Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Monday the people of Gaza are being subject to the ugliest human rights violations, while warning that an Israeli assault on Rafah would have “catastrophic consequences.”
Speaking at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he rejected the double standards being adopted in handling the war on Gaza.
He underlined the importance of the council in achieving its goals, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the international community to assume its responsibilities.
Prince Faisal also took part in the Conference on Disarmament (CD) high-level segment (HLS) at the UN headquarters.
He expressed Riyadh’s appreciation for the support its members showed to it in joining the conference as an observer.
He highlighted the international community's concern about the deadlock in the conference, which remains unable to adopt a clear and comprehensive program of work to fulfill its mandate.
The minister said it is important to address the reasons the conference has reached an impasse, urging the need to avoid unilateral positions that hinder the prospects of achieving collective security.
Prince Faisal emphasized the need for all states to demonstrate flexibility and political determination to allow the conference to carry out its role and expand membership.
Moreover, the FM expressed the Kingdom’s regret that the State of Palestine’s request to join the CD as an observer was turned down, saying there was no legal justification for the decision.
He added that Saudi Arabia has shown great interest in joining the agreements resulting from the work of the conference, primarily the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention, reiterating the Kingdom's support for all regional and international efforts to ban all types of weapons of mass destruction.
He further emphasized the need for all states to respect the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to help make the Middle East a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction.
This is a collective responsibility, not limited to the countries of the region, he declared.
Furthermore, Prince Faisal underlined the Kingdom's support for ensuring the right of states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in line with nuclear agreements and nuclear safety standards.
He also stressed the Kingdom's position in support of the right to use outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes.
He welcomed increased cooperation to address current and future challenges in outer space and to reach decisions leading to reducing space threats by developing policies that comply with international law, the UN Charter, and relevant treaties and agreements.
Prince Faisal called for continued efforts to achieve a balance between outer space security and its peaceful use, to ensure its safety, security, and sustainability, and the well-being of humanity.
Prince Faisal met on the sidelines of the conference Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Swiss FM Ignazio Cassis and Colombian FM Luis Gilberto Murillo.
The meetings focused on bilateral relations and regional and international developments of interest.
