ID :
21682
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 10:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/21682
The shortlink copeid
Kingdom's address at UN General Assembly
Washington, September 27, SPA--Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia addressed today the
63rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Following is the full text of the speech:
Mr. President,
I would like to begin by expressing to you, and to your friendly
country Nicaragua, our sincere congratulations on your assumption of
the presidency of the sixty-third session of the General Assembly of
the United Nations. I am fully confident that your diplomatic
experience and your extensive knowledge of international affairs will
be the best guarantee of the smooth running and success of the
session’s work. I also wish to express our gratitude and appreciation
to your predecessor Dr. Srgjan Kerim, who directed the work of the
previous session in such a wise and able manner.
I likewise extend our gratitude and appreciation to H.E. Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, for his tireless endeavors to
strengthen the role of the United Nations and uphold its principles
in spite of the increasing challenges and difficult circumstances
with which we are faced. We wish to assure His Excellency of our full
support and backing in this regard.
Mr. President,
The tremendous developments that have taken place in the transport,
communications, media and information technology sectors have helped
to facilitate and expand contact and interaction among all the
peoples of the world with their various religions, beliefs, cultures
and languages. No part of our human family, in all its rich diversity
and fertile pluralism, currently lives in isolation without affecting
or being affected by others.
However, while these advances improve the human condition, they were
used by extremist minorities in every religious or cultural community
who are seeking to propagate notions of intolerance, exclusion,
racism and hatred. We all therefore need to work together in an
earnest manner, under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to
create an environment conducive to promotion of the values of
dialogue, tolerance and moderation and the establishment of relations
of cooperation and peace among cultures, peoples and States, based on
mutual respect and shared determination to overcome divisions and
differences.
The World Conference on Dialogue was held at Madrid from 16 to 18
July of this year. In his opening address at the inaugural session of
that Conference, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said: “I have
come to you from the place dearest to the hearts of all Muslims, the
land of the Two Holy Mosques, bearing with me a message from the
Islamic world (Ummah), represented by its scholars and thinkers who
recently met in the confines of the House of God; a message declaring
that Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance; a message
calling for constructive dialogue among followers of religions”.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques made it clear that the
Conference was being held because mankind “is passing through a
critical phase which, in spite of all the scientific progress, is
witnessing a proliferation of crime, an increase in terrorism,
disintegration of the family, subversion of the minds of the young by
drug abuse, exploitation of the poor by the strong, and odious racist
tendencies …It is therefore incumbent upon us to declare to the world
that difference must not lead to conflict and confrontation, and to
state that the tragedies that have occurred in human history were not
attributable to religion, but were the result of extremism with which
some adherents of every divinely-revealed religion, and of every
political ideology, have been afflicted ... If we wish this historic
meeting to succeed, we must focus on the common denominators that
unite us”.
The Madrid Declaration was consistent with these sound principles,
since it affirmed the unity of origin and equality of human beings
notwithstanding differences of color, race and culture, as well as
the need to respect human dignity, protect human rights, preserve
peace, fulfill commitments and give effect to the right of peoples to
security, freedom and self-determination. The Madrid Declaration
called for the rejection of theories affirming the inevitability of a
clash of civilizations and cultures, warned of the dangers of
campaigns seeking to intensify conflict and disrupt peaceful
coexistence, and advocated the dissemination of a culture of
tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue as a framework
for international relations.
It is vitally important to build on the outcome of the Madrid
Conference on Dialogue, so that these sound recommendations can take
the practical and effective form of joint action policies by the
international community. Therefore, on behalf of the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques, and the Arab Group, I call upon the General
Assembly of the United Nations to convene a high-level meeting to
endorse and support a continued process of dialogue among religions
and peoples in conformity with the Madrid Declaration.
Mr. President,
Throughout the past six decades, the Arab-Israeli conflict has
overshadowed all other issues in the Middle Eastern region, creating
a climate conducive to the development of extremism and the spread of
terrorism, and hampering the development, modernization and reform
endeavors in this region which should be playing a significant and
essential cultural role instead of being distracted by conflicts that
drain its energies and dissipate its resources.
