ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The UAE stressed that women play a “unique role as agents of change” in peace and security on the sidelines of a United Nations General Assembly meeting, in a statement delivered by His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.
“Women play a unique role as agents of change in all aspects of peace and security. It is vital to include women in the implementation of R2P, from early warning and conflict prevention, to accountability, peacekeeping and peacebuilding,” he said at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the Prevention of Genocide, War Crimes, Ethnic Cleansing, and Crimes Against Humanity.
Ambassador Abushahab further stressed the need to protect civilians from sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.
“It is utterly unacceptable that sexual violence continues to be used as a strategic weapon of war and terrorism, causing grave harm to individuals, particularly women and children, and breaking the social fabric of communities,” he added, calling for a survivor-centred approach to ensure the safety, health, and justice of victims.
The Ambassador also highlighted the importance of developing robust early-warning mechanisms to enhance the prevention and protection against mass atrocities. He noted that Security Council Resolution 2686, co-penned by the United Kingdom and the UAE, requests that UN peacekeeping and special political missions monitor and report on hate speech, racism, and acts of extremism. “These are often precursors to the outbreak of conflict,” he explained.
Addressing the failures in upholding the R2P commitment, particularly in Gaza, Ambassador Abushahab expressed the UAE’s support for the initiative led by France and Mexico, which proposes that permanent members of the Security Council pledge to voluntarily refrain from using the veto in cases involving mass atrocities. The UAE is also a signatory of the ACT Code of Conduct, which aims to enhance accountability and prevent mass atrocities.
Ambassador Abushahab reiterated the importance of advancing R2P discussions at both national and regional levels. “States have the primary responsibility to protect while regional frameworks offer solutions that are tailored to the specific context,” he said.
He reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to the principle of R2P, emphasising the shared responsibility of the international community to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.