Cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS): Adoption of Presidential Statement
This afternoon (2 April), the Security Council is expected to adopt a presidential statement on cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS) following its meeting on the topic that began at 3 pm EST. Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani is chairing the meeting, which is a signature event of Bahrain’s April Council presidency. UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Mohamed Khaled Khiari and LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit are the briefers at the meeting. (For background and more information on the meeting, see the brief on UN-LAS cooperation in our April 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
The Council has also adopted presidential statements in connection with some of its previous briefings on UN-LAS cooperation, including S/PRST/2019/5, S/PRST/2021/2, and S/PRST/2022/1, adopted in 2019, 2021, and 2022, respectively.
The draft presidential statement set to be adopted today recognises and encourages efforts by the LAS to contribute to peace in the Arab region while noting that the UN and the LAS share common objectives in that regard. It also encourages enhanced capacity-building for the LAS in “conflict prevention, conflict resolution, post-conflict stabilization and sustaining peace, including through the provision of technical and financial assistance”. Furthermore, in line with Council practice in recent years, the draft text expresses support for the holding of an annual briefing by the Secretary-General of the LAS, the holding of an annual informal meeting between Security Council and LAS members, and the holding of an informal meeting between Council members and the Representatives of the Arab Summit Troika and the Secretary-General of the LAS on the margins of the General Assembly high-level segment.
Bahrain circulated the initial draft of the presidential statement to Council members on 25 March and requested comments by Friday (27 March). After receiving proposals from several Council members, Bahrain shared the first revised draft of the text over the weekend and opened it for comments until Monday (30 March). Late the next day (31 March), the penholder shared a second revision of the draft, which incorporated some further changes requested by Council members, and put it under silence procedure until yesterday afternoon (1 April). Several members—including China, Colombia, and Russia—subsequently broke silence and proposed amendments. The penholder incorporated some additional changes and circulated a third revision of the draft today in the early afternoon with a short deadline until 4:30 pm, which it passed.
Negotiations on the draft presidential statement took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions and significant developments across the Arab and Gulf regions, which are reflected in several elements of the draft text. One paragraph broadly “stresses the urgent need to intensify and accelerate international and regional efforts to prevent the escalation of tensions” and refers to multilateral dialogue, the political settlement of disputes, collective security, and the promotion of regional peace.
As a direct result of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which started on 28 February, the Iranian military has used its geostrategic proximity to the Strait of Hormuz waterway, severely disrupting the transit of approximately a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers. In an apparent reference to this crisis, the draft text highlights the importance of safeguarding and respecting “navigation and the freedom of movement and transit through maritime routes” to ensure the stability of global supply chains and energy security as well as to facilitate international trade.
The initial draft of the presidential statement apparently contained language demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and a humanitarian pause in all conflict situations on the Council’s agenda, including in the Arab region. In the first revision of the text, following suggestions by several Council members, this language was expanded to include the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, while the reference to the humanitarian pause was replaced with “humanitarian access”. Subsequently, in the second revision of the text, the penholder incorporated a proposal to replace the Council’s “demand” with a less prescriptive “call” as well as a proposal, apparently submitted by the US, to replace the reference to the cessation of hostilities with “de-escalation”. The mention of all conflict situations on the Council’s agenda was also removed, narrowing the focus solely to conflict situations in the Arab region. The agreed draft eventually calls for de-escalation, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian access in all conflict situations in the Arab region.
It seems that a contentious issue during the negotiations was a paragraph referring to the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, which the Security Council endorsed through resolution 2803 of 17 November 2025. The initial draft of the presidential statement called for the full implementation of the resolution, the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and the advancement of reconstruction and development efforts in the Gaza Strip.
Several Council members—including China, Colombia, France, Russia, and the UK—apparently made requests aimed at strengthening language on the Palestinian question, including regarding future statehood. The penholder responded to these requests by including, in the first revision of the text, agreed language from resolution 2803, which notes that after the Palestinian Authority carries out reform efforts and Gaza’s redevelopment advances, “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”. The language on humanitarian assistance was also strengthened by replacing “delivery” with “full resumption” and by following it up with a reference to “crucial humanitarian aid and assistance”.
Following these changes, some Council members apparently reiterated suggestions to further strengthen language on Palestinian statehood; however, the paragraph remained mostly unchanged in the second revised text, which was put under silence procedure. In the second revision of the draft text, a reference to the “implementation of Phase Two [of the comprehensive plan] which establishes governance and security measures” was removed, apparently following requests from China, Russia, and the US.
Nonetheless, members such as China, Colombia, and Russia broke silence on the second revised draft, and reiterated their request for stronger language on Palestinian statehood, including through references to the two-state solution. In an attempt to reach compromise, the penholder removed the provision reaffirming support to resolution 2803—on which China and Russia had abstained—and added language referencing prior resolutions on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”, while noting the Comprehensive Plan, which “could create the conditions for a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.
Moreover, after the first revised draft of the text, it seems that France requested the addition of language on resolution 1701 of 11 August 2006 concerning Lebanon, which called for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. On 2 March, Israel resumed intensified attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory, in response to the group having fired rockets into northern Israel apparently in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (For more information on developments in Lebanon, see our 10 March What’s in Blue story.) Language on the issue was not included in the agreed presidential statement, however.
Some Council members, including Colombia and the UK, apparently made suggestions aimed at strengthening language on women, peace and security (WPS) and youth, peace and security (YPS). The initial draft referred to the role of the UN Liaison Office to the LAS as a supporter of the participation of women in peacebuilding and of youth in peace and security efforts. This was strengthened in the first revised draft to include a reference to “women’s full, equal and meaningful participation” and to youth’s role as a contributor to peace and security. Nonetheless, in breaking silence on the second revised text, Colombia apparently requested stronger WPS language. In an apparent compromise, the penholder amended the formulation of the paragraph to include a more straightforward reference to the “full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in promoting peace and security in line with resolution 1325 (2000) and resolution 2250 (2015)”. The referenced resolutions are the first Council resolutions adopted on WPS and YPS, respectively.
It is notable that when compared to the Council’s most recent presidential statement on UN-LAS cooperation adopted in 2022, the amount of WPS and YPS-related language has been significantly reduced, as the 2022 statement had two separate dedicated paragraphs on these distinct issues.
Other elements that required some discussion during the negotiations included support for the Council’s annual UN-LAS briefing, the annual informal meeting with members of the Council of the LAS, and the informal meeting with the Arab Summit Troika during the General Assembly’s high-level week. It seems that some members, including some from the five permanent members, questioned the need to hold some of these meetings on an annual basis, their implications on the strained UN budget, and whether such requests are aligned with the UN80 reform initiative. In an apparent response to these concerns, the penholder removed a provision found in the initial draft which had requested the Secretary-General to provide a “brief report” ahead of the next Council meeting on UN-LAS cooperation on the implementation of the presidential statement and on further strengthening relations and cooperation between the two organisations. Similar requests are contained in all three prior Council presidential statements on UN-LAS cooperation.
