International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

Kuwait, 24th April 2021 – The United Nations commemorates this year the third anniversary of the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. A day that represents the reaffirmation of the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes among countries through peaceful means. It acknowledges the use of multilateral decision-making and diplomacy in achieving peaceful resolutions to conflicts among nations. On this occasion, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (ad interim) Ms. Hideko Hadzialic stressed on the importance of highlighting this day in lights of the current challenging circumstances stemming from the outbreak of COVID-19, unresolved disputes, climate change, exacerbated inequalities, deterioration of the humanitarian situation and other tragedies being witnessed by the world. These challenging factors undoubtedly affirm the need to work together and promote diplomacy for peace on the local and global levels. While stressing on the cruciality of strengthening cooperation between states, companies, individuals and all spectrums of society, and partnering with international organizations to find solutions to local, regional and global challenges.

The State of Kuwait plays a pioneering role in the field of multilateral partnerships and peace diplomacy, which was evident through its relentless efforts and tireless work in promoting peace and security in the region and beyond. Kuwait spared no effort in taking decisions, especially in issues of concern to the Arab region and maintaining international peace and security. It also reaped the fruits of its labors in solving the Gulf crisis after 3 years of its role as a mediator calling for an end to the Gulf crisis. A historic achievement was made in the 41st Gulf Summit (Al-Ula Summit) to heal the Gulf rift by the State of Kuwait, resulting in naming the summit after the late Amir of Kuwait H.H Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed AlJaber AlSabah, as a recognition of the endeavors of His Highness, may God have mercy on him, and the efforts of the leaders of the State of Kuwait in resolving this crisis. Besides the leading efforts of the State of Kuwait in hosting international donor conferences to end the Syrian crisis and the generous contribution in support of the Syrian humanitarian situation, hosting the Yemeni peace talks and the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, and its generous contributions in support of the countries affected by the spread of COVID-19.

Through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, whose activities extended to include 107 countries in the world, Kuwait contributed towards various humanitarian and development issues, the last of which was the commitment of the State of Kuwait on September 17, 2020  during the Ministerial Meeting on the Republic of Yemen, which was held on the sidelines of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly with an amount of 20 million USD, which will be allocated through the Fund. In addition, the Kuwait Fund has wide-ranging contributions covering a wide scope and geography in terms of supporting host communities for Syrian refugees, as the State of Kuwait has committed financial contributions and hosted conferences to support Syrian refugees. These commitments, which amounted to 1.8 billion USD, out of which about 377.5 million USD spent from the resources of the Kuwaiti Fund in support of Syrian refugees in the Republic of Turkey, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Lebanon. In addition to various contributions with international and local organizations mandated to protect refugees and providing them with a decent life. On the other hand, the State of Kuwait has activities in Iraq that commenced after the end of the Iraq Reconstruction Conference held on February 14, 2018, which resulted in mobilizing several international resources amounting to about 30 billion USD, from which the Kuwait’s share amounted to 2 billion USD in the form of loans and investments. The Kuwait Fund has initiated the implementation of this fund through an educational project worth 23.5 million Kuwaiti Dinars, and other health projects are being discussed with the Iraqi counterparts.

The Kuwaiti Fund has also contributed to addressing the epidemics and diseases sweeping the world. The latest of these contributions is the support provided to countries in facing the emerging COVID-19 virus pandemic, as the Kuwaiti Fund contributed to the Debt Service Postponement Initiative launched by the G20 and the World Bank Group in April 2020, which aims to empower poor countries to mobilize and focus their own resources to face the negative repercussions of the pandemic. Besides  providing a set of emergency humanitarian grants that have been allocated to various entities, including UN agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) And the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and in Palestine implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), through the Islamic Development Bank, Kuwait Fund contributed US$42,000,000 for the construction of a comprehensive, functional and operational wastewater treatment plant serving over 217,000 residents of Khan Younis - Gaza. All these grants were mainly aimed at facing the repercussions of the existing health crisis and supporting the humanitarian situation in the beneficiary communities.

Ms. Hadzialic stated that the State of Kuwait constitutes an international model to be followed in terms of providing aid and assistance in support of international peace and security under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect him, and building international and regional partnerships and pursuing peace and preventive diplomacy. These effective political efforts and positions are nothing but an extension of a history deeply rooted in the establishment of the State of Kuwait. On behalf of the United Nations team in the State of Kuwait, she expressed her sincere thanks and appreciation for the Kuwaiti pioneering efforts at all levels to enhance security and peace and strengthen plural partnerships, mainly the tireless efforts of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The United Nations Charter constitutes a tool to enhance the role of diplomacy for peace, and charts the approach that should be taken in light of multilateralism and strengthening our commitment to achieving the goals of sustainable development and building a safer and just world for future generations. And that commitment is essential to the United Nations, states and to all spectrums of society around the world, more than ever.