Delivered By: Nora Alawadhi, Third Secretary

Thank you, Madam President.

The United Arab Emirates extends its congratulations to Vanuatu and the core group on the adoption of this resolution, which follows an Advisory Opinion that was many years in the making. I would also like to recognize Ambassador Odo Tevi and Special Envoy Lee-Anne Sackett for their diligent work in bringing this resolution to a conclusion.

The UAE also affirms its commitment to the rule of law and its recognition of the importance of advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice in clarifying applicable legal questions.

The UAE has voted in favour of the resolution, in recognition that climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, with disproportionate consequences for vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States and developing nations already facing significant economic and environmental pressures.

At COP28 in Dubai the “UAE Consensus” was adopted reaffirming commitments to accelerated climate action while supporting sustainable development, energy security, and an equitable transition that leaves no one behind.

This sustained commitment is also reflected in the UAE’s co-hosting with Senegal of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, underscoring its role as a responsible global partner in advancing a more sustainable future.

We continue to emphasize implementation-focused climate action and our position remains guided by the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and respect for different national circumstances and development pathways.

The UAE also maintains its commitment to playing a responsible, reliable, and forward-looking role in global energy markets, including by investing in renewables and low-carbon solutions, to support resilience and long-term energy system transformation.

We engaged constructively throughout the negotiations on this resolution and appreciate the efforts undertaken to reach consensus on this text. We believe the final text represents an important effort to continue to advance climate action and implementation of agreements at a time when we see more reason for concern in the climate data.

We also wish to clarify our position on several important issues:

The UAE underscores that climate action and international cooperation on climate change should remain anchored in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, which are the primary international forums for climate negotiations and cooperation.

We further emphasize that this resolution, and any related advisory process, should not be understood as creating new legal obligations beyond existing international law, nor as determining responsibility or liability among States.

The UAE’s vote in favour should therefore be understood as support for continued dialogue and cooperation on climate action, consistent with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and the need to support sustainable and inclusive development for all States, without prejudice to the UAE’s consistent legal positions.

The UAE also reiterates the importance of ensuring that discussions related to climate change remain constructive and consensus-oriented at a time when collective action is urgently needed.

Thank you, Madam President.