SG/SM/6497

SECRETARY-GENERAL, INAUGURATING UN HOUSE IN BEIRUT, STRESSES ENDURING AND UNSEVERABLE LINK BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS AND MIDDLE EAST

20 March 1998


Press Release
SG/SM/6497


SECRETARY-GENERAL, INAUGURATING UN HOUSE IN BEIRUT, STRESSES ENDURING AND UNSEVERABLE LINK BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS AND MIDDLE EAST

19980320 Kofi Annan Says Unforeseen Difficulties in Peace Process Are Not Excuse for 'Abandoning Our Vision', Calls for Redoubled Efforts towards Peace

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's statement at the inauguration of the United Nations House, in Beirut today:

I am delighted to be with you in this magnificent house. First and foremost, I want to offer the heartfelt thanks of the United Nations to the Government of Lebanon. The move to this building would not have been possible without your good will, generosity and commitment.

As I indicated at the outset, this, to me, is more than a building of bricks and mortar. As many of you will know, we in the New York Headquarters frequently refer to the building in which we work as our "house". That is no coincidence. The idea of a house of all nations, held together by a common bond and structure, helps us to visualize the very concept upon which the United Nations was built.

The house in Beirut, which will bring together staff from many parts of the United Nations family, is an extension of that vision. It is an extension of the principles I spelled out for a revitalized and reformed United Nations last year.

For the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), this is nothing less than a homecoming. During the quarter of a century it has been in existence, the Commission has moved no fewer than six times.

Indeed, the life of the Commission has been a veritable Odyssey through the Middle East, reflecting the changes and unrest in the region.

Today, 25 years after it was first established in this city as the successor to the United Nations Economic and Social Office in Beirut, ESCWA has returned for good. It has come home. And I have every faith that this will be the permanent headquarters it is intended to be.

I do not say that lightly. I see this homecoming as a symbol of the peace, stability and peaceful coexistence of cultures that has come back to Lebanon.

I see it as a manifestation of how this unique city is returning to its former glory as an economic, cultural and political centre of the region.

And I see it as a beacon of hope that peace and stability may one day take hold in this whole region of the Middle East.

Like all truly great cities, Beirut has a soul that remains undefeated by any destruction, any division or discord that may have befallen it over the years.

Since my arrival here, I have seen the tremendous progress which you -- the people and Government of Lebanon -- have made to overcome the ravages of civil war. I have seen what a talented, diligent and vibrant people can achieve through sheer will power and ingenuity.

I have seen your impressive achievement in rebuilding your infrastructure, and the promising strides you are making to repair and develop your social structure.

On behalf of the United Nations, I pledge that we will do all we can to continue to support you on that journey.

Today, as I approached the great horse-shoe that forms the structure of this building, I could see something else: the gateway to a promising future for the entire region -- a future that I hope can be built with the help of the United Nations.

This is a highly sensitive time in the history of the Middle East. We may at times feel daunted by the difficulties facing us on the road to peace, stability and prosperity -- and perhaps understandably so.

Let us not forget that the current peace process, which was initiated at the Madrid Conference in 1991, still gives the region the best chance for peace it has ever had.

We recall, though it is painful, the price paid by the people of this country -- by innocent men, women and children -- for the heart-rending civil war that harrowed this nation for all too long; we recall the plight of millions of refugees which continues to this day; we recall the tragedy of Qana less than two years ago. Such events are difficult to understand, harder to accept and impossible to forget. It must never happen again.

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It is true that the peace process has run into a number of unforeseen difficulties. But this should not be an excuse for abandoning our vision; nor should it be a reason for despair. On the contrary, we must redouble our efforts to restore all the impetus towards peace.

As we have seen in the past few weeks, the success of such efforts depends on the will of the parties. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the nature, the demands and the promise of the agreement I reached with the Government of Iraq. It was after all events in Iraq that compelled me to postpone my visit here, originally due to have take place last month. I went to Baghdad, with the full authorization of all members of the Security Council, in search of a peaceful solution to the crisis. That crisis has, at least for now, been averted.

