The Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection organized its annual campaign for the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, under the patronage of the CEO of Kuwait Oil Company, Ahmed Al-Eidan, and in the presence of representatives from various state bodies, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society organizations, and school students.
In her speech during the opening, the head of the association, Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, founder of the campaign to raise awareness of November 6, highlighted the enormous number of battles, including sites and places that were safe but were reached by the hand of wars, battles and conflicts to tamper with peace, security and natural and environmental resources.
Dr. Al-Aqab said that reliable global reports concerning the year 2023 only, including the Australian Institute for Economics and Peace, confirm that there are about 97 countries participating in one way or another in about 56 conflicts and wars that cost the global economy about 19 trillion dollars, in addition to the issue of displaced persons and refugees, whose number is estimated at about 95 million, representing a huge human pressure on the capabilities and resources of the countries to which they have been displaced.
She stressed the need to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are interconnected, to ensure a prosperous and safe life for all human communities. She pointed out that this cannot be achieved amidst conflicts, disputes, wars, and battles. She said that “despite the tireless efforts towards building a better future with sound and well-considered environmental practices regionally and internationally, and the adoption of international days with clear environmental goals at the UN level, such as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which falls on October 13, and the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, we unfortunately find that the map of the Arab world is the most distorted by these wars and conflicts, which has burdened the Arab environment with intractable problems that extend over generations and which inevitably require enormous efforts for its recovery and rehabilitation.”.
Dr. Al-Aqab explained that “deliberately considering the environment as a tool of war threatens water and food security, contributes to the spread of diseases, disrupts efforts to combat climate change, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and suffering from pollution on land, sea, and air.”.
For her part, the UN Resident Coordinator, Dr. Ghada Al-Taher, explained that “three decades ago, Kuwait directly witnessed the catastrophic effects of war on its national environment and the extent of this impact, both materially and morally. Kuwait made a great effort to recover through collective action, and firefighters in all institutions of the State of Kuwait demonstrated true heroism in extinguishing the oil well fires after the liberation war of the State of Kuwait.”.
Dr. Al-Taher added that through this difficult experience, Kuwait has become an influential voice, leading the way and strengthening its global presence as an international leader in protecting the environment from wars and armed conflicts. In this regard, she expressed the United Nations' pride in standing with the people, society, and government of Kuwait to advance this agenda.
She emphasized that “preserving the environment amidst wars and armed conflicts is a top priority for the United Nations globally, and particularly in Kuwait, where our focus is on the environment, peace, and security—all essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Kuwait Vision 2035.” She concluded by affirming that “the environment, peace, and security are deeply intertwined, requiring concerted efforts from everyone across all disciplines and sectors. I hope that today’s dialogue will yield a broad network of ideas and inspiration, which will lead to tangible and collaborative efforts in the near future.”.
The “Summit Truce” initiative, proposed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, the chair of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP29), scheduled to be held in the capital Baku from November 11-22, received widespread praise during the event from participants and speakers. The initiative is summarized as a global call for a ceasefire starting one week before the start of the conference and ending one week after, with the truce being between November 4-29.
In this regard, the advisor at the Azerbaijani embassy, Mardavud Sultanov, representing his country’s ambassador, Emil Karimov, spoke during the event about the initiative, noting that “the Republic of Azerbaijan aims to have as many countries and non-governmental organizations, especially religious and sectarian organizations, join the aforementioned initiative as possible.” He pointed out that “based on the principle of the existing relations of friendship and brotherhood between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State of Kuwait, the Azerbaijani side hopes for the support of the friendly Kuwaiti side through a letter, a verbal note, or by sending a message of support,” praising the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection’s support for the initiative and its mobilization for it at the Arab and international levels.
The celebration included a workshop on the impact of projectiles, bombs and weapons on the environment, during which representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Army, the Ministry of Interior, the Kuwait Society for Crisis and Emergency Management, the Kuwait Oil Company and the Environmental Engineers Team of the Environment Society spoke in person, in addition to lectures via video technology by the Director of the Department of Environmental Affairs at the League of Arab States, Minister Plenipotentiary Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, and from Palestine, Mariam Al-Ja’ja, Director General of the Arab Society for the Protection of Nature.
On the sidelines of the celebration, the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection organized an accompanying exhibition that included 7 pavilions, for the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army, the Ministry of Interior, the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, and the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection.
