UN Secretary General hails Oman as voice of wisdom and peacemaker

Published On: 15 May 2024

António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations has expressed his deep thanks and gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for the extraordinary partnership between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Nations (UN).

In an interview with Oman News Agency (ONA), he described Oman as a “peace builder” in the region, hailing the Sultanate’s role in resolving many regional issues.

The UN Secretary General also described  Oman as a “voice of wisdom” and an “indispensable partner” adding it is respected by everyone. He said that Oman has proven its capacity to talk to global powers as it is an “honest partner”, highlighting its efforts for de-escalation and alleviating tensions in the region to promote regional security.

Mr Guterres spoke of the importance of the cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the UN, as well as its various bodies. He also underlined Oman’s constant support for the UN's efforts, as well as Oman’s unique role in creating conditions for dialogue and reaching peace agreements in the region.

Regarding the current situation in the Gaza Strip, the Secretary General stressed that the UN is sparing no efforts to mobilise all resources to serve the population in Gaza amidst tragic and extremely difficult conditions. He expressed his sorrow over the unprecedented number of civilian victims.

The Secretary General appealed to countries with influence on Israel to open all crossing points to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to all areas in the Gaza Strip. He also stressed the necessity of adopting an immediate and humanitarian cessation of all military operations in Gaza to end the continuing suffering of civilians.

He also spoke of the importance of putting an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and pushing efforts towards achieving the two-state solution and granting Palestine full sovereignty over its lands.

Regarding the international efforts to grant Palestine full membership of the United Nations, the UN Secretary General touched on the challenges facing the United Nations, which was established in 1945 after World War II. These challenges were reflected in the current global divisions and geopolitical developments, he said.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.