UAE Hosts Incoming Members of the UN Security Council for Meetings with Senior UAE and UN Officials

The United Arab Emirates last week welcomed the Permanent Representatives of Albania, Gabon, and Ghana for meetings with senior UAE and United Nations officials. The ambassadors met with UN Special Envoys and Special Representatives for Yemen, Syria, the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq, and Sudan in Dubai. They were briefed by a group of UN agency representatives on the work of the Dubai International Humanitarian City (DIHC) and toured Expo 2020 Dubai.  In Abu Dhabi, the ambassadors visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Wahat Al Karama Memorial, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Speaking about the visit, Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Political Affairs and the UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said: “From COVID-19 to climate change, there is no doubt that the world faces huge challenges in 2021 and beyond. The Security Council has a central role to play in addressing these challenges, and the UAE is ready to take its turn serving on the Council. The meetings and discussions we have had here in the UAE during the visit of my colleagues from Albania, Gabon, and Ghana helped every one of us to deepen our understanding of key issues on the Council’s agenda and form important relationships with the senior UN officials in charge of leading the organization’s work on those files.” 

The ambassadors also attended a panel discussion entitled "Women and Conflict: Shaping International Response.” Ambassador Nusseibeh participated, accompanied by Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Secretary-General H.E. Louise Mushikiwabo and inter-Afghan talks negotiator Ms. Fatima Gailani. The panel was moderated by Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National. Russian Federation Permanent Representative H.E. Vassily Nebenzia and Kenyan Permanent Representative H.E. Martin Kimani also attended the forum.

Albanian Permanent Representative H.E. Ferit Hoxha said: “Albania looks forward to our term on the UN Security Council, and our meetings with key UN officials on the margins of the Sir Bani Yas Forum will help us achieve our objectives over the next two years. The visit to the UAE also strengthened our partnerships as incoming Council members.”

Gabonese Permanent Representative H.E. Michel Xavier Biang said: “The connections and conversations with policymakers at the Sir Bani Yas Forum opened up new perspectives on critical developments across the Middle East. It was a unique opportunity to participate in these very candid and constructive exchanges about files that are on the Council’s agenda.”

Ghanaian Permanent Representative H.E. Harold Adlai Agyeman said: “Tackling existing immense global challenges requires strong global partnerships. Also, the vital humanitarian and emergency relief efforts of the UN can only be as strong as the contributions of member states. I am therefore happy to commend the UAE for the astounding infrastructure it has developed and placed at the disposal of the United Nations to support global humanitarian efforts, a clear demonstration of the UAE’s commitment to global cooperation.”