KAMPALA: Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, opened the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in the capital of Uganda, Kampala, entitled: ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’. The summit was held on January 19th and 20th, 2024, and attended by heads of states and state member representatives.
Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State, headed the UAE delegation to the summit, where he presented a speech on behalf of the country. During the speech, he highlighted the UAE’s commitment to the primary principles of the Non-Aligned Movement as well as the fundamental principles established by the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and consolidated by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which urge collaboration and the integration of endeavours to address the challenge of regional crises by mitigating tensions and championing diplomacy and dialogue as the optimal path to establish trust and resolve conflicts.
Almarar stated: ‘The UAE affirms its
commitment to the primary principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, working to reinforce common interests, cooperation, and solidarity to address all repercussions and crises faced by countries of the movement.”
He affirmed the UAE’s commitment to the principles and vision of the movement, and to reinforcing multilateralism and cooperation to confront challenges and achieve common goals based on the principles of international law, as well as the objectives of the UN Charter, in addition to the friendly relations between countries, and resolving conflicts in peaceful ways. In addition, the minister underscored the UAE’s commitment to consolidating a culture of peace, refraining from the use of force and interference in countries’ internal affairs, respecting countries’ sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence, and resolving disputes peacefully according to the UN charter and international law.
According to these principles, Almarar emphasised the UAE’s unwavering and steadfast position o
n the issue of the three Emirati islands occupied by Iran, which demonstrates support for peaceful efforts and initiatives that aim to resolve the issue through bilateral negotiations or accepting to refer the case to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the principles and rules of international law.
Moreover, the minister addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, stressing that the UAE’s priority is to work towards reaching a ceasefire, safeguarding the lives of civilians, providing sufficient and sustainable relief and medical aid, and to avoid a regional spillover that would threaten security and stability in the region. In this regard, Almarar reviewed the UAE’s endeavours within the ‘Gallant Knight 3’ initiative, and the substantial and continuous relief sent to civilians in the Gaza Strip, as well as the diplomatic efforts and calls since the outbreak of the crisis in the Strip, that seek to halt escalation, reach a cease-fire, restore peace, and prevent further loss of life. He reite
rated the UAE’s successful efforts during its non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council in adopting resolutions 2712 (2023) and 2720 (2023).
With regards to developments in Sudan, he emphasised that diplomatic action has always been, and continues to be, aligned with efforts to call for restraint, de-escalation, and action to end the conflict.
Furthermore, Almarar referred to the UAE’s successful hosting of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), where the historic ‘UAE Consensus’ was adopted, which included an unprecedented declaration to address the repercussions of climate change, in addition to the announcement of a special fund with the value of US$30 billion for climate solutions worldwide to bridge the financing gap. The event also delivered a historic negotiated outcome to operationalize Loss and Damage with a contribution exceeding USD 550 million, and supported the health sector across the African continent w
ith a fund with the value of USD 220 million, in addition to concluding important agreements that aim to contribute to be advancing climate action.
Source: Emirates News Agency
BRUSSELS: Belgium has pledged full support for the case filed by South Africa charging Israel with committing the crime of genocide should the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order Israel to stop its aggression on Gaza.
The announcement was made by Caroline Gennez, the Minister of Development Cooperation, on her X account. Gennez reiterated Belgium’s unwavering support for the case before the ICJ, emphasizing that if the court calls on Israel to cease its military operation against Gaza, Belgium will extend its complete support.
The Minister promised to continue the commitment to ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza promptly at all levels. Additionally, Belgium affirmed its ongoing efforts within the European Union and at the international level to push for a permanent ceasefire, full access to humanitarian aid, calling for compliance with international law.
South Africa initiated legal action against Israel earlier this month, accusing the occupying regime of committing the crime of geno
cide against the people of Gaza, who have endured a devastating war for over three months, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
While the court is expected to issue an urgent ruling this month, it is unlikely to make a swift decision on the genocide charges, as such matters typically take years to resolve.
In November of the previous year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that the court was already conducting an ongoing investigation into war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation since June 13, 2014, within the State of Palestine.
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA