The United Arab Emirates is determined to continue its efforts to strengthen the protection of human rights at home, and to work constructively within the Human Rights Council (HRC) to address human rights issues around the world, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has said.

Giving the UAE statement before the High Level Segment of the 31th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday, Dr. Gargash said fostering values of tolerance, social cohesion and human rights are key pillars to achieving stability in the region, alongside countering extremism and promoting prosperity.

Below is the full text of the statement Mr President, Your Excellency the High Commissioner, distinguished delegates: On behalf of the United Arab Emirates, I am pleased to extend to you, Mr President, our congratulations on your election. I thank your predecessor, Ambassador Rucker, for his work.

We are honoured that the United Arab Emirates has been elected to a second term on the Human Rights Council. We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen the protection of human rights at home, and to work constructively within the Council to address human rights issues around the world. Fostering values of tolerance, social cohesion and human rights are key pillars to achieving stability in our region, alongside countering extremism and promoting prosperity.

The implementation of the voluntary pledges we made when we announced our candidacy is already well under way. We look forward to working closely with the High Commissioner's Office over the next three years towards achieving these shared goals.

Our work to strengthen the national protection of human rights is continuing in many areas, and today I would like to highlight specific advances that have been made on gender, and for children, including girls, as well on safeguarding labour protections.

The UAE continues to strive to achieve the country's goal of gender equality. Women are well represented in various UAE political and constitutional institutions, and women continue to prove their merit in these roles. Through the opportunities provided, women are participating as equal partners in building a truly remarkable, modern Arab and Muslim society. More importantly, the critical role of women in these institutions is widely accepted by all as a key factor in our success as a nation. This ensures that the increase in women's participation in society is not merely a cosmetic development, but something more significant and enduring.

Underpinning this progress is a firm resolve to implement our international commitments. To that end, in November, we presented our combined Second and Third Periodic Reports on the steps we have taken to implement the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women. I am pleased to report that domestic progress on rates of women's educational attainment levels, health and political participation continue to represent new benchmarks both in our region and globally.

Additionally, we have set some long-term, strategic goals to achieve empowerment and equality in the work place. These include the launch, by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women's Union, which is our national organisation for women, of a long-term National Strategy for Empowerment of Emirati Women in the UAE for the period 2015-2021.

Building on our own national experience, we strongly believe that gender equality is at the core of peaceful and thriving societies. That is why advancing women's empowerment is reflected in our international role as well as in partnership with the United Nations.

At the UN, the UAE champions gender equality and the empowerment of women in close partnership with UN Women at various levels. The UAE is currently serving its second term on the Executive Board of UN Women from 2016-2018, and we have been a major donor since 2012. We are especially pleased to host a UN Women Liaison Office in Abu Dhabi, which will be opened this year. The Office will serve to institutionalise and further strengthen partnerships with the UN on women's participation and leadership.

Further, our Mission in New York is spearheading partnerships on policy innovations in support of the "Women, Peace and Security" agenda – a critical platform for integrating women into every aspect of political participation, peace-making and peacebuilding – which we believe increases the durability and resilience of post-conflict societies.

Evidence shows that early engagement and prevention is always more effective, and that is why the UAE strongly supports international efforts to achieve equality in the right to education for girls as a critical precursor to women's empowerment. Additionally, I am pleased to announce that the UAE will lead on a resolution at the June session of this Council to support efforts to realise the equal right to education by every girl.

While we support a special focus on girl's education, the UAE's commitments to all children are guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In September, we presented our Second Periodic Report on the question and we have been engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Committee on improving protection for children. Additionally, we have adopted a National Strategy for Motherhood and Childhood, which covers four integrated aspects of child rights: survival, development, protection and participation. Beyond our own borders, and through organisations such as Dubai Cares, the UAE is also helping to make the right to education a reality around the world. Working in partnership with organisations such as UNICEF, Dubai Cares has helped millions of children in more than 30 countries to go to school.

