UN General Assembly
2001

and world levels, and has adhered to the course of resolving disputes by peaceful means and by accepting and adhering to the principle of good-neighbourliness. On this basis, our political leadership, represented by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has made continuous and unremitting efforts to help end the strife between the warring factions in fraternal Somalia. It hastened to welcome the outcome of the Arta Peace Conference and was among the first to support the provisional national Government, under the leadership of President Salad Hassan, as a legitimate entity representing Somali national consensus. The ordeal that our Somali brothers are experiencing, both inside and outside the country, confronts the international community with its responsibility to provide aid and support to the provisional Government and to increase assistance to the Somali refugees in neighbouring countries, including our own. Our country has opened its arms to some 150,000 of our Somali brothers, despite the difficult economic circumstances it is currently experiencing. Recent events have proved beyond doubt that there is an urgent need to amend the rules of