YouSaid · the spoken record

Moussa

lines on the record: 254
first: 1992-07-15
most recent: 2019-11-04
sittings or episodes: 19
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

“Paragraph 14 of resolution 687 (1991) stressed that disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction was a step towards the goal of ridding the entire Middle East region of all such weapons. That is a resolution that is enforceable, because it was adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter. The time has come for the Council to do its part in ensuring that all the paragraphs of that resolution are implemented, especially paragraph 14, as it is of major importance for collective security in the Middle East and throughout the world. The core of the issue remains the credibility of the multilateral international order. Challenges to the international order in the past few years have made it clear that the Council's credibility is based on two fundamental factors: its legitimacy and its effectiveness.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Here is the crux of the matter: if the Security Council is reformed and plays its proper role in the maintenance of international peace and security, we will be able to discuss the civilian aspects of conflict and peace-building more effectively. The League of Arab States has made clear its view of regional stability and security in the Middle East. We have stressed the need to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction in the region, without exception. The issue of weapons of mass destruction must be dealt with from an integrated, regional perspective so it will not disturb the balance of regional security. Thus, over the past 30 years we have witnessed many initiatives by the Arab States calling for a zone free from nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“However, the substance of the issue - dealing with incipient or current challenges - relates to the fundamental role of the Security Council in the wider issue of the maintenance of international peace and security within this unique forum, as the Secretary- General has characterized the United Nations. We have a great deal to say in this regard, as we have witnessed the reluctance of the Security Council to face major issues. It has neglected some major crises, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the issue of Palestine and the continuing Israeli violations of international law and the principles of the Charter. The Security Council's approach to the maintenance of peace and security throughout the world must not be selective; it must not be subject to pressure or to special interests and lobbying.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“We also agree with the need to designate a lead organization - the United Nations, or a regional organization, as agreed upon - to coordinate international efforts for crisis management. That will also require effective coordination between crisis management teams and the parties concerned as regards financing, development and reconstruction, and that in turn will require a professional strategic plan that is carefully adopted and implemented. There is no disagreement whatsoever on the changing nature of the responsibilities that civilian parties have taken on in both civilian and military operations.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Thus, we have cooperated horizontally with many regional organizations, in particular the African Union, in the context of peace negotiations on Darfur, within a troika led by the African Union in cooperation and coordination with the United Nations and the League of Arab States, as well as with regard to the situation in Somalia, where we are following up and helping to stabilize the situation. Those issues are of concern to both the Arab and African regions. At the same time, we are attempting to continue to act within the Barcelona process for the security of the Mediterranean. We agree with the Spanish discussion paper that the participation of the largest number of parties in the management of crises requires further coordination between those parties.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“We are moving towards creating an Arab parliament, which would be the basis of democratic regional order, and adopting a human rights charter for the Arab world, as well as a mechanism for the prevention, management and settlement of disputes in the region. Because of our geographic position - we are at the crossroads between Asian and African concerns and close to Europe, on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea - the Arab League finds itself sharing in many of the crises and concerns of those regional organizations.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“In order to ensure success and legitimacy, political and civilian operations must follow the end of hostilities. Ensuring public order and operation of government institutions and civil administration cannot be considered separately from the decision to go to war. It is only logical that collective international security is strengthened by regional security. That is fully understood by the League of Arab States, and the principle has become entrenched in our organization over the past few years. Many changes are now taking place in our work. In particular, there is increased openness to civil society in the Arab world, and we are opening the doors of the League's Economic and Social Council to such organizations.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“The Secretary-General and the Security Council and its organs must therefore have a role to play, just as they play a role in the authorization of military action within a clear and comprehensive framework. I fully agree with the presidency's discussion paper that building peace is more complex than waging war. Indeed, it is always easier to destroy than to build. That may be obvious, but the Security Council must clearly acknowledge that the decision to go to war or to undertake a military operation in the context of a conflict must be clearly legitimate and must be based on the purposes and principles of the Charter, which permit the use of force only under Chapter VII, with the authority of the Security Council. Article 51 provides for the legitimate right of self-defence.