YouSaid · the spoken record

Abubakr A. Al-Qirbi

lines on the record: 45
first: 2003-09-24
most recent: 2013-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“Concerning the brotherly country of Somalia and our support for it, we call on the international community to continue to stand by it in order to enable it to overcome its long legacy of conflict and suffering. Finally, I would like to thank the President and the Secretary-General once again.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We call on the international and regional parties concerned to intensify their efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the crisis. A “Geneva II” conference should be convened as soon as possible in order to put an end to the violence, killings and bloodshed in Syria. Recent events have demonstrated the challenges facing the United Nations in this area, particularly regarding the disagreement between permanent members of the Security Council, which was a pretext for certain groups to opt for unilateral action outside the international legitimacy represented by the United Nations. The Council needs thorough reform for it to be able to carry out its primary task, which is the maintenance of international peace and security and the peaceful settlement of conflicts.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that regard, we should mention the despair and frustration of many Arab and Muslim nations over the failure to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, arrive at a just solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and put a stop to all the occupying Power’s oppressive measures and practices and attempts to Judaize the holy city of Jerusalem, expand settlement activities, detain Palestinian citizens and excavate illegally around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. We also wish to denounce the use of chemical weapons, especially in Syria, by any party. We call on all the parties in the Syrian conflict to stop the bloodshed, agree to a dialogue and to work towards a political settlement and reconciliation and reconstruction.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Conflicts and bloody events, especially in the Middle East, are contrary to the lofty goals of the United Nations, which is why the international community must revisit the structure and working methods of the Organization and make the reforms necessary to enable it to effectively discharge its responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security and to revitalize its role.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Addressing all those problems requires international cooperation for the security of the country and the region as a whole. We would also like to bring up the issue of refugees in Yemen, especially from the Horn of Africa. We have been hosting more one million of them, with all the economic, social and security difficulties that such a situation entails. We are therefore calling on the international community and relevant organizations to help us to deal with the issue and mitigate its negative impact on Yemen. We must find new ways and means to help the Government care for the refugees and help them to return to their homes, especially since those countries have lately seen their stability restored to some degree.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That is why the fulfilment of pledges by donor countries and the Friends of Yemen must be accelerated, particularly since the Government of Yemen has been working in partnership with donors to earmark and allocate all those funds to various development areas. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all our donors, especially those who have already made good on their pledges and financial commitments to Yemen. That is particularly important in view of the fact that Yemen, owing to its geographic location, social composition and economic status, has been plagued by various problems and challenges. They include the activities of Al-Qaida and of cross-border organized crime and national and international criminal groups trafficking in drugs, weapons and people, as well as the piracy off Yemen’s coasts.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Such acts require the appropriate international measures so as to deter and punish all those who are trying to defeat this unique model in the region. There are a multitude of factors at play, particularly the increasing unemployment rate, growing levels of poverty, and poor social services in general. All those factors exacerbate instability and create a fertile environment for the actions of extremist groups such as Al-Qaida. However, eliminating them effectively requires all kinds of logistical, financial and technical support through practical programmes and plans that do address not only the symptoms, but also the root causes of those phenomena. We need the international community’s support in implementing our national counter-terrorism strategy.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We are certain that our brethren and our friends will assist us in our new endeavour, namely, the drafting of the new constitution and the holding of a referendum on it, as well as in our preparations for the next presidential and parliamentary elections. The achievements being made and that will be made, in the ongoing political process depend heavily on the support of the international community and on enhanced partnership and cooperation between the international community and Yemen, especially as there are internal and external parties that continue to attack the will of the Yemeni people. Those parties are making every effort to obstruct the achievement of political settlements and to target all the factors of stability and the foundations of development in my country.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The results of this endeavour will lay the foundations for the establishment of a new, modern Yemen where democracy, the peaceful transfer of power, the promotion of freedom, justice, partnership, equality and equal opportunities for all citizens prevail. Those foundations will enhance the authority of the State, the rule of law, security, stability and the unity of Yemen. We are also forging ahead with strengthening security and stability in our country and restructuring the military and security institutions, so as to bolster their main national task — to be loyal to the State rather than to parties or individuals.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We thank the five permanent members of the Security Council for their unified vision with regard to Yemen, which made it possible for us to forge ahead with the political process and crown it with success. We also extend our appreciation to the League of Arab States, the European Union, Germany and all the relevant international organizations and institutions, as well as to the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Yemen, Mr. Jamal Benomar, for his efforts to achieve reconciliation between the parties in Yemen. As the Assembly is aware, my country has made great strides in the implementation of the GCC initiative and its mechanisms. We are now turning to the second phase, that of concluding the work of the comprehensive National Dialogue and forging ahead with our plan to shape our future.