Guterres to cooperate with the Arabs to solve problems, and Aboul Gheit warns against Iran’s interference

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, called for the strengthening of relations with the League of Arab States, in order to “face the challenges” facing the region, including Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Lebanon, warning that the situation could worsen in these and other countries, in light of the “repercussions”. globalization resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While the Secretary-General of the League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, focused on the importance of settling the Palestinian issue on the basis of international resolutions and Israel’s withdrawal beyond the 1967 borders, at the same time regretting that Iran “exercises unwelcome interventions” in many Arab countries, stressing that its missile program is a “source legitimate concern” for many countries.

At the beginning of his speech at the open meeting organized by the UAE presidency of the Security Council this month on “cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations to maintain international peace and security… cooperation between the Security Council and the League of Arab States,” Guterres described the Arab League as “a great deal.” importance in all areas of our work,” he added, adding that the two parties “are united in our quest to find multilateral solutions to the successive challenges facing the Arab world and beyond.” He stressed that “these efforts have additional urgency, because we are facing the profound global repercussions of the war in Ukraine,” as many countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, “import at least half of their wheat from Ukraine or Russia.”

He expressed “extreme disappointment” that the appeal he launched last week for Yemen “received less than a third of the urgently needed funds,” noting that “20 million Yemenis need life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection.” He declared that he is counting on the Arab League to “support the efforts led by the United Nations to reach a permanent ceasefire, defuse tensions, advance a comprehensive political process, and provide humanitarian and economic assistance to the Yemeni people.” He also welcomed the “constructive participation” of the League in “maintaining the hard-earned unity and stability” in Libya since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in October 2020. He relied on the League to continue giving priority to agreeing on a comprehensive political process and advancing its implementation full UN Security Council Resolution 2570. He spoke about Sudan; The League of Arab States and the United Nations are working closely together – at the bilateral level, and in the context of the Group of Friends of Sudan – to encourage dialogue towards an inclusive and peaceful transition. He recalled that the two sides are also working in Syria, considering that “the only way to break the stalemate and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people is through a credible political process that sees the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2254.” He expressed his gratitude to the members of the League for urging the Lebanese government to “address the country’s crisis through meaningful reforms, timely elections, constructive engagement with the International Monetary Fund, and full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701.” He reiterated his welcome to the enhanced strategic cooperation between the Arab government and members of the League, which included an observation mission to monitor the Iraqi parliamentary elections last October. He believed that the League and the United Nations are “committed to finding a path to the peace process to end the Israeli occupation” of the Palestinian territories on the basis of the two-state solution; Israel with an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state, living side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of the two states.

He expressed his aspiration to “further strengthen our relations”, focusing on “building stronger partnerships with the League in the areas of women, peace and security, disarmament, mediation and peace building”, as well as “expanding the scope of our cooperation in youth, peace and security issues, in which capacity-building and consultations on a strategy are increasing.” regional in the Arab region.

– “Legitimate Concern” from Iran

For his part, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, presented the developments in the Arab region, from Syria to Libya, and from Yemen to Lebanon, focusing on “confronting regional interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries and ways to settle crises” in some countries in the region. He stressed the “centrality of the Palestinian issue”, in light of “the continuing tense regional situation and the importance of mobilizing it politically to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the achievement of the aspirations of the Palestinian people.” He spoke about concerns about Iranian policy in the region, especially in the event of a return to the nuclear agreement, recalling the “threat to security and peace in the region and the world” that Iranian interference represents. He called for support for the conference to be held at the United Nations, with the aim of reaching an agreement to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. He stressed that “Iranian policy continues to practice unwelcome interventions in several Arab countries, and its missile program represents a legitimate source of concern for many Arab League countries.” And stressing that the Arab countries “seek good neighborly relations with Iran on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty of states, abstaining from interfering in their affairs, and in a framework that achieves security for all in this region, but this goal, unfortunately, is still far from being achieved.”

– Razan Al-Aqeel: Our mission is to preserve peace towards building the future

In a first-of-its-kind appearance by a Saudi girl, speaking about civil society organizations on the highest international platforms, Saudi citizen Razan bint Farhan Al-Aqeel gave a speech, in which she said that she traveled to New York to speak “on behalf of more than 100 million young women and men from the Middle East and North Africa.” And as “one of the largest generation of young people in history around the world, and 60 percent of the total population of the Arab world”. She said, “My generation’s message to you today is about; Include youth in active participation in peacekeeping towards building the future.” It presented major titles, including UN and global resolutions towards including youth, the role of youth towards peace and security towards sustainable development in the region, and youth between the Arab world and the Security Council. Her speech included many recommendations within these areas.

Speaking at the meeting, UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, who was chairing this session, said that “it is necessary to increase coordination and consultation between the Council and the League, and to institutionalize this relationship,” stressing that “any approach taken by the Security Council to resolve issues in the region should reflect the concerns of countries.” Arab countries, and taking their views on how to address them. He explained that this “in the first place requires a demand to stop foreign interference in Arab affairs.” He called for “strengthening the joint efforts of the two organizations in combating extremism and terrorism,” stressing that the two organizations “strengthen their cooperation to resolve Arab issues, within clear criteria, and on an equal basis, through the use of all available diplomatic means, and constructive engagement to end the region’s crises.”