UN General Assembly
1998

enabled to participate in the decision-making process relevant to the maintenance of international peace and security. We commend the efforts that went into the establishment of the International Criminal Court whose Statute was recently adopted in Rome. Lebanon supports the establishment of the Court and is determined to study its Statute positively. More than ever before, the international community is called upon to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes, especially in extremely sensitive regions of the world. We need also to address the root causes of the problems and thereby to defuse the crises before they turn into full-scale conflagrations. The time has come to solve pending problems, particularly those of the Middle East region. For instance, a settlement must be found to the question of the three islands in the Gulf disputed by the United Arab Emirates and Iran. Such a settlement should restore the disputed islands to their rightful owners and thus promote peace and stability among the States and the peoples of the region. If we are truly interested in the promotion of