Oman issues statement at UN General Assembly regular session

Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs delivering Sultanate's statement during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman affirmed that the Middle East is going through a difficult phase as it grapples with several crises in the lack of international consensus. The Sultanate added that the general situation in the Middle East requires a unified position to solve these crises, the most immediate of which is the Palestinian question, which, without doubt, lies at the centre of conflicts in the region.

This came at the Sultanate's statement delivered by Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

He said: "We have noticed that while the Palestinians have shown willingness to enter into a genuine partnership in peace with Israel based on the concept of two states living side by side in peace, Israel has not shown any responsible cooperation as it continues to resort to military force as a tool to achieve its security".

Bin Alawi further said: "Security and stability cannot be achieved through the use of excessive force and the insistence to inflict heavy loss of lives, injuries and destruction on the largest possible scale. The path to achieving security and stability that underpins economic and social recovery can only be realised through partnership in peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis".

He added that there is a chance now to achieve this objective following the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides. "We stress the importance that the two sides stick to this agreement and avoid any violations under any justifications or pretexts. In this respect, we call upon the Palestinians and the Israelis to resume negotiations in order to reach a just and comprehensive settlement that would provide peace and security for Israel and responds to the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," he said.

The Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs pointed out that the continuation of violence in the brotherly Syrian Arab Republic and its serious implications on regional and international peace and security requires to redouble our efforts to encourage the Syrian government and the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to return to the negotiating table based on the Geneva Communique.


"The two parties should approach these negotiations in a positive manner by focusing on areas of consensus and avoiding negative aspects and positions, with the aim being to save the Syrian people from further suffering and tragedies," he added.

Bin Alawi also said: "While we applaud the role of humanitarian relief organisations and agencies in helping the Syrian people overcome this ordeal, we on the other hand, call for doubling these efforts and facilitating access of relief agencies to all areas inside and outside Syria in order to provide the necessary humanitarian help and assistance to the affected people".

Additionally, bin Alawi affirmed confidence to the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and his endeavours to encourage the Syrian and international stakeholders to reconvene the Geneva conference. "We believe that the current situation is conducive for this effort," he said.

He further said: "My country appreciates the efforts of the Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to achieve security and stability in the Yemeni Republic. We welcome the agreement of peace and partnership, which has been signed by President Mansour and the political powers in Yemen and we call upon all political partners, particularly "Ansar Allah" to comply with what stated in this document".

He added that upon all political powers in Yemen to renounce violence and uphold the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference being the best available roadmap to solve the current crisis.

He further said: "It is our hope that the Yemeni Presidency would be able to take the remaining important steps on the path of the Comprehensive National Dialogue, most notably the referendum on a new constitution that secures the rights and interests of all Yemenis".

Bin Alawi pointed out that the Sultanate is firm on its principled position regarding the condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whatever its motives and justifications. In this context, we condemn the terrorist acts perpetrated by the so-called the State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

He said "We support the recommendations of the Jeddah and Paris conferences and the steps the international community is taking in order to extend the Iraqi authority on all ISIL-controlled areas in the Republic of Iraq. We emphasise the importance for the international community to stand united in freeing the Middle East region from all forms of violence, extremism and terrorism. We also welcome the Security Council's resolution 2178 on the dangers that threaten the international peace and security caused terrorist acts".

He added that there are several ways to avoid violence and extremism. These include the consolidation of good governance and sustainable development that would provide the opportunity for all segments of the society, especially the youth, who constitute two thirds of the population in the Arab countries, to work, innovate and actively participate in the decisions that affect their daily life.

The Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs pointed out that on this basis, the Sultanate has established a complete and interlinked system encompassing the principles of good governance including councils and institutions that aim at protecting the society and the youth and guaranteeing their participation in the development process.

He said "My country has established the Council of Oman comprising two chambers, namely, the Shura Council and the State Council. It has also created the municipal councils, whose members are elected by the people, to overlook local issues that affect the lives of the people in economic, social, educational and other fields related to the needs of the people based on the principles of good governance and sustainable development".

He added that the Sultanate has gone a long way in its national development. It has established an independent judiciary, which has become a key element in the development and modernisation process. It has also established the Public Prosecution Office, which crowns the independence of the judicial system in the Sultanate, in addition to the establishment of the State Audit Institution for a secured sound administration to ensure the management of the public properties in a better way.

Bin Alawi explained that the efforts of the Sultanate have not stopped there. It has redoubled its efforts to fight corruption and organised crime. In this respect, and as part of its efforts to protect the country and the citizens, the Sultanate has acceded to the UN Convention against Corruption and to the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the three protocols thereto.

He further said: "Regarding regional peace and security, my country supports the call for an international conference to free the Middle East region of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, in line with the resolution adopted by the NPT Review Conference held in 1995 of the last century. My country calls upon NPT member states, especially the depository states, to take the necessary measures to achieve this goal in order to spare the region the dangers of tension and avoid confrontation".

"We would like emphasise that the Sultanate has gone a long way in the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals in all fields and within the specific dates set by the UN General Assembly," bin Alawi concluded.