Friday October 17, 2003 06:58 PM

STATEMENT BY H.E. RASHID ABDULLAH AL NOAIMI MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO THE L0TH ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, OCT 16, 2003

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Assalaumu Alaikum.W.R.B.

I have the honour to convey to Your Highness and the delegates, the greetings and wishes of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyyan the President of United Arab Emirates who prays to Allah (SWT) to make this Islamic Conference in Malaysia under its wise leadership a successful and to achieve our noble objectives, which could preserve dignity and identity of the Islamic Ummah as well as its civilisational, cultural and human richness.

I hereby convey my congratulation to you of being elected as a president for the 10th Islamic Summit, and to your brotherly nations a gratitude and appreciation for hosting this Conference, and also your hospitality, generosity and warm reception.

We also express our deep appreciation for the dedicate efforts, constructive and valuable administration which has been exerted by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifah AI Thani, the Amer of Qatar, and his brotherly State during his Chairmanship of the 9th Summit and for the positive results achieved.

We also appreciate all the valuable works devoted by Dr. Abdul Wahid Belkaziz, the Secretary General in strengthening the role and effectiveness of the Organization in the international affairs.

Mr. President:

The Honourable Dr. Mahathir, the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Heads of Delegates expressed in their keynote addresses the critical situations and the great challenges facing the Islamic Ummah as a result of the continuous occupation, racial and religious genocide, widespread of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, and the spread of poverty, starvation, and diseases. All these challenges have affected peace and security, as well as socio-economic and environmental development. And this requires from us a revision of the style and methodology of the Organization so as to find a common denominator that enables us to contain and solve these problems.

Mr. President:

Due to the recent developments in Iraq, Palestine and other places, and their political, economic, social and security implications, the Islamic World is experiencing a very critical and exceptional situation that requires a positive stand with the oneself for a comprehensive political evaluation so as to resolve these problems.

Mr. President:

The United Arab Emirates looks with grave concern to the difficult situations and the inhumane sufferings of many nations of in the Islamic World. These sufferings pushed all of us to provide political, developmental and humanitarian support. For this reason, the United Arab Emirates with the honourable directions from its President His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan AI Nahyan, has paid its due care, to continue its humanitarian, medical and immediate relief to ease the inhumane situations in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and some other Asian and African countries. In this respect, the Red Crescent, Abu Dahb Development Fund, and other charity organsations in United Arab Emirates have played an effective humanitarian, developmental and civilisational role.

In this regards, the United Arab Emirates announces that it has donated three million US Dollars to the Islamic Solidarity Fund, and this amount has been deposited to the General Secretariat of the Organization, to enable the Fund to fulfill its noble humanitarian role in supporting poor nations, particularly the Islamic ones.

Mr. President:

The achievement of peace and security in Iraq is a top priority to the Islamic Ummah. Accordingly, the United Arab Emirates renews its welcome to the Governing Council and the Transitional Iraqi Government, and we hope that the United Nations could play a central role in assisting the Iraqi people. overcoming their problem, rebuilding their country, reconstructing their country politically and economically, preserving its territorial unity, rebuilding their constitutional and developmental institutions, giving the people of Iraq the chance to decide their destiny by electing their government and determine their political future, exploit Iraq's natural resources, and regain its sovereignty. No doubts, a stable and peaceful Iraq within the international community will contribute in activating Iraq's responsible historical, civilisational, and political role and achieving communal peace, security and cooperation at all regional and international levels.

Mr. President:

The United Arab Emirates is closely monitoring the dangerous developments in the occupied territories of Palestine, in this regards the it condemns all the violations committed by the Israeli Government that contradicts international resolutions and human norms including the policy of murder, invasion, deliberate destruction of the Palestinian houses and properties, and other crimes. Therefore, we hereby call upon the Fourth Committee to impose sanctions against Israel to implement the Road Map which states the ending of Israeli occupation, establishment of the Palestine State by the year 2005, stopping illegal Israeli settlement activities, and the returning of the Palestinian refugees. We hereby call upon Israel to lift the unjust sanction against the Palestine President Yasser Arafat, the people of Palestine, demolish the Dividing Wall, and to release the detainees in the Israeli prisons. And most importantly, we call for providing international protection for the people of Palestine.

Mr. President:

The achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region, and the creation of conducive environment for resumption of the peace process requires Israel to abide by the International resolutions which is based upon the principle of land for peace, the Arab peace proposal which was adopted by Beirut Summit, and to withdraw from all the Palestinian and Arab lands it has occupied since 1967 including the Holly Quds, the Gullan of Syria, and the Farms of Shabaa of Lebanon.

In this context, the United Arab Emirates condemns the unjustified Israeli attack against the brotherly nation of Syria, which could lead the region to a new circle of violence. This kind of attack represents a blatant violation to the resolutions of the International Legislation and the rules of the International Laws. We hereby call upon an urgent and decisive intervention to stop such attacks.

Mr. President:

The United Arab Emirates condemns terrorism in its all forms, and it expresses its great regret to the criminal attack which took place at the United Nations Headquarters, the Embassy of Hashmite Kingdom of Jordan in Baghdad, and the attack of the Mosque of Imam Ali in AI Najaf. The United Arab Emirates stands beside those countries which have been attacked by criminal terrorism activities, particularly, the brotherly the Kingdom of the Saudi Arabia and Morocco. We hereby express our support to all procedures and measures taken by these countries, and we call upon the United Nations to organize an international conference to solve the issue of the international terrorism and its causes. The United Arab Emirates hereby rejects linking terrorism to Islam, and the discrimination against Muslims, or any other culture or civilisation. The United Arab Emirates also refutes the unjustified and false media campaigns and threats directed against Muslim countries. As well, the United Arab Emirates emphasizes the importance of mutual understanding and dialogue among different civilisations and religions, cultures and ethnics for the benefit of all nations and people.

Mr. President:

The economic, trade and technical cooperation among Muslim countries is of a great importance in building a strong Islamic. community able to face the globalization of the international economic relations. The Islamic world, with its vast geographical areas, human and natural resources is a strong economic power which should be exploited and utilized in the process of sustainable development.

As the Organization of the Islamic Conference is the sole forum responsible for the unity of the Ummah and defending its interests and common objectives in all international forums, the Organization needs to modernize and reform its bodies, as well as style of its operation to adapt to the contemporary international realities. In addition to the importance of strengthening the Organization's cooperation and coordination with the United Nations and other regional organsations for maintaining peace and security and achieving sustainable development.

Lastly, we pray to Allah to assist us in serving our Islamic Ummah, and to provide us with the bounty of peace and security.

Wa ssalam Alaikum W.R.B