YouSaid · the spoken record

Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al-Thani

lines on the record: 40
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“That is an aspiration that our peoples, our youth and our future generations fully deserve. It is an aspiration to which we are wedded and which we cherish, because that vision occupies the highest priority in building the world of the future: the world that we all seek and desire. It is a world that we hope one day to attain as an international community — as one family living together on this planet, God willing.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In conclusion, the fulfilment of our aspirations lies in affirming the role of the United Nations, in enhancing its position and in maximizing its potential. It is through the Organization that we hope to establish international relations on the basis of understanding, cooperation and common interests. And it is through the United Nations that we hope one day to succeed in settling crises and disputes; eliminating threats of violence, the use of force and terrorism; and ending the wasting of resources and energies on wars and conflicts, directing them instead to the service of development, progress and prosperity. Similarly, we aspire to a new world built on the principles of justice, equality, liberty, democracy and peaceful coexistence among all the world’s peoples, nations and cultures.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Constitution also governs the relationship between the Government and the people and provides for the separation of the three branches of government. With regard to human rights, an independent human rights commission has been established in the State of Qatar. The commission submits its recommendations to competent State authorities with a view to developing and improving civil liberties. As promoting awareness of civil rights requires that we improve education and upgrade its standards — as well as expanding it to include all segments of society — we have restructured our educational system. Moreover, a number of well- known universities based in developed countries have set up branches in the State of Qatar.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It involves the establishment of State institutions and adherence to the rule of law within the State; it provides for accountability and for assessment of the performance of governmental institutions; it ensures good governance and safeguards the rights of citizens. As such, it is the best way to achieve the priorities of national development and the objectives of modernization and reform, to which our peoples and societies aspire. On the basis of those principles, the State of Qatar recently conducted a referendum on a political Constitution that gives women the right to political participation, both as voters and as candidates for Parliament, which will be elected through the ballot box for the first time.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We should also note the positive response of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and France to that gesture, which bore fruit and ultimately led to the conclusion of an agreement. The phenomena of terrorism and extremism continue to be among the most important challenges facing the world. As we express our total rejection and condemnation of those subversive phenomena — in all their forms and manifestations, and regardless of their sources or motivations — we reaffirm that we stand by the side of the international community and that we support whatever efforts and measures are required to eliminate terrorism and to strengthen the foundations of security and stability. Democracy is an expression of responsible participation in political decision-making.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Thus, Israeli occupation forces must refrain from carrying out assassinations, must lift the siege that they have imposed on Palestinian territories, enable the Palestinians to live in security, peace and dignity on their own land and to move freely in their own areas, put an end to the policies of starvation, humiliation and house demolition, and cease construction of the buffer wall currently being built by the Israeli authorities. In that connection, I cannot fail to note the positive gesture that we witnessed a few days ago by the Libyan Government’s closing of the Lockerbie file, an outcome that was achieved in cooperation with the other parties concerned and in the context of United Nations institutions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We did so despite the many difficulties, obstacles and setbacks encountered by those efforts in the past few weeks. We must also firmly stress that implementation of the road map cannot be undertaken by only one side — the Palestinian people. It requires that the Israeli side also fulfil its obligations and take the necessary actions in that regard. All of the aforementioned requires that the international community and the members of the Quartet — particularly the United States of America — intervene, intensify their efforts and increase their pressure on the Israeli Government so that it will do its part, in return for the Palestinians’ commitment to do theirs.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Arab-Israeli conflict and the question of Palestine are at the top of the list of the conflicts that need concerted action in order to achieve a just, final and comprehensive solution, particularly in the light of the continuation and acceleration of the bloody confrontation that has raged between the Palestinian people and Israeli occupation forces for so many years. It must be noted that we in the State of Qatar have welcomed the road map. We expressed our support for the Quartet’s efforts to have both sides begin implementing the various stages of the road map, in keeping with the vision articulated by Mr. George Bush, President of the United States, as a basis for the final solution of establishing two States living side by side.