(Note: A full summary of today's Security Council meeting will be made available upon completion.)
Bolstering relations between the League of Arab States and the United Nations will help overcome political impasse and find lasting solutions to crises and conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, top officials from those organizations told the Security Council today.
Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific at the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, welcomed ceasefire in Gaza and Israeli hostages being released - in a deal brokered by two Arab League members, namely Egypt and Qatar, as well as the United States. "This critical and long-awaited agreement offers a ray of hope, a long-overdue moment that provides much-needed relief for Palestinians in Gaza and for the hostages reunited with their loved ones," he added. The United Nations is now doing its part to ensure the rapid scaling up of humanitarian relief, he said.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) must be enabled to carry out its mandate as adopted by the General Assembly in all its areas of operation, he went on to emphasize, commending the Arab League for its vocal support of the agency. He remained deeply concerned about the continuing violence in the occupied West Bank, which has reportedly resulted in Palestinian casualties. A negotiated two-State solution remains the only viable path to ensuring peace, security and coexistence for both Israelis and Palestinians.
"As Syria seeks to charge a new course following the fall of the Assad government", the United Nations continues its close engagement with the League and its member States to coordinate support for a Syrian-led political process based on the key principles of Security Council resolutions, he said. He also commended the role played by the Arab League in contributing to the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel.
The League is also an important partner for the United Nations in facilitating a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement of the conflict in Yemen and Libya, he added. He also expressed concern over the conflict in Sudan and commended efforts of the Arab League there, including in bolstering multilateral coordination. Climate change, inequality and other global issues continue to grow increasingly intense, often exacerbating the conflicts themselves. "We commit to continue our partnership with the League of Arab States to augment our joint efforts to improve the lives of people across the Arab region and beyond," he added.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, stressed that cooperation is pivotal to promoting regional and international security. Underscoring that the ceasefire in Gaza is "not a permanent solution", he said that only the realization of the Palestinian people's right to an independent State can guarantee peace. "The continued denial of this right is a threat to international peace and security," he asserted. In that regard, he highlighted the League's initiatives, including establishing the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, together with Saudi Arabia, European Union, Norway and other peace-loving nations.
Expressing hope for a new beginning in Lebanon, one of stability, reconstruction and revival of the economy, he underlined the need to preserve the ceasefire, in accordance with Council resolution 1701 (2006), conditioned by the full withdrawal of Israel from Lebanese territory. The Arab League is also hopeful that Syria will undergo a successful transition that will pave the way to ending the crisis without any foreign intervention while preserving the country's unity and territorial integrity. In this context, he noted the appointment of his personal envoy to visit Syria to understand the new situation.
He further supported Sudan as it is facing a war with the most severe humanitarian consequences worldwide, calling for a settlement that fulfils the needs of its people. In the same vein, he continued, the coordination process in Libya must be resumed as soon as possible, also voicing support for Somalia's unity and territorial integrity. He concluded by reiterating the need to accelerate the next visit by the Council members to the League of Arab States' headquarters in Cairo to hold extensive meetings.
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