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STATEMENT  BY 

HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH NASSER AL MOHAMMAD AL AHMAD AL SABAH  PRIME MINISTER OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT 

BEFORE THE 

SIXTYTHIRD REGULAR SESSION OF  THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 

THURSDAY,  25 SEPTEMBER 2008 

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS  NEW YORK

In the Name of Allah ­ The Compassionate ­ The Merciful 

Mr. President,  At the outset, it is my pleasure to congratulate you on your election  rd  as President of the 63  regular session of the United Nations General  Assembly and to wish you total success.  We also wish to thank your  predecessor, Mr. Syrgin Kerim on his successful presidency of the  previous session.  We also express our appreciation for the important and outstanding  role of the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. BAN  Kimoon  for  the realization of the  aims and  purposes of the Charter of this  organization. 

Mr. President,  More than a year ago, the world have witnessed the emergence of  new international challenges and perils that hinder, as well as disrupt, the  efforts to achieve sustainable development in numerous developing  countries, particularly the least developed countries.  Most significant  among those perils were the rise in prices of food, basic commodities, as  well as energy prices, add to that, the climate change phenomenon.  The  danger of these challenges lies in their global impact, their effects  transcend national borders.  There are no barriers or artificial restraints  than can withstand them.  These will revert the International Community  many steps backwards from achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  We have indeed started to witness the negative effects of these perils in the  African Continent, which did not achieve any significant progress in the  eradication of poverty, hunger or in the combat against dangerous  infectious diseases, such as AIDS malaria, etc..but rather, these changes  came to exacerbate the suffering of the majority of its states.  These challenges, in addition to security challenges, such as  terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and  the violations  of human rights, pose a serious threat to international peace and  security,  meeting them require prompt, collective, united and  firm action under the  umbrella of the United Nations.  We also need to have a consistent  commitment to the agreements and  conventions that we have signed and

ratified, also a transparent  honest implementation of the resolutions we  issue in international meetings and conferences.  While the State of Kuwait supports the reforms introduced to  international mechanisms the constant changes and transformation in the  world order, the emergence of new problems and challenges call for a  constant reforms as well as restructuring of many of the United Nations  bodies to accompany these changes and improve their performance.  In  this regard, we renew our demands to introduce the necessary  improvements in the work methods of the Security Council, cast more  transparency on its work, increase the number of its members, in  accordance to standards and controls which will achieve equity in  representation and efficiency in the performance of its  duties and  responsibilities in the maintenance of international peace and security,  provided that it takes into consideration the legitimate demands of Arab  and Islamic countries, also the aspirations and interests of small states.  Mr. President,  The State of Kuwait continues its efforts to achieve economic and  social development, improve the living conditions of the Kuwaiti citizens as  well as those who live in Kuwaiti land.  Kuwait also made good progress in  implementing the commitments and resolutions of the 2005 World Summit,  realized all the Millennium Development Goals, including education and  health, as well as advancing the role of women in society and their  empowerment.  Furthermore, in carrying out the high wishes of His  Highness Sheikh Sabal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, The Amir of the State  of Kuwait, to transform Kuwait into a financial and business center in the  region  the Kuwaiti Government has taken numerous important decisions,  adopted new policies, and devised new strategies with a view to  restructure the national economy and consolidate trade and investment  activities, in order to provide an adequate investment atmosphere to attract  national and foreign capitals for their investment in the vital economic  sectors, such as energy and infrastructure. 

Mr. President,  The State of Kuwait did not spare any effort to continue providing  development assistance for the developing countries, particularly  the  least developed countries through its official as well as nonofficial  institutions.  This course is a constant in Kuwaiti foreign policy, emanating from  its conviction that advancing the economies of the developing countries as  well as their realization of their development shall be beneficial for

