UN General Assembly
2012

of self-confidence that allows each of them to claim a higher moral and cultural ground. We have taken several effective steps on the road towards establishing the modern State aspired to by all Egyptians — one that is in tune with the present, based on the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights, a constitutional State that will not compromise the values firmly embedded in the souls of all Egyptians, a State that seeks justice, truth, freedom, dignity and social justice. The Egyptian revolution that was founded on the legitimacy that I represent before the Assembly today was not the product of a f leeting moment, or a brief uprising. Nor was it the product of the winds of change of a certain spring or autumn. Rather, that revolution, and all the ones preceding it and following it in the region, were triggered by the long-term struggle of indigenous national movements seeking a life of pride and dignity for all citizens. It therefore reflects the wisdom of history and is a clear warning to those