YouSaid · the spoken record

Bennouna

lines on the record: 209
first: 2001-12-18
most recent: 2005-07-21
sittings or episodes: 23
sources: un-security-council

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

“The Kingdom of Morocco will continue to act in a constructive and responsible manner to see that justice is done for the people of Palestine and to enable them as soon as possible to live in peace, within their own state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Only in this way - and this has been said many times, Mr. President, but it must be reiterated, and we will reiterate it - will it be possible once and for all finally to put an end to the despair of an entire generation of Palestinians by giving them back land for peace. Only in this way will we be able to put an end to the violence resulting from such a situation. Violence cannot be stopped by violence.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who heads the Al-Quds Committee, has indeed spared no effort over the last few weeks - first of all in Beirut, by taking an active part in the summit and in the adoption of the plan proposed by Prince Abdallah of Saudi Arabia; by receiving the American Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell; and by having a large number of contacts, during these past weeks, with all of those involved in this tragic situation. The goal is to prevent irreparable damage from being done, to lend tangible support to the innocent Palestinian victims, and finally to encourage peace initiatives. There are many peace initiatives, and it is up to the Council to synthesize them and to move forward, because the Council is not a deliberative body; it is an action-oriented body. That is what everyone expects of the Security Council.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“At a time when the world is welcoming the entry into force of the Treaty creating the International Criminal Court, it would be beyond comprehension if an investigation were not undertaken to find out exactly what happened in Jenin and elsewhere in Palestine. Such an inquiry should not be conducted in haste, as the Secretary-General has said. It must involve impartial and competent experts working in an atmosphere of peace and calm. Israel, which touts its democratic system, is in duty bound to accept this. Such an inquiry must be carried out, because what is at stake here is the entire ethical foundation and legal corpus on which our Organization is based.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“This third party - it is, perhaps, preferable to speak of a third party, and of course we will leave it to the wisdom of the Council to decide what legal framework this third party will fit into ultimately - will perhaps impose nothing at all, but proceed - as has been done in many other disaster-stricken regions of the world - through mediation between the sides, conducted in the field, in order to induce them to work together to bring about the implementation of the objectives set by the international community. The Kingdom of Morocco solemnly requests that the mass killings in Jenin be thoroughly investigated. The world must know. An impartial and unprejudiced inquiry must be carried out.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“But it is equally imperative to give back full freedom of movement to the legitimate President of the Palestinian Authority, President Yasser Arafat, so that he himself, and he alone, can conduct and guide the reconstruction process, organize the cooling-down and resume dialogue, with the assistance of an interposition force, if necessary.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“The Security Council shall duly take account of failure to comply with such provisional measures." Today there is urgency; there is a threat to the peace, and there is a need to adopt provisional measures. We are persuaded that the crisis of confidence that today prevails in Israeli-Palestinian relations necessitates more than ever the intervention of a third party to put things back to their original state and to open prospects for resumption of dialogue in the framework of a comprehensive peace programme. Israel is acting to destroy the Palestinian Authority and perhaps to exclude Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority is its interlocutor, and today one cannot imagine any progress whatsoever that does not start with massive aid to reconstruct the Authority.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“It is true that the situation on the ground is such that only an interposition force - whatever we decide to call it - will be in a position today to calm the situation while tending the wounds of the victims. It is quite obvious that the situation in Palestine today is a threat to international peace, because the whole Middle East region is in danger of catching fire from it. It was in this context that the Secretary- General proposed that a multinational force be sent on the basis of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. In Chapter VII, as everybody knows, there is Article 40, which deals with provisional measures intended to prevent aggravation of a situation. I quote: "Such provisional measures shall be without prejudice to the rights, claims or position of the parties concerned.