Prince's Representative Delivers Kuwait's Address Before the UN General Assembly

The representative of His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, may God protect and preserve him, and His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, may God protect and preserve him, stated that the State of Kuwait, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been subjected since last February to a heinous Iranian aggression involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, despite not being parties to the ongoing conflict in the region. This constitutes a clear violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.

This statement was delivered by the representative of His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the headquarters of the international organization in New York. The full text of the address is as follows:

“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Your Excellency, the President of the General Assembly,

Your Excellency, the Secretary-General,

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

First, I am pleased to convey the greetings of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect and preserve him, and his wishes for the success of the work of this session. We congratulate His Excellency Dr. Muhammad Yunus and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on his election as President of the General Assembly, and we affirm our support for him and his wise choice of the theme for this session: “Restoring Trust and Managing Change… A United Nations that Delivers for All.”

We also express our gratitude to Her Excellency Ms. Annelie Birger for the commendable efforts she exerted during her presidency of the previous session. We would also like to commend the Secretary-General for his efforts, initiatives, and endeavors to strengthen multilateral international cooperation, including the UN80 initiative, the Pact for the Future, and the ongoing efforts to address global challenges and crises such as conflicts and wars, climate change, and terrorism, as well as to assist member states in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and to enhance international cooperation on artificial intelligence. We hope that these efforts will continue after the end of the Secretary-General’s term at the end of this year, ensuring the continuity of work to reform and develop the organization’s bodies, activate its role, and elevate its performance in fulfilling its responsibilities.

In this context, we affirm that reform of the Security Council—the body tasked with maintaining international peace and security—has become a necessity to keep pace with the significant increase in the number of member states and the changes that have occurred in international relations since the organization’s founding. There is an urgent need for the Council to be more representative, effective, and transparent in the discharge of its responsibilities.

Mr. President,

The State of Kuwait, the GCC states, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been subjected since last February to a heinous Iranian aggression involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, despite not being parties to the ongoing conflict in the region. This constitutes a clear violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.

These brazen attacks—carried out in a systematic and repeated manner—have targeted civilian facilities and vital infrastructure, including Kuwait International Airport, power and water stations, and oil installations, revealing an adversarial approach aimed at disrupting the essentials of life and critical infrastructure. These heinous attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of several individuals and the injury of innocent civilians, and have caused significant material and economic damage.

In a further attempt to harm the economies of the region and the world, and to impact global trade and oil markets, Iran is obstructing maritime navigation and closing the Strait of Hormuz, using it as a lever of pressure in the war, in violation of international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions.

In this regard, the State of Kuwait expresses its deep appreciation to the sister and friendly countries that have stood by it and shown solidarity with it, and to the countries that sponsored Security Council Resolution 2817 and other international resolutions issued by the Human Rights Council and the International Maritime Organization. These resolutions condemned the Iranian aggression as a threat to international peace and security, called for its cessation, affirmed the natural right of states to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, and emphasized the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation without condition.”