More than ‘bandaging of wounds’ needed to solve international crises: Sheikh Abdullah

Speaking at the General Debate, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation praised the United Nations for maintaining international peace and security but said more needed to be done to counteract terrorism.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Eduardo Munoz / Reuters

NEW YORK // More than a simple “bandaging of wounds” is needed to solve crises in the Middle East and beyond, Sheikh Abdullah told the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Speaking at the General Debate, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation praised the United Nations for maintaining peace and security but said more needed to be done to counteract terrorism.

Sheikh Abdullah spoke out against “resorting to blindly placed laws that ignore the effective role played by a number of states in countering terrorism,” and said they risked destabilising strong relationships between allies, reported state news agency Wam.

He named the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act – a bill passed unanimously by the United States congress that would allow families of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia in US courts – as an example of such a law.

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› Read Sheikh Abdullah's full statement

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Sheikh Abdullah said the past few years have shown solutions based on crisis management and mere condemnation were ineffective and joint international efforts would require finding fundamental solutions for these conflicts to avoid further human suffering.

“We are all aware of the incidents of violence and terrorism, which have taken unprecedented forms and used heinous methods, causing fear and terror not only in the Middle East but in many countries of the world, and which proved that violence and terrorism are no longer associated with a certain state or a region, but are global threats, with no borders,” Sheikh Abdullah said.

He said there was hope in overcoming such issues and gave examples of the UAE’s work with Saudi Arabia in the region as well as local efforts to protect the youth from exterimist ideologies by establishing the Hedayah Centre and Sawab Centre.

During his speech, Sheikh Abdullah criticised Iran for undermining the security of the region by interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbours.

He reiterated the UAE’s sovereignty of the three islands: Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which are occupied by Iran.

Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE’s faith in theUN, particularly the Security Council, in maintaining international peace and security is unwavering.

“We expect the United Nations to play an effective and vital role in addressing and resolving conflicts and strengthening states’ fortitude through a framework that ensures respect for the national sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs,” he said.

A greater role must be given to the General Assembly and more attention directed towards achieving security and stability, he said adding that the UAE is looking forward to working with the next Secretary-General to ensure progress in finding solutions for conflicts and help maintain international peace.