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Closing statement of Ambassador Tanin as Chair of UN African Meeting on Palestine

July 2, 2010 By

Statement by

H.E. Zahir Tanin

Head of the Delegation of the

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights

of the Palestinian People

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

As the United Nations African Meeting on the Question of Palestine is drawing to a close, allow me, on behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, to express our sincere appreciation to all the participants. Our special thanks go to the distinguished panelists for sharing with us their valuable insights and expertise. Their presentations reminded us that despite the efforts of major international stakeholders and the declared intentions of the parties, the peace process has not yet moved forward. At the same time, facts continue to be created by the occupying Power on the ground threatening to render the two-State solution unattainable. Of particular concern, as repeatedly stated at this Meeting, is the situation in East Jerusalem.

The Committee appreciated very much the participation of Palestinian and Israeli experts, parliamentarians, politicians and representatives of civil society pointing out that the majorities in both societies support the two-State solution, including a just and viable solution for Jerusalem. The other participants in the Meeting, including the speakers from Africa and other international experts confirmed that the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict remained a matter of utmost concern not only for Governments and politicians, but for broad sections of the population on all continents. The question of Jerusalem, in particular, is prone to spark emotions among millions of people, no Government can neglect, because of the city’s status as a spiritual center of the three religions.

We know that there are still large obstacles lying ahead in the peace process. We clearly know what those hurdles are. We know that crucial provisions of international law and United Nations resolutions are not being upheld. We are all actually aware of what needs to be done to bring peace, as articulately described in the concluding document just presented. Some of the issues we have discussed during the past two days are extremely sensitive, politically and emotionally, but none of them can be neglected and excluded from the permanent status negotiations if a lasting peace is to be achieved.

The main message sent out by this Meeting should be one of encouragement. Encouragement to our Palestinian and Israeli friends, to the politicians, parliamentarians and decision-makers to continue on the path to peace, to address, as matter of priority, the concerns of their own constituencies, in order to prepare the ground for the acceptance of the bold decisions that need to be taken and implemented, if peace shall ultimately be achieved between the two peoples. Internal divisions will have to be overcome, extremists isolated, and voices of reason and reconciliation strengthened.

The message of our Meeting should also encourage the international community to continue its efforts, at the political, economic and humanitarian levels, in support of the peace process. Speakers called upon the Members of the Middle East Quartet, in particular the United States, to stay engaged in order to achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations. Being in Morocco, the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative was emphasized, and Arab States encouraged to pursue it vigorously for the benefit of all peoples in the region. And the international community is called upon to continue its direct assistance to the Palestinian people, to alleviate the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza suffering from the three-year long Israeli blockade and to support the state-building efforts of the Palestinian Authority.

Our Committee was created some 35 years ago by the General Assembly to remind the international community of its legal and moral responsibilities to restore the long-lost justice. The Committee reiterates that the root cause of the conflict is the occupation by Israel of the Palestinian Territory, which has lasted for more than four decades. Palestinians have suffered for far too long. Years of occupation have also affected the lives of Israelis. This unacceptable situation must be urgently redressed to allow both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Committee and all participants in this Meeting, allow me to reiterate our sincere appreciation to the Government of Morocco for allowing us to gather in such a hospitable place to have these important deliberations. We enjoyed very much the cooperation and services received from the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. We very much look forward to continuing this excellent cooperation with the Moroccan Government.

Before I conclude, I would like to express the Committee’s sincere appreciation to the Division for Palestinian Rights of the United Nations Secretariat, the conference services team from the United Nations Office at Vienna and Geneva, interpreters, press officers, technicians, the staff of the Tour Hassan Hotel and all others for their contribution to the successful holding of the Meeting.

I would also like to inform you that the documentation of this Meeting will be posted on the web site maintained by the Division for Palestinian Rights, and a report of this Meeting will be published, in due course, as a publication of the Division.

I wish you all a safe journey back home.

I now declare closed the United Nations African Meeting on the Question of Palestine.

Security Council Debate on the Situation in Afghanistan

June 30, 2010 By

Statement by H.E. Mr. Zahir Tanin

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations

at the Security Council Debate on

the Situation in Afghanistan

NEW YORK

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, and congratulate you on your work as president of this Council for the month of June. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his most recent report, and SRSG Staffan di Mistura for his briefing today, his first in his new role.

Mr. di Mistura and the leadership and staff of UNAMA have made exemplary efforts in Kabul. In less than three months, Mr. di Mistura has proven himself to be admirably able to bring all stakeholders, including regional actors, together around issues and principles of common concern. We are grateful to him, and I look forward to working with him and his colleagues closely in the coming years.

