SHARE

Delivered by Mr. Mohamed Boausaibah, Second Secretary

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

Check against delivery

Mr. President,

I thank Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu for her briefing today.

In the context of our meeting on the chemical weapons file in Syria, I would like to reiterate the UAE’s firm position of explicitly rejecting and condemning the use of chemical weapons, under any circumstances, by anyone, anywhere. Their use constitutes a flagrant violation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and international law.

Mr. President,

The UAE reaffirms the importance of constructive dialogue between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Syrian authorities to address unresolved issues. Communication through written correspondence alone will not achieve this objective. From this standpoint, we view the meeting proposed by the Organization to be held in Beirut as a compromise – upon which we hope the Syrian authorities and the Organization will reach a consensus. We also hope that this meeting will indeed take place and pave the way to overcome the unresolved issues. We look forward to the meeting between the Syrian Foreign Minister and the Director General of the Organization, and we hope that this meeting will be a fruitful one.

Mr. President,

Before I conclude, allow me to reiterate the need to use the time and resources of this Council wisely. This means holding meaningful meetings that go beyond the mere repetition of positions, which are already well-known. It is our collective responsibility to reconsider the effectiveness of the Council’s meetings. We reiterate, again, that we remain ready to hold any meeting if necessary.

Thank you, Mr. President.