Mr President,

Let me welcome the Minister and the delegation to Geneva, and welcome too the role Kuwait has played as a member of the Council.

We recognise the positive steps Kuwait has taken to improve and protect women’s rights. These include the abolition of Article 153 of the Penal Code and raising the marriage age to 18.

However, some areas warrant attention, including the nationality campaign’s disproportionate effect on women, the reported re-emergence of capital punishment, and shrinking space for public debate.

We recommend that Kuwait:

1. Implements policies to ensure that ’Article 8’ women, whose Kuwaiti nationality has been revoked, continue to receive access, without discrimination, to employment, justice, and social services.

2. Strengthens protections for migrant workers.

3. Returns to a position of non-application of the death penalty. 

4. Ensures that freedoms of opinion and expression are protected in line with Kuwaiti law.

Thank you.