During his virtual address at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Tuesday, United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign affairs minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan officially announced his country’s candidacy for the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) two-year rotating non-permanent seat. Affirming the UAE’s commitment to the UN mandate and the maintenance of international security and peace, Sheikh Abdullah confirmed that Abu Dhabi was looking to contest the position for the 2022-23 term.
In his address, Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE continues to reject the illegal annexation of Palestinian land by Israel, pointing to the Washington-brokered Abraham Accord signed between the Emirates and the Jewish state earlier this month as a path to achieving peace in the region. By signing the deal, he said, the UAE “was able to freeze the annexation decision and open broad prospects to achieve a comprehensive peace”. The minister further affirmed that peace in Yemen—where the UAE currently supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council—can only be restored by a Yemeni-led political decision.
Sheikh Abdullah also raised concerns regarding regional security threats, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and highlighting Abu Dhabi’s fears that Ankara’s military intervention has destabilized the region and “undermined” international peacebuilding efforts. He also called for UN-led political processes to confront the looming risks of militant and terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Houthis.
Pointing to the growing regional influence of these extremist groups, Sheikh Abdullah also said that the threat of warfare—both in cyberspace and through the use of sophisticated weapons—is increasing in strategic areas. He said that, despite all these threats, the UAE believes that it can transform these mounting challenges into opportunities by building international bodies and uniting regional efforts that are capable of coping with these threats.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash reiterated this position at an online meeting with the New York-based Council of Foreign Relations, stating that the Emirates’ “track record speaks for itself.” He elaborated that the UAE wants to bring to the UNSC “new thinking” from the Arab world and that it wants to try and push for a more rules-based international system as well as bring in optimism for cooperation from a region that people do not usually expect it from.
A UNSC seat would allow the UAE to be on the negotiating table for internationally binding legal decisions like the imposition of sanctions and the authorization to use force. The vote is set to take place in June 2021, and the UAE would require a two-thirds majority from the General Assembly to secure its position. However, usually, Council seats for the Arab world are allotted uncontested from the regional group, so the UAE could also have a clear route to its seat. It has also previously served on the UNSC in 1986-87.
In his address, Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE continues to reject the illegal annexation of Palestinian land by Israel, pointing to the Washington-brokered Abraham Accord signed between the Emirates and the Jewish state earlier this month as a path to achieving peace in the region. By signing the deal, he said, the UAE “was able to freeze the annexation decision and open broad prospects to achieve a comprehensive peace”. The minister further affirmed that peace in Yemen—where the UAE currently supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council—can only be restored by a Yemeni-led political decision.
Sheikh Abdullah also raised concerns regarding regional security threats, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and highlighting Abu Dhabi’s fears that Ankara’s military intervention has destabilized the region and “undermined” international peacebuilding efforts. He also called for UN-led political processes to confront the looming risks of militant and terrorist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Houthis.
Pointing to the growing regional influence of these extremist groups, Sheikh Abdullah also said that the threat of warfare—both in cyberspace and through the use of sophisticated weapons—is increasing in strategic areas. He said that, despite all these threats, the UAE believes that it can transform these mounting challenges into opportunities by building international bodies and uniting regional efforts that are capable of coping with these threats.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash reiterated this position at an online meeting with the New York-based Council of Foreign Relations, stating that the Emirates’ “track record speaks for itself.” He elaborated that the UAE wants to bring to the UNSC “new thinking” from the Arab world and that it wants to try and push for a more rules-based international system as well as bring in optimism for cooperation from a region that people do not usually expect it from.
A UNSC seat would allow the UAE to be on the negotiating table for internationally binding legal decisions like the imposition of sanctions and the authorization to use force. The vote is set to take place in June 2021, and the UAE would require a two-thirds majority from the General Assembly to secure its position. However, usually, Council seats for the Arab world are allotted uncontested from the regional group, so the UAE could also have a clear route to its seat. It has also previously served on the UNSC in 1986-87.