Mr. President, Excellencies
I first want to extend my gratitude to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit for his comprehensive overview on the situation in the Middle East and the Arab World. I also thank Under-Secretary DiCarlo for her remarks highlighting the current state of the dialogue between the United Nations and the Arab League, as well as future opportunities for increasing it.
I would also welcome Mr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to our today´s debate.
As was mentioned, despite numerous regional and global challenges, there is great potential to enhance cooperation between the two organizations. The Covid-19 pandemic has reaffirmed the well-known truth that global problems require multilateral action.
Mr. President – it is in this spirit of mutual cooperation that Estonia welcomes Saudi Arabia’s recent announcement at the 41st Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Al-Ula on the reopening of borders with Qatar. No single nation can address the complex issues of our world alone.
Estonia views positively the normalization of relations between Israel and certain Arab states, which hopefully give impetus to revive the Middle East Peace Process, with the aim to achieve a two-state solution. To this end, we look forward to the continued joint efforts, together with the new UN Special Coordinator Mr. Tor Wennesland and the relevant regional stakeholders, including the Arab League.
Improving multilateral diplomacy is at the core of our work. The Security Council and the Arab League stand out, as they, both intend to prevent conflict and resolve disputes through dialogue.
From the very start of the Libyan conflict, the Security Council and the Arab League have been in unison in their calls to end violence in Libya and adamant about the need to find a political solution to the conflict. It is clear that maintaining peace is not possible without regional support.
I thank the Arab League for their continued assistance to the Security Council in the implementation of the Libyan arms embargo under the resolution 2526, which first and foremost aims to protect civilians.
The question of responding to the needs of vulnerable populations remains also crucial elsewhere. The United Nations and members of the Arab League agree that there can only be a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. Unfortunately, however, the war in Yemen is far from over and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. I call for all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians in the conflict.
Concerning Syria, the only way forward is an inclusive and credible political process under the resolution 2254. The active engagement of the international community – including the Members of the Arab League – is essential to ensuring a final agreement between the Syrian regime and its legitimate opposition.
Mr. President – Estonia reiterates the calls made in the Security Council Presidential Statement in June 2019 on the importance of intensifying cooperation between the United Nations and the Arab League. This can be achieved through renewed contacts between respective special envoys, as well as the exchange of relevant information and taking joint action to address the underlying causes of conflicts.
I especially encourage UN agencies to seek ways to enhance coordination with the Arab League in the fields of preventive diplomacy, peace building, climate change, and ensuring accountability for the crimes against humanity.
