"The policy of adhering to the principles of international legitimacy requires the United Nations to carry out its mission as mentioned in its Charter in an objective way and away from different points of influence that might limit the implementation of these principles in the best way possible in order to reach a world with no conflicts and no points of tension, a world where peace, justice and democracy prevail among countries and in which dialogue is deepened and broadened among different civilizations in the world of today. In addition to this, the North rich countries should shoulder their human responsibilities towards the countries of the South with the aim of reaching a more secure, a more confident and as a result a more stable world. We look forward to building the strongest relations with the states, peoples and international organizations on the basis of mutual respect and constructive cooperation and the safeguarding of international peace and security basing our relations on the rights of people to self-determination in a way that secures their lively interest."
From HE’s First Presidential Term Inauguration Speech
"The last of those regrettable matters, yet funny at the same time, is that resolution 242, which is one resolution, is interpreted in the Syrian direction differently from the Palestinian direction, because they believe that UN Security Council Resolutions are to be interpreted according to latitudes, longitudes and coordinates. But this will be change our convictions in the need for reaching just and comprehensive peace based on UN Resolutions and on the principle of land for peace, and Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan and from the occupied Palestinian territories back to the lines of 4th June 1967 as well as complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese Territories, and giving the Palestinian people their complete rights including their right to self-determination, repatriation of refugees and an independent and sovereign state with Al-Quads as its capital, in addition to the release of all Arab detainees imprisoned in Israeli jails and detention camps."
From HE’s Speech to the 9th Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
"There is a weakness in the United Nations and it is reflected on Iraq and the Middle East peace process. "The fundamental factor leading to international chaos is the absence of a role of the United Nations."
From HE’s Interview with Reuters
"As usual, the only outlet for them is the Security Council which the USA has transformed from a council to preserve security into one that destroys it by issuing a resolution that responds to the demands of Israel and saves it from its predicament at the expense of Lebanon, paving the way for further division and instability. If we go back to the Security Council resolutions issued in the past two years, i.e. resolutions 1559, 1860 and 1701, and those concerning Darfur for instance, among other resolutions, we would completely comprehend where the Security Council is heading to. It is heading towards interfering in the domestic affairs of member countries and creating turbulence. Some people say the Security Council is impotent, and this is not true. The Security Council was impotent when there was an international balance. Had the Security Council been impotent at present, the United States would not have relied on it to harm different places around the world. The truth is that the rest of the world, or perhaps most of it, has become impotent before the Security Council. We used to say "the international community". The international community is a group of countries, some of which are members of the Security Council, and some are their allies outside the Security Council. They fight us with or without the Security Council resolutions, which means they will fight us anyway. Yet the Security Council resolutions give them more freedom to move in this fight. On the other hand, our weakness lies in the fact that when we speak of the Security Council -some people in the Arab World and in the world at large say this is a Security Council resolution, or this is what the Security Council wants- as if it were a council with a divine power, or as if its resolutions were sacred or revealed by God, and indeed this is dangerous."
From HE’s Speech to Journalists Union 4th Conference
"We supported international legitimacy and did not support international disorder. International legitimacy is the UN charter, while international disorder is basing resolutions on the interests and moods of certain officials in this world. Those countries, those forces and everybody in this region and in the world should know that the era of tutelage which existed at the beginning of the last century is over, and now the region is in front of two choices, either resistance and steadfastness or chaos. There is no third choice. Resistance prevents chaos. Resistance has a price and chaos has a price, but the price of resistance is much less than the price of chaos. We need to know these things. But if they believe that they can blackmail Syria, we tell them they got the wrong address."
From a Speech by HE at Damascus University
"The United Nations, responsible for international security and peace and arbiter in regional and international conflicts, was once a hoped for authority to help achieving these goals. However, this organization was subjected to pressure, which weakened her capability to protect peace, deter aggression and defend rights. We are called upon to back up this world organization and principles of its Charter, so that its role in spreading peace and solving conflict in various parts of the world may be bolstered."
From HE Message Addressed by President Bashar Assad to the 15th World Festival of Youths and Students