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Recent experience shows that, following the end of hostilities, proper and serious preparation for the civilian and political aspects of an effective framework, authorized in all instances by the Security Council, is necessary if we are to help societies to rebuild after conflict and to prevent the deterioration of the situation in such societies to levels worse than previous ones. Military victory in itself is not the final victory. It has also become obvious that the military aspect is but a part of a wider political process, and military operations must be evaluated by the degree of success of the peace-building process that follows.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Many intellectuals throughout the world believe that such changes and developments are not the result of sudden events. Rather, they have their roots in economic, social and political problems that go back to the end of the cold war - problems that have led to destabilization and an increasing feeling of oppression and injustice - as well as in poverty, underdevelopment, disease, violence, armed conflicts, and terrorism. Hence, Mr. President, you chose the important theme of civilian aspects of conflict management and peace-building for our debate today.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“A military solution must be the last resort in the true sense of the phrase "having exhausted all other means available, clearly, objectively and in good will". Coercive measures must, equally, be clearly authorized by the Security Council. I say this because the means to solve crises have a great role in the success of peace-building. If there is a rush to resort to force, peace-building will be fraught with danger and difficulties and could even engender a fatal reversal that would affect regional peace and stability and the maintenance of international peace and security in turn. That is, perhaps, one of the main reasons for the establishment by the Secretary-General of the High- level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“As the Permanent Representative of Spain said, in his letter to the Secretary-General of 8 September 2004, the complexity of present-day crisis management may also make it helpful to share the burden of crisis management between different actors, drawing on each of their particular strengths. The second fundamental principle stressed in previous meetings is that threats and challenges in the international arena need to be dealt with collectively, in a multilateral manner, with a variety of instruments and mechanisms available for crisis management, dealing with both civilian and political aspects, and that political solutions, not military solutions, must be the first choice in dealing with crises.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“The first principle is that cooperation between the United Nations and the Security Council on the one hand, and regional organizations on the other, is fundamentally governed by the Charter of the United Nations and, particularly, by the provisions of Chapter VIII. Solid norms have been established for those relations by General Assembly resolutions and agreements for cooperation, as well as periodic mechanisms that make up a matrix of relations of cooperation, partnership and complementarity. What is needed is to operationalize that system of relations so that regional organizations may become one of the main organs of United Nations action in dealing with regional crises and conflicts, as well as world challenges, developments and changes.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“In previous dialogues, whether in this Chamber or in high-level meetings that the Secretary-General of the United Nations regularly holds with the leaders of regional organizations, we stressed the need for a collective, international security regime, the need for strengthening the multilateral regime and activating the role of the United Nations in finding solutions to current problems reflecting the true interests of different parties, based on a balance and on international legitimacy and justice that would gain international, regional and national support for such solutions. Previous meetings stressed two fundamental principles that inform our debate and thinking today.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“The successive initiatives in the Security Council - the Mexican initiative to consider how to confront the new challenges to international peace and security; the Romanian initiative on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations for stability; and, finally, the Spanish initiative on the consideration of civilian aspects of conflict management and peace-building - all show the importance that the Security Council attaches to continuing dialogue to develop concepts and mechanisms of complementarity and partnership between the United Nations and international and regional organizations, under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and in the service of the Charter itself - in other words, in the service of international peace and stability.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“At the outset, Mr. President, I would like to express my great appreciation for the Spanish initiative that you lead as an able diplomat, innovative minister and colleague. This important meeting falls under the item of peace-building - a most important and necessary item.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Once again - under your presidency, Sir, as we did under the presidency of Mexico last year - we appeal for an international conference to examine questions or issues that are threatening international peace and security, and for a regional meeting to prepare for that conference. I hope that the Security Council will take these proposals on board and seek to mobilize international efforts to that end to achieve concordance of international opinion around the principles of freedom, the primacy of law and the Security Council and the United Nations as the guarantors of those ideas and the guarantors of international peace and security.