Excerpts from the speech of the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E Mr. Ahmed Attaf at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly
In his speech at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, on September 30, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, H.E Mr. Ahmed Attaf, summarized Algeria’s vision of the international work system that suffers from several imbalances, calling for the need to reform it, in order to achieve peace, legality, justice and the rule of international law. The Minister Ahmed Attaf says:
“We meet again in our international organization while our world is going through a very delicate, sensitive and dangerous juncture. A juncture marked by the accumulation of conflicts, crises and wars, the widening gap in development disparities between the North and the South, and the exacerbation of climate change and environmental risks of all kinds and forms. A juncture that reveals the extent of the deficit that has afflicted the collective security system in light of the tendency to resolve disputes by force, the excessive and selective resort to unilateral punitive measures, and laxity in fulfilling the obligations undertaken, disregarding international legality, as well as the spread of the phenomenon of polarization and the accompanying enforced absence of the role of the Security Council and the decline of international multilateral action as a whole. A juncture that puts the entire system of international relations to the test.
On this occasion, Ahmed Attaf renewed the necessity of working and rallying together for “an international system based on the rule of law, not the rule of power, on the power of law, not the law of power, and on the power of logic, not the logic of power. Today, we are in dire need of restoring our commitment and resorting to the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law, before which we are all equal and in the duty to respect and abide by them.”
– The necessity of ending the Israeli occupation of
Palestine and the aggression against Lebanon:
On the situation in Palestine and Lebanon, the Minister Ahmed Attaf declares: “What is happening in Gaza in terms of a war of genocide that has been ongoing for nearly a year, and what is happening in terms of the extension of this war to the West Bank recently and to Lebanon currently, and what is happening in the entire region in terms of Israeli escalation with multiple aspects and fronts, all of this would not have happened if the international community had taken a firm stance at the time, imposing on the Israeli settlement occupation what was imposed on others in terms of punitive measures and deterrent measures that were codified by the charter of this organization of ours in its seventh chapter. It is more appropriate for the international community today to hasten to put an end to the hell imposed on the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.”
“From this platform, and in its previous session, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, called on our international organization to expedite the acceptance of the full membership of the State of Palestine…, this trend has become imperative, pressing and urgent. The full membership of the State of Palestine in our organization remains a decisive step towards preserving the two-state solution…, and towards preserving the foundations of security and stability in the region.”
– In defense of freedom in Western Sahara
and stability in the Saharawi Coast:
On this occasion, Minister Ahmed Attaf reiterated Algeria’s firm positions and its continued commitment to defending just causes in the world, especially in its regional neighborhood, related to the decolonization of Western Sahara, and contributing to achieving stability, solidarity and development in the Saharawi Coast region:
“My country aspires to a final decolonization, by turning its last page that unfortunately still appear on the land of Western Sahara. The Secretary-General of the United Nations and his Personal Envoy have all our support and backing in view of their efforts aimed at enabling the two parties to the conflict, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front, to resume the path of direct negotiations with the aim of reaching a political solution that guarantees the Saharawi people the exercise of their inalienable and imprescriptible right to self-determination. And to those who bet on consecrating the colonial fait accompli by buying time, falsifying compelling data, and intensifying desperate maneuvers to divert attention from what is fixed and clear, we affirm that the phenomenon of colonialism is destined to disappear, sooner or later, and that the legal and legitimate rights of the Sahrawi people will find their way to implementation sooner or later.”
“Algeria continues its efforts and endeavors aimed at establishing a balanced, beneficial and purposeful partnership in its neighborhood in the Saharan Sahel. This is a region that is experiencing fragile conditions as a result of the countries of this space suffering from the worsening political unrest, the increasing terrorist threats, the spread of the severity of poverty and the absence of sustainable development prospects, in addition to the exacerbation of the climate change phenomenon. In light of these conditions, Algeria renews its absolute solidarity with all countries and peoples of the Saharan Sahel region, affirming its firm conviction that its security, stability and well-being are an integral part of the security, stability and well-being of its neighborhood and its African space of affiliation.”
– Continuous defense of Africa’s issues and interests:
Algeria continues its efforts at the continental level to defend Africa’s issues and interests, especially with regard to its right to development and its representation in the Security Council and international financial institutions, as Minister Ahmed Attaf says: “Africa looks forward to advancing its strategic priorities that lie at the heart of reforming international financial, monetary and banking institutions to improve African representation in them, and the structural treatment of global debt, as well as international financing appropriate to the requirements of development at the continental level. Africa looks forward to correcting the historical injustice imposed on it in the Security Council, and enabling it to occupy its rightful place in this central UN body, as an extension of its recent accession as a permanent member of the G20.”
– Algeria, the third largest economy in Africa,
modern state and comprehensive renaissance:
On the path of comprehensive political and economic reforms that Algeria is undergoing under the wise leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and its strong efforts to promote diverse cooperation and fruitful partnership with various countries, Minister Ahmed Attaf concludes his speech from the United Nations podium by saying: “Today, Algeria is taking firm and solid steps on the right path established by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to strengthen the political and institutional stability of the country, to build a strong and diversified national economy that ends dependence on the hydrocarbon sector, and to enhance the social character of the Algerian state as a fixed principle and a solid legacy of our liberation revolution heritage.
This approach has borne its first fruits by consecrating the country’s security and stability and consolidating its democratic path, especially during the last presidential elections, as well as by establishing the foundations for a complete and comprehensive economic renaissance, a renaissance that has restored the national economy to its position in Africa among the three strongest economies on the continent, and has opened up wide opportunities for cooperation and profitable partnership for all parties in it.
In light of these achievements, Algeria is working to strengthen its relations with all sisterly, friendly and partner countries inside and outside its areas of affiliation. My country also aspires to continue working closely with all member states of our United Nations organization that share the same commitment and concern to uphold the principles and values enshrined in the United Nations Charter.”
Communication Section Embassy of Algeria in Islamabad
