Arab News | Palestine’s absence from UN General Assembly ‘contravenes spirit of dialogue’: Mauritanian FM

TORONTO: It is a paradox that Palestinians are still denied a physical seat at the UN General Assembly even as their cause tops the international agenda, Mauritania’s foreign minister told the UN General Assembly on Friday.

 “This contravenes the spirit of dialogue and pluralism that the UN is underpinned upon,” said Mohamed Salem Merzoug.

 The remark came after the UNGA voted for the second year running to let Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas address the gathering by video, following the US denial of entry visas to him and other Palestinian officials from the delegation.

 Merzoug called for the full implementation of the Gaza peace plan, saying it would pave the way for the territory’s reconstruction.

 He welcomed recognition of Palestinian statehood by European countries and their sanctions on Israeli settlers, but said such steps need to be followed by firmer international action to end settlement activity.

 “The systematic destruction witnessed in the Palestinian territory and the ensuing fall of victims and displacement are the responsibility of the international community, especially the UN,” he said. “We have to protect the Palestinian people and end their suffering.”

 Merzoug also voiced support for Lebanon’s sovereignty; Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity, calling for an immediate end to the war there; and a permanent settlement in Libya that preserves its unity.

 He backed initiatives by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to support Yemen, and called for a solution to Western Sahara that is acceptable to all parties.

 He expressed concern over military escalation in the Middle East and the resulting threat to regional stability, voicing support for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan “in the face of the attacks against their stability and security.”

 Merzoug said after more than eight decades since the UN’s founding, the Security Council needs to be restructured to ensure fair representation for Africa.

 The reform, he added, should include permanent and non-permanent seats for Africa alongside a review of the UN’s financial architecture — changes that would enable more equal cooperation and open greater opportunities for development.

 “The world today faces an important moment that goes beyond political challenges,” Merzoug said. “There are acute humanitarian, environmental and economic challenges.”

 The international community owes future generations “a better world than the one we’ve inherited,” he added, calling for renewed joint effort and for the UN to regain its effectiveness in safeguarding peace and security.