Kuwait

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Your Excellency the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Your Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Excellencies and Highnesses, Heads of Delegations, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you,

Mr. President,

At the outset, the State of Kuwait extends its heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco for the victims of the earthquakes that struck it, resulting in the death and injury of thousands of victims. I also convey the same condolences and sympathy to our brothers in the State of Libya following the devastating hurricane and floods that swept through it, resulting in a number of victims and injured persons. We pray to the Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for the victims, and that He grant their families patience and solace, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

I am pleased to extend congratulations to you personally and to your friendly country on your election as President of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We are confident that your extensive experience in international affairs will enable you to manage its proceedings with wisdom and competence. I would also like to commend the efforts made by your predecessor, Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, during his presidency of the previous session.

I would also like to highly value the constructive endeavors and wise leadership of His Excellency the Secretary-General of this venerable Organization, and his efforts in fulfilling the lofty mission of the United Nations, while upholding the provisions of its Charter based on the maintenance of international peace and security.

Mr. President,

I stand here once again to address the international community through one of its loftiest platforms, amid the challenges and upheavals that the international arena is witnessing today, which have come to threaten the universality of multilateralism, putting it to a real test between the capacity for sustainability and resilience or stagnation and paralysis. The torrent of risks and threats surrounding our world today—from the eruption of conflicts between states, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the escalation of the phenomenon of terrorism, and the exacerbation of poverty levels, in addition to threats related to natural disasters, climate change, and food security challenges, as well as the growing modern threats and risks in the digital space and their impact on cybersecurity—all of this and more now requires international cooperation based on partnership and responsibility.

In this regard, we affirm the importance of what was contained in the Secretary-General's initiative titled "Our Common Agenda," which identified the challenges facing the international community that require concerted efforts to address at various national, regional, and international levels, and to benefit from the accumulated legacy, diverse tools, and multiple mechanisms possessed by our Organization.

Mr. President,

For nearly two decades, the State of Kuwait, out of its belief in the principle of good neighborliness, has been keen to help Iraq rise on its own through close and continuous work aimed at restoring Iraq to its appropriate regional and international standing that enables it to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of its brotherly people. However, we were taken aback by a ruling issued by the Federal Supreme Court in the sisterly Republic of Iraq declaring the unconstitutionality of the law ratifying the Agreement Regulating Maritime Navigation in Khor Abdullah, concluded between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq in 2012, and which was ratified and deposited with the United Nations in 2013, along with the historical fallacies contained in the ruling regarding the State of Kuwait. In addition, we were surprised by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq, a few days ago, to cancel the security exchange protocol signed between the command of the Kuwaiti Naval Force and the command of the Iraqi Naval Force in 2008, and the negative repercussions this will have on maritime security and the regulation of navigation in Khor Abdullah. Therefore, the State of Kuwait will consider the Agreement Regulating Navigation in Khor Abdullah and the security exchange protocol to remain in force, given their importance in maintaining security and the safety of navigation, as they prevent the creation of chaos and border violations, and the significant potential for the flow of arms and drug trafficking, which are two primary means of financing various terrorist militias.

From this lofty platform, from which the march of multilateral diplomacy aimed at maintaining international peace and security was launched, the State of Kuwait affirms the necessity for the Government of the Republic of Iraq to take concrete, decisive, and urgent measures to address the repercussions of the ruling and the historical fallacies contained therein, in a manner that preserves good neighborly relations. My country also stresses the necessity of commitment to the security, independence, and territorial integrity of both countries, the agreements concluded between them, and the relevant international resolutions, foremost among them Security Council resolution 833, which delineated the land and maritime boundaries between the two sides up to maritime marker No. 162. We call upon brotherly Iraq to demonstrate good faith and complete the meetings of the technical teams concerned with demarcating the boundary beyond point 162, in accordance with international laws and covenants. The State of Kuwait reserves its full right to take whatever measures it deems appropriate at the legal and international levels to preserve its established legitimate and legal rights in accordance with international resolutions and the rules of international law, which it has always been keen to respect and apply in its relations with all states.

Mr. President,

For 75 years, our brothers, the free Palestinian people, have suffered from the international community's failure to implement resolutions of international legitimacy, and from the practices of the Israeli occupation that violate all international norms and laws. Hence, we affirm the centrality of the Palestinian cause in our Arab and Islamic world. Within the framework of implementing the General Assembly resolution, my country submitted a written statement to the International Court of Justice requesting it to issue an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the continuing violations by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We affirm our firm and principled position in support of the Palestinian right based on resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967.

The unfortunate events witnessed by brotherly Sudan due to armed clashes are a cause for grave concern. We call upon all parties concerned to immediately cease fighting, resort to the logic of dialogue, and return to the peaceful political track in a manner that preserves the security and stability of Sudan and the unity of its territory. We express our support for all regional and international initiatives underway in this regard, including the Saudi-American initiative.

Regarding the situation in brotherly Yemen, we renew our support for the efforts undertaken by the United Nations through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen to resume the political process and reach a comprehensive settlement in accordance with the three agreed-upon terms of reference: the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and the relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2216, in a manner that preserves the security and stability of Yemen and the unity of its territory.

With regard to Syria, we affirm the necessity of intensifying efforts to reach a political solution, with full Syrian ownership, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2254.

At the regional level, and in consolidation of the rules of good neighborliness contained in the Charter of the United Nations, we renew our call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to take serious confidence-building measures to begin a dialogue based on respect for states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and the preservation of the safety, security, and freedom of maritime navigation from any threats.

My country also affirms that ownership of the natural resources in the submerged area adjacent to the Kuwaiti-Saudi Divided Zone, including the entire Durra field, is a shared ownership between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exclusively, and that they alone have full rights to exploit these resources. The State of Kuwait also affirms its categorical rejection of any claims of rights by any other party in this field or in the submerged area adjacent to the Divided Zone within its defined boundaries between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. President,

While we look forward to strengthening global dialogue based on spreading a culture of coexistence, tolerance, and peace at all levels, followers of the Islamic faith still face irresponsible and provocative attacks by a number of extremists through the burning of copies of the Holy Quran in a number of capitals and cities of certain countries, under flimsy pretexts in the name of freedom of expression and opinion. This requires concerted international efforts to take serious steps to curb hate speech and media disinformation that targets Muslims.

Mr. President,

Through its development vision under the slogan "New Kuwait," the State of Kuwait has been keeping pace with and monitoring all international economic and financial indicators to transform Kuwait into a financial, commercial, and cultural hub that interacts with its regional and international environment, in a manner in which foreign policy is present in this broad developmental process, in accordance with diplomacy based on the element of initiative stemming from a relief and humanitarian legacy instilled by our forefathers and ancestors.

Given the environmental degradation our world is witnessing, my country has, voluntarily and deliberately, made clear progress in fulfilling its commitments according to available capabilities, particularly in the field of rehabilitating the oil, industry, and transport sectors, with the aim of reducing or limiting emissions, diversifying energy sources, improving their efficiency, and utilizing alternative and renewable energy, in addition to our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the oil sectors.

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf have been and remain pioneers in supporting the multilateral international community, out of their belief in its centrality in uniting efforts to confront shared challenges. We look forward to the success of the Climate Change Conference "COP28," scheduled to be held in the Emirate of Dubai in the sisterly United Arab Emirates, and the mobilization of necessary international support it will generate for the guiding principles for implementing the elements of the Paris Agreement.

My country also welcomes and values the announcement by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the establishment of a global water organization headquartered in Riyadh, aimed at developing and integrating the efforts of states and organizations to comprehensively address water challenges, in pursuit of ensuring the sustainability of water resources.

I would also like to convey my country's appreciation and welcome for the hosting by the sisterly State of Qatar of the Horticultural Expo under the title "Green Desert, Better Environment," in an effort to encourage innovative solutions toward the sustainability of desert regions.

In conclusion,

Proceeding from the State of Kuwait's firm belief in equality, justice, and human rights, we look forward to the support of United Nations Member States for the State of Kuwait's candidacy for membership of the Human Rights Council for the period 2024-2026, in the elections to be held next October. Through our membership, we will seek to fulfill the aspirations of the developing world by building bridges of cooperation and action that contribute to reaching comprehensive and just solutions addressing issues related to human rights, in accordance with the provisions of international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and resolutions of international legitimacy, away from selectivity, double standards, and the policy of imposing faits accomplis.

I can only reaffirm our commitment to the multilateral international system and to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, in a manner that ensures the development and strengthening of international governance to guarantee the fulfillment of its lofty mission of maintaining international peace and security and serving all humanity.

Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.