Introduction
The United Nations is an international body whose main aim is to commit its members to maintain international peace, social progress, and improved living standards across the world, among other global initiatives. There are six principal organs in the UN, including the UN Security Council, which is mandated to ensure international security and peace. The council comprises 15 members who are obligated to make decisions to promote global peace. There are five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected by the general assembly every two years. The United Arab Emirates announced its candidacy for the UNSC non-permanent seat for a two-year term between 2022 and 2023.
Chances for UAE to Win
The United Arab Emirates has a high chance of winning as its candidature is unopposed. There are ten non-permanent seats available and are distributed regionally across the world. Out of the ten votes, five seats are reserved for nations from Africa and Asia. The United Arab Emirates is located in the Asia region, meaning it will compete with other countries for a seat. One seat is reserved for the Arabic nation, and UAE is the only Arab nation to have placed a bid on the seat. The last time that the UAE served in the UN security council was in 1986-1987. The elections for the 2022-2023 term will take place in June 2021. This means that the nation has an opportunity to gain a seat after being away for around 35 years.
UAE embarked on intensive diplomatic activities to improve its chance of gaining maximum votes. The campaigns were based on the country’s rich experience in managing conflict and crisis within the Middle East. As a result, the nation has excellent diplomatic ties with other countries within the region and beyond. The government has normalized its relations with Israel, heightening its role as a global diplomatic leader. UAE is bound to gain votes from many countries across the world that support its diplomatic actions. Early submission of candidature will allow the Gulf nation to undertake early diplomatic campaigns, thereby fostering relations. Moreover, the last country to win the election as the Arabic government was Tunisia which is in Africa. This means that UAE has a higher chance of winning the seat when elections are held.
Opposition against UAE
Although the United Arab Emirates is the preferred candidate for UNSC non-permanent seat for the 2022-2023 term, there is still a likelihood that it may face opposition. The nation has to convince most of the 193 UN member states to vote for it by mid-2022. Countries that run unopposed usually seek to win with maximum votes to solidify their international profile. As a result, there will be considerable campaigns to gain more votes. This will help to improve the image of the country at a global level.
The UNSC is charged with dealing with global conflict in hotspots like the Arab bloc.
UAE is a key player in the conflicts within the Arab bloc. As a result, the country will have to come up with a plan on how to deal with the perennial conflicts in the Middle East. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has struck most countries and will leave them weaker and bruised. As a result, UAE will have to promote its region’s agenda as all parts of the world struggle to beat the pandemic. Therefore, the Middle East’s volatility will be the most significant opposition to Abu Dhabi’s bid on the UNSC’s non-permanent seat.
Implications of UAE Winning
The winning of the UNSC’s non-permanent seat will propel the country towards heightened regional and global diplomacy. During the campaigns, UAE will undertake rigorous initiatives to bolster alliances with different countries across the world. This will help them to improve the country’s global image. Furthermore, the win will see most Arabic nations vouching for Abu Dhabi. This will make UAE the leader and unifying factor in the region. This will lead to an improved relationship with its neighbors in the Persian Gulf. However, if the Arab nations do not vote overwhelmingly for UAE, there will be a risk of the Arab bloc being split in the event of a crisis. Furthermore, the win will come at a time the whole world is grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the win will
Opportunities for UAE after Winning
Winning the non-permanent UNSC seat will provide various opportunities for UAE. The chance to sit at the UNSC will give UAE a vote and a voice on the top global table. It will get an opportunity to handle regional and international issues with other heavyweight nations such as the US, China, and the UK. The first and obvious opportunity will be that Abu Dhabi will have a chance to provide the Arabic perspective in discussions related to international issues. They will be able to table the demands and aspirations of the Arab bloc to the security council, thereby improving stability in the region. The ability to discuss Arabic views on regional and international issues will enable the country to mark its impact globally. This will be heightened when the country gets a chance to hold the council’s presidency for about a month. The council’s presidency is rotated among the members monthly.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In conclusion, UAE’s bid at the UNSC non-permanent seat is a winning bid. This is because it is the only nation from the Arab bloc that has submitted its candidature. This means that it will win unopposed. However, although the nation’s candidate is uncontested, there will be several oppositions to its bid. The most significant opposition is that the country comes from the Middle East region, where the UN cannot tame the conflicts.
Furthermore, the win will come when the world is bleeding from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gulf nation winning implication will be an improvement to its international profile and a chance for it to help promote global peace. The win will also be accompanied by various opportunities for the country to stamp itself as a global diplomatic leader and perhaps help solve the Middle East crisis.
It is recommended that the country should heighten its campaigns to ensure that it wins with the maximum votes out of the possible 193votes. Furthermore, the country comes from a region where the UN is struggling to make peace. UAE brings on board an insider perspective of the regional conflicts in the Middle East and provides an amicable solution. Considering that the conflict in the region is a nightmare for the UN, UAE should develop proposals on how the global community can help solve the underlying issues. Furthermore, the country should also develop a plan to deal with the effects of the COVID 19 as this will be a crucial issue during their two-year term at the UNSC.