The Arabs have continued to affirm their commitment to a just and
comprehensive peace based on international law. Yet no reciprocal
commitment was forthcoming from Israel. Please allow me, on behalf of
the Arab Group, to make it absolutely clear that we will totally
reject any partial or interim solutions, because history has taught
us that such solutions tend to become permanent.
While supporting the continuation of the current negotiations between
the two sides with a view to reaching a comprehensive final solution,
the least that we expect from Israel during these negotiations is
that it should halt all its settlement operations. The continuation
of settlement activity in the occupied Arab territories renders the
negotiations meaningless and makes it difficult for us to convince
our peoples of the feasibility and benefits of achieving peace. In
this regard, it would be unreasonable to impose conditions on the
Palestinian people, who are under occupation, while making
concessions to the occupation authorities in a reversal of logic that
does not inspire confidence in the seriousness, fairness and
credibility of the current peace process.
Mr. President,
We welcome the positive security developments that have recently
taken place in Iraq in its campaign against terrorism and militias.
We hope this will herald earnest political movement towards achieving
comprehensive national reconciliation among all the Iraqi people. The
Iraqi people have clearly manifested their consistent commitment to
the unity of Iraq, and their condemnation of acts of violence,
sabotage and strife among citizens of their common Iraqi homeland.
Accordingly, we reaffirm the need for non-interference in Iraq’s
internal affairs and express our grave concern at successive reports
indicating that certain States are continuing to provide financial
and military support for some militias, in flagrant violation of
Iraq’s sovereignty, in a reprehensible attempt to extend their
influence and hegemony over parts of its territory.
Mr. President,
My Government has welcomed the Doha Agreement reached among Lebanese
leaders under the gracious patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and the outstanding endeavors
by the Arab League and H.E. its Secretary-General. We congratulate
Lebanon on the election of H.E. President Michel Suleiman and the
formation of a government of national unity. It is our hope that this
will put an end to armed conflict among Lebanese, that efforts to
embark on a comprehensive national dialogue will be expedited and
that the Lebanese Government’s endeavors to extend its authority over
all Lebanese territory will be crowned with success. We also welcome
the agreement between Lebanon and Syria on the exchange of diplomatic
representation, the demarcation of their borders and normalization of
their relations.
We reiterate our support for Security Council resolutions 1757 and
1701 and call for rapid Israeli withdrawal from the Shebaa farms area
which Israel itself acknowledges to be occupied territory.
Mr. President,
Effective resolution of the problem of the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction requires the renunciation of double standards. We
therefore emphasize the importance of turning the entire Middle East,
including the Gulf region, into a zone free of all weapons of mass
destruction. In fact, Israel is the only country in the Middle East
which is armed to the teeth with all types of weapons of mass
destruction that are totally exempt from any form of control.
While supporting the right of all States to the peaceful use of
nuclear energy, we take very seriously the undertakings of Iran to
fully and strictly respect its obligation to prevent the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We hope that this
obligation will be put into practical effect in such a way as to
ensure a peaceful and rapid solution to the problem of the Iranian
nuclear program and save the region from devastating conflicts,
futile arms races and serious environmental hazards.
We reaffirm our support for the right of the United Arab Emirates to
recover its occupied islands by peaceful means, and hope that Iran
will respond rapidly and favorably to this call.
Mr. President,
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports the steps that were taken to
achieve peace in Darfur. It is important to avoid taking any measures
that would hinder the requisite cooperation by all the parties
involved to achieve this objective.
We also once again appeal to all the parties in our sister State
Somalia to put the national interest first, end the spiral of
violence and conflict and reach a comprehensive agreement that will
restore security and stability to that country.
Mr. President,
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has condemned it in all its forms and
manifestations and has achieved notable successes in combating it.
The Kingdom has also acceded to most of the international conventions
against terrorism.
