Kuwait Urges Iraq to Take Serious Steps to Fulfill Commitments Regarding the Missing and National Archives

The State of Kuwait has called on the Republic of Iraq to take serious and concrete steps to fulfill its commitments regarding the disclosure of the fate of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing persons, as well as nationals of third countries, and the recovery of Kuwaiti property, including the National Archives. Kuwait emphasized that “the continued delay in implementing these commitments necessitates actual measures and tangible results.”

This statement was made in Kuwait’s address, delivered by Assistant Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for Prisoners and Missing Persons Affairs, Ambassador Rabee Al-Adwani, at a session held by the United Nations Security Council concerning the situation between Kuwait and Iraq.

Al-Adwani stated that the first report issued by the UN Secretary-General on October 1 confirmed that no progress had been made during the reporting period, and that 315 individuals remain missing, including 308 persons listed on the register submitted by Kuwait.

He clarified that more than 35 years after the Gulf War, the challenge is not limited to the scarcity of new information, but also includes the failure to fully follow up on known information and testimonies, as well as delays in implementing measures and commitments agreed upon years ago.

He pointed out that repeated Iraqi commitments had been received to facilitate interviews with witnesses and former officials believed to possess important information about the fate of the missing, yet none of these commitments had been translated into concrete actions.

Al-Adwani added that among these commitments was one enabling the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to interview nine detained officers from the former Iraqi regime, an action that has not yet been carried out.

He noted that one former official of the Iraqi regime, who held the position of what was termed “Director of Kuwait Security” during the Iraqi invasion, was supposed to be interviewed to obtain information regarding detainees, the missing, and the National Archives. However, his execution in February 2026 prevented the interview, despite Iraq’s approval.

Al-Adwani warned that delaying interviews with known witnesses leads to the permanent loss of potential information sources, stressing the necessity of carrying out agreed-upon interviews and removing administrative obstacles that prevent their completion.

Regarding the “Al-Khamisiyah” site, he said that available information and testimonies indicate the possible presence of remains of between 150 and 180 Kuwaiti missing persons in several potential burial sites.

Al-Adwani explained that one Iraqi witness provided documented testimonies containing information about potential burial locations, coordinates, and names of individuals inside and outside Iraq who might possess additional information. However, follow-up on these testimonies has not yet been completed.

He added that a joint technical assessment of one potential site in the Al-Khamisiyah area was completed with the participation of the Iraqi side and the ICRC, but the Iraqi side requested further study, despite its technical team having inspected the site since early September 2026.

He also stressed that safety requirements and permits should lead to clear implementation procedures, rather than the continued suspension of work without a fixed date, which prevents technical teams from completing their tasks.

Regarding missing Kuwaiti property, including the National Archives, Al-Adwani expressed Kuwait’s concern over the continued lack of any substantive progress in this file, emphasizing that important sovereign and historical documents remain missing.

He called on the Iraqi government to establish a clear mechanism and a specific timeline for the actual search for these properties and documents, by tracing their transfer routes during the invasion, identifying the entities and individuals responsible for their custody or transport, and verifying potential locations where they might be found.

In this context, he noted that the United States has returned the archives of the former Iraqi regime to Iraq on two occasions, one of which was last year in digital format. He considered this to provide an opportunity to leverage advanced digital research and analysis tools, including artificial intelligence technologies, to verify whether these materials contain information that could help track Kuwaiti property or identify the entities that dealt with it.

Al-Adousani emphasized that the primary responsibility for searching for Kuwaiti property taken during the invasion, locating it, and returning it lies with the Iraqi government, in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In support of search efforts, Al-Adousani clarified that Kuwait, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has provided necessary information, documents, satellite imagery, and technical assessments, including an annual contribution of one million dollars to assist the Committee in this field.

Regarding international follow-up, Al-Adousani called for a shift from merely recording activities and commitments to measuring the level of implementation and results. He noted that Kuwait had previously submitted a proposal comprising 13 indicators to measure performance, aimed at monitoring existing commitments, identifying bottlenecks, and determining their causes.

He stressed the importance of future reports clarifying what has been agreed upon, what has been actually implemented, what has not been implemented, the reasons for delays, and the entities responsible for completing the required procedures.

He highlighted the significance of this matter as the scheduled review approaches in June 2028, which will rely on only four objective reports under the mandate of the High Representative, instead of five as stipulated in the timeline of Security Council Resolution (2792) of 2025.

Al-Adousani expressed Kuwait’s appreciation for the pivotal role played by the Security Council over the past decades in following up on humanitarian files concerning the fate of the missing and the return of Kuwaiti property, emphasizing the importance of continued collective attention by Council members to these files.

He also renewed Kuwait’s full support for the mandate of the Secretary-General’s High Representative for implementing Resolution (2792), Mari Yamashita, expressing hope that her efforts will help address existing obstacles and achieve tangible progress before the review deadline.

He affirmed that Kuwait places great importance on its relations with fraternal Iraq and is keen to strengthen bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, good neighborliness, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.

He pointed out that Kuwait’s primary objective is not to prolong these files or keep them open indefinitely, but rather to successfully close them as quickly as possible by revealing the fate of all the missing and recovering Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.

Concluding Kuwait’s statement, Al-Adousani emphasized that this file is, above all, a commitment under Security Council resolutions, but more importantly, a humanitarian issue affecting the lives of Kuwaiti families who have been waiting for more than 35 years to learn the fate of their sons and fathers.

He stated that there are families who still hold onto the hope of knowing the truth, and that the least that can be offered to them is not allowing opportunities to uncover the fate of their loved ones to be lost, and working diligently to end their suffering. He affirmed that “it is their right to know, and it is our duty not to stop until they know.”