Al-Tahir: Kuwait's Re-election to Human Rights Council a Renewed Responsibility

Kuwait’s UN Resident Coordinator, Ghada Taher, affirmed that Kuwait’s re-election to the Human Rights Council for the term 2027–2029 represents a renewed responsibility and a significant opportunity to continue its contribution to the multilateral work system. She noted that Kuwait’s receipt of 173 votes reflects the importance of its role in international institutions.

In a meeting with KUNA, Taher stated that the significance 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 UN has evolved over more than six decades, during which Kuwait transitioned from a newly admitted member state to an active partner in several of the most important multilateral institutions.

Taher 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 term 2026–2028, and its assumption of the Board’s chairmanship for the period 2026–2027, 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, Taher said that human rights represent a continuous journey for all countries, not a destination reached after which work ceases. She emphasized the importance of viewing Kuwait’s experience through the lens of achievements made, areas still requiring progress, and opportunities 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 marriage age 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 and strengthening these steps 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 (UPR) and human rights treaty bodies. Taher clarified that the value of these mechanisms extends beyond preparing reports and making recommendations; their true 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 safeguards, 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.

Taher affirmed that the growing space for cooperation represents a positive aspect, stressing that the UN does not work on these files from the outside, but in partnership with Kuwaiti national institutions.

When asked about the key priorities the UN hopes Kuwait will focus on during its new term on the Human Rights Council, Taher said 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 aspiration is to build on the existing momentum and to link international commitments more closely with national implementation, thereby making the next three years a period in which progress can be measured more clearly. She highlighted the importance of continuing to strengthen fundamental rights and freedoms and expanding women’s participation as partners and leaders in decision-making, rather than merely as beneficiaries of policies, alongside enhancing their role in peace and security and humanitarian action. She also stressed 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 emphasized 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 change they bring about in people’s lives. On the issue of ongoing violations against the Palestinian people, Al-Tahir asserted 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 on which the United Nations was founded. She stated that the United Nations’ position is clear regarding the necessity of protecting civilians and respecting international law, including international humanitarian law, stressing that compliance with these rules is not optional and must not be applied selectively.