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The initiative called for the establishment of an international fund for Iraqi higher education, with the objective of providing both immediate and long-term assistance for the rehabilitation of higher education in brotherly Iraq. The State of Qatar has made the first contribution to the fund, in the amount of $15 million. My country has also been participating in international efforts to rebuild Iraq. It has developed a special programme that includes the building of hospitals and educational and residential units. In addition, we have a special programme in Afghanistan that assists in the rebuilding of that country; the programme’s cost has amounted to $62 million thus far.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Moreover, the international community is urgently called upon to help in Iraq’s reconstruction and to meet the Iraqi people’s needs in various areas in order to build a new Iraq of democracy, equality and respect for human rights. With regard to developing Iraq’s infrastructure of higher education, it is noteworthy that the consort of His Royal Highness the Emir of the State of Qatar, Her Royal Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Misnad, Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education + 5 of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), launched a lofty initiative in a statement before the World Conference on Higher Education, held in Paris at UNESCO headquarters.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In that regard, we also welcome the establishment of the Interim Governing Council and the interim Iraqi Government that emerged from it; they mark an important positive step, and we hope that they will contribute to achieving the desired transition towards consolidated democracy in the country and the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraqi State institutions. That should be accomplished by drafting a new constitution, holding free democratic elections, putting an early end to the occupation through a specific timetable and allowing Iraq to reclaim its rightful position in the region and in the larger international community. We urge the United Nations to play an effective, essential role in helping Iraq achieve those objectives.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In that context, we look forward to the success of the international efforts to strengthen security and stability in Iraq. We call upon the coalition forces to 10 achieve that essential objective and to intensify coordination with the competent international bodies and institutions in order to pave the way for the country’s return to normalcy. We call upon the coalition forces to allow the Iraqi people, of all factions and political trends, to exercise their legitimate right to choose their own political leadership through free, democratic elections, giving expression to their aspirations, hopes and wishes.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We also strongly condemn the terrorist act targeting the United Nations headquarters in Iraq earlier this week. The difficult and tragic circumstances now prevailing in the brotherly country of Iraq compel us to cooperate in order to help the Iraqi people overcome that situation and its consequences. I must underline once again the fundamental principles underlying our position with respect to the Iraqi crisis and the means necessary to deal with it. We have consistently affirmed our commitment to the territorial integrity, national unity and sovereignty of Iraq and to the right of Iraqis to self-determination, to the restoration of their independence and sovereignty and to the reconstruction of their homeland, as well as to their right to live in dignity and freedom in their own land.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Council’s current composition, working methods and decision-making process do not respond to the needs of the international community or give Member States an opportunity to speak on the vital and critical issues that affect us all. In the State of Qatar, we were shocked and saddened by the horrific attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad. That attack claimed the lives of many innocent victims: the United Nations staff members who were carrying out their humanitarian mission, foremost among them the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and many Iraqis. That heinous act of terrorism illustrates in our view the nature of the challenges and the seriousness of the threats besetting the work of the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations in Iraq and elsewhere.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“That is particularly important for the permanent members of the Security Council because those countries bear the primary responsibility for achieving that goal, which will enable the Organization to perform its functions in a genuinely democratic spirit, reflecting the new international conditions and the interests and aspirations of all peoples of the world without exclusion or preference. In that context, we underline the need to reach agreement on a new formula for the composition of the Security Council and to modernize its working methods, as it is the international body charged with the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“This is the result of the emergence of a new, complicated and multifaceted set of problems and acute regional and international crises, whose root causes we must deal with promptly and in a serious manner. Moreover, we must prevent such crises from worsening and spreading. We must therefore strive to strengthen the role of the United Nations, enhance its institutions and provide it with the essential resources so it can fulfil its mission throughout the world. First, it is imperative that we mobilize the political will needed to enable the Organization to shoulder its responsibilities and carry out its duties.