Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to the role of the UN in maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, and aiding the development of nations around the world. Saudi-UN cooperation has maintained its strength for almost 75 years. As the world and the UN face many challenges today, Saudi Arabia continues to firmly uphold its cooperation to maintain international order and safeguard the international system with the UN at its center.

As a co-founder and active member of the UN, Saudi Arabia continues to play a responsible and constructive role in helping the organization solve challenges, conflicts, humanitarian disasters, and climate change issues. It actively engages in finding solutions that promote the peaceful settlement of various disputes through dialogue, consultation and political means, and contributes to international peace and security. In regards to being a financial contributor to the UN, Saudi Arabia earnestly fulfills its obligations by actively participating in UN management, system reform, improving operational efficiency, and better serving the membership.

The issues that are of utmost priority to the Kingdom are: Climate change, counterterrorism, sustainable development, poverty alleviation, disarmament and non-proliferation, international security, and safeguarding religious sites, as well as the rights of the Palestinian people, the Rohingya Muslim minority, protecting Yemen from the Houthi rebels, and saving the Syrian people from their longstanding suffering.

Saudi Arabia actively participated in the Climate Action Summit 2019 in September and hopes that it will achieve fruitful results. The Kingdom will also work for stronger international anti-terrorism cooperation through the UN Counter-Terrorism Center (UNCCT) and will resolutely combat all forms of terrorism and extremism. Saudi Arabia will promote a bigger role in the UNCCT through cybersecurity.

Saudi Arabia will actively promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Next year marks the fifth year of implementation of this agenda. It also shows that Saudi Arabia’s development path and model are on the right track. The Kingdom is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the UN in poverty reduction and inject new impetus into global development. Furthermore, the Kingdom will continue to stand by the people of Palestine, as well as its firm position calling on the international community to condemn the Syrian regime for alleged human rights violations, and save the Syrian people from their longstanding suffering. It will also limit Iran’s constant destabilizing efforts, support the Rohingya to obtain equal rights in Myanmar, and continue to support through humanitarian and political dialogue the liberation of the Yemeni people from the Houthi rebels in coordination with the UN, the UN Security Council, and its coalition partners.

Saudi Arabia will continue to work closely with the UN under Saudi Vision 2030, the economic and social reform plan that is conducive to achieving common development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by enhancing connectivity and improving global value chains. The Kingdom supports the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries that face development difficulties that impact their community. Saudi Arabia consistently calls on the international community to view development issues in a comprehensive way to include developing countries, leaving no one behind.

The UN has firmly established itself as an effective, recognized center for international security and responsibility.

Dr. Khaled Manzlawiy

Saudi Arabia is also actively engaged in international disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation efforts, and continues to be a responsible and constructive player in this area.

The Kingdom supports the UN on launching its Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites, which comes at a sensitive time in light of the increasing attacks on and desecration of places of worship, and it calls for action to establish dialogue and peace. Saudi Arabia believes that the UN has firmly established itself as an effective, recognized center for international security and responsibility. The Kingdom also assumes that it would help the UN to remain true to its founding ideals and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and that it will do so.

These illustrate the political and critical role played by Saudi Arabia in the advancement of the UN, which is appreciated internationally. These points depict how Saudi Arabia plays a leading role in supporting the UN, as well as acting as a protector and regulator of the international community.

• Dr. Khaled Manzlawiy is Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations in New York.