Opening Statement at the Seventh Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Palestine

“A just and lasting peace in the Middle East requires, a priori, a just solution to the problem of Palestine.” - Dr. Salim, July 23, 1980

This statement was delivered by Dr. Salim at the opening of the Seventh Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly in July 1980, convened to address the question of Palestine and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. 

In his remarks, Dr. Salim emphasized that the Palestinian question lay at the core of the Arab–Israeli conflict and that a just and lasting peace in the region required recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination. He called on the international community to work constructively through the United Nations to advance a peaceful settlement based on international law.