Mr. President,
The UAE welcomes the adoption of today’s resolution and thanks the United Kingdom, as penholder, for facilitating the inclusive consultations that led to its adoption.
In light of the terrorist attack in Mogadishu on 29 October that killed dozens of innocent people, I would like to express our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Government and people of Somalia as well as to the victims’ families. We also wish a speedy recovery to all those injured. I stress here the UAE’s continued rejection of terrorism in all its forms, wherever it manifests.
Such actions highlight once again the important role of UNSOM, particularly its support for nation-building efforts and strengthening security and government institutions with an aim of enabling Somalia to address these complex challenges – foremost of which is the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabab.
Through today’s resolution, this Council sends an important message that it continues to support the Somali people and that it counts on the continuation of UNSOM for providing vital support to Somalia and for its efforts to achieve peace and stability in the country.
Mr. President,
During the negotiations of this mandate, the UAE proposed the deletion of the term the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant”, or “ISIL”, to be replaced by the term “Da’esh”. We reiterate that the purpose of this is to ensure that the Security Council is careful not to give credence to Da’esh and other terrorist groups’ exploitation of the religion of Islam to justify their violence and hate through self-proclaimed Islamic appellations.
At this point, we stress – once again – there is no connection between Da’esh and Islam, and we further recall that this Council has emphasized in many of its resolutions that terrorism should not be linked to any religion.
Our proposal is also in line with the General Assembly’s position, which has already moved away from using the terms “ISIL” and “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” in the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We need to reflect this in the Security Council.
In conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to the Special Representative, Mr. Swan, for his tireless efforts in Somalia. I also commend the efforts of UNSOM and reiterate the UAE’s commitment to support peace and stability in Somalia.
And finally, Mr. President, I join others in congratulating you and the Government of Gabon on an outstanding presidency. We wish the best of luck to your successor.
Source: Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations