UAE to head UN Security Council in June

Rotating presidency is held by each member country for one month

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador to the UN, addresses the Security Council in February. AFP

The UAE on Thursday will assume the presidency of the UN Security Council for one month, during which it will host key events aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East and pushing for climate action.

The presidency of the UN's top body is held for one month by each of the panel's 15 members and rotates according to alphabetical order.

The UAE, which has a two-year spot on the council as one of its 10 non-permanent members, last presided over the body in March 2022.

The role is largely procedural, but the UAE will lead three signature events in line with its priorities.

On June 8, the UAE will host an event aimed at boosting collaboration between the UN and the Arab League regarding peace and security issues affecting the Middle East and North Africa region.

Led by Khalifa Al Marar, UAE Minister of State, the meeting is expected to address challenges faced by the Arab world, including the persisting conflicts in Libya, Syria and Yemen as well as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

It will also look at the economic crises, high unemployment and spiralling inflation experienced by nations such as Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia.

On June 13, the second signature event will explore interlinkages between climate, peace and security, drawing examples from the Horn of Africa, Iraq and the Sahel.

The following day, an event on intolerance, hate speech and extremism will be hosted by the UAE. The meeting will underscore the importance of human fraternity's values in fostering and maintaining peace, while effectively countering intolerance and extremism.

In 2021, the UAE along with Albania, Brazil, Ghana and Gabon were chosen to serve on the Security Council as non-permanent members.