Kuwait, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address by His Highness Sabah al-Khald al-Sabah, Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. I request the protocol to escort His Highness and invite him to address the Assembly. In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. Your Excellency, Madam President Annalena Baerbocker, President of the General Assembly. Your Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General. Your Excellencies, Your Majesties, Heads of Delegations, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, May the peace of God be upon you. At the outset, it gives me pleasure to convey to you the greetings of His Highness Amir of the State of Kuwait, Shaykh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah. May God protect him. And I convey his wishes for a successful UNGAAT. And I express to you, Madam President, and to your friendly country, our congratulations on your election as President of the UN General Assembly. And I would like to applaud the efforts of your predecessor, Mr. Philemon Yang, during his presidency of the last session of the General Assembly. And I would be remiss not to highly appreciate the wise leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres. And I would like to seize this opportunity to reiterate Kuwait's continued support for him and his efforts to promote the mission and purposes of the United Nations. Madam President, we share your vision for the objectives of this session under the theme Better Together. The theme embodies the necessary spirit of solidarity in order to overcome the multiple and interconnected challenges today. It is incumbent on member states to work together to preserve this organization as the cornerstone of multilateralism and as the refuge for states and peoples in order to address their disputes and overcome the challenges and to determine the means to achieve economic, social and human development throughout the world. Before we look towards the future, we must reflect on the previous eight decades since the establishment of the United Nations. The UN was established when countries agreed in 1945 to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war which twice has brought untold sorrow to mankind. While we have not seen a third world war since the establishment of the UN, we did witness, and especially lately, an incapacity to address the political challenges and security, climate, human and health-related challenges as necessary. In addition, we must heed the lessons of our shared failures in the context of this organization. We must draw the lessons as states and governments and peoples to realize the best means for non-recurrence of our mistakes and to grant our future generations a safer world. Madam President, there are multiple successes of this organization that we cannot forget. I recall here, gratefully, some of the most prominent success stories of the United Nations and of the Security Council in particular when the world, 35 years ago, stood in solidarity with the state of Kuwait and in support of truth, justice and the rule of law. On the 27th of September, 1990, the late Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, stood here at this podium carrying a message from a people who have loved peace and worked for peace and who have endured invasion. And the audience in this hall expressed their support for this people, this peace-loving people of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti people's just cause. And this message of support remains in the hearts of every Kuwaiti citizen today as well as the efforts to liberate Kuwait from a brutal invasion. The Security Council at the time demonstrated its ability to discharge its mandate for the maintenance of international peace and security. It demonstrated a successful model and succeeded in discharging its duties and adopted a historical resolution to take all means necessary to liberate Kuwait. And this action by the Security Council remains forever remembered in the hearts of the Kuwaiti people. The Security Council at the time embodied an excellent example in achieving justice and peace. And we would be remiss here not to remind the continued human issue that concerns every Kuwaiti which is the whereabouts and the fate of the missing persons, some of whom have returned to their Lord as a result of the injustice they suffered. And it will continue to be remembered by the state of Kuwait after three decades. This multidimensional issue, dimensions including human and social and political, requires good faith and determination to be successfully addressed and requires close follow-up from the Security Council. We hope to heal the wounds of the family members of the missing persons who continue to grieve over their loved ones and they hope to bury their loved ones in their homeland. In this regard, we welcome the adoption of Security Council of Resolution 2792 this year which has provided for the appointment of a high-level UN representative to follow up the issue accordingly. And as a result of the consequences of this issue, this representative's mandate must be used to close these outstanding issues in a manner that aligns with the legitimate aspirations of the state of Kuwait and the international community. This is a matter that will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing the cooperation between the state of Kuwait and the brotherly nation of the Republic of Iraq. Madam President, the Secretary General has launched the UNAT initiative which aligns with the reform efforts pursued by the United Nations to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency to make it more fit for purpose and more fit for overcoming the challenges. And when addressing reforms in multilateralism, we must prioritize Security Council reform. We are firmly convinced that there is a dire need to reform the Security Council in a manner that enshrines justice, transparency and credibility and the non-selectivity in order for the Security Council to become more capable of addressing contemporary threats and so that its composition more accurately reflects the world we live in today. Madam President, Kuwait is honored to preside over the current 45th session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Throughout time, the GCC has proven that it is a major pillar for stability and prosperity in our region. My country continues through its presidency of the Supreme Council to promote our joint efforts in the GCC and our strategic relationship with regional and international organizations. And we take pride in our efforts on behalf of our brothers and sisters in adopting the resolution related to the cooperation between the GCC and the United Nations. We look forward to the initiatives that will be taken in different spheres. We, people of the Gulf, do not know the impossible. And we will navigate towards the future with strong hearts and determination, believing in our joint destiny. Madam President, our region has witnessed lately a dangerous military escalation and an expansion of conflict. And we have repeatedly warned against this in the past and warned against its consequences for the region. And we condemn in the strongest of terms in this regard the brutal Israeli aggression against Qatar. We consider this attack a blatant violation of all international customs and norms and an attack against a mediator that is working faithfully for the sake of peace. And we reiterate our complete solidarity with our brethren in Qatar. And we reiterate that any threat against any member state of the GCC is a threat against every member of the GCC. Just a few days ago, two emergency summits have been held, the first for the Supreme Council of the GCC and the second, the Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha, to discuss the Israeli aggression against Qatar. We reiterate the different provisions in both outcome documents of the summits. Madam President, Kuwait continues its tireless efforts that have continued throughout two decades to assist Iraq to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi people and our brothers and sisters in Iraq and in order to promote stability and security in the region through bilateral agreements that are the cornerstone for defining our means of cooperation in order to build a better future for both our countries and to turn the page on the painful past. Accordingly, from this podium, we reiterate for the third year in a row our commitment to the provisions of the Agreement to Regulate Maritime Navigation in the Khore of Abdullah with the Republic of Iraq since 2009. And we reiterate our commitment to correcting the negotiation course in order to determine our maritime boundaries beyond .162 as per international law and the UN Convention on Law of the Sea of 1982 and without prejudice to the territories and islands in the area. And we reiterate at the same time our call on our sisters and brothers in Iraq to respect the provisions of the effective agreements between us in order for us to be able to unleash the prospects for cooperation between our two countries to greater heights. Madam President, what is taking place in the Gaza Strip for almost two years of collective punishment and the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians and of innocent people, most of whom are women, are children. And using starvation as warfare is only an unfolding of genocide before our eyes. And we have reached this point because of the double standards in the application of international law. We cannot call for respect of international law in one area and ignore the application in another. This leads to undermining trust in the international system. The state of Kuwait once again condemns the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and against all occupied Palestinian territory. And we call for an end to this aggression immediately and to allow for uninterrupted humanitarian access. And we also applaud the efforts of Qatar, Egypt, and the United States in order to reach a ceasefire. We recall in this regard the high-level conference on the two-state solution under the joint leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic. And we look forward to building on the momentum generated by the conference. And we commend the decision by many friendly states to recognize the state of Palestine. And we emphasize the need for the remaining states to do the same. The state of Kuwait also reiterates its firm commitment to support UNRWA because of its critical role in securing the basic needs of millions of Palestinian refugees. And we categorically reject the settlement activities and forced displacement of the occupying power. And we call on measures to be taken to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. The state of Kuwait also reiterates its historical and firm support for the Palestinian people and their just cause and their legitimate right to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital as per UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002. Madam President, the state of Kuwait stands in support of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Lebanon in their efforts to build a secure and prosperous future that fulfills the aspirations of their people. And we reiterate the need to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states. And we follow with great concern the developments in Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Libya. And we call on our brothers and sisters to prioritize wisdom and dialogue in order to settle the disputes in accordance with international law in order to preserve the sovereignty and unity, independence, and territorial integrity of these states. And based on our commitment to good neighborliness, we reiterate once again our call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to initiate a serious path for confidence-building measures. And we believe that creating the conducive environment for negotiations will contribute to resolving the nuclear program and all other outstanding issues. Madam President, we in Kuwait, as a result of our people's determination, continue confidently towards the future as per Kuwait Vision 2035, which aims to establish Kuwait as a financial and trade hub in the region. Similarly, and in parallel, we work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, drawing inspiration from the ancestors in their dedication throughout succeeding generations in order to build a safe and prosperous nation. And we reiterate at the same time the important role of Kuwaiti women and Kuwaiti youth in the different areas. And we applaud their contributions on the path towards development and prosperity. Now that only five years remain until 2030, we emphasize the need to continue our efforts so that we can achieve these noble goals and to leave no one behind. And based on our experience and our knowledge of the experiences of developing states, we have committed to international development. And the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, since its establishment in 1961, has provided support for development projects in 107 states. And we reiterate our support for global development and our continued efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance throughout the world without discrimination or politicization or conditions. In conclusion, Madam President, the state of Kuwait was and continues to be, as you have known Kuwait throughout time, a strong supporter of the United Nations and its noble efforts in the different parts of the world. We firmly commit to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and commit to the UN as a beacon of hope and a hub for the coordination of international joint efforts. And we support the international efforts to settle disputes through dialogue and peaceful means. And we believe in a culture of tolerance and peaceful existence. We will continue to love peace and we will continue to work for the sake of peace. And may the peace of God be upon you. I wish to thank the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Sabah.