Published: 11th Apr, 2024
Context
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) announced the launch of its 'Vision for Regional Security', a new initiative formulated by the six-country bloc earlier.
1: Dimension-Issues covered in the vision
- There are several topics that the vision covers, outlined in 15 specific points, such as issues relating to regional security and stability, economy and development, as well as climate change.
- Israel issue: One geopolitical challenge that the vision seeks to resolve is the issue of Israel's occupationof the Palestinian territories, reaffirming the GCC's commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative that was first endorsed by the Arab League in 2002, despite Bahrain and the UAE normalising relations with Israel.
- The vision also calls for the end of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and nots that the conflict is a key issue destabilising the region.
- Two-State Solution: Among others, it calls for a two-State solution, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the pre-June 1967 borders and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
- Nuclear policy: It also addresses nuclear non-proliferation in the region, a long-standing issue due to Iran's nuclear programme, as well as a commitment on the right to civil nuclearuse, a policy which has been sought by both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- Other points include addressing cyber security issues, global energy market stability, climate change and the advancement of implementing a 'circular carbon economy' and securing water security.
The document has come at a time when the West Asian region is engulfed in a turmoil since the beginning of the Israel–Hamas War in October 2023. Its launch has provoked questions about what the security plan entails and how it will be implemented, particularly with its formation coinciding with Israel's war on Gaza and a spate of attacks on regional Red Sea shipping.
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Fact Box: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
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