Security council reunion about the situation in the Middle East

The President: I wish to warmly welcome the
Secretary-General, the Secretary General of the League
of Arab States, ministers and other representatives here
in the Chamber. Their presence is an affirmation of the
importance of the subject matter to be addressed.

The Security Council will now begin its
consideration of the item on its agenda.

I wish to draw the attention of Council members
to document S/2012/686, which contains a letter dated
6 September 2012 from the Permanent Representative
of Germany to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General, transmitting a concept paper on the
item under consideration.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of
Germany.

Since Germany began its current term in the
Security Council, in January 2011, we have witnessed
a dramatic change across the Near and Middle East.
The people in the region have expressed their hopes for
dignity, democracy, economic and social participation,
prosperity and respect of their fundamental human
rights. At the beginning, we spoke of the Arab Spring.
We have learned that it would be better to speak of Arab
seasons.

The movement for change in the Arab world has
not followed the same pattern in every country. Indeed,
more than ever, the situation differs from one country
to another, but the process of change continues.

We are all concerned about the recent turmoil
in many Arab countries in response to a shameful
anti-Islam video. Let me be very clear.

I can understand very well that believers feel deeply
offended by that horrible and shameful video, but the
response to such provocations cannot be violence.
There is no justification for violence and murder.

What we are witnessing now is not a confrontation
of religions, nor is it a clash of cultures. What we are
witnessing is a clash within societies. It is a struggle
of the open-minded with the closed-minded. It is a
struggle of the reasonable with the fundamentalists. It
is a clash of the peaceful with the violent. This week has
to serve to strengthen those in all societies all over the
world who stand up for respect and tolerance, for those
who know that freedom and responsibility are but two
sides of the same coin. There is no doubt about where
Germany stands. Now more than ever, we are with
those who work for peace. We see the challenges, but
we believe in the historic opportunities that the change
in the Arab world is opening up. Germany’s offer of a
transformation partnership to provide education, jobs
and growth continues to stand.

The League of Arab States has assumed a leading
role with regard to regional peace and security. It
has taken a clear stance on the conflicts in Syria and
Libya. For the Syrian people, however, the prospect for
peace still seems a distant dream. As the international
community, we must be united to stop the violence and
help initiate a process of political transition. We must
find a common response. We owe it to the people. We
appreciate the active leadership of the Arab League to
halt the killing in Syria.

The change in the Arab world has made peace in
the Middle East more urgent than ever. Negotiations are
the way to achieve a two-State solution that satisfies the
legitimate demands on both sides — the Israelis and the
Palestinians. We must therefore ensure that the peace
process remains a priority on the international agenda.
By endorsing the Saudi Peace Initiative the League of
Arab States has made a constructive offer that is of
critical importance.

We believe that it is necessary to solidify and
develop the cooperation between the United Nations
and the Arab League. The commitment of the Arab
League to the values enshrined in the United Nations
Charter is the basis for more cooperation. Above all,
more focus is needed on what we can achieve together
in the areas of conflict prevention and resolution. We
need practical progress. For instance, we could think
about more frequent briefings and consultations with

 

representatives of the League of Arab States. I would
also welcome the establishment of a United Nations
office in Cairo to improve cooperation with the
secretariat of the Arab League.

The time has come. As the Arab world undergoes
historical change, let us seize the opportunity to open
a new chapter of cooperation between the League of
Arab States and the United Nations.

I now resume my functions as President of the
Council.

The President: I now give the floor to the
Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

The Secretary-General: We meet at a time of
historic and often inspirational change in the Middle
East and North Africa. Several momentous transitions
in the Arab World are under way, moving ahead with
difficulty but in the clear direction of the freedoms that
had been denied for so long.Yet, as old orders crumble
and new ones struggle to emerge, this is also a time of
widespread apprehension and tragic violence.

The peace process between Israelis and Palestinians
remains stalemated, as the window for a two-State
solution narrows dangerously. The League of Arab
States Arab Peace Initiative remains an important
part of the framework aimed at ending the occupation
and achieving a long overdue agreement. I count on
the continued generosity of the League’s members
in providing financial support for the Palestinian
Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East at this
time of need. I urge members and other members of the
international community to do more in both regards.

In Syria the conflict has become a threat to regional
and international peace and security. A human tragedy
is unfolding in full view, but also in the darkness of
prisons, under the rubble of entire neighbourhoods and
in the traumatized minds of children. I appeal to all
with influence to persuade the parties that there is no
military solution to this crisis.

Tensions in the region are also inflamed over
nuclear issues. Members of the Council should do
their part to discourage any escalation and to insist
on peaceful solutions that respect the United Nations
Charter and international law.

There has also been unrest linked to an act of
hatred towards one religion that has caused both
understandable offence and unacceptable violence.

Against that complex backdrop, I welcome this
high-level discussion on the partnership between the
League and the Council.

Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter
provides vast opportunities for regional organizations.
The Security Council long ago recognized the vital role
they can play in consolidating peace agreements and
enhancing peace and stability.

With a new political era at hand in the Arab world,
the Arab League has acquired a new sense of purpose.
The League was among the first organizations to
publicly acknowledge that the Tunisian revolution
was rooted in economic and social disparities and the
aspiration for greater freedom and justice. The League
was also among the first organizations to condemn the
atrocities committed by the former Libyan regime and
to urge the international community to take action.

Both the United Nations and the League worked
to help ensure the transparency of landmark elections
in Tunisia and Libya. Our joint role has been most
prominent in Syria. Members of the Arab League
made significant contributions to the United Nations
military observer Mission. Of course, we together
appointed, first, Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan and,
subsequently, Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi,
as our emissaries in the search for a political solution.
Those mediation efforts need solid and concrete support
from the Council.

Looking ahead, I see four areas that merit special
attention.

First, let us improve the exchange of information.
Dialogue between our secretariats should be focused
and frequent. Another avenue for enhanced contacts
may prove to be the placement of the Office of the
Joint Special Representative for Syria and his deputy in
Cairo — a possibility that is being explored.

Secondly, we should put conflict prevention at the
centre of our agenda. The United Nations continues to
strengthen its ability to act early while helping regional
organizations build capacity for facilitation, mediation
and dialogue.

Thirdly, let us explore new areas for collaboration.
The Middle East holds vast potential for the development
of sustainable energy; let us explore what more we
can do in the context of my Sustainable Energy for
All initiative. Our relationship need not be limited to
political action on the immediate crises of the day.

 

Fourthly, let us ensure the success of the transitions
that have been set in motion. We must continue to
be ready to provide concrete assistance, if and when
requested. Outsiders can share their experience
and encourage progress — humbly, patiently and
respectfully — but the major work has to be done by,
and in each, society.

At this tumultuous time for the Arab region, people
are looking to our organizations to be on their side in
the fight for justice, dignity and opportunity.

The League of Arab States is a trusted partner of the
United Nations. I look forward to working even more
closely with the League to realize the aspirations of
people across the arc of the United Nations membership.

The President: I thank the Secretary-General for
his statement.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Nabil
Elaraby, Secretary General of the League of Arab
States.

Mr. Elaraby (spoke in Arabic): I would like at the
outset to express my deepest thanks and appreciation
to my dear friend Guido Westerwelle, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Germany and current President of
the Security Council, for his initiative in holding this
high-level meeting of the Security Council to debate the
situation in the Middle East and the means to strengthen
relations of cooperation and joint action between the
United Nations and the League of Arab States. Such
an initiative embodies an important principle set out
in Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, which
encourages regional organizations to tackle issues in
their regions by turning to the Security Council to
find peaceful solutions to conflict and to maintain
international peace and security.

On many occasions the Security Council has moved
in that direction. It has adopted resolutions supporting
such cooperation, most notably resolution 1631 (2005),
whose paragraph 7 refers to regular meetings between
the Security Council and regional organizations
in order to promote cooperation in maintaining
international peace and security. In that context I
must stress that transparency, clarity and frankness
are the bases required for any cooperation between
the Security Council and such parties, so allow me to
speak transparently and to be clear and frank about the
crucial need for a dialogue between the League of Arab
States and the Security Council.

The League of Arab States, which was established
before the United Nations, believes that a fundamental
pillar for international peace and security is the
effectiveness and credibility of the Security Council,
as well as the full, faithful and precise implementation
of resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly
those of the Council. The League believes that
non-implementation of those resolutions is one of the
fundamental reasons for tension and instability, both
regionally and internationally.

The involvement of the Security Council in Arab
issues is very old, going back to the birth of the
United Nations itself. Resolutions have been adopted
for more than six decades on Palestine, which is the
fundamental, central issue for the Arab world and has
been the fundamental cause of tension and instability
in the region for many decades, persisting as one of
the oldest unresolved issues in the international arena.
The League has always stressed that a just, durable
and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli
conflict, with the question of Palestine at its core,
will only be achieved through a complete and faithful
implementation of Security Council resolutions.

Those resolutions have addressed all aspects of the
conflict. The Council has adopted many resolutions
on ending Israeli occupation of occupied Arab lands,
particularly resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973);
resolutions on the legitimacy of building settlements
on Palestinian land, the most important being perhaps
resolution 446 (1979) and resolution 252 (1968) on the
non-recognition of unilateral measures taken by Israel,
the occupying Power, in Al-Quds Al-Sharif; resolutions
on the occupied Syrian Arab Golan; and resolutions
relating to ending Israeli occupation of the remaining
occupied land in southern Lebanon. It has also adopted
resolutions asserting that the basis for a settlement on
the Palestinian track runs through the establishment
of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side
within secure, internationally recognized borders.

Those resolutions have not been implemented.
Tension and instability have continued in the Middle
East. The Palestinian people are the only people in
the world whose issue has not been resolved and who
have not obtained their right to their legitimate self-
determination, freedom and independence, or indeed to
set up their own independent State.

The time has come for us to review our calculations
regarding the way in which we tackle the issue and to

 

review the approach of the past, which has been one
based on conflict management rather than on ending
conflict. That requires, inter alia, avoiding double
standards. It requires avoiding dual measures. With
the exception of one or two resolutions adopted in
the 1940s — and more than 200 have been adopted
since then — how strange that not a single one has the
Council acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations
Charter. We therefore very much want the Security
Council to review the matter, and soon.

The Syrian crisis is deteriorating and escalating day
by day. The fact that the Syrian Government persists in
seeking a military security solution, including through
the use of heavy weapons and military aircraft against
its own people, and the fact that it refuses to respond to
all initiatives, including the initiatives of the League of
Arab States, have now confronted us with a serious and
tragic situation. More innocent Syrians continue to be
killed. The number of refugees flooding neighbouring
States is increasing. The spectre of a sectarian civil war
darkens Syria’s skies and indeed the skies of the entire
region and provides a warning of a potential regional
and international catastrophe that will affect all and
take years to resolve, involving threats to international
peace and security as well.

The League of Arab States has been eager to
cooperate with the United Nations to resolve the crisis
from the very beginning. Indeed, a Joint Special Envoy
was appointed by the two organizations in a new
initiative based on joint action. The League of Arab
States has turned to the Security Council and called on
it, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations
and the powers entrusted to it, to maintain international
peace and security; to take the necessary measures to
compel the implementation of the resolutions adopted
by this very Council; to implement the plan set out
by Kofi Annan, the former Joint Special Envoy of the
League and the United Nations; to implement the final
document of the 30 June meeting of the Action Group
on Syria in Geneva, which was agreed by consensus
and with the participation of the Permanent Five of the
Security Council; and to lay the foundation on which
to begin a political transformation in Syria towards
a democratic regime that responds to the legitimate
aspirations of the Syrian people. We believe that the
very first step is to stop the bloodshed in Syria, so as to
begin the transformation leading to a healthy democratic
regime that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the
Syrian people to a life of freedom and dignity.

