Statement of the Sultanate of Oman at the 75th Session of UN General Assembly

Your Excellency Mr Volkan Bozkir,

It gives me pleasure to congratulate you and the Republic of Turkey on your election as President of the United Nations General Assembly in its seventy-fifth session. We are confident that you will lead this session wisely and well.

I am also pleased to convey our thanks and appreciation to your capable predecessor His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of the Republic of Nigeria for his efforts throughout his presidency of the last session.

As the United Nations celebrates the 75th anniversary of its establishment, we would like to seize this opportunity to express our deep thanks and appreciation for the United Nations and His Excellency the Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his staff for their continued and tireless efforts to maintain international peace and security. We would like to assure you of the Sultanate of Oman's readiness to continue cooperation with you and all member states to achieve the noble purposes of the United Nations.

Mr President, representatives of the member states,

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has imposed huge changes on all our daily lives. However, we have to adapt to new ways of life however difficult these challenges might be. We have to remain optimistic of the future and envisage the best ways and practices in our cooperation to realize the common goals and purposes of our states and peoples. In the same context, the international community has a human duty to ensure that the resources to fight the pandemic, in particular the vaccines, are fairly distributed, especially in the least developed places, where medical facilities are limited.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created thorny economic challenges. In this respect, we call on donor nations and institutions to do all they can to facilitate the process of debt restructuring and pay special attention to helping the most affected countries in a way that would accelerate the smooth flow of the economy and stimulate growth.

Mr President,

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has reaffirmed categorically that the Sultanate of Oman will follow the wise policy developed by late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the builder of modern Oman and the mastermind of its foreign policy and international relations over the past fifty years.

The Sultanate of Oman follows the path of dialogue and encourages it. My country's government supports the values of tolerance, collective action and peaceful coexistence with all. We believe in the principles of justice, equality, good neighbourliness, the rule of law and non-interference in the internal affairs of others. We stress the peaceful settlement of disputes, based on the rules and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as an obligation that we all should honour.

While my country supports the sovereign right of states to determine whatever they deem as fit for their national interests, our common interests makes it incumbent upon us all to support peace and to participate effectively in efforts to disseminate it as a global culture by which people can progress and prosper.

From this standpoint, the Sultanate of Oman reiterates, from this international platform, its support for the legitimate and just demands of the Palestinian people, and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions as well as the Arab peace initiative, which is based on the principle of land for peace and the two-state solution.

Mr President,

My country calls upon all the parties in the Republic of Yemen to rally around the table of constructive dialogue, in order to reach a peaceful and consensual solution to the ongoing conflict. In this regard, we call on all parties to support the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen. We also call upon the international community, especially donor countries and organizations, to intensify efforts to provide and deliver humanitarian supplies, due to the critical situation and the tragic suffering of people in this Arab country.

Mr President,

We would like to express our support for Lebanon. We call upon the international community to support Lebanon in its reconstruction efforts and help it grapple with the impact of the recent tragic explosion in the port of Beirut.

Regarding Libya, the Sultanate of Oman welcomed the ceasefire agreement and the work to establish the mechanisms and arrangements for the resumption of oil production and export operations, and for the management of the revenue arising for the benefit of the people of Libya, for whom we wish security, stability and prosperity through the start of a peaceful settlement that would end division, build harmony and unity among one people and one country.

Mr President, dear colleagues,

This year, the Sultanate of Oman has taken important steps to restructure and modernise its administrative apparatus, in support of its current phase of economic development, within Oman Vision 2020-2040. This is all based on the principles of the Basic Statute of the State. I should mention in this respect, the principles of market economy that guide the economic system of the Sultanate Oman. This will, without doubt, enhance the value of our geographic location and its importance in international trade in the 21st century. This is compounded by political stability, tourist potential and the diverse investment opportunities in several fields and lucrative development sectors.

Oman has been an active participant in international and regional fora that produced the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The Sultanate of Oman has sought to translate its commitments into key components of the ninth five-year development plan and Oman Vision 2020 to 2040. Oman intends to continue to work to achieve the economic, social and environmental dimensions of Sustainable Development Goals within the specified time frame.

Mr President,

There is no doubt that young people constitute the hope of the present and the pillar of the future upon which countries rely in their development. Therefore, it has been necessary for governments to put young people in their priorities and provide everything that would harness their potential and develop their talents in order to ensure sustainable development carried out by them. Here I would like to express the continuous attention the Sultanate of Oman attaches to youth, keeping pace with developments in the world around us. This would help young people gain more capacities, knowledge and ensure their effective participation in the process of growth and development.

Mr President,

We live in a world of continuous and successive transformations towards scientific and technological advancement, and if humanity is to remain the master of technology in this new world, we are always in need to find ways and means of working together better than before and from one phase to another.

In closing, Mr President, my dear colleagues, allow me to convey to our best and friendly greetings from the Sultanate of Oman and our best wishes to our brothers and sisters all over the world, for good health and prosperity.