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everyone.   It amplifies the horizons of partnership, cooperation and  solidarity, which will further consolidate the global economic trade  systems.  Since its establishment in 1961, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic  Development have been providing grants and loans to finance  infrastructure projects in the developing countries.  The gross total amount  provided by the Fund since its establishment in 1961 in grants as well as  easy to pay loans have exceeded 12 billion dollars, in the benefit of more  than a hundred countries.  The State of Kuwait continues to fulfill its  financial obligations towards international financial institutions and  specialized international agencies in a full and timely fashion.  It also  continues to provide voluntary contributions to many international and  regional organizations active in the fields of providing humanitarian and  relief assistance.  In appreciation of the role of international agencies and  organizations working in the field of humanitarian assistance, the  Government of the State of Kuwait has decided in December of last year to  appropriate 10% of any amount of contribution or donation it is giving to  any country afflicted by disaster, to the specialized organizations working  in the field.  In response to the suffering of many developing countries from  difficult economic conditions as a result of the increase in food as well as  energy prices. The State of Kuwait established the Decent Life Fund with a  capital of 100 million dollars to develop and improve agricultural  production in the developing countries.  Kuwait also announced the  donation of 150 million dollars to the fund, that was established during the  last Summit Conference of the OPEC countries, held in the sisterly  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, dedicated to conduct research studies in the  fields of energy, environment as well as climate change.  The State of  Kuwait continues to follow a balanced oil policy, which takes into  consideration the interests of the consuming countries as well as the  producing ones, as well as maintain the stability of prices in the world  market.  However, the unjustified rise in prices, which is a source of  concern, is caused by factors that are out of the control of the producing  countries.  These include speculations, additional taxes on fuel,  the lack  of construction of new refineries as well as upgrading existing  ones.  The  continued presence of all of these factors  lead to the exacerbation of the  economic crises and to the rise in the rates of inflation in the developing  countries.  In this context, we express our deep concern over the financial  crisis in the world markets.  We  welcome, in this regard the bold steps and  actions taken by the U.S. Government, to address the mortgage crisis  aimed at putting an end to its negative effects, not only on the U.S.  economy, but also on the various economies of the other states in the  world.

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Mr. President,  Achieving sustainable development in the Middle East region  depends, to a large extent, on the ability of the countries of the region, also  that of the International Community to address the security issues and  challenges which are  a constant source of tension as well as instability.  We still demand, and shall demand the international community to  assist in putting an end to the focal points of tension and  instability in our  desire to achieve peace.  A true serious desire to achieve a comprehensive,  just and lasting peace must  be in accordance with the relevant resolutions  of international legitimacy, the principle of land for peace, the Road Map  adopted by Security Council Resolution 1515, as well as the Arab Peace  Initiative, which will lead to the obtainment of the Palestinian people of all  their legitimate political rights as well as the establishment of their own  state on their own land.  We renew our total support to the sisterly Syrian  Arab Republic to regain its occupied land.  We also express our support to  the sisterly Republic of Lebanon, for the continuation of the dialogue  between all the Lebanese parties in implementation of the Doha Accord,  the capital of the sisterly State of Qatar.  In Iraq, the State of Kuwait, welcomes the progress achieved in  confronting terrorism, commends the efforts and diligent endeavours of  the Iraqi Government, whose fruits were an obvious improvement in the  security conditions in the majority of Iraqi provinces.  The State of Kuwait  hopes that these endeavours will continue  to achieve a comprehensive  national reconciliation in order to reach a national consensus, which will  result in building a democratic, free, secure and independent Iraq, living in  peace with itself and its neighbours and respects its international  obligations and commitments.  From its side, Kuwait will not spare any effort in supporting regional  and international efforts to assist Iraq in facing the security, political  economic challenges, as well as the maintenance of its security, stability,  political independence, respect of the sovereign integrity of its territories,  and  noninterference in its political affairs. 

In this context, the State of Kuwait also hopes that contacts between  the sisterly  United Arab Emirates the friendly Islamic Republic of Iran, will  continue at all levels, in order to find a solution to the conflict over the

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occupied islands of the Emirates, in accordance with the principles of  International Law,  as well as the policy of good neighbourly relations.  While the State of Kuwait, stresses the right of all states to produce,  develop,  use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes within the framework of  the NonProliferation Treaty, it calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to  continue its cooperation,  with transparency,  with the International Atomic  Energy Agency in order to dispel the fears doubts about the nature of its  nuclear program,  also to  address all outstanding issues.  It calls upon the  international community to continue its efforts to seek a peaceful solution  which would spare our Region any crisis or wars which could  lead to  undermining its security and stability, also to deal seriously and  without  favoritism with Israel, the only country in the region not party to the NPT, to  subject all of its nuclear facilities under the Safeguard Regime of the IAEA.  This  would pave the way for declaring the Middle East a region free from  all kinds of weapons of mass destruction. 

Mr. President,  All the peoples of the world yearn to live a free decent life in a safe  stable world, where justice, equality, a clean environment free of conflict,  diseases and catastrophes prevail.  It is our collective responsibility to lay  the foundations of a new partnership, based on justice and  equality, where  each party would bear its responsibilities as well as its  obligations to  realize the aspirations hopes of our peoples. 

Thank you Mr. President.

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