Thank you, Mr. Chairman

The international community is facing an unprecedented level of global risk as many have emphasized today. The challenges we face collectively are more wide ranging, complex, and acutely entrenched than ever before – particularly in our region. 

The gridlocks in the Security Council and the failure of the international community to act collectively have fractured the global order, and non-state as well as state actors have exploited this situation. Interlocking crises have destabilised our entire region, causing profound human suffering, and led to a humanitarian ‘state of emergency’ globally. Together, the group of 125 million people in need today would comprise the 11th most populous country in the world. 

While immediate assistance is essential and the funding gap remains large, there must be reform of the humanitarian system to make aid delivery more effective and geared towards prevention. But the underlying political crises must also be resolved to address this global state of emergency.

In order to maintain international peace and security, the UN needs to work more efficiently with a renewed, decisive global mandate with prevention at its core. Its decision-making processes and management structures need to be more transparent and geographically diverse – to reflect the world as it is today, not as it was over half a century ago.

To reform the UN’s peace and security architecture, we confirm our support for the PGA’s call to put women at the centre of such efforts. And we support the promotion of the women, peace and security agenda and the implementation of Resolution 1325 as a key priority.

To effectively mitigate today’s threats, the UN must ensure that all its existing Security Council resolutions are also implemented and hold all Member States accountable when they contravene the Charter, fail to respect national sovereignty, engage in foreign occupation, interfere in the internal affairs of other states, and several other principles. These principles must move beyond being forgotten words to becoming real, meaningful action points.

Finally, the UN must consult with regional organizations and countries in areas of crisis, if regions are ever going to emerge as shapers of their own destiny. We support the PGA’s call for meaningful partnerships with regional organizations.

Our region, the Middle East in particular, is going through a transition, characterized by demographic shifts, high rates of unemployment, widespread extremism, and failing states. Extremist entities pose an existential threat to the model and way of life that we espouse, so we must be at the table to design new tools of enforcement and engagement by the Security Council and the other bodies in the broader UN system.

To effectively chart a new course for our collective future, we must all engage in this challenge together. Lastly, this year, when the Security Council will choose new leadership for the UN, nothing will signify intent for transformational leadership more than the selection of the right candidate for the next Secretary-General.  

Thank you Mr. President.