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It gives me great pleasure to extend to you, Sir, our sincere congratulations on your election to the presidency of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Allow me to wish you and the members of the Bureau every possible success. I should also like to express our thanks and appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan, President of the fifty-seventh session, for his great efforts in conducting the work of the General Assembly. It also gives me pleasure to recognize Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who deserves our sincere thanks, respect and admiration for his tireless efforts. Today, the world is experiencing a difficult, critical and highly complex phase in international relations, marked by political and strategic changes affecting the elements and objectives of those relations.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“7 This process of working for a better future and for our peoples imbues us with the utmost hope that we will be able to achieve the objective of building a new world worthy of our young generations which will inhabit it in the third millennium. As we are about to draw the curtain on an old century and welcome the dawn of a new one, we must pledge to our children that we will do our utmost so that their world will be a better world, more capable and better equipped to respond to their ambitions and aspirations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Then we can speak of such advantages and benefits of peace as security, cooperation, stability, prosperity and progress for all the States and peoples in our region without exception. We look forward to that day because we truly yearn to see a new Middle East, which enters the new millennium in a climate of peace, security and democracy; a climate in which we all respect pluralism of opinions, diversity of approaches and the right of peoples and States to self-determination, to better living standards and to living in freedom, prosperity and dignity, in conformity with their lofty beliefs and values. This is one of the basic human rights we cherish. Our belief stems foremost from our profound belief in God Almighty and in His divine revelations with which He blessed all mankind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We must express concern over the continued presence of weapons of mass destruction in the region, especially nuclear weapons that are available exclusively to one side, the Israeli side. In our view, this constitutes a strategic imbalance and a threat to peace and security. Therefore, we believe in the need for the complete elimination of weapons of mass destruction from our region, as an integral and complementary part of the peace process. We also call on Israel to accede to the international treaties providing for the limitation and non- proliferation of such weapons. Peace, in our view, cannot be one-sided, nor can its benefits accrue exclusively on one side. Therefore, we sincerely look forward to the day when a balanced, just, comprehensive and genuine peace reigns in our region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This means the implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978); full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to the border of 4 June 1967 and from southern Lebanon and its western Bekaa valley, to the internationally recognized borders, and the regaining by the Palestinian people of their legitimate national and political rights, foremost among which is their natural right to self-determination and to the establishment of their independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital: the city of peace, the land of tolerance and the cradle of divine revelations, where religions have always coexisted in harmony and concord.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Perhaps it suffices here to recall the recent affirmation by His Highness, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, in explaining my country's firm position on this matter. In our view, there can be no solution to this conflict nor peace in the Middle East except through a permanent, just and comprehensive settlement, based on the established principles that form the foundations of the peace process.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We welcome the changes that have taken place in the Israeli Government as a result of the recent general elections and in light of the formation of the new Government under the leadership of Mr. Ehud Barak and his stated intention to pursue peace more earnestly. However, we feel that such gestures must be coupled with concrete steps that would demonstrate good faith on the Israeli side and sincere readiness to meet its obligations by implementing the agreements concluded on all tracks during the previous stages of the negotiations, and to seek a resumption of the negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks as soon as possible, on the basis of the resolutions of international legitimacy and the principle of land for peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“There naturally remains the essential question, which in our view has been the main source of tension and crises in our region for more than half a century, and that is the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. I must say that we in the State of Qatar, together with our Arab brothers, have committed ourselves to peace as a permanent strategic option, a commitment which still stands. However, the peace process has regrettably failed to attain its envisaged results. Rather, this process has suffered setbacks over the past years, the responsibility for which, in our view, lies with the former Israeli Government, which opted to retreat from its commitments and pursued policies that prevented any progress in the peace process and in negotiations on its various tracks.