Kuwait

It gives me pleasure to convey to the President the greetings of His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait, who profoundly regrets being unable to participate personally in the debate at this session due to some pressing matters. He has requested me to deliver the following statement by Kuwait on his behalf: “On behalf of the State of Kuwait, it gives me pleasure to congratulate Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko on his election as President of the United Nations General Assembly at its fifty-second session. We are confident that he will be able to lead our deliberations efficiently towards a successful conclusion. The extensive experience he has gained from service at this important international institution together with the high posts he has assumed will no doubt prove valuable. Let me also underline the good relations existing between our two countries, based on mutual understanding and common interest. “I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to his predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, the former President of the General Assembly, who demonstrated an impressive sense of purpose, dedication and deep perception. Under his stewardship, the Assembly reasserted its genuine importance and relevance in international relations. “I wish to pay tribute to our new Secretary- General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, who took the helm of the Organization at the beginning of the year. Apart from being a long-time career insider at the United Nations, Mr. Annan to us now stands as a good example of the executive manager enjoying wisdom and prudence, together with integrity and commitment, that make him a living embodiment of dedication to the ideals and mission of the United Nations. “In the same vein, I wish to set on record our recognition of the significant contribution of Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former Secretary- General, in leading the Organization with efficiency and confidence. Kuwait will always recognize his contributions with a deep sense of appreciation. “Two years ago, the United Nations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. The mood then was optimistic about the role and capability of the Organization to cope with the lingering issues that remained without a solution over the first half century. This was due to the nature of these problems, which was aggravated by the major-Power polarization during the cold war. The sense of optimism emanated from our deep conviction that the global understanding that swept the world would eventually generate the firm will to address the outstanding problems that jeopardize international peace and security. Also, the widespread public awareness of the relevance of the United Nations would also help the Organization in resolving pending matters. Furthermore, the impressive track record of the United Nations has earned it collective credibility regarding the vitality and flexibility of the machinery at its disposal. “Kuwait has examined with great interest the measures and recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, 18 entitled Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for Reform', which was submitted to the General Assembly in mid-July last. In this connection, we would like to register Kuwait’s support for this programme and its appreciation of the efforts made by Mr. Kofi Annan and his assistants to produce this impressive achievement. The report is analytical in its approach and pragmatic in its outlook, focusing on performance efficiency without partiality. It also focused on improving the financial situation of the Organization through the institution of better internal control mechanisms and practical suggestions. The ultimate goal of all these measures is to enhance the performance of the United Nations, which would be more innovative in its operational modalities and more focused on its global concerns. “We have noted, with appreciation, the reports submitted by a wide array of working groups on restructuring the organs of the United Nations and improving their efficiency in order to adapt the entire system to the new era following the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and the post- confrontation environment. The United Nations seems poised to embark on addressing in a more comprehensive manner humanitarian, cultural, demographic and environmental issues which were not prominent on its list of priorities previously. “Moreover, as we recognize the realities of contemporary life, we understand that the world order continues to be quite fluid, and it is indeed difficult to predict its future shape. The current stage is not a unipolar power era, as some might imagine. It is a multipolar arena, where military might is no longer the final arbiter in the definition of polarity. In fact, there exists immense technological superiority, which may enable some States to make an outstanding contribution to the shaping of global strategies. There is also the economic power that has brought together the major industrial nations in a collectivity which has a significant influence on the implementation of world strategies. This is not to mention the giant economic groupings which exist in the world of today. “Accordingly, the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council, and other Matters Related to the Security Council, which has been examining the question of reform and expansion of Security Council membership for the past four years, should take these new facts of life into consideration. Once agreed upon, the new membership composition should reflect a collective and emphatic will to address adequately the issues at hand. Permanent members of the Council should be politically capable and should be financial and troop contributors. They should also be adept at crisis management, and able to act decisively, without hesitation, when the situation warrants such action. “In the final analysis, membership of the Security Council is not a privilege as much as it is a responsibility. It should not be a means for visibility, but a product of conviction. Our view is that the Security Council in its forthcoming composition should be a mirror reflecting a world shifting towards universalization and transparency in order to instil a better sense of security in all members of the world community, both North and South, East and West. Membership should not be divided between diverse security concepts, some favouring the North, while others are appropriate for the South. “In this context, Kuwait affirms its full commitment to the common Arab position and to the stand of the Non-Aligned Movement, both of which were elaborated time and again in several meetings of the Open-ended Working Group. “Undoubtedly, agreement on the concept of unconventional and common security requires in the first instance recognition of some crucial facts. The first element is the conviction that the security of humankind is