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“We wish to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, and we call upon the international community to work towards assuring respect for these rights, to prevent international organizations from being marginalized in the process, and to take into account its role and confirm its role, as has been done in past decades, to strengthen democracy and the principles of freedom and human rights in the face of oppression and hegemonistic policies. In the past we have stressed the need to use the Security Council and regional organizations when we deal with different crises.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“The United Nations and regional organizations together, seeking to maintain international peace and security, to achieve economic and social development and to achieve international progress towards reconstruction and modernization, I propose that the Security Council, under your presidency, Sir, in a joint operation with the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, should lend support to that approach and that this be done in the framework of the Charter and the provisions of international law.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“In the decision of the International Court of Justice concerning the Israeli wall of separation and Israeli practices in the occupied territories we have seen a strong and wise response to those who are seeking to make use of negative measures against principles of international law or who are following a double standard. The International Court has adopted one standard - the Charter, the principles of justice - and I believe that that is also the view of the Security Council when it makes use of its wisdom and plays its role in keeping with the Charter to affirm its credibility and effectiveness.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“We have seen clearly the gravity and complexity of the question of Iraq and how difficult it was to deal with this question outside the United Nations. The Israeli-Palestinian situation is deteriorating and threatening peace and security throughout the Middle East. That means that the role of the Security Council is necessary and essential in order to save the situation. Hesitating in that area brings us back to the starting point, where the role of the Council and its credibility in protecting international peace and security are concerned.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Tripartite cooperation between the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League could lead, I believe, to positive results in achieving stability and development, especially in the Horn of Africa. The United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, recently have been facing unprecedented challenges with repercussions on the effectiveness of multilateralism and the role of regional organizations. However, international and regional attempts to marginalize the United Nations and regional organizations, which were not long in coming, have been rejected. It appears that the international community does want an international system of global security and is affirming the importance of multilateralism and the importance of the United Nations Charter and its purposes.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“That is a question that the Arab League considers natural, especially in our relations with the African Union, which encompasses most of the members of the Arab League in the African continent, who have made a commitment to implement the goals and principles of the Charter of the African Union. That is a question to be considered when we take up the advantages of horizontal cooperation between regional organizations. These special and geographical relations between the two organizations have led to many advantages, especially in the framework of peace negotiations in the Sudan and in cooperating to follow the present situation in Darfur and deal with it, and in relation to Somalia and its progress towards stability.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Let me speak of the improvements in the work done by the Arab League - considering that it is a regional organization, and especially the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League - in order to open up to all civil societies of the Arab League the possibility of achieving consultative status, as it is done with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and also with a View to creating an Arab parliament as the basis for taking steps globally towards democracy in the region. We have signed a human rights charter in the Arab world. Let me stress the importance that should attach to horizontal cooperation between regional organizations.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“It is an important report, adopted by the United Nations through the Arab League. All the Arab countries have taken it into account quite seriously. I think that is a new sphere of cooperation between the United Nations and the Arab League and all regional organizations. The basis of that cooperation is to be found in Chapter IX of the Charter, which speaks of international economic and social cooperation, especially in Article 55. This is a responsibility in which all regional organizations should share as part of the cooperation between the United Nations and organizations.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“As we in the League of Arab States see it, we have tried to face the needs of this era and the normal trend of events. The last Arab Summit, held in Tunisia, adopted documents that show how to move towards a broad modernization in the Arab world in order to achieve clear democratization, strengthen protection of human rights and freedoms, empower women and achieve independence of the judiciary, on the basis of economic and social development procedures based on regional cooperation and opening up economic and development policies. In that regard, we must develop cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States as a regional organization. We all recall the report of the United Nations Development Programme on human development in the Arab world.