UN report says UAE must take steps to avoid racial tension

UN report says UAE must take steps to avoid racial tension

UAE Ambassador to the UN accepted comments as valuable, agrees more needs to be done.

June 17, 2010 9:10 by Rasha Reslan

The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva said the UAE must take steps to avoid the potential for racial tension. Their conclusion is based on the findings of a new report, presented by Githu Muigai, the UN special rapporteur on racism and related intolerance, the National reported Thursday.

The UAE’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Obaid al Zaabi, said the reports comments and recommendations were “valuable,” and Zaabi agreed that more must be done to ensure harmonious inter-racial relations in the country.

“The UAE fully understands the reasons behind some of the conclusions and recommendations that have been forwarded to remedy some issues such as national identity and the right to acquire nationality and other issues. We do realize that we must do more and put more effort in this,” the ambassador was quoted as saying.

The report urged greater public debate on the issue of national identity involving Emiratis and expats, and highlighted the UAE’s high degree of racial diversity and the concerns this has engendered among nationals regarding identity and social integration between groups.

Tags: diversity, Emiratis, expats, human rights, integration, National identity, racial, racial tension UAE, racism UAE, tension, UAE, UN, UN Human Rights Council

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1 Comment

ali fakha on June 17, 2010 10:21 am

the articel was very good and the comments from HE Mr Al Zaabi was excellent . But the main issue here is to apply such rules that will effect the local population(citizens) of uae and may end up with no jobs .
I respect all nationalities but every one having his own style of living and daily expenses that will never ever match the local citizens of UAE and as I said they may end up with no jobs due to all employers (in general) will prefer giving jobs to people accepting low salaries .
By the way I am also expat but we should put ourself in others position and see how this can work.
I suggest better way is to have a minimum wages system and a salary scheme according to the job categories and positions. This should be applied on every one, no matter what is your nationality or colour as what is happening now very open and obvious. TYou work same position and even you may be more educated and experience and still others get double than your salary just for nationality, skin colour etc…