Kuwait, 2014

At

the outset, it pleases me to extend, on behalf of the

Government and people of the State of Kuwait, our

sincere congratulations to the President of the General

Assembly and to his friendly country, Uganda, on

his election as President of the Assembly at its sixty-

ninth session. We are certain that his vast experience

in international affairs will enable him to conduct the

deliberations of the Assembly at this session wisely and

ably, and we wish him success in that endeavour. We

also note with praise the successful manner in which his

predecessor, His Excellency Mr. John Ashe, conducted

the deliberations during his presidency of the previous

session.

In that regard, I would also like to pay tribute to the

tremendous efforts exerted by His Excellency Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon in leading the Organization, in

accordance with the visions and ideas derived from

the principles and purposes of the Charter, to maintain

international peace and security and achieve its goals in

a sustainable manner by confronting the kinds of risks

and challenges engulfing the world, whether they be

chronic or recent.

In its nearly 70 years of existence and service, the

United Nations has witnessed increasing challenges,

as represented by numerous incidents and crises, and

has overcome exceptional political and economic

milestones. That has made it a haven and a destination

for all the peoples and nations of the world, bestowed

upon the Organization a wider scope of action to contain

crises and given it a more significant role in reaching

solutions and achieving further accomplishments.

However, the deep-rooted and wide-ranging

international transformations of the past few years have

made the continuation of the Organization, based on

its current executive mechanisms and administrative

structures, an obstacle to achieving its historic mission.

When we speak of change for the better, it is crucial

to seek comprehensive reform by proposing scenarios

and solutions aimed at reviving the Organization, its

organs and its specialized agencies in order to ensure

the enhancement and development of their capacity to

become more proactive, in line with modern times, and

to deepen their understanding of the basic requirements

of Member States.

Reform should start with the Security Council, as

the organ entrusted with the maintaining international

peace and security and the closest to reality; it is also

the most effective and is already predisposed to measure

its accomplishments according to its mandates. The

State of Kuwait, which currently presides over the Arab

Summit and coordinates the Arab Group, would like

to stress the importance of thoroughly and carefully

addressing the structural flaws in the composition

of the Council, in particular the issue of expanding

the category of permanent membership by ensuring

permanent Arab representation in the Council, based

on the demographic dimension of the Arab Members,

whose population exceeds 350 million and whose

number increased from five States in 1945 to 22 at

present. That represents nearly 12 per cent of the total

number of States Members of the United Nations, in

addition to the fact that the issues relating to the Arab

States and their region top the agenda of the Council.

Several countries of the Middle East are facing

tremendous security, political and humanitarian

challenges and an exceptional situation, due to the

inability of the Security Council to carry out its

functions, which has led to the aggravation and

deterioration of the situation in many States of the

region. The recent Israeli military aggression against

the Gaza Strip lasted for 50 consecutive days, during

which the non-stop killing and machine of destruction

continuously targeted everything human, mowing

down thousands of unarmed civilians, the majority

of them elderly, women and children. That action

appears to have been emblematic of the series of Israeli

violations of the most basic rules of international law

and international humanitarian law, and constitutes

yet another addition to its bloody history of rejecting

all regional and international initiatives to lay the

foundations of a just and lasting peace.

In that regard, the State of Kuwait welcomes the

ceasefire agreement signed on 26 August, as well as the

international and regional initiatives undertaken to end

to that crisis and aggression, primarily those promoted

by our sister Arab Republic of Egypt. In that context,

we renew our call on the Security Council to assume

its responsibility to provide international protection

to the Palestinian people and territory, pursuant to the

provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,

and to compel Israel, the occupying Power, to halt its

unilateral practices aimed at imposing a policy of faits

accomplis, such as illegal settlements and the unlawful

siege of the Gaza Strip, in addition to attempts to

change the demographic nature of Jerusalem by means

of Judaization. Israel must be compelled to return to the

negotiating table with a view to ending its occupation

of all Palestinian and Arab lands, as well to achieve the

establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem

as its capital, in accordance with the relevant Security

Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the

road map and the Arab Peace Initiative.

