YouSaid · the spoken record

Mohamed Benaissa

lines on the record: 128
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2007-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“Medium-income countries should be relieved of their debt burden so that they can devote the resources thus freed to investments in social and economic infrastructures. In this context, Morocco believes that the time has come for international institutions, particularly the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization, to adopt a new approach to assisting the countries of the South in their development efforts. These institutions must adapt themselves to the new international context in order to redress the imbalances between the countries of the North and the South, which have grown considerably since the external-debt crisis.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in recent years in all sectors of human activity, and despite the potential benefits heralded by the globalization of economies and technological breakthroughs, half of the world's population continues to live in a state of abject poverty. Morocco believes that efforts to reduce poverty and to ensure sustainable development require international action in order to integrate the developing countries in the global economy and new reforms, undertaken by the countries concerned, to meet the essential needs of their peoples with respect to health care, education and employment. Similarly, trade barriers must be reduced for those goods that are of particular benefit to the exports of the developing countries, particularly the least developed countries.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Multilateral relations have become the most realistic approach to transnational problems in a world undergoing the process of globalization. It is quite clear that a collective response is more necessary now than ever before in our approach to the serious problems of today's world. It is obvious that no country or group of countries can claim to be able to take sole charge of the numerous problems of besetting the comity of nations. When we consider nuclear proliferation, weapons of mass destruction, the deterioration of the environment, endemic poverty, organized transnational crime, the drug problem and other such problems, we are compelled to recognize the scope of the strenuous efforts that will have to be made by the international community to deal effectively with them.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Allow me first of all to congratulate you very warmly, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. The Moroccan delegation will spare no effort in giving you every support to ensure the success of your work. I would also like to thank your predecessor and to wish him every success in his responsibilities. I also cannot fail to pay a very warm and special tribute to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has led the Organization with such conviction, tenacity and competence. I take this opportunity to congratulate him on his efforts to ensure the success of the Millennium Summit. I also wish to convey my congratulations to the State of Tuvalu, which recently joined membership of the United Nations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Many developing countries are facing difficulties in their attempts to effectively integrate with the world economy and are suffering the consequences of globalization.” In conclusion, we believe that, as we stand on the threshold of the new millennium, the international community should exert greater efforts to create a political, economic and social environment conducive to further cooperation and rapprochement among peoples, so that all of mankind can enjoy the fruits of peace and live in prosperity and tranquility.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Following the ninth ministerial meeting of the Group of 77 and China — which I had the honour of chairing and which was held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 13 to 16 September 1999, in preparation for the tenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and 28 Development — the Group of 77 and China adopted the Marrakesh Declaration, which pointed out that “the disparities in the scope and impact of globalization have led to economic disharmony, both at the international and national levels. This translates into new challenges to our development ambitions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Morocco believes that effective solutions to the debt problem should not be restricted to partial alleviation of the debt burden of some countries only, but should, rather, take the form of a comprehensive policy to stimulate the economic activity of debt-ridden developing countries through promoting their exports and encouraging direct foreign investments in them.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“His Majesty pointed out that “the comprehensive project advocated by the founders of our system remains fragile because of the fate of hundreds of millions of people who will not accept indefinite marginalization while tremendous progress and prosperity are being enjoyed by the advanced countries of the world.” In future negotiations, and within the framework of the World Trade Organization, Morocco is of the view that the adoption of a global and balanced approach reflecting the legitimate interests of all countries, while taking into account the developmental dimension of advanced countries, should be the best means to achieve a just and balanced international trade system.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This aspect was at the forefront of the concerns of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the address he delivered, when he was Crown Prince, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the multilateral trading system, celebrated in Geneva in 1998.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is our dearest hope that the United Nations will come up with equitable solutions that take into consideration our concerns and those of thousands of Sahraoui candidates who, had they not been compelled to leave the region because of the fight they were waging against colonialism, would have been covered by the census and therefore been accepted directly by the Identification Commission. The phenomenon of economic globalization has been swiftly developing and expanding. It has led to a liberalization of markets, swifter exchange relations, enhanced global productivity and greater financial flows. The economic changes affecting the international arena call for a comprehensive review of the rules of international economic interactions in order to adapt them to those changes and to the development needs of all of humanity.