The Voice of Moderation and Wisdom
The representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on behalf of His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, affirmed that Kuwait remains steadfast in its principles, which are grounded in wisdom and moderation, and is convinced that just peace is the path to stability. He emphasized that dialogue, respect for the sovereignty of states, and adherence to international law are fundamental pillars for preserving security and safeguarding rights.
This statement was made in the representative’s address on the evening of last Thursday before the proceedings of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly at the Organization’s headquarters in New York City.
“I am pleased, first of all, 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 guard him), and his best wishes for the success of this session’s work. We extend our congratulations to His Excellency Dr. Khalid Rahman and the friendly People’s Republic of Bangladesh on his election as President of the General Assembly, reaffirming our support for His Excellency and his wise choice of this session’s theme: ‘Restoring Trust and Managing Transformation… A United Nations that serves the interests of all.’
“We also express our gratitude to Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock for the commendable efforts she exerted during her presidency of the previous session. We must also commend the Secretary-General’s efforts, initiatives, and proposals to strengthen multilateral international action, such as the United Nations 80 initiative, the Pact for the Future, and the ongoing efforts to confront global challenges and crises, including conflicts, wars, climate change, and terrorism, as well as assisting member states in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and enhancing international cooperation on artificial intelligence. We hope that efforts will continue after the Secretary-General’s term concludes at the end of this year, ensuring the continuity of work to reform and develop the Organization’s organs, activate its role, and elevate its performance in fulfilling its responsibilities.
“In this context, we reiterate that reforming the Security Council—the body entrusted with maintaining international peace and security—has become imperative to keep pace with the significant increase in the number of Organization members and the changes that have occurred in international relations since its establishment. There is an urgent need for the Council to be more representative, effective, and transparent in discharging its responsibilities.
“Since February last year, the State of Kuwait, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been subjected to an egregious Iranian aggression involving ballistic and cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, despite not being parties to the ongoing conflict in the region. This constitutes a blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter.
“These brazen attacks, carried out systematically and repeatedly, targeted civilian objects and vital infrastructure, including Kuwait International Airport, electricity and water stations, and oil facilities. This reveals an adversarial approach aimed at disrupting the foundations of life and critical infrastructure. These heinous attacks have claimed the lives of martyrs and innocent civilians, caused numerous injuries, and inflicted severe material and economic damage.
“Furthermore, in an effort to harm the economies of countries in the region and the world and to influence global trade and oil markets, Iran is obstructing maritime navigation and closing the Strait of Hormuz, using it as leverage in the war in violation of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.”
In this regard, the State of Kuwait expresses its profound appreciation to the sister and friendly countries that stood by its side and demonstrated solidarity with it, as well as to the countries that sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 and other international resolutions issued by the Human Rights Council and the International Maritime Organization, which condemned the Iranian aggression as a threat to international peace and security, called for its cessation, and affirmed the inherent right of states to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, as well as the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation without any conditions.
Guided by its conviction that the security and stability of the Arabian Gulf region constitute a fundamental pillar of regional and international security and stability—evidenced by the repercussions of the war and Iranian aggressions—the State of Kuwait reaffirms its support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and achieving a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. It commends the efforts and mediation led by the sister State of Qatar and the friendly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, emphasizing the necessity of reaching sustainable regional understandings based on a firm commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, refraining from the use or threat of force, halting support for proxies and militias, and addressing the security concerns of all states in the region, including the Iranian nuclear file, ballistic missiles, and drones. This is coupled with a firm commitment to ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and the right of passage through the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The State of Kuwait adheres to the principles of the UN Charter in its foreign policy, particularly respecting the principle of good neighborliness, state sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. From this standpoint, Kuwait views the Republic of Iraq, a brotherly neighbor with whom it shares close ties, as a partner in security and stability. Since the fall of the previous regime in 2003, Kuwait has been keen to support Iraq and stand by it in facing security, political, and economic challenges, in order to restore its regional and international role and status. This is based on the conviction that a stable, secure, and prosperous Iraq represents a shared interest for Kuwait and the entire region.
In this context, Kuwait commends the steps taken by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to centralize weapons within the state and strengthen Iraq’s bilateral relations with neighboring countries. Kuwait looks forward to enhancing confidence-building measures between the two countries, expanding bilateral relations to broader horizons, and resolving all outstanding files between the two nations. Foremost among these is completing the delimitation of the maritime boundary beyond Marker 162, in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and adhering to the bilateral security and technical agreements and understandings signed between the two countries. These include the Agreement on the Regulation of Maritime Navigation in the Shatt al-Arab and the 2008 Security Exchange Protocol, which serve as legal and practical tools for regulating navigation, protecting the environment, combating terrorism, and curbing illicit arms and drug trafficking, thereby enhancing joint security.
Kuwait calls on Iraq to cooperate with the High Representative of the Secretary-General to implement Security Council Resolution 2792, in order to achieve the desired progress and results in determining the fate of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons, third-country nationals, and Kuwaiti property, including the National Archives.