Mr. President,

This meeting comes less than a week after this august Council’s visit to Afghanistan, which I had the honor to be part of. Let me thank you all, and particularly Ambassador Apakan of Turkey for his work in leading the Mission. The Council’s visit came at a crucial time for Afghanistan. It was an opportunity to assess the current situation, and to prepare for the future. More importantly, it was also an opportunity to better understand the hopes, fears and expectations of the Afghan people. As was evident last week, Afghans are focused in particular on the increased role of their government in the reconstruction and stabilization process; on their expectations from the international community; and on how to address the insurgency. Our success in the coming years will depend on our ability to further involve Afghans in these crucial issues.

Mr. President,

Seven months ago, President Karzai presented a comprehensive national agenda to reengage the Afghan people and enable them to take increased responsibility for the governance, development and security of their country. This has subsequently been endorsed by the international community in London and since.

Mr. President,

The Afghanistan we saw last week has made visible progress in the past months towards meeting its commitments, progress that is also reflected in the report before us today. The Afghan National Army and Police, now operating with increased operational capability, are on schedule to reach their combined target size and strength. In partnership with the international forces, we have begun to take back the initiative from the Taliban in some key parts of the country. zahirtanin_sec

In addition, the Afghan government is increasingly focused on efficiency and effectiveness, cracking down on corruption and promoting rule of law. President Karzai recently called for initiatives to prevent nepotism in the awarding of high-level contracts, and to require businessmen related to high-level officials to disclose their assets.

The Government of Afghanistan has also taken steps to prioritize development, particularly in the agricultural sector, in an effort to ensure a sustainable economy, and is investing in minerals and human resource development to promote long-term prosperity.

Further, last month’s Peace Jirga brought together a broad and representative cross-section of Afghan society around the common desire for security, peace and justice. This Jirga marked an important step towards building an inclusive and unified Afghan approach to peace and reconciliation, and identified concrete steps to be taken in that direction.

At the same time, the Afghan-led parliamentary elections process is well underway, with 2577 candidates, including 406 women, standing for 249 seats. There is a broad commitment from the newly restructured Independent Electoral and Electoral Complaints Commissions, as well as civil society and the candidates themselves, to ensure that this is a transparent, fair and credible process, one which learns from the lessons of the past. In this regard, we appreciate the assistance of the United Nations and the international community in providing financial and logistical support, and in helping us to guarantee the security which is essential for a credible election. This election will be an important step on the path towards strengthening the engagement of people in the establishment of the democratic system.

Mr. President,

Three weeks from now the Government of Afghanistan will convene the International Kabul Conference on Afghanistan, which will allow us to renew the partnership between the international community and the Afghan government and people, crystallize our shared strategy and begin to implement concrete action plans. It will be co-chaired by Afghanistan and the United Nations, and attended at the Foreign Ministerial level and by representatives of countries, international and regional organizations, and financial institutions. This is not a pledging conference, but a chance to detail the objectives reflected in President Karzai’s inaugural platform and the London Conference outcome.

Mr. President,

Afghans have great hopes, and great expectations, from our international friends and allies. They are well aware that Afghanistan would still be under the bloody reign of the Taliban and Al Qaeda without the support and assistance of the international community. But they are nevertheless disturbed by the ongoing debates among and between our international allies, and concerned that sustainable progress may be difficult to achieve if we do not show patience, fortitude and long-term commitment.

This renewed partnership between Afghanistan and the international community must embody a recognition that trust and responsibility are equally important for all partners, rather than being the sole preserve of any one of us. We must continue to work together jointly to meet our own expectations and those of our partners.

To build the confidence and trust of the Afghan people, efforts should be geared towards:

- first, by ensuring that the transition strategy is implemented in practice, through capacity-building, empowering Afghans, and avoiding waste;

- second, by reengaging the people in the transition process;

- third, by ending the negative perceptions that have favored the enemy;

- and fourth, by ensuring visible progress in both the short and long term.

The Kabul conference and the subsequent parliamentary elections will be opportunities to achieve some of these goals, but our efforts should continue and intensify across the board.

Mr. President,

The Afghan people have suffered from violence and conflict for over thirty years, and they understand that most of our current enemies are not driven by ideology. My government has made it a priority to undertake a process to end the insurgency and consolidate security throughout the country.

