2022 Speech - Kuwait
| Session Number | 77 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | Kuwait |
| Country Code | KWT |
| Speech |
At the outset, it is my great pleasure to congratulate you personally, Sir, and the friendly country of Hungary, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session. We assure you of our total support in everything that would facilitate the discharge of your tasks. On this occasion, I would also like to express our sincerest gratitude for the efforts of your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, who assumed the tasks of the presidency during the seventy-sixth session.
I am also pleased to pay tribute to the great and appreciated efforts exerted by the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, in leading the Organization under the sensitive and delicate circumstances of our world. He has worked to fulfil the lofty vision of the United Nations based on the provisions of its Charter underpinning the maintenance of international peace and security. The historic path of the United Nations over the course of almost eight decades has led us to key facts, namely, that the Organization has addressed changing events, massive challenges and chronic crises in the world. The multiplicity and diversity of the challenges and dangers facing humankind include the spread of deadly diseases, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the growing phenomenon of terrorism, in addition to threats related to natural disasters, climate change, poverty and the increase in food insecurity. All those challenges and dangers require international cooperation that would avoid unilateral solutions. In that context, the Organization has played a most prominent role in addressing all emergency and chronic risks that the Secretary-General covered in his report entitled Our Common Agenda (A/75/982). The aim is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals based on more comprehensive foundations, while taking into account the need to address a set of obstacles and to develop innovative scalable solutions and chart a clearer future. In that regard, we reiterate the State of Kuwait’s adherence to the international multilateral system and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in order to realize the lofty vision of the Organization in serving the whole of humankind, as well as fostering mediation and preventive diplomacy to saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and conflicts. The world is following with great interest the developments in the situation in Ukraine and its accelerated complexities, whose effects and repercussions on security and stability have become tangible. In that regard, we affirm our principled and firm position in support of the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which reject the use of force, or the threat of the use of force, or even hinting at using it in resolving conflicts among countries. We emphasize the importance of adhering to the principles enshrined in the Charter. In that regard, the State of Kuwait supports all United Nations endeavours and all other international efforts to de-escalate and reach a ceasefire in Ukraine, in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. Our experience from contemporary history shows that peace, and its related mechanisms of mediation and dialogue, have always been and will continue to be the optimal choice for resolving conflicts, no matter how long they last. The Palestinian question holds a central and pivotal place in our Arab and Muslim worlds. Tensions and instability will remain prevalent in our region until the proud Palestinian people obtain all their legitimate rights, and until Israel, the occupying Power, ceases its continuous violations of international humanitarian law. We stress the need to undertake efforts to relaunch negotiations within a fixed time frame, in order to achieve a just and comprehensive peace, in accordance with the terms of reference of the peace process, resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, which would end the Israeli occupation and lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the borders that existed prior to 4 June 1967. The absence of international consensus, on the one hand, and the increase of external interventions, on the other, have been a major reason for the prolongation of the Syrian crisis, which has entered its twelfth year, reflecting one of the ugliest scenes of human suffering ever. In that regard, we reiterate our firm position that there is no military solution to that crisis. We stress the need to work towards a political settlement, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2254 (2015), and towards realizing the hopes and aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people. In the context of the crisis in the brotherly Yemen, we once again welcome once the truce agreement between the Yemeni parties and stress the need to implement all of its provisions. We also commend the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen as he works to strengthen compliance with the truce, which was brokered under the auspices of the United Nations and within the context of the peace initiative announced by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in March 2021. Those efforts were undertaken to end the crisis and reach a comprehensive political solution based on the three agreed terms of reference, namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and the resolutions of the Security Council, particularly resolution 2216 (2015). At the regional level, and proceeding from basic premises related to the rules of good-neighbourliness contained in the Charter of the United Nations, we reiterate our call to the Islamic Republic of Iran to take serious confidence-building measures so as to start a dialogue based on respect for the sovereignty of States and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well to reduce tensions in the Gulf region and preserve the safety, security and freedom of maritime navigation, free from any threats. The State of Kuwait is about to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of joining the United Nations, through which we have had many experiences and witnessed global events, most notably the invasion and liberation of my country. It was a success story for the Organization in its strict implementation of the resolutions of international legitimacy, at the forefront of which were the relevant outputs of the Security Council and the General Assembly. That has increased our belief in multilateral international action and its importance in achieving the ambitions and aspirations of a world where security, stability and prosperity prevail and where the voice of the people is the main compass for action. The State of Kuwait is celebrating democracy, represented by holding parliamentary elections for the National Assembly. Based on clear and lofty guidance from the political leadership, the Government has secured all the means and capabilities and provided all officials with guidance to meet the needs of the citizens and endeavour to resolve obstacles within the framework of the law. That approach emanates from our belief that any effort towards achieving development will not pay off or have the expected results in the absence of the involvement of citizens or listening to their voices. That is in line with our multilateral vision for development to create a new Kuwait by 2035. In November, our Arab region will witness a prominent world sporting event presented by the Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup and organized by the sisterly State of Qatar, which reflects its economic and cultural renaissance and confirms its ability to host such major sporting events. We wish the State of Qatar exceptional success as the first Arab and Muslim country to host that international championship. |