KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah leaves for New York yesterday. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and the accompanying delegation left here yesterday heading to New York to represent His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in the signing ceremony of a new global agreement on climate which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters.

More than 150 countries from around the globe will send their representatives to gather at the World's top body to partake in the high-level signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, creating a better future for people and the planet.

Over 60 Heads of State and Government will attend the ceremony held today, including French President Franois Hollande, demonstrating the continued high level of engagement by world leaders to accept and implement the Paris Agreement.

In a press statement, HH the premier asserted the importance of the climate agreement reached by countries around the world during the Paris summit to curb global warming that threatens humanity.

The Premier said that Kuwait is keen to cooperate with the international community to address this dangerous phenomenon experienced by all countries of the world, noting that the document that will be signed during the meetings of the United Nations aims at preventing global warming.

He added that the commitment of states to apply the agreement will work to achieve food security and economic progress as well as reducing emissions, noting that the agreement would oblige the industrialized and rich nations to provide $100 billion annually for developing countries as of 2020 to protect the environment and take action to reduce consumption of conventional energy and invest in alternative energies.

His Highness added that the agreement achieves significant interests for Kuwait, which suffers from the phenomenon of rising temperatures, despite the ongoing measures taken to handle this phenomenon with growing fears of continued warming in the coming years.

His Highness expressed his hope that the 196 countries that had reached the future global agreement on climate would take up their responsibilities in the application of its provisions so that this phenomenon would be dealt with to spare the world further serious environmental disasters.

He renewed Kuwait's emphasis on cooperation with any international efforts aimed at preventing disasters and provide a decent life for all peoples of the world, noting that Kuwait was in the forefront of the countries concerned to reach an agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

His Highness is accompanied by Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Ali Saleh Al-Omair and a number of senior officials in the Diwan of His Highness the Prime Minister and the Environment Public Authority (EPA).

Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that Kuwait's high representation-HH the Prime Minister-- in this "historic event," highlights the "importance" of the issue for the state.

"It is a clear message to the international community that Kuwait is serious towards this vital issue, and willing to contribute along with other countries to reduce negative manifestations of the climate change phenomenon," he added. Ambassador Al-Otaibi told KUNA he is hoping for other countries to join this significant bind, and sign the agreement in order to guarantee its implementation. "Implementation is essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides a roadmap for climate actions that will reduce emission and build climate resilience," he said. -KUNA