Ireland’s ambassador to the UN, Geraldine Byrne Nason, offered the UAE some friendly advice on its effort to join the world body’s Security Council: be yourself, make new friends and stick to your principles.
After a tough contest with Canada and Norway, Ireland was elected to the 15-member Security Council in June and will take its seat next month.
The UAE is running for one of its two-year places in the 2022-2023 term.
Ms Nason said it was “pretty remarkable” to fend off heavyweight Canada, but even small countries such as Ireland and the UAE could secure support on the world stage by being straight-talking, courageous and upright.
“We stuck to our guns, we're principled, we're independent," she said on Tuesday. "We're a feisty country that is consistent in its foreign policy.
“I think that that, frankly, undervalued quality of authenticity ... in this entirely choppy environment internationally, comes through.”
Unlike Ireland, the UAE is expected to secure its seat unopposed. It is vying for a seat that is allocated by convention within Arab states.
The Emirates would effectively replace Tunisia after its term finishes at the end of 2021.
But the process can be arduous and involves a campaign, diplomatic soirees and scrutiny from watchdog groups in the run-up to a vote in the assembly by all 193 UN members in the middle of next year.
Ms Nason said the UAE’s envoy to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh, was “preparing very well” for the campaign and she looked forward to working with the UAE on improving lives for women in war zones.
She said Ireland’s campaign was aided by Irish rocker Bono, the U2 frontman and humanitarian, who appeared at the UN in June 2018.
“If you can grow a Bono, that would be a help, of course,” Ms Nason said.
There are big differences between the UAE and Ireland, but they also have much in common, with similar populations, economies and territories.
The UN Security Council has five, veto-wielding permanent members: Russia, China, the US, Britain and France.
Ten other seats go to elected non-permanent members who can vote on resolutions but do not have veto power.
The council meets regularly on threats to international peace and security and is the ultimate decision-maker on resolutions imposing international sanctions, authorising the use of military force and launching peacekeeping operations.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Pathaan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Siddharth%20Anand%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20John%20Abraham%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
