KHALIFA SHAHEEN ALMARAR, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates, stressed that regional interference in Arab affairs, especially in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq, must halt, adding that ensuring full respect for the sovereignty of Arab countries and reaching comprehensive political solutions under the auspices of the United Nations remain the only way to end the crises in the region.  Calling for a comprehensive political solution that includes a ceasefire to achieve peace and stability in Yemen and neighbouring countries, he emphasized that stability in the region also requires ending the occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories.  In that regard, he commended the Abraham Accords signed by Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States last year.

He highlighted the continued recruitment of young people by extremist and terrorist groups, which had been particularly exacerbated by the pandemic.  There was also a need to protect the security of energy supplies, freedom of navigation and trade routes while working on de-escalation.  “Similarly, we must ensure that the Middle East is a region free of weapons of mass destruction,” he continued, drawing attention to Iran's development of nuclear and ballistic‑missile programmes.  In addition, Iran must end its occupation of three islands — Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa — and agree to resolve this dispute through direct negotiations or referral to the International Court of Justice.

Stressing the urgent need to strengthen security and stability in Afghanistan, ensure secure access of humanitarian assistance and preserve human rights, he also underlined the importance of maintaining security and stability in Africa, countering hate speech and ensuring women and youth actively participate in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.  Looking forward to the twenty‑sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), he stated that his country seeks to host the Conference in 2023 and to bid for the non-permanent member of the Security Council for the term 2022-2023.