Credit: By Gary Raynaldo /  Mansour Al-Otaibi, Kuwait’s ambassador to the UN, (CENTER) at press conference at UN world headquarters June 3, 2019.

By Gary Raynaldo     – DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  –    Kuwait officially took over the Presidency of the UN Security Council this week. Oil-rich Kuwait’s ambassador Mansour Al Otaibi will preside as President at the Security Council for the month of June.  Indonesia handed over the mantle of the Security Council to Kuwait on Monday.  Kuwait is holding its third Council presidency this month. It previously held Council presidency during February 2018 and February 1978 respectively. Kuwait said its priorities at the helm of the Council will be to pass a UN resolution to find missing people and protect civilians in armed conflict. The Middle Eastern nation will also champion Arab issues. For the month of June, the Security Council Agenda is packed full of various Arab issues. “We have nine (Arab) issues on the Council’s agenda” in June, Al-Otaibi , Kuwaiti permanent representative to the United Nations,  told reporters at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.

“We are very committed to multilateralism. Our first priority is Arab issues…they will remain our focus during our presidency. ICC (International Criminal Court) and Sudan, MINUSMA, Somalia, will be on the agenda.”

-Kuwait ambassador Mansour Al Otaibi

Diplomatic Times /  Press Conference: Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of June speaks to reporters at world headquarters in New York June 3, 2019. 

The ambassador said Kuwait wants to improve the working relationship between the United Nations and the Arab League.  He also said the Security Council will hold three signature events. The first will be about missing persons in armed conflicts, to address  people missing in Iraq.  The second event with the Elders is  to be a meeting about mediation and conflict intervention. The last event on June 13, will focus on the cooperation between the UN and regional organization.