Delivered by: Ahmed AlMahmoud, Security Council Affairs Adviser

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Edo, for his briefing.

We have recently marked 600 days since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the prospect of a just and lasting peace seems further away than ever. Right now, the pursuit of military solutions is prioritized, and a peace agreement seems a distant possibility.

It’s against this backdrop that we reiterate our support for efforts to mitigate any potential risks associated with arms transfers to Ukraine, the region, and beyond. This includes the important task of safeguarding weapons during their transfer, storage, and deployment.

We continue to encourage careful implementation of the various measures that have been put in place to mitigate any unintended risks that may be associated with arms transfers in this context. We also highlight the need for effective oversight by national authorities. This is of particular importance in situations of armed conflict, where additional risks may be present, and we encourage national authorities to take appropriate action to counter these risks.

We also welcome ongoing efforts and initiatives to strengthen arms control in Ukraine and across the region, especially those aimed at avoiding any potential diversion of weapons. Greater cooperation, including information sharing and developing best practices, can reduce some of these risks. In particular, we welcome the work of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and their Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects – and its International Tracing Instrument.

The UAE remains committed to supporting all serious efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter. No stone must be left unturned to achieve that objective.

Thank you, Mr. President.