In a press release issued today, the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection emphasized “the importance of renewing the commitment to social justice and translating this commitment into concrete actions that place human beings at the heart of the sustainable development process. This can be achieved by promoting and expanding social participation to include everyone, whether individuals, institutions, or civil society organizations, as active strategic partners in the foundations, pillars, and elements of this comprehensive development.” The Society commended “the importance that the State of Kuwait attaches to promoting comprehensive and sustainable social development and supporting national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Kuwait Vision 2035, in line with global and international objectives, including eradicating poverty, promoting productive employment, achieving social inclusion, and moving towards a more inclusive and prosperous future for all. This stems from its deep belief in the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing the social and economic challenges facing societies, especially in light of rapid global transformations and the new requirements they impose for achieving social justice, equal opportunities, and empowering vulnerable groups to participate effectively in development.” The association added that it “enhances and supports the reality of its diverse applied programs and activities with numerous initiatives addressing extracurricular education issues within its pioneering Green Schools program, launched 15 years ago. This program introduces science, environmental awareness, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to educational institutions, empowering youth through specialized teams and committees.” It continued, “The SDGs have also been a central focus of workshops and courses at the Sabah Al-Ahmad Environmental Training Center for many years, providing comprehensive awareness of these goals, the role of governmental institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations in achieving them, and an analysis of the impact of these roles on society.” The association stated, “It has focused on comprehensive community development and raising community awareness of the SDGs and their applications in Kuwait through its television awareness programs, including a documentary series documenting Kuwait’s wildlife. The high quality of this series, comprising more than 250 episodes, has become a cornerstone of Arab environmental media, not just local, according to reports from the League of Arab States.” “At the regional and international level, the Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection addressed climate resilience and climate action through its activities and its role in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, its accreditation in the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Programme for Disaster Risk Reduction, and its memberships in regional and international organizations and unions working to achieve these goals,” she explained, adding, “This is in confirmation of its vision aimed at ensuring the inclusiveness and fairness of community participation, with the goal of integrating different age groups and community sectors into programs related to social development, and embodying the effective participation of civil institutions, non-governmental organizations and stakeholders, as well as enhancing awareness of the interdependence and synergy between the various governmental and civil entities in the country.” The Kuwaiti Society for Environmental Protection, commenting on the launch of the “Second World Summit for Social Development Doha 2025,“ noted that it ”has launched numerous initiatives reflecting a high-quality social partnership and harmony between government agencies, civil society organizations, initiators, and stakeholders. These include its annual organization of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which this year was organized in cooperation with the Kuwait Fire Force, under the patronage and in the presence of its Chairman, Major General Talal Al-Roumi, and with the participation of governmental bodies and international and Arab civil society organizations.“ In this context, the Society highlighted the importance of ”the awareness campaign for November 6th, the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, which the Society organizes annually with broad Kuwaiti, Arab, international, and diplomatic participation. This international day was called for by the State of Kuwait 26 years ago and was officially declared in 2001 by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/4 of November 5, 2001, designating November 6th as the International Day.“ The Society affirmed that ”this is an achievement to the credit of the State of Kuwait, as it aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and precedes them by approximately a decade.“ Time is of the essence. Preventing the use of the environment in wars and military conflicts achieves many of the Sustainable Development Goals. While wars rage, these goals cannot be achieved, and no amount of rhetoric can suggest otherwise. How can we combat poverty and hunger under the shadow of aggression and starvation that afflicts so many peoples? What kind of education and good health can we talk about amidst bombardment, torture, and the rising numbers of victims, martyrs, wounded, and disabled? Furthermore, the goals of providing drinking water, electricity, and sustainable cities are violated by the destruction of infrastructure, which harms successive generations. Such violations have affected natural resources such as groundwater, productive agricultural soil, air quality, and water bodies.” The Kuwait Environment Protection Society concluded its statement by saying, “Within the framework of the 36th session of the Arab Experts Committee on the Environment and the 4th session of the Arab Forum for the Environment: “Towards Integrated Environmental Policies for the Benefit of Humanity,” which was recently held in Mauritania, the events witnessed numerous prior and ongoing coordination mechanisms with Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs at the League of Arab States. There is always alignment of visions between the Society and the Secretariat.” The Society also announced its “readiness to participate and offer its expertise in this field, which is concerned with the diversity, equity, and expansion of social participation in the axes and dimensions of environmental work with all governmental bodies and civil organizations inside and outside the State of Kuwait.”.