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In that context, we wish to reiterate our thanks and appreciation to all those who stood by the people of Yemen and by the political settlement embodied in the Gulf initiative, chief among them the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud; the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the GCC Secretary General, Mr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani. I also extend my thanks to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon and to Security Council members for visiting Yemen on two occasions. As my country is a unique model among the countries in which the Arab Spring is unfolding, those visits have enhanced the new approach, which is based on the GCC initiative and Security Council resolutions on Yemen.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Perhaps the lofty and noble purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and all its instruments served as inspiration in the political settlement and the comprehensive national dialogue that we have been pursuing for more than six months. Those purposes and principles are also reflected in two aspects of the current situation. First is our desire for coexistence and consensus, our rejection of violence and our preference for the language of dialogue and logic and reason. The second aspect is the fact that Yemen is considered a unique model that should be followed, given the tremendous change being witnessed in our region. The acute crisis that befell Yemen in 2011 reflected internal understanding and tolerance and a desire for coordination with regional and international partners.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“From this rostrum, I wish to commend my country’s youth for its leadership throughout the transition process in building institutions, enhancing and promoting freedom and democracy, and building a new Yemen where justice, liberty and good governance prevail. The values of justice, freedom and equality, respect for human rights and the maintenance of international peace and security are the main pillars and principles on which the United Nations was established. Because of our firm belief in those values and principles, we have always sought to implement and promote United Nations instruments and to support peaceful coexistence among nations.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Allow me, from this important international rostrum, to congratulate the great and valiant people of Yemen on this important occasion and to commend the country and people of Yemen for their resilience and their sacrifices in emancipating themselves from the yoke of colonization, injustice, oppression and despotism. I also wish to congratulate the people of Yemen for wisely and patiently forging ahead on the path of change and modernization for more than 50 years and for their determination to rid themselves of all the remnants of the past. I commend them on their stewardship of the historic political change, chief among them the implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative, with the support of international and regional communities.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Allow me, at the outset to extend sincere my congratulations to Ambassador John Ashe, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. We are confident that he will ably guide the work of the Assembly during this session. I also extend my thanks and gratitude to Mr. Vuk Jeremi., President of the Assembly at the previous session, for his efforts. We wish to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his wise leadership of the Organization and for his interest in the developments taking place in the world and in my country. It is a felicitous coincidence that the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly coincides with the celebrations in my country in honour of the September and October revolutions.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I wish also to thank all the United Nations agencies for their humanitarian efforts in my country during this political crisis.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“An objective understanding of the conflict clearly shows Israel’s intransigence and its Government’s policy of establishing settlements, its rejection of the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, its 15 11-51670 refusal to abide by international legality, and its rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative. We call upon the international community and the peace sponsors, including the United States of America, to continue their efforts to achieve universal recognition of a sovereign State of Palestine and to allow it to join the United Nations as a fully fledged Member of the Organization and other world organizations and organs. Allow me in closing to reiterate my thanks to the Secretary-General for his efforts in following the crisis in Yemen.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, my country believes that resolving the political crisis is the key to stopping all violations of human rights. The Government of Yemen, during its chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China in 2010, continued to actively and sincerely work to achieve consensus and unity within the Group, which led to a consensus on many issues of interest to the Group, including, inter alia, climate change, the outcome document of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals, and United Nations reform. In that connection, we wish every success to the Republic of Argentina during its chairmanship of the Group. We also wish every success to the fraternal Republic of Algeria, which will chair the Group in 2012. The Israeli-Arab conflict represents the main threat to international peace and security.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We have also submitted our national reports within the context of the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council, with which we cooperate. In that connection, we welcome the outcome of the review conducted by the Human Rights Council in Geneva and New York, in which we participated actively. There is no doubt that during the political crisis many human rights violations have been committed by all parties. The Government nonetheless showed a readiness to conduct independent national investigations and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Government also opened its doors to the fact- finding mission sent by the Human Rights Council. In response to an invitation by our Government, the mission visited Yemen in July and submitted its report to the Council on 19 September.