United Arab Emirates, 2013

At the outset, I would

like to join previous speakers in congratulating the

President of the General Assembly on his election to

serve at its sixty-eighth session. I am confident that

his experience in international affairs will contribute

to the success of this session. I would also like to take

this opportunity to commend his predecessor, Mr. Vuk

Jeremi., for his wise leadership during the last session,

and to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his

staff for their tireless efforts to promote global peace,

security and development.

The United Arab Emirates continues to firmly

believe in the purposes and principles of the United

Nations, as enshrined in its Charter, calling for the

protection of international peace and security, the

promotion of peaceful coexistence among nations and

peoples through the peaceful resolution of international

disputes, respect for the provisions of international

law, and non-interference in the internal affairs of

States. Those goals also call for us to foster a climate

favourable to international relations based on tolerance,

non-violence and recognition of others. My country

has followed such an approach in its regional and

international relations.

However, we cannot conceal our deep concern at

the recent events in the Arab region associated with

sectarian strife, an escalation in terrorist attacks

and growing incitement to violence, which, in turn,

have given rise to extreme polarization in the region

and among its peoples, severely impacting stability

and development. In the Arab Gulf, we see how

extremism and terrorism in the Kingdom of Bahrain

are threatening to undermine security and stability and

destroy a history of tolerance in which sectarianism has

never played any role. The situation has been further

aggravated by the politicization and exploitation of

the religion of Islam by those seeking to use it as a

tool to exclude and marginalize other segments of

society, which, until now, had all lived in constructive,

harmonious and peaceful coexistence.

All of this has led to widespread fears about the

fate of the national State and what that implies in

terms of the undermining of the pillars of the State,

the wasting of its resources and the weakening of its

economy. As members may be aware, such difficult

conditions have put the young people of the region in

jeopardy of falling into the clutches of extremism and

violence, especially in a climate of growing despair and

lack of opportunities.

That is why the United Arab Emirates gives

paramount importance to its efforts aimed at promoting

a culture of moderation and non-violence and fighting

extremism in all its forms. In that regard, I refer in

particular to my country’s initiative to fight extremism

through the Hedayah International Centre of Excellence

for Countering Violent Extremism. The United Arab

Emirates actually proposed the Centre’s establishment

at a meeting held here at the United Nations, and today

the Centre is seeing the light.

In that context, I can only condemn in the strongest

possible terms all cowardly attacks, but particularly

the terrorist attack committed at the shopping centre

in Nairobi, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of

innocent victims.

The United Arab Emirates is deeply disappointed

at the international community’s inability to put an

immediate end to the worsening tragedy of the brotherly

Syrian people caused by continual military actions and

indiscriminate and systematic bombings by Syrian

forces in Damascus. So far, more than 100,000 people

have been killed and millions of people have been

injured or displaced. This is an extremely dangerous

violation of international law and international

humanitarian law.

We are deeply concerned at the increasingly serious

implications of the conflict in Syria and the entire region.

We strongly condemn and reject all crimes against

humanity committed by the Syrian regime, especially

the chemical attack against Ghouta, Damascus, which

killed thousands of civilians, including children.

We therefore call upon the international community

to take all measures necessary to punish the Syrian

regime for its massacring of civilians. The Assembly

should be aware of the frustration that we and the

majority of countries in the region feel with respect

to the dysfunction of United Nations mechanisms that

could have prevented the Syrian regime’s aggressive

acts against its own people. The Organization’s failure

to act is directly responsible for exacerbating the

humanitarian tragedy that we are witnessing in Syria

today. It is also responsible for the threat to the Syrian

State, Syrian society and the Syrian people.

The United Arab Emirates has fulfilled its

responsibilities with respect to ongoing relief operations

for the Syrian people and continues to provide all kinds

of aid — building hospitals, providing medical supplies

and staffing medical teams. It calls for concerted

international and regional efforts, directly or through

international organizations, to meet the humanitarian

needs of Syrians displaced inside Syria and across

the country’s borders, with a view to alleviating their

suffering.

In that context, we are seeking in these meetings

to address the issues of our region, its stability and

its future. That the issues and events that take place

in Egypt are very important and cannot be overlooked

is beyond question. Egypt is a pivotal State whose

stability and civil peace signify that the region is

beginning to recover. Accordingly, the United Arab

Emirates is following with great interest the positive

developments that are occurring in Egypt, as we firmly

believe that Egypt plays a key role in ensuring stability,

development and prosperity. There is no doubt that a

stable and calm Egypt is vital to security and peace,

not only in the Arab region, but in the world as a whole.

On 30 June, Egypt experienced a second wave of

revolution, when tens of millions of Egyptians expressed

their resolute will to draw up a road map for a better

future for their country. In it the ground is laid for an

inclusive democratic path based on the participation of

all segments of society without any exceptions, within

the framework of a policy characterized by moderation,

centrism, non-violence and the non-use of religion as a

means to exclude or classify or to foment sectarianism or

hatred. The United Arab Emirates therefore believes that

the sovereign measures implemented by the Egyptian

Government to protect national security and the steps

it has taken to implement the road map supported by

the people give grounds for optimism and enhance the

Egyptian Government’s credibility. I would also take

this opportunity to urge the international community to

stand behind Egypt at this critical juncture and support

the sincere efforts of its interim Government to lay

the foundations of stability, development and civilian

constitutional rule.

The United Arab Emirates recognizes the suffering

of the Arab region caused by the interference of others

in its internal affairs and the ensuing threats to national

statehood generally. We therefore wish to warn of the

danger of interfering in the domestic affairs of Egypt

and call on everyone to refrain from disrupting the

country’s march towards stability and democracy.

The issues that the Arab region faces are all

interconnected. Everyone in this Hall realizes that

peace emerges as a central and relevant issue to all

that is occurring there. Although many decades have

passed, the Palestinian people continue to look forward

to realizing their right to self-determination and the

establishment of an independent State, with East

Jerusalem as its capital, based on international legal

instruments that recognize their right to establish a

State, in line with the 4 June 1967 borders, as confirmed

by United Nations resolutions and in accordance with

the Arab Peace Initiative.

In that regard, I wish to take this opportunity

to welcome the relaunching of peace talks under the

auspices of the United States. We hope that those

talks will lead to positive results in the form of the

establishment of a Palestinian State. We also welcome

the European Union’s constructive position consisting

of non-recognition of the legitimacy of the Israeli

settlements and the decision to cease its dealings with

them. The United Arab Emirates is ready to contribute

to a successful outcome of the new initiative in order

to achieve security, peace and economic growth in that

important part of the world.

Security and stability in the Gulf region represent

a high priority in the balanced policy that we have

derived from principles found in the Charter of the

United Nations and the provisions of international law,

especially those that call for peaceful coexistence,

confidence-building, good neighbourliness, mutual

respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of States,

and the pursuit of peaceful means in the resolution of

conflicts and disputes. Based on those principles, my

Government expresses, once again, its regret at the

continued Iranian occupation of our three islands — Abu

Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb — and demands

that the undiminished sovereignty of the United Arab

Emirates over those islands be fully restored.

We emphasize that all actions and measures taken

by the Iranian occupation authorities are considered

null and void and are contrary to international law

and all norms of common human values. Therefore,

we call upon the international community to urge Iran

to respond to my country’s repeated peaceful, sincere

request for a just settlement of the dispute, either

through direct, serious negotiations between our two

nations or by referring the case to the International

Court of Justice, in accordance with the principles of

the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of

international law.

Acting from our firm principles in regional and

international relations, we welcome the declared

approach of Mr. Hassan Rouhani, President of the

Islamic Republic of Iran. We affirm that our country

will sincerely cooperate with him in the interest of

promoting security, stability and prosperity in the

region.

There has been considerable debate about Iran’s

nuclear programme. Many suspicions revolve around

it. Therefore, we urge Iran to constructively cooperate

with the International Atomic Energy Agency, defuse

all scepticism about the peaceful nature of its nuclear

activities, and act with full transparency and clarity

to avoid any negative consequences that could arise

from the absence of such cooperation. The United Arab

Emirates does, however, believe that the peaceful use

of nuclear energy has become an urgent requirement to

meet today’s growing demand for energy.

We are proud that we are a nation that has pioneered

peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which are surrounded

by all possible security and safety guarantees. The

United Arab Emirates has opened the way for the

introduction of renewable energy and the development

of clean-energy technologies as its contribution to

humankind in protecting the planet from the negative

effects of climate change.

The United Arab Emirates firmly believes in

the necessity of achieving human development at the

national and international levels. That goal can be

achieved only when a number of conditions are met,

including respect for human rights and for the equality

of all without discrimination on the basis of gender,

ethnicity, religion, language or any other ground. That

requires due regard for human dignity, the renunciation

of violence and the prohibition of torture and abuse.

The United Arab Emirates has been encouraged by the

positive response to its periodic report by the members

of the Human Rights Council, who commended the

country’s achievements and progress.

Achieving overall human development requires the

creation of an environment conducive to tolerance and

moderation, free of any incitement to hatred. In that

context, it is necessary to support and promote dialogue

among different countries and religions, without

arrogance or superiority on the part of any culture over

another, because each culture has something to give

and something to gain with respect to another’s culture.

The empowerment of women, the recognition

of their vital role in communities and the protection

of women against discrimination in various fields

are imperatives for the international community.

The United Arab Emirates is proud of the significant

measures it has taken in that respect, which have won

the United Arab Emirates a high ranking among the

countries in the region. Our country has also made

significant strides in combating human trafficking,

and it has developed national legislation to stand firm

against that inhumane crime.

Achieving sustainable development for all people

is a major priority for the United Nations and its

Member States and one which will require scientific

and technical cooperation, as well as the transfer

of technology between developed and developing

countries, to further the common good of all peoples

and countries of the world.