‘UAE will bolster Arab voice in UN’

Dubai - The UAE is among the five new non-permanent members elected to the Security Council on Friday, alongside Albania, Brazil, Ghana and Gabon.

The UAE’s entry into the UN Security Council will strengthen the Arab voice in the UN and help find a long-term solution to some of the most pressing global issues, analysts said.

The UAE is among the five new non-permanent members elected to the Security Council on Friday, alongside Albania, Brazil, Ghana and Gabon. The UAE received 179 votes, Brazil got 181, Albania 175, Ghana 185, and Gabon 183.

“Thank you to our fellow member-states for the support and trust they have placed in the UAE today. We look forward to working alongside other Security Council members to secure peace, spur innovation, advance inclusion, and build resilience,” the country’s UN mission said in a statement.

Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, professor of political science at the UAE University, said the country will bring an Arab perspective to many issues, like challenges from Iran and the Palestinian issues that are endemic to the region.

“That will be part and parcel of the UAE’s representation. The UAE, represented by ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, will also lend an Arab as well global perspective to domestic as well international issues,” said Dr Abdulla. “Ours will be a voice of moderation in the UN.”

Mohammed Baharoon, director of Dubai Public Policy Research Centre, said the UAE will provide great energy to multilateralism in the region and the role of the UN as the paramount global governance body. “The UAE is the essence of what UNSC should be. It has a strong belief in multilateral cooperation which is engaged in its political DNA as a federation.”

He cited as examples the UAE’s involvement in de-escalation, stabilisation, development aid and capacity-building across the region in Somalia, Ethiopia Eritrea, Sudan, India and Pakistan.

“As the UNSC does, the UAE has taken responsibility in global coalitions for restoring peace and peace-building in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. This shows our level of commitment and dedication to the UN charter.”

The UAE has pledged to advance inclusion, spur innovation, build resilience and secure peace through its candidacy.

Sarah Al Amiri, UAE’s Minister for Advanced Technology said UAE believes innovation is critical to building prosperous and stable communities. “As an elected member of the UN Security Council for 2022-2023, we will rely on innovative approaches to promote peace and security.”

In an article in Jerusalem Post, political commentator and author Seth J. Frantzman said the UAE getting elected is an important achievement to the Gulf country.

“The UAE is a key country in the Middle East, working toward stability and economic success in the region. Close with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf state such as Bahrain, the UAE has pushed for moderation in the region, in contrast to extremist groups and proxies supported by those like Iran and Turkey,” said Ftantzman.

He said the Emirates has taken a stand against terrorism, and has also juggled regional responsibilities and played a role in Yemen and in Libya.

The UAE is the first country to normalise relations with Israel, a historic decision made last year, which was followed by other countries like Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

anjana@khaleejtimes.com