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“What we need at the international level is an integrated global strategy that would help us build our national capacities and thereby enable us to fight extremism and terrorist ideology. Such a strategy would not involve military force only but would be of a social, educational and political nature and would strive to eradicate poverty and achieve universal justice. The Republic of Yemen attaches primary importance to human rights, which is one of the main pillars of the United Nations. Since the return of unity to Yemen in 1990, my country has made great strides in this area. We have established a Ministry for Human Rights and have become a signatory and party to a number of international human rights instruments and conventions, on whose implementation we submit periodic reports.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We believe that Yemen, as a country that opted for dialogue as a means of overcoming the political crisis, will provide a model for change in which all parties are winners and the status of women is enhanced. The President, following his return to Sana’a, declared in no uncertain terms that he supported the GCC initiative and was committed to it. He called on all parties to initiate dialogue and to reach a compromise with a view to its implementation. My country is continuing to make every effort to fight Al-Qaida and its terrorist acts in our country despite our Government’s limited resources. We have dealt some serious blows to Al-Qaida in Abyan province in recent weeks.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We in Yemen are confident that the recent division will be overcome by returning to constitutional legality and remedying certain shortcomings. The Government offered a new opportunity for dialogue by endorsing the initiative of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as the foundation for a solution to the political crisis, especially given that His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh decided to entrust his Vice-President with all constitutional powers, to initiate dialogue with the signatories of the Gulf initiative and to create a mechanism that would guarantee a smooth and democratic transfer of power. That would allow for reconciliation, reform, change and reconstruction in Yemen without any violation of security, the Constitution or democratic principles.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, the efforts of our President continue through his initiatives before Parliament and the Consultative Council, 11-51670 14 whereby he affirmed that he had no intention of running in the presidential elections and that he accepted the amendments to the Constitution and the electoral law, as well as an entire package of political reforms. Our country has incurred heavy losses, estimated at more than $2 billion, as a result of the chaos caused by the opposition parties, which have tried to cut off roads, blow up oil pipelines and cut power lines in many of our cities, in particular in the capital, Ta’izz, Aden and Abyan. However, the Government continued to seek a peaceful solution to the political crisis, calling on the opposition to come to the table and begin dialogue.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“In that election our people showed confidence in the President of the Republic and chose him as our President. The opposition’s rejection of that process has led to the crisis that we are witnessing today at the economic, development, security and political levels. Despite the intransigence of the opposition, the President of the Republic offered compromise in order to achieve reconciliation between the opposition and the Government. That has led to the postponement of parliamentary elections for two years.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Our Government showed its readiness to meet the requests of our young people and their legitimate demands to build a better future for us and for prosperity — a future that is hindered by my country’s weak economy, limited national resources and the prevalence of poverty and unemployment, as well as by terrorism and the repercussions of the global financial crisis. Our Government kept on calling on our development partners and friends and international organizations to provide financial and economic support in order to achieve sustainable development in Yemen, which would ensure security and stability in our country. The main reason for, and primary cause of, the current upheaval in Yemen is the dissatisfaction of the opposition and its refusal to endorse the election that took place in 2006.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, we respected young people’s demand for change and started a dialogue with them in order to meet their demands for reform. We have created tens of thousands of jobs in order to alleviate unemployment. However, the opposition parties abused and misused the protests of our young people in order to seize power, and some of their elements have carried out subversive acts to sabotage the youth movement and its just demands. The opposition parties rejected the results of the democratic elections that were conducted under the international monitoring of the European Union, the Democratic National Institute and several international organizations, which verified that the elections were fair, democratic and transparent.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, those who wished narrow, individual and partisan interests to prevail did not support that historic achievement. Therefore, they tried to stir up trouble, using the conflicts and mistakes made in Yemen in the early days of our unified State, as well as the challenges to development — the uncontrolled population growth, the prevailing poverty, the lack of national resources, increasing drought and desertification, and the scarce water and oil resources, which were the main source of income. All those factors have made it impossible for thousands of university graduates to find employment, which has led to social and political tensions and frustration. But all the opposition forces used the tidal wave of change witnessed by Arab countries to prevent Yemen from achieving democratic change through elections.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Realizing that democratic means would not enable it to seize power, the opposition resorted to political manoeuvres, including violence, threatening the outbreak of civil war and complete devastation in Yemen. That could undermine all the achievements of the Yemeni people in the modern era, as well as their struggle to establish a democratic political system and to protect their national identity, social fabric, unique human harmony and the system that we have managed to build. At the beginning of the 1990s, Yemen’s national movement made great progress by establishing a unified State of Yemen, founded on pluralistic democratic principles and coupled with various civil institutions that promoted and respected human rights.