UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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At the outset, I would like to thank His Excellency Zbigniew Rau, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland and Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for 2022, and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, for their comprehensive briefings.

The UAE supports the role of regional organizations in finding solutions to conflicts, as these organizations have a comprehensive understanding of regional situations and positions. They are also capable of finding common ground to establish regional peace and security. Participating states of regional organizations are usually among the first to be affected by the security, economic, and humanitarian dimensions of the region’s crises. As such, reflecting their concerns contributes to reaching comprehensive and realistic solutions. UN Security Council Resolution 1631 has affirmed the role of these organizations and enhanced their cooperation with the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security.

We are pleased to see the United Nations strengthening its relations with various regional organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The organization has a long history of working to resolve conflicts and ease tensions in Europe. We believe that its role is essential today, particularly given that Europe is currently facing one of its greatest challenges in the past two decades.

As we follow the current events engulfing Europe with great concern, we believe that we can benefit from the expertise and mediation efforts of the Organization to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. The role of this Organization is also important considering the continued deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine. This situation has in turn impacted the wider region, especially as Ukrainians search for safety away from conflict resulting in a growing number of refugees that now exceeds 2.5 million.

The organization’s role in dealing with the repercussions of this conflict is important — not only at the regional level, but also at the international level. The continuation and worsening of the crisis threaten food security, especially as exports of wheat from Ukraine have stopped. Ukraine is one of the five largest exporters of wheat in the world and an important source of wheat for the World Food Programme. This situation will particularly affect developing countries that depend on wheat imports amid an increase in its global prices.

In addition to the crisis in Ukraine, participating states of OSCE have several security and political concerns, including frozen conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, tensions in the Balkan peninsula, as well as the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Resolving these tensions requires balanced diplomacy based on a holistic vision that champions dialogue and aims to address existing differences. We rely on the role and experience of the OSCE in mediation as well as the good offices of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to find diplomatic solutions to the region’s crises based on the principles of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of States, and maintaining regional security and stability.

We also commend the priorities of the Chairman-in-Office, including the emphasis on compliance with the fundamental principles of peaceful relations among States that is consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act, and other relevant international agreements.

In conclusion, the UAE commends the important role played by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as an umbrella institution for various views and concerns across the region. My country therefore looks forward to the continued cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization in the maintenance of regional and international peace and security.