However, once again, the Security Council
failed to achieve any of those objectives because of a
disagreement among the permanent members, which
is, frankly, most lamentable. And, I regret to say this,
those resolutions have remained dead letters; they are
not being implemented. The serial killing, bloodshed
and destruction continue unabated. Let me state to
Council members very clearly: if we want the mission
of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative
of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for
Syria, to succeed, the Security Council must support
him in deeds, not just in words. And it can do so by
compelling implementation of its resolutions in a way
that is binding on all parties. Binding resolutions must
be implemented in a binding manner.

The challenges confronting peace and security, on
which we may cooperate, are many and multifaceted.
Some are traditional, some are nascent and spreading
rapidly in this era of developing modern technology.
In the past few years, the world has witnessed very
disturbing events because of actions that insult Islam
and our Prophet. We fully reject and condemn the
violent reactions in some Arab countries, including
irresponsible and reprehensible attacks against
some foreign embassies and facilities, acts that most
regrettably led to the killing of the United States
Ambassador to Libya and other innocent citizens.
While we reject such actions, which are not in any
way justifiable, we would like to sound the alarm that
insulting religions, faiths, and their symbols is, indeed,
a matter that threatens international peace and security.

The Charter of the United Nations begins with,
“We the peoples of the United Nations”, thereby
establishing the principle that relations among people
are the basis of international peace and security.
Therefore, the international community must firmly
deal with anything that returns us to the abhorrent
concept of racism. We prize the values of freedom of
expression. We believe that such principles must be
respected and maintained. However, we do not see any
relation between freedom of expression, which aims at
enriching culture and building civilization, on the one
hand, and activities that merely offend and insult the
beliefs, cultures and civilizations of others, activities
that incite hatred and violence. If the International
Bill of Human Rights protects freedom of religion
and faith, it is not merely affirming the right to build
houses of worship and practise a faith, it is also stating
the right of religionsto be treated with deference. Faiths

 

must be respected and not abused or insulted. Since
the international community has criminalized bodily
harm, it must criminalize psychological and spiritual
harm as well.

It is now clear that insulting religions and faiths
is a phenomenon that threatens international peace,
security and stability. The League of Arab States calls
for the establishment of a binding international legal
framework, based on resolution 1618 (2005), in order
to combat the denigration of religions and ensure that
religious faiths and their symbols are respected. Such
a framework would also be based on articles 19 and
20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.

We must work together towards a dialogue
that increases understanding between cultures and
civilizations and encourages tolerance. Cooperation
and coordination between the United Nations and the
Security Council, on the one hand, and the League of
Arab States, on the other, to confront the challenges in
the Middle East should take various forms. In Yemen,
efforts must be intensified to support the Government
in overcoming the consequences of the political crisis
and its economic repercussions and to move forward
towards reconstruction and rebuilding the State. As for
the situation in Libya, we hope that the appointment of
Mr. Tarek Mitri as the new Special Representative and
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya
will help to promote cooperation and coordination
between the United Nations and the League of Arab
States and its representatives in Libya, to provide
assistance to the Libyan people in rebuilding the State
and reconstructing the country.

The cooperation between the United Nations,
the African Union, the League of Arab States and
the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in
Somalia deserves credit for successfully ending the
transitional period in Somalia and has initiated the
creation of permanent institutions. There has been
success in Darfur and in the relations between the Sudan
and South Sudan where tensions must not be allowed
to return. Therefore, the League of Arab States has set
out an initiative to support the humanitarian situation,
in both Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states, in
cooperation with the United Nations and the African
Union and with the support of the Security Council. I
hope that President Al-Bashir and President Salva Kiir
will reach a definitive agreement on the controversial

issues in Addis Ababa, and I hope that this Council will
give the necessary time to do so.

Let me take this important opportunity to refer to
a serious challenge facing our region. At the end of this
year, we are to take a step long awaited by the world. It
is a practical move towards establishing a zone free of
nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the
Middle East. We believe that it will mark the beginning
of the road towards an international conference to be
held in Helsinki with the participation of all States of the
Middle East. Three permanent members of the Security
Council and the Secretary-General have a mandate to
organize the conference. It requires the formal support
of the Council. We believe that the establishment of such
a zone would eliminate the spectre of a conflagration
with the use of non-conventional weapons in our region.

In dealing with the Middle East, we should not look
upon it merely asa region of conflict and threats, for it is
also a region full of hope, aspirations and possibilities.
The challenges confronting it are multifaceted. There
are political and military challenges, but there are also
development and humanitarian challenges. Cooperation
on all those and other issues requires updating and
review and moreeffective relations between the League
of Arab States and the United Nations, as well as
new mechanisms. I should like to put forward some
proposals in that regard.

First, we believe that the agreement on cooperation
between the United Nations and the League of Arab
States (General Assembly resolution 44/7) signed in
1989 must be updated to keep up with priorities and
emerging and future challenges. Secondly, regular
meetings, as well as those required by events, should be
held between the Security Council and the League of
Arab States, represented by the presidency of the Arab
Summit Conference, the presidency of the Council of
Ministers of the League, and the Secretary General of the
League. Thirdly, the status of the cooperation meetings
held between the United Nations and the League of
Arab State needs to be enhanced so as to enable them
to deliver programmes which are effective, particularly
with regard to preventing and resolving disputes and
peacekeeping. Fourthly, greater importance must be
attached to cooperation between the two organizations
relating to humanitarian assistance.

In conclusion, I reiterate my thanks and appreciation
to the President of the Council for his initiative to
hold this high-level meeting. At the same time, allow

 

me to thank all of the Ministers who have travelled
from afar to participate in the meeting. I hope that it
signals the beginning of a new interaction between the
two organizations to support peace and security in the
Middle East, with a view to transforming the region
from one of conflict and crises to one of security and
stability, whose peoples enjoy peace and prosperity,
as well as one capable of regaining its historic status
as a source of knowledge and a beacon of human
civilization. Throughout the world, the Security
Council is considered the source of international peace
and security, and I hope that will prove to be the case.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Saad-Eddine El Othmani, Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of
Morocco.

Mr. El Othmani (Morocco) (spoke in Arabic):
First of all, I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of Germany for his initiative in organizing this open
debate on the issue of peace and security in the Middle
East and cooperation between the United Nations and
the League of Arab States.

We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General
of the United Nations and the Secretary General of the
League of Arab States towards achieving objectives
common to both organizations. We reiterate to them the
confidence and support of the Kingdom of Morocco in
their efforts. In that respect, the Middle East region has,
over the centuries, been the cradle of civilization that
enriched the heritage of man. It was also the stage for
a number of clashes that degenerated into fully-fledged
conflicts and from which the peoples of the region have
suffered and continue to suffer today.

The ongoing crisis of the Palestinian people lies
at the very heart of the problem of achieving peace
and security in the Middle East region and holds back
the present and future of entire generations. That is
why urgent action to resolve the conflict is necessary.
Despite ongoing efforts over the past few years, the
current conflict remains unresolved, owing to Israel’s
intransigence. At the same time, movements recently
seen in the region aimed at achieving the legitimate
aspirations of peoples for democracy and freedom
necessitate an understanding of such aspirations.

My country welcomes the cooperation between
the United Nations and the League of Arab States and
considers the bolstering of such cooperation as more
necessary than ever today. That is because we have

seen developments in the actions of the League of Arab
States and a renewed determination to strengthen the
role of the League in serving the peoples of the region.
As we have seen in the case of the crisis in Syria,
the League of Arab States has proven that it can act
effectively.

We highly appreciate the German presidency’s
initiative to issue a presidential statement calling for
tangible measures to promote such cooperation.
commend the measures highlighted by the Secretary
General of the League of Arab States on the importance
of the Arab Peace Initiative.

We must spend a few minutes considering the
Palestinian question, which, today more than ever,
deserves particular attention. It is unfortunate that
Israel has continued its systematic defiance of United
Nations resolutions. In that respect, we must take
note of the settlement construction policy, as it is a
flagrant violation of international law and the Geneva
Conventions. That policy has become a major obstacle
to the peace process. It reflects disdain for international
agreements and even undermines the peace process.
Moreover, we must consider the acts of violence
committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinian
citizens. It is unfortunate that the response of the
international community has fallen far short of justice
for those people.

Let us also not forget the suffering of the thousands
of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom have been
detained or imprisoned since before the signing of the
Oslo Agreements in 1993. In spite of all of that, the
issue remains as yet unresolved.

There are also Israel’s attempts to alter the
demographic and cultural nature of the city of
Jerusalem. In spite of the efforts of the international
community, the settlement construction has continued
in East Jerusalem, including ongoing work on the
Al-Aqsa mosque compound. In spite of all of the
appeals, Israel has continued its operations to destroy
other sites that hold particular importance for the three
monotheistic religions.

Facing all of those challenges, the King of
Morocco, His Majesty Mohammed VI, presides over
the Jerusalem Committee. The Kingdom of Morocco
therefore calls for a halt to all of the construction work,
which continues to destroy important sites, as well
as all activities against the Islamic nature of the city.
In addition, we urge the international community to

 

take urgent action to protect the cultural heritage of
Jerusalem.

Certain ongoing Israeli policies consist of
imposing sanctions against the Palestinian people and
thus reflect disdain for all international instruments
and international law. The closure policy carried out
in the occupied Palestinian territories and the ongoing
inhuman blockades conducted in the Gaza Strip since
2006 have all led to a humanitarian crisis of intolerable
suffering that worsens each day.

Speaking in this forum and based upon our
profound conviction of the importance of establishing
peace and security in the region, we note the fact that
our goal requires Israel’s acknowledgment of the law
and renunciation of its hostile policies against the
defenceless Palestinian people, which seek to impose
a logic of force as well as a fait accompli. We call on
the international community to urge Israel to respect
international agreements and those reached between
the parties concerned.

We cannot omit to mention the suffering of our
brothers the Syrian people. In that regard, we wish
to express our indignation at and condemnation of
the violence inflicted by the Syrian regime against
civilians. We must reaffirm the necessity of bringing
an immediate end to those acts of violence, in order to
launch a political process that involves every sector of
Syrian society and thus to achieve the Syrian people’s
aspirations to a politically democratic, pluralist regime
based on a framework of the national unity, sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Syria, with no foreign
military intervention.

In that regard, I would like to reaffirm the
importance of international and Arab efforts to find
a settlement for the Syrian crisis, including through
the mission of the Joint Special Representative,
Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. Indeed, we commend all the
efforts being made to resolve this crisis. Morocco will
host the fourth meeting of the Group of the Friends of
Syria at the end of this month, and we hope that the
meeting will help to mitigate the terrifying nightmare
of the Syrian people.

The Middle East faces many challenges today that
the Security Council is required to attempt to resolve, by
virtue of its responsibility for maintaining international
peace and security, in order to help foster an atmosphere
of peace and prosperity in the region. There is no doubt
that acts that insult Islam, and any kind of disdain or

attack on its Prophet or religion or incitement to hatred,
all take us further away from the principle of tolerance
and the essential virtues of dialogue and respect. We
repudiate such acts of provocation, just as we repudiate
any act of violence targeting innocent victims or
property. I would like to recall that the Kingdom of
Morocco, at the highest levels, condemned the attack
on the American Consulate in Benghazi that led to the
deaths of the United States Ambassador to Libya and
three of the consular staff. We also call for respect for
holy sites and property.

Once again, we reiterate that the cooperation
between the League of Arab States and the United
Nations is vital, and we hope that it will grow deeper.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Laurent Fabius, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the French Republic.

Mr. Fabius (France) (spoke in French): I have some
observations to make on this very important subject.
My first, which I think we would all agree on, is that
when the Arab Spring, as we call it, began almost
two years ago, it gave rise at the start to many hopes
for peace, dignity, freedom and democracy. Today,
however, we are concerned. We are concerned about
violence, extremism, radicalization, exploitation of
religious beliefs and certain groups’ willingness to
provoke confrontation between Islam and the West.

