UNITED NATIONS REFORM MUST TAKE DUE ACCOUNT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' CONCERNS, PRIME MINISTER OF MOROCCO TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Press Release
GA/9311
UNITED NATIONS REFORM MUST TAKE DUE ACCOUNT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' CONCERNS, PRIME MINISTER OF MOROCCO TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
19970925 Statements also Made by Presidents of Colombia, Ecuador; Vice-Chancellor of Austria; Foreign Ministers of Guyana, Canada and IrelandNo reform aimed at restructuring the United Nations and rationalizing its expenditures was likely to achieve its purpose without taking due account of the priorities and interests of developing countries, the Prime Minister of Morocco, Abdellatif Filali, said this afternoon. Addressing the General Assembly as it continued its general debate, he said such efforts should address the settlement of developing countries' economic and social problems through provision of the required material and technical means.
The President of Colombia, Ernesto Samper Pizano, said reform should promote greater international liquidity, more flexibility in the management of multilateral debt, and concessionary credit for social investment. Such international economic entities as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) imposed development models on developing economies without allowing them to participate in discussions about their own priorities.
The Foreign Minister of Belgium, Erik Derycke, stressed the importance of the United Nations work on expanding and strengthening existing legal instruments to protect humanitarian personnel in peacekeeping missions. Citing a rising tide of aggression against such relief personnel, he said they must be ensure the same protection as was provided for military personnel in peacekeeping operations.
Also addressing the Assembly were the President of Ecuador, the Vice- Chancellor of Austria, and the Foreign Ministers of Guyana, Canada and Ireland. The representatives of Iran, Spain, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates spoke in exercise of the right of reply.
The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 26 September, to continue its general debate.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its general debate. It was to hear statements by the Presidents of Ecuador and Colombia; the Vice- Chancellor of Austria; the Prime Minister of Morocco; and the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria; the Foreign Ministers of Guyana, Canada, Ireland and Belgium. The representative of Iran was also expected to speak in exercise of the right of reply.
Statements
FABIAN ALARCON RIVERA, President of Ecuador, said that the search for full global disarmament should be pursued indefatigably, an objective requiring the active participation of all States. Ecuador was a party to all international and regional disarmament instruments and viewed with apprehension the continuation of nuclear-weapon development programmes and the maintenance of enormous atomic arsenals. Last year, it had co-sponsored the draft resolution on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the southern hemisphere and its adjacent areas. Issues relating to conventional disarmament must also be given full attention. Ecuador supported the holding in 1999, a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, as well as the complete prohibition of anti-personnel landmines.
It was a matter of concern that economic growth was not accompanied by social development, he said. The United Nations must confront such great challenges as the promotion of economic and social development while simultaneously working to preserve the environment, maintain international peace, pursue global and comprehensive disarmament, promote human rights, and reinforce cooperation among all nations to eradicate poverty. The Organization must leave behind rhetoric and assume a dynamic role in resolving global problems. That would require substantial reform of its working methods and a new attitude by Member States, based on the authentic and democratically expressed will of all peoples.
The final objective of Security Council reform should be to develop a more democratic, open and representative body, he said. The number of its members should be increased, in keeping with the principle of equitable geographical distribution. Council reforms should ensure that its decision- making processes were transparent, effective and pluralistic. That should include limiting the veto power and facilitating more timely and effective intervention to prevent international conflicts.
However, a safer world was also one in which general prosperity eliminated the causes of conflicts and suffering, he said. The eradication of poverty should be the main task of the international community's coordinated efforts in the coming years. Developing countries should benefit from the new international economic vigour. The economic aspects of globalization should
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provide them with an opportunity to accelerate sustainable development. The international financial system must support their efforts to facilitate their economic advancement and fulfil the commitments of the Earth Summit.
He said he shared the view of the Secretary-General on the transcendence of human rights in the modern world. Ecuador was committed to the protection of human rights, and to inquiry procedures with respect to their violation. It also supported the establishment by convention of an international criminal court to deal with the more serious offences, including genocide and war crimes.