The only way to achieve a decisive victory over terrorism and rid
ourselves of its evil is by dealing with its root causes. We must
settle disputes which cause people to fall prey to despair,
frustration and anger, in accordance with the principles of
international law. The United Nations must play an active role in
promoting the values of dialogue, tolerance and respect for the
various religions and cultures.
Mr. President,
We feel grave concern at the growing indications of a potential
return to the phase of cold war or hot peace among great powers. In
this connection, we wish to emphasize that successful solutions to
universal problems can be found only within the framework of
multilateral cooperation under United Nations auspices and in
accordance with the purposes and principles of its Charter and
international law.
Mr. President,
No region of the world has been unaffected by the repercussions of
the US credit crisis, which have had an impact on the international
financial system, thereby undermining the world economy and
confronting it with serious challenges that will entail a slow-down
in global real growth rates. This crisis is a natural consequence of
the lax application of laws and regulations insofar as financial
institutions have been allowed to manipulate banking systems and
devise speculative and unsound financial instruments that have
inflated the market value of their assets.
Our greatest fear is the imminence of a world-wide recession if the
financial crisis induces the governments of developed countries to
take measures that might curb the freedom of international trade and
reduce the flow of investments. We therefore appeal to the parties
concerned to take urgent and effective action to remedy the flaws in
the international financial system and strive to re-stabilize it. In
this regard, there is an imperative need to mobilize and coordinate
international endeavors through specialized multilateral
organizations in order to address this crisis and reach an
international agreement on ways to remedy the defects in the world
economy in such a way as to secure a financial system that offers
equal opportunities to all the parties while, at the same time,
providing appropriate liquidity for the developing countries and
safeguarding their monetary reserves from the collapse of any of the
major international currencies.
Mr. President,
The Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals constituted an
important turning point on the road towards the adoption of a common
developmental vision within a framework of complementarity between
national and international endeavors. Since its establishment, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has realized the importance of focusing on
development and education endeavors and has adopted successive
development plans which have helped it to integrate the Millennium
Goals in its national programs. The Kingdom has achieved notable
success in exceeding the objectives specified in the Millennium Goals
for some sectors and in making progress towards the achievement of
the remaining Goals even before the year 2015.
The emphasis placed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on
expanding education opportunities Worldwide led to my Government’s
recent declaration of allocating 500 million dollars for education
projects in developing countries.
Mr. President,
We believe that the urgent issues with which the world is faced, such
as climate change, food security and rising prices of basic
commodities necessitate cooperation by all the components of the
international community in order to find equitable solutions that
take into consideration the interests of all. It would be unfair to
require some to bear burdens exceeding their capacities while showing
indulgence to others who have been more instrumental in aggravating
the problem and are more capable of bearing the burdens entailed by
solutions thereto.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes its international responsibilities
in this regard very seriously. During the recent OPEC Summit in
Riyadh my government announced its donation of an amount of US$ 300
million for the establishment of a special fund for research on
energy, the environment and climate change.
Because of the importance of international cooperation in the energy
sector, Saudi Arabia is keen on promoting dialogue among producers
and consumers, and hosts the General Secretariat of the World Energy
Forum. The Jeddah Conference of Petroleum Producing and Consuming
Countries was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques, who launched his “Energy for the Poor” initiative. In
this context the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also announced that it would
be allocating US$ 500 million to offer easy loans by the Saudi
Development Fund to finance energy projects in developing countries.
Mr. President,
While a developing country itself, my country continues to assist
those countries with the highest needs. Saudi Arabia wrote off more
than 6 billion dollars of its loans to least developed countries. The
Kingdom has also donated US$ 500 million to the World Food Programme
to assist needy countries to meet the higher prices of basic food
commodities. In addition, Saudi Arabia’s contribution to the Islamic
Fund for Eradicating Poverty has reached one billion dollar. In
fact, Saudi Arabia contributes significantly to the capital of 18
international financial institutions and bodies.
During the last three decades, Saudi Arabia provided more than 90
billion dollars in assistance grants and soft loans to 86 developing
countries. This sum represents 4 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s GNP, far
higher than the percentage targeted by the United Nations.