universal and, in the final analysis, indivisible. The interests of members of the world community have become more and more interdependent, while civilizations and cultures are drawing closer. The daily concerns of individuals are universal in nature, requiring complex solutions, and are multidimensional in their negative impacts. The second element is the emphasis on the concept of economic and social development as a crucial factor in ensuring conventional security and collective handling of development requirements. This also calls for the involvement of international institutions in contributions to the improvement of living conditions in the poor nations that face severe impediments in their development efforts. “The third element is a firm belief in and commitment to the dignity of the human person as being the essence of human relations both within a 19 given society and among nations. In effect, this means upholding the dignity of the human person in the face of bloody regimes which flagrantly violate the principles of human rights and destroy their own nations to arrogate power to themselves. This brings us to the necessity of safeguarding the principles set forth in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the Charter of the United Nations. “Fourthly, all members of the world community should adopt peaceful policies which renounce violence, recognize the legitimate interests of others and respect their rights, expand the zones of mutual interests, give due priority to development and reject the arms race. Such peaceful policies should also abstain from behaviour and political expressions which disturb peace. They should observe civilized conduct in relationships among peoples, without the pursuit of any party’s privileges at the expense of others. No one should claim an imaginary historical role outside the parameters of justice, equality and the rule of law. “The world today is indeed a small planet whose problems interact and overlap. Its pressing problems are a global responsibility. When viewed through a human and global prism, we can see that the prosperity of the North pales in the shadow of the poverty of the South. The security of Europe will not be assured against a background of a marginalized Africa. There will be little peace of mind in America in the face of a population explosion in Asia, and with the widening gap between those with an abundance of wealth and those who suffer in deprivation. Dealing with the new developments in the world environment requires the evolution of a comprehensive concept of security. Any such concept must be anchored in understanding, coexistence, common interests, and the utilization of the universal technological revolution in managing vital national projects. This concept should replace the outdated concepts of security based on the balance of power, mutual deterrence and military presence. “The achievements made by the United Nations should provide the Organization with a further impetus to pursue the same course it has charted since the end of the cold war. “We welcome the movement towards the prohibition of the production, stockpiling and use of landmines. This would be yet another positive step added to similar measures, such as the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Despite such instruments, some States continue to export weapons of mass destruction as a vital source of increased national income. We welcome the regulations that have been concluded to control arms, to reduce the level of nuclear threat, to tighten controls over the arms trade and to increase transparency regarding weapons expenditures. “In the same vein, we cannot underestimate the achievements made in the area of peacekeeping operations, where the United Nations has managed to contain dangers and defuse crises in several instances, although many regional problems remain unresolved and constitute flash-points of tension. “In this regard, we in Kuwait cannot but recall with admiration the firmness with which the Security Council responded to the aggression by the Iraqi regime against the State of Kuwait in August 1990. The Council’s response was characterized by firmness in rejecting aggression, resoluteness in its confrontation, and decisive action to abort the aggression through a series of resolutions that made the Council’s position perfectly clear. It started with rejection of aggression, then moved to deterrence, and culminated in decisive action. In all its dimensions and ramifications, that case has become a historical precedent that might constitute the basis for a solid background for dealing with any similar aggression, irrespective of its origin, against any State. “But Iraq, despite the dire need of its people for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed by the Security Council, has not yet fulfilled basic conditions required for ending the sanctions. There is the question of Kuwaiti and third-country prisoners and detainees. This is a humanitarian issue that affects several hundred families who still do not know the whereabouts of their loved ones. Young children continue to cry, appealing for help to rescue their missing fathers. The ad hoc Tripartite Commission continues to meet in Geneva while its technical sub-group still convenes in the border area between Kuwait and Iraq. Despite the formal nature of such regular meetings, which attract media attention, there has in effect been no progress in 20 determining the fate of these missing persons. In fact, the Iraqi regime has been exploiting their fate as a bargaining chip in its diplomatic manoeuvres. Iraq also continues to refuse to return a great deal of Kuwaiti property taken from the public and private sectors, the most important of which is an air defence system and other military equipment, in addition to the principal State documents, which have been referred to in the Security Council as State memory. “Among the other key obligations the Iraqi regime has failed to fulfil is the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, a subject that is being handled by the Special Commission. In this context, even after seven years of formal acceptance of relevant conditions, Iraq continues to indulge its hobby of procrastination, subterfuge and deception. Iraq hides certain weapons only to acknowledge later their existence after the Special Commission secures definitive proof of Iraq’s ownership of such weapons. It denies having certain types of missiles and biological components only to recant its assertions once the international teams of inspectors discover those items. “Kuwait welcomes Security Council resolution 1111 (1997) regarding the extension of the implementation of the provisions of resolution 986 (1995), which aims at alleviating the suffering of the brotherly people of Iraq. Indeed, the hardship faced by the people of Iraq has long persisted, due to the failure of the Iraqi regime to meet its obligations, and to its pursuit of a policy of procrastination and trickery. Iraq