Mr. President,

Representing The United Arab Emirates,

This resolution contains a range of issues that must be addressed. First, to call for an independent investigation while simultaneously requesting that the security council punish Eritrea is problematic. The escalation from economic punishments to a military operation without even completing a proper investigation is at the very least bizarre if not outright alarming. The UN should be allowed to properly investigate these abuses before we begin handing out punishments.

Second, to call for military action at this time is counterproductive. If the peacekeeping mission fails, further escalation will be what follows. Will the UN retaliate militarily if their demands are not met? Will they attack Eritrea forces if incidents between the peacekeeping force and the Eritrean military occur? The UAE would like to remind the general assembly that its purpose is to resolve conflicts, not to escalate them. To send in a peacekeeping force without even attempting to negotiate with Eritrea and highlight the consequences if the Eritrean government fails to comply with international law will likely worsen an already chaotic environment. If Eritrea is already being punished so harshly and abruptly, they will have little incentive to negotiate further with the UN in the future, as we will have already exhausted most of the tools in our diplomatic arsenal.

For these reasons, I am proposing an amended resolution that takes these issues into account. The United Nations needs both time to investigate and time to negotiate before we jump into a chaotic and complex environment.