Kuwait

At the outset, the State of Kuwait would like to convey its deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to our sister State the Kingdom of Morocco on the victims of the recent earthquake there, which killed and injured thousands of people. I would also like to express our condolences and sympathy to our brothers in the State of Libya on the losses they have suffered thanks to the recent devastating storms and floods, which have also resulted in many deaths and injuries. We pray to God to have mercy on the victims’ souls and to alleviate the suffering of their families, and we wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. It is a pleasure for me to congratulate Mr. Dennis Francis and his friendly country on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. We are confident that his rich experience in international affairs will help him guide our work wisely and ably. I would also like to commend the efforts of his predecessor. Mr. Csaba Korosi. throughout his presidency of the previous session. Furthermore. I want to express our appreciation for the constructive efforts and outstanding leadership of the Secretary-General, including his efforts to realize the lofty mission of our Organization, based on the Charter of the United Nations, to maintain international peace and security. I am once again addressing the international community from this rostrum with regard to the challenges and obstacles that multilateralism is facing on the international stage, challenges that are testing our ability to survive and move forward or else confront a stalemate. The current dangers and threats in the world — including conflicts among States, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increasing terrorism and high levels of poverty, in addition to threats posed by natural disasters and climate change as well as challenges related to food insecurity, not to mention emerging threats to cybersecurity — demand that we seek international cooperation based on partnership and responsibility. In that regard, we want to underscore the importance of the Secretary-General's initiative Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). which diagnoses the challenges facing the international community that require concerted efforts to address them at the national, regional and international levels. Its goal is to make use of our Organization’s legacy and its various tools and mechanisms. The State of Kuwait has remained steadfast in its belief in the principle of good neighbourliness and has continued for nearly 20 years to help its sister State of Iraq return to its rightful place, regionally and internationally, with a view to realizing the hopes and aspirations of its brotherly people. However, we were surprised by the ruling of Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on the unconstitutionality of the law ratifying the Convention on the Regulation of Navigation in Khor Abdullah, which was concluded between Kuwait and Iraq in 2012 and ratified and deposited at the United Nations in 2013. The ruling features several historical fallacies concerning the State of Kuwait. We were also surprised by the decision of the Iraqi Government a few days ago to rescind the shared security protocol signed between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi naval forces in 2008. a move that will have negative consequences for maritime security and navigation in Khor Abdullah. In that regard, the State of Kuwait considers that the agreement on maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah and the security protocol should remain valid, given their importance vis-a-vis maintaining security and maritime safety. They can help avert chaos, infringements of borders and the possibility of arms and narcotics trafficking, which is a source of revenue for various terrorist militias. From this rostrum, a symbol of the multilateral diplomacy that helps to maintain international peace and security. Kuwait affirms the need for the Iraqi Government to take tangible, decisive and urgent measures to address the consequences of its ruling on the security protocol and its historical fallacies in order to preserve good- neighbourly relations. At the same time, my country emphasizes the importance of ensuring the security, independence and the territorial integrity of both countries, as well as compliance with agreements they have concluded and the relevant international resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 833 (1993). which outlines the demarcation of the land and maritime border between the two countries up to maritime boundary point 162. We further call on our brother country of Iraq to act in good faith and continue participating in the meetings of the technical teams responsible for border delimitation beyond boundary point 162. in compliance with relevant international laws and conventions. The State of Kuwait reserves the right to take the appropriate legal and international measures to defend its legitimate and legal rights, pursuant to international resolutions and the norms of international law. which we have always respected and applied in our relations with all States. The free and brotherly Palestinian people have been suffering for 75 years owing to the failure of the international community to implement resolutions of international legitimacy. They suffer from the practices of the Israeli occupation, which violate all international norms and conventions. In that regard, we underscore the centrality of the Palestinian question in the Arab and Muslim worlds. With respect to the implementation of General Assembly resolutions, my country submitted a written memorandum to the International Court of Justice on the consequences of the Israeli occupation and its continued violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. We stress our firm and principled position in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, based on resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, until