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“The Kingdom of Morocco welcomes the initiative launched by the Secretary-General in Geneva, which he explained this morning to the Security Council. It is a matter of urgency that we provide all possible resources to bring assistance to the people of Palestine, people who lack everything - water, food, clothing. It is urgent that we care for the wounded. Not to do that today - immediately, now - would be to become guilty of failure to bring assistance to persons in danger, and this, for jurists, is considered a crime. We must gather together all resources for assistance and provide ourselves with the means to bring those resources to the people for whom they are intended. Of course, this action will have no meaning unless we put a stop to the infernal cycle of violence, killing and destruction.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“Hundreds of persons have been buried under the ruins, to the extent that United Nations officials - when only yesterday they were able to get to the Jenin camp - stated that they felt as if they were in a city hit by an earthquake. How can the representatives of Israel deny what the whole world can see on the television? Bulldozers are only just starting to clear away tons of debris and to collect bodies. Throughout all these recent days humanitarian assistance has been unable to get through to Palestinian cities, and this includes ambulances and doctors. We have seen scenes where doctors, including foreign doctors, were fighting with soldiers to get through checkpoints and to bring assistance to the wounded. It is a long time since we have seen such scenes.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“Is it acceptable to humiliate President Arafat to that point, and through him, all Palestinians? Is it possible to ignore the hand of peace that the Arabs held out to Israel at the recent Beirut summit? How does Israel expect to live and prosper in the Middle East while scorning the whole of its Arab environment? A failure of the Powell mission means a failure of peace and a failure ofjustice. It is a failure on the part of the international community. It means a loss of credibility for the Security Council, which bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace. One of the foremost armies of the world has been unleased since last 29 March and like a tidal wave has carried away everything in its path - houses, infrastructure, schools, hospitals.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“Unfortunately, despite all his efforts - I must say, in very good faith - we are bound to recognize that the American Secretary of State obtained no precise commitment from the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Sharon - no commitment to send the Israeli intervention and repression forces back to their bases. I do not intend here to enter into a debate on the degree of success or failure that can be attributed to Mr. Powell. It is enough to note that action taken by the greatest Power in the world, with the support of the European Union, the Russian Federation and the United Nations, had no impact on Israel. Is such a snub to the whole world acceptable? Is it acceptable to continue to maintain the siege of the offices of President Arafat, without the minimum facilities necessary?”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“Mr. Bennouna (Morocco) (spoke in French): As I said to you last time, Mr. President, as recently as 9 April, Morocco is pleased to see you in the chair, and we wish you much patience and courage in an extremely tense international situation, in which your knowledge of the United Nations system will be highly appreciated by all of us to advance peace and justice. If you remember, Mr. President, when I took the floor in the Council on 9 April, I expressed the hope that the mission of the American Secretary of State, Mr. Powell, and his well-known strength of conviction would lead Israel to apply resolutions 1402 (2002) and 1403 (2002) and thus to conform to the requirements of international law. In resolution 1403 (2002) the Council did indeed express satisfaction at Mr. Powell's mission and even encouraged it.”
2002-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4515 (2002) · source
“The region awaits Mr. Powell with impatience. However, the fact remains that today, the Security Council itself is also in a position to give its support to the success of Mr. Powell's mission, by using all juridical means at its disposal - and the Council knows that it does have juridical means under the Charter - to require that Israel implement all Council resolutions, lift the siege imposed on Yasser Arafat, immediately end the bloodbath and withdraw from Palestinian cities that it is occupying illegally. Each day that passes brings new tragedy. We must act as swiftly as possible, because - to paraphrase the poet Saint-John Perse - inertia alone is a threat.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“When there is no justice, nothing remains but arbitrariness and tyranny. That is why, today, people are rising up to demand that the international community dispatch an interposition force to protect the defenceless Palestinian people and provide them with justice. As we well know, we attach the same value to any human life, no matter whose it is. We condemn all acts against innocent civilians, whatever their provenance. Today, we pray that, at the end of the road, Palestinians and Israelis will live in peace with mutual respect. The mission to the region begun yesterday by United States Secretary of State Mr. Powell, beginning with my country, is a first, tangible sign of hope for peace. Our most earnest desire is that Mr. Powell's efforts, through his contacts and the strength of his conviction, will succeed as soon as possible.