On the first day of its two-year term at the United Nations Security Council, the UAE declared securing peace, advancing inclusion, building resilience and spurring innovation as its commitments that will guide its engagements with the UN member states.
Besides the UAE, Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana formally took up the posts they won in an election in June.
The 15-member council is the UN’s most powerful body. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent members, with veto power.
Other members are elected by the 193-member General Assembly for staggered, two-year terms that are allocated by global regions.
Media reports said that countries often campaign for seats for years, as winning gives them a say on peacekeeping missions and the council’s other approaches to conflict hotspots, plus a strong voice on overarching issues of international peace and security. Fifty of the 193 nations have not made it to the council.
Council members also can convene meetings on security topics of particular interest to them, and smaller countries get to share a prominent platform with world powers, the reports said.
“The UAE’s conduct on the UN Security Council will reflect who we are as a country and a people – tolerant, inclusive, and bound by the belief that we are stronger united,” said Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.
“Diplomacy is about dialogue, seeking out diverse views, and charting a path towards consensus. We will seek a convergence of views and a unified Council voice so that its decisions are met with the broadest possible support. We look forward to working with our colleagues on the Council – and the wider UN membership – to build bridges, strengthen multilateralism, and deliver on the Council’s mandate,” she said.
During its two-year term, the UAE will serve as president of the Security Council twice—March 2022 and June 2023.
The Security Council president, which rotates each month, sets the Council’s agenda and chairs the Council’s standing committees.
The UAE has said it will also serve not only as an Arab voice on the Council but also as a voice for the wider membership of the UN. That commitment includes enhanced cooperation with regional organizations such as the League of Arab States and the African Union.
The UAE has also promised to champion cross-cutting issues on the Security Council, including women, peace and security, climate change, and the use of technology to promote peace.
Counterterrorism and COVID 19 response and recovery are other issues the UAE intends to address.