Foreign Minister Delivers Saudi Arabia's Speech at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah delivered on Saturday, September 28, 2024, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's speech at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Following is the speech:
"We congratulate Philemon Yang on his election as president of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly and express our gratitude to Dennis Francis for his leadership during the 78th session.
We also thank UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his unwavering dedication to the principles and objectives of the UN Charter.
Mr. President,
A founding member of the UN, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been committed to upholding the principles of the UN Charter since its founding.
This commitment is demonstrated through our compliance with international law, dedication to preserving international peace and security, and active engagement in multilateral initiatives in various fields.
The Kingdom actively participated in drafting this week's Pact for the Future.
We view the Pact and the Summit of the Future as vital opportunities to reaffirm shared principles, strengthen collaborative efforts to address global challenges, promote peace and security, and advance sustainable development for future generations.
The Kingdom emphasizes empowering international financial institutions to ensure continued economic recovery and mitigate risks.
Mr. President,
Our world today is witnessing many crises exacerbated by the satisfaction of managing them without finding practical solutions to address them. This is due to the laxity of practical international efforts and selectivity in implementing international law and international humanitarian law.
This has resulted in the expansion of the circle of violence and conflicts and the threat to the principles of international legitimacy. This requires us to adhere to the principles and foundations set by the United Nations Charter, work together, and focus on long-term peaceful solutions that ensure the protection of civilians, end fighting and wars, and provide security and development regionally and internationally.
In light of the existing tensions between countries, the Kingdom adopts an approach of avoiding political polarization in the international community and seeks to enhance dialogue, understanding, and rapprochement between countries in a way that enhances global security and peace.
In this regard, the Kingdom reiterates its rejection and condemnation of all Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinian people. The recent attacks against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip represent just one chapter in the decades-long suffering of the Palestinians. Since last year, brutal Israeli actions have resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, predominantly women and children, through systematic bombings, killings, destruction, and imposed starvation. This is creating a major humanitarian catastrophe that continues to worsen daily.
Based on our categorical rejection of this tragic reality and the urgent need for action, the Kingdom hosted the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2023, in the presence of the leaders of the states and governments of the member states of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The resulting resolutions, reflecting the collective will of the Arab and Islamic peoples, called for an immediate end to the bloodshed, unrestricted delivery of aid, and fulfillment of the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people, including the restoration of their occupied lands and the establishment of an independent state.