KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is set to leave for New York today, leading a Kuwaiti official delegation to the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015, which takes place on September 25-27. His Highness the Amir will also attend the UN leaders-level Summit on Countering Violent Extremism 2015.

His Highness the Amir's leading of Kuwait's delegation to two major summits in New York reflects Kuwait's keenness on multilateral action to address global challenges, Kuwait's envoy to the UN said yesterday.

His Highness the Amir is set to address the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development summit, where heads of state and government of more than 150 countries are set to adopt a 17-goal agenda. His Highness Sheikh Sabah will also take part in a summit called by US President Barack Obama on countering violent extremism.

The participation of His Highness the Amir in the 'unprecedented' sustainable development summit "affirms the State of Kuwait's interest in the multilateral action to address big challenges facing the international community," Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, the permanent representative to UN, said in a statement to KUNA.

His Highness the Amir, he added, will highlight in a speech, set for September 26, Kuwait's conviction in the importance of collective international action, and how sustainable development was closely linked to security and human rights.

He noted that His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad participated in the millennium summit in 2000, where leaders approved what was known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was due to be implemented by member states up until 2015. Kuwait was among the countries that fulfilled its MDGs commitments.

With the MDGs being implemented, Otaibi said, millions of people were saved from poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy in Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, he added, more efforts were needed to help around a billion people suffering from extreme poverty.

Sustainable development

Otaibi also said the international community should double the efforts to achieve sustainable development along with preserving natural resources. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a roadmap for the next 15 years, aimed at tackling poverty, hunger, gender equality, women empowerment, climate change and promotion of role of women. The international community should also provide fresh and clear drinking water for needy communities, provide education and health services for all, Otaibi said.

His Highness the Amir, he added, would also participate in the summit called by US President Barack Obama on countering violent extremism and so-called Islamic State (IS). An international coalition is launching daily airstrikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria, and has been killing many of them and destroying their hideouts and equipment.

His Highness the Amir will be accompanied by a senior delegation including First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Leaders at the counter-extremism summit are expected to reiterate condemnation to all terrorist acts, specifically launched by so-called IS and Al-Qaeda, and call for tackling terrorism funding resources. They will also reiterate that comprehensive rule of law and community-based strategies are key to counter violent extremism in compliance with international law, human rights and UN Charter.

They will further emphasize need to addressing social, economic and political problems of people to end their grievances, in addition to building mutual respect among people of different faiths and cultures. The two summits that His Highness the Amir would be attending would take place as world leaders are due to flock into New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meetings, at a time world is witnessing multiple crises like Syrian refugees, terrorism and reviving global economy. - KUNA