Alawi: Oman supports dialogue and peace

“We are confident that your vast experience and competence will enable you to steer the work of this session to a successful conclusion. We are also delighted to express our appreciation to your predecessor Peter Thompson of the Republic of Fiji for the commendable efforts he has exerted during his presidency of the 71st session of the UNGA.”

It is also our pleasure to congratulate Antonio Guterres on his election as Secretary-General of the United Nations, wishing him all success in his noble tasks.

We would also like to assure him of the Sultanate of Oman’s readiness to cooperate with him and with all members of the United Nations to achieve the noble goals and objectives, at the forefront of which is the maintenance of international peace and security.”

Alawi said earlier civilisations flourished in parallel with mankind’s belief in divine books, which created a set of values and principles for cooperation, coexistence, knowledge and scientific exchanges.

“We are of the view that religious and cultural heritage, and values of civilisations do enrich and enhance the understanding of peace. Therefore, we should not overlook that heritage as an important means of disseminating the culture of peace and coexistence throughout the world.”

In its foreign policy and international relations, the Sultanate, he said, adopts an approach that is based on supporting peace, coexistence, tolerance, dialogue and close cooperation with all nations and people.

Alawi said the Sultanate is also committed to the settlement of disputes through peaceful means, based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the rules of international law.

This, without doubt, would boost confidence-building measures and mutual respect of the sovereignty of states and good neighbourliness in a way that enables states maintain security, stability and prosperity.

Therefore, “we call upon all states to support peace efforts, and join hands to spread peace as a global culture at all levels”.

Alawi said peace and dialogue have become an inevitable necessity for humankind, and their realisation is a collective responsibility. “The United Nations, therefore, is vested with the responsibility to work forward. However, without the support of the international community, national and international interests cannot be enhanced.”

Both can only be achieved when we give the United Nations the strong role it requires to protect the world from conflicts and wars, said Alawi.

“Political and economic conflicts represent a failure of the international system to support the least developed states. This state of affairs has created a lot of problems and conflicts such as global migration, chaos, upheavals, troubles and instability in many parts in the world.

“The economic slowdown and the drop in global trade have exasperated these problems more acutely in the developing world, which have negatively affected the consensus of states in WTO agreements. They have also limited the organisation’s ability to achieve its primary goals of building the capacities of the developing states in international trade,” he added.

“We believe the demands of some parties to gain larger share in the global trade or to implement isolationist and protectionist policies would aggravate problems and increase tensions in the world. We think it is highly important that the international community look for a new vision that would achieve justice, expand common interests and help developing states reach higher levels of sustainable development.”

“We also believe that we can only achieve the above goals if member states adhere to the principles of the United Nations charters and avoid unilateral decisions and policies. We stress the importance of giving the United Nations the lead again to take the peace process forward.

“Its agencies should play a more active role in the development process, in order to achieve the sustainable development goals.”

Alawi said: “We call upon all states to exert more efforts to help the United Nations restore its pivotal role in international relations. We also look forward to see the UN SecretaryGeneral, who enjoys vast experience and high competence, playing a more effective role in achieving the goals and purposes of the United Nations.

The Sultanate of Oman will fully support the Secretary-General in his efforts to reinforce the organisation’s role in attaining international peace and security.”

“We also call upon the international community to spread the culture of dialogue and understanding to settle disputes and end tensions in the world by peaceful means, and with a spirit of responsibility and credibility.

We, therefore, consider it essential for the international community to look into the causes of weakness in international policies and adopt a more effective approach to settle regional and international problems, climate change, and other issues that affect the security and stability in the world.”

The Sultanate, he said, invites the United Nations and the international community to take up their responsibilities and strive to achieve peace, prevent conflicts and wars and settle differences through dialogue and peaceful means.“In this respect, my country renews its readiness to work with the United Nations to build a new world of security and stability.”

Alawi said the world has been witnessing new transformations towards scientific and technological progress in a way that affects people’s lives.“Therefore, we stress the need to adopt a new perspective for a global partnership to benefit from advanced technology and scientific progress.”

“The global breakthrough that was achieved through the signing of Paris Climate change agreement is an important gain for humanity. It should be noted that several natural disasters that took place in the world should convince all states that it is in their interest to adhere to the above mentioned agreement,” he said.

He said the Final Document of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons indicated that the resolution adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference on the establishment of Middle East zone free from nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction remains in force, until it achieves its objectives.

Alawi said the Sultanate supports efforts of the international community towards the creation of a binding instrument that would cover the loopholes that emerged in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This document, he said, is highly important as it helps the international community get rid of weapons of mass destruction.

“As it subscribes to the goals of United Nations, which provides for the maintenance of international peace and security, my country denounces terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whatever its justifications might be. It also reaffirms its supports to all efforts that aim at confronting and ending this scourge by taking appropriate measures based on the relevant Arab, Islamic and international resolutions, treaties and agreements.”

He said the world is facing real challenges. “Therefore, there is a need to adopt a unified stand to achieve the aspirations of mankind. Hence, we think that harnessing the true concept of partnership and common destiny between the members of the international community is the most appropriate means to achieve this goal. We wish all success to the works of this session,” Alawi concluded.