UN top court dismisses Qatar's discrimination case against UAE

The UN's top court has rejected a racial discrimination case brought by Qatar against the UAE.

The International Court of Justice on Thursday upheld "the first preliminary objection raised by the UAE" that the blockade of Qatar were based on nationality, and not racially motivated.

During the plenary session of the Court at the Peace Palace in The Hague on Thursday, the non-appealable judgment was delivered.

It found that Qatar's attempts to base its 2018 complaint on the United Nations' 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination lacked merit and so the court had no jurisdiction in the dispute.

The President of the Court, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, read out the Court's decision.

Dr. Hissa Abdullah Ahmed Al-Otaiba, the UAE Agent and Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, represented the UAE.

Abdullah Al Naqbi, Director of International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, welcomed the ruling, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to the Al Ula Declaration of January 5, 2021.

He added that the country has lifted all measures against Qatar under the declaration issued on June 5, 2017.

Al Naqbi said the UAE has welcomed the cooperation of all parties under the declaration.