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Yasser Arafat is the legitimate representative of his people, and confirm this, day after day. They die to testify to that. They proclaim it every day, risking their very lives. It is with Yasser Arafat that Mr. Sharon must begin a dialogue by forgetting old scores to be settled and the vicissitudes of other confrontations that are 20 years old. When one exercises the responsibility of head of State, one does not settle personal scores. Throughout his life, Yasser Arafat has claimed nothing less than justice for his people. Today as yesterday, he has been met with force and repression. As the philosopher Blaise Pascal stressed, "Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical". The exactions committed by the Israeli army are doing grave harm to the very values that Israel claims.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Peace must begin with a forthright and worthy dialogue with Yasser Arafat, the legitimate leader of the Palestinian Authority. Only yesterday, the King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Al-Quds Committee, was able to speak by telephone with President Arafat. He reminded the President of the support of the King of Morocco and of the Moroccan Government and people in the ordeal it has endured since the Israeli invasion. It is indecent to isolate Yasser Arafat; it is indecent to threaten him illegally with deportation and then blame him for doing nothing to put an end to the hostilities. I should like someone to explain to me how one can isolate the head of the Palestinian resistance and then ask him to intervene to stop the hostilities.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“How can the Security Council accept that without questioning its own authority? The Arab world held out the hand of peace in Beirut. Israel would be wrong in seeing in that nothing but an expression of weakness. It would be a serious mistake; it would be short-sightedness that might have tragic consequences. To continue to escalate repression and violence, with such disproportionate resources, is to commit the irreparable and to gravely jeopardize the future. The Arabs want peace. They are prepared to live with the Israeli State. They have no disputes, historic or otherwise, with the Jews. They have shared tradition, culture and language with Jews for centuries. This peace, this hand which has been held out, must now be taken.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“One could not be any more clear. The Israeli Prime Minister has chosen to defy the whole world - the Security Council, its permanent members and international public opinion. Thus far he has turned a deaf ear to all the Council's appeals and to your last statement, Mr. President, the one made during the weekend, and also to those of the major world leaders and, finally, to the appeal made by the Secretary- General of the United Nations, who still represents the legitimacy of the international community - Mr. Kofi Annan. For Mr. Sharon, the Israeli army will withdraw only when it has accomplished its mission. Does this mean that it will continue this mission, making a mockery of all humanitarian law and of the existence of thousands of civilians, whom it is terrorizing daily, in full view of everyone?”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“These images give us pause, all of us - citizens, diplomats, officials, whatever our beliefs and our convictions. They would have startled the founders of the United Nations, those who drafted the Charter, and all of those who have joined the United Nations since and who have all declared themselves resolved to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, reaffirming their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equality of rights of men and women, and of nations large and small. Of course I am referring here to the Preamble of the Charter. Heedless of all that, Mr. Ariel Sharon continues his war. He has even stated that he found himself at the point of no return and that he would not go back to the situation which prevailed before operations were launched.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“No human being could fail to share such suffering on seeing all these small children holding each other's hands, lost in the streets in Nablus or Bethlehem, taking home just enough food, in the midst of Israeli soldiers and of the roar of bombs coming from everywhere from the occupier's artillery. Old people are hiding, cringing under the tables in the age-old casbahs. Human beings, monuments and religious symbols have been martyrized, violated, pillaged. The Palestinian resistance who die while going to recover the bodies of their compatriots, all the houses which have been burned, along with their inhabitants - all these images, and many others, have gone around the world, and they have deeply distressed the conscience of all. They have reminded the people of the world of the scenes and the tragedies we thought were gone forever.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Bennouna (Morocco) (spoke in French): Mr. President, the Moroccan delegation is pleased to see you presiding over the Council for the month of April. All those who have frequented the United Nations know of your great experience in this house, and they are also aware of your personal commitment to peace. That is why, in these tragic times in the Middle East, we could not hope for a better President in the Security Council. The day before yesterday, hundreds of thousands of Moroccans, coming to Rabat from all parts of the Kingdom, bore witness to their pain. These hundreds of thousands of Moroccans showed their pain with their hearts; they shared with Palestinians their tears and their sorrow.”