The State of Kuwait reiterates its principled and firm stance condemning the ongoing violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people, who continue to endure difficult living conditions under the weight of policies of displacement, arrests, and settlement. We call for the full implementation of the comprehensive peace plan and its subsequent phases, as adopted by the Security Council in its Resolution 2803, which includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid, and the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Strip, while affirming that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territories.
In this regard, we welcome the measures and decisions taken by the United Kingdom, France, and several other countries to condemn settlement activities, impose sanctions on settlers involved in acts of violence and terrorism against Palestinians, and ban the import of goods and products from settlements.
The State of Kuwait affirms that achieving a just, comprehensive, and permanent peace in the region remains contingent upon ending the Israeli occupation of all Arab lands, enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable legitimate rights, and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Republic of Yemen is witnessing a serious military escalation resulting from Houthi attacks on several governorates and areas along the western coast, threatening navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In this context, the State of Kuwait reaffirms its full support for the efforts led by the United Nations aimed at reaching a comprehensive and sustainable Yemeni-led settlement in accordance with the three agreed reference points and relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216. The State of Kuwait emphasizes that any political settlement must safeguard Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, put an end to the suffering of its brotherly people, and open avenues for security, stability, and economic development. We also stress the importance of preserving the security and safety of international maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
We also strongly condemn the Houthi attacks that targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, hitting civilian and economic sites in several cities. In this context, we affirm that the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of the security of the State of Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The State of Kuwait reaffirms its solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic and welcomes the steps and measures taken by the international community to lift sanctions against it and remove its name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. We also reaffirm our support for all efforts aimed at rebuilding state institutions and advancing a comprehensive and inclusive political process led by Syrians and involving the active participation of all components of the Syrian people, in order to meet their legitimate aspirations for security, stability, and a decent life. In this same context, we stress the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and we condemn and reject the attacks and incursions by Israeli occupation forces into Syrian territory, as they constitute a serious escalation and a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, undermining security and stability in the region.
Regarding the Lebanese Republic, the State of Kuwait emphasizes the importance of Lebanese state institutions and the necessity of empowering them to fully exercise their authority over all Lebanese territory, monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state alone, thereby strengthening Lebanon’s sovereignty and preserving its security and stability.
It also underscores the importance of maintaining an independent international presence along the Blue Line to ensure the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, and reiterates our call for Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories.
Regarding developments in the Republic of the Sudan, the Federal Republic of Somalia, and the State of Libya, we emphasize the necessity of adhering to peaceful solutions and engaging in political dialogues to resolve differences, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the rules of international law, thereby ensuring the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of these sister states.
Since its independence, the State of Kuwait has grounded its foreign policy on firm principles characterized by moderation, balance, and a steadfast commitment to the United Nations Charter and international law, support for multilateral international action, and the belief that dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes are the most effective means of safeguarding international peace and security. Kuwait also firmly believes in the integral relationship between security and development: there can be no security without development, and no development without security.
Guided by this vision, Kuwait has embodied its developmental and humanitarian diplomacy through the pioneering role of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, which has contributed since 1961 to financing developmental projects in 107 countries worldwide. This reflects the conviction that addressing the root causes of crises extends beyond security approaches to include supporting developmental programs, providing the prerequisites for dignified living, and building societies more capable of resilience and stability.
My country has known the harshness of occupation, the bitterness of aggression, and the wars that have ravaged and continue to ravage our region for four decades. Through this experience, it has come to understand that it is the peoples who bear the cost of conflicts, and it recognizes the importance of the world standing united in defense of justice and adherence to the principles of the Charter and international law. From this experience has emerged a firm conviction that peace is a stance dictated by wisdom and protected by capability; that dialogue does not diminish rights but safeguards them; and that security is not guarded by force alone, but is entrenched by justice, preserved by the rule of law, and protected by the principles of international legitimacy.
The message of the State of Kuwait, which it has believed in both word and deed and will continue to uphold, is that “just peace is the path to stability, and respect for the sovereignty of states, the protection of the rights of peoples, and recourse to international law in resolving disputes are indispensable pillars for the security and stability of nations.”
Kuwait will remain, as the world has known it, a voice of wisdom and moderation, supporting dialogue, cooperation, and openness to partnerships that serve common interests and benefits; a champion of justice; and a partner in consolidating international peace and security, firmly believing that peace is the means to a future where rights are protected, homelands are stable, and generations enjoy security and prosperity.
- We call on Iraq to cooperate with the Secretary-General’s Representative to make progress in determining the fate of prisoners and missing persons.
- We call for the full implementation of the comprehensive peace plan, including the complete withdrawal of the occupation from Gaza.
- We welcome international measures condemning settlement activities and imposing sanctions on settlers.
- Achieving just and comprehensive peace remains contingent upon ending the Israeli occupation of Arab territories.
- Kuwait believes in the integral relationship between security and development: there can be no security without development, and no development without security.
- Developmental and humanitarian diplomacy has been embodied through the projects of the Development Fund in 107 countries worldwide.
- Dialogue does not diminish rights but safeguards them; and security is not guarded by force alone, but is entrenched by justice, preserved by the rule of law.