I would now like to report to the Council on a further significant component of the UAE's human rights approach; the ongoing effort to improve labour conditions. The UAE is mindful of the contribution and composition of foreign workers in the country's economic development. As a result, further measures have been introduced to improve employment contracts, register work permits and extend benefits to all workers. The reforms place the UAE at the forefront of regional efforts to protect workers and build on significant structural improvements, and we believe are a signal of the UAE's progressive approach towards improving workers rights, on the basis of universal principles.

Turning to the specific recent developments in our region, the UAE is very concerned by the challenges to social and religious cohesion that have divided the Arab world along sectarian lines and promoted religious prejudice, endangering our long and proud history of cohesion and co-existence. The UAE firmly believes that the rich mosaic of Middle Eastern societies is unique, and must be protected and respected. This is a vision that we hold dear, and we believe that it is the only viable model for societies to thrive and grow in a world that is increasingly inter-connected.

That is why in July 2015, we enacted a new Anti-Discrimination Law to protect the distinctive environment of tolerance, open-mindedness and acceptance that exists in the UAE. The law criminalises all forms of discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin as well as the incitement of religious hatred. Taking this further, the UAE has announced in its new cabinet the appointment of a Minister for Tolerance in order to emphasise and advance our commitment on this important subject.

Additionally, and because we believe that our model is a positive one that can benefit the region, the UAE is doing its part globally to promote tolerance and the respect for human rights, to counter extremism, and to create economic opportunity and sustainable development. For example, in April 2015, Abu Dhabi hosted the second "Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies", which seeks to promote the message that Islam is a peaceful religion based on values of tolerance and human rights. In July, the UAE launched the Sawab Centre in Abu Dhabi, a joint initiative by the Governments of the UAE and the United States to counter Da'esh propaganda and recruitment operations by giving a voice to the millions of Muslims and others around the world that stand united against terrorism.

Mr President, our region is facing multiple and protracted conflicts, associated with the denial of basic rights. We have seen the weak, the young and the old suffer tremendously due to the break down in governance, sectarian prejudice and extremist views.

Our resolve, as the international community, to stand against the expanding threat of extremism and terrorism, is essential.

That is why the political resolution of crises is of paramount importance in Syria, Libya and Yemen. And, as we work towards the stability needed in the Middle East, we must simultaneously seek a progressive vision for the future.

The UAE believes that we must stand together to address these shared challenges, and we are working with friends and allies to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses associated with conflict in our region.

In Yemen, the UAE and the Coalition intervened to restore the legitimate government and put the political process back on track. These objectives have been achieved, but challenges remain. The UAE will continue to support and deliver humanitarian assistance, as well as ensuring Yemen's long-term economic integration into the region. The UAE believes that a political process engaging all Yemenis is the way forward.

On Syria, we welcome the recent Security Council resolution and efforts towards a cessation of hostilities and hope this will open access for the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to the people of Syria. The UAE continues its commitment to alleviate the plight of Syria's refugees. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the UAE has welcomed more than 100,000 Syrians, who have joined another 140,000 already living in our country, with the access to work opportunities, healthcare and education.

Central to many of the crises in the region is the need to address and advance the Peace Process ensuring the rights of Palestinians to an independent state based on the relevant UN resolutions, with 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

We feel the current tragic stalemate contributes to the instability of the entire region and sends a message to the region and to the wider world that it is acceptable that open wounds remain unhealed, that individual lives do not matter – and that permanent refugee status is acceptable in the Middle East.

This cannot be sustained, especially given the catastrophic humanitarian and refugee consequences of the Syrian crisis, and the protracted nature of displacement today.

Let me conclude with this fact: in the UAE's view, our region is not condemned to generational conflict and violence. We believe that by working together, to address threats to the regional order, build strong institutions, promote good governance and human rights – all predicated on the shared principles of the rule of law, legitimacy and tolerance – we can collectively offer viable and modern alternatives to the injustice, exclusion, extremism offered by the aggressors and extremists.

We know this because we have achieved this vision in our own society, and we are determined to work with our partners here in the Council, and throughout the multilateral system, to achieve this important goal.
Source: WAM