The mandate of the Security Council has been reaffirmed. The access of the United Nations inspectors has not been only restored, but expanded to include any and all sites. The authority of the Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) has been acknowledged and strengthened. Whether the threat to international peace and security has been averted for all time is now in the hands of the Iraqi leadership.

It is now for them to comply in practice with what they have signed on paper. If they do, it will bring nearer the day when Iraq can fully rejoin the family of nations. In the meantime, the expanded "oil-for-food" programme should help alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people.

The agreement reached in Baghdad was neither a "victory" nor a "defeat" for any one person, nation or group of nations. Certainly the United Nations and the world community lost nothing, gave away nothing and conceded nothing of substance. But by halting, at least for now, the renewal of military hostilities in the Persian Gulf, it was a victory for peace, for reason, for the resolution of conflict by diplomacy.

We hope for more such resolutions by diplomacy. Recently, the United Nations Security Council voted to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon.

The Council called once again for the full implementation of Security Council resolutions. Yesterday, we marked the twentieth anniversary of resolution 425 (1978). Too many anniversaries have already passed without its implementation. I hope that the day will soon come when resolution 425 is fully implemented, in recognition of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon.

As we stand here in the old quarter of Beirut, we are surrounded by reminders; painful reminders of a difficult past, but also reassuring

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reminders of an ancient culture, so rich and strong in traditions. The Middle East is the cradle of civilization, with a history stretching back thousands of years.

Of all the regions of the world, it is perhaps the most compact and well-defined, characterized by a coherence of language, geography, culture, history, customs and values.

And yet, it suffers from a lack of economic and commercial ties among the countries of the region. This is to a large extent what the future of the region should be built on: its ability to establish real and strong economic cooperation. No country today can pursue development in isolation. Globalization is a fact of life. And one of the keys to being a successful player lies in regional cooperation. Only by building up its intraregional cooperation and trade, can the Middle East reach its full potential in the world economy.

The ESCWA, as an impartial body promoting universal values, is uniquely qualified to help meet emerging regional and geo-economic challenges. The ESCWA's position between Europe and Africa makes it a natural gateway between regions.

In pursuit of joint action for the benefit of Member States, it extends one hand to the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), and the other to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its work addresses the priority areas of water, energy and transport; it aims to help harmonize policies, legislation and norms; it strives to assist the setting of standards for improving the quality of life.

Economic interests can and should play a constructive role in the pursuit of peace and development. After five lost decades of war, conflict and destruction, we are now at long last on the threshold of a new era; an era of cooperation, construction and development that should benefit all peoples in the Middle East.

Here, Beirut has a leading role to play. This city has a special place as a hub and heart of the region; this nation's people is second to none when it comes to business and entrepreneurial leadership. Look around you. It is everywhere.

I am confident that you will let your talent inspire the region and the world. And I hope the United Nations can be an effective partner in that process.

More than anything, I want to pay tribute today to what you, the people and Government of Lebanon, have already done for yourselves. I would like to

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do so by recalling a visit to Beirut by one of my predecessors. It happens to have take place four decades ago this year. When Lebanon teetered on the brink of a civil war in June 1958, Dag Hammarskjold flew in from Cairo to have lunch with Premier Sami es-Sohl.

At the end of their meal a huge cake was brought in. On the frosting, around the Lebanese national coat of arms, the cake bore this inscription: "United Nations, save Lebanon".

Hammarskjold responded -- loudly, so that the press could hear: "Excellency, I cannot accept this inscription, because it is for Lebanon to save Lebanon".

Lebanon has taken this advice. This nation has saved itself. It has saved its people. And it is saving its future generations. The near miraculous outcome of this rebirth, that unfolds before our eyes even today, is the result of your own work; your own resilience, convictions and courage.

All men and women of hope, wherever they may live, are citizens of Beirut. Therefore, as a hopeful man, I take heart from the words, "Ana Beiruti".

I have every faith that this house will be the enduring and unseverable link between the United Nations and the region. It is my sincere hope that it will also come to embody the shared spirit, the sense of purpose and synergy that exists between us. Thank you.

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For information media. Not an official record.