2002-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4510Resumption1 (2002) · source
“The international community is also waiting for all those of good intention who can influence events in the region to restore hope to the people in the region and to bring about peace. Morocco, as always, continues to be willing and ready to contribute very positively to that aim. What we expect from the Security Council is that it demand that Israel stop its aggression immediately, withdraw from the Palestinian territories it has reoccupied, recommit itself to the Madrid principles and respond positively to the most recent Arab initiative. Finally, we should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and demonstrate the necessary political will to bring about peace to the region.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“The Palestinian people- the besieged and suffocating Palestinian people, whose economy is being blockaded and stifled- have been pushed by the occupation and its practices into frustration and hopelessness. Recent months have shown that violence will not bring an end to violence and that military force and occupation cannot destroy the will of the Palestinian people to live and to achieve their legitimate rights. The international community and world public opinion await concrete action and a courageous initiative that reflects a genuine will to end the cycle of violence. That must be done by the party with the largest military force in the region, namely, Israel.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“But those efforts were successful only as long as Israel gave the impression that it wanted peace with its neighbours and that it was ready to pay the price for peace, namely, to recognize the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people and to withdraw from all Palestinian and Arab territories it occupied in the wake ofthe June 1967 war, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). I say with all frankness that we all feel pain at seeing innocent civilians- children and women- fall victim to violence, whatever its source. We are all hoping and working to put an end to such acts of violence.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Likewise, everyone is aware of Morocco's efforts to establish a dialogue between the opposing sides in that region. That position is based on Morocco's conviction of the need to coexist and to solve disputes through dialogue and negotiation. Morocco has always been at the forefront of contributing to peace in the Middle East along with all those of good intention.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Subsequently, Arab kings and other heads of State or Government met at Beirut and sent a clear message of peace to the international community: the message was "land for peace", putting an end to the Israeli occupation of Arab territories. Instead of responding positively to the Arab initiative and choosing the path of peace, Israel sent its tanks and troops to commit a direct act of aggression targeting President Arafat. The international community, and Arab and Islamic countries in particular, as well as all peace- loving peoples, look with hope to the Council to adopt a resolution commensurate with the critical circumstances in the Middle East. We sincerely hope we will not be disappointed. Everyone knows Morocco's position with regard to the Middle East.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Israel has thus escalated its repression of the Palestinian population by blockading them and stifling them economically, by demolishing their homes and by occupying their cities. Even the refugee camps have not been spared. This took place without the Security Council adopting a single resolution to deter Israel. Amidst all these events and all this frustration, the Council adopted its resolution 1397 (2002), which is the source of some hope. Morocco was among the first countries to welcome that resolution, in which we could discern a glimmer of hope that new life could be breathed into the peace process and that the cycle of violence in the Middle East could be ended.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“These acts of aggression against the symbol of resistance, the symbol of the Palestinian State, have unmasked the true face of the present Israeli Government. As Mr. Kofi Annan said at the beginning of this meeting, such an act "will not bring Israel closer to peace" (supra); it will bring the region closer to war. These Israeli acts, just one day after Arab kings and other heads of State or Government offered a peace initiative framed by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, provide yet further proof of the Israeli Government's true intentions in its ongoing attempts to kill the Middle East peace process. It has been more than a year since the Israeli Government began its methodical policy of creating a new de facto situation in the Middle East on the pretext of security for Israel.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Mr. Bennouna (Morocco) (spoke in Arabic): I wish at the outset to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting of the Security Council. We hail the ideas put forth by the Secretary-General in his statement to the Council. The Security Council is meeting today in exceptional circumstances, imposed by the delicate and critical situation in the Middle East: I say "in the Middle East", not only in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Council cannot meet today's Israeli actions with silence. For Israel, it was not enough to have besieged the Palestinian President for nearly four months; it was not enough to have prevented him from attending the Arab summit at Beirut: it has sent its tanks and its special forces to attack the headquarters and offices of the Palestinian President and in large part to destroy them.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“It is also of the firm view that peace is the only viable option; it should be founded on Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, the establishment of a Palestinian State with Al-Quds as its capital, the return of the Golan Heights to Syria, and the return to Lebanon of its remaining occupied territories, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“Kofi Annan, said as much to the Security Council less than a week ago: "A reduction in the violence is the most immediate priority. It has to be addressed alongside key political issues, particularly the question of land, and economic and social issues, including the increasingly critical, desperate conditions of the Palestinians. "Failure to address these issues together will only spawn new and perhaps deadlier exchanges of reciprocal violence. It is imperative that both parties exercise maximum restraint, particularly with regard to attacks against civilians." (S/PV.4474, p. 3) In spite of the difficult situation with regard to halting violence in the region, the Kingdom of Morocco is hopeful that this can be achieved.