KUWAIT: During the UN General Assembly debate on Wednesday, Kuwait affirmed the need to regulate the use of the veto in the Security Council, suggesting that it be used responsibly rather than abusively.
A statement relayed by First Secretary Fahad Haji to the UN General Assembly indicated that Kuwait had joined a number of countries in what is known as the veto initiative.
The initiative, passed in 2022, stipulates that “its president shall convene a formal meeting within 10 working days of the casting of a veto by one or more permanent members of the UNSC and hold a debate on the situation as to which the veto was cast.”
Haji said that Kuwait, as an Arab nation, has suffered for decades from the abuse of the veto authority and its consequences.
A year after its ratification, Haji stated, the veto initiative has made a substantial contribution to improving accountability and openness in UN entities. It has provided an opportunity for member states to express their views and engage in healthy discourse, he noted.
The Kuwaiti representative went on to say that this is only one of several measures Kuwait supports in terms of the veto privilege because it is a signatory to the code of conduct, which pledges to keep draft resolutions regarding crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes free of objections.
Haji emphasized that the exceptional privilege of veto is a responsibility first and foremost.