It seems to me that in the face of such challenges,
there are few possible positions — indeed, only one or
two — to take. Certainly that is France’s understanding.
We should show solidarity with these movements,
because in those of our countries where there have been
revolutions, even when the circumstances have been
different, we know from experience that revolutions go
through highs and lows. Events are never linear, and
we must show our solidarity with the best parts of such
movements, while at the same time — and I stress this
point — maintaining high expectations. That is because
the way in which the Arab spring has sometimes
progressed, and sometimes gone off the rails, shows
that we should be very careful about a number of central
issues: human rights, women’s rights, the rejection of
terrorism and respect for communities and minorities.
That is the first comment I have to make, which I think
will be shared by everyone here.

My second observation concerns Syria. It would
be strange if we did not mention this tragic situation.
When I was preparing this short statement, I wrote that

 

on that day, the conflict had resulted in 27,000 deaths.
We understand from recent reports that the number
is now 30,000, and according to our Joint Special
Representative, Mr. Brahimi, it is growing.

I am sure we all agree that it is shocking to
international public opinion that we, the Security
Council of the United Nations, have so far been unable
to ensure the unity and security of these nations. I
will not point a finger, but it is shocking that so far
the Council has been unable to act. I would like to
emphasize two risks, which are not mutually exclusive,
in the Syrian crisis. If the situation continues, there is
a very high risk that Syria will explode, and I use that
expression advisedly. And everyone who wishes to see
stability in a region that has already been profoundly
affected will find that it is a dramatic explosion and
one for which, at that point, there will be no solution.
At the same time, we run the risk — already partly a
reality — that extremism will gain ground. We all here
have the same information: whatever beliefs any one
of us may hold, we must acknowledge that there are
extremists who have invaded Syrian territory.

In that regard, I would like to make another
observation. If, as we sometimes do, we could discuss
matters among ourselves, away from the cameras, I
know of no one in the Council who would support the
notion that Bashar Al-Assad’s regime will ultimately
still be there. I do not want to mention anyone in
particular, but no one with whom I have discussed the
issue would support the possibility of Mr. Al-Assad’s
remaining in place for any length of time; yet he is still
there.

So that is the question: since we know that this
regime will come to an end — and from the point of
view of France, the sooner the better — how can we
reconcile those two things? He is there, but he must
go. How can we ensure that that happens in the most
peaceful manner possible and without plunging the
country into even worse chaos? As it stands, we have
not been able to provide an answer to that, but what
the entire world has been demanding of us is to live up
to our name. The Security Council should be able, we
hope, to provide an answer in the next few weeks.

France, for its part, has mobilized its efforts in
several areas: humanitarian and medical aid; the
unification, as far as possible, of the Syrian resistance;
and the consolidation of the liberated zones. We are
ready to help on all those fronts.

Here I would like to highlight the remarkable role
that Secretary General of the League of Arab States
has played, since the beginning, in the Syrian crisis
and the excellent cooperation that he has headed up
with the United Nations. He has reacted quickly, firmly
and with courage since the beginning of the crisis.
He suspended Syria from the League, which was not
easy. He did not hesitate to adopt sanctions to cut off
the regime’s financing and weapons supply routes.
He introduced the idea of a political transition being
necessary in Syria, a goal that is now at the heart of the
mandate entrusted to our Joint Special Representative,
Mr. Brahimi. When the Council decided to send an
observation mission to Syria, it was able to benefit
from the experience that the League had gained. The
League launched an important process, which included
Morocco’s presentation of a draft resolution to the
Council and the General Assembly’s adoption of two
resolutions presented by the Arab League (resolutions
66/253 A and B). Those resolutions were adopted by
an overwhelming majority of Member States, thus
confirming that Bashar Al-Assad’s regime is isolated
on all sides. I want, therefore, to pay tribute to the work
that the Secretary General of the League has carried out,
together with his colleagues, and take this opportunity
to call on our Council once again to voice its complete
confidence in Mr. Brahimi in carrying out his mission,
which is, of course, very difficult.

The last point I would like to highlight, as others
before me, is that it is impossible to deal with the issues
facing the Arab world — and in a more general sense,
the entire world — without highlighting the stalemate
in the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
France hopes for a relaunching of the peace process.
We encourage the parties to return to negotiations. I
reiterate once again that the goal must be to achieve
an independent, viable and peaceful Palestinian State
and to guarantee Israel’s security. But here too I would
caution that, for years and years — and this goes for all
of us who were following this matter — we have known,
deep down, what the solution was. The problem has
been to get the parties to agree, and we did not succeed.
But today, given the developments on the ground, the
danger is that the solution itself could be compromised,
and that danger is extremely serious.

I would like to again pay tribute to the commitment
of the League of Arab States to resolving the Israeli/
Palestinian conflict. I would hope that solutions would
be found very quickly to the Palestinian Authority’s

 

financial difficulties and thus progress would be made.
I would add once again that there is no lasting peace
without justice, and there will be no lasting peace in
that area of the world if we do not ourselves provide a
solution to the problem that has dragged on for decades.

I conclude by once again thanking our friend,
Minister Guido Westerwelle, for having taken the
initiative of holding this meeting. It enables us to
reiterate the importance that we attach to the work of
the League of Arab States and our hope that the United
Nations and the League will be able to work increasingly
well together, with full determination and success.

The President: I now give the floor to Her
Excellency Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of
State of the United States of America.

Mrs. Rodham Clinton (United States of America):
I thank you very much, Minister Westerwelle, for
calling us together at this critical moment to discuss
peace and security in the Middle East on the heels of
two tumultuous weeks, during which violent protests
rocked countries across the region. Although anger
was directed against my country, the protests exposed
deep rifts within new democracies and volatility that
extremists were quick to incite and exploit.

As President Obama made clear yesterday in his
address to the General Assembly (see A/67/PV.6),
the United States rejects the false choice between
democracy and stability. Democracies make the
strongest, most capable partners. We know that it takes
a lot of hard work and oftentimes struggle, but the fact
of new emerging democracies here in the twenty-first
century should be cause for great satisfaction and hope.

These emerging democracies, however, need
champions, not fair-weather friends. During this past
week, as I met with leaders from Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
and Yemen, I expressed to each of them America’s
unwavering support for their countries’ continued
journey along the democratic path. But making good on
the promise of those transitions will take many hands
working on many fronts. Of course, there are political
and economic dimensions to the work that must be
done, but today I would like to focus on the security
concerns, because that has to be the starting line on the
road to true democracy.

Of course, the Arab revolutions come from within,
and the greatest responsibility for their success or
failure lies with the people living them each day. But the

nations gathered in this Chamber also have a powerful
stake in seeing that those democracies succeed, and it is
our shared responsibility to help countries in transition
to find the right path forward.

International support is critical. Consider what
happened when the League of Arab States and the
Security Council came together to protect civilians in
Libya. That show of solidarity helped produce a strong
Security Council resolution (resolution 1973 (2011))
that saved Benghazi from destruction at the hands of
a tyrant. Thanks to the support of that broad coalition,
the people of Libya now have the chance to write their
own future. We saw, earlier this year, Libyans turning
out in droves to cast their ballots, most for the first time
in their lives.

Then, this past Friday, we saw thousands of Libyans
pour into the streets to condemn the attack on the
United States diplomatic post in Benghazi that killed
Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
They made it clear that those who would promote
violence and division do not speak for the new Libya
and that armed bands who would sever Libya’s ties with
the world are not welcome. The new Government of
Libya is working closely with us to find the murderers
and bring them to justice.

Now, each country in transition has its own security
challenges, and therefore each one needs our support in
different ways. In Tunisia, where the Arab awakening
began, extremists seek to hijack its progress, but
Tunisians are working steadily to dismantle a long legacy
of dictatorship and lay the foundation for sustainable
democracy. The riots underscored the challenges of
building security forces focused on protecting people,
not regimes. Those nations are not the first to struggle
with the challenge of policing a new democracy, and
the international community has stumbled in the past,
failing to offer needed support or offering the wrong
kind of support.

So we should heed the lessons we have learned
from our successes and our failures, including this most
basic understanding: training, funding and equipment
will only go so far. It takes the political will to make
hard choices and tough changes that will build strong
institutions and lasting security, so I am pleased that
Tunisia has agreed to host a new international training
centre that will help security and criminal justice
officials pursue policies grounded in the rule of law and
human rights.

 

Egyptians chose their leadership for the first time in
history, and we are committed to helping that transition
succeed. The Egyptian people, proud of the freedoms
they have claimed, must decide what kind of country
they want to build, and the choices of the largest Arab
nation will echo far beyond its borders. Like all nations,
Egypt knows that it too has responsibilities, not only
to its own citizens but also to its neighbours and the
international community — responsibilities to honour
international commitments, to share power broadly, to
keep faith with all the Egyptian people, men and women,
Muslim and Christian. We want to help Egypt and all
new democracies live up to these vital responsibilities.

In Yemen, we are working through the Gulf
Cooperation Council-led transition process. But
providing basic security for the Yemeni people is a
great challenge that is heightened by Yemen’s unique
needs. Yemen has a fast-growing population of young
people and not enough jobs, a familiar story, not only
through the region but the world. In addition, Yemen
is facing the depletion of their oil and water supplies,
and Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula remains a serious
threat. The urgency of these threats must be matched by
the urgency of our response. In the Friends of Yemen
meeting later this week, countries are coming together
to address Yemen’s challenges, in both the immediate
and the long term.

Unfortunately,inthe SyrianArab RepublicPresident
Bashar Al-Assad clings to power, and his campaign of
brutality has sparked a humanitarian crisis. The United
States has committed more than $100 million to help
the Syrian people, and we continue to insist that the
violence must end and a political transition without
President Al-Assad must move forward. The League
of Arab States suspended Syria from its activities and
has strongly condemned the Al-Assad regime’s brutal
violence against its own people. The Arab League
created a plan for peaceful political transition that was
endorsed by an overwhelming majority in the General
Assembly, a resolution that launched Arab League and
United Nations mediation efforts, led first by the Joint
Special Envoy, Mr. Kofi Annan, and now by the Joint
Special Representative, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi.

Yet the atrocities mount while the Security Council
remains paralysed. I would urge that we try once again
to find a path forward that can bring the Security
Council together on the urgent business of both ending
the violence in Syria and preventing the consequences
that all of us around this table fear.

Although this forum was not primarily intended
to discuss the peace process, I certainly would like
to reiterate United States President Barak Obama’s
message from yesterday. The future of Israel and
Palestime must belong to those who embrace the
hard work of peace, not those who thrive on conflict
or who reject the right of Israel to exist. The United
States stands ready and prepared to work towards a
just agreement to finally accomplish our clear goal:
a secure Jewish State of Israel and an independent,
secure, prosperous Palestine, fulfilling the aspirations
of the Palestinian people.

No discussion of the Middle East would be complete
without a discussion of the Islamic Republic of Iran and
the profound threat its activities pose to the region and
beyond. Despite numerous demands by the Council,
Iran still has not taken the necessary steps to cooperate
fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency
and to resolve doubts about its nuclear programme. In
addition, Iran continues to sponsor terrorist groups and
smuggle weapons for the Al-Assad regime’s use against
the Syrian people. Meanwhile, the Iranian people
themselves suffer gross violations of their rights at the
hand of their own Government.

