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Kuwaiti FM chairs high-level UNSC meeting

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah presides the high-level UN Security Council meeting on "Purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah presides the high-level UN Security Council meeting on "Purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security."
NEW YORK, Feb 21 (KUNA) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Wednesday presided over a high-level UN Security Council meeting on "Purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security." The meeting, proposed by the State of Kuwait, saw the UNSC member states renewing their commitments to improve the mechanisms for addressing the risks posed to the international community and enable the Council to deliver its mandate in preserving peace and security worldwide.
Speakers at the gathering noted that the meeting took place shortly ahead of Kuwait celebrating its 27th liberation day, a reminder of the collective will and ability of the international community to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion of 1991 pursuant to the provisions of the UN Charter.
In his address to the meeting, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled thanked the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres for "the valuable briefing" he offered to the Council.
He reaffirmed Kuwait's support to the efforts of the UN chief and his vision for improving the working mechanism of the UN and minimizing the threats facing the world.
He also thanked former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon for his briefing.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said, "The theme of our meeting today 'Purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security' is exactly the same as the targets of the UN Charter.
"Let me quote the first lines of the preamble of the Charter: 'We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.' "Kuwait's invitation for holding this important meeting aims to provide a chance for assessing our collective responsibilities towards the commitments specified in the UN Charter." Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled regretted that some members of the UN failed to deliver their commitments and committed flagrant violations of the principles of the UN Charter, thus posing grave risks to the international peace and security.
He noted that the Kuwait's selection of the theme and timing of this session bears the significance that commitment to the purposes of the UN Charter and international laws is of great importance for all UN member states, particularly the small ones.
"Kuwait will be celebrating, on February 26, the 27th anniversary of its liberation from the Iraqi invasion in 1991; this liberation was the fruit of global commitment to the principles of the UN Charter," he pointed out.
On the tools available for the UN Security Council to deliver its mandate in maintaining peace and security, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled highlighted the roles of chapters VI, VII and VIII on action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression; and regional arrangements, respectively.
"After more than seven decades of its adoption, the UN Charter remains to be an effective means of preventing and settling disputes through peaceful ways," he went on.
Regarding the unity of the UNSC, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the ability of the Council to shoulder its responsibility depends primarily on consensus among its permanent members.
"The recent years or decades showed that the Council failed to act vis-أ -vis grave crisis due to divisions among its five permanent members which abused their veto powers," he regretted.
He cited as examples the Palestinian cause that remained unsolved over the last 70 years and the Syrian crisis the entered its seventh year with the death toll rising to more than 400,000.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled appreciated the vision of the Secretary General for improving the working mechanisms of the UN bodies and finding preventive measures and diplomatic solutions to disputes based on the provisions of Chapter 99 of the UN Charter.
"Kuwait is returning to the UNSC membership four decades after its first membership in 1978-1979 with a renewed commitment to contribute to maintenance of the international peace and security, favoring dialogue to force in solving dispute, building the best possibly relations with neighbors and other countries of the world, leading mediation to solve disputes through peaceful means, leading the humanitarian action, and compliance with the letter and spirit of the UN Charter," he concluded.
Kuwait delegation to the meeting also includes Assistant Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabash, Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi and Assistant Foreign Minister Nasser Abdullah Al-Hayyen, as well as other senior diplomats. (end) asf.gb