ERNESTO SAMPER PIZANO, President of Columbia, said globalization had internalized problems like drug trafficking, terrorism and corruption, which now represented a serious threat. Certain industrialized nations were also behaving egotistically in defining new rules of the game for free economies. Unilateralism and conditions imposed by the powerful were being flaunted worldwide, and while globalization had generated great economic and technological advances, they continued to be the privilege of industrialized nations and a very small segment of the rest of the world's population.
Reform of the United Nations must begin by recovering the concept of solidarity, he said. It was not more summits which were needed but compliance with those which had already been held. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was not being properly complied. Important members had yet to ratify the chemical weapons treaty. There was no interest in advancing the agreements on the restriction of the conventional arms market. Government aid to developing countries had dropped from 42 to 24 per cent in recent years.
He said that reform should encompass all spheres of the United Nations system. In the economic sphere, the Bretton Woods organizations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), had been progressively separating from the original direction exercised by the Assembly over their economic and social policies. They now imposed development models on developing economies without allowing those economies to participate in any discussions about their own priorities. Reform should entail greater international liquidity, greater flexibility in the management of multilateral debt, concessionary credit flows for social investment, and coordination with the economic bodies which represented the interest of developing countries.
The situation of the United Nations social sphere was the most worrisome, he said. The greatest burden of the Organization's budgetary crisis had fallen on those bodies whose financing had dropped by several million dollars in the present decade. Many developed countries had inexplicably withdrawn from the United Nations bodies devoted to children, culture, population, employment and the environment. In a world where 1.3 billion inhabitants who survived on less than a dollar a day and 57,000
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African children could be fed for a year for the price of a combat plane, United Nations reform must give priority to strengthening social programmes.
The proposed strengthening of the Security Council could not be done at the expense of taking power from the Assembly, he said. Any broadening of the Council should take account of the developing countries' need for greater representation. The veto should be abolished, since it was undemocratic. If it could not be eliminated, it should be restricted to matters which were truly fundamental to world security, and subject to the right of appeal before judicial or political authorities, such as the Assembly.
He proposed a five-point plan to deal with the problem of the arms build-up. It involved a declaration by the developing nations of a two-year moratorium on high-technology weapons trade, extending the register of arms to include light weapons, commitments from the governments of arms-producing nations to establish a moratorium on the sale of high-technology weapons to regions in conflict, follow-up and verification of relevant multilateral commitments and treaties, and consideration by the fourth special session of the assembly devoted to disarmament of the regulation of trade in light arms and high-technology weaponry.
WOLFGANG SCHUSSEL, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, welcomed the Secretary-General's effort to redirect the Organization. Especially important were his proposals for streamlining its leadership and management structure, consolidating the United Nations presence in the field, bringing development back to the centre of United Nations activities, and strengthening human rights in all aspects of its work. Without adequate resources, however, the United Nations would not succeed in carrying out its task. As long as Member States did not fully honour their obligations, its financial situation would remain critical. The settling of arrears was therefore imperative; unilateral decisions are unacceptable in the framework of multilateral cooperation.
He said the fight against drugs, crime and terrorism had rightly become a priority for the international community. The Secretary-General's intention to strengthen the United Nations capacities in that field deserved support. To that end, Austria would make a significant financial contribution to the United Nations crime prevention trust fund.
Illegal migration was increasingly linked to transnational crime, he said. There was an urgent need for an international legal instrument rendering the smuggling of illegal migrants punishable as a transnational crime. He had asked legal experts to prepare a draft international convention against the smuggling of illegal migrants, which was currently being circulated as an official United Nations document. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice should consider it as a matter of priority at its next session.
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Substance abuse and drug-related crimes took a high toll in both the developing and the industrialized world, he said. Strengthening and updating existing international anti-drug capacities would require innovation and new methods. The special session of the General Assembly on international drug control in June 1998 would provide an excellent opportunity to close ranks against illegal drug trafficking.
Anti-personnel landmines were a particularly malicious threat to the security of individuals and countries, he said. Austria had been one of the first countries to ban anti-personnel landmines on the national level. It had strongly advocated a total ban and prepared the draft for such a convention. The diplomatic conference in Oslo had negotiated its treaty on that basis. He looked forward to signing the convention in Ottawa, and urged the countries that were not able to join the consensus in Oslo to become part of the process as soon as possible.
It was the duty of the Organization to help implement governmental commitments in the field of human rights, he said. The review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1998 would provide a unique opportunity to shape the international human rights programme for the new millennium. Its central objective must remain respect for international human rights standards at the national level. The role of Governments and of civil society was crucial.
He said the Dayton Accords had provided the framework for the return of Bosnia to normalcy, stability, economic recovery and reconciliation; their full and comprehensive implementation was imperative. That included bringing to justice all indicted war criminals. Austria supported integrating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia fully into the United Nations family as soon as the necessary preconditions, including its application for membership, were fulfilled. He stressed Austria's expectation that Belgrade would grant a large degree of autonomy to Kosovo.
ABDELLATIF FILALI, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, said no reform aimed at restructuring the Organization and rationalizing its expenditures was likely to achieve its purpose without taking due account of the priorities and interests of developing countries. That should include, especially, the settlement of their economic and social problems through the provision of the required material and technical means.
The appalling economic situation in Africa constituted a source of serious concern, he said. Despite stringent structural reforms introduced by African countries, foreign investment in the region was insignificant. Debt had also increased and there had been a serious deterioration of social and
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health conditions. The initiative taken by Portugal to hold an African- European summit conference to discuss the situation in Africa should be supported.
Despite the liberalization of world markets, the marginalization and debt burden of the developing countries had not been eased, he said. The liberalization of international trade must aim at correcting existing discrepancies, and at narrowing the gap between developed and developing countries.
The interruption of the Middle East peace process as a result of the violation by the Israeli Government of all previous commitments and obligations, as well as the principles of international relations, threatened to ruin all efforts that had been made to consolidate peace in the region. The Israeli decision to resume its illegal settlement policy and alter the cultural characteristics and demographic composition of East Jerusalem was a violation of its agreements with the Palestinians. It also constituted a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids occupation authorities from implementing any changes in the territories under their control.
In Lebanon, Israel had once again escalated tensions by its refusal to implement Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978), he said. Israel had also refused Syrian proposals to resume negotiations from where they had stopped. Peace in the Middle East could not last except through equitable relations, which would achieve the common interests of all the parties concerned in a zone free from weapons of mass destruction. The Palestinian people should be enabled to exercise their right to self- determination and set up their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.
The implementation of the Security Council "oil-for-food" resolution represented a first step towards lifting the embargo imposed on the Iraqi people, he said. He also called for elimination of the remaining pockets of colonialism throughout the world. Morocco should be enabled to regain its sovereignty over the cities of Sebta and Melillia, and over the neighbouring islands which were under Spanish occupation. A final settlement would guarantee Spain's interests.
CLEMENT ROHEE, Foreign Minister of Guyana, said his country shared the vision the Secretary-General had set forth for the future role of the United Nations. The Organization was now poised to explore the many possibilities of multilateralism. However, the effective transition of that vision would require strong and dynamic leadership and the highest level of international cooperation. Of particular satisfaction to Guyana was the high importance accorded to development in the reform process. At a time when financial support was weak, strategies to eradicate world poverty and restore economic and social prosperity were necessary.
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Guyana supported the idea of channelling administrative savings into development activities, he said. That dividend could be significant enough to begin its financing of the Secretary-General's proposed development account. The recent "Agenda for Development", together with the strategy for development of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), provided a basis to move forward in the field of economic and social cooperation. While private investment flows were important to the development process, development assistance, debt relief, capacity-building and increased trade remained crucial.
Guyana fully supported the proposal for closer and more cooperative relationships with the World Bank and other financial institutions, he said. Those bodies, although connected with the United Nations, had moved away from their original mandates and developed independently of the Organization. It was now time for them to concentrate on human development and be brought back in line with the main organs of the United Nations.