--SPA
Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia addressed today the
63rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Following is the full text of the speech:
Mr. President,
I would like to begin by expressing to you, and to your friendly
country Nicaragua, our sincere congratulations on your assumption of
the presidency of the sixty-third session of the General Assembly of
the United Nations. I am fully confident that your diplomatic
experience and your extensive knowledge of international affairs will
be the best guarantee of the smooth running and success of the
session’s work. I also wish to express our gratitude and appreciation
to your predecessor Dr. Srgjan Kerim, who directed the work of the
previous session in such a wise and able manner.
I likewise extend our gratitude and appreciation to H.E. Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, for his tireless endeavors to
strengthen the role of the United Nations and uphold its principles
in spite of the increasing challenges and difficult circumstances
with which we are faced. We wish to assure His Excellency of our full
support and backing in this regard.
Mr. President,
The tremendous developments that have taken place in the transport,
communications, media and information technology sectors have helped
to facilitate and expand contact and interaction among all the
peoples of the world with their various religions, beliefs, cultures
and languages. No part of our human family, in all its rich diversity
and fertile pluralism, currently lives in isolation without affecting
or being affected by others.
However, while these advances improve the human condition, they were
used by extremist minorities in every religious or cultural community
who are seeking to propagate notions of intolerance, exclusion,
racism and hatred. We all therefore need to work together in an
earnest manner, under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to
create an environment conducive to promotion of the values of
dialogue, tolerance and moderation and the establishment of relations
of cooperation and peace among cultures, peoples and States, based on
mutual respect and shared determination to overcome divisions and
differences.
The World Conference on Dialogue was held at Madrid from 16 to 18
July of this year. In his opening address at the inaugural session of
that Conference, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said: “I have
come to you from the place dearest to the hearts of all Muslims, the
land of the Two Holy Mosques, bearing with me a message from the
Islamic world (Ummah), represented by its scholars and thinkers who
recently met in the confines of the House of God; a message declaring
that Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance; a message
calling for constructive dialogue among followers of religions”.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques made it clear that the
Conference was being held because mankind “is passing through a
critical phase which, in spite of all the scientific progress, is
witnessing a proliferation of crime, an increase in terrorism,
disintegration of the family, subversion of the minds of the young by
drug abuse, exploitation of the poor by the strong, and odious racist
tendencies …It is therefore incumbent upon us to declare to the world
that difference must not lead to conflict and confrontation, and to
state that the tragedies that have occurred in human history were not
attributable to religion, but were the result of extremism with which
some adherents of every divinely-revealed religion, and of every
political ideology, have been afflicted ... If we wish this historic
meeting to succeed, we must focus on the common denominators that
unite us”.
The Madrid Declaration was consistent with these sound principles,
since it affirmed the unity of origin and equality of human beings
notwithstanding differences of color, race and culture, as well as
the need to respect human dignity, protect human rights, preserve
peace, fulfill commitments and give effect to the right of peoples to
security, freedom and self-determination. The Madrid Declaration
called for the rejection of theories affirming the inevitability of a
clash of civilizations and cultures, warned of the dangers of
campaigns seeking to intensify conflict and disrupt peaceful
coexistence, and advocated the dissemination of a culture of
tolerance and mutual understanding through dialogue as a framework
for international relations.
It is vitally important to build on the outcome of the Madrid
Conference on Dialogue, so that these sound recommendations can take
the practical and effective form of joint action policies by the
international community. Therefore, on behalf of the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques, and the Arab Group, I call upon the General
Assembly of the United Nations to convene a high-level meeting to
endorse and support a continued process of dialogue among religions
and peoples in conformity with the Madrid Declaration.
Mr. President,
Throughout the past six decades, the Arab-Israeli conflict has
overshadowed all other issues in the Middle Eastern region, creating
a climate conducive to the development of extremism and the spread of
terrorism, and hampering the development, modernization and reform
endeavors in this region which should be playing a significant and
essential cultural role instead of being distracted by conflicts that
drain its energies and dissipate its resources.
