regular consultations between the Heads of State or Government in the North and the South to review the international economic situation, agree upon policies which would spare the world further acute crises and ensure the sound functioning of the economic cycle for the common benefit of mankind. 152. We call upon countries of the North to approach the dialogue with a new outlook based on the conviction that we share the same destiny and that comprehensive solutions through dialogue and understanding are the only option available to us. 153.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Also, the outcome of the Fourth General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, held at Vienna from 2 to 19 August 1984, provided yet another example of the stalemate being encountered at present in the North-South dialogue. 149. The Seventh Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi from 7 to 12 March 1983, adopted a flexible approach to extricating global negotiations from the persistent deadlock. However, that initiative has not received its due response from the countries of the North. 150. We share with many the conviction that the world economy is so complex that it is indispensable to strengthen interdependence and dialogue in order to find solutions to all these problems. 151.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In this context, we emphasize the serious debt problem and the escalating interest rates, the continuous fluctuations in exchange rates, the persistence of protectionist trends in international trade, accentuated by a sharp decline in the prices of raw materials exported from the developing countries, and the deterioration of the terms of trade of these countries. 148. We had entertained the hope that meetings recently held, such as the sixth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held at Belgrade from 6 June to 2 July 1983, would have provided an opportunity to reach agreed solutions for international economic problems and reactivate the North-South dialogue. It is regrettable that that session could not accomplish concrete results.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“The ministerial meeting of the Mediterranean members of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Valletta on 10 and 11 September 1984, reiterated in its Final Declaration the necessity of establishing such a nuclear- weapon-free zone in the Middle East and requested the General Assembly and the Secretary-General to take specific steps to bring this concept into being. 146. I have already highlighted the acute economic and human crisis afflicting the African continent. Needless to say, this crisis stems basically from prevailing economic conditions which hinder the developing countries, particularly in Africa, from surmounting the barriers of underdevelopment and accelerating the development process. 147.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“As far as the region to which we belong is concerned, Egypt has for several years called for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and, in February 1981, it ratified the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The General Assembly, for its part, reaffirmed at the thirty-eighth session its previous resolutions calling upon States of the region to desist from producing or acquiring nuclear weapons or allowing the positioning of such weapons by a third party on their territories and to subject all their nuclear activities to IAEA safeguards. 145.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“As preparations for the Third Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are already under way, we are fully entitled to call urgently for the fulfilment by the nuclear-weapon States of their commitments in accordance with article VI of that Treaty, by starting negotiations in good faith to reach agreement on effective measures to stop the nuclear-arms race and achieve a complete ban on nuclear tests. 143. In other words, it is our view that the Conference should consider measures which would commit nuclear States to non-use of their nuclear weapons against States that do not have nuclear weapons and have renounced the nuclear option. It should also support any country that might be the victim of aggression against its nuclear installations devoted to peaceful purposes. 144.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“This is the appalling image we have of the world, one which haunts the life of man today with a new type of anxiety and fear of annihilation and self-destruction which could occur unintentionally through a miscalculation or a misreading of data. 141. Therefore, we cannot but persist in urging the nuclear-weapon States to heed the voice of reason and to respond to the plea of millions of people to halt the nuclear-arms race by reaching agreements conducive to the gradual elimination of weapons of mass destruction and the possibility of a nuclear war. 142.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Despite efforts by the non- aligned countries in the Conference on Disarmament at Geneva and here in the General Assembly at two special sessions devoted to disarmament, we note not only an absence of any progress in disarmament negotiations but also, unfortunately, a further accumulation of nuclear weapons, which has brought the stockpile of nuclear warheads to 80,000, enough to destroy the world several times over. Nuclear weapons are proliferating in new locations and domains, and legal freedoms, such as the freedom to use outer space and the high seas, are used for more nuclear militarization. The rate of expenditure on the production of instruments of mass destruction is on the increase and has reached astronomical levels at a time when there are people starving to death, as is the case in Africa.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Twenty-five years have elapsed since the General Assembly adopted, at its fourteenth session, a resolution which stressed, that the objective of general and complete disarmament was the most important and most pressing issue our world confronted. Agreement was reached on setting up the Disarmament Commission at Geneva. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was concluded in 1968, and a large number of non- nuclear-weapon States thereby renounced the nuclear option and placed their nuclear installations under international control.