United Arab Emirates, 2014

At the outset, let me

say that it is my pleasure to join previous speakers in

congratulating you, Sir, on your election as President

of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. I am

confident that your experience in international affairs

will contribute to the success of the current session.

We stand ready to offer our full support during your

presidency. I would also like to take this opportunity

to commend your predecessor, Mr. John Ashe, for his

wise leadership of the General Assembly at its sixty-

eighth session. I also would like to thank Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations staff around

the world for their continued efforts to promote global

peace and security and to achieve development and

well-being for all people.

We meet today, as we do each year, to renew

our commitment to the principles enshrined in the

Charter of the United Nations, the basis on which

the Organization was founded, and to reiterate our

firm belief in its objectives, including creating a

peaceful and secure world and achieving prosperity

and development for all peoples. We believe that those

noble objectives can be achieved by doing two things.

The first is playing an effective and responsible role in

regional and international issues through constructive

dialogue, positive engagement and the peaceful

resolution of disputes. The second is by creating a

suitable environment for international relations, based

on the principles of good-neighbourliness, moderation,

tolerance and non-violence.

The United Arab Emirates is gravely concerned about

current forms of extremism, terrorism and sectarian

divisions in our region, which have become a grave

threat to international peace and security. In addition to

being a violation of human rights, terrorism threatens

the integrity and values of States, undermines their

social fabric, disrupts their security and development,

and erodes their cultural and human heritage. The acts of

terrorist organizations — indiscriminate killings, mass

executions, kidnappings and intimidation of innocent

women and children — are heinous criminal acts and

are strongly condemned by the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates also denounces the brutal

methods used by such groups in the name of Islam, as

Islam rejects such crimes, which are inconsistent with

Islam’s moderate approach and principles of peaceful

coexistence among all peoples.

As the international community must be aware,

besides the increased incidence of terrorist and

extremist acts in our region, most notably those

perpetrated by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham

(ISIS), the threats posed by those terrorist and extremist

groups are expanding beyond our region to threaten

the rest of the civilized world. Various countries in

the region, including Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen,

Iraq, Syria, Libya and the States of the African Sahel,

are suffering at the hands of terrorist takfiri groups,

which have exploited unstable conditions in those

countries to create an environment that they believe

will guarantee them steady funding, logistical support,

training and recruitment. Those extremist and terrorist

organizations promote obscurantism, exclusivity and

an illicit ideology, and they perpetrate brutal acts to

impose their control and increase their influence in

order to achieve their goals. The current collective

action against the threat of ISIS and other terrorist

groups reflects the international community’s shared

conviction of the need to confront the imminent danger.

Civilized communities have no other option than to

stamp out that threat. It is a test in which we must

succeed.

With regard to Libya, the United Arab Emirates is

concerned about the deteriorating security conditions

and their repercussions on the stability of neighbouring

countries. We strongly oppose the terrorist acts that

have undermined the work of legitimately elected

institutions in Libya. The United Arab Emirates’s policy

towards Libya is to provide full and unconditional

support for the legitimate decisions taken by the

Libyan people through their nationally elected House

of Representatives.

The latest developments in our brother country,

Iraq, are increasingly alarming. ISIS has exploited

the sectarian practices of the former Government in

Iraq to garner the support of affected communities

in expanding their influence over large parts of the

country with extreme brutality. While the terrorist

groups are threatening the sovereignty of Iraq and its

social, cultural and religious fabric, they continue to

exploit the chaos in Syria to achieve their purposes

without any regard for sovereignty or national borders.

In that context, the United Arab Emirates believes

that the current collective action will address the

growing threat of extremist fighters in Syria as well as

in Iraq. In that regard, I welcome the recent decision

of the Security Council to confront and block the

extremist groups. The threat posed by extremist

fighters has increased in the midst of the violence

inflicted by the Syrian regime on the Syrian people.

At this critical juncture, we must support the moderate

Syrian opposition as part of an effective strategy to

counter extremism and terrorism.

From this platform, we express our deep concern

at the grave developments taking place in Yemen. The

Houthis, who are using violence to try to undermine

the political process and the constitutional legitimacy

of the Yemeni State, compel us to take a firm and

immediate stand against attempts to change the reality

through violence and force. We have to realize that an

exclusively sectarian and individualistic approach is

not an acceptable option to the Yemeni people, who

aspire to build an inclusive civil State that is capable

of committing to a national dialogue and continuing

the implementation of the Gulf Cooperation Council

initiative and its mechanisms. The United Arab Emirates

will continue to support the political transition process

in Yemen and will assist the efforts of the Yemeni State

to achieve stability and development.

In the light of the recent developments in the region,

it is incumbent on us, as nations that have pledged

to abide by the principles enshrined in the Charter,

to focus our efforts on combating that dangerous

scourge. The United Arab Emirates therefore calls

on the international community and Member States

to cooperate in combating terrorist groups and to

take comprehensive measures to fight them through

a clear, unified strategy. Those efforts should not

be limited to Iraq and Syria alone, but must also be

directed against the locations of those groups wherever

they exist. We wish also to stress the futility of taking

gradual measures to address those challenges. We must

intensify our efforts in order to combat the terrorist

groups promptly and effectively.

While our attention should be fully focused on

countering terrorism, the United Arab Emirates

believes that providing support to Governments facing

serious security challenges is of critical importance.

Active participation is also required to provide the

necessary assistance to restore peace and security in

those countries by helping them to strengthen their

legitimate institutions. In that context, we continue to

highlight the importance of respecting the sovereignty

and independence of States and supporting all political

efforts aimed at achieving peaceful settlements of

ongoing conflicts and disputes. Without those efforts,

violence will continue. The United Arab Emirates hopes

to see security and stability prevail in and throughout

all countries.

I once again reiterate the firm position of the

United Arab Emirates in rejection of terrorism and

extremism in all their forms. My country is fulfilling

its responsibilities and is committed to participating

constructively at the national, regional and international

levels to combat violent extremism and affiliated

beliefs and terrorist acts. The United Arab Emirates,

through its membership in the Global Counterterrorism

Forum, cooperates with international organizations and

with concerned countries to ensure that the territories

of the latter are not exploited by those who facilitate or

execute terrorist acts, as well as other related crimes,

such as the financing of terrorism, human trafficking

and the recruitment of people to commit those egregious

crimes. By hosting the Hedayah Centre for training,

dialogue and research to combat violent extremism,

the United Arab Emirates continues to support the

international community in building capacities and

exchanging best practices on that issue.

My country also continues to develop its national

policies and its legislative and executive systems in

order to deter and confront all terrorist acts, eradicate

the roots of terrorism and protect our youth from being

lured into a cycle of extremism and violence. To that end,

the United Arab Emirates recently adopted a federal law

on combating terrorist crimes. The law provides strict

penalties for those found guilty of inciting terrorism or

committing terrorist acts. The United Arab Emirates is

also strengthening preventive policies by establishing

centres for the rehabilitation of people influenced by

extremist and terrorist ideologies.

The United Arab Emirates hopes for the recovery

and restoration of security and stability in the region

so that Governments can carry out their duties and

obligations and their peoples can resume their normal

lives in a constructive way. That hope is driven by the

remarkable progress achieved by the new Government

in Egypt and its good governance in implementing its

political road map. Despite the challenges facing Egypt,

the signs of normalcy in public life and the revived

economy and culture are promising. Therefore, the

United Arab Emirates regrets the statements of some

representatives and their unacceptable questioning of

the legitimacy of the Egyptian Government.

The present Egyptian Government was freely

elected by the Egyptian people, who believe in its ability

to fulfil their aspirations. Questioning the Egyptian

people’s will and right to choose their representatives

is an interference in the internal affairs of Egypt and

undermines its stability. Accordingly, I emphasize that

the stability of our region depends on the stability of

Egypt.

The United Arab Emirates therefore calls on the

international community to provide the necessary

support to the Egyptian Government and its economy

in order to boost Egypt’s efforts to achieve progress and

prosperity. I would also like to commend the generous

initiative of the King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the

Two Holy Mosques, in convening the economic summit

to support the Egyptian economy. His is a visionary

approach to promoting Egypt’s future and maintaining

moderation in the region.

The United Arab Emirates expresses its

disappointment over the failure of the peace negotiations

between Palestine and Israel. We strongly condemn

Israel’s aggression against Gaza, especially the

destruction directed against the civilian population and

infrastructure, including some United Nations facilities.

We demand a thorough, transparent and independent

investigation to determine legal responsibility for the

damage. We hope that the continued failure of the peace

negotiations will not lead to a resurgence of violence

and the return to the region of a new and more brutal

form of terrorism.

The establishment of peace and security in the

region is a key element in achieving global stability

and a priority of our foreign policy, which derives

its principles from the Charter of the United Nations

and the provisions of international law. On the basis

of those principles, my Government again rejects the

continuing Iranian occupation of three islands that

belong to the United Arab Emirates — Greater Tunb,

Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa. We demand restoration

of the full sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates

over the islands and emphasize that all actions and

measures taken by the Iranian authorities are contrary

to international law and custom and to all our common

human values. In that respect, we note that the Islamic

Republic of Iran has recently hoisted the Iranian

flag on the part of Abu Musa island allocated to the

United Arab Emirates under the 1971 memorandum of

understanding, in violation of the memorandum. My

country strongly condemns that action as a flagrant

violation of the memorandum of understanding and

regards it as devoid of any legal effect.

We therefore renew our call to the international

community to prevail on Iran to respond to the repeated

peaceful, sincere calls of the United Arab Emirates for

a just settlement of the issue, either through direct,

formal negotiations between the two countries, or by

referral to the International Court of Justice to finally

settle the dispute in accordance with the purposes and

principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the

provisions of international law.

The United Arab Emirates welcomes the ongoing

negotiations between the five permanent members of the

Security Council and the Islamic Republic of Iran aimed

at reaching a comprehensive settlement concerning the

Iranian nuclear programme. We affirm that, in order

to avert an arms race in the region, a final and strict

agreement must be achieved; the region cannot afford

further tension and instability. Nevertheless, the United

Arab Emirates believes that the peaceful use of nuclear

energy is a necessity in meeting the world’s growing

energy demands. My country is proud to be a pioneer in

this field and to successfully harness the peaceful use

of nuclear technology in compliance with the highest

standards of transparency, safety and security.

Despite the challenges facing the region, my

country has always sought to remain a model of

moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the

region, consistent with current international efforts. We

strongly believe that investment in human development

is important in the long term, and we therefore attach

great importance to the negotiations on the post-2015

development agenda and the sustainable development

goals. We welcome the results of those consultations,

which have placed the eradication of poverty at the

heart of the development agenda.

My country also supports the inclusion of goals

that would provide sustainable energy for all, develop

green economies, promote food security, supply

safe drinking water and ensure gender equality and

women’s empowerment. The United Arab Emirates is

committed to pursuing economic and social policies

aimed primarily at achieving the development of the

individual, providing all means necessary for a person

to lead a decent and productive life, and promoting

prosperity. In that context, I note that Dubai has been

chosen as the venue of the 2020 World Expo. It is a

great honour for us to act as host to this event, and we

thank all the countries that supported our candidacy.

We look forward to working with Member States to

organize an exhibition that meets the aspirations of all.

Comprehensive and sustainable development

cannot be achieved unless all segments of society

participate in the national development process.

Accordingly, the United Arab Emirates pays special

attention to women’s empowerment. My country now

occupies a prominent place among the countries of the

world in terms of women’s achievements and success

in all areas of life. Our efforts are not limited solely to

empowering women in the United Arab Emirates, but

also include supporting women throughout the region

and around the world.

Abu Dhabi will host a UN-Women Liaison Office

with the support and leadership of Her Highness

Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. We are also assisting

UN-Women in the preparations for the high-level

review on women, peace, and security. Those efforts

reflect the interest and participation of the United Arab

Emirates in international efforts to empower women

as effective partners and agents in preventing war and

resolving conflict, keeping in mind that women play a

key role in countering violence and promoting peace

and security throughout the world.

We must continue to devote special attention

to the issue of climate change. Recent international

reports indicate that the effects of climate change have

become a major challenge to development. But there

is still some time left to mitigate the impact through

international cooperation. In that context, we welcome

the outcome of the recent Climate Summit held a

few days ago at the United Nations. We are grateful

to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his efforts to

advance that important issue prior to the start of the

general debate of the General Assembly, and we thank

all the participating parties. We also urge all parties

to abide by the agreements reached and stress that the

developed countries must take the lead in that respect.

The efforts of the United Arab Emirates in the field

of renewable energy are seen in various parts of the

world. We host the International Renewable Energy

Agency in Abu Dhabi and make available more than

$500 million in the form of grants and low-interest loans

for renewable energy projects in developing countries.

We also have extensive and varied international

commercial investments totalling billions of dollars

in the renewable-energy sector. Such initiatives,

investments and grants all contribute to addressing

climate change and its impact throughout the world.

In conclusion, I would like to underscore that the

United Arab Emirates will continue to make every

effort to achieve our aspiration to contribute to a secure

and stable world, in which people can live in dignity,

peace and happiness.