United Arab Emirates Als

United Arab Emirates Positions for The League Arab of States I. Conflicts and Natural Resource Management in the Arab Region At the dawn of the 21st century, we are going through an energy crisis unlike anything humanity has faced in the past. Few could have predicted that we would be reliant on natural gas and oil; both commodities we knew were not in infinite supply. Yet we have continued to squander these rare commodities in ways that have harmed the environment, our fellow humans, animals and plants alike. Now, with the help of modern technology, we can help to cure this addiction. The United Arab Emirates is at the forefront of this venture to rid the world of its dependency with the creation of plans such as the Dubai Natural Resources World1 and the Abu Dhabi Project2. The Dubai Natural Resources World is an initiative that has been built keeping in mind the tremendous growth opportunities within the UAE as well as the rest of the world, and is designed to “explore new long-term investment avenues, while contributing positively towards sustainable development.”3 Through the careful investment of capital and planning in the use of scarce natural resources such as oil and gas, as well as mining and agriculture, the end result will be assured financial returns and open avenues of cooperation in the development and promotion of alternative energy sources. Launched through the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI), in compliance with the Government of UAE after the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002, the Abu Dhabi Project is going to release its first report in November as a compilation of ten Environmental Sector papers.4 The report will examine the major components of life in Emirates and how it affects the social and physical environments. In this report, the following sectors of Abu Dhabi will be examined: physical geography, marine and coastal environment, terrestrial habitat and land resources, archeology and paleontology, development and economy, environmental regulation and policy, history and culture, education and awareness. This report will be available to the public after it is reviewed by specialists. This is a model that all developing and developed states, especially states like China, India, and USA (which are consecutively first through third in human population) should apply for their cities and help the conserve, recycle, repair and save the environment. This scarcity of resources is what also leads to conflict such as the ones being fought in Sudan and Palestine. These issues are rampant throughout the Middle East mainly because of scarcity of sources that are not just oil and natural gas but much more basic like land and drinkable water. The United Arab Emirates faces these pressures like its fellow neighbors, but we do not believe that violence is the solution. It is with peaceful means that UAE was able to come to a peaceful settlement with our neighbor Saudi Arabia on readjusting our borders. We believe that through these same means we will be able to reclaim our islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa from Iran as is the policy of UAE eloquently put by Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council, that, “'The issue should be raised at international forums and kept alive on agenda of international gatherings so that a settlement could be reached in future.”5

II. For Women: Improving Rights and Access to Education for Development In a world after 9/11, Muslims are under scrutiny all over the world and it doesn’t help that the treatment of women in Muslim societies does not connect with the status given to them by Islam. It is no wonder that Non-Muslims believe that we are a barbaric peoples who torture, stone and beat our women with the slightest excuse. What they don’t understand and it might be something that even most Muslims don’t understand is that some of this cruelty and complete control over women might come from the region’s culture and not from Islam. For example, in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan girls are not supposed to attend school and any Westerner who takes sympathy on these poor souls and tries to raise money abroad and build them a school, has it burnt down to a crisp by terrorist 1

Emirates News Agency, WAM. Dubai World forms Dubai Natural Resources World. October 6th,2008. http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Dubai_World_forms_Dubai_Natural_Resources_World/32260.htm 2 Emirates News Agency, WAM. Abu Dhabi on its way to first State of the Environment Report. October 22nd, 2008. http://uaeinteract.com/docs/Abu_Dhabi_on_its_way_to_first_State_of_the_Environment_Report/18248.htm 3 Ibid: see 1 4 Ibid: see 2 5 Emirates News Agency, WAM. Italy backs UAE stance on islands. October 24th, 2008. http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Italy_backs_UAE_stance_on_islands/32590.htm