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Iraqi crisis and its continuous repercussions on security and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, and the cruel suffering of the fraternal Iraqi people, are all elements that cause great concern and prompt us to do our utmost in order to put an end to this crisis. We believe it is high time that we overcame the Iraqi crisis and found effective solutions to it so that the sanctions imposed against Iraq can be lifted and the cruel suffering of its peoples can be terminated. We have always resorted to diplomatic solutions, in accordance with international resolutions, in order to ensure the preservation of the territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq and to spare it and the entire region further dangers and agony.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We welcome the progress made in settling the Lockerbie matter and congratulate our Libyan brothers on that, hoping that this file will be closed and this matter concluded as soon as possible and in a way that will ensure the rights and interests of all parties. 6 Notwithstanding the positive indications and trends, which we welcome and hope will be strengthened, the general regional situation is still, to our great regret, far removed from the comprehensive peace, the lasting stability and the modes of cooperation, development and progress that we seek and desire for our region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We also believe in the need to establish international relations on the basis of friendship, cooperation, mutual respect, common interests and good- neighbourliness. Proceeding from this, my country stands firmly and unambiguously in support of the settlement of differences and disputes in the Gulf region by peaceful means and through dialogue, negotiations, or international arbitration in order to consolidate security and stability in the region. We also wish to place on record my Government's satisfaction at some of the positive developments and encouraging signs that we have noticed during the past months regarding the settlement of a number of questions that have long been a source of concern in our region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“While some recent developments have provided relatively reassuring indications of the possibility of settling regional and internal conflicts, given the resolve and the international will to do so, we find it necessary to recall here that we would have preferred that such international endeavours had taken place in a pre-emptive context that would have prevented the crises and the ensuing tragedies and suffering, instead of subsequent efforts aimed at salvaging whatever remained to be salvaged. We express this concern and call for further international efforts to settle crises and to put an end to wars and conflicts because we in the State of Qatar profoundly believe in the right of peoples to live in freedom and peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Particularly disturbing is the fact that this phenomenon has spread and expanded into several regions of the world. In this regard, and on behalf of my country, Qatar, I cannot but express satisfaction at the results of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation in the Balkans. In the same context, my Government has followed with concern the events that have unfolded in East Timor in recent weeks. Qatar hopes for the success of the international efforts currently under way to restore peace and security. At the same time, we stress the hope that the Republic of Indonesia will transcend this difficult ordeal and reclaim its prominent position in South-East Asia and in the ranks of the international community as a whole.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We may discuss the future and a new world in which we seek to achieve the aspirations of all peoples to prosperity, progress and stability, but the priority of spending on arms and military purposes still prevails over all others, especially in the developing and poor regions of the world, where the need for resources for social and economic growth and development is paramount. In the meantime, economic conditions in these regions continue to deteriorate, social crises are exacerbated and living standards are plummeting ever faster. Naturally, these are not the only problems. In the midst of such a vicious circle, the political crises facing these societies are intensified in turn and soon evolve into significant threats, not only to their security and internal fabric, but also to their neighbours.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We will thus have taken the first essential steps towards the establishment of the new international order that we thought we had achieved at the end the cold war and the age of international polarization, which lasted 50 years after the end of the Second World War. The new international order to which we aspired did not materialize. Unfortunately, and in spite of the many initiatives and indications that had once seemed encouraging, the world instead soon fell into a new spiral of disagreements, disputes and regional, bilateral and internal conflicts. These seemed to be the direct results of the political vacuum left in the wake of the cold war. At the same time, new conflicts and disputes have joined the series of historically chronic crises that have plagued our world for decades and for which no effective solutions have been found.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We can thus steer globalization away from the pitfalls of narrow exploitation and short-term profit and towards a universal scope whose benefits and returns reach everyone. It is here that we feel that a new and extremely vital role will emerge for the United Nations in the twenty-first century — a role in which the Organization will assume leadership of the trend towards globalization and consecrate it, especially in the fields of cooperation, cultural and educational exchanges, social and economic development, the defence of human rights, strengthening peace and stability and consolidating the bases of cultural openness among nations and peoples.