The Peace Jirga outcome document recommended several steps to be taken towards an inclusive Afghan peace process that will weave Afghan fighters and enemy leaders back into the fabric of Afghan social, economic and political life. The Government of Afghanistan has already started to implement many of these recommendations. We are creating a high-level council to oversee the implementation of the peace and reconciliation process. We have also begun to review detention records with a view to releasing Taliban who are being held without adequate evidence, and have requested this Council to extend the review process of the Consolidated List as we prepare to submit a preliminary delisting request.

However, let us be clear: we will not sacrifice the progress that has been made, or the principles on which our Constitution is founded. We will begin negotiations with any disenchanted Afghans who are ready to distance themselves from Al Qaeda and to participate in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

Mr. President,

Partnership with the Afghan people has been critical to the progress made thus far, and will be critical to the success of the current transition strategy. As you noticed last week, there is intense interest, and some concern, among the Afghan people. But at the same time, there is also strength of resolve, both in the Afghan government and in civil society, and the pride that Afghans feel in their historic nation. We are eager to build a government and society that will do justice to that pride. The international community has been a true and steadfast friend to the Afghan people in this struggle, and we look forward to a partnership that is closer, more concrete and more focused.

I thank you.

“Opening and Closing Statements of Ambassador Tanin at informal plenary on Security Council reform, 16 June”

June 17, 2010 By

Opening Statement – 16 June 2010

Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

1. Welcome back to the third exchange of the fifth round of intergovernmental negotiations. The topic today is the section of the negotiation text dedicated to the fourth key issue: size of an enlarged Security Council and working methods of the Council.

2. The negotiation text before you contains excerpts from Member States positions, and is divided according to the five key issues established and reaffirmed by Member States in decisions 62/557 and 63/565. The text contains redundancies, overlaps, and numerous areas where editorial changes would be useful. For that reason, I encourage you to improve the text to make it more useful for our shared work.

3. At our last meeting, I was delighted that some Member States took the opportunity to look at concrete language proposals. This will help us all to rationalize and improve the negotiation text.

4. I would like to underscore that we are in an informal plenary. This means that although Member States are always welcome to comment on any matter you deem relevant, in order to make this process work, I encourage all of you to make concrete suggestions and propose specific amendments that will reduce obvious overlaps, address existing differences and combine common elements in the language of the negotiation text. There is no need to restate known positions. And for those who have not yet done so, I again ask that any concrete proposals that are made be submitted to my office in writing so that we can properly reflect them in the next revision of the text.

5. As I mentioned last week, I intend to distribute the second revision of the text at the conclusion of this round, which will of course reflect all of the concrete proposals made during these meetings as well as those communicated to me.

6. As is usual practice in this house, you are, and will remain, the masters of your own positions. Though we will reflect all proposals in the text, amendments will only be applied with the agreement of the Member State, or States, whose language is affected.

7. On this note, you are of course always encouraged to also deliberate amongst each other and convey any results thereof to me either during our meetings or through a letter.

8. Finally, let me remind all of you that we continue to meet in an informal setting. We therefore do not have a speakers list today. Please raise your nameplates if you wish to speak.

Thank you.

Closing statement – 16 June 2010 – SC Reform

Excellencies, distinguished delegates

We seem to have exhausted our initial discussion of this section if there are no more Member States that wish to comment on the proposals made today.

I thank all of you for your active and constructive participation today.

As a response to the queries on the timetable, let me add that our next meeting will take place on 28 June. It will cover the section of the text relating to the third key issue, on regional representation. This meeting will be followed by a meeting on key issue number two on 7 July, and a meeting on key issue number one on 12 July.

I intend to distribute a second revision of the text following the last meeting.

The text will of course reflect all of the concrete proposals made during these meetings as well as those communicated to me.

As is usual practice in this house, you are, and will remain, the masters of your own positions. Though we will reflect all proposals in the text, amendments will only be applied with the agreement of the Member State, or States, whose language is affected.

As I mentioned in the beginning, if Member States have additional proposals or amendments on this section, for example as a result of discussions with other Member States and groups, I would encourage them to send them to me any time before the end of this round for inclusion in the second revision of the text.

In this regard, it would be very helpful if you would please forward your concrete proposals to my office for inclusion in revision 2 of the negotiation text.

Finally, let me stress once more that I am as always impartial to any of the positions. My impartiality includes the order of speakers, which is indicated to me by the Secretariat based on objective criteria usually followed in such informal proceedings.

Going forward, however, I assure you that I will duly reflect over the comments on procedure made today. In doing so, I will of course bear in mind my responsibility as Chair to ensure a legitimate and interactive modus operandi that can pave the way towards real progress.

Thank you.