European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas affirmed on Sunday that the recent election of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nations Human Rights Council for the third time reflects the country’s growing international significance. The European official stated that membership in the Human Rights Council is "a culmination of the UAE's efforts to enhance human rights and freedoms, and a global testament to the importance the UAE places on human rights and sustainable development at both regional and international levels," according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Schinas made these remarks to "promote the European way of life," during his visit to the UAE to participate in the official European Commission event celebrating the "European Honor Day," which was held on Saturday as part of the Expo 2020 Dubai activities at the pavilions of EU member states.
He added, "The increasing international weight of the UAE and the Abraham Accords for peace with Israel demonstrate that the UAE plays an influential role in efforts to ensure stability in the region given its influence and ability to inspire." Schinas also highlighted the UAE's contribution to addressing the Afghan refugee crisis, expressing confidence that the international community "will continue to rely on the UAE's contribution in providing legal, safe, and organized pathways for Afghan citizens."
He continued, "The UAE has every right to be proud of the work it has done alongside its partners in the international community to assist the Afghan people, based on humanitarian considerations."
Speaking about Expo 2020 Dubai, Schinas said, "The global exhibition allows us all to discuss and find solutions to the common challenges we face as a global community. We need these opportunities to come together and build common momentum to address pressing issues such as climate change." He added, "In Europe, we know that global challenges require global solutions, which is why we are at Expo 2020, to contribute to meaningful discussions with our partners to confront global challenges in a spirit of cooperation and collective efforts."
The European official praised the remarkable organization of this global event, considering that Expo "reflects the ambitious UAE vision for achieving greater global successes," expressing hope that the global event would represent "the beginning of a return to normal life following the coronavirus pandemic."
He stated, "I hope the event marks a milestone in facilitating efforts to return to normal life. Europe is the most vaccinated continent in the world, and the UAE has a remarkably impressive vaccination program," noting that this is why the European Union urged member states to lift travel restrictions on residents of the UAE, effective October 8. However, the European official emphasized "the need to make further efforts to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide," pointing out that the European Union has exported one billion vaccine doses globally. He added, "The EU counts on the UAE to work with us in this endeavor."
