Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy met UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Cairo on Sunday, as Guterres visited the city during a regional tour ahead of the end of his term later this year.
Fahmy welcomed Guterres and praised his decision to include the Arab League in his visit, noting that their diplomatic careers had overlapped on the international stage in recent decades.
He also praised the continuing co-operation between the United Nations and the Arab League, saying Guterres’s years in office would be remembered in the Arab world for his defence of the UN Charter and international law, particularly his positions on the Palestinian issue and the war in Gaza.
Fahmy said the credibility of the international system was now being measured by events in Gaza. He warned that the ceasefire remained fragile, with more than 1,500 people killed since it took effect.
He called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, preservation of the unity of the occupied Palestinian territory, and support for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, and its mandate. He warned that continued impunity encourages violations of state sovereignty and territorial integrity in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Fahmy said the Arab League categorically rejected all regional violations involving the unlawful use of force, including Iranian attacks on the territory and interests of neighbouring Arab states and continuing Houthi attacks on airports and civilian facilities. He said the latter had most recently included the launch of missiles towards the Mecca and Medina regions of Saudi Arabia.
He expressed the League’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its right to defend its security and sovereignty, and called on the Security Council to enforce its resolutions. He also stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting also discussed the situation in Lebanon as the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL nears its end. Fahmy stressed the need to avoid a security vacuum in the south and to support the Lebanese state in extending its authority over all its territory.
The two officials also discussed Sudan, Syria and Libya, stressing the unity and sovereignty of those countries and the importance of their national institutions.
Guterres reaffirmed his firm commitment to ensuring that states respect international law and the UN Charter. He praised the close partnership between the United Nations and the Arab League and said the international organisation was keen to continue coordinating with the League and supporting its efforts to develop its work in response to regional challenges and international developments.
