Speech by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at the closing of the annual conference of the heads of diplomatic and consular missions Carthage, August 25, 1999 In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Honorable Heads of Diplomatic and Consular Missions Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to meet with you at the end of your annual conference which has been a renewed opportunity for evaluating your diplomatic and consular activities and for considering their outlook in order to better serve the interests of our country, to consolidate its achievements and to strengthen its influence on the international scene. I have followed your proceedings with great interest especially as you assigned them a dominant theme namely the entry of our country into the next century and its readiness to occupy a seat in the United Nations Security Council. These are questions to which we give our undivided attention since diplomatic action is, in fact, constant interaction with world transformations and with all developments on the international scene especially at the level of the United Nations. Indeed, things have changed so much and the political, diplomatic, economic, social and cultural fields are increasingly interdependent. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our country's activity at international and United Nations levels is the product of immutable constants, namely the commitment to the United Nations Charter and the principles enshrined therein which serve the cause of peace, security and understanding among peoples, and propagate tolerance, mutual respect and the spirit of dialogue, cooperation and solidarity for just and equitable development ; all this in the context of international legality which does not accept the policy of double standards or the selective and discriminatory attitudes. Our country will work seriously and resolutely within the U.N. system in furtherance of these constants, in defense of their inherent values and in support of the constructive efforts being made at international and U.N. levels. We are convinced that one of the major challenges facing the international community today consists in eliminating the hotbeds of tension in the world and limiting the dangers of the economic and social crises which are raging in many regions, so that the next century may be a century of peace, tolerance and development, marked by the disappearance of all forms of violence and hatred between peoples. While reaffirming our country's constant readiness to continue to participate in peace- keeping operations, we wish to emphasize that such operations must necessarily be carried out within the framework of the U.N. system and particularly the Security Council, so as to preserve the foundations of stability and equilibrium within the international community. We sincerely hope for greater transparency and democracy in the various U.N. bodies especially the Security Council, to consolidate international legality and enhance the credibility of these bodies. Within this context, we wish to confirm Tunisia's support for the positive proposals made by the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in his reform program which aims at strengthening preventive diplomacy, developing the culture of democracy, supporting South-South cooperation, orienting the programs of the international organization towards the control of poverty, the protection of the environment and the insertion of women into the development process, and providing the funds needed in order to finance the program of integrated development. While following attentively the ongoing profound transformations in the world, we believe that facing the challenges of the new century will require increased effectiveness on the part of the Security Council in the performance of its tasks, which obviously implies that the reform of this international structure should be given undivided attention. In this regard, we wish to emphasize the need to confer a character of full representativity on the Security Council, to promote its role in the area of security and peace-keeping in the world, and to take into account the interests of the developing countries through expansion of its composition to include all regional groups. We also reaffirm our support of the demand made by the African group for the allocation of two permanent seats to Africa to be occupied in turns by the countries of the continent with the same privileges as those enjoyed by the current permanent seats. We further reiterate our support of the effort to allocate two permanent seats to Germany and Japan in view of their weight on the international scene. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our relations with the fraternal Maghreb countries both bilaterally and within the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) have constantly been the focus of our attention, desirous as we are of strengthening the ties of brotherhood and diversifying the fields of cooperation among our peoples and our States. And while we have lost, with the passing of the late-lamented King Hassan II (may God have mercy upon him) a dear brother, a sovereign loved by his people and a great Maghreb leader who was one of the founders of UMA, we are sure to find in the person of his son, His Majesty King Mohamed VI, the best upholder of his work, and a powerful support to the continuation of our common advance towards the fulfillment of our Maghreb peoples' aspirations to integration, unity, solidarity and the completion of the union process. We have also noted these convictions on the part of our brother leaders of the Maghreb during our meeting with our brother, His Excellency Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, as well as during our meetings and contacts with our two brothers, Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, Leader