UN official to KUNA: Kuwait's re-election to the Human Rights Council is a renewed responsibility and opportunity to enhance its international contribution

By Nasser Al-Khamri (Interview) Kuwait City, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- Ghada Fathy Al-Tahir, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kuwait, affirmed that Kuwait’s re-election to the membership of the Human Rights Council for the 2027–2029 term represents a renewed responsibility and an important opportunity to continue its contribution to the multilateral work system. She noted that Kuwait’s receipt of 173 votes reflects the significance of its role in international institutions.

In an interview with the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday, Al-Tahir stated that the importance of Kuwait’s re-election goes beyond the electoral result itself, particularly as it coincides with the approaching 81st anniversary of the founding of the United Nations on October 24 and the 63rd anniversary of Kuwait’s accession to the international organization on May 14, 1963.

She added that the relationship between Kuwait and the United Nations has evolved over more than six decades, during which Kuwait transitioned from a newly admitted member of the organization to an active partner in several of the most important multilateral institutions.

Al-Tahir explained that Kuwait previously served on the Human Rights Council during the terms 2011–2014 and 2024–2026, and that the UN General Assembly has renewed its confidence in Kuwait for a new term extending from 2027 to 2029.

She pointed out that Kuwait’s recent election to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the 2026–2028 term, and its assumption of the board’s presidency for the 2026–2027 period, reflect its growing presence in international institutions concerned with human rights, peace, security, nuclear safety and non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of technology.

Regarding the UN’s assessment of Kuwait’s efforts to promote and protect human rights, Al-Tahir said that human rights represent a continuous journey for all countries, not a destination reached by a state after which work ceases. She emphasized the importance of viewing Kuwait’s experience through the lens of achievements made and areas still requiring progress, as well as the opportunities available to build on existing reforms.

She added that recent years have witnessed important legislative and institutional steps in Kuwait, particularly in the fields of protecting women and the family, enhancing children’s rights, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18, and repealing certain legal provisions that had been subject to human rights recommendations.

She highlighted efforts related to the rights of persons with disabilities, their empowerment, and their integration into society and the labor market, stressing the importance of continuing these steps and reinforcing them with additional measures that contribute to advancing the human rights situation across all its dimensions.

Kuwait is engaged in international human rights mechanisms, foremost among them the Universal Periodic Review and human rights treaty bodies. Al-Tahir clarified that the value of these mechanisms is not limited to preparing reports and making recommendations; their actual worth is realized when recommendations are translated into policies, legislation, and practices that have a tangible impact on people’s lives.

She outlined areas where progress can continue, including strengthening the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms and respecting their guarantees, empowering women and enhancing their participation in decision-making, protecting workers’ rights, integrating persons with disabilities, consolidating equality and non-discrimination, enhancing community participation, and ensuring access to justice.

Al-Tahir affirmed that the existence of a growing space for cooperation is a positive aspect, emphasizing that the United Nations does not work on these files from the outside, but rather in partnership with Kuwaiti national institutions.

Regarding the key priorities the United Nations hopes Kuwait will focus on during its new term as a member of the Human Rights Council, Al-Taher stated that there is a clear framework for the obligations of member states under international human rights law, encompassing the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review, recommendations from human rights treaty bodies, and the procedures of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. She added that the aim is to build on existing momentum and more closely link international commitments with national implementation, thereby making the next three years a period in which progress can be measured more clearly. She emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen fundamental rights and freedoms, expanding women’s participation as partners and leaders in decision-making rather than merely as beneficiaries of policies, and enhancing their role in the fields of peace, security, and humanitarian action. She also underscored the need to continue developing protections for workers, broaden the effective inclusion of persons with disabilities, invest in children and youth, and promote equality and access to justice. She stressed the importance of developing effective national mechanisms to follow up on international recommendations and measure their implementation, clarifying that the goal is not the number of reports or recommendations, but the tangible change they bring to people’s lives.