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“More than ever before, the Security Council is called upon to restore the rights of those who are entitled to them, and to shoulder its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in the region by calling for an immediate halt to Israeli aggression and by sending international observers to provide the Palestinian people with the international protection they need and to monitor the establishment of security in accordance with international resolutions and conventions. The Council should urge Israel to implement the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations with a view to creating the objective circumstances needed for the resumption of the peace process. The Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“He further said that immediate resolute intervention by the international community, particularly the Security Council and the co-sponsors of the peace process, is S/PV.4478 urgently needed to rescue the entire region, and the world, from an avoidable tragedy; the international community must compel Israel to comply with the decisions of international legitimacy.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“In that connection, Morocco welcomes recent initiatives that have been announced, intended to free the region from the logic of violence and to revive negotiations, particularly the initiative of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, which has been accepted and eagerly encouraged by the international community. One month ago the Al-Quds Committee met at Marrakesh under the chairmanship of His Majesty Mohammed VI. His Majesty appealed to all members of the international community to focus the necessary awareness and sense of responsibility on this explosive situation. Events in the Middle East have direct repercussions for international peace and stability.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“Anyone who follows current events and developments will clearly realize that it is the intention of the Israeli Government to perpetuate its occupation of the Palestinian territories. My delegation believes that there is no future for occupation, no matter how powerful the occupier. We believe also that a just and equitable peace is the foundation of stability and security in the region. Morocco remains convinced that the option of peace and of keeping to the path of negotiations on the basis of international legitimacy continues to be the only way to extricate the Middle East from the whirlwind of violence and counter-violence.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“The policy of the current Israeli Government will aggravate the situation and lead to the continuation of the cycle of violence and to more victims. It will also endanger stability and peace in the region and the future of the peace process. Israel's handling of this crisis on the basis of security alone will only escalate acts of violence. This conflict will not be settled through the use of force or through the intensification of security and coercive measures. It can be accomplished only through immediate, unconditional resumption of negotiations undertaken with goodwill and courage to make the process succeed. There is no doubt that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories lies at the heart of the crisis and of the entire question of the Middle East.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“President, nor to the Council, that such practices have resulted in tremendous, pent-up despair and frustration for the Palestinian people, in tandem with the faltering peace process and the continuation of occupation, as well as Israel's disregard for international legitimacy. Morocco has contributed to international efforts to end the conflict in the region. It rejects all Israeli attempts to undermine the Palestinian National Authority and to marginalize its legitimate President, Mr. Yasser Arafat. We emphasize that the Palestinian National Authority is the only legitimate and sole authority able to play the role of peace partner with a View to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region. Any attempt to undermine this authority would pose a grave danger to security and stability in the region.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“Our delegation condemns Israel's continued and systematic escalation of its military campaign against the defenceless Palestinian people, its resort to collective punishment, the destruction of official buildings of the Palestinian National Authority and its socio-economic infrastructures, its policy of assassinations that target symbols of the Palestinian Authority, and the economic and military siege of Palestinian villages and towns. These practices constitute a blatant violation of international resolutions and the norms of international humanitarian law, as well as of relevant international instruments, including the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. It is no secret, neither to you, Mr.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“By the same token, I wish to express appreciation to the Security Council for its decision to discuss recent developments relating to the question of the Middle East at least once a month. However, events have shown that this question deserves to be discussed daily in the Council, given the deterioration in the Palestinian arena and the setbacks plaguing peace efforts in the region. The Security Council is meeting today under special and extraordinary circumstances, marked by grave danger and by the serious deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories due to the continued and intensified Israeli aggression and practices.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“Mr. Bennouna (Morocco) (spoke in Arabic): Mr. President, allow me at the outset to extend to you and to the other members of the Council our thanks for your immediate response to the request made by the Arab Group to convene an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the tragic situation prevailing in the occupied Palestinian territories. Let me also extend to you our warmest congratulations on your assumption of the presidency S/PV.4478 of the Security Council for this month. We are confident that your skill and wisdom will enable you ably to conduct the deliberations of the Council on this matter of grave and important significance to international security. We also wish to extend our thanks to your predecessor for his efforts last month.”
