Today's Edition
NEW YORK CITY (ALETIHAD)
Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York, delivered the UAE Statement at the UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promote Sustaining Peace Through Common Development, stressing that development programmes should mitigate climate, economic and social vulnerabilities in its pursuit of promoting peace and security.
“Spearheading global initiatives that have led to significant investments and enabled governments to overcome structural obstacles to development has promoted equality, stability, and prosperity at scale,” Nusseibeh said.
Acknowledging the intersection between poverty, inequality, and instability, Her Excellency articulated the pressing need for an agile response plan that does not merely address surface-level security issues but delves into the economic, social, and resilience aspects crucial for sustained peace.
“Without developing an agile UN response plan that factors in economic livelihoods, social inclusion, and resilience strategies alongside robust political frameworks, we are always going to be plastering over the underlying peace and security issues,” she stressed, adding that investing in development pays the dividends of peace.
Drawing attention to the Sustainable Development Goals, she highlighted the concerning statistics that reveal a significant gap between the set targets and the current progress, indicating the necessity for a radical shift in approach.
“The latest scorecards for the Sustainable Development Goals show us that we are far from the desired results, as only 15% of the targets are on track, and 48% are moderately or severely off track,” Nusseibeh said, stressing the need for a radical change in approach.
The UAE presented three recommendations, the first of which emphasises the intricate link between vulnerability, climate change, and armed conflict.
Her Excellency said that these links for a destructive cycle, which is a daily reality lived in many conflict settings around the world, noting that of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, 15 are classified by the World Bank as fragile or conflict-affected.
The UAE urged the Council to embrace innovative approaches and see conflicts through a climate-sensitive lens.
Highlighting their upcoming event, “Relief, Recovery, and Peace Day” at COP28, hosted by the UAE in Dubai on November 30-December 12, Her Excellency expressed the UAE’s plans to underscore the urgency of climate funding for conflict-affected communities.
“We have a window of opportunity to integrate climate action and development and it’s critical to seize this moment,” she said. Secondly, Nusseibeh underscored the need for equitable access to finance, expressing the UAE’s call for bold reforms in the international financial architecture to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
“We need to ensure that developing countries have access to low-cost, long-term financing and that the needs of the most vulnerable countries are front and centre of our considerations, including for building the resilience needed for climate change,” she said, stressing that sustainable development and peacebuilding go hand-in-hand.
“Supporting those efforts now is much more cost-effective than paying the price of conflict later,” Nusseibeh added.
Lastly, stressing the importance of inclusive policies, the UAE emphasised the crucial roles of women and youth in development and peace-building efforts. Their inclusion, Nusseibeh said, is integral to fostering stable, prosperous, and peaceful societies.
“The full, equal, and meaningful participation of women is part and parcel of nation-building and all our efforts for security and stability must centre around that inclusion. It’s a collective responsibility,” Nusseibeh added.
Concluding her address, she noted that development programmes mitigate climate, economic and social vulnerabilities in their pursuit of promoting peace and security.