of the Libyan Revolution, and His Excellency Mr. Mouaouia Ould Sidi Ahmed Taya, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Our choice in this regard is a strategic one : To render the UMA institutions operational is at the top of our list of priorities. We have worked with equanimity and constancy to overcome the temporary difficulties that have impeded the progress of the Union. On this path, we felt reassured by the results we noted in the recent period, as well as by the obvious readiness of all concerned parties to surmount the obstacles, and their firm resolve to prepare the right conditions for a resumption of the union process. It is our hope that the pattern of our cooperation will be strengthened and the pace of interaction among our States quickened for the fulfillment of our peoples' aspirations to complementarity and integration. We also consider the Maghreb Union to be an essential factor for the unity of Arab ranks since it strengthens the relations of cooperation, complementarity and joint action, as well as an ideal tool for promoting cooperation with the Mediterranean countries and the international groups near us in Europe and Africa, and for meeting the major challenges that are beginning to emerge on the threshold of the new century. While appreciating the steps taken towards reviving the Maghreb Union process since the thirty-fifth session of the Follow-Up Committee held in sisterly Algeria, we look forward to meeting with our brother leaders of the Maghreb States at the next Summit of UMA due to be held before the end of this year. This Summit, we believe, will signal the beginning of a privileged stage in the process of building the Maghreb Union. It is our hope that the Summit will afford us the best opportunity to exchange views and deepen consultation and coordination among us concerning the major problems facing our region and the Arab and Islamic world in general. We are equally pleased to see the reasons for tension in our region fading thanks to the positive developments which came to light in the Lockerbie affair with the help of our country and various other good offices. These developments have ended the difficulties imposed on the brotherly Libyan people, which harmed all our peoples and our States and adversely affected the activities and international relations of the Union. We seize this opportunity to renew our calls for an early and definitive lifting of the embargo imposed against Libya so that all the consequences of the crisis may be eliminated. There is no doubt that the conditions in our Arab region and the Middle East in particular, require the resumption of the peace process which has long been frozen and stalled. We hope that the period of the setback will have demonstrated to everyone the extent of the dangers caused by an atmosphere of tension, mistrust and lack of credibility. These are risks that the region cannot avoid unless all the necessary conditions are met for a resumption, in all seriousness and without procrastination, of the process towards comprehensive, just and durable peace based on the principle of land-for-peace and the agreements signed between the parties concerned. It is our hope that the recent developments which have occurred in Israel will serve as a framework for an emergence of the will for peace so that the peace process may be finally salvaged, the brotherly Palestinian people may regain their legitimate right to self-determination and to building an independent State on their national soil with Al Quds Al-Sharif as capital, the brotherly Syrian and Lebanese peoples may recover their occupied territories, and the entire region may find the road to peace, prime foundation of stability and lasting cooperation. However, the essential conditions for security and stability will remain incomplete as long as the brotherly Iraqi people continue to be subjected to the embargo imposed on them, as long as the situation in the region has not been saved from a practically periodic aggravation of tension, and as long as no solution has been found to restore normalcy so that Iraq may occupy its natural place within its Arab and international environment. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our approach to joint Arab action and effective ways to develop it has constantly been in line with the demands involved in the regional and international developments. It is in this framework that we advocated the establishment, within the League of Arab States, of a mechanism for the prevention, management and settlement of disputes, which would be invested with the responsibility of strengthening security and stability in the Arab countries and preserving their foundations. This, in our view, would contribute to strengthening the bases of cooperation and solidarity among our States and our peoples in such a way as would enable them to devote themselves entirely to the work of full development within the framework of complementarity and unified efforts. Having acceded, from the outset, to the agreement establishing a pan-Arab free-trade area, our country has applied itself to implementing the first stages of the project's execution program pending completion of the creation of this zone in 2007. In this, we have no motivation other than our deep faith in the necessity of establishing an Arab economic bloc capable of dealing, on an equal footing, with the other regional groups ; not to mention the opportunities that such a grouping would offer for the consolidation of ties among our countries and our brotherly peoples at this crucial turning point in our history. Our action for strengthening our inter-Arab relations is only equaled by our commitment to consolidate Tunisia's deeply-rooted position in its Islamic environment. To that effect, our country has extended its support to all the efforts made to revitalize the role of the Organization of the Islamic Conference as a special framework for understanding and cohesion among all Islamic States, for safeguarding the true image of our sublime religion, and keeping pace with our time by encouraging in-depth reflection on the crucial problems of the Islamic nation with a view to enhancing its prestige in the world. We are proud to note the respect and credibility that Tunisia enjoys within this Organization as reflected in the positive and favorable responses with which our suggestions invariably meet. Today, we pay homage to the Islamic States which expressed, at their recent meeting in Ouagadougou at Foreign Ministers' level, their unanimous support of Tunisia's candidacy for membership in the Security Council for the 2000-2001 two-year period. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our desire to consolidate our relations with the African countries is the product of a strategic approach in which Africa occupies a special place considering Tunisia's historical, geographic and civilizational ties with it. We have applied ourselves to consolidating the relations of cooperation with the brotherly African countries in the various fields within the framework of partnership and the relations of cooperation and solidarity at both bilateral and multilateral levels. We are aware that the ability to meet the challenges assailing Africa is dependent on the elimination of the climate of instability which prevails in certain regions of the continent. Tunisia, which has constantly supported the efforts made by the Organization of African Unity to resolve disputes, contain hotbeds of tension and stimulate the process of cooperation and complementarity with the brotherly African countries, wishes to reaffirm once more its determination to continue assuming its role in Africa, by helping to find durable solutions to current disputes and litigations, and contributing to the positive revitalization of economic relations among African States. However, the responsibility for resolving current conflicts lies fully with the African continent. For our part, we have sought to assume this duty from the position we hold, and worked for narrowing the gap between the positions of the parties to the conflict in both Ethiopia and Eritrea, by dispatching two emissaries to the Presidents of the two fraternal States with the aim of resolving their dispute through peaceful means and sparing this sensitive region of the Horn of Africa and indeed the entire continent the consequences of the conflict. We have also extended our support to the efforts made to settle the raging conflict in the Great Lakes region, about which we had proposed, as far back as 1995, the convening of an international conference to analyze all the aspects of the conflict which has only lasted too long and whose repercussions are increasingly serious for security and stability in Africa. It is our hope that the different parties to these two conflicts as well as the parties to the conflict in Angola will opt for peace by leaving it to international legality and accepting the relevant resolutions of the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations. While appreciating regional and international initiatives and good offices to contain the hotbeds of tension, we call for greater efforts and increased mobilization of international energies to find appropriate solutions particularly on the part of the rich countries which have a duty to assume a pivotal role in all efforts to serve peace, stability and world cooperation. The improvement of African conditions being a collective responsibility which lies with all the countries of the continent on the one hand, and all the international community on the other, we reiterate the appeal we have made in the various international forums for the conclusion of a contract of peace and progress establishing the principle of full solidarity advocated by the international community. Ladies and Gentlemen, It is really distressing to note at this stage in world history as humanity prepares to enter a new millennium after having achieved in less than one century, more progress than during the preceding millenniums, that the gulf is incessantly widening between peoples amid continued aggravation of misery and destitution in many regions of the world thus creating shady areas over entire sections of humankind. This, in our view, is one of the greatest challenges facing world conscience today. Indeed, the persistence of these excessive imbalances constitutes a moral contradiction with the progress achieved elsewhere and a flagrant conflict with the noble ideals we all are seeking to establish all over the world. Despite the efforts exerted at the level of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) which has made the struggle against poverty one of its programs priorities, of the follow-up mechanism set up by the Copenhagen Social Summit, and of all the other programs developed for the same purpose be it at the level of the World Bank or the Euro-Mediterranean Program, and despite also the objective set in Copenhagen to increase to 0.7% of the Gross Domestic Product of the industrialized nations, the volume of aid to the struggle against poverty, the assistance given to date is hardly in excess of 0.2%. For our part, we consider this figure a regrettable indication of the persistence of this problem and, at the same time, an alarm signal which should prompt international action of solidarity which we perceive as a fundamental link between peoples. We wish to take this opportunity to launch an appeal to all the world leaders as well as to the various U.N. and other international institutions to establish a "World Solidarity Fund" whose mission it would be to collect donations and voluntary contributions and use them in the struggle against poverty and for the development of the most deprived regions in various parts of the world, particularly the most disadvantaged countries and the countries in the grip of various scourges and crises. Tunisia will make the most of its contacts with brotherly and friendly countries, and of its presence within the U.N. bodies and other international organizations to enlist support for this humanitarian project, and help towards its clarification and early implementation. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our relationship with the European Union assumes special importance. As you know, we are focusing our attention and our follow-up action on the implementation of the Association Agreement which came into force over a year ago. We are making serious and diligent efforts, during this transitional period of the Agreement, to meet the challenges caused by the intensification of competition at the financial and socio-economic levels. Our means to that effect is the rehabilitation of our institutional environment with all its components also counting in this on adequate support from our European partners to further the interests of all parties and strengthen the exemplary relations between Tunisia and the European Union. We may keep in mind the approach of the second phase of negotiations in the framework of the Agreement. This is a crucial phase in our relationship with the E.U. as it concerns the marketing of our agricultural products especially olive oil. We attach great importance to the proceedings of the reflection committees and specialized commissions in charge of preparations for those negotiations. It is our belief that action to ensure coordination and equilibrium between support policies, by the European Union in favor of the partners in its immediate vicinity and in the Mediterranean basin, as well as action to effect the transfer of the public debt of those partners and to speed up the completion of the remaining partnership agreements with them, constitute the best option for ensuring the achievement of the partnership set objectives. Tunisia was the first country on the southern shore of the Mediterranean to sign an association agreement with the European Union. We are anxious to make a success of this pioneering experience. For this reason, we should emphasize the comprehensive character of the Agreement which, in our view, goes beyond the economic and financial aspects to promote our relations to the level of a civilizational contract between peoples that possess a deep-rooted historical heritage based on the common values of tolerance, understanding, cooperation and rejection of all forms of violence and extremism. The Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue which was launched at the Barcelona Conference, has been established for the future partnership in our region. The Third Conference held recently in Stuttgart has given fresh impetus to this partnership. Our country has participated effectively in this process from the outset, in its desire to build durable stability and coherent development in our region. In this context, it hopes that agreement will be reached to address the subject of collective security and cooperation requirements through an all-encompassing and balanced rapprochement. We consider that the completion of the project of " The Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability " in whose preparation our country is participating, will constitute an appropriate platform for the achievement of those objectives. Ladies and Gentlemen, The manifestations of the nascent globalization are confronting the international community with new challenges and laying the foundations for conditions that are different from the previous ones. This development invites the Non-Aligned Countries to renew their role, push forward the dialogue between countries, and promote cooperation and solidarity among them for the establishment of peace and security in the world, and the achievement of socio-economic development which would provide prosperity and progress for all peoples. Tunisia, through its membership of the Security Council at the forthcoming session will work for firmly establishing the noble principles upon which the Movement was based and for conveying the Movement's stances and views within the framework of the U.N. system. In this context, we welcome the idea of creating a mechanism of consultation at the highest level among the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of the Eight most industrialized nations, to address those central issues and thus contribute to preparing a better future for the whole mankind. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our country expressed at the appropriate time its position towards the injustice against the Kosovar people and denounced the acts of ethnic cleansing and mass exodus to which they had been subjected. Human conscience strongly condemns the barbaric acts which took place on the threshold of a century which has been designated by the international community as the Century of Human Rights. Our country contributed to alleviating the plight of the Kosovar people by sending a resident health mission at the time of the crisis. We are proud of the welcome extended to this mission by the inhabitants of the Province and the good impressions left by the mission with humanitarian organizations and world public opinion. Our country was gratified by the ending of the aggression against the Kosovar people. It hopes that right will be restored under the auspices of peace and security and that all the peoples of the region will turn their attention to development work and efforts to establish good neighborliness and lay the foundations for cooperation. Ladies and Gentlemen, Our determination to develop the relations with our environment is coupled with our strong will to promote the modes of communication and cooperation with the countries of the American and Asian continents. Driven by this