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The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Saturday on a Bahraini resolution calling for defensive measures and the creation of a monitoring mechanism to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the lead-up to the vote, Gulf Co-operation Council Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi urged the world body to take measures to protect maritime routes and ensure freedom of navigation.
Here are the five main points of the resolution, which is backed by GCC countries and Jordan:
1. It affirms that the Strait of Hormuz is open for all international transit passage. No state has the right to close or control it.
2. The measure authorises states to take purely defensive measures to secure passage and deter any acts to impede international navigation through the strait.
3. It provides a clear legal basis for all states to mobilise and support safe passage while following international law and international humanitarian law.
4. Countries using this authorisation must notify and report to the UN, ensuring transparency and adherence to international law.
5. The measure creates a monitoring mechanism with monthly reporting by the UN Secretary General, so that the UN Security Council can take further action based on new developments.
Bahrain’s UN ambassador, Jamal Al Rowaiei, who took over the presidency of the 15-member UN Security Council for April, told reporters in New York on Wednesday that the GCC states cannot “accept that the situation remains as is”.
“We cannot accept economic terrorism affecting our region and the world, and the whole world is being affected by this development. This resolution is of paramount importance, and it comes at a critical juncture,” he said.
On Wednesday, an Emirati official told The National that the UAE's “defensive posture” remains, after reports in the US media claimed the country was preparing to help Washington and its allies to open the Strait of Hormuz “by force”.
