Today's Edition
NEW YORK CITY (ALETIHAD)
Delivering the UAE statement at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN, urged member states not to misuse the power of veto.
Aligning with Bahrain’s statement on behalf of the Arab Group, Nusseibeh discussed the recent veto of a Russian amendment integral to the UAE’s draft resolution 2720, aimed at delivering urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Ambassador Nusseibeh emphasised: “This was one of ten vetoes over the course of our term on the Security Council, the largest number over a two-year period since 1988 to 1989.”
The UAE stressed that the misuse of veto has prevented the Security Council from following a “vital course of action” against the will of the majority of member states.
Highlighting the ongoing situation in Palestine, she pointed out that it starkly demonstrates the limitations of the current Security Council system.
With 37 vetoes cast on this file since 1972, this was evident in the Council’s inability to call for a humanitarian ceasefire to end Gaza’s devastation, the Ambassador remarked, noting that such action was against the wishes of the UN Secretary-General and 153 UN Member States.
She expressed concern about the degradation of the Security Council, turning into an arena where national interests outweigh the maintenance of international peace and security.
Nusseibeh added that the current state of polarisation and globalisation only exacerbates the issue, potentially reducing the Council to a forum for “intensified great power competition”.
From the UAE’s perspective, Nusseibeh proposed three conditions under which the veto should not be used: when the international community speaks with one voice, when considering the weight of the Secretary-General’s views, and when it would undermine international law.
Ambassador Nusseibeh warned of the dire consequences of continuing on the current trajectory, including a diminished Security Council and increased threats to international peace and security.
She urged immediate change, underlining that the situation in Palestine should be a case study for why veto should not be misused and why reform in the Security Council is urgently needed.