He said he supported efforts to give the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council the responsibility to lead in the development effort. In the past, those organs had been left behind in the development process and had failed to engage the key players. There was a need for them to provide a stronger political impulse for development while ensuring effective global macro-economic management.
The hopes and aspirations for developing countries would not materialize until the international environment was made more congenial to their needs, he said. A new global human order, premised on sustainable economic development, equity, and social and ecological justice, was needed.
No reform of the United Nations would be complete without reform of the Security Council, which had primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, he said. Guyana supported an expansion in its non-permanent membership and would consider enlargement in the permanent category if a balance could be found between developed and developing countries. Agreement was also needed on limiting the use of the veto.
LLOYD AXWORTHY, the Foreign Minister of Canada, said his country strongly supported the Secretary-General's reform proposals and accepted them as a package. Nevertheless, budget cutting by itself was not the answer. There must be serious structural change to modernize existing institutions, both national and international, that were formed in the post-war period. Reform required solutions based on agreement and cooperation. Solutions could not be imposed by one party or country but must be inspired by a spirit of openness and innovation. A new compact among United Nations Members must be established to set the Organization on a sound financial footing.
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Over a week ago in Oslo 90 nations, spurred on by the efforts of the non-governmental organization community, agreed on the text of a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. That paved the way for the treaty to be signed in December, just 14 months after it was first conceived. What has become known as the "Ottawa Process" demonstrated the changed character of world affairs. It showed how the breakdown of the old bipolar world affords new opportunities for civil society to influence multilateral diplomacy. The effectiveness of that approach could be clearly measured. Nations from every region had pledged to sign on to a complete ban on the stockpiling, production, export and use of anti-personnel landmines. Those still on the sidelines should think hard and deep on the issue. Their engagement was crucial. By joining the majority of United Nations Member States, they could help to rid the world of those inhumane weapons.
Canada recently declared its intention to destroy unilaterally its remaining stocks of anti-personnel landmines before signature of the treaty. It would shortly ratify the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
The international community would have to develop policies for an enhanced and coordinated approach to demining and to victim assistance and rehabilitation, he said. At Ottawa in December, nations would be invited to engage in a second phase of the campaign; a broad mobilization of groups and countries to tackle the aftermath of the landmines crisis. The generosity of private citizens like Ted Turner and the commitment of those like Princess Diana must be matched, and surpassed by Governments.
Ensuring true, sustainable human security meant tackling other severe threats, he said. Such threats included the needs of more than a billion people living in poverty, attacks on the human rights of individuals and groups, transnational threats such as crime and terrorism, and threats to health and livelihood through the depletion or pollution of natural resources. The priorities for action could be defined as addressing issues that cut across traditional boundaries of concern, as in the anti-landmines campaign; identifying and addressing the root causes of conflict; and improving the ability to respond to crises when prevention failed.
The illicit trafficking in firearms had to be countered and greater transparency brought to the legal exportation of small arms, he said. The Organization of American States (OAS) was currently working towards an inter- American convention on illicit trafficking of firearms, which should result in an effective convention and inspire other regional bodies to address the issue. Practical measures must be taken in consultation with regional bodies, different levels of government and civil society.
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Similarly, terrorism, transnational crime and international drug trafficking did not respect national boundaries and could not be solved by countries acting alone, nor by using traditional measures.
An effort was required to reform the United Nations development funds and programmes, he said. Canada strongly supported the Secretary-General's reform proposals in that area. It placed priority on improving coordination within the United Nations system at the country level, including among the specialized agencies and the Bretton Woods institutions, in order to maximize the impact of development measures. Canada had supported peacebuilding activities in conflict-affected regions for some years. Last year the Canadian Peacebuilding Initiative was announced. Its aim was to coordinate Canadian programmes and policies in support of conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. A Peacebuilding Fund under the aegis of the Initiative provided a rapid response mechanism.