The Arabs have continued to affirm their commitment to a just and
comprehensive peace based on international law. Yet no reciprocal
commitment was forthcoming from Israel. Please allow me, on behalf of
the Arab Group, to make it absolutely clear that we will totally
reject any partial or interim solutions, because history has taught
us that such solutions tend to become permanent.
While supporting the continuation of the current negotiations between
the two sides with a view to reaching a comprehensive final solution,
the least that we expect from Israel during these negotiations is
that it should halt all its settlement operations. The continuation
of settlement activity in the occupied Arab territories renders the
negotiations meaningless and makes it difficult for us to convince
our peoples of the feasibility and benefits of achieving peace. In
this regard, it would be unreasonable to impose conditions on the
Palestinian people, who are under occupation, while making
concessions to the occupation authorities in a reversal of logic that
does not inspire confidence in the seriousness, fairness and
credibility of the current peace process.
Mr. President,
We welcome the positive security developments that have recently
taken place in Iraq in its campaign against terrorism and militias.
We hope this will herald earnest political movement towards achieving
comprehensive national reconciliation among all the Iraqi people. The
Iraqi people have clearly manifested their consistent commitment to
the unity of Iraq, and their condemnation of acts of violence,
sabotage and strife among citizens of their common Iraqi homeland.
Accordingly, we reaffirm the need for non-interference in Iraq’s
internal affairs and express our grave concern at successive reports
indicating that certain States are continuing to provide financial
and military support for some militias, in flagrant violation of
Iraq’s sovereignty, in a reprehensible attempt to extend their
influence and hegemony over parts of its territory.
Mr. President,
My Government has welcomed the Doha Agreement reached among Lebanese
leaders under the gracious patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and the outstanding endeavors
by the Arab League and H.E. its Secretary-General. We congratulate
Lebanon on the election of H.E. President Michel Suleiman and the
formation of a government of national unity. It is our hope that this
will put an end to armed conflict among Lebanese, that efforts to
embark on a comprehensive national dialogue will be expedited and
that the Lebanese Government’s endeavors to extend its authority over
all Lebanese territory will be crowned with success. We also welcome
the agreement between Lebanon and Syria on the exchange of diplomatic
representation, the demarcation of their borders and normalization of
their relations.
We reiterate our support for Security Council resolutions 1757 and
1701 and call for rapid Israeli withdrawal from the Shebaa farms area
which Israel itself acknowledges to be occupied territory.
Mr. President,
Effective resolution of the problem of the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction requires the renunciation of double standards. We
therefore emphasize the importance of turning the entire Middle East,
including the Gulf region, into a zone free of all weapons of mass
destruction. In fact, Israel is the only country in the Middle East
which is armed to the teeth with all types of weapons of mass
destruction that are totally exempt from any form of control.
While supporting the right of all States to the peaceful use of
nuclear energy, we take very seriously the undertakings of Iran to
fully and strictly respect its obligation to prevent the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We hope that this
obligation will be put into practical effect in such a way as to
ensure a peaceful and rapid solution to the problem of the Iranian
nuclear program and save the region from devastating conflicts,
futile arms races and serious environmental hazards.
We reaffirm our support for the right of the United Arab Emirates to
recover its occupied islands by peaceful means, and hope that Iran
will respond rapidly and favorably to this call.
Mr. President,
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports the steps that were taken to
achieve peace in Darfur. It is important to avoid taking any measures
that would hinder the requisite cooperation by all the parties
involved to achieve this objective.
We also once again appeal to all the parties in our sister State
Somalia to put the national interest first, end the spiral of
violence and conflict and reach a comprehensive agreement that will
restore security and stability to that country.
Mr. President,
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has condemned it in all its forms and
manifestations and has achieved notable successes in combating it.
The Kingdom has also acceded to most of the international conventions
against terrorism.