Syria’s challenges, like these, call for leadership
and partnership. Yesterday, I was privileged to sign
an agreement with the Arab League through its
Secretary General, Mr. Nabil Elaraby. I was delighted
that Secretary General Elaraby and I could build
on the unprecedented cooperation of the last two
years. We support Germany’s call to make Security
Council and Arab League cooperation more systemic
and sustainable. The United States is also one of 28
countries and international organizations working
through the Deauville Partnership with Arab Countries
in Transition to support democratic transitions in the
Middle East and North Africa. When violence came to
our doorstep at embassies around the globe, this body
joined the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation, the African Union, and the European
Union to give voice to the world’s condemnation of the
attacks and call for restraint. They stood with us and
now we must stand together in support of the common
aspirations of the people, of all people, for security
and safety for our familites, the freedom to live lives
according to our own conscience, the dignity that
comes only through self-determination.

As President Obama said yesterday, the United
States will never shrink from defending those values,

 

and we will not walk away from those new democracies.
We are not alone in this commitment. That is the work
of all responsible nations, and we look forward to
working closely with anyone who speaks out on behalf
of our shared values.

The President: I now give the floor to Her
Excellency Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister for
International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic
of South Africa.

Ms. Nkoana-Mashabane (South Africa): South
Africa expresses its appreciation to Germany,
particularly to our colleague, Minister for Foreign
Affairs Guido Westerville, for organizing this timely
debate, which provides an opportunity for us to reflect
on the peace and security situation in the Middle East,
especially in light of current events taking place in
the region. We wish to thank Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and the Secretary General of the League of
Arab States, Mr. Nabil Elaraby, for their respective
statements.

The Charter of the United Nations gives the
Security Council the primary responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security. It also
recognizes the complementarity between the roles of
the United Nations and regional organizations in that
respect. Political and strategic alignment between
the Security Council and regional organizations has
demonstrated effective results, as we have seen in the
cases of Somalia and the Sudan. Coordination should be
enhanced and become more formalized and structured,
which is why South Africa has consistently championed
the strengthening of cooperation between the United
Nations and regional and subregional organizations.

We also pioneered the adoption of resolution
2033 (2012) to further strengthen that relationship,
particularly between the Peace and Security Council of
the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security
Council. Cooperation between regional organizations
is equally important, especially in instances in which
there is overlapping membership, such as in the case
of the League of Arab States and the African Union.
In such situations, regional organizations should
collaborate in developing close regional solutions to
common challenges, such as resolution of conflicts. In
that regard, we look forward to the joint consultative
ministerial meeting between the Peace and Security
Council of the AU and the League of Arab States
scheduled to take place in New York on 27 September.

In the case of the Middle East, we have to recognize
that the League of Arab States is the organization best
placed to have a deeper appreciation of the dynamics
within which conflicts in the Arab world take place
and to provide conflict-specific solutions. South Africa
appreciates the efforts of the League in promoting
peace in the Middle East region, especially efforts at
furthering the Middle East peace process, the oldest
peace and security item on the agendas of both the
United Nations and the League. It is therefore apt that
the United Nations is strengthening its engagement
with the League. The appointment of the Joint Special
Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab
States for Syria was demonstrative of that cooperation.
It would also be appropriate for the Secretary-General,
in consultation with the League, to explore modalities
for further enhancing cooperation. In its cooperation
with the League, the Council should be consistent and
not selectively cooperate on matters that serve the
national interests of some of its members.

The events in the Middle East over the past 19
months have had a significant impact on the region and
the rest of the world. The complexities underlying those
events underscore the fact that no individual countries
or organizations can address the developments on
their own. The need for cooperation among States and
international organizations when dealing with crosscutting
issues of peace, security and development is
therefore paramount.

Equally, the underlying causes of those uprisings,
including long-standing conflicts, have to be addressed
in a coordinated manner. In the Middle East, we have
not seen such an approach. There has been swift
international reaction to some, while in others such
cooperation is lacking, and, as a result, there has been
no significant movement towards resolving the conflict.

Cooperation between the United Nations and the
League on the Middle East peace process has been
most disappointing. The Arab League has consistently
played a significant role in trying to find a resolution to
the conflict, including through the adoption of the Arab
Peace Initiative. Unfortunately, the Security Council
has yet to provide effective and meaningful support
for the League’s efforts. Instead, we have relied on the
Middle East Quartet, whose efficacy is increasingly
being questioned, especially because its composition
excludes the League and regional representatives.

Exactly one year ago, in September 2011, the
Middle East Quartet committed itself to the resumption

 

of the direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine
by September 2012. That deadline has come and gone,
with no significant progress towards the resumption of
talks.

As a result, the situation in the occupied Palestinian
territories continues to deteriorate sharply. The
construction of illegal settlements, which violates
international law and the resolutions of the Council,
remains the major stumbling block to the viability of
an independent Palestinian State and the resumption of
the peace talks.

South Africa laments the failure of the Council
to agree to the admission of Palestine as a Member of
the United Nations, despite the overwhelming support
of and endorsement by the League. We welcome
the Arab League’s decision to revive Palestine’s
bid for United Nations membership and call on the
international community to provide support for a
permanent and sustainable political solution, namely,
the implementation of the two-State solution, which
provides for the establishment of a viable Palestinian
State, existing side by side in peace with Israel, within
internationally recognized borders based on those
existing on 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its
capital.

Regrettably, years of failed diplomacy and
oversight by the Security Council have resulted only
in a hardening of positions by the occupier, increased
abject poverty and suffering by the people of Palestine,
and continued insecurity for the people of both Israel
and Palestine. Perhaps it is time to consider a new
approach. The League is well placed to take the lead
and to ensure that Palestine’s cause again becomes a
priority of the Council.

With regard to the situation in Syria, we condemn
the ongoing violence, which continues unabated.
Meanwhile, the Security Council remains divided on
this issue. South Africa emphasizes that the Security
Council and the League of Arab States should address
the Syrian crisis in a balanced manner, by applying
pressure on all sides to stop the violence, and stop it
immediately, to establish a ceasefire and comply fully
with their respective obligations under the six-point
plan and the Geneva action group communiqué.

Those assisting either party militarily are
worsening the situation and prolonging the bloodshed.
We call on those involved in such initiatives to refrain
from them in assisting the efforts to bring the parties

to the negotiating table, in order to launch a credible
Syrian-led and —owned political process that will lead
to a legitimate transitional arrangement that is aimed at
established a democratic, pluralistic society that meets
the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people. The
resolution of the conflict should also preserve the unity,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

In conclusion, the inability of the Council to deal
with the situation in Palestine and in Syria underscores
the need for Council reform. The absence of reform
renders cooperation with regional organizations
vitally important as the unreformed Council attempts
to grapple with contemporary threats to international
peace and security.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Mr. Lavrov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian):
I join other speakers in expressing my appreciation to
you, Mr. President, for having convened this meeting,
which deals with a very important issue.

The Arab world is living through radical and
painful transformations. Their impact is already being
felt and will be felt for quite a long time, both in the
region and globally. Of particular concern are the
attempts to instigate inter-ethnic and interreligious
discord on a global scale. It is necessary to stand in
the way of those whose actions insult the feelings of
believers and set people of different religions against
one another. It is equally unacceptable to respond to
provocations with acts of terror, which can have no
justification, especially when diplomats and United
Nations personnel are the targets thereof.

The process of change is caused by the aspirations
of people to a better life and justice and to realize their
political rights and freedoms. We share and understand
those feelings. They are in line with the philosophy
underlying Russian foreign policy, which is based on
the assumption that all peoples should determine their
own destiny independently.

The developments in the Middle East and North
Africa confirm once again the need to respect the key
principles of the Charter of the United Nations, above
all the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States,
non-interference in their domestic affairs and the
non-use or threat of force.

Speaking today at the Kremlin, President Vladimir
Putin emphasized that the primacy of international law
must be ensured in the international arena and within
States. The path to a lasting solution to problems
in that respect is through extensive dialogue and the
achievement of national reconciliation.

Today the strife that has engulfed the Arab world
is concentrated in the situation in Syria. We condemn
all acts of violence and violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law, whoever the
perpetrator may be — the Government of Syria or
the armed opposition. However, a significant share of
responsibility for the continuing bloodshed rests upon
those States that are instigating Bashar Al-Assad’s
opponents to reject the ceasefire and dialogue and at the
same time demanding the unconditional capitulation
of the regime. Such an approach is unrealistic and, in
fact, encourages the use of terrorist tactics, to which the
armed opposition is resorting to more and more often.
The refusal by some members of the Security Council
to condemn those terrorist acts is of deep concern
and calls into question the fundamental role of the
Security Council in countering terrorism in all of its
manifestations.

There can be no doubt that military methods,
and especially outside military interference, pose
serious threats to regional security, with unpredictable
consequences. A sustainable settlement can be achieved
only through negotiations and a quest for compromises
that take into account the interests of all religious and
ethnic groups of Syrian society.

There is a basis for achieving that goal: the
communiqué of the action group, endorsed in Geneva
on 30 June as follow-up to resolutions 2042 (2012)
and 2043 (2012) and the Kofi Annan plan. That
communiqué reflects a consensus among all Security
Council permanent members, members of the League
of Arab States, Turkey, the European Union and the
United Nations Secretary-General. We strongly believe
that the Geneva communiqué is still appropriate and
relevant.

In that connection, I wish to call attention to the
adoption today by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — the
BRICS group — of a joint statement that objectively
assesses the way out of the Syrian crisis and supports
the Geneva communiqué as a basis for such actions.
It is the basis for achieving consensus in the Security

Council, the lack of which has been noted by some of
our colleagues. The Geneva communiqué is objective
and is the most realistic basis for such a consensus, in
particular since all five permanent members signed it.

We hope that the Geneva consensus will also help
Lakhdar Brahimi and his team to explore ways to
overcome the crisis. We welcome any other constructive
proposals on coordinating the international community’s
actions that could compel all Syrian parties to put an
end to the violence and come to the negotiating table.
In that context, we see some potential in the initiative
of the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsy.

Today as never before, many problems have
accumulated on the political map of the Middle East.
To date, no significant progress has been made in
addressing them. There is no doubt that the political
transformations that have been launched must be
carried out to their logical end, taking into account
the views of all groups of society in order to prevent
the recurrence of turmoil. It is also clear that without
modernization in the economic and the social spheres,
it is hardly possible to make the Arab peoples feel
that change is for the better and become immune to
extremist attitudes.

One resource to explore in that regard is the
responsible andtargeted cooperationofthe international
community. It is essential that all outside players provide
help to strengthen positive processes in the Arab world,
including through mechanisms such as the Deauville
Partnership with Arab Countries in Transition.

Interaction with members of the League of Arab
States is among the strategic priorities of Russia’s
foreign policy. Our country has never had any colonial
interests in the Middle East or North Africa and has
never unleashed wars for resources in those areas or
imposed its configuration of the political map of the
region. From the beginning our presence there has
been aimed at promoting communication among
nations and the coexistence of the various cultures and
religions — what is commonly now called the dialogue
of civilizations.

Based on many years of friendship and partnership
between Russia and countries of the Arab world, we are
today promoting reasonable and mutually respectful
dialogue on the whole range of regional issues and are
negotiating new forms of interaction. The Russian-
Arab Cooperation Forum has been established as a
framework for implementing trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian projects. The Russian-Arab Business
Council has also been launched.

We believe that the League of Arab States should
play a concrete role in overcoming the challenges
facing the Middle East and North Africa. It has in its
arsenal a thorough knowledge of national psychology,
traditions and historical experience and the capacity to
formulate common goals for the region. The League’s
effectiveness will significantly increase as it builds its
anti-crisis measures on the basis of giving priority to
dialogue, mediation and peacekeeping, as provided for
under the United Nations Charter. In general, we believe
that it is essential to strengthen the overall coordination
of the efforts of League and the United Nations.