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is perhaps not exaggerated optimism or expectation on my part when I say that we consider this to be an essential and vital step towards consecrating the sound concept of globalization, as we see it and as it must be in the twenty-first century. We believe that globalization must be a comprehensive mechanism in the 5 service of the general welfare of all nations and peoples. If its benefits are confined to certain States and societies, to the exclusion of others, it will fail to achieve its objectives. On this basis, we believe that globalization should be the means by which we promote cooperation, interaction and openness among the peoples and societies of the world.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Similarly, it is incumbent upon us, the States Members of the Organization, to assume our political responsibility and respect our moral and financial commitments to it. Furthermore, in this context, we support the idea of expanding the Security Council to make it more democratic and representative of the international community in the modern world. We also support the idea of expanding the permanent membership of the Council so as to ensure greater universal representation on it. The same applies to restricting the use of the veto by the permanent members and to regulating the capacity to use this right under agreed and specific terms and conditions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“To that end, I see no better or more comprehensive framework for this mission than this international Organization, which we believe to be the qualified and appropriate institution for defining the future of our world. All of us, regardless of our interests and our narrow, topical political calculations, must provide the United Nations and its agencies with all the means necessary for it to play such an important role. We are convinced that this can be achieved only with universal will, for in the final analysis, the United Nations is the sum total of its Member States. We are also convinced of the need to reform the United Nations and to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of its bodies and agencies.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Simply put, have we, as States, Governments and international organizations, begun adjusting our priorities so as to place the goals of development, progress, education, health, high living standards and decent life for our peoples ahead of the aims of conflict, disputes and vengeance, no matter how historical, profound or sensitive? I cannot answer yes to any of these questions. There is nothing in this statement to criticize anyone or detract from their resolve or intentions. It is a sad universal reality that requires our cooperation and joint efforts if we truly hope to prepare ourselves for the future and its tasks and changes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Have we really understood the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the possibility that they may be used at any time and anywhere? What of the real dangers besetting our planet as a result of environmental degradation, climate change, the scarcity of water resources, the shortage of raw materials, the deteriorating phenomena of drought and desertification and the increasing frequency of natural disasters? Have we at least begun to draft guidelines and comprehensive universal plans to confront these global threats, which do not differentiate between nationalities, races, colours or creeds and which most certainly recognize no political, geographical, economic and social borders among nations and peoples?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We see bloody conflicts that we have not yet been able to stop and chronic crises that still await solutions that would end the spiral of violence and suffering. Moreover, we find that the world remains reluctant or even unable to address problems and crises that are far removed, in terms of content, from the course of daily politics but whose effects and ramifications are no less dangerous than the topical crises and conflicts that threaten our existence. We must ask ourselves: What have we done, as we stand on the threshold of the third millennium, to prepare ourselves to meet the challenges of poverty, misery, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, the spread of epidemics and the exploitation of children? What have we done to prepare ourselves to cope with the dangers of organized crime, international terrorism and drug trafficking?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is no coincidence that as we meet in this forum to discuss the affairs and state of the world today — at this, the last session of the century, the beginning of a new century, a new age that we once hoped would be different from the old — we find ourselves obliged to discuss the same problems and the same disputes that we have been facing for over half a century. Is this not truly deplorable and even outrageous? Does not this reality constitute categorical evidence that all of us — States, peoples and regional and international organizations — have failed to learn enough from the lessons of the past, that we have not benefited from our past experiences enough and that we have not sought as much as we should have, to overcome our past limitations and shortcomings? What do we see when we look at our world today?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I extend my congratulations to Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty- fourth session. I wish him success in guiding the work of the Assembly. It gives me great pleasure to extend my thanks to his predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, for his effective work as President of the Assembly at its previous session. I wish him similar success in his future endeavours. Allow me on this occasion to congratulate the three new Members on their admission to the United Nations. 4 Allow me also, on behalf of my Government, to express appreciation to the Secretary-General, for his tireless work and laudable efforts in the midst of an international situation that can be described — at best — as difficult and complicated. Of course the international situation is truly difficult and complicated.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)