LONDON: The Saudi permanent representative to the UN on Thursday asked Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for her plan for the UN to resolve the Palestinian issue and bring peace to the region at a dialogue in New York.
Rodrigues-Birkett announced her intention to stand as a candidate for the position of UN secretary-general, and set out her vision for the role should she win the forthcoming election.
Speaking on behalf of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Group, Ambassador Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al-Wasil affirmed the bloc’s “willingness to cooperate with the candidate in order to support the role of the UN and enhance its ability to deal with challenges.”
In relation to Palestine, he asked Rodrigues-Birkett how she planned to use “coherence and non-selectivity” to “ensure a balanced and fair implementation of intentional principles,” and how this would bring a “balanced implementation of relevant resolutions and … achieve a just and sustained peace” in the Middle East.
Al-Wasil added: “Considering what the world is witnessing, in an increase in conflict and the challenges related to that — related to respecting international law and the UN Charter — how do you see that compliance with international law can be enhanced, especially in relation to the humanitarian aspect and how to better support … organizations such as UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency), and enable them to fulfill their role?”
