‘Kuwait strongly condemns the use of any form of chemical weapons’
Kuwait participates in anti-chemical weapons meet in France
NEW YORK, Jan 24, (KUNA): The State of Kuwait firmly affirmed its strong condemnation of any use of chemical weapons at any time and place and due to being a gross violation of international law.
Kuwait stresses those responsible for such uses should be subjected to trial, whether they were persons, entities or groups other than states or governments.
This came in a speech delivered by the Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations, Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi before the UN Security Council session discussing the situation in the Middle East (the Chemical file of Syria).
“The continued use of chemical weapons in Syria is one of the negative images of this crisis which started seven years ago and is still growing more and more with the absence of justice, accountability and impunity,” Ambassador Al-Otaibi said.
Al-Otaibi pointed out that since the chemical weapons attack on areas in the eastern Ghouta in 2013 in which most casualties were civilians, the US has shown unity, determination to ensure such crime is not repeated, and that the perpetrators are held accountable by issuing resolution 2118.
Attacks
“Unfortunately, we are still witnessing reports of attacks with the use of chemicals in Syria, the latest on the eastern Ghouta on Jan 13,” he added.
“We express our disappointment that the Security Council has not been able to reach a unified position regarding the renewal of the mandate of the joint investigation mechanism in Syria, which has done its work professionally, impartially and independently,” he noted.
In this regard, Al-Otaibi expressed Kuwait’s welcoming of the French initiative to hold the Paris meeting of the International Partnership to combat the impunity of chemical weapons users.
The State of Kuwait participated in this event alongside a group of countries in order to emphasize the importance of establishing the values of justice and accountability.
Al-Otaibi referred to Kuwait’s support for the international mechanisms established by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council to investigate, collect and preserve evidence of humanitarian crimes and human rights violations committed in Syria.
He stressed the great importance of the unity of the Security
Council in dealing with everything that harms international peace and security.
US issued many resolutions related to the Syrian crisis such as resolution 2118 in the chemical file, resolution 2165 in the humanitarian file, and resolution 2254 in the political track of the Syrian crisis. Kuwait took part Tuesday in a ministerial conference on the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons.
Kuwait’s Ambassador in Paris Sami Al-Sulaiman headed the Kuwaiti delegation, on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, at the event.
Kuwait supports such an initiative, and is willing to back all efforts contributing to form an international partnership against impunity for the use of chemical weapons, Al-Sulaiman affirmed in his speech at the conference.
Currently, Kuwait is a US member, and also part of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction since 1997, he said.
Al-Sulaiman also mentioned his country’s launch of the national committee for the prohibition
of chemical weapons, which supervises the efforts exerted by the Kuwaiti government, national, and public institutions to secure the implementation of international agreements and treaties on issues regarding weapons of mass-destruction.
Kuwait is also an active member in the organization that supervises the implementation of the 1997 Convention, in addition to its participation in all international efforts aimed at boosting international peace and security, added the Kuwaiti diplomat.
Crimes
Meanwhile, Al-Sulaiman urged the international community to search for independent and professional alternatives and measures, with US’s approval, to secure the non-impunity of officials from crimes they committed.
He also reiterated his country’s supportive stand to the efforts exerted by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, through their fact-finding missions, in investigating claims of chemical weapons use in Syria.
The Kuwaiti diplomat also stressed the conference’s importance in highlighting the dangers surrounding the region, in addition to the consequent international developments and clash of interests that produced wrong concepts to some organizations and people about justifying impunity from punishment due to the ongoing threat targeting humanity, peace, and security.
The use of chemical weapons in conflicts is the most dangerous threat the world is currently facing, Al-Sulaiman said, adding that the conference would emphasize that such a crime against humanity would not be immune from punishment.
“At this conference, we can crystalize an international stand to go after chemical weapon users as part of supporting the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW),” he noted.
The Kuwaiti diplomat expressed hope the initiative attracts an international interest and attain the desired goal of forming a solid international partnership that secures the arrest of chemical weapon users.
Some 30 countries took part in the ministerial conference to endorse the establishment of an International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons.