During the 33rd Arab League Summit, which took place in Bahrain in May 2024, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, delivered a powerful message to Arab leaders, urging them to uphold unity in order to overcome obstacles and advance a better and more prosperous future for their peoples.
The summit convened to discuss Israel’s war on Gaza and stress the urgent need for a unified Arab stance against the worsening humanitarian crisis.
In the light of this, the Bahrain Declaration emphasized the Arab countries’ categorical rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people. It also called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza.
A Shared Bond
Guterres opened his speech by mentioning his birthplace’s connection to Al-Andalus, which the Arab and Muslims ruled for hundreds of years – a powerful reminder of the Arab culture’s great influence on the global civilization.
“I was born in Lisbon – a city that for centuries was part of Al-Andalus,” he said.
“This was at a time when Cordoba was the center of culture and civilization of the Iberian Peninsula, just as Baghdad was the center of culture and civilization of the world – reaching out from the Chinese border to the Atlantic coast,” he added.
Decades of Struggle
The UN chief pointed to the Western colonization of the Arab countries, which significantly changed the region and sparked divisions and struggle.
“History moved on. And a number of transformations – cultural, economic, technological and military – changed the world to the detriment of the Arab people.
“The majority of Arab countries were colonized,” Guterres said.
“It took decades of struggle for liberation – sometimes bloody wars – often with long periods of exploitation – and a legacy of lines arbitrarily drawn in the sand,” he stated.
Unity Is the Key
Guterres highlighted the massive potential of the Arab world, evident in the region’s history, culture as well as resources.
“But, today, once again, the world is changing and I see enormous potential in the Arab region. You have the resources, you have the culture, you have the people,” he said.
Then, he pointed to the missing element. “But there is one core condition for success in today’s world: unity,” he noted.
Overcoming Obstacles
Guterres also warned against the dangers of divisions and foreign intervention, which exacerbate tensions and ignite conflicts.
“Time and again, history has shown that divisions allow outsiders to intervene – promoting conflicts, stoking sectarian tensions and inadvertently fueling terrorism. These are obstacles to peaceful development and the well-being of your peoples,” the UN Secretary-General said.
“Overcoming those obstacles requires breaking the vicious circle of division and foreign manipulation – and moving forward together to build a more peaceful and prosperous future for the people of the Arab world and beyond,” Guterres noted.
