Emirati envoy to UN Lana Nusseibeh stressed for the need to shift “our mindset from conflict management to conflict resolution,” reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
The United Arab Emirates has joined 140 other nations to vote in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine” and called on Moscow to stop the war and withdraw its troops.
The 141 votes that the resolution — more than two-thirds of those voting — received was a diplomatic blow to Moscow. Only five countries voted against the resolution, while 35 abstained and 12 absented themselves.
The 141 votes were 41 more than the 100 votes that a similar resolution on Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia also joined the UAE just two days after they signed onto an Arab League statement that did not condemn Russia and instead called for diplomacy, an avoidance of escalation and consideration of the humanitarian situation.
The UAE envoy to UN Lana Nusseibeh said that the censure was not enough, adding that her country was deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and calling on fellow member states to exercise “our collective responsibility toward exhausting all efforts and diplomatic efforts to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the Arab News reported.
“This is a time to summon our reserve of wisdom and experience to guide the way forward,” Nusseibeh said.
“Global solidarity means doing more than focusing on conflicts in some parts of the world while ignoring others. We need to shift our mindset from conflict management to conflict resolution – our collective security depends on it. Let this crisis be the wake-up call – the future of this organization may rest on that.”
“We all need to galvanize UN efforts to promote dialogue, work towards an end to the hostilities, and address the humanitarian situation for those most desperately in need,” she added.
According to Arab News report, the majority of Arab countries also voted for the resolution citing commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, especially the peaceful resolution of disputes and the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states.
Only Syria voted against, with the Damascus envoy saying that the resolution aimed at defaming Russia, accusing the “hegemonic” policies of the West of “prolonging crises, promulgating anarchy, opting for double standards and imposing unilateral sanctions,” it was reported.
Meanwhile, India abstained on the vote “in view the totality of the evolving situation”.
“India has been deeply concerned over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the ensuing humanitarian crisis,” India’s vote, Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti said while explaining India’s vote.
He said: “India supports the international community’s call for an immediate ceasefire. We also support safe humanitarian access to conflict zones. We remain firm in our conviction, that differences can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.”
This was the fourth abstention by India on a vote on the Ukraine issue at the UN — the other three at the Security Council where India is an elected member.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after the vote: “The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear: End hostilities in Ukraine — now. Silence the guns now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy — now.”
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“The brutal effects of the conflict are plain to see. But as bad as the situation is for the people in Ukraine right now, it threatens to get much, much worse. The ticking clock is a time bomb,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the General Assembly emergency session on Wednesday, the Russian envoy said that a peaceful scenario of Ukraine could happen if the radicals were concerned about preserving lives of civilians rather than hiding behind them.
“We are not carrying out strikes on civilian facilities and civilians. A peaceful scenario of Ukraine could happen if the radicals concerned about preserving civilian lives rather than hiding behind them,” Vassily Nebenzia today.