an independent Palestinian State is established, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the borders of 4 June 1967. The brotherly country of the Sudan is experiencing tragic events due to an armed conflict, which is a source of deep concern. We urge all parties involved to immediately end hostilities and return to dialogue and a peaceful political process in order to protect the security, stability and territorial integrity of the Sudan. We reiterate our support to all regional and international initiatives to that end. including the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. With regard to the situation in the brotherly country of Yemen, we reiterate our support for the efforts of the United Nations, through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, to resume the political process and reach a comprehensive solution, based on the three agreed terms of reference, namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and relevant Security Council resolutions, notably resolution 2216 (2015). in order to ensure the security, stability and territorial integrity of Yemen. Concerning Syria, we would like to reaffirm the importance of intensifying efforts to reach a Syrian- owned political solution pursuant to relevant Security Council resolutions, specifically resolution 2254 (2015). On the regional front, to strengthen the principle of good neighbourliness, stipulated by the Charter of the United Nations, we would like to reiterate our call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to take serious measures to rebuild trust, start a dialogue based on respect for States and non-interference in their internal affairs, and maintain the safety and freedom of international navigation. My country would also like to underscore that the ownership of natural resources in the area adjacent to the divided Kuwaiti-Saudi zone, including the entire Durra field, is exclusively shared by the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two countries alone have the full right to exploit those natural resources. The State of Kuwait also reiterates its categorical rejection of any rights claimed by other parties concerning that field or the submerged zone adjacent to the divided zone between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We hope to strengthen international dialogue with a view to expanding a culture of coexistence, tolerance and peace at all levels. However, the followers of Islam continue to face provocative and irresponsible attacks from extremists who have burned copies of the Holy Qur’an in the capitals and cities of some States, under the fictitious pretext of freedom of expression and opinion. International efforts must be made to take strong measures to end hate speech and media misinformation that target Muslims. As part of its vision of development, under the slogan “A new Kuwait”, the State of Kuwait is monitoring all international economic and financial indicators to turn Kuwait into a financial, commercial and cultural hub that can engage at the regional and international levels. In that way. foreign policy would be part of an expanded development process, based on diplomacy and underpinned by initiatives drawn from the human and cultural heritage bequeathed to us by our founding fathers. Given the environmental degradation faced by our world, my country has voluntarily and thoughtfully made clear progress in fulfilling its commitments according to available capabilities, especially in the industrial, transportation and oil sectors, to limit pollution, diversify energy sources and improve their efficiency, and use alternative and renewable energy. We have also committed to ensuring carbon neutrality in the oil sector by 2050. The member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council have always been pioneers in supporting the international multilateral community, based on their conviction of the importance of working together to address common challenges. We hope that the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will take place in Dubai, the sisterly United Arab Emirates, will be successful. We are counting on the necessary support by the international community for the relevant guidelines to implement the various elements of the Paris Agreement. My country appreciates and welcomes the declaration by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the establishment of a global water organization, which will be based in Riyadh, to ensure complementarity in the efforts of countries and organizations to inclusively address the challenges faced in the area of water resource management so as to ensure the sustainability of water resources. I would also like to express my country’s appreciation to the sisterly State of Qatar, which will host a horticultural exposition under the theme “Green Desert. Better Environment” seeking to promote innovative solutions for the sustainability of desert areas. In conclusion, as the State of Kuwait firmly believes in equality, justice and human rights, we look forward to receiving support from the Member States of the United Nations in the elections to be held next October for the State of Kuwait to be a member of the Human Rights Council for the period 2024-2026. Throughout our membership, we will strive to realize the aspirations of the developing world by building cooperation bridges leading to inclusive and equitable solutions to human rights issues based on the provisions of international law. international humanitarian law. international human rights law and resolutions of international legitimacy. We will do so without practicing selectivity or double standards and without any imposition of a fait accompli.  We reiterate our commitment to multilateralism as well as to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in order to ensure better international governance so that our Organization may fulfil its noble mission of maintaining international peace and security in the service of all humankind.