FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Introduction

Working for a better world

During recent years the international community has experienced a period of uncertainty and turmoil. Although there have been slow, and often hesitant, moves towards a resolution of some of the major points of conflict, such as the Palestinian question, in other areas, there has been little, if any progress. The conflict in Somalia, despite efforts by the United Nations in which the United Arab Emirates participate, continues to ravage that East African nation. The conflict in Bosnia and other successor states of the former Yugoslavia, one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints in the last twenty years, has for much of the period seen a succession of military atrocities against civilians as the rest of the world has stood apparently impotent on the sidelines.

Against this background of inter-state conflict and civil strife, the United Arab Emirates has continued the process that began with its establishment 24 years ago, of steadily and quietly working in co-operation with its friends to achieve a better world. A small state, with correspondingly limited ability to affect international affairs, it has, nevertheless, exerted all possible efforts in this search for a more peaceful, stable and prosperous world.

Basic Principles of Foreign Policy

The basic guidelines of UAE foreign policy were laid down in the mid-nineteen sixties, when Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan became the ruler of the largest emirate, Abu Dhabi. Following soon after commencement of oil exports Sheikh Zayed saw the need, and through its status as an oil producer, the means, to establish firm international relations and to play valuable roles in both regional and international matters which were of interest.

The guidelines defined at that time, like those of many other small states in the community of nations, are based upon the principles enunciated in the Charter of the United Nations, notably those of non-interference in the internal affairs of others and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, coupled with the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force.

At the same time, the underlying principles of support for justice and human rights, derived from the national religion of Islam, have added a moral as well as a political tone to its foreign policy guidelines. In the UAE's eyes, foreign policy is essentially a matter of principle, not of pragmatism and selfish national interest.

Over the years, naturally, particular aspects of foreign policy have changed as the world itself has changed. In the last few years, the Cold War has ended, and, with the collapse of communism and the creation of the Confederation of Independent States, CIS, a now unipolar world offers foreign policy options very different from those that existed when the state was founded.

The basic foci of policy remain, however. Ever since its creation, the UAE has pursued a desire for close relations with its neighbours and Arab sister states, with particular emphasis on those in the Arabian Peninsula, within the framework of supporting moves towards greater Arab unity.

 

Arab Unity

The Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC, often abbreviated to GCC), formally established at a summit meeting in Abu Dhabi in 1981, is a key focus of UAE foreign policy.

"We in the Arabian Gulf are one family," according to President Sheikh Zayed, who describes the AGCC as an authentic expression of the aspirations of the people of its member states.

Commenting on the occasion of the December 1994 AGCC Summit Meeting, the President noted that it was "a concrete indication of our awareness of the importance of cooperation and coordination between our countries," going on to refer to minor disagreements between member states as "differences of opinion between brothers (that are) a reflection of a realistic attitude and a healthy phenomenon."

One of the key challenges that has faced the AGCC since its formation has, of course, been the Iraqi invasion of its member state Kuwait. The memories of that sorry time are now slowly fading, although the lessons learned will not be forgotten, not least the fact that the states of the AGCC must seek to strengthen their collaboration in all fields in order to provide the best possible guarantees for their security.

At the same time, however, within the broader framework of seeking reconciliation and cooperation within the whole of the Arab nation, the United Arab Emirates continues to make it clear that the time has now come for serious attempts to be made to heal some of the divisions created by that conflict.

Meeting with his fellow leader King Hassan of Morocco in September 1995, President Sheikh Zayed stressed that "the current Arab situation requires that the Arabs should intensify their efforts to overcome the unjustifiable separation now prevailing . . . The UAE spares no effort," he said, "to clear the atmosphere between the Arab states, and it continues to try to help restore Arab solidarity in such a way as to permit the Arab states to unify their ranks, and to end their marginal differences."

For this to be possible, however, the UAE believes that it is time that the League of Arab States amends its charter, to remove the requirement for unanimity in decision-making, and to adopt a new system based upon a majority voting structure.

Such a move, Sheikh Zayed said in a statement to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the League, would be in accordance with prevailing international practice, while, he comments, "such a procedure applies within a family, where the right is always with the majority, not with the minority. So too should it apply within a family of states."

 

Dispute with Iran over three Gulf Islands

Closer to home, another topic of importance in UAE foreign relations has been the dispute with neighboring Iran over its continued occupation of the three UAE islands in the Arabian Gulf, Abu Moosa, Greater Tumbs and Lesser Tumbs, which form an indivisible part of the territorial sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE recently reaffirmed its position, calling for direct bilateral and unconditional negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran to end its military occupation, since 1971, of these three UAE islands. In the event that such talks are not possible, the UAE has called for a referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice.

