REMARKS BY

MAJESTY KING ABDULLAH His 61ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK
TUESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2006 -Rahman ar-Rahim;

Bismillah ar

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful .
Haya

Madam Presiden t, President of 61st General Assembly, Her Excellency Members of the General Assembly:
Sheikha Haya, may General

RashedAl-Kif

.

i

extend the warmest congratulations to you, on yo ur election as President of the

Assembly. Allow me also to say a word of gratitude and admiration to Secretary General Kofi A nnan . Jordan applauds the progress achieved in U.N. My friends, I come before you today with a deep sense of urgency. Never has
it reform

under Secretary Annan's tenure. We welcome especially, the recent creation of

the

Human

Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission been more important for the world community to

act decisively for peace in my region. The recent crisis in the Middle East is a crisis for all nations. There can be no just global order when aggression and occupation are permitted to take the place of international law. When these occur in a region as strategic as the Middle East the shockwavs run worldwide. Our youth are asking, where is the justice, where is the will, of the global community? We m us t answer them by establishig a lasting peace, based on This means a new focus on
the th e

international legality we have pledged to uphold.

core problem. The region's contemporary crises are outgrowths of a central grievance

felt throughout the Middle East and indeed the world. That grievance , plain and simply, is Israeli occupation and the denial, over decades, of Palestinian rights. Until we end that wrong, con fl ict will breed more con fl ict, year after year. The Middle East con fl ict has repeatedly come before
articulated, th is

institution. And the U.N.'s position has been repeatedly
is

in

a resolutions condemning aggression and occupation; affirming Palestinian self-determination; and supporting

process for peace. Yet each year wi th out progress has brought us ano ther crisis, more suffering , more division . It a better path. We must, of course, respond immediately
to

ti me to take

help those who suffer the terrible destruction of conflict. In Lebanon, we
territories .

must ensure th at the govern ment can extend its sovereignty and control over all the Lebanese international community must exert every effort to support reconstruction and development. These are vital measures. But in the Middle East, these are conflict by addressing the issue at its core;
the restoration of only

The Arab world and the

partial measures. We can only solve the Arab- Israeli

internationally recognized Palestinian rights.

In 2002, the 22 Arab states - agreeing unanimously led the way with a break th rough peace proposal. Our vision and commitment is a viable, independe nt Palestinian state, living side-by-side with a pure Israel . Under the Arab Peace Initiative, Israel's security would be guaranteed, and the occupation of Palestine would end, in accord with all parties, in th e context of inte rn ational legality and justice. Such a global pa rt nership
for U.N.

resolutions.

Events show clearly that there can be no unilateral solution to the conflict. There must be a genuine partnership among peace is directly connected to the global partnership for development. Across the world, ,

nations at peace are moving forward with economic growth and development: investing in education, building communiti es be able to share in a promising future. greater We must make peace a priority. Ad we must do so now. No Session of this great institution could make a contribution to a future of justice and hope. Thank you

helping to shape th e future of the globe. But no nation succeeds in isolation. All nations , all people- especially our youth-must

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