The only way to achieve a decisive victory over terrorism and rid
ourselves of its evil is by dealing with its root causes. We must
settle disputes which cause people to fall prey to despair,
frustration and anger, in accordance with the principles of
international law. The United Nations must play an active role in
promoting the values of dialogue, tolerance and respect for the
various religions and cultures.
Mr. President,
We feel grave concern at the growing indications of a potential
return to the phase of cold war or hot peace among great powers. In
this connection, we wish to emphasize that successful solutions to
universal problems can be found only within the framework of
multilateral cooperation under United Nations auspices and in
accordance with the purposes and principles of its Charter and
international law.
Mr. President,
No region of the world has been unaffected by the repercussions of
the US credit crisis, which have had an impact on the international
financial system, thereby undermining the world economy and
confronting it with serious challenges that will entail a slow-down
in global real growth rates. This crisis is a natural consequence of
the lax application of laws and regulations insofar as financial
institutions have been allowed to manipulate banking systems and
devise speculative and unsound financial instruments that have
inflated the market value of their assets.
Our greatest fear is the imminence of a world-wide recession if the
financial crisis induces the governments of developed countries to
take measures that might curb the freedom of international trade and
reduce the flow of investments. We therefore appeal to the parties
concerned to take urgent and effective action to remedy the flaws in
the international financial system and strive to re-stabilize it. In
this regard, there is an imperative need to mobilize and coordinate
international endeavors through specialized multilateral
organizations in order to address this crisis and reach an
international agreement on ways to remedy the defects in the world
economy in such a way as to secure a financial system that offers
equal opportunities to all the parties while, at the same time,
providing appropriate liquidity for the developing countries and
safeguarding their monetary reserves from the collapse of any of the
major international currencies.
Mr. President,
The Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals constituted an
important turning point on the road towards the adoption of a common
developmental vision within a framework of complementarity between
national and international endeavors. Since its establishment, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has realized the importance of focusing on
development and education endeavors and has adopted successive
development plans which have helped it to integrate the Millennium
Goals in its national programs. The Kingdom has achieved notable
success in exceeding the objectives specified in the Millennium Goals
for some sectors and in making progress towards the achievement of
the remaining Goals even before the year 2015.
The emphasis placed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on
expanding education opportunities Worldwide led to my Government’s
recent declaration of allocating 500 million dollars for education
projects in developing countries.
Mr. President,
We believe that the urgent issues with which the world is faced, such
as climate change, food security and rising prices of basic
commodities necessitate cooperation by all the components of the
international community in order to find equitable solutions that
take into consideration the interests of all. It would be unfair to
require some to bear burdens exceeding their capacities while showing
indulgence to others who have been more instrumental in aggravating
the problem and are more capable of bearing the burdens entailed by
solutions thereto.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes its international responsibilities
in this regard very seriously. During the recent OPEC Summit in
Riyadh my government announced its donation of an amount of US$ 300
million for the establishment of a special fund for research on
energy, the environment and climate change.
Because of the importance of international cooperation in the energy
sector, Saudi Arabia is keen on promoting dialogue among producers
and consumers, and hosts the General Secretariat of the World Energy
Forum. The Jeddah Conference of Petroleum Producing and Consuming
Countries was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques, who launched his “Energy for the Poor” initiative. In
this context the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also announced that it would
be allocating US$ 500 million to offer easy loans by the Saudi
Development Fund to finance energy projects in developing countries.
Mr. President,
While a developing country itself, my country continues to assist
those countries with the highest needs. Saudi Arabia wrote off more
than 6 billion dollars of its loans to least developed countries. The
Kingdom has also donated US$ 500 million to the World Food Programme
to assist needy countries to meet the higher prices of basic food
commodities. In addition, Saudi Arabia’s contribution to the Islamic
Fund for Eradicating Poverty has reached one billion dollar. In
fact, Saudi Arabia contributes significantly to the capital of 18
international financial institutions and bodies.
During the last three decades, Saudi Arabia provided more than 90
billion dollars in assistance grants and soft loans to 86 developing
countries. This sum represents 4 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s GNP, far
higher than the percentage targeted by the United Nations.
--SPA