This would be in line with the manner in which other countries, including Iran, have sought to settle such territorial disputes in the past.

The UAE's peace initiatives have received support from countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, the League of Arab States and many other peace-loving nations since what it is demanding is within its legal and sovereign rights.

The UAE has expressed its sincere regret that the Islamic Republic has so far rejected its initiatives and has resorted to military force to impose a "fait accompli" as well as undertaking a series of measures aimed at consolidating its illegal occupation of the islands.

Such actions, in the UAE's view, conflict with the principles of peaceful coexistence and good neighborly relations which are hallmarks of its international relations; they also contradict the provisions of the Charter of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law.

 

Maritime Boundaries

On other local matters, the UAE has proceeded during the course of the last two years to complete the definition of its maritime boundaries in accordance with the precepts of international law, including the Law of the Sea.

In accordance with this important piece of international legislation, and to ensure harmony in terms of laws on marine boundaries among the seven emirates of the UAE, the country adopted, at the end of 1993, a common twelve mile nautical limit for its territorial waters, including those around offshore islands.

It also announced the formal establishment of its Exclusive Economic Zone which stretches 200 nautical miles out into the Indian Ocean from the country's east coast, and up to the median line with other littoral states, including Iran and Qatar, in the Arabian Gulf.

 

Palestine

Beyond the Arabian Gulf there have been significant developments in regional politics. The UAE welcomes progress that has been achieved between the Palestinians and the Israelis which is embodied in the Declaration of Principles and complementary agreements, including the Agreement on the second phase of expanding self-rule in the West Bank. Implementation of these agreements by the Israeli Government is an important and essential step towards enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right of self-determination and the creation of an independent state on their national soil - rights enjoyed by people all over the world.

Since before the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, President Sheikh Zayed has been at the forefront of Arab support for the cause of the Palestinian people, and of their right to self-determination and sovereignty over their own territory. He was, for example, one of the first Arab leaders to establish relations with the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Yasser Arafat, when the two met during a visit by Sheikh Zayed to Jordan in early 1969. Throughout the course of the intervening years, the Palestinians have been able to count on diplomatic and material support from the UAE.

One point strongly expressed by the UAE, both publicly and privately, is the belief that it is for the Palestinians to decide upon the terms of any agreement. As President Sheikh Zayed puts it: "They (the Palestinians) know better than others what is in their interests, and what is the appropriate decision for them to take."

Within this overall context, however, the UAE has continued to stress that no final peace settlement in the Middle East can be reached without a definitive solution on the status of the holy city of Jerusalem. In the words of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, "There will be no meaning to peace if the problem of Jerusalem is not resolved in such a way that it is part of the Palestinian state, for Jerusalem is an essential and integral part of the West Bank. There can be no just and prevailing peace in the Middle East unless the holy city is returned, for it is of significance not merely to one religion, but to all Muslims, Christians and Jews."

Underlining this approach, Sheikh Hamdan has vocally expressed the country's concern about calls in the American Congress for the US Embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"Such a call is in violation of United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on the status of Jerusalem, and would also be in breach of the commitments on the issue made by former US Secretary of State James Baker," Sheikh Hamdan told the envoy. "Jerusalem is the basis of peace in the Middle East, and any action that would impinge on such a sensitive issue would have serious repercussions."

 

Regional Conflicts

The issue of confidence-building between the countries of the region has become one of the most important and central issues for the governments of the GCC countries which hold the view that use of force, or threat of its use, will not change historical and geographical facts and realities. The UAE believes that the best means of preventing conflict between nations is by resorting to dialogue, bilateral and multilateral negotiations, confidence-building measures and through full compliance with international law.

The UAE strongly encourages all such peaceful efforts and endeavours aimed at settling boundary demarcation disputes between neighbouring countries of the region. Whilst it fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, the need to lessen the suffering of the Iraqi people, and the principle of non-intervention in its internal affairs; the UAE has called upon the Iraqi Government to complete its fulfilment of its international obligations, provided for in UN Security Council Resolutions, especially those concerned with the questions of the release of Kuwaiti prisoners and detainees and subjects of other countries, as well as the return of Kuwaiti property still in its possession.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, the UAE expressed its deep concern in the summer of 1994 at the bloody internecine conflict in Yemen. Since the end of the fighting, it has sought to encourage all parties in the country to work towards reconciliation. It has also continued to be deeply concerned about the situation in Somalia. The UAE military contingent serving with the International UNISOM I and UNISOM II missions was withdrawn along with the forces from other countries, as the warring Somali factions resumed their conflict, although the Government continues to be ready to offer assistance to any serious attempt at restoring peace to the now sadly ravaged country. The UAE has called upon the parties to work towards ending the bloodshed and to renounce disagreements in order to reach a settlement that returns national unity, security and stability to Somalia.