He said, Canada was prepared to contribute up to $500,000 for the establishment in Bosnia of a non-governmental organization foundation to develop civil society on the basis of multi-ethnic cooperation. It urged other members to join in supporting that nascent foundation. Canada would also contribute $500,000 to the new United Nations trust fund for preventive action, created by the Secretary-General in response to a proposal from Norway.
Much of the institutional and conceptual framework to address environmental problems as a threat to human security were already in place, he said. Sustainable development had been accepted as a new paradigm, but there was a need for more real action on the ground. Canada strongly supported new agreements on hazardous chemicals and would work to ensure the success of the new Intergovernmental Forum on Forests. Combating desertification remained a priority, and Canada had offered to host the Desertification Convention secretariat. It also hoped to see a successful climate change conference in Kyoto this December.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be an opportunity for all to reaffirm strongly the fundamental importance of the document, and the commitment to the common standards of behaviour it sets out, he said. For true stability and human security, respect for human rights must be one of the foundation stones. Canada fully supported the Secretary-General's proposals for reform measure to enhance United Nations work on human rights and to integrate human rights concerns into all United Nations activities. His country continued to make the rights of the child, both in conflict and in peace, a top human rights priority.
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In crisis situations, speed was the key to effective response which was why Canada had been so active in efforts to develop United Nations rapid response and deployment capability, he said. A rapidly deployable mission headquarters would permit timely insertion of military forces, and integrate civilian and humanitarian organizations directly into mission planning and deployment. Canada hoped to see measurable progress on that and on the Danish-led stand-by forces high-readiness-brigade initiative. Canada also strongly supported reform proposals for the United Nations humanitarian system, aimed at developing an effective victim-centred system. The agencies and programmes must be fully involved in the implementation of the reform proposals. It is also crucial that a new Emergency Relief Coordinator with strong leadership, management and communications skills be appointed immediately to oversee the reform process. Canada strongly supported the timely establishment of an independent and effective International Criminal Court which must have inherent jurisdiction over the "core" crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In order to be independent, the Court must not be precluded from dealing with matters on the Security Council agenda.
Reform and expansion of the Security Council must be fully debated and carefully weighed, and the process must be fair and open, he said. It must attract a broad consensus, and could not be rushed to accommodate other goals, including a short-term solution to the United Nations financial crisis. Canada wanted to see a Council that was more effective, transparent and broadly representative and above all, less elitist and more democratic. The primary criteria for membership should be commitment to the ideals and undertakings of the United Nations and a willingness to remain continually accountable to the full membership.
RAY BURKE, the Foreign Minister of Ireland, said that the Secretary- General's reform package was considered balanced and substantial. It marked a turning point in the reform and revitalization process. Ireland welcomed, in particular, the proposals for a more concerted effort in economic and social development. Together with its European Union partners, Ireland was developing its own contribution in that area, aimed at making real inroads in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment. While the reform package could not fully accommodate all concerns, there was enough in it to make the start everyone had been seeking. Work should be done to achieve a solution to the difficult question of reforming the Security Council. Ireland sought support for its declared candidacy in the year 2000.
Some critics contended that development cooperation had not succeeded, he said. Nevertheless, life expectancy around the world had increased by one third in the past three decades and infant mortality had been cut in half. Efforts must be redoubled to combat the drug problem, "an international cancer" which threatened the lives of the present and future generations, and particularly the young.
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In the disarmament sphere, the conclusion of negotiations in Oslo on a convention to ban landmines represented a major step forward, he said. The international community must now work towards mine clearance, as well as for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of mine victims. With respect to nuclear disarmament, he said that genuine peace and security could never be achieved as long as such weapons remained in State arsenals. It was now time for consideration of an integrated approach to disarmament, to culminate in agreement on a total ban on nuclear weapons. Agreement was also needed on managing the peaceful uses and transport of nuclear energy.
The human rights situation in such places as Myanmar, East Timor, Nigeria and Afghanistan remained of particular concern to the international community, he said. The Secretary-General's decision to consolidate the two existing human rights offices into a single Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provided an opportunity to strengthen the human rights programme of the United Nations by fully integrating it.
Although Ireland's support for the United Nations peacekeeping role had not wavered, it was tempered by the sober recognition that despite many significant successes, it had not always been effective, particularly in recent times, he said. The Organization needed to avert conflicts, but when forced to intervene, it must be prompt and better informed, through effective early warning systems. Peacekeepers' tasks and objectives must be better defined and have the full support, political and material, of Member States.
He announced the "joyous news" that substantial and historic all-party talks were launched yesterday in Belfast to map out the future of a peaceful Ireland. In the course of the Anglo-Irish peace process, his country sought to accomplish the purpose for which the Assembly was established -- to replace mistrust and violent confrontation with dialogue, negotiation and agreement among all the parties.
ERIK DERYCKE, the Foreign Minister of Belgium, said the financial crisis of the United Nations must be solved this year. It was unacceptable that Member States did not pay their dues in full and attach conditions to their payment. Every nation in the general debate should be able to proclaim that its contributions were paid on time, in full and without conditions. This was the way to prove a commitment to the goals of the Organization.
Sometimes, tasks had been imposed upon the United Nations that exceeded its capacity, he said. All too often, Member States hesitated to give support whenever and wherever it was necessary. In Africa, for example, the capacity of the United Nations to react to crises had been weakened when it was most needed, owing to a lack of coordination and support among Member States. Better coordination between United Nations Headquarters and field staff was essential for reinvigorating the Organization.
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Although 12 world summits had set today's agenda for international development, a more integrated approach in the socio-economic sector was necessary. With respect to the Security Council, he said its membership should be expanded in both the permanent and non-permanent categories. There must be broad-based representation, enhanced efficiency and limitation of the veto right, which was incompatible with the general interest. There was also a need for greater transparency and closer cooperation between the Council and troop-contributing countries.
He stressed the importance of the United Nations work on expanding and strengthening existing legal instruments so as to extend the same protection to international humanitarian personnel as was given to military personnel in peacekeeping missions. There was a rising tide of aggression against such relief personnel, often aimed at blocking access to the people who were suffering. Those governments where the assistance providers operated bore primary responsibility for their safety.
In the course of next year, Belgium wished to organize, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and international seminar on the relationship between humanitarian, political and military actions.
Right to Reply
JALAL SAMADI (Iran), speaking in exercise of the right to reply, said the comments this morning by the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates on the islands of Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa were against the territorial integrity of Iran and had no basis in history or law. Iran was fully committed to fulfilling its international obligations, especially the agreement of 1961. Any misunderstandings regarding those obligations should be addressed through the process of dialogue and in the spirit of good neighbourliness. The Iranian Government would take up any misunderstanding over the islands directly with the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
As the Iranian Foreign Minister had said in his address to the Assembly earlier this week, Iran's message to its neighbours was one of friendliness and fraternity. It welcomed any initiative to strengthen cooperation in the Gulf region.
INOCENCIO F. ARIAS (Spain), said he wished to refute comments by the Prime Minister of Morocco regarding the sovereignty of the Spanish cities of Sebta and Melillia. The citizens of those cities enjoyed the same parliamentary rights and privileges as their fellow citizens. Such statements were not in keeping with the nature of bilateral relations between Spain and Morocco.
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SAM A. OTUYELU (Nigeria), said he wished to address comments by the Foreign Minister of Ireland expressing concern about the human rights situation in Nigeria. There was much living proof in Nigeria of the Government's commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including 800 local officials who were democratically elected. Nigeria did not need expressions of concern about the condition of human rights in its country, but rather the support of other Member States for its efforts. The Government was committed to the process of democratization, the first phase of which had already been completed.
MOHAMMAD J. SAMHAN (United Arab Emirates) said he wished to respond to the comments by the representative of Iran on the issue of Iran's occupation of the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. He said the Iranian delegate should examine the relevant Security Council resolutions regarding the occupation. Given the new impetus to settle problems peacefully, and in keeping with the spirit of good neighbourliness, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates had said nothing in his statement contrary to international law. He had only been evoking his country's right to the islands. To date, Iran was still occupying land belonging to the United Arab Emirates.
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