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Saudi Arabia

position paper, courtesy of Greg Kahn.

Mr. President,

The Secretary-General,

Distinguished Delegates,

Let me be the first to offer congratulations to the new President of the General Assembly. Your election is a great indication of the progress that the UN has made, and continues to make. I believe that this will be the most productive and effective year yet for the United Nations. Under your direction, we hope to achieve many goals this session.

I would also like to send thanks to the Secretary-General Kofi Annan who, in a tireless effort has helped make the United Nations the most productive political body in the entire world. His ideas and visions continue to strengthen the UN as I speak.

International Peace and Security

Mr. President,

Saudi Arabia foreign policy objectives are to maintain its security and its paramount position on the Arabian Peninsula, defend general Arab interests, promote solidarity among Islamic governments, and maintain cooperative relations with other oil- producing and major oil-consuming countries. It has always been Saudi Arabia's policy to keep peace in our nation and in our neighboring countries. Unfortunately, being located in the Middle East we face many problems with other Arab nations. Saudi Arabia has continued remain peaceful throughout the conflicts in our region. We hope that during this session even more will be done to improve the peace and security in the Middle East.

Terrorism

Saudi Arabia believes that all terrorism must be put to an end. Recent events have connected Bin Laden's organization to our nation. We have stated that we never have approved of terrorism, and in fact we had expelled Bin Laden from our country for his extremist ideas. It should be clear to the other delegates that we would like to put a stop to other forms of terrorism before the issue of state terrorism is dealt with. We think that state terrorism is the same as declaring war, and should be treated the same way. Other forms of terrorism committed by Islamic groups or right wing rebels should be ended without further delay.

Land Mines

Even though this is a new issue for Saudi Arabia, we would like to say that it has become a very important one. This is considered by Saudi Arabia to be form of terrorism, and therefore should be terminated. Not being directly involved Saudi Arabia stills feels that it is necessary to address this problem.

Drug Trafficking

Saudi Arabia carries very stiff penalties for Drug Traffickers in our nation. Usually death will be the penalty, for there has been a recent increase in heroine and cocaine use during the last year. Most of these drugs have come from South American nations, and Saudi Arabia urges the UN to bring this issue up in the General Assembly.

Land and Territory

For years now, Saudi Arabia has had a dispute with the nation of Yemen over a large section of boundary. Being a nation that is full of Deserts, Saudi Arabia needs all of the useful lands necessary. Only 2% of Saudi Arabia's land are arable with great extremes of temperature. The land that has been ours since the early 1990s is now being disputed by Yemen who claims to have rights to it. Also there has been no finalization of the boundaries with UAE but is stuck with the 1974 agreement for now. Finally, the nation of Kuwait has claimed ownership of the Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands, which are still Saudi Arabia lands. We ask the UN to help Saudi Arabia keep their lands and also distinguish boundaries for areas that do not have them.

The OPEC

Saudi Arabia, being part of the OPEC, a very powerful organization is not pleased with the other Middle Eastern Nations in the organization. Saudi Arabia maintains a moderate stance by accepting an unchanged oil output quota of eight million barrels a day. We were the only country to volunteer no increase. Oil being Saudi Arabia's best export has helped our country learn to compromise with the western nations. Thanks to this oil wealth, Saudi Arabia has managed to push ahead with industrial development by building a broad industrial base that not only helps meet domestic needs, but also competed in markets abroad. Some Arab nations would say that we have sold out to the Western nations such as the USA and the UK. Saudi Arabia would like to respond and say that we are taking the initiative to be friendly with these nations so that the world will become an easier place in which to carry on business. We have never compromised our national security for one of these nations. Saudi Arabia hopes that other Arab nations can follow our lead.

The GCC

In contrast to our relations with Iran or Iraq, Saudi Arabia's ties with the small Arab oil-producing states along its eastern flank have been historically close. Since 1992 the Kingdom has been allied with fellow monarchies and shaykhdoms of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Saudi Arabia has taken the lead in this organization by putting it together as Iraq looked to be controlling the 1980 Iran-Iraq war. In fear of Iraqis taking an aggressive nature in the Middle East, we turned to other countries on or near the Arabian Peninsula, who shared the same concern. It was apparent in 1990 and the invasion of Kuwait that these fears were realistic. Saudi Arabia believes that the GCC needs to be funded by more western countries so that if something like the 1990 conflict happens again, that the GCC can fight back instead of looking for help.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia regards both aggression and sabotage as potential threats to our country's national security. Therefore our primary foreign policy objective is to maintain political stability in the broader Middle East area that surrounds the Arabian Peninsula. Our principal concerns focus on our two more populous and more powerful neighbors, Iraq and Iran. Since 1970, Saudi Arabia has perceived each of these countries alternately as friend and foe, and the nature of our relations with Iran and Iraq can affect our relations with any country at any given time.

Petroleum

As the world's leading exporter of Petroleum, Saudi Arabia has a special interest in preserving a stable and long-term market for our vast oil resources by allying ourselves with healthy Western economies that can protect the value of Saudi financial assets. We will continue to act in a manner to stabilize the world oil market and try to moderate sharp price movements. Saudi Arabia has had strained relations with neighboring nations because of these alliances, but they are necessary to keep our economy which has grown extensively, on track.

Environmental issues

Since Saudi Arabia has very little good land, it has prompted our nation to develop extensive seawater desalination facilities provide water for everyday use. Also with the constant use of the Persian Gulf as a port to import and export oil our shores are not in a satisfactory condition, many times covered in oil slicks. Saudi Arabia implores the UN to take up the problem of how to transport more clean water to our people and to clean up the oil in the water right now.

Human Rights

Despite our close relations with the United States we are continually criticized for our restrictions on the freedom of speech and press, peaceful assembly and association, and religion; denial of the right of citizens to change their government; systematic discrimination against women and ethnic and religious minorities and suppression of workers' rights. But in fact Saudi Arabia has created new committees to help better represent the people and what they need. As for our policies on women, they are fine because in our religion women have a certain place in society and they are there for a reason. We ask that other nations respect our religion and what is required of the Islamic people.

Israel

Saudi Arabia actively supports the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. A charter member of the Arab League, Saudi Arabia supports the Arab position that Israel must withdraw from the territories that it occupied in June 1967, including East Jerusalem. Saudi Arabia supports a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict but we rejected the Camp David accords, because they would be unable to achieve a solution that could ensure Palestinian rights and address the status of Jerusalem.