powerful desire, we have made an effort to organize traveling diplomatic missions to visit countries where we have no permanent diplomatic missions. After the first mission to a number of African countries, which, we hope, will contribute to the establishment of stronger and wider economic relations, the last two missions to a number of Latin American, Asian and Australasian countries met with appreciation by the host countries and offered many opportunities for discussion on effective ways to strengthen bilateral relations and on the issues of mutual concern at the international and regional levels. In addition, we have sought to give new impetus to our relations with countries that have traditionally had close relations with us such as the United States of America. The American initiative aimed at establishing a partnership with the North African countries has retained our attention for we consider it an opportunity to expanding the network of our economic partners, to enable our country to penetrate the vast American market and its huge financial and technological resources, and to revitalize the process of Maghreb cooperation and integration. While expressing our satisfaction at the results of the ministerial meeting which took place recently in Washington between officials of the concerned countries, we believe that this project may enter the founding stage through development of a work program that would allow the establishment of sectoral mechanisms in the fields of trade, investment, human resources development and technical cooperation besides ensuring the establishment of mechanisms for financial cooperation and debt transfer. These steps are likely to contribute effectively towards the success of the proposed partnership. Ladies and Gentlemen, Diplomatic action is one of the pillars of our national progress and a powerful support of our domestic development effort. On this basis, the role of our structures abroad assumes increasing importance considering the backing needed by our national endeavors in terms of opportunities for partnership and cooperation with brotherly and friendly countries at the current stage. In this framework, our diplomatic missions are called upon, in addition to their different tasks, to assume an economic role which must occupy a fundamental place in their work priorities. Therefore, they are required to increase their focus on promoting exports by preserving traditional markets and winning new ones for our products, to open up new horizons for the employment of our national experts , in the field of technical cooperation, and to attract direct foreign investment to our country. The security, stability and social peace enjoyed by Tunisia, as well as Tunisia's capital of trust and consideration abroad and the guarantees and facilities it offers foreign and domestic investments alike make your tasks easier and your actions more effective. In this regard, we count on all our national energies particularly in the private sector which assumes special responsibility considering the ongoing economic transformations, the continuing liberalization of market mechanisms, and the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs and economic actors with competing capabilities. However, the motivation of all potentialities is dependent on the ability to ensure strict programming, coordination between all the intervening parties, and the sense of initiative and creativity, which invest our ambassadors with a major responsibility and a delicate role. Ladies and Gentlemen, Care for the Tunisians abroad is one of the priorities of our national policy. Indeed, we have done a great deal for them in terms of providing them with social, cultural and religious training personnel, supporting the Arab language tuition for their children, or backing the fabric of associations within which they carry out their social activities. At our meeting with them on the seventh of this month, we noted their profound interaction with all our initiatives and measures in their favor, and with the gains they have made in the new era. Taking care of their interests, protecting their rights and defending those rights whenever required are among the essential tasks of our embassies and consulates. The purpose is to safeguard their dignity and deepen their sense of belonging to their homeland. Ever since the Change took place, we have sought their participation in the major national events. I therefore invite you to provide the best possible conditions to enable the Tunisians abroad to exercise their electoral right under the auspices of neutrality and transparency on the occasion of the forthcoming presidential elections. The aim is to enhance their commitment to the homeland, their rallying around it and their pride in the citizenship under its flag. Ladies and Gentlemen, The responsibility you are assuming in representing the Tunisia of the Change is an honor which I know you duly appreciate. I am confident that you will continue your efforts to enhance the prestige of the homeland in all the fields of diplomatic action with your usual perspicacity, determination and militancy. May God grant you success. Thank you for your attention. Speech by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali before the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Tunis (23 January 2003) Speech by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali before the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to Tunis (15 January 2002) Foreign Policy Speech by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (29 January 2001) Foreign Policy Speech by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (27 January 2000) Adress by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at the Ceremony for the Accreditation of New Foreign Ambassadors (13 January 2000) Foreign Policy Speech by President Ben Ali (28 January 99)