We share a common position with members of
the League of Arab States, namely, that despite the
dramatic nature of the Arab Spring, such processes
should not preclude the pursuit of ways to settle long-
standing problems in the Middle East. First of all, that
means achieving a just settlement of the Arab-Israeli
conflict on the existing international legal basis, which,
as we know, includes the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted
at the League of Arab States summit in Beirut in March
2002 and supported by the Security Council. Russia
resolutely calls for intensified efforts by the Middle
East Quartet mediators, in close cooperation with the
League of Arab States, for an early resumption of the
Palestinian-Israeli talks. We believe that it is a serious
mistake that the Quartet was unable to hold a ministerial
meeting on the sidelines of the general debate of the
current General Assembly session.

The recent outbreak of tension in the region, the
attacks against foreign embassies in a number of
countries and the death of American diplomats in Libya
have again affirmed the need for an uncompromising
fight against terrorism. It is essential that terrorists
who are attempting to benefit from the transformation
process be unanimously banished by the international
community everywhere, be they in Libya, Iraq, Yemen
or Syria.

There should be no double standards. All States
without exception should ensure the careful and
respectful treatment of the historical, cultural and
religious values of all peoples and should refrain from
insulting the feelings of believers. The most important
task is to prevent the proliferation of new threats from
emerging in the shadow of today’s transformation
processes: radicalization of the public mood, instigation
of inter-religious and intra-religious clashes, and

growth in the uncontrolled traffic of drugs, weapons
and militants.

A significant added value could be created by
the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass
destruction and their means of delivery in the Middle
East. That issue was raised by the Secretary General of
the League of Arab States, Mr. Nabil Elaraby. Russia
will continue to promote the earliest implementation
of that important initiative and support the efforts of
countries of the region and the League of Arab States,
which should naturally play a leading role in convening
a conference on the issue.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Harold Caballeros, Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala.

Mr. Caballeros (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): I
would like thank your Government, Mr. President, for
having convened this ministerial debate and to express
my gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
the Secretary General of the League of Arab States,
Mr. Nabil Elaraby, for their respective interventions.

I am pleased to again participate in a Council
debate, especially one that addresses such important a
topic as the one you proposed. This topic, in essence,
has two aspects. The first deals with peace and security
in the Middle East, and the second falls more under
developments in implementing Chapter VIII of the
Charter — in this case, in the relationship between the
Council and the League of Arab States.

Our delegation has spoken on many occasions in
this Chamber on the first aspect. Consequently, our
positions on various specific issues — such as the
situation in Syria, the conflict between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, the situations in Lebanon and
Yemen, as well as the so-called Arab Spring — are
well known. We have also stated our concern over the
inherent risks of nuclear development in some countries
of the region, with the possibility of its eventual
military use. The International Atomic Energy Agency
has a crucial role to play in the elimination of that risk.

That having been said, despite the worrying
developments of the past weeks, which have the potential
to even further destabilize an inherently vulnerable
situation, we generally welcome the direction of the
changes under way in the Middle East, since they stem
the grassroots of society and pursue universal goals
that we can all share, such as freedom, justice, dignity
and greater well-being for all.

 

My own region, Central America, and my own
country, Guatemala, underwent important transitions
in the 1980s and 1990s. The Guatemalan peace accords
furthered a more democratic and tolerant society,
respectful of human rights, with greater opportunities
for all and governed by the rule of law. For more than 25
years, we have been struggling to meet those objectives.
We have made very important achievements, but there
are still some gaps and shortcomings. We know how
difficult it is to foster change, but we will persist in
that task with regard to our own country. Therefore
we naturally desire the same for those nations in the
Middle East that have launched processes towards
more democratic, participative and inclusive systems
of governance.

In Latin America, we have seen that freely elected
Governments tend to resolve their differences, if they
have them, with their neighbours peacefully and through
negotiations. That is an important and encouraging
lesson for our friends in the Middle East. Another lesson
is that the intensity of potential conflicts diminishes
when economies offer greater opportunities of wellbeing
to their populations. Therefore, we believe that
democracy, development, justice and peace go hand in
hand.

One additional lesson is relevant to our discussion
today and it relates to the second area to which I
referred. We value the role played by regional and
subregional organizations. In our part of the world, we
have over 60 years of experience in benefitting from the
institutions of Central American integration to forge a
regional economic area and lay the basis for political
union. That is why we have supported the increasingly
broad alliances that the Security Council has built with
regional and subregional entities, both in Africa and in
the Middle East. We applaud the presence in this meeting
of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States,
whose partnership role in addressing the challenges of
the Middle East is increasingly significant. We hope
that role will deepen and broaden in the future, without
in any way diminishing the exclusive purview of the
Council. In cementing that partnership, the Council can
count on the support of Guatemala.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Yang Jiechi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. Yang Jiechi (China) (spoke in Chinese): I am
glad to attend this high-level meeting of the Security

Council on peace and security in the Middle East. It is
good to see Mr. Guido Westerwelle chair the meeting.

The Middle East is undergoing unprecedented
changes. The political, economic and social impact
of the international financial crisis on that region
is unfolding. The people of that region have shown
a strong desire to run their affairs independently
and to seek change. Some countries are in a state of
turmoil, while others have entered a critical stage of
political transition and transformation. Regional hot-
spot issues have become more severe, local conflicts
have increased, and extremist and terrorist forces have
intensified their infiltration efforts. Traditional and
non-traditional security issues are entwined, exerting a
greater impact on the region.

In short, the situation in the Middle East has
become more complex and fragile and has attracted the
broad attention of the international community. Peace,
stability and development in the Middle East represent
the shared aspiration of all people in the region and
serve the common interests of the entire international
community. Middle East affairs should be addressed
mainly by the people of the region, and the future and
destiny of the region should be in the hands of its own
people.

The international community should respect the
aspirations and calls of the people of the region for
change and development. It should respect the distinctive
religious and cultural characteristics of the region, heed
the voices of the countries and peoples of the region on
issues related to the Middle East, and urge the parties
concerned to work out appropriate solutions through
inclusive political processes and to strike the proper
balance between reform, stability and development in
order to achieve durable peace and common prosperity.

The Palestinian issue remains at the core of the
situation in the Middle East. With drastic changes in the
regional landscape, it is all the more imperative for the
international community to recognize the importance
and urgency of relaunching peace talks between
Palestine and Israel. The international community
should adopt a more active and constructive stance
to promote peace talks, and urge the Palestinians and
Israelis alike to take concrete steps to remove obstacles
to peace talks, rebuild mutual trust, resume negotiations
and make substantive progress at an early date.

Israel should assume responsibility for taking the
first step. China supports the Palestinian people in
establishing, based on the 1967 borders, an independent
Palestinian State that enjoys full sovereignty, with
East Jerusalem as its capital. We support Palestine’s
membership of the United Nations and other
international organizations.

The Syrian issue concerns not only the future and
destiny of Syria and its people, but also overall peace
and stability in the Middle East. The crisis in Syria
remains unresolved, and the situation is worrying.
In the face of the complex and grave situation, the
international community must have even stronger faith
in peace and stay on the right track of seeking a political
solution. We should support Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the
Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and
the League of Arab States, in conducting impartial
mediation, and urge all parties in Syria to earnestly
implement relevant Security Council resolutions.
Mr. Kofi Annan’s six-point plan and the communiqué
of the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Action Group
for Syria (S/2012/522). We should also urge the parties
to put an immediate end to the fighting and violence,
protect civilians and create conditions for a Syrian-led
political transition.

As a permanent member of the Council, China has
faithfully fulfilled its obligations and acted as a positive
force in seeking a political solution to the issue. China
is ready to join the rest of the international community
in an unremitting effort to resolve the Syrian issue in a
just, peaceful and appropriate way.

The Iranian nuclear issue has a significant bearing
on the evolution of the situation in the Middle East.
China opposes the development and possession of
nuclear weapons by any country in the Middle East.
At the same time, we believe that the international
community should respect the right of a country to the
peaceful use of nuclear energy. China maintains that
dialogue and cooperation are the only way to address
the Iranian nuclear issue, and that it is ill-advised to
resort to force or unilateral sanctions. The parties
concerned should have firm confidence in and remain
committed to a diplomatic solution. At the same time,
they should be flexible and pragmatic, seek common
ground while overcoming differences, work for early
progress through dialogue and negotiations, and
over time, achieve a comprehensive, long-term and
appropriate solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Peace, stability and development in the Middle East
will not be possible without the support and assistance
of regional and international organizations. The United
Nations Charter entrusts the Security Council with
the primary responsibility for international peace and
security. At the same time, in Chapter VIII of the
Charter the Organization’s founders also encouraged
the peaceful settlement of local disputes through
regional arrangements. The League of Arab States is an
important multilateral organization in the Middle East.
Over the years it has played an active role in upholding
the lawful rights and interests of the Arab peoples,
enhancing solidarity among Arab States and promoting
peace and stability in the region and beyond.

In the current circumstances, it is of both practical
significance and far-reaching strategic importance for
the United Nations and the League of Arab States to
strengthen their communication and cooperation and
jointly safeguard peace, stability and development in
the Middle East. Closer cooperation between the United
Nations and the Arab League should be based on the
purposes and principles of the Charter. The principles
enshrined in the Charter, including sovereign equality
and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, are
the basic norms governing international relations and
important guidelines for addressing hot-spot issues.

In carrying out cooperation, the United Nations
and the Arab League should aim to uphold those
principles, safeguard the fundamental and long-term
interests of the peoples of all countries in the Middle
East, and maintain peace and stability in the region.
Closer cooperation between the United Nations and the
Arab League should focus on the peaceful settlement of
disputes. History has shown time and again that settling
disputes through such diplomatic means as dialogue
and negotiation is the only right and effective way to
achieve durable peace.

As a regional organization, the Arab League has
a unique and important role to play in encouraging
the countries of the region to settle disputes through
mediation, negotiation, good offices and other peaceful
means. The United Nations should encourage the Arab
League to stay the course of political settlement, build
consensus and coordinate the efforts of countries of the
region in order to improve the situation and achieve
peace and stability.

Closer cooperation between the United Nations
and the Arab League should follow a holistic approach.
That is of crucial importance. The causes of turbulence
and conflict in the Middle East are mostly related to
economic well-being and ethnic and religious factors.
The United Nations and the Arab League should pay
greater attention and give more support to economic
and social development in the region, help the region
achieve development to improve people’s lives, and
encourage different ethnic groups and religions to
show mutual tolerance, achieve reconciliation and
live in harmony, so as to remove the economic and
social breeding grounds for turbulence and extremist
thinking.

China is a good friend to and partner of the Arab
countries and people. We firmly support and help to
promote their just cause. With respect to the issues of
peace and security in the Middle East, China has always
fulfilled its obligations in a constructive way. We stand
for peace and oppose war; we stand for equality and
oppose power politics; we stand for principles and
oppose interference; and we stand for dialogue and
oppose confrontation.

Bearing in mind the fundamental long-term
interests of the peoples of the Middle East, China has
made its own efforts to advance peace, stability and
development in the region. China will, as always, take
a constructive part in the mediation and settlement of
hot-spot issues in the Middle East, support the United
Nations and the Security Council in continuing to play
an important role in addressing Middle East issues,
and help put the region on a path of peace, stability,
economic prosperity and social progress at an early
date.

The President: I now give the floor to His Excellency
Mr. Elmar Maharram oglu Mammadyarov, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Mr. Mammadyarov (Azerbaijan): At the outset, I
would like to join others in congratulating Germany on
its successful presidency of the Security Council this
month and to thank you, Mr. President, for convening
this timely meeting on an important topic. We are
also grateful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
the Secretary General of the League of Arab States,
Mr. Nabil Elaraby, for their briefings.

Today’s meeting is taking place at an important
time in the sense that the Middle East region is
experiencing historic changes that testify to the desire
and determination of its societies to shape their destiny.
The transformation process has yielded encouraging
trends towards ensuring respect for human rights
and guaranteeing economic and social well-being

for everyone. At the same time, there is an obvious
need for an in-depth analysis of the root causes and
ultimate implications of this complex process for the
regional and global security architecture. While the
international response to developments in the Middle
East has varied in its essence and intensity, the primary
role in maintaining adequate international engagement
belongs to international and regional organizations,
particularly to the United Nations and the League of
Arab States.

