Complementing a morning meeting held today on collaboration between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Security Council met again in the afternoon to underline the importance of similar cooperation with the League of Arab States amidst multiple ongoing crises in the Middle East region.
This meeting occurs under the umbrella of the Council's consideration of cooperation between the UN, regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. The General Assembly has also reaffirmed the shared commitment to enhancing partnership between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS) in addressing evolving challenges in the Arab region and advancing peace, security and stability.
"This cooperation is especially important at a time when the Middle East is facing multiple and overlapping crises," said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. These crises are causing immense suffering as well as serious disruption and, in this context, he said that the role of regional organizations - as envisaged in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations - "is more essential than ever".
Outlining priorities for the region, he started by underlining the need to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and "turn this narrow but important opening into irreversible progress". Meanwhile, in Lebanon, he welcomed the League's consistent call for full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) amidst rising tensions and mass displacement triggered by Israeli evacuation orders. He also detailed continuing engagement towards recovery and political transition in Syria, overcoming the stalemate in Libya, ending the fighting in Sudan and inclusive dialogue in Somalia.
"What unites all of these files is the need for sustained regional and international coordination," he said, adding that partnership between the UN and the League strengthens political engagement, reinforces collective diplomacy and supports more coherent responses to conflict, humanitarian need and recovery. A July meeting in Geneva will provide a forum for both organizations to review this cooperation, and he said that the UN looks forward to deepening this partnership in the years ahead "for the benefit of the peoples of the Arab region and beyond".
No Justification for Iran's Attacks on Neighbourly Gulf States
"Cooperation with the Security Council is not an option, but a strategic necessity dictated by the intertwined nature of the threats facing the Arab region," then said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. Detailing them, he condemned Iranian attacks against the Gulf States, Jordan and Iraq as unjustifiable - "especially since Arab States have maintained a policy of good neighbourliness" by rejecting war against Iran and refusing to allow their territory or airspace to be used for this end.
He also stressed that Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz is obstructing international shipping, noting that the LAS has repeatedly attempted to confront Iran's attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation through the Strait and expressing regret that its repeated warnings were not heeded. Elsewhere, he condemned Israel's expansionist settlement policies in the West Bank and warned of the grave risks posed by Israel's aggression against Lebanon.
In Sudan, he reported that the League continues supporting peace efforts through close engagement with the "Quintet" mechanism, which includes the LAS, UN, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and European Union. And, reaffirming support for the territorial integrity of Somalia, he condemned Israel's unprecedented unilateral recognition of the so‑called "Somaliland region".
Concluding, he reaffirmed the League's commitment to developing avenues of cooperation with the Secretary-General's representatives on regional files, while also stressing the importance of leveraging qualified Arab expertise and understanding of the social and cultural specificities of Arab societies. There are no military solutions for the region's crises, he added, calling instead for sustainable political solutions.
League of Arab States' Unique, Trusted Role in Middle East Peacebuilding
Many Council members made similar points. Liberia's representative highlighted the unique space that the LAS occupies in the multilateral landscape. "It is, at once, political, cultural and historical in character, anchored in shared language and identity," he said. This, he emphasized, gives the League a form of convening power that "no external actor - however well resourced - can replicate". "Legitimacy matters, but also does trust," he said, adding that while the UN brings nominative authority through the Charter, the League brings regional ownership.
Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Council President for April, spoke in his national capacity to agree on that point. Pointing to ongoing, illegal Iranian attacks on several Arab countries - including his own - he said that Arab States' role in supporting the peaceful settlement of crises "confirms that achieving sustainable peace requires close integration between international legitimacy and regional ownership".
Arab nations possess unique advantages in addressing issues in that region, said China's representative, owing to geographic proximity, historical and religious ties as well as the "wisdom of peace rooted in their ancient civilization". For its part, the international community should support the LAS and Arab States as they engage in conflict prevention, especially as their region has long been a site of external Powers pursuing geopolitical dominance.
Along those lines, the representative of the Russian Federation observed that the "unique understanding of mindsets, culture, history, tradition and knowledge of political specificities and interests of various groups allows the [LAS] to produce balanced solutions". He therefore urged the Council to continue regularly meeting on today's topic, as such gatherings both provide useful information and demonstrate Arab States' cohesion in the face of shared global and regional threats.
Sharing Expertise to Address Emerging Threats
Those threats, said many, necessitate common responses due to their transboundary nature. Somalia's representative noted emerging threats such as terrorism, organized crime, cyberattacks and the targeting of vital infrastructure - all of which should spur increased coordination between the UN and the LAS to address them. He also pointed to the need for collective efforts to counter cross-border challenges such as human trafficking, disinformation campaigns and hate speech.
On that, Latvia's representative said that AI-powered technology is not only transforming the military domain but also posing new challenges to information integrity "as it becomes a tool for disinformation and information manipulation". Digital infrastructure is also increasingly becoming a military target, and she said that sharing expertise on these developments can help "increase resilience across regions in the digital age".
Noting the recent signing of a UN-LAS memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation in countering terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking, the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo underlined the importance of institutional capacity-building, crisis preparedness and the development of resilient mechanisms as matters of priority for cooperation. The League's work is "essential" to providing longer-term solutions that can "pave the way for lasting regional stability", said the representative of the United Kingdom.
Speakers Condemn Foreign Occupation, Strikes against Gulf States
Meanwhile, Pakistan's representative pointed out that one of the League's key priorities is to resolve long-outstanding disputes, such as those arising from foreign occupation. He, like several others today, called on Israel to vacate its illegal occupation of all Arab territories. The conflict involving that country, the United States and Iran also drew comment, with the representative of France stating that "our partners in the Arab League are threatened today, and a number have been directly targeted", while condemning Iran for attacking its neighbours.
Greece's representative, spotlighting the "deep and traditional ties of friendship and partnership" shared by her country and the Arab world, also condemned these strikes against Gulf States. Nevertheless, the representative of Panama joined others in welcoming the restraint showed by Arab States despite these attacks. "This type of behaviour - based on prudence and respect for international law - constitutes an example of the kind of leadership that the region demands today," he said.
For her part, the representative of the United States called on League members to support the Abraham Accords, promote greater regional integration and work with her Government in tackling challenges in Yemen, Libya, Sudan and elsewhere. Highlighting the leadership and contribution of LAS and current Council members Bahrain and Somalia, Colombia's representative said that more structured cooperation between UN special envoys and the League's political and diplomatic mechanisms would enable an integrated response, avoid duplication and maximize the impact of preventative diplomacy.
Touching on the many interconnected challenges faced by the region, the representative of Egypt - speaking for the Arab Group - underscored that strengthening cooperation between the UN and the League is no longer merely "an institutional option; it is a strategic imperative". And, while observing that the Council bears the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, Denmark's representative stated that the organ "does not hold a monopoly on the efforts to achieve it". She concluded: "Regional organizations play a critical role."
Adoption of Presidential Statement
At the close of the meeting, the Council adopted a presidential statement concerning today's topic (to be issued as document S/PRST/2026/2 ).