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“This prompts me to say that the high-level committee established by the Secretary-General to deal with international threats and challenges takes into account the role of regional organizations and the need to adjust and concentrate that role with a view to dealing with international and regional circumstances, urgent and new situations which are not only political in nature, but also economic and social situations the causes of which are poverty, disease, underdevelopment and terrorism. You will agree with me that there is a need to amend Chapter VIII of the Charter to take into account new international development and the needs of development and the role played by international organizations. The question of reform and modernization in different parts of the world has become an essential item on the international agenda.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“In that connection, as we are now discussing the establishment of a new international system to face unprecedented new challenges, the subject of cooperation with regional organizations takes on increasing importance. Effective cooperation of that kind is now imperative. These organizations are an important element of the United Nations, with a view to confronting international problems that are on the upswing and that have spread throughout the world.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Such cooperation should include peacekeeping and peacemaking operations that encompass development and that lead to peace and stability. Chapter VIII of the Charter and relevant resolutions of the General Assembly provide the framework for consultation and coordination between the United Nations and other international organizations; these are supplemented by cooperation agreements signed between the United Nations and individual organizations. In fact, there now exists a network of cooperation going far beyond security matters in their narrow, traditional sense. As the representative of the European Union said earlier, international threats are no longer limited to the military and security areas, and they can no longer be addressed solely by military means.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Here, a question of concern is whether stabilization and peacekeeping are really two separate elements. Is stabilization an objective in itself? Is the purpose to cool down conflicts that are growing? Sometimes we find that, even when a situation is calm and when concerns are allayed, danger will remain if the status quo continues. The notion that stability will lead to peace and reconstruction has yet to be confirmed. It is in fact possible to take the opposite course: first to establish peace in order to ensure the success of peacekeeping operations, and then to pursue security, reconstruction, reconciliation and stability. Cooperation among countries, the Security Council and regional organizations is needed: specifically cooperation within the framework of the Charter.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Mr. Moussa: I am very happy to see you, Mr. Prime Minister, presiding over the Security Council. I express our deep appreciation for your initiative. (spoke in Arabic) I was very pleased to receive the President's invitation to participate, on behalf of the League of Arab States, in this important Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in stabilization processes. Here let me recall that the Council met in April 2003, under the presidency of Mexico, on the item entitled "The Security Council and regional organizations: facing the new challenges to international peace and security" (see S/PV.4739). I turn now to the subject of today's meeting: cooperation in stabilization processes and peacekeeping.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“This, I believe, would take care of the third point mentioned by the representative of the United Kingdom: to develop formal understanding in order to be able to add value to the work of the Council, which it really needs badly.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“As for capacity in dispute settlement, we need to join hands in dispute settlement and to highlight the cooperation with regional organizations, which is indeed lacking. What can we do and what should we do to help regional organizations to perform their duties in the preservation of international peace and security under the auspices of the Security Council, in accordance with its competence? The Security Council has to shoulder this competence first if regional organizations are to be able to help. We need a programme of cooperation on the points of both information and capacity, within the framework of the Charter.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“I share with him the hope that the Security Council will remain central in maintaining international peace and security, but this needs reconsideration and lessons to be drawn from what has taken place in recent weeks. As for the comments made by the representative of the United Kingdom, I very much agree with his statement on dealing with the information flow when it comes to the interaction between the Security Council or the United Nations and regional organizations. Yes, indeed - we have to develop a system in which information can go both ways in order for both sides to benefit from the wealth of information available to the United Nations as well as to each and every regional organization.