New York: Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, headed the Sultanate of Oman’s delegation to the “Summit of the Future 2024” held on Monday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
In his speech at the opening of the summit, Sayyid Badr affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s steadfast commitment to multilateral action and international cooperation as the means to achieve the common goals sought by the Future Summit.
Sayyid Badr said that dialogue, realism and mutual respect are the basic principles adopted by the Sultanate of Oman in its foreign policy. He stressed that these values constitute a basic necessity in addressing the complex and global crises prevailing in the world today.
Sayyid Badr added that “the challenges we face cannot be addressed by traditional methods alone, but rather they require methodologies based on sustainable development concepts. Therefore, we must act wisely and begin policies that place future generations at the centre of attention."
Sayyid Badr pointed out that international peace and security are the two main pillars of world stability. In this context, he underlined the importance of applying preventive diplomacy, being the most significant means of preventing and resolving conflicts. He called for strengthening methods of international dialogue and mediation and the need to engage in full commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter to ensure the realisation of justice, peace and stability for all.
Stating that modern technology and digital cooperation are crucial factors in addressing environmental, economic and social challenges, he noted that technological innovations open up new vistas for upgrading the efficiency of resource use and cutting down harmful gas emissions. This, in turn, will contribute to promoting clean energy, achieving food and water security and developing more prosperous and sustainable societies.
Sayyid Badr also underlined the need to accord due importance to current political challenges incurred by the ongoing war in Gaza. This, he explained, highlights the fragility of the regional and international situations, which leads to the escalation of violence, the suffering of civilians and the failure of peace efforts. These, he observed, pose a threat to the principles of pluralism and the rule of law. He said that failure to learn from the past and understand the present, notably the Palestinian cause, hinders efforts to achieve a lasting peace.
Sayyid Badr also underscored the need “to get rid of the Cold War mentality that perpetuates bilateral divisions and is based on zero-sum game concepts”. He noted that “enhancing the effectiveness of international institutions in resolving conflicts depends largely on adopting more open and realistic thinking” which, he said, is consistent with the reality of today’s multipolar world.
The conflicts in the Middle East will not be resolved unless channels of dialogue and communication are opened with all parties, including those described by some members of the international community as “enemies”, Sayyid Badr said.
A sustainable solution can only be achieved by addressing the fundamental roots of the conflict, said Sayyid Badr, noting that the ongoing violations of international law since the establishment of the Zionist project have made the region less safe and that a just and lasting solution must be based on the principle of the Two-State Solution.
Sayyid Badr also stressed the need to reform multilateral frameworks to reflect the “evolving international reality”, through broader representation of different voices and by laying emphasis on justice and international law by resolving disputes through peaceful means.
At the conclusion of his speech, Sayyid Badr reaffirmed that the Sultanate of Oman will continue to support efforts that enhance cooperation, trust, understanding and justice among all.
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