groups like the Taliban. Is it Islam that forbids women from being educated? No, actually quite the opposite and it is clearly mentioned in the Quran the women have as much as right to be educated as a man because she will be the mother of a new generation. If the mother of a nation is not educated then the following generations will be lost. Keeping this in mind UAE attaches top priority to women’s education and rights. According to Dr. Hanif, the UAE’s Minister of Education who reviewed the efforts of the UAE in supporting education and creating an international education system said at a recent seminar he attended in Washington D.C., “The ministry’s mission collaboratively supports our students, schools and partners in the delivery of a world-class educational system by planning, implementing, and monitoring high quality educational standards, policies, programs, and guidelines.” He also emphasized that the “21st century teacher project” would train 10,000 teachers while Dh200 million would be spent on the program. He highlighted the strides made by the country in women’s education. “The UAE currently occupies the first rank in women’s education, especially higher education. “The number of women who completed their high school education exceeded men.6 “Women have become an important source of talents, skills and economic resource in the UAE,” he said.” To address this issue the UAE Women's Federation was created in 1975 to encourage the country's women to play a full role in society and was headed by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bent Mubarak, wife of the country's 7 President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Niehyan. One of the main activities of this institution is to promote women’s education, which has now allotted to higher number of women in universities, in the workforce, as well as in politics. In fact, “Under the Constitution women enjoy the same legal status, claim to titles, access to 8 education and the right to practice professions as men.”

III. To The Future: Creating Peace in Iraq As an Arab nation and for the future stability of the region, Iraq, once the capital of Muslim civilization is nothing but a barren chaotic landscape of bloodshed and war with no end in sight. As the League of Arab States, and as a fellow Muslim State the United Arab Emirates believes that we have a responsibility to help our fellow Muslim brother and sisters in need. As commanded to us by Allah (SWT) to watch each other’s back and to help those of our people in need, the United Arab Emirates will use a kind and gentle hand to help the citizens of Iraq, regardless of their religious affiliation, who have been ravaged by war. And thus in the spirit of brotherhood, “The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation (MBRCF) has embarked upon a number of charity projects in various parts of Iraq at a total cost of over Dh4.93 million. The projects, which include schools and health centers, are part of the foundation's concerted efforts to help the Iraqi people. According to the deputy chairman of board of trustees of the MBRCF, Ibrahim Mohammed Bu-melha, the foundation had recently signed a contract with the "Hayat" Relief Organization for the construction of a secondary school in Babel at a total cost of over Dh1.391 million, a health centre in Ramadi, at a total cost of Dh1.192 million and two other health centers in Salahadeen and Samarra at a total cost of Dh1.192 and Dh317, 000 respectively.”9 As well as, the United Arab Emirates has forgiven the debt that Iraq owed her and we hope that other states will follow suit. 10 Aside from the financial and humanitarian effort, in the political aftermath, the removal of Saddam Hussein has left a power vacuum that, despite the tries of Coalition and the United States, is not being filled. Day by day, year by year, terrorists are taking advantage of the fact that Iraq is a no-man’s-land, with no central authority, no strong self-defense or even the visage of a national government. In this current the citizens are left with no protection or laws. Iraq’s prior political relationship with Iran does nothing to improve the situation and, especially if Iran plans on going ahead with the creation of nuclear arms. In its current defenseless state Iraq has no chance to escape an attack if one comes their way. In light of the above mentioned points, we believe that it is essential that Iraq should be stabilized as soon as possible.

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Khaleej Times Online. UAE attaches top priority to Women’s Education: Dr. Hassan. September 26th, 2008. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2008/september/theuae_september652.xml 7 UAE.gov. Women in UAE. http://www.uae.gov.ae/Government/women.htm 8 Ibid: see 7 9 Emirates News Agency,WAM. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation embarks upon Dh4 million projects in Iraq. August 10th, 2008. http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Mohammed_bin_Rashid_Al_Maktoum_Charity_and_Humanitarian_Foundation_embarks_upon_Dh4_million_ projects_in_Iraq/31495.htm 10 Nouiehed, Lin. Reuters.com. UAE breaks ice blocking Arab ties to Iraq. July 8th, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUSL0870122020080708