(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, June 4 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Permanent Representative to the United Nations said his country would work with the other members of the UN Security Council to realize the Sustainable Development Goals, and protect the world peace and security.
Setting forth the agenda of UNSC presidency, held by Kuwait in June, Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi affirmed, at a press conference on Monday, the conviction that the noble SDGs can be realizing only through multilateral action by, and close coordination among, all UN member countries.
"Multilateralism is the mainstay of Kuwait policy for addressing the multiple problems of the world.
"Before holding its non-permanent seat in the UNSC, Kuwait had set four priorities, namely the Arab issues, the humanitarian issues, the prevention of conflicts and the activation of the UNSC," he pointed out.
As chair of the UNSC team on documents and measures, Kuwait is working with other members of the Council to improve the efficacy of the working mechanisms of the Council, Al-Otaibi noted.
The UNSC agenda for June includes a host of topics of common concern for the different parts of the world particularly the Arab and African regions, he said.
"Kuwait will arrange for a number of UNSC meetings on how to make the Council more effective, the missing people in armed conflicts, the prevention of armed conflicts, and the cooperation between the Council and the Arab League.
"Kuwait has already distributed to the Council members a draft resolution on the issue of the missing people in armed conflicts which, if passed, will be the first such humanitarian resolution," Ambassador Al-Otaibi said, noting that some Kuwaiti nationals are still missing since the Iraqi invasion of 1990-1991.
The Secretary General, he continued, will also brief the meeting on conflict prevention and mediation alongside former High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and former Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Elders. The Secretary General is also expected to address the meeting on Arab League-United Nations cooperation, alongside the head of that 22-member regional bloc, he said, expressing hope that it will lay the groundwork for greater cooperation and interaction between the two organizations.
Al-Otaibi said the Council's overall work program for June envisions 18 briefings and 14 consultations, in addition to an open debate on its working methods, to be held on June 6. Kuwait chairs the Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, he pointed out.
Acknowledging that the Council is "overwhelmed by Arab issues," he said the Council has scheduled three separate meetings on Syria, dealing with the political and humanitarian aspects of the conflict there as well as the use of chemical weapons. Nine meetings on Africa-related topics are also scheduled, as well as a meeting on Kosovo set for June 10.
On June 18, he continued, the Council will hold a briefing on United Nations peacekeeping operations, featuring briefings by the force commanders of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). On June 26, the Undersecretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs will participate in a meeting on non-proliferation, he said.
Draft resolutions scheduled for adoption include one renewing the Council's authorization to inspect ships on the high seas off Libya, another involving the technical rollover of sanctions related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and mandate renewals for UNAMID, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
In response to questions, he said the Middle East peace plan currently being prepared by the United States has not been shared with the Council. "We don't know what it looks like or if it will even be discussed in the Council," he added.
Asked whether this is the appropriate time for the Council to discuss the situation in Sudan, given the recent violence, he said no Council members have asked for a meeting.
Regarding Idlib, he confirmed that one Council member broke the silence today on a draft press statement that would have re-emphasized the need to respect international humanitarian law and that included a paragraph on the right of refugees freely to return to their homes in dignity. The Council has discussed Idlib three times in the past two weeks and remains focused on the issue, he said.
Asked about developments in Yemen, he acknowledged that implementation of the Stockholm agreement of December 13, 2018 between the Government and the Houthi militia remains "very slow" since the adoption of resolution 2452 (2019) on Hodeidah. While the Council has issued several press statements, and looks forward to a briefing from the Secretary General's Special Envoy on June 17, no Council members have submitted draft resolutions that would condemn the parties, he said.
On the Gulf rift, UNSC President Al-Otaibi said that efforts of His Highness the Amir (of Kuwait) Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah are continuing, and His Highness is working hard on the issue in a bid to make amends. "We are optimistic."
On the recent Iranian-US escalation he pointed out "we support dialogue between Iran and GCC countries, and we always respect UN 'intentions' of not interfering with countries' internal affairs," hoping for the situation to be addressed through dialogue and peaceful efforts. (end)
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