On the ongoing violations against the Palestinian people, Al-Taher affirmed that the Palestinian issue presents the international community with a fundamental test of the credibility of the multilateral system and its ability to defend the principles upon which the United Nations was founded. She stated that the UN’s position is clear regarding the necessity of protecting civilians and respecting international law, including international humanitarian law, emphasizing that adherence to these rules is not optional and must not be applied selectively. She added that ensuring the safe, sustainable, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need is a fundamental necessity, noting that Kuwait has a long history of humanitarian work, support for the Palestinian cause, and diplomatic solutions. She explained that Kuwait’s membership in the Human Rights Council enables it to continue advocating for the protection of civilians, supporting accountability, respecting international law, and enhancing humanitarian action, pointing out that during its current term, Kuwait has demonstrated a clear interest in protecting humanitarian workers and ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access. She affirmed the importance of building on this trajectory during the new term, adding that the international community, amid current polarization, needs countries capable of defending principles while keeping space for dialogue open—an area where Kuwait can contribute.

Regarding the role Kuwait can play in enhancing international dialogue and consensus on human rights issues, Al-Taher noted that the Human Rights Council, like many institutions of the multilateral system, operates in a highly polarized international environment. She added that Kuwait’s experience in mediation, preventive diplomacy, and humanitarian work provides it with important tools for building bridges and bridging differences, noting that this approach aligns with other international responsibilities undertaken by the country. She highlighted that Kuwait’s presidency of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the period 2026–2027 comes at a highly sensitive stage regarding nuclear security and safety, non-proliferation, and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. She affirmed that the common denominator among these responsibilities is the need for dialogue, credibility, commitment to international law, and the ability to build consensus—elements that have contributed to consolidating Kuwait’s presence over decades of diplomatic work.

She stated that the world today does not need further division, but rather countries capable of transforming differences into dialogue, dialogue into consensus, and consensus into action. Regarding ways to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and Kuwait to support its human rights efforts in the coming period, Al-Taher emphasized that this cooperation already exists and is not something that will begin only after Kuwait’s re-election to the Human Rights Council. She clarified that the UN system in Kuwait works continuously with national institutions on files directly related to human rights and comprehensive development, including women’s empowerment, the rights of persons with disabilities, the protection of children and youth, workers’ rights, and equality and non-discrimination. Al-Taher added that cooperation involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented by the Office of the Assistant Undersecretary for Human Rights Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour and Social Development, the Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities, as well as other national, governmental, academic, and community institutions. She outlined that cooperation areas include providing technical support, capacity-building, exchanging expertise and international practices, facilitating dialogue, and assisting in aligning national priorities with international commitments and standards. She noted that the essence of the partnership between Kuwait and the United Nations, after 63 years, is no longer limited to a state’s membership in an international organization, but has become a broad network of cooperation spanning sustainable development and humanitarian action to human rights, peace and security, youth and women’s empowerment, and climate action. She affirmed that Kuwait’s new membership on the Human Rights Council offers both sides an opportunity to deepen this cooperation and link it more closely to tangible and measurable outcomes. On the main challenges facing human rights in the Arab region, Al-Taher said the region faces complex challenges, including conflicts, civilian protection, displacement, socio-economic gaps, youth unemployment, women’s empowerment, and the protection of groups most vulnerable to marginalization. She added that these challenges also encompass emerging issues related to climate change, technology, artificial intelligence, disinformation, and hate speech. She stressed the importance of not viewing the Arab region solely through the lens of challenges, noting that it comprises young populations, immense human capital, and significant social and economic transformations, which create real opportunities to enhance the positive and effective contribution of its countries to discussions on human rights and the development of relevant international standards. She explained that Kuwait can contribute to building a bridge between global discussions and regional realities by offering a perspective grounded in the universality of human rights while understanding the region’s social, cultural, and developmental context. Al-Taher affirmed that Kuwait’s experience in humanitarian diplomacy and mediation can help it build consensus on issues that have become highly polarized within the international system, thereby enhancing dialogue and cooperation and serving efforts to protect human rights and uphold human dignity in the region and worldwide. (End) N.M.A./T.A.B.