Kuwait grateful for int’l community efforts to end Iraqi occupation
NEW YORK: Kuwait’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi has reiterated Kuwait’s gratitude and appreciation for the international community’s efforts to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi occupation which took place on the same day 29 years ago. “I would like to renew my thanks to all the countries which backed the right, justice and international legitimacy at this hall,” Otaibi said at a UN Security Council session on the children and armed conflicts on Friday. He recalled with appreciation the UN Security Council’s adoption of resolution No. 660 on the same day of the Iraqi invasion which condemned the invasion and demanded Iraqis to withdraw immediately and unconditionally to positions as they were on 1 August 1990. “Thanks to God and the UNSC’s commitment to enforcing its resolutions, at the forefront of which resolution No. 660 (of 1990), my country has been liberated,” he said. He noted that the image of the UNSC meeting to discuss liberation of Kuwait was engraved in hearts and minds of every Kuwaiti. “Many of Kuwait’s brave sons were killed during this invasion and many others were taken as prisoners of war or gone missing,” he regretted.
On the protection of children during armed conflicts, Otaibi affirmed Kuwait’s support to all efforts aligned with the United Nations Charter to safeguard children’s rights, especially in armed conflicts. He pointed that the council has adopted several resolutions to guarantee the protection of children against grave violations and to guarantee their access to humanitarian assistance. Citing violations against children in Syria, Yemen and the occupied Palestinian territories, the Kuwaiti envoy emphasized the importance of protecting children, with governments bearing primary responsibility in this regard. He also underlined the pivotal role of the UN, international and regional organizations in offering required protection to children across the world.