The UAE has underscored the importance of preventative action at the UN Security Council’s open debate on exclusion, inequality, and conflict chaired by Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Mohamed Abushahab, UAE Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, emphasised that addressing the root causes of conflict, particularly those that exacerbate discrimination and widen inequality within societies, has proven to be one of the most effective means to maintain international peace and security.

In his statement, Ambassador Abushahab stated that governments must ensure access to educational and economic opportunities for all “as an important step in reducing inequality and addressing the longstanding drivers of conflict”. He also emphasised that it was critical to ensure the inclusion and engagement of women and youth in national strategies and measures aimed at building resilience.

Underlining the importance of including perspectives from a broad range of local grassroots actors, particularly women and youth leaders, Ambassador Abushahab said that the Council must ensure that strategies and mandates of peace operations are designed for and with local communities from the outset.

He also added that UN peacekeeping and special political missions must help build local capacity to strengthen the rule of law to promote long-term stability.

Ambassador Abushahab also asserted that fighting corruption is critical to maintaining good governance and the rule of law. In this regard, he noted the UAE’s recent agreement with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to establish a programme to support the implementation of the 2019 Abu Dhabi Declaration.

In his conclusion, Ambassador Abushahab stated that the UAE’s membership in the UN Security Council in 2022-2023 will be guided by the pillars of advancing inclusion and building resilience.