During an open debate on pandemics and challenges to building and maintaining peace at the United Nations Security Council, the UAE issued a statement stressing on the need for the UN and its member states to take integrated approach towards peace and security across the world. This statement came in light of the unprecedented impact of the Coronavirus pandemic across various sectors of society which highlights the need for developing a strong international cooperative response.

In the statement, the UAE underscored that it is significantly evident that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening conditions across various regions which is resulting in intensifying conflict and violence in the aftermath of increasing hunger crisis and collapsing basic services. In addition, hate speech is widely spreading across the world during the time of crisis.

Focusing on the need to promote a holistic approach towards promoting and fostering peace and security, the UAE laid emphasis on the need for the UN and its Member States to continue to work towards empowering its Resident Coordinators worldwide to facilitate the international response against the ongoing COVID-19 crisis along with enhancing the work of the UN concerning preparedness and peacebuilding.

Adding that comprehensive approach can be achieved through step-by-step coordination among various agencies of the United Nations umbrella institution, the UAE asserted that the Resident Coordinators are most suitable to carry out the task of facilitating development and fostering humanitarian and security pillars of the UN that work hand-in-hand in achieving united results.

The UAE further stated that there is a need for the heads of missions approved by the UNSC to regularly coordinate and communicate with Resident Coordinators to recognise the various contributions that are required to be made to facilitate post-pandemic recovery process as well as establishing long-term peace and security.

The UAE also emphasised that Resident Coordinators should be more attentive during the operations of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and Fund.

The UAE also welcomed the trend of the participation of additional international organisations and other stakeholders in the efforts taken to expand the operations and country teams of the United Nations, adding that such diverse country teams will facilitate improved coordination and better resource mobilisation in a bid to achieve required outcomes for individuals and communities affected from the crisis.

At the same time, the UAE stressed on the need for establishing gender equality, stating that it is elementary to achieving long-lasting peace and economic recovery. The UAE called upon the international community to ramp up efforts to mainstream gender perspective in efforts of ensuring peace and security. The statement noted that women and girls have faced higher impact of Coronavirus pandemic, like other crises, highlighting the need for including role of played by women in peace processes during permanent briefing at the UNSC.

The UAE statement also appealed the UN to shift its approach towards taking proactive actions with prior knowledge about the risks-involved, with special focus on conflict prevention. In this regard, the UAE highlighted that reliable and authentic warnings related to various factors that could either worsen or enable conflicts must be handled and supported with increased and coordinated action which is developmental, humanitarian, and peacebuilding in nature. This will help in preventing or mitigating the conflict.