Dr Nada Al-Dhebaib, third secretary at Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva, delivered the statement during the general debate on item three of the agenda at the council’s 63rd session, according to the Kuwait News Agency. She described attacks on oil tankers as a serious breach that could pose a major threat to the environment while infringing on the right to life as a core human right. Al-Dhebaib stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach to human rights protection that avoids fragmentation or selectivity. The diplomat called for integrating civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights with the right to development in all international efforts.
Stable and equitable development is a pillar of protecting human dignity, Al-Dhebaib said. She reaffirmed Kuwait’s support for international cooperation rooted in constructive dialogue without politicization or discrimination. The intervention at the Geneva forum on September 19 underscored Kuwait’s view that maritime security and environmental safeguards form essential elements of human rights advocacy.
The Kuwait News Agency reported that the diplomat’s remarks occurred amid persistent disruptions to shipping routes critical for global energy supplies. An analysis from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy placed the number of Houthi attacks on commercial ships and warships in the Red Sea above 100 since November 2023. These incidents have forced substantial rerouting, with the institute’s data showing a drop of more than 50 percent in transits through the Bab al-Mandab Strait compared to the previous year.
A study published in Frontiers in Political Science found that the longer voyages have driven a 30 to 35 percent rise in carbon emissions from affected vessels due to extra distances averaging 3,000 nautical miles. The research detailed environmental consequences including oil spills from damaged tankers and the release of hazardous cargo from sunken ships that harm marine ecosystems. One documented slick stretched for more than 100 miles, illustrating the scale of pollution risks in the narrow sea corridor.
The Frontiers study warned that several attacks nearly produced spills four times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which would have devastated coral reefs, fisheries and coastal communities across the region. Satellite monitoring cited in the assessment showed a near doubling in both the number and coverage of oil slicks in the period following intensified assaults. Such damage extends beyond immediate ecological harm to affect food security and livelihoods dependent on the Red Sea’s resources.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued multiple statements in 2026 condemning specific tanker attacks, including Houthi strikes on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea during July. The ministry described those incidents as blatant violations of international law that threaten freedom of navigation and the safety of international trade. Similar positions have addressed events in the Strait of Hormuz involving Emirati tankers, where the ministry highlighted risks to global energy stability and called for de-escalation.
The UN Human Rights Council session allowed Kuwait to connect these maritime threats directly to human rights obligations. Al-Dhebaib’s address emphasized that environmental protection and sustainable development must feature in any holistic rights framework. Maritime security trackers continue to record ongoing incidents that disrupt energy flows and elevate insurance costs for tanker operators worldwide.
