H. E. Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed Al-Wazzan

Minister of Commerce and Industry

and

Minister of Social Affairs and Labour

Head of the Delegation of the State of Kuwait

to the Twenty-Fourth General Assembly Special Session

entitled: "World S'ummitt for Social Development and

beyond: Achieving social development for all in a

globalizing World"

I have the pleasure to convey to you the greetings of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, and it is an honor for me to represent him in delivering the speech of Kuwait before this distinguished forum.

Mr. President,

I would like to congratulate you for shouldering the responsibility of the Presidency of this important session, and I am confident that your capacity and efficiency will steer the meetings in a way that achieves the best results.

I am honored to present our thanks and gratitude to the head of the Swiss Government and the Swiss People for hosting this session.
Mr. President,

The World Summit for Social Development, which was organized by the United Nations in Copenhagen in March 1995, was a turning point in the process of consolidating the commitment of states and governments towards social development. It underlined the necessity for domestic strategies in every country to ameliorate the human conditions of its people.

The principal topics of the Declaration aimed at the eradication of poverty and unemployment, achievement full employment and social integration, and paving the way for societies to live in security, stability and justice.

By their quest for social development over the past period of time and through their presence with us today in this meeting, the participating States are showing their desire to improve the social conditions of their peoples. This is becoming attainable through social policies which can no longer be independent of economic development strategies. Social and economic developments complement each other.

The question of development, in its various forms, is of primary concern to the State of Kuwait even before the Copenhagen Declaration for Social Development. Since then, the question of development became a major right in the human rights sphere and the state exerted endless efforts to create the appropriate conditions to realize this right.

The State of Kuwait is currently in the process of modifying and modernizing its laws in order to be in conformity with the Declaration.

Indeed, many laws were decreed to achieve the goals of social and economic development. Among them are laws concerning intellectual property of copyright, the protection of the environment, the organization of foreign investments, activating the role of national workforce, the care of persons with disabilities and the law of 1996 approving the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The selection of Kuwait as the Capital of Arab Culture for the year 2001 came to crown this wise policy.

Kuwait realizes that Globalization is a double-edged weapon. Though many countries are ready to rapidly reap benefits from the positive effect of globalization on their economy and social environment. Other countries, especially the least developing countries that are less capable to join globalization, may suffer from its negative consequences.

In addition, there are new social phenomena such as violence, drugs, trafficking of weapons and other internationally banned materials that hamper social development in international, regional and national levels.

We believe in the need for a new mechanism for cooperation and international coordination headed by the United Nations and its specialized agencies to combat these social phenomena which threaten international and national security and stability. We want this mechanism to be included in our decisions during this session.

Since the independence, the State of Kuwait believes that social development cannot be attained without an effective economic progress. Thus, Kuwait is pursuing its march to support developmental projects in many countries around the world through official development assistance. The amount of this official assistance to these projects is between four to five percent of its Gross National Product, which far exceeds the 0.7 percent stipulated by ninth commitment of the Declaration.

Many Kuwaiti non-governmental institutions, which include general welfare societies, present monetary and in kind charity aid to some developing countries to support their social development.

In pursuing its policy to alleviate the burden on developing countries, Kuwait issued a law in 1995 to cancel loans given to some developing countries as well as canceling the interest imposed on other ones.

This gesture underlines the eagerness of my country to participate effectively in elevating the standard of living in these nations.

Mr. President,

One of the means to implement the principals and goals of the Copenhagen Declaration mentioned in sub-paragraph ( u) of paragraph 26 is "to emphasize the importance of the return of all prisoners of war, persons missing in action and hostages to their families, in accordance with international conventions in order to reach full social development".

In this respect, Kuwait with all pain, would like to remind you that there are Kuwaitis and third country nationals prisoners of war and civilian detainees who are still held in detention by Iraqi authorities for about ten years. Such act constitutes a violation of international law and norms.

We are hoping for more pressure on Iraq to release the Kuwaiti and third country nationals prisoners of war and detainees, to cooperate with the United Nations organs and the International Committee for the Red Cross, and to implement the relevant International resolutions.

We pray to God to bestow on all nations the blessings for peace, security, stability and brotherly love.

Thank you Mr. President.