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We wish to congratulate the people of the Republic of South Sudan on that country’s establishment and accession to the United Nations. We also wish to congratulate the National Transitional Council of Libya for its presence among us and for its representation of the brotherly Libyan people. Since January, my country has been experiencing an acute political crisis. The political opposition that has been one of the main components of our system since the unified State of Yemen was established in May 1990 decided to relinquish all common denominators and rejected the principle of consensus, refusing to implement the agreement reached since 2006 following its defeat in the presidential elections. It has created crises, raising its demands and rejecting all compromises and solutions.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“At the outset, allow me to congratulate our brother Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly. I am fully confident that, given his renowned experience and wisdom, he will ably execute the functions of his position. I wish him every success in his work. I would like to express our thanks and appreciation to Mr. Joseph Deiss for his constructive efforts in presiding over the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. 13 11-51670 Our thanks also go to Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his deserved re-election as Secretary-General of the United Nations. We wish to express our thanks and appreciation to him, as well as to the entire Secretariat staff for their work over the past year, in particular for their follow-up of the situation in my country.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“There is a need for rich countries to grant development and financial assistance to poor countries in order to ease the debt burden of the latter and to facilitate the use and transfer of technology. Heads of State and Government who met during the Millennium Summit in New York in 2000 committed themselves to achieving this goal. The United Nations, together with the International Monetary Fund and other institutions, must try to establish an international fund for the eradication of poverty and to improve the situation of refugees. There is also a need to relieve economic, social and security problems, from which countries such as Yemen suffer due to the many refugees on its soil, especially those from Africa.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“My country also believes that the efforts of the international community must be focused on putting an end to any and all political pressure exerted on certain countries and on opposing any attempt at threats or use of force and interference using terrorism as its excuse in the internal affairs of various countries. The Republic of Yemen joins many countries in calling for the need to differentiate between terrorism as a phenomenon and national struggle against foreign occupation by all means, as is the case with the legitimate and just struggle of the Palestinian people. The developing countries are faced today with development challenges that can be overcome only through concerted international efforts and support which would help effect political and economic reforms.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“22 The phenomenon of international terrorism is not unique to a single colour, religion or doctrine. It is an obstacle to world peace, security and progress. Various international coordination efforts to contain this phenomenon have failed because of lack of vision and faulty approaches. The Republic of Yemen has greatly suffered from terrorism. It has tried to take all possible measures to cope with this ill. We hope that there will be united efforts by the international community to eradicate this scourge and to finalize a comprehensive convention against international terrorism. Yemen renews its appeal for holding an international conference under the aegis of the United Nations to define the causes of this phenomenon and to finalize a strategy that contains solutions to the origins of this destructive phenomenon.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“My country believes that this is also the approach and the means that must be adopted and implemented to settle the conflict in Somalia, in order to preserve the national interests of that country. The Republic of Yemen was one of the first countries to participate in efforts designed to achieve national reconciliation in Somalia. Therefore, my country urges the United Nations and the international community to play their role to ensure peace and security in Somalia. Yemen would also like to express its support for the peace negotiations between the Sudanese Government and the various opposition factions, which would finally lead to peace, security and stability in the brotherly country of the Sudan and would safeguard its people and territorial integrity.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Israeli nuclear installations must be submitted to international inspection. We must reject the policies of selectivity and double standards for this issue and many others. The policy of embargo and unilateral economic sanctions that go beyond regional borders and are imposed on certain countries are flagrant violations of international law. My country subscribes to the United Nations appeal to put an end to unilateral measures imposed on the Sudan and Cuba, now that these measures have been eliminated regarding Libya. This will allow us to spread a culture of peace, dialogue and understanding, even in dealing with questions on which there has been disagreement. This would be a reasonable means and a rational approach to settle conflicts and differences among countries.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Thirdly, Israel must withdraw from Syrian and Lebanese occupied territory, for that is an integral part of any attempt to have a just peace in the Middle East. We would like to recall that the Arab countries, in accordance with the Arab initiative for peace, had accepted Israel as a State in the region and had agreed to deal with it on the basis of its real interest in peace and in ending the occupation of the Arab territories. We would also like to recall that my country subscribes to the efforts made by the United Nations regarding measures resulting from the Conference on Disarmament, which will allow us to adopt an international treaty putting an end to the arms race. There is a need to encourage confidence-building measures on the national and regional level. The Middle East must be a region free from weapons of mass destruction.