Foreign Minister: Palestinian Issue Needs Will and Implementation

Foreign Minister Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber participated in the ministerial meeting to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), organized by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Federative Republic of Brazil, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. In his address, the Foreign Minister emphasized that Kuwait’s support for UNRWA represents a humanitarian responsibility and a political commitment to the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. He highlighted the Agency’s extensive experience, presence, and institutional and operational capacities accumulated over more than seven decades. He noted Kuwait’s keenness to continue its political and financial support for the Agency, alongside the humanitarian aid provided to the Palestinian people, thereby enabling UNRWA to sustain its mandate and services. The Foreign Minister stressed the importance of providing sustainable and adequate funding for the Agency, safeguarding its mandate, and ensuring its effective operations. He affirmed that there is no alternative to UNRWA, given its experience, capabilities, and the trust it enjoys among Palestinian refugees, and that supporting it is a collective responsibility until a just solution is reached for the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people are realized.

Furthermore, Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber participated in the joint ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Jerusalem, held at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly. The meeting discussed the latest developments in Jerusalem and ways to enhance Arab and Islamic coordination and joint diplomatic action to preserve the historical and legal status quo there, safeguard its holy sites, and support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The Foreign Minister also attended the high-level ministerial meeting of the International Coalition for the Two-State Solution, organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Norway, and the European Union, at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly. In his speech, he stated that the Palestinian issue no longer requires further diagnosis but rather political will and implementation. He pointed out that international legitimacy resolutions and the New York Declaration have established a clear framework for ending the occupation and realizing an independent State of Palestine, necessitating the translation of international will into practical steps. He stressed that justice cannot be selective, and that the continuation of the occupation, settlement activities, and attempts to alter the geographic and demographic reality undermine the two-state solution and put the credibility of the international system to a true test. He called for a transition from managing the conflict to ending it, by establishing an independent, sovereign State of Palestine on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, and supporting Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. He emphasized the importance of implementing Security Council Resolution 2803 and supporting reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, to pave a reliable path toward self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. He reaffirmed Kuwait’s historic and steadfast position regarding the Palestinian cause and its support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber also participated in a ministerial session on health and humanitarian aid access in Gaza, co-organized by the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the United Kingdom, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly. The session discussed the most prominent health and humanitarian challenges facing the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safe, sustainable, and unimpeded flow of humanitarian and medical aid to sustain health services. Participants also stressed the need to protect civilians and health and humanitarian personnel, and to enhance international coordination to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs in the Strip.

Additionally, the Foreign Minister attended the reception for the Small States Forum (FOSS), organized by the Republic of Singapore, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly.

On another note, Minister Al-Jaber stated that the 50th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 gains significant importance amid escalating economic, climate, and security challenges globally, whose impacts extend beyond conflict zones and undermine sustainable development pathways. In a speech during the Group of 77 meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, he noted that this necessitates concerted international efforts, especially as the deadline for implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda approaches, without having yet achieved its intended goals. He stressed the importance of continuing efforts to implement the “Commitment of Seville,” which aims to achieve a more just and inclusive international financial system that takes into account the needs and priorities of developing countries, enhances their access to development and climate financing, supports technology transfer, and bridges the digital divide. He affirmed the importance of considering the different national circumstances and development priorities of countries through a fair and equitable methodology.

Regarding regional developments, Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber condemned the heinous attacks suffered by Kuwait since February 28, 2026, which targeted civilian assets and vital infrastructure, in a blatant violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter. He affirmed that Kuwait has not been a party to any conflict and does not allow the use of its territory, airspace, or territorial waters to launch any hostile acts against any state. He called for the complete and unconditional cessation of these heinous attacks, emphasizing the necessity of respecting the sovereignty of states in the region and fully complying with the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026).

On another note, Al-Jaber signed with El Salvador’s Foreign Minister, Alexandra Hill Tenorio, an agreement between the Government of Kuwait and the Government of the Republic of El Salvador regarding visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, and official passports.