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We continue to underscore the importance of sincere efforts to implement United Nations resolutions on Kampuchea and to pave the way for appropriate international conditions to enable the Korean people to achieve their aspirations and realize their hopes in unity. We are confident that efforts to find just and peaceful solutions to those problems will result in easing international tensions and strengthening the progress of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. 139. Egypt voices its support for the efforts of the Contadora Group to extricate Central America from the circle of violence and enable the peoples of the region to achieve peace, stability and development. 140.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We may well look forward, with sincere hope, to the success of the tireless efforts exerted by the Secretary-General with a view to reaching a settlement of the situation in Afghanistan in such a way as to ensure the rights of that brotherly people to peace, freedom and stability. We equally commend his efforts towards resolving the Cyprus problem through fulfilment of the aspirations of the Cypriot people—including both the Turkish and Greek communities—to solve their problems and find an appropriate formula for coexistence and cooperation m accordance with their will and traditions. 138.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Therefore we raise the question once again and hope that a more comprehensive international awareness of the crisis and its serious dimensions can be mustered in such a way as to enable us—during the current session of the General Assembly—to adopt concrete, clear-cut measures to tackle this crisis. I should like on this occasion to place on record our sincere thanks to the Secretary-General, who has launched an initiative in this respect and spared no effort to follow it up. 137. If our world today is still afflicted by a number of grave and diverse problems, the group of non- aligned countries and the group of Islamic countries have laid down a practical framework for coping with most of those problems.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Moreover, we live in an international community which should be characterized by interdependence. We also believe that an economically viable and strong Africa can contribute greatly to the achievement of economic and political stability in the world. 136. Against this background, Egypt raised the issue of the economic crisis in Africa in meetings of the Organization of African Unity and called for consideration of this issue in the Economic and Social Council during its second regular session, held at Geneva. However, we cannot conceal our disappointment at the failure of the Council to approve a declaration on this issue.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“To realize the proportions of this crisis, suffice it to know that an estimated 5 million children will have died in 1984 as the result of the food shortage, that more than 150 million people will face famine this year, that per capita food production has decreased by 11 per cent compared to 1970 figures and that per capita national income in most African countries has been steadily declining throughout the past few years. 134. In the face of this grave situation, the international community must earnestly embark on a serious plan—whether in the short or long term—to contain it. 135. The developed countries cannot shirk their responsibilities, because, in the final analysis, we find that the crisis in Africa is largely due to current international economic conditions.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“That conciliatory attitude was met with arrogance and intransigence on the part of the South African regime, which sought only to delay Namibia's independence as long as possible. Such procrastination leaves SWAPO with no alternative but to continue its legitimate and just struggle, which Egypt will support until Namibia achieves its independence. 133. In reviewing the pressing problems confronting our African continent, I should like to emphasize the exceptionally grave situation the continent faces—a situation which cannot be described as simply an "economic crisis". Indeed, it has turned into a serious crisis, both economic and humanitarian.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“At the same time, the racist regime in South Africa persists in its occupation of Namibia, although six years have elapsed since the Security Council adopted resolution 435 (1978), which endorsed the framework for a just settlement within which Namibia could gain its independence. There is no doubt whatsoever that the only obstacle to the implementation of that resolution lies in Pretoria's insistence on linking implementation with other factors totally alien to its substance and content. 132. Recent developments in southern Africa, particularly concerning the Namibian question, have made clear the positive attitude and sense of responsibility of SWAPO, as well as its sincere wish to achieve the independence of Namibia peacefully through negotiations.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“That regime has recently undertaken certain measures in a desperate attempt to introduce some changes to the repugnant face of through the so-called constitutional reforms, which in fact only mean more camouflage and codification of that racist policy. Therefore, it was only natural that the African majority—with its astute political perception—should have boycotted the elections conducted last August in implementation of the so-called constitutional reforms. The Security Council acted in perfect wisdom when it condemned those elections. Egypt reiterates its support for the struggle of the people of South Africa to eliminate racist policies and establish a non-racial democratic system in that cherished part of the African continent. 131.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“I should like now to touch upon certain pressing conditions in our African continent whose peoples have suffered injustice, colonialism and exploitation as have no other peoples of any continent. Our continent has braved all odds to gain its total independence, a fact which should have prompted special international attention to support Africa's endeavours to achieve total liberation and development. 129. Unfortunately, we still see our brothers in the south of the continent living the tragedy of the age, which brands with disgrace not only the racist clique in Pretoria but also all those who aid that regime and refrain from opposing its practices both in word and in deed. 130.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“This position taken by Egypt emanates from its option for peace not only as a principle of its foreign policy but also as an overall pattern to be established in the entire region to which we belong and in the world at large. 