is called upon to follow a peaceful policy with neighbouring States in order to prove its good intentions. This is a substantive condition for the maintenance of regional security, which was shattered by the Iraqi regime. “We in Kuwait have gone through bitter experiences with regard to the intentions of the Iraqi regime, which seeks territorial expansion, regional supremacy, and military superiority at the expense of neighbouring countries and of their peace and stability. “In the light of our eager interest in the maintenance of security and stability in the region, we affirm the need to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. “The supreme goal is to build a solid regional system firmly rooted in common understanding among neighbouring States which seek to expand avenues of mutual interests. This can be achieved through respect for and non-interference in the internal affairs of others, and through civilized coexistence among neighbouring peoples. In this respect, I should point out that my country is concerned over the continued existence of the problem of the occupation by Iran of three United Arab Emirates islands. Here I wish to emphasize Kuwait’s full commitment to the decision taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council on this subject. “I wish also to call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond favourably to the peaceful initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of our sister United Arab Emirates, to engage in a serious dialogue that would take into account the inalienable rights of the United Arab Emirates to the islands in question, in accordance with the principles of good neighbourly relations, international law and the United Nations Charter. “The question of the Middle East and the success of the peace process there are crucial matters for world peace and security. You follow with us with deep regret the paralysis which befell that process and the increasing frustration and tension throughout the region. The current stalemate has touched off a flurry of threats and recriminations. All this is the net sum of the concepts put out by the Israeli Government regarding the frame of reference underlying the peace process in the region. “The Government of Israel has backtracked from the rules and principles of the Madrid Peace Conference and has replaced them by extraneous elements which contravene the rules unanimously agreed upon by the international community as a framework for the peace process, namely Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), together with the “land for peace” principle. Furthermore, Israel has not committed itself to implement bilateral agreements reached with the Palestinian Authority, including withdrawal from all occupied territories, including Jerusalem. Also, Israel has not desisted from its policies of annexing Arab Jerusalem, its Judaization and expansion of its illegal settlement in order to change the demographic composition of the Holy City which lies at the very core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this regard, 21 we call upon the co-sponsors of the peace initiative to maintain even-handedness while doubling their efforts to revive the peace process in order to achieve a lasting, comprehensive and just resolution of the question of Palestine. “The people of Palestine have suffered for too long the excruciating pain of oppression, homelessness and neglect. It is the inherent right of the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination and to establish their own independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital, similar to other peoples who gained independence, so that they may contribute, within their own capacity, towards building world peace. “Along similar lines, Kuwait emphasizes the importance of Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan, which has been under occupation since 1967. This question cannot be ignored if we desire the peace process to be complete. Indeed, the peace must be comprehensive, covering all tracks. It should be anchored in good faith, in respect for the rights of others and in mutual confidence. In this regard, we support Syria’s position that negotiations with Israel should resume from the point where they halted instead of starting new rounds of talks whose terms of reference have not been defined. Kuwait also supports Lebanon’s firm stand that Israel is duty-bound to implement all provisions of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This can be achieved only by full, unconditional Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, so that Lebanon could resume its traditional role in consolidating development and prosperity. “Kuwait notes with deep regret that ethnic, factional and civil conflicts among tribal chiefs in both Afghanistan and Somalia still continue. We remain hopeful that the United Nations will take more effective steps to address these problems that have torn asunder those two countries and have continued to undermine regional security. We also appeal to all parties in these two countries to put an end to acts of violence and to put overall national interests ahead of their tribal and ethnic interests. “Kuwait lauds international efforts to implement fully the Dayton Agreement, which aims at achieving security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and upholding international legitimacy at this stage. In this respect, we applaud the Security Council resolution to indict and prosecute certain political and military leaders in Bosnia and Rwanda for their crimes against humanity. “We live in a world bursting with events. Distances have shrunk, interests have grown, and security dimensions have become more interlinked. Adverse developments in the South worry the population of the North. Failure of development efforts has given impetus to chaotic waves of hungry migrants. Threats resulting from peoples’ frustrations have become interwoven. But, in our common pursuit of a better tomorrow, we must act on the basis of a universal conviction that armaments by themselves do not guarantee full security, that development is the core of progress, that dialogue is the bridge to understanding and that serious work gives birth to hope. Giving is an obligation, not an act of charity. Respect among nations is a key to stability, and self-improvement is a motive for work. Participation is the path to cooperation. Monopoly is one of the evils of bygone days, and openness is the road to a better future. Investments are the tools of development. Bigotry is repugnant to contemporary international relations. People prosper in a civilized environment that imbues them with the virtues of doing good and giving, reaching out towards those in need and moving against the odds in efforts to create a world that exudes friendship and amity, a world resting on the rules of international legality, a world enjoying security, peace and prosperity. “Our last prayer is to bless Allah, the lord of the universe.”