As the crisis in Syria, now entering its fourth year,

escalates into a bloodier phase, our concern about the

potential regional and international repercussions of the

failure of that State has given way to anxiety about the

exacerbation of the cycle of violence, which has already

claimed the lives of more than 190,000 people, created

3 million refugees and displaced another 6 million

people. In that regard, the State of Kuwait welcomes

Security Council resolution 2165 (2014) on opening

new border crossings to deliver aid to the affected

Syrian people. We hope that all concerned will pool

their efforts to ensure the swiftest possible delivery

of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people in the

besieged areas and throughout Syrian territory and

beyond.

In response to the ripple effects of that intensifying

humanitarian crisis, the State of Kuwait hosted two

international donor conferences, in January 2013 and

January 2014, to support the humanitarian situation in

Syria. Pledges made at those two conferences totaled

$3.8 billion, of which the State of Kuwait contributed

$800 million. That sum was delivered in its entirety to

specialized United Nations agencies, as well as to other

governmental and non-governmental organizations

concerned with humanitarian affairs. In that regard,

we reiterate the importance of continued regional and

international efforts to reach a political solution that

satisfies the aspirations of the Syrian people for a free

and decent life, according to the Geneva communiqué,

and that preserve Syria’s unity, security and stability.

With respect to the sisterly Republic of Yemen,

the State of Kuwait, as the current chair of the Gulf

Cooperation Council, has sought within its mandate

to establish peace and stability in Yemen, and to fulfil

the aspirations of its people for development and

prosperity, in accordance with the Gulf States initiative

and its executive mechanism. However, tensions due

to the continued rivalry between some factions, along

with the resulting deterioration in the security and

political situations, are a source of concern, because

of their potential negative impact on the future of the

political process in Yemen. They also pose a threat

to the country’s unity and territorial integrity. We

reiterate our full support for enforcing the outcome

of the national dialogue and for addressing the acts

of violence and terrorism that some separatist groups

continue to provoke.

With respect to the situation in Libya, the State of

Kuwait renews its support to the legitimately elected

Libyan Government, as an integral complement to the

process of democratic transformation that will ensure

the security, unity and territorial integrity of Libya.

The State of Kuwait also emphasizes the need for the

international community and the Security Council

to honour their commitments by fully adhering to

resolution 2174 (2014), in order to guarantee a better

future for Libya and its people.

Within the same region, concerning Iran’s nuclear

programme, the State of Kuwait supports the ongoing

efforts to resolve that issue by peaceful means and in a

manner that will guarantee the Islamic Republic of Iran

and all the countries of the region the right to use nuclear

energy for peaceful purposes, under the supervision and

monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA). We also emphasize the importance of reaching

international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme,

based on full Iranian commitment to cooperating with

the IAEA, implementing all relevant Security Council

resolutions and enforcing the highest standards of

safety and security in its nuclear facilities.

The State of Kuwait reiterates its principled and

firm rejection of all forms of terrorism and extremism,

whatever their reasons, motives or sources. It also

believes that promoting the culture of tolerance and

coexistence among peoples and nations should be a

priority in its internal and external policies, which are

derived from the tolerant teachings of Islamic Sharia.

The State of Kuwait emphasizes its full support for

all international efforts to combat and put an end to

the terrorist threats facing the world, which aim to

undermine the elements of international peace and

security. Kuwait welcomes resolution 2178 (2014)

adopted yesterday by the Security Council, reinforcing

international efforts to combat terrorism and foreign

fighters.

In that regard, we denounce the actions of the so-

called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as

well as its terroristic practices and acts of aggression in

parts of Iraqi and Syrian territory. We equally condemn

ISIL’s grave violations of human rights and international

humanitarian law. We reiterate our commitment

to support the efforts and endeavours of the Iraqi

Government to overcome the destructive scourge of

terrorism that currently threatens its security, stability

and territorial integrity and that is adversely and clearly

affecting the political process in that country.