127. In this context, recent developments in the Red Sea region have underscored the importance of Egypt's previous call that the Red Sea countries should make concerted efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Red Sea. We welcome and wholeheartedly support the Sudan's initiative to this effect. Such an initiative, launched as it was by the sister country of the Sudan, with which we are linked by inherent ties of integration, promotes the prospects of peace for the region and for all our peoples. 128.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Such a settlement would put an end to this senseless war and reinstate the rights of each party, in keeping with the basic principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. In this regard, Egypt will spare no effort to pursue those endeavours until the appeal of the international community has been fully responded to and hostilities have been halted and negotiations started to reach a peaceful settlement. 125. In this respect, we wish to express our deep appreciation of the continuing efforts made by the Secretary-General with a view to putting an end to this war. We support those efforts and wish him success. 126.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“I move now to the grave and explosive situation in the Gulf region resulting from the continued armed conflict between Iran and Iraq, with both of which Egypt maintains the closest spiritual and historical ties. This conflict, which is exacting a high toll of human lives and material resources which should have been devoted to life rather than devastation and death, is a source of profound sorrow and regret to us. 124. The position of Egypt vis-a-vis this conflict has been unequivocally spelled out from the very beginning and remains unchanged. We are exerting maximum efforts within the framework of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries to reach a peaceful settlement to this conflict.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In view of this concept, and given the failure of all attempts to terminate such violations, it is our view that it is highly propitious to consider convening a diplomatic conference comprising all States parties to the Convention to review the deteriorating situation in the occupied Arab territories. Such a conference should envisage measures conducive to ensuring respect for the provisions of the Convention. We call upon all States parties to the Convention, as well as the Secretary-General, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the President of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues, to study this proposal and start consultations on how best to implement it. 123.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“While we are fully appreciative of the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross to ensure security for the Arab population in the occupied territories, we are equally aware of the constraints and limitations imposed by the nature of the activities of that Committee, which could curtail those efforts and render them inadequate to address an increasingly deteriorating situation in the occupied Arab territories. 121. At the same time, the Geneva Convention is part of a contractual legal system which is not confined to the parties to the conflict. Rather, it is a global legal system encompassing all States parties to the Convention, conferring on them an interest and a responsibility to ensure full respect for the provisions of the Convention. 122.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“Violations of the provisions of international humanitarian law inside the occupied Arab territories have assumed appalling dimensions as manifested in the perpetuation and consolidation of settlement policies in those territories and in the terrorist, oppressive and punitive measures perpetrated against the Arab population in those territories. These practices constitute serious violations of the provisions of that Convention, to which almost all States have acceded, including Israel. 120.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“I should like to deal with one of the aspects of the situation prevailing in the occupied Arab territories, namely the humanitarian aspect, particularly the constant violations of the provisions of international humanitarian law, especially the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and the challenges such violations pose for us as States parties to this Convention, and parties also to an international system in which the issue of respect for human rights represents an integral part of its legal structure. 119.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“We hope that this decision will be implemented without delay, putting an end to the series of acts of aggression against Lebanon, a country for which we cherish every hope of stability, reconciliation and prosperity in an atmosphere of freedom, unimpeded by foreign interference. 118.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“This is a great step towards peace. 117. The events in Lebanon have once again attested to the futility of invasion and of the imposition of peace through force. The need to ensure its security has been advanced by Israel as an excuse for invading Lebanon. We were among the first to warn against the futility of such an approach, which could only result in more victims and foment more hostility and bitterness. The events in Lebanon have confirmed the validity of our views. We therefore consider the decision taken by the new Israeli Cabinet to withdraw from Lebanon a sound one.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)
“In this context, we are not lacking in peace initiatives or proposals. There are now several peace proposals, including the draft resolution submitted to the Security Council by Egypt and France on 28 July 1982. we also have the Arab peace plan, contained in the Final Declaration of the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference, adopted at Fez on 9 September 1982, President Reagan's initiative of 1 September 1982 and other proposals. Now, we have the United Nations initiative as represented in the call by the General Assembly for the convening of an International Peace Conference on the Middle East, to which we have responded favourably and which we have supported. We wonder why such a call should be rejected or ignored. All of us should reflect deeply on the implications of the positive response by the PLO in accepting this initiative.”
1984-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 39 (1984)