 

Former Yugoslavia

Sympathy for the Bosnian Muslims was reflected in a series of forceful statements from President Sheikh Zayed, as well as by the donation of substantial humanitarian assistance, both from the Government and from the population of the UAE, over Dh 140 million being raised in a matter of hours in the summer of 1995 alone.

By the autumn of 1995, however, appeals from the UAE and elsewhere, as well as the deteriorating situation in Bosnia itself, helped to convince the Western powers that Serbian aggression could no longer be permitted to continue, and the UAE quietly welcomed the decisive Western military attacks against Bosnian Serb troop concentrations; these moves, for the first time since the conflict began, held out a realistic hope of the conflict being brought to an end.

The UAE recently repeated its call for an end to the conflict, urging all parties, especially the Serbian side, to adopt peaceful dialogue instead of resorting to military force. It has reaffirmed its support for all the efforts undertaken by the international community, especially the Contact Groups of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the European Union and the United States of America to solve the crisis peacefully.

At the same time, the UAE affirms the importance of lifting the arms embargo on Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, to prevent attempts to repeat the aggression, massacres and practice of ethnic cleansing that the Serbian forces committed intentionally against Bosnian civilians, especially Muslims.

 

South Africa

The UAE has long been a supporter of equal rights for all people in South Africa, and throughout the world.

In accordance with United Nations resolutions, the UAE always supported the trade embargo against the previous white South African regime.

The country was particularly pleased to receive a state visit from South Africa's first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela, during the spring of 1995.

Over the past few years, since the abolition of apartheid, both political and economic relations have developed rapidly, and the UAE is now the largest trade partner for South Africa in the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.

 

Working for Peace

Through its bilateral relations which now encompass diplomatic ties with around 130 countries, and through the wide range of international and regional organizations of which it is a member, the United Arab Emirates continues to work, quietly, patiently, and in collaboration with others, for the long-term objective of the creation of a more peaceful and prosperous world.

 

Nuclear non-proliferation

Based on its conviction of the importance of achieving common security, the UAE announced on 25th September 1995, that the Government of the UAE had completed the legal procedures to become party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This reinforced its position calling for the creation of regions free from all weapons of mass-destruction, especially in the Middle East. It is a goal that cannot be realized as long as Israel continues to work on development of its arsenal and refuses to submit to the system of international monitoring and safeguards, as well as refusing to become party to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - a position that harms the credibility of the Treaty itself. In July 1996, the UAE officially became a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), after HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan issued a federal decree concerning this issue.

On the 25th of September, 1996, the UAE became the fifth Arab country after Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Morocco to sign the global Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which bans nuclear test explosions.

The AGCC

The AGCC is an international organization aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting greater solidarity among the Arab Gulf States.

In February, 1981, during a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE emphasized the need for a Council to coordinate joint efforts for finding solutions to the common problems in the region. In March of that year, in Muscat, Oman, the decision was made to create the Council, the official establishment of which came in May of that year, in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.

The Organization was established with the aim of pursuing and protecting the member states’ interests and handling affairs in each of the economic, financial, industrial, social, cultural, communication and health spheres. The Council also decided on efforts to preserve the sovereignty of the member states, their independence as well as their territorial integrity, thus ensuring the stability of the region.

The Secretariat seat is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Jamil Hujailan is the current Secretary General.

The League of Arab States

In 1945 in Cairo, Egypt, the Pact officially establishing the League of Arab states was signed by representatives of the seven independent Arab countries of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The League of Arab States is an international organization set up with the aim of strengthening ties between the Arab countries while promoting coordination of their activities. The organization also emphasized the need for close cooperation among the member states in order to safeguard their sovereignty and protect their interests. The original seven countries were followed in 1953 by Libya and then by Sudan in 1956. Tunisia and Morocco joined in 1958, followed by Kuwait and Algeria in 1961 and 1962 respectively. Southern Yemen joined the League in 1967 followed by Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates in 1971. Mauritania became part of the League in 1973 followed by Somalia in 1974 and Djibouti in 1977. An independent Palestine has also been a member from the beginning.

The League handles economic, financial, industrial, cultural, social and health affairs through decisions made by a number of specialized committees which assist the Council. Cooperation is established through the creation of draft agreements which are presented to the Council for consideration. The Council is made up of heads of all the member states.

There are a number of specialized committees and agencies which work in congruence with the League and handle a range of affairs. These include the Arab Labor Organization, the Arab League’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Arab Industrial Development Organization. The League also cooperates with other international organizations including those affiliated with the United Nations such as UNESCO, ILO and WHO.

The League’s Headquarters is in Cairo, Egypt with Ahmed Ismat Abdel Meguid as the current Secretary General.

 

 

 

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