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Kofi Annan, aimed at completing the process as soon as possible and under conditions most conducive to transparency, justice and success. As a contribution towards that objective, Morocco has endeavoured, from the start of the process, to inform the United Nations of any deviations that might affect the legitimate rights of the potential participants in the referendum. Thus, following the publication of the first part of the preliminary lists of the Sahraouis that have been identified, Morocco expressed concern over practices that have affected the identification process and have led to the elimination of thousands of names of people of Sahraoui origin, despite the fact that they had met the agreed criteria and conditions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Kingdom of Morocco has always taken a great interest in the question of disarmament, because it is linked both to international peace and security and to economic and social development. In this respect, we reiterate the need to ensure that all the countries of the Middle East region join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and submit their facilities to the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency. This action, along with making the Middle East region a nuclear- weapons-free zone, would be a decisive contribution to restoring confidence and peace in that region. As regards the question of the referendum in our southern desert provinces, Morocco reiterates its full support for the efforts of the United Nations, especially those of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Because of its geographical location, its historical ties and its economic and cultural relations with Mediterranean countries, Morocco believes that the consolidation of security and stability and the promotion of cooperation in the region are an absolute necessity. Thus Morocco took part in the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, from the Barcelona conference to the Stuttgart conference, which provided an opportunity to assess the Barcelona process three years after its inception. During the Stuttgart conference Morocco voiced its conviction that for security and stability to prevail in the Mediterranean basin there has to be an effective partnership between the countries of the region that takes into consideration the political, economic, social and cultural dimensions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Morocco has followed with keen interest the international endeavours aimed at restoring peace in Kosovo and at putting an end to the bloody conflict and ethnic-cleansing campaigns that have claimed the lives of thousands of innocents Kosovars, in blatant violation of international law and of the most fundamental principles of human rights. Given its keen desire to strengthen peace in the region, Morocco has expressed its readiness to 27 participate in KFOR and has made all possible humanitarian efforts to provide material assistance to Kosovar refugees. To this end, it also set up, at the initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, a fund to collect donations for Kosovar children.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Solving the many problems affecting Africa requires that the international community seriously tackle the economic and social conditions and the various conflicts that beset most African countries, conditions that have had a negative effect on the hopes of African peoples, as well as on their legitimate right to achieve comprehensive development and to live under stable and safe conditions. Being deeply committed to our ties of brotherhood and solidarity with all African countries, Morocco has consistently placed African issues at the forefront of its concerns. As a token of its unwavering solidarity with African countries, Morocco devotes 95 per cent of its annual international assistance appropriations to African countries.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The brotherly Iraqi people have been suffering for years from the impact of an economic embargo that has had pernicious effects on them, especially children, women and the elderly. As it voices full solidarity with the fraternal Iraqi people, Morocco calls for the pooling of international efforts in order to lift the embargo and to find a peaceful settlement to this problem within the framework of international law and in compliance with Security Council resolutions. In this respect, we stress the need to preserve the sovereignty of Iraq, its security and its territorial integrity.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This has been achieved through various agreements reached by the parties concerned, the latest being the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum. Those accords rekindled the hopes of the peoples of the region in building a new future based on security, stability and coexistence. The agreements that have been signed — which are founded on the principle of land for peace — set the stage for a new era based on international law, as attested to by the commitments made by the parties concerned. The accords uphold the right of all peoples of the region to live in security and stability, and the right of the Palestinian people in particular to exercise self- determination and to establish its independent State.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Because of its solidarity with that country, a founding member of the Arab Maghreb Union and one of the pioneering leaders among Arab and African countries, Morocco notes with deep regret the long lasting hardships and the grave tragedy endured by the Libyan people due to the embargo imposed on them. We hope that sanctions applied to the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya will be completely and definitively lifted as soon as possible, on the basis of the principles of justice and equity, and that the sisterly Libyan Arab Jamahiriya will resume its constructive role, within the international community, for the establishment of security, stability and peace. The international community has followed with satisfaction the beginning of a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East crisis.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Given the blocs and groupings that characterize the world today and the challenges imposed by the current economic situation, we believe that it is necessary to pursue efforts to give fresh impetus to the Arab Maghreb Union as well as a new dynamism to its various organs, while strengthening cooperation among its members so that it may discharge its mission by taking up development challenges and building an integrated Maghreb economy. Morocco welcomes with deep satisfaction the positive developments witnessed on the Lockerbie issue, which have led to the suspension of the sanctions imposed on the sisterly Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We do hope that the deep historical ties between the two countries, the solid and privileged relations that exist between them, and the ambitions of both peoples to achieve further rapprochement and cooperation, will be a strong incentive towards reaching a final solution to this problem, satisfactory to both parties. Ever since their independence, Arab Maghreb countries have believed in the inevitable necessity to achieve regional integration in order to counter the challenges of development and to ensure the progress and prosperity of their peoples. In keeping with those objectives, the Arab Maghreb Union was set up as a reflection of the region’s age-old shared history and an embodiment of its peoples’ unity of faith, language, history and common destiny.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“26 Convinced of the absolute necessity of coexistence with its neighbours, in keeping with the strong historical ties between Morocco and Spain, and given the desire of both countries to further enhance their cooperation and good neighbourliness, Morocco has been calling for the implementation of the initiative of the late King Hassan II aimed at setting up a joint Moroccan-Spanish working group to reach a final settlement of the current status of the two cities, Ceuta and Melilla, and the neighbouring islands, in a way that ensures Morocco’s sovereignty over those regions while guaranteeing Spain’s economic interests.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Hence, Morocco has undertaken some pioneering initiatives in the area of promoting human rights, disseminating a human rights culture, and protecting them against any violation or transgression. It has enhanced the role of the various components of civil society, including institutions that promote the role of women, in various political, economic, social and cultural fields. Opting for the multiparty system and democratic alternation of government as a political system, Morocco has made human rights and fundamental freedoms an individual and a collective principle that is considered a strong pillar of the Moroccan political system. This, in turn, has made it possible for Morocco to hold a distinguished position among the countries that have adopted democracy as a system and as a way of life.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Morocco is fully aware of the importance of social development as a fundamental means of achieving comprehensive development. This awareness was the cornerstone of several pioneering initiatives taken by Morocco to overcome social problems, especially the plague of poverty. To that end, an institution known as the Mohammed V Solidarity Foundation was set up, and is now under the supervision of His Majesty King Mohammed, to fight poverty by mobilizing the active components of civil society. In keeping with its firm belief that individual and collective prosperity cannot take place outside the purview of democracy and respect for human rights, Morocco has taken keen interest in the consolidation of human rights and democratic practices.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Indeed, as illustrated by widely divergent indicators between the North and the South, the world is suffering from a widening gap in economic and social conditions and strong disparities in human development. Those ever- increasing disparities constitute a basic factor in the instability that characterizes our world today. This imbalance has led to a proliferation of poverty in various parts of the world, as well as to the spread of illiteracy, unemployment and several other social ills that now threaten world peace and security. We recall with appreciation the distinguished role played by the United Nations, as it has developed over the last few years a special interest in various economic and social development issues.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This would make it possible for the Organization to fully shoulder its responsibilities and keep abreast of current challenges, while displaying a political will that would enhance its credibility and strengthen its ability to achieve its goals. As regards the Security Council, current events on the international scene require that we reconsider its working methods and its composition in order to enhance its credibility, promote its ability to preserve international peace and security and ensure balanced representation in its membership on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. Economic and social conditions in the world still rank high among the concerns of mankind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“With the disintegration of borders, the evolution of means of communication and the spread of globalization in the financial and technological fields, the universality of the issues affecting mankind has become the most distinctive characteristic of international relations, and the problems of the age have become too difficult for individual countries to resolve. The tragedies witnessed over the last few years, including ethnic cleansing and blatant defiance of the universal human conscience, call more than ever before for pooling the efforts of the international community and consolidating the role and the efficiency of the United Nations, which is indeed the best-suited forum for settling international disputes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I should also like to take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General of our Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his admirable management of the Organization and for his commendable efforts to infuse it with a new dynamism so that its organs can fulfil our aspirations. He deserves our admiration and appreciation. Many important events have marked this century to which we are about to bid farewell. They have led to a new political and economic balance of power and a modification of the international system.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the sisterly country of Namibia on your election to chair 25 the proceedings of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly. This choice is truly an honour for our continent and a tribute to your promising country. We are convinced that under your leadership our work this year will be successful, and this session will constructively result in the realization of our expectations. I would also like to express appreciation and gratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, Foreign Minister of the friendly country of Uruguay, for his excellent conduct of the work of the previous session. We also welcome the new Member States that have joined our Organization: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)