Delivered By: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

The United Arab Emirates welcomes the adoption of today’s resolution. We thank the United Kingdom, in its capacity as pen holder, for their efforts in facilitating the consultations for both the renewal of the mandate of UNITAMS and the substantive press statement on the concerning developments in Sudan.

We reiterate the UAE’s full support to the United Nations and to the Secretary-General for their commitment to peace and stability in Sudan at this critical juncture.

We join others in expressing our deep concern at the grave violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in Jeddah that has led to serious harm to civilians. We are also extremely alarmed by the obstruction of humanitarian access, which is a lifeline for those in need.

For these reasons, the United Arab Emirates voted in favour of today’s resolution. We did so following extensive consultations among the members of the Security Council, and in continued communication with Sudan. This decision was borne out of a firm belief that it is the Security Council’s responsibility to send a clear message on what is at stake if a permanent ceasefire arrangement is not reached.

We support the renewal of the UNITAMS mandate because we seek to maintain a fully fledged United Nations presence in Sudan. This is crucial at this time, especially considering the vital role that UNITAMS plays in engaging with other stakeholders and coordinating humanitarian assistance.

The Press Statement outlines the expectations of this Council. It stresses the need to immediately cease hostilities, to ensure the protection of civilians and the UN, and to facilitate humanitarian access. It also reminds parties that the Juba Peace Agreement is binding.

The UAE therefore strongly supports strengthened international coordination to enable Sudan to achieve these expectations. We support the AU Roadmap for the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan and we will remain actively engaged with all partners, including UNITAMS, the AU, IGAD, and the League of Arab States in support of Sudan.

Thank you.