The giant leap represented by new communications

technologies, thanks to which the United Nations has

been able to expand the reach of its lofty message,

has also increased the complexity of monitoring

and assessing the fast-paced global environment, as

well as handling its output and consequences. The

aggregate expertise and experience represented in our

Organization at the professional, technical and political

levels is embodied in the United Nations Millennium

Declaration (resolution 55/2). The Declaration’s clearly

identified priorities and simple terms have played a

major and significant role in improving the lives of

millions of people in many regions of the world. The

Declaration has also set an example by demonstrating

the importance of partnership in international

work, through cooperation and coordination among

Governments, and the promotion of the role of civil

society organizations and the private sector.

By drawing on modern technology and scientific

advances, the Millennium Development Goals

have provided the peoples and nations of the world

with renewed hope for creating a better world, and

have created an incentive to achieve them. The

Organization has encouraged Member States to

devise a comprehensive and ambitious post-2015

development plan with sustainable development

in all three dimensions — economic, social and

environmental — at its core. That plan will address

new dangers and challenges and anticipate future

conditions, which will be different from those we face

today.

In that regard, the State of Kuwait welcomes the

Climate Summit that the Secretary-General convened

two days ago, and reiterates that climate change has

negative repercussions on development throughout the

world and in the Arab region in particular. There is a

clear need for international action and solidarity within

the framework of the sustainable development goals,

according to the principle of shared but differentiated

responsibility, in order to guarantee that all States

benefit equally from the new agenda. In that regard,

special attention and treatment should be provided to

the developing countries, which are the States most

adversely affected by climate change.

Since winning its independence and joining the

global Organization, the State of Kuwait has never

been far removed from the crises and challenges

facing the world. Our founding fathers defined a

purely humanitarian approach to helping the needy

and restoring hope to those who have lost it, bypassing

the traditional bases for giving, which were largely

rooted in geographic location, ethnic origin or political

affiliation. Their sons have followed that approach,

giving greater priority to contemporary trends

through the pillars that define our foreign policy. That

commitment rests on devising and developing methods

for providing assistance and aid to the majority of the

world’s countries by promoting activities that would

support the message of the United Nations in creating

a world in which security and stability prevail, and

people live in peace and prosperity.

The establishment in 1961 of the Kuwait Fund

for Arab Economic Development was an expression

of the sincere desire of the State of Kuwait to support

the development efforts of Arab States and friendly

countries by providing soft loans and technical

assistance. In pursuing that approach, and in order to

show its keen interest in supporting the humanitarian

role of the United Nations, the State of Kuwait has

doubled the amount of its fixed annual voluntary

contributions to a number of international agencies

and organizations, including its recent donation to the

World Health Organization to combat the spread of the

Ebola virus in West Africa, giving wider horizons and

broader reach to the humanitarian work of the State of

Kuwait.

Our wide-ranging diplomatic efforts at the regional

and international levels, led by His Highness Sheikh

Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the

State of Kuwait, were recognized by the international

community with an exceptional and unprecedented

international honour when the Secretary-General

presented His Highness with a certificate of appreciation

in recognition of the outstanding role in humanitarian

leadership played by His Highness, the Government

and the people of the State of Kuwait in saving the lives

of millions of people.

To conclude, I would like to emphasize that the

State of Kuwait adheres to the multilateral international

system, as well as to the principles and purposes of

the Charter of the United Nations. Kuwait believes

in the critical importance of furthering all efforts to

ensure the continuity of our venerable Organization

by ensuring that all States fulfil their responsibilities

and commitments under international conventions

and conferences in order to help find just and lasting

solutions to global threats and challenges, and to reach

the loftier goal of maintaining international peace and

security.