Kuwait UN envoy calls for bringing to justice those charged with genocide

Diplomat affirms full support for France/Mexico initiative

NEW YORK, Dec 11, (KUNA): Kuwait called for bringing to justice all those who committed massacres and crimes against humanity.

The remarks were made by Kuwait’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s session on the council’s role in preventing massacres and genocide late Monday.

Al-Otaibi noted that UNSC must exert further efforts to prevent the breakout of conflicts and avoid these massacres.

Although it had been 70 years since approving the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world is still suffering growing conflicts that kill more and more people, he said.

The ambassador meanwhile spoke of mass killings and ethnic cleansing that occurred in the last century including that in Cambodia, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. He also mentioned the recent massacres against the Rohingya Muslims and the Yazidis.

It is the international community’s responsibility to cooperate with global organizations and NGOs to prevent the occurrence of such crimes. The UNSC must closely monitor early signs of a possible conflict and work on resolving the situation with diplomacy, AlOtaibi explained.

The Kuwaiti diplomat affirmed his full support for the France/Mexico initiative on veto restraint in atrocity situations and the ACT Code of Conduct which Kuwait had joined.

Last week, Kuwait reiterated its full support for the UN Secretary General’s reform efforts to restructure the peace and security pillar of the Secretariat.

This came in a speech delivered late Wednesday by Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi during a meeting on Post-Conflict Economic Recovery, as a cornerstone for peace-building and a factor for stability and security.

The post conflict phase requires an integrated strategy, of which sustainAmid able, security and economic development is a key part, he said.

He pointed out to Cote d’Ivoire as a non-permanent Security Council member, describing the country’s successful emergence from conflict as a source of encouragement.

Ambassador Al-Otaibi said the Cote d’Ivoire’s experience bears witness to the importance of a post conflict period, emphasizing that national ownership and sincere political will for reconciliation as crucial to avoiding relapse.

“Reconciliation and Dialogue Commission tasked with inquiring into human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire was a crucial component of that country’s transition”, he noted.

He added that underscoring the role of regional and sub-regional organizations, are crucial in helping the United Nations resolve conflicts and stop conflicts from spreading, stressing the importance of such international financial institutions as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for economic recovery and job development.