It should be noted that not all regional organizations
can boast of their ability and political will to understand
the root causes of security problems and to contribute
effectively to their resolution. The League of Arab States
has proved to be one of those regional organizations that
are able to take the lead in promoting peace, security
and stability in the region. In that regard, we are pleased
to see that cooperation between the United Nations and
the League of Arab States is motivated by the common
objective of enhancing peace and security and helping
the States of the region through this difficult period of
their history. Their combined engagement and presence
have been instrumental in carrying out important tasks
in such areas as conflict prevention and resolution,
crisis response and management, and the fight against
terrorism and organized crime.

Against the background of regional fragilities,
which go hand in hand with the challenges of the
transformations experienced in the region, maintaining
the high profile and ongoing active involvement of
the United Nations and the League of Arab States has
acquired increased importance. Therefore, mutually
reinforcing cooperation between the United Nations
and the League of Arab States has become ever more
essential for maintaining peace and security in the
region and working out sound strategies to assist the
States in transition.

The role of the League of Arab States as an insider
in the region is particularly valuable in connecting
regional specificities with the global dimension by
interacting with the United Nations, its specialized
agencies and field presences. The United Nations and
the League of Arab States should further galvanize
their efforts to achieve the best results for the States
and peoples of the region.

In that regard, we commend the appointment of the
Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and
the League of Arab States for Syria as an important
step forward in the cooperation between the two
organizations, and we reiterate our full support for his
activities.

The international community must continue to be
consistent in its efforts to facilitate solutions to regional
crises and conflicts based on the norms and principles
of international law and relevant Security Council
resolutions, as required by the United Nations Charter.
Azerbaijan strongly supports that approach in working
to resolve protracted conflicts in different parts of the
world.

While recognizing the historic opportunities that
recent waves of transition have opened up for the Middle
East, we should not neglect the long-standing security
problems. Solving them is a prerequisite for maintaining
peace, stability and sustainable development in the
region. All stakeholders in the Middle East should
regard the latest developments as a unique chance
and an urgent call to take courageous steps towards
achieving tangible results in the Middle East peace
process. A comprehensive, just and lasting settlement
is long overdue in that conflict, which undermines the
security, stability and well-being of the entire region
and has an impact stretching well beyond regional
boundaries. We consider it essential for the Security
Council and the League of Arab States to cooperate on
this issue of paramount importance to all of us.

Once again, we cannot but express our deep concern
over the recent escalation provoked by blasphemy
against Islam. We strongly condemn all assaults against
religions. At the same time, attacks on civilians, in
particular diplomatic personnel, cannot be justified in
any circumstances.

We would truly like to believe that, irrespective
of all the challenges and difficulties, the pursuit of
peace and progress in the Middle East will never be
abandoned, and that the endeavours of its peoples to
build stable, secure and democratic States will continue
to be bolstered by the international community. In this
context, we are confident that continued engagement
by the United Nations and the League of Arab States,
together with strengthened cooperation between them,
consistent with Chapter VIII of the United Nations
Charter, will effectively contribute to peace and
security in the region. As a member of the Security
Council and an observer to the League of Arab States,
Azerbaijan will continue its utmost efforts to that end.

In conclusion, I would like to express our full
support for today’s draft presidential statement, aimed

at helping to develop effective cooperation between the
two organizations.

The President: I now give the floor to
Mr. William Hague, Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mr. Hague (United Kingdom): I, too, thank the
Secretary-General of the United Nations and the
Secretary General of the League of Arab States for
their words, and I am grateful to you, Mr. President,
for proposing this debate on peace and security in the
Middle East.

Over the past 18 months, the Arab Spring, as we
have come to call it, has taken a different path in each
country of the region. In some countries revolutions
have been relatively swift. In Syria, as we know,
horrifying violence continues to engulf the country
almost a year and a half since protests began. In other
countries, peaceful reform is under way. We respect the
right of each country in the region to find its own path
to reform, based on its unique cultures and traditions,
but we will always stand up for our belief in the
universality of human rights and freedom that is at the
heart of democracy.

Indeed, that historic change has been driven by the
people of the region demanding the greater political
and economic freedom that is their legitimate right.
History has shown that those Governments that draw
their legitimacy from the consent of their people are
best placed to deliver lasting peace and security. Where
the social contract between citizen and State is based
on trust and accountability, societies are able to flower;
where it is based on fear, violence and the denial of
rights, conflict and insecurity arise. That is why the
Arab Spring is a moment of huge opportunity to build
peace, security and prosperity for the region and, by
extension, the world.

Alongside open inclusive, national structures,
lasting peace and security also rely upon effective
international and regional institutions. That is a lesson
we ourselves have learned the hard way, reflected in
the very history of how this body was created. And
over the past 18 months, the League of Arab States has
showed resolve and perseverance in working to achieve
regional security and stability. I warmly commend the
clear leadership it has demonstrated. It was decisive in
calling for a no-fly zone in Libya. It has taken the lead
in responding to the Syrian crisis, including efforts to
mediate between the Syrian opposition and regime,
as well as to apply political, economic and diplomatic
pressure on the regime to end the violence.

The decision to appoint a Joint Special
Representative of the United Nations and the League
of Arab States for Syria is a clear indication of the
growing positive cooperation between the United
Nations and the Arab League. We strongly support the
work of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi and we do our utmost to
support his efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria, just as
we supported his predecessor, Mr. Kofi Annan. I fully
support efforts to strengthen further the relationship
between the United Nations and the League of Arab
States, and welcome the deepening of cooperation
between those two bodies. That is important as there
are urgent challenges at hand for which the United
Nations and the League of Arab States bare a shared
responsibility.

As the Syrian crisis continues to deepen, the risk
of broader regional instability and conflict increases.
Addressing such crises is exactly what the Security
Council exists to do. That the Security Council has
failed to act on its clear responsibilities in the case of
Syria is inexcusable and shocking, as Mr. Fabius said
earlier. It is a terrible indictment of the Council that
over 22,000 people have died since it first failed to
agree on a resolution to stem the violence. It is long
past the time for the Council to use its collective weight
to require the Syrian regime to end the violence and to
impose serious consequences if it does not.

With regard to the Middle East peace process, I am
also deeply concerned by developments on the ground,
including continued settlement activity. I call on both
sides to avoid steps that undermine the prospects of
peace and to resume direct talks. We have long been
clear that a Palestinian State is a legitimate goal, and the
best way of achieving that is through a comprehensive
agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. We
want to see a solution to this conflict that gives the
Palestinian people the State they need and deserve
and the Israeli people long-term security and peace.
Without that, lasting peace and security in the region
will remain elusive.

It is remarkable how much has been achieved in the
Middle East and North Africa since the Arab Spring
began. In Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, citizens have voted
in free elections for the first time in decades. Change
has been led by the people of the region, and it is not
for anyone else to impose their vision on the region.

However, there is a crucial role for the international
community to play in supporting peaceful reform.
The United Kingdom is doing this through our Arab
partnership by providing diplomatic and practical
support to strengthen the political and economic
participation of citizens in the Middle East and North
Africa. We must act together to ensure that hard-won
freedoms and rights are protected and that those still
fighting for their legitimate rights receive our support,
laying the foundations for lasting peace and security
in the region. We must continue to work to ensure
that the United Nations acts as a bridge for effective
international cooperation to provide that support to the
region. The people of the region deserve that promise
and we must not fail them.

The President: I now give the floor to Her
Excellency Ms. Mar.a .ngela Holgu.n Cuéllar, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia.

Ms. Holgu.n Cuéllar (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish):
I join other members in congratulating Germany on
assuming the presidency of the Council and you, Sir,
for having convened this meeting. I would also like to
thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations and
the Secretary General of the League or Arab States for
their presentations.

The work of regional organizations in the search
for solutions to situations on the agenda of the Security
Council is of the greatest importance. We are all aware
of the work of the League of Arab States in the case
of Lybia and the Gulf Cooperation Council in the case
of Yemen. Regional organizations are, without a doubt,
those with the greatest knowledge of the situations in
their regions.

The Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan
Africa face great security challenges. Cooperation with
regional organizations — such as the Arab League,
the Economic Community of Western African States,
the African Union and others — are of the utmost
importance in achieving lasting solutions that also
address the concerns of each region. The Council
should promote close collaboration with regional
organizations, giving priority to strategies aimed
at conflict prevention, mediation and good offices.
Regional organizations have a privileged position,
unique access to key stakeholders, and exceptional
knowledge of and experience with the diverse
situations in their regions; hence the importance of
their participation as strategic partners in carrying
out actions that fit the particularities and needs of
each situation under consideration. Nevertheless, it is
important to guarantee that the work of the Security
Council and regional organizations harmonize with one
another.

The concept paper before us (S/2012/686, annex)
asks how cooperation between the United Nations
and the League of Arab States in particular can
be strengthened. In that regard, I believe that the
holding of annual evaluation meetings, such as those
that currently take place with the Peace and Security
Council of the African Union, including dialogue on
conflict prevention, could be beneficial.

Cooperation between the Security Council and the
League of Arab States can and must be strengthened in
order to confront the security challenges in the Middle
East. The appointment of Mr. Kofi Annan as Joint
Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League
of Arab States for Syria a few months ago, and more
recently, of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi as Joint Special
Representative are good examples of that cooperation.

I would like once again to condemn the attack in
Libya on the American consulate in Benghazi, which
resulted in the death of Ambassador Christopher
Stevens and other officials. We cannot allow extremism
and terrorism to demean human life. Tolerance and
respect for cultural, religious, political and economic
diversity must take priority in global relations.

I would like to refer to the situation in Syria. The
Syrian crisis is a threat to peace in the Middle East, a
region that has faced precarious security conditions for
more than a year. We therefore deplore the inability of
the Council to stop the violence and bloodshed and to
facilitate a peaceful solution. In that regard, we must
point out that the Council has not been able to reach an
agreement to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to it
by Member States.

The humanitarian situation is alarming, as we
discussed a few weeks ago in this very Chamber.
We share the concerns about the flow of refugees
into neighbouring countries, and today we wish to
acknowledge in particular the efforts of Turkey,
Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, which have taken in
hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in recent
months. The Syrian people have also suffered from
internal displacement and destruction of their homes
and infrastructure. We must redouble our efforts to find
a negotiated political solution to that crisis, which is
becoming more and more urgent by the day.

I take this opportunity to reiterate our call on all
parties in Syria to immediately put an end to force and
violence. We reiterate our concern with regard to the
persistent deterioration of the human rights situation. I
call on all parties to respect international humanitarian
law. While the primary responsibility to guarantee
respect for and the protection of individual rights and
fundamental freedoms of the population, including
the right to life and the freedoms of expression and
association, lies with the Syrian authorities, all parties
involved are obliged to comply with the norms of
international humanitarian law.

Despite the turmoil currently affecting region, the
search for a just, comprehensive and lasting solution
to the Arab-Israeli conflict must remain a priority of
the efforts of the international community to achieve
peace throughout the region. In this case, as in others,
we must take advantage of the comparative advantage
of the League of Arab States to overcome existing
obstacles and restart negotiations aimed at establishing
a Palestinian State living in peace with Israel within
secure and internationally recognized borders and
based on an agreement that will ensure the peaceful
coexistence of the two nations. To achieve that goal,
favourable conditions in the areas of human rights and
international humanitarian law are necessary to foster
renewed confidence and advance the negotiations.
Colombia continues to support dialogue as a path to
peace and prosperity, and will continue to urgently
promote that point of view in the Council.

We support the draft presidential statement on
effective cooperation between the United Nations and
the League of Arab States.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Elliot Ohin, Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Togo.

Mr. Ohin (Togo) (spoke in French): At the outset, I
would like to commend the German presidency of the
Security Council for organizing this high-level debate
on the Middle East in the context of cooperation between
the United Nations and the League of Arab States in
maintaining international peace and security. I also
thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations and
the Secretary General of the League of Arab States for
their respective briefings on the situation in the Middle
East. Finally, I welcome the presence of my fellow
Ministers for Foreign Affairs, which bears witness to
the importance of the issue before the Council.

 

Cooperation between the United Nations and the
League of Arab States dates back to 1950 and is highly
important, particularly now that the international
community is facing all types of threats, including
armed conflict, terrorism, humanitarian crises, crises
linked to extremism, and the proliferation of nuclear
weapons.

The importance of the contributions of regional
organizations to the maintenance of international peace
and security, as stipulated by the Charter of the United
Nations, no longer requires proof. At a time when
serious conflicts and threats in the Middle East call for
all available resources, it is more important today than
ever to strengthen cooperation under Chapter VIII of
the Charter of the United Nations. That is not a choice,
but a necessity that brings to mind a statement made
by the former Secretary General of the League of Arab
States, Mr. Chedli Klibi, during a meeting between the
two organizations held in Tunis in 1983.

“The League would very much like to consolidate
and develop existing ties in all areas related to the
maintenance of international peace and security,
and to cooperate by every means possible in the
implementation of the resolutions of the United
Nations”.

The advantage of the League of Arab States in its
ability to bring States together to address issues that
fall within the remit of the Security Council shows that
its cooperation with the United Nations is essential and
should be strengthened. That cooperation has taken
many forms, notably during the Syrian crisis, in which
the Arab League’s initiatives have been supported by
the United Nations as a whole and the Security Council
in particular. The appointments of the Joint Special
Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab
States for Syria in February, and of the Joint Special
Representative in August, following the resignation of
the Joint Special Envoy, are examples of the readiness
and commitment of the Secretaries-General of the two
organizations to work together to seek a solution to the
crisis.

The League of Arab States and the United Nations
should continue to explore the ways and means
necessary to help the Syrian people to end the tragedy
that has already caused some 30,000 deaths and
generated hundreds of thousands of displaced persons
and refugees. Moreover, that cooperation should extend
beyond the Syrian crisis to other situations and conflicts
in the region, where the League of Arab States has not

been very visible. The increased involvement of the
League in the settlement of all crises in the Middle East
crises is desirable, not only because it is recommended
by the Charter of the United Nations, but also because
the League can suggest possible solutions that take into
account the cultural, historical and sociological ties
among parties to the conflicts.

While cooperation between the United Nations
and the League of Arab States has not yet achieved a
solution to the Syrian crisis, it remains a framework
for working together and seeking solutions in which the
courage and resolve of its actors could prove beneficial.
My country believes that the two organizations should
further pool their efforts towards a settlement to
that crisis and other conflict situations in the Middle
East, such as in Yemen and Lebanon, and the nagging
question of Palestine.

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, my
delegation would like once again to welcome the Arab
Peace Initiative for a settlement of the conflict. The
implementation of that plan could calm tensions in the
region. In that context, we urge all the parties concerned
to work with a view to its harmonious implementation.

Cooperation between the League and the United
Nations should be strengthened to ensure the necessary
coherence among the initiatives and actions of the
two organizations. That will undoubtedly require
an updating of knowledge in all areas, particularly
an enhanced climate of trust among the parties, as
no today country or organization is fully capable of
assisting a country or region to overcome a crisis. That
objective formed the basis of resolution 2033 (2012) on
cooperation between the United Nations and regional
organizations, in particular the African Union. We
welcome the meeting held by the two organizations in
July in Vienna, at which they agreed to strengthen their
partnership in all areas, in particular with respect to the
situation in the Middle East.

Likewise, we welcome direct contact, on the
one hand, between the Secretaries General of the
two organizations, and on the other hand, among the
specialized institutions of the League of Arab States
and the bodies of the United Nations system. These
initiatives reflect the need for the League of Arab
States and the United Nations to develop a promising
partnership that will provide solutions to the challenges
and transformations under way in the Middle East. Such
cooperation could be developed by strengthening the
mechanisms that could emerge from regular meetings,

 

during which the two organizations could evaluate
their partnership and agree on joint actions to prevent
conflict or to seek appropriate ways and means to
achieve lasting solutions to ongoing crises.

Along those lines, my country believes that the
establishment of a United Nations liaison office at
the League of Arab States, such as that at the African
Union, would be desirable because it could certainly
help to bolster exchanges of information and facilitate
bilateral meetings. Consultations among the secretariats
of the League of Arab States and the United Nations
should, above all, include the Security Council with a
view to deeper exchanges on all questions related to
the maintenance of international peace and security,
especially in the Middle East.

Togo ardently hopes that this meeting will outline
ways to strengthen cooperation between the Security
Council and the League of Arab States with a view
to ensuring effective action to resolve conflicts in the
region. My country hopes to see the League of Arab
States become an organization working for peace in
close collaboration with the Security Council.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Ranjan Mathai, Foreign Secretary,
Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India.

Mr. Mathai (India): Let me begin by joining others
in congratulating you, Mr. President, on presiding over
this high-level meeting on peace and security in West
Asia and North Africa. I also want to thank the United
Nations Secretary-General and the Secretary General of
the League of Arab States for their valuable statements.

Developments in West Asia and North Africa have
played a major role in shaping the history of the world
since ancient times. The region has been the birthplace
of major religions and great civilizations. By virtue
of the genius of its peoples, its strategic location and
its natural resources, the region has been a focus of
considerable interest internationally. It is therefore not
surprising that the momentous transformation that has
taken place in several countries of the region since late
2010 has been of great interest to the world at large.

The general aspiration has been that those
transformations should be peaceful and should
lead to inclusive and democratic outcomes within
their countries. The League of Arab States, as the
most important regional organization, predating the
United Nations, has played a significant role in the
unfolding of events in the region and has guided the

involvement of the international community in them.
Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter recognizes
the importance of regional organizations and their role
in matters related to the maintenance of international
peace and security. The Charter also provides a broad
framework for the Security Council’s cooperation with
such regional organizations, while clearly stating that it
is the Council itself that has primary responsibility for
maintaining international peace and security.

Cooperation between the Arab League and
the United Nations began in the early 1950s. Both
organizations have benefited from the convergence of
their desire to maintain international peace and security,
despite occasional differences. Enhanced partnerships
between United Nations agencies and the Arab
League at the institutional level in the fields of human
development, capacity building and the empowerment
of women and young people have been of great benefit
to the region. That existing cooperation should now be
further strengthened to help the countries of the region
meet their peoples’ aspirations to play a greater role in
shaping their destiny. India stands ready to play its part
in that regard.

It is important to underline that the Council’s
cooperation with regional organizations, particularly
the League of Arab States, should also avoid selectivity.
Cooperation with one regional organization should not
come at the expense of another. The goal of peaceful
resolution of conflicts should determine the Council’s
actions. The international community should guide all
United Nations activities, including its cooperation
with regional organizations. Both the United Nations
and the League should use all the tools of diplomacy
to help the countries concerned in their transition to
an inclusive and participatory polity while maintaining
social stability and cohesion. Their cooperation should
encompass all the issues relevant to international peace
and security, particularly the fight against terrorism.
The principles of national sovereignty, political
independence, unity and territorial integrity must be
respected. It is also important that the peculiarities of
each situation be kept in mind.

If there is one issue that requires the immediate
attention of both the United Nations and the League of
Arab States, it is the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the
Israeli-Palestinian issue. That issue cannot be ignored
while we focus on recent developments in the region.
There can be no durable peace in West Asia without a just
and comprehensive settlement, based on the realization
by the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to
a State of their own with internationally recognized
borders, living side by side and in peace and security
with Israel. We therefore urge both the Council and the
Arab League to facilitate the resumption of the Middle
East peace process as quickly as possible.

The League of Arab States has been playing an
important role in resolving the Syrian crisis. We fully
support a peaceful settlement of the conflict through a
Syrian-led, inclusive political process, based on a firm
rejection of any military intervention. We urge all sides,
Syrian and foreign, to cooperate in good faith with the
Joint Special Representative, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi,
so that the Syrian crisis can be resolved without any
further bloodshed.

The President: I now give the floor to His
Excellency Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary of
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Mr. Jilani (Pakistan): At the outset, I would like
to thank Germany for convening today’s debate on an
issue that is close to our hearts and a very important
and long-standing item on the Security Council’s
agenda. I thank the Secretary-General for his briefing
and welcome the ministers attending today’s debate.
We also welcome the Secretary General of the League
of Arab States, Mr. Nabil Elaraby, to the Security
Council for the third time in a few months, a sign of
the increasing coordination between the United Nations
and the League of Arab States.

Pakistan’s ties with the Arab world have a deep
and continuing historical, cultural and religious
underpinning. We regard the peace and progress of
the Arab world as synonymous with our own. Pakistan
supports cooperation between the United Nations and
regional organizations in various areas, including
the maintenance of peace and security, humanitarian
assistance, development and human rights. Pakistan
believes that regional organizations can play an
important role in the pacific settlement of disputes.
They are better placed to understand the realities and
complexities of situations on the ground, and thus bring
a complementary role and perspective to the United
Nations.

The spirit of multilateralism lies in building bridges,
finding common ground and pooling resources. The
appointment of a Joint Special Envoy, and subsequently
a Joint Special Representative, for Syria is an example
of synergy flowing from multilateralism.

The Arab world is going through a period of
uncertainty as well as reform. As a country born of a
democratic struggle, and as a functioning and vibrant
democracy, Pakistan fully supports the fulfilment of a
people’s legitimate aspirations. However, the decision
for change must be channelled through peaceful means,
and should be led and owned by the people themselves.
Pakistan has always been opposed on principle to any
outside interference, use of force or violence. Similarly,
we feel that coercive measures lead to a hardening
of positions and are seldom effective. Dialogue and
engagement are the essence of multilateralism, and that
should be maintained.

It is important to reiterate that the era of
rejuvenation, often euphemistically termed the Arab
Spring, should not bypass the people of Palestine. They
have suffered under the yoke of tyrannical oppression
and unlawful occupation for too long. The gentle winds
of spring must visit the Palestinian territory and other
occupied lands as well. The Security Council must not
remain silent in the face of Israel’s continued defiance
of the collective will of the international community, its
illegal settlement policy and its collective punishment
of the Palestinians with the continued blockade of
Gaza, which has now entered its sixth year.

We call on the League of Arab States to continue
to play its crucial and unquestioned role in bringing
those historical injustices to the world’s attention and
working towards a just settlement. The Security Council
must fully support those efforts. We firmly believe that
without a resolution of the core issue in accordance with
the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the
Arab Peace Initiative, aimed at the re-establishment
of an independent and viable State of Palestine on the
basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif
as its capital, a comprehensive peace plan would not be
possible.

The United Nations and the League of Arab States
have been building institutional ties over the past few
years. The presence here today of Secretary General
Nabil Elaraby is proof of that. Apart from the area of
peace and security, there has also been cooperation in
other fields, ranging from counter-terrorism to disaster
risk reduction and humanitarian issues. We hope that
the United Nations and the League will build further on
those linkages. Increased cooperation and coordination
between them is in the interest of both organizations.
We hope that such synergies will lead to the peaceful
resolution of conflicts in the region, especially over the
attainment of the inalienable right to self-determination
by the people of Palestine.

Pakistan strongly condemns the recent release of
a defamatory video and the publication of derogatory
caricatures in the newspapers. We endorse the
Secretary-General’s pronouncement that those are
senseless and disgraceful acts.

They are indeed abhorrent examples of incitement
to hatred and discrimination against Muslims under the
pretext of freedom of expression and opinion. As we
have witnessed, the global reaction to, and consequences
of, those acts have a strong bearing on international
peace and security. The international community must
therefore take stock of those reprehensible acts and take
concerted actions to introduce and implement adequate
measures, including legislation, against such acts at all
levels, in accordance with international human rights
standards. There is an obvious need to strengthen
dialogue and cooperation among all religions,
cultures and civilizations for promoting harmony and
coexistence.

The President: I now give the floor to the
representative of Portugal.

Mr. Moraes Cabral (Portugal): Thank you,
Mr. President, for organizing this high-level meeting
on such an important issue. I also wish to thank you
personally for presiding over it. I also thank both
Mr. Ban Ki moon and Mr. Nabil Elaraby for their very
valuable contributions to today’s discussion.

These are indeed challenging times in the Middle
East, where strong emotions and deep-seated grievances
have again come to the fore, with tragic consequences.
We were deeply saddened by the deaths of Ambassador
Stevens and his colleagues in Benghazi, and we again
wish to extend our sincere condolences to their families
and the American people. There is simply no justification
for such acts of violence or attacks against diplomatic
missions. They must be unequivocally denounced and
condemned. They are also attacks against all of us and
the values enshrined in the Charter.

Now is a moment for restraint and sober reflection
by all. Certainly, people in North Africa did not fight
so bravely for their basic rights simply to have their
dreams and legitimate aspirations hijacked by a few.
Also, the distortion of religion to fuel hatred and to
advance narrow extremist agendas must be vehemently
condemned. It is imperative that we all work collectively
to counter such destructive forces. As President Obama

said yesterday, “violence and intolerance has no place
among our United Nations” (see A/67/PV.6). Diversity
is something that deserves to be celebrated, not feared.

The challenges of today’s world demand common
responses. In that sense, we believe that the Security
Council could and should enhance its role and
effectiveness as the primary body responsible for the
maintenance of international peace and security by
developing strong complementary partnerships with
regional and subregional organizations, as was the case
in Libya, Syria and Yemen.

There are ample opportunities to increase the
cooperation between the Security Council and the
League of Arab States, be it in the realms of preventive
diplomacy, mediation, rapid response, conflict
resolution or in the framework of Chapter VII of the
Charter.

The United Nations and the League of Arab States
must also build upon shared accomplishments. Such
is the case in Libya, where, together with the African
Union and the European Union, they can play a decisive
role in supporting Libyans on their path to democracy,
reconciliation, peace and prosperity. Such is also
the case in Yemen. As the Secretary-General said,
cooperation between the two organizations should not
limit itself to political issues or the crisis of the day,
but move to other areas, be they economic, social or
humanitarian in nature.

The Middle East faces renewed risks as the bloody
conflict in Syria rages on and the Middle East peace
process remains in protracted stalemate. Both of those
conflicts constitute serious threats to international
peace and security and must be urgently resolved. Both
the Security Council and the League of Arab States
have specific responsibilities in this context that they
cannot shy away from. There is a pressing imperative
for them to renew efforts and work together with a view
to reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting peace
throughout the region.

In Syria the death toll continues to mount. The
tragic humanitarian situation is worsening day by
day, and widespread and systematic gross violations
of human rights proceed unabated. We appeal to all
parties in the conflict to abide strictly by the principles
of international humanitarian law and to respect human
rights. This terrible human tragedy could have been
averted had the Syrian Government not responded to
the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people with

 

brutal force and shunned all attempts to promote a
peaceful political solution.

Further militarization of the conflict will only
entail further human suffering, threaten the integrity
of Syria itself and destabilize neighbouring countries.
There is no alternative to a political solution that meets
the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, allowing
for a peaceful and democratic transition.

The appointment of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi as the Joint
Special Representative of the United Nations and the
League of Arab States, just as the previous appointment
of Mr. Kofi Annan, underlines the cooperation between
our two organizations. Mr. Brahimi can count on our
full support. However, his chances of success will
depend greatly upon the support he receives from the
Security Council and the League of Arab States, as
Mr. Elaraby rightly underlined.

Together, we must persuade the parties and
stakeholders to view his appointment as an opportunity
for them to rethink their options, end the violence and
engage seriously in an inclusive Syrian-led political
transition. To that end, the Council has to exert united,
sustained and effective pressure on all sides, and on
the Syrian authorities in particular in the light of their
primary responsibilities.

Developments in the Arab world render a final
settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict ever more
urgent. That, however, will remain elusive as long as
the Palestinian question, which is the core of the Arab-
Israeli conflict, remains unresolved.

In September 2011, President Abbas submitted
the Palestinian application for membership to the
United Nations, and the Quartet set a framework for
the resumption of direct negotiations and a time frame
for their conclusion. A year on, the parties have not
yet engaged in a meaningful discussion on the core
issues. As a result, the prospect of a free and sovereign
Palestinian State is quickly withering away. Evidently,
the instruments and tools we have relied on thus far
have not succeeded and need to be reviewed, replaced
or adapted.

Israel’s intensified settlement activities, which
are illegal, are eroding the very viability of the two-
State solution, as Minister Fabius rightly underlined,
undermining confidence and weakening moderate
voices. At the same time, settler violence has proceeded
unabated and vandalism against places of worship has
increased. We appeal to Israel once again to cease

settlement expansion and to act decisively against the
perpetrators of those acts of violence.

The Security Council and the League of Arab States
must renew efforts with a view to the swift resumption
of meaningful direct talks based on the relevant
Security Council resolutions, the internationally
endorsed parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative. In
order to succeed, direct negotiations must also establish
a clear and credible political time frame.

In the most immediate term, we must ensure that
the Palestinian State-building achievements are not
reversed due to the fiscal and economic predicaments
that the Palestinian Authority is currently facing.
However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the
problem remains a political one, namely, the continued
occupation that curtails the development of a sustainable
Palestinian economy, thus forcing Palestinians to be
donor-dependent.

We fully understand Israel’s legitimate security
concerns, as we understand that an independent
Palestine is not only an inalienable right but also a
question of fundamental justice for the Palestinian
people.

In conclusion, there are many issues where closer
cooperation between the United Nations and the
League of Arab States can, and should, be further
deepened. That would undoubtedly be in the interest
of international peace and security, as well as of the
stability and prosperity of a wide and still unstable
region.

The President: Following consultations among
Council members, I have been authorized to make the
following statement on their behalf:

“The Security Council reaffirms its primary
responsibility for the maintenance of international
peace and security.

“The Security Council reiterates that
cooperation with regional and subregional
organizations in matters relating to the maintenance
of peace and security and consistent with Chapter
VIII of the Charter can improve collective security.

“The Security Council recalls all its previous
resolutions and statements of its President which
underscore the importance of developing effective
partnerships between the United Nations and
regional organizations in accordance with the

 

Charter and the relevant statutes of regional and
subregional organizations.

“The Security Council expresses its
appreciation for the briefings of the Secretary-
General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, and
the Secretary General of the League of Arab States,
Nabil Elaraby.

“The Security Council recognizes and
further encourages efforts by the League of Arab
States to contribute to collective endeavours to
settle conflicts in the Middle East peacefully as
well as to promoting international responses to
the transformations experienced in the region,
while reaffirming its strong commitment to the
sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
integrity of regional countries and to the purposes
and principles of the Charter.

“The Security Council welcomes the
intensifying cooperation between the United
Nations and the League of Arab States in the
wake of these transformations which reflect the
legitimate aspirations of all peoples in the region
for freedom, political participation and economic
and social well-being in a pluralistic society.

“TheSecurityCouncilreiteratesitscommitment
to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the
Middle East and to seek a comprehensive resolution
of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and reaffirms the
importance of the Arab Peace Initiative. The
Security Council also recalls its previous relevant
resolutions.

“The Security Council, recalling its resolutions
2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012), welcomes the
appointment of the Joint Special Representative
for Syria of the United Nations and the League
of Arab States as an important step forward in
the cooperation between both organizations and
expresses its support for his efforts in continuing
the Secretary-General’s good offices in that regard.

“The Security Council commends the members
of the League of Arab States for their ongoing
commitment to international peacekeeping and
peacebuilding, including through the contribution
of troops to United Nations peacekeeping
operations.

“The Security Council takes note of the general
meeting on cooperation between the secretariats of

the United Nations and the League of Arab States
and their specialized organizations, held in Vienna
from 10 to 12 July 2012.

“The Security Council acknowledges the
intention expressed by representatives of both
organizations to cooperate across a broad agenda
of mutual concern, formulating adequate joint
responses, where appropriate, to humanitarian
crises, promoting human rights, freedom of
expression, food security, environment protection,
and the fight against terrorism and the illicit
trafficking of drugs and arms, while reiterating the
need to ensure that all United Nations efforts to
restore peace and security also respect and promote
the rule of law.

“The Security Council recalls its press
statements of 12 and 14 September regarding recent
attacks on diplomatic personnel and premises and
reaffirms that such acts are unjustifiable regardless
of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever
committed. The Security Council stresses the
importance of respect and understanding for
religious and cultural diversity throughout the
world. The Security Council underlines the common
commitment of both the United Nations and the
League of Arab States to foster a global dialogue
for the promotion of tolerance and peace, and calls
for enhanced cooperation in light of recent events
to promote better understanding across countries,
cultures and civilizations.

“The Security Council recognizes the
importance of strengthening cooperation on
capacity building with the League of Arab States
in the maintenance of international peace and
security.

“The Security Council expresses its
determination to take effective steps to further
enhance cooperation between the United Nations
and the League of Arab States, in accordance with
Chapter VIII of the Charter.

“The Security Council requests the Secretary-
General to report, as appropriate, on further
ways of strengthening institutional relations and
cooperation between the two organizations.”

This statement will be issued as a document of the
Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2012/20.

 

I now give the floor to the representative of
Morocco to make a further statement.

Mr. Loulichki (Morocco) (spoke in French): I
would like to thank you, Mr. President, for delivering
that important statement at the enf of our debate. I also
thank you for your patience and perseverance in pursuit
of ensuring the text’s adoption.

The presidential statement (S/PRST/2012/20)
constitutes a plus for the United Nations and for the
League of Arab States. Given the unprecedented efforts
that have characterized the actions of the League of
Arab States over the past few months, this statement
is certainly well-deserved. But it is also something
that the United Nations wanted. It serves as a further
milestone in strengthening relations between the United
Nations and the League of Arab States. We would like
to express our great satisfaction at the fact that the
statement’s last paragraph leaves the door open to even
greater cooperation and strengthening of institutional
relations.

The President: I now give the floor to Mr. Elaraby.

Mr. Elaraby: I would like to thank you very much
for Germany’s excellent initiative in calling for this
meeting.

At this meeting we heard very important statements
by the 15 members of the Security Council. I hope that

members will consider basic matters, and not just the
general statements that we can hear everywhere. It is
important that we try to reach the core of the problems
and to see how we can resolve them.

With regard to the Syrian Arab Republic, as many
said today, the question is how to build upon what
was agreed upon in Geneva on 30 June. At the start
of the transitional period, the Security Council has to
act and to act according to Chapter VII of the Charter
of the United Nations. That has to be done. The five
permanent members of the Council have agreed upon a
text; let them build upon it.

With regard to Palestine, I would say only that
managing the conflict is no longer a solution; one has
to end the conflict. The Security Council gave up its
responsibility with regard to Palestine to something
called the Quartet. I did not mention it, but today
many speakers pointed out that we said last year that
something would happen this September. The month
is about to end and nothing has happened. It is time
that the Security Council takes the matter into its own
hands, debate it and see what can be done.

The President: There are no more names inscribed
on the list of speakers. The Security Council has thus
concluded its consideration of the item on its agenda.

The meeting rose at 5.40 p.m.