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Mr. Moussa: I really valued the two comments made by the Permanent Representative of Pakistan and the representative of the United Kingdom. On the first comment, I would say that, indeed, it is incumbent upon us who need the Security Council and the General Assembly to do everything possible in order to prevent the erosion of the authority of the Council and the credibility of the system. Ambassador Akram used a different expression to describe the same situation when he referred to the failure of the States members of the Council, in particular the permanent members, in performing their duties. It is saying the same thing differently, but he chose to say that there is a growing feeling that the Security Council is under serious threat when it comes to its role and its credibility.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“International and regional security cannot and should not be allowed to be defined by one State alone, or even by a group of States, outside of the United Nations. As long as it is possible for the Council to be silenced and for the General Assembly to be prevented from undertaking its role, the only solution may be the convening of an international conference to address existing problems. We hope, Sir, that the Council will, under your presidency, propose this idea and that it will be addressed in other regional organizations. We hope that this idea will not be ignored - as the Security Council and the General Assembly were at one of the most critical moments for regional and international security.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Here I would suggest that we call for the convening of an international conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, similar to other conferences that were convened to address problems drastically affecting societies, such as the question of human rights. It is high time for us to convene an international conference on international peace, its maintenance and the challenges facing it. Such a conference should be preceded by regional meetings on the same subject. These could be organized by region or by geographic grouping and would do preparatory work relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. They would also consider the status of the collective security system in the wake of the blows it has been dealt, with a view to averting any further blows.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“People in the region are enraged and infuriated. Then there is the failure by the Security Council and the General Assembly to address this conflict as mandated by the Charter. This failure threatens the core of our system of collective security. I say this because the situation is both novel and grave. Indeed, the Security Council was silenced, and the war is raging. It is a real war - one that the members can watch day in and day out, as if it were a sad movie. Adding insult to injury, some are saying that this war is but the first act of a long play that will threaten the entire Middle East region. This alone makes it incumbent upon us not to let this meeting share the fate of similar, earlier meetings at which recommendations were adopted.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Seasoned statesmen among us - those well versed in international relations and who follow regional conflicts and the role of the United Nations in such conflicts - have noted that these ideas have, to the letter, been on the minds of those who have sat at this table year after year, decade after decade. I truly fear that we are taking the same road our predecessors took and that we will end up with the same recommendations, only to see them flouted. Yes, a fait accompli has forced itself upon us; we all are aware that the war in Iraq is a dangerous international conflict. Perhaps its first chapter is over, but there surely are more chapters to come. Foreign occupation, in whatever guise, will sooner or later lead to a revolution, particularly since emotions throughout the region are running high.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Finally, Sir, at the beginning of your introduction of the item under consideration, you stressed the gravity of the challenges - longstanding or new - that our world is facing. You called on participants to mobilize their efforts in order to overcome these challenges. Both you and the Secretary-General referred to the importance of peacekeeping, peacemaking and peace-building operations, and, finally, you called on us all to participate, at the international and regional levels, in the prevention, management and resolution of disputes. This is logical and acceptable, but reality and current problems may require different and quicker mechanisms.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Chapter VIII of the Charter allows regional organizations and arrangements considerable leeway within which they can navigate the containment and settlement of disputes, always recalling that the primary responsibility remains with the Security Council. The fact is, however, that the Council does not deal with all regional arrangements on the same footing. While the Council may give a particular regional organization the opportunity to assist in preventing or settling a crisis, it may ignore another regional organization in a similar situation. We believe that the proper functioning of the collective international security system in the coming years will require the Council's efficient use of assistance by the regional organizations in addressing various crises.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Some are even deliberating on how to codify occupation and on ways in which foreign forces might administer an independent State. The Council is being called upon to jump on the bandwagon and legitimize these cases, which were generally considered a thing of the past. This is an extremely bad omen for the future of international relations. Should such a scenario come to pass, the system enshrined in the Charter will be threatened with collapse. The United Nations cannot legitimize or legalize a government installed as a result of military invasion, contrary to the will of the people concerned. Legitimacy is the product of the people's acceptance of its Government, not the product of a decision taken by foreign forces - not, indeed, of a programme drawn up by an international organization, even if that organization is the United Nations.