UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Pope Francis and others on Thursday marked the first Human Fraternity Day, a UAE-backed effort to spend 24 hours focused on fighting hate speech and religious bigotry.
Mr Guterres pre-recorded comments for an online event with envoys from the UAE and Egypt, which last year led a successful plan to designate February 4 as the UN's annual International Day of Human Fraternity.
“As we commemorate Human Fraternity Day, let us commit to do more to promote cultural and religious tolerance, understanding and dialogue,” Mr Guterres said.
“Cultural diversity and freedom of belief are part of the rich tapestry of civilisation.”
Pope Francis marked the new global day in a message to his 19 million Twitter followers, writing: “Let us pray and work each and every day so that everyone might live fraternally together in our world and in peace.”
The UN’s 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution drafted by the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in December, designating February 4 as the global celebration of fraternity.
The date commemorates a meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi in 2019. The two faith leaders also pre-recorded video messages for the virtual celebration.
Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s UN envoy, said the world had been ravaged by the deadly coronavirus pandemic since that meeting, exacerbating “deep-rooted inequalities” that must be combated.
“Today, now more than ever, all of us have a role to play in fostering peaceful and inclusive societies,” Ms Nusseibeh.
"Tragically, hate speech is becoming too prevalent around the world. Violence against places of worship and minorities continues to escalate.”
The envoy said promoting tolerance was a “key priority” in the UAE’s bid to secure a temporary seat on the Security Council, the UN’s top decision-making body, for 2022-2023
Mr Guterres was on Wednesday jointly awarded the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, a new UAE prize. The UN chief said he would donate his $500,000 prize money to the UN's refugee agency.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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Major matches on Manic Monday
Andy Murray (GBR) v Benoit Paire (FRA)
Grigor Dimitrov (BGR) v Roger Federer (SUI)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Gilles Muller (LUX)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