2002-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4478 (2002) · source
“It is our duty today to eliminate all displays of hatred or rancour against minorities, wherever they may occur. We must act to prevent all slander and defamation campaigns against the Arab and Muslim communities. The Arab Group is convinced that every effort must be made to deal with these scourges, because by addressing them we will be able to eliminate international terrorism. Globalization, which has become a reality of life politically, strategically and economically, requires us to act at the level of the international community as a whole. This collective concerted effort does not negate or diminish the responsibility that we must each shoulder, but, to the contrary, it helps us shoulder our responsibilities in the best possible way.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“It also requires that we address the fundamental causes of these events, with the understanding that attempts to understand the motives of terrorism does not in any way mean that one is attempting to justify or rationalize it. It is one thing to understand this phenomenon and another to justify it. I must recall what the Secretary-General himself said on more than one occasion, which was that the events of 11 September should not make us forget the problems that the world faced on 10 September and that pushed some to the edge of despair and recklessness. The basic problems are the spread of ignorance, misery, deprivation and the aggravation of the economic and social gap between peoples. If we truly wish to be worthy of humanity, we must mobilize all our energies to face these challenges, despite their severity.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“We are reaffirming cultural principles and values enshrined in our civilization that have guided us for centuries. History has recorded that the Islamic world was at the forefront of the implementation of humanitarian principles well before international humanitarian law was codified, and it sought to secure respect for the rights of minorities. They ensured that dialogue and coexistence with other peoples and religions prevailed. Based on these cultural values, the Arab States have condemned international terrorism in all its forms and sources. Combating terrorism requires that measures be taken to prevent the recurrence of such terrorist acts.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“Despite all these challenges, the Arab Group hopes that dialogue and negotiation will prevail over violence so that the Middle East may break the cycle of threats, accusation and violence. The international legal system, as enshrined in United Nations resolutions since 1947, stipulates that two States should exist, recognize each other and co- exist in peace and security. The time has come for the Palestinians to obtain a State, with Jerusalem as its capital. It is also time for Israel to be convinced that its best guarantee of security comes through this basic demand of the Palestinian people and through Israeli withdrawal from occupied Syrian and Lebanese land, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. This statement, made to the Council today on behalf of the Arab Group, is not just a one-time event.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“We cannot but condemn the grave violations of international humanitarian law being endured by the Palestinian people, in particular, attempts to kill people, starve them, displace them, deprive them of their freedoms, block and lay siege to their cities and restrict their freedom of movement. Such practices, among others, strike international public opinion and awaken its conscience, leading to the demand for action to put an end to these practices. What is even more serious is some people's attempt to take advantage of the events of 11 September to achieve advances at the expense of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Such attempts would have a disastrous effect on the peace process and undeniably negative consequences for the credibility of any efforts by the international community in combating terrorism.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“The Arab countries also believe that we must avoid any misuse of the term "terrorism" to serve particular interests in political disputes. Everyone knows that in times of conflict the rules of international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties, whether governmental or non-governmental. Therefore, one cannot justify any infringement or attack on the life and dignity of an innocent civilian population, children, women and the elderly in particular. In keeping with these rules and standards, the international legal system grants the Palestinian people, whose most basic human rights are being flouted, the right to self-defence in the current difficult and sensitive conditions in the Middle East - conditions and circumstances that have led to tragic events on a daily basis with respect to the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“At the regional level, the Arab countries have taken the initiative of creating a group of experts within the League of Arab States in order to coordinate their efforts in the implementation of action taken by our countries pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001). The group met on 13 and 14 January of this year and issued a statement in which it spoke of the Arab States' support for United Nations efforts to adopt a comprehensive international convention against terrorism and, in particular, to find a definition for this phenomenon. The Arab States remain convinced that a definition will facilitate the efforts of the international community, especially those of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, to clarify various perspectives and positions.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“As soon as this resolution was adopted, the Arab countries established all the national and regional mechanisms necessary to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the resolution in the best possible conditions. The Arab countries that did not yet have the required structures have now set them up in order to coordinate action among the various competent organs in this field. They have also updated existing laws and legislation in order to act effectively against terrorism. They have adopted preventive and deterrent measures, including controls on suspicious sources of financing. The Arab countries will pursue these efforts to update their legal systems. If necessary, they will call for assistance from countries and organizations with experience in this field in order to achieve the purposes and principles of the Charter.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“The Security Council is meeting today to discuss international terrorism and, in particular, the efforts by States at the regional level to coordinate their counter- terrorism policies for combating these ignoble acts. In his statement, Sir Jeremy Greenstock shed light on a number of important aspects of the Counter- Terrorism Committee which was established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). What he has told us enriches our debate and will help us focus on practical measures to eradicate international terrorism and make progress in terms of international cooperation to this end. In participating in this Security Council debate, the Arab Group is animated by the wish to make a positive, concrete contribution to international efforts against terrorism, in compliance with resolution 1373 (2001) of 28 September.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source
“Mr. Bennouna (Morocco) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to convey to you, Sir, on behalf of the Group of Arab States, our most sincere congratulations on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month. We are convinced that, thanks to your wisdom and skills, the Council's work will be successful. At this first open meeting of the Council this year, I cannot fail to congratulate Guinea, Syria, Cameroon, Bulgaria and Mexico on their election to the Council. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish my friend Jorge Navarrete much family happiness and every success in his new functions back home.”
2002-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4453 (2002) · source