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“The collective security system provided for in the Charter of the United Nations was based on solid principles, foremost among them respect by all for international law; the commitment of the Council to its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security; and cooperation in pursuit of thess objectives with regional arrangements as defined in Article 52 of the Charter. While seeking to address the challenges that the system faces, we should note that that system - which has thus far stood the test of time - is currently facing one of the most serious challenges to its authority. Bypassing the law and the Charter and giving precedence to the use of military force outside the context of international legitimacy has almost become commonplace.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“The objective is to set out a comprehensive vision that will assist our member States, individually and collectively, in addressing their vulnerabilities and addressing them in accordance with regional and international prerogatives. In seeking to reactivate and renew its role, the League of Arab States is trying to rise to the challenge and respond to the demands of our times. However, that effort must be consistent with the purposes of the United Nations and must be carried out in cooperation with its agencies.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“The Ministerial Council of the League recently recommended the establishment of an Arab mechanism for that purpose, which we are planning to activate as soon as possible. Furthermore, given the importance attached by its member States to fighting terrorism, the League of Arab States has appointed a focal point entrusted with coordinating our efforts with those of the Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. Work is currently under way to enhance our human resource capabilities in various fields, including those of disarmament and civil society. Moreover, the League of Arab States, working in cooperation with the United Nations, has played a vital role in launching the first-ever Arab effort to evaluate human development in its member States.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“Disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction is just one step on the road towards making the Middle East region a nuclear-weapon-free zone, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 687 (1991), adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter, which makes compliance mandatory. I would like to speak frankly about Israel's possession of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and about the need to address the threat that they pose and to subject them to inspections as the preliminary steps ultimately leading to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, thus preventing an arms race there. The League of Arab States is thus seeking to invigorate its regional role in the prevention, management and settlement of disputes by peaceful means.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“In other words, the official position of the League of Arab States with regard to the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict - a conflict that is still raging and that can be ended only through a just and balanced peace - as well as to the situation of Iraq, which will trigger grave developments inside that country and at the regional level, is supportive of international legitimacy, which is the only path to justice and security and, therefore, stability and peace in the entire Middle East region. In addition to dealing with those two major issues, the League of Arab States has defined a framework vision for regional security in the Middle East. That vision can be realized only through the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction from the region, without exception.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“That resolution was supported by the League of Arab States because it called for the enforcement of resolutions of international legitimacy, while not triggering war, either implicitly or explicitly. When hopes for achieving a peaceful resolution of the crisis became dimmer and the drums of war began to beat louder, the Council of the League of Arab States stood firm, clearly expressing its opposition to attacking Iraq or threatening the safety and security of any Arab State. It called for a peaceful resolution of the Iraqi crisis in the conflict of international legitimacy. That was an outcome of the Arab League Summit held in Sharm el-Sheikh in March 2003, just as it had been in Beirut in March 2002.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“It made a further effort to ensure that when the inspectors returned to Iraq they would be guaranteed freedom of work and movement - an effort that was recognized in Security Council resolution 1441 (2002). That was indeed an important step, which gave the Council time and justification to oppose the military option, which was vehemently pursued last year, until, on 20 March this year, it materialized, without authorization by the United Nations. On another level, the Arab States rallied round an international effort aimed at implementing Council resolutions on weapons of mass destruction, as shown by the vote cast by Syria, the Arab member of the Council, in favour of resolution 1441 (2002).”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source
“The League condemned the aggression; stressed that it would not recognize the outcome; called for the withdrawal of the invading forces to the positions they occupied prior to 1 August 1990; reconfirmed its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait; and supported the measures taken by Kuwait to liberate its territory. That resolution, adopted by the League of Arab States, played a primary role in legitimizing an Arab and international coalition to liberate Kuwait in 1991. Working collectively with Arab diplomacy, the League of Arab States made a tremendous effort in support of the Security Council's mission to inspect for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
2003-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4739 (2003) · source