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The United Nations must assume responsibility for rebuilding Iraq; a national Government must be formed with a national constitution and a democratic regime; the Iraqis must be able to enjoy full rights and freedoms, and the League of Arab States must make a contribution to such efforts within international legality. We fully support the endeavours undertaken by the Governing Council in Iraq. Secondly, the Security Council must shoulder its full responsibilities by implementing resolutions relevant to the Arab-Israeli conflict and by implementing the road map, without any amendments by the Israelis. Tel Aviv must be prevented from carrying out the negative and pernicious act of killing or expelling Yasser Arafat, the elected President of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian National Authority.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“A real partnership and war against injustice are guarantees of international peace and security and the best way to prevent extremism and terrorism. If things remain as they are now, we will witness a revolution of the poor, a rebellion of the oppressed, a scenario that is quite removed from the one on the clash of civilizations, as advanced by some parties. My country believes that we need to seriously and positively cope with these crises and conflicts. The Middle East must no longer be a hotbed of tension and crises. The following measures are necessary: first, there must be an immediate halt to the occupation of Iraq, and its sovereignty, territorial integrity and resources must be preserved.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“If we tried to analyse these crises and their ramifications, we would find three major causes: first, a lack of democracy and freedoms; secondly, poverty and ignorance; and thirdly, a global order in which policies of hegemony dominate and practices of pressure are exerted against Third World States. Will we be able at the United Nations to alleviate these desperate situations? Is it sufficient to proclaim democracy, devotion to freedom and human rights as a panacea for all problems? Can these ideals eradicate poverty and eliminate all that is negative in the realities of each country and in international relations? In fact, to alleviate these problems in an effective manner, we must take into consideration the three causes I have just mentioned. Therefore, the rich and the powerful must heed the cries of the weak and the poor.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We are convinced that Israel would only accept a solution if it were imposed on it by a binding resolution. This has not yet come to pass. The world remains silent in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. The Security Council is paralysed, unable to adopt a resolution because the United States did not use its influence, despite its positive approach, as represented in the road map, to achieve the desired solution. Therefore we wonder if we can still say that everything is fine with the world and that peace and security are within our 21 grasp when the Middle East, East and West Africa, and East and South-East Asia have been battered by crises and conflicts?”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“My Government believed that this war would not achieve its aims, not only because it was based on shaky foundations but also because it was difficult to predict its negative consequences. We note with regret that it has led to increased extremism and terrorism. On the other hand, regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, my country has developed a position based on the principles laid down by the Quartet: working for the advent of a Palestinian State that would exercise full sovereignty over its territory, with Jerusalem as its capital; withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Arab territories occupied since 5 June 1967, and the return of the refugees. We were and are still convinced that a settlement can only be achieved if Israel ceases its delaying tactics and complies with United Nations resolutions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“One year later, here we are asking whether we can indeed say that we have accomplished what we sought or taken steps towards peace in the Middle East as we had wished. Now that the Iraqi regime is no longer in place, does Iraq in fact enjoy a democratic and free system and a constitutional order, which we so ardently desire or have we in reality made Iraq a stage for violence and a hotbed of terrorism? When my country opposed the war against Iraq, it was convinced that the United Nations was in a position to locate and eliminate weapons of mass destruction there and that the regime could be made to comply with the relevant resolutions based on international law.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must face the international tragic events and developments that are damaging to the credibility of the United Nations and its noble principles and values. We must do this collectively through multilateral institutions that will guarantee unified efforts and vision. We have met here today, and we must frankly and objectively recall what took place during the last session of the General Assembly, in 2002. That session took place one year after the odious terrorist attacks on the United States. During our debate then, we were unanimous in condemning and combating world terrorism with a view to eradicating it. We tried strenuously to avoid a war in Iraq. We welcomed the road map and prospects for a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, our sincere gratitude and appreciation for his tireless efforts to successfully carry out the huge mission and responsibilities entrusted to the Organization. At a time when we are witnessing a myriad of changes and surprising events, we would also like to express our sorrow at the horrendous and unjust attack on the United Nations office in Baghdad, an attack that we consider to be aimed at the fundamental principles and values that the United Nations is championing. We meet here full of hope and in response to the aspirations and concerns raised by numerous important issues before us for consideration during the present session. We must meet the difficult challenges and perils that confront us. We are at a crossroads in a highly complex era, in which we cannot rest on our laurels.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“At the outset, it is my pleasure to congratulate Mr. Julian Hunte on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly, which demonstrates the trust that this body has in him. We know that his skill and capabilities will ensure the success of our work, and we have every confidence that he will be participating in strengthening the role of the United Nations at a time when the international community is undergoing profound change. I would also like to welcome the laudable efforts made by the outgoing President of the General Assembly. I would like to stress that the delegation of my country, one of the Vice Presidents at this session, will provide the President with every kind of support. I would also like to take this opportunity to express to Mr.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)