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Slovenian President Dr Natasa Pirc Musar urged nations to move beyond geopolitical divisions and uphold international law, describing her nation’s recognition of Palestine as an important step towards realising a two-state solution and securing lasting peace in the Middle East.“When Slovenia recognised Palestine a year and a half ago, it was not an easy decision. We were one of the first three European countries, alongside Spain and Ireland, to take that step after many years. But it was the right thing to do, to be on the right side of history,” Dr Pirc Musar told the audience during her lecture, “The Realities of Multipolarism vs the Need for Multilateralism”, at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Monday.The lecture formed part of her official visit to Qatar and reflected HBKU’s ongoing commitment to advancing international dialogue on diplomacy and governance. Elected in 2022 as Slovenia’s first woman head of state, Dr Pirc Musar discussed global power dynamics, the erosion of multilateral co-operation, and the moral responsibility of states to act in defence of humanity.Dr Pirc Musar noted that 150 out of 193 United Nations member states now recognise Palestine, calling the move “a necessary first step” towards equality and dialogue. “If you advocate for a two-state solution,” she said, “don’t you think it is hypocrisy to recognise one state and not the other?”She stressed that Slovenia’s support for Palestine stems from both moral conviction and historical experience. Drawing parallels with the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, she recalled how the tragedy in the Balkans continues to shape her nation’s empathy toward people suffering under conflict.“The sympathy we have for those who suffer is still alive because of Srebrenica. Watching the situation in Palestine brings back those painful memories,” the Slovenian president said.She also condemned political polarisation within Europe, questioning why human rights and humanitarian principles have become issues of left and right.“Are human rights left or right? They are not,” she said, recounting how she was criticised by right-wing parties after describing the situation in Gaza as genocide before the European Parliament.“I am neither pro-Palestinian nor pro-Israeli. I am for humanity. If we neglect international law, what’s left? Chaos,” Dr Pirc Musar said.Noting that peace requires both justice and equality, she said that recognising Palestinian statehood is not a solution in itself but “a first step” toward building a fair and lasting peace.She pointed out that Israel “deserves to have a state,” but condemned the violations of international law following October 7, questioning Israel’s claims of self-defence on foreign territory.“You have the right to self-defence on your own territory. On foreign territory, the answer is no,” she stressed. Dr Pirc Musar warned that the world today faces more than 65 armed conflicts, the highest number since World War II, and lamented the global community’s inability to stop wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere. “That’s where we are today in the 21st century,” she said. Dr Pirc Musar underlined Slovenia’s diplomatic stance as a nation without colonial history and “without hidden agendas.” She called on world leaders to restore faith in multilateralism, pursue dialogue grounded in international law, and commit to peace not as a slogan, but as a shared obligation.“If we want permanent peace and justice, we must offer statehood for Palestine. That is the only way forward,” she said.

Kuwait has called for adherence to international law and the principles of human rights as the only way to maintain international peace and security. This came in a statement delivered by the Diplomatic Attache of Kuwait's Permanent Mission to the UN, Abeer Al Methen, before the third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the UN General Assembly, during discussions on item (71) regarding the promotion and protection of human rights, as part of the 80th session of the General Assembly.She said that the world stands at a critical crossroads amid growing violations and declining respect for international conventions, noting that recent UN reports underscore the urgent need to strengthen global solidarity in confronting humanitarian crises, achieving sustainable development, and promoting just and lasting peace, according to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).Al Methen added that Kuwait continues to play a leading role in humanitarian work through relief and development initiatives that have reached numerous affected countries, pointing to the dispatch of 19 humanitarian air bridges to Palestine, a reflection of Kuwait's steadfast foreign policy based on supporting afflicted peoples and alleviating their suffering.She welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, expressing Kuwait's hope that it will serve as a step toward ending the long-standing humanitarian suffering. She reiterated that a just and lasting solution lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.Furthermore, she underscored the importance of respecting the sovereignty of Lebanon and the occupied Syrian Golan, reaffirming Kuwait's firm stance rejecting any measures that violate international law or undermine regional peace and security.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasim Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the recent Israeli attack on the State of Qatar constitutes a blatant violation of international law, the United Nations Charter, and Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He added that Israel targeted residential facilities housing members of the negotiating delegation from the Hamas Political Bureau during ongoing talks and mediation efforts hosted by Doha to reach an agreement on Gaza. Albudaiwi made these remarks during his speech at the joint strategic partnership meeting between the GCC and the United States, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was co-chaired by Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, and current GCC chair, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He highlighted that the Israeli attack endangered civilian lives in a residential area filled with schools, diplomatic missions, and kindergartens. He reaffirmed the GCC's full solidarity with Qatar, stressing that the security of the GCC states is indivisible and that any attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Regarding the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the Secretary-General said that the ongoing Israeli aggression, the crime of genocide being committed by Israeli forces, and the deliberate blockade that has caused famine pose serious threats to regional and international peace and security. He emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and a just, comprehensive settlement leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant UN resolutions. On Syria, Albudaiwi underscored the importance of respecting Syrian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and rejecting foreign interference in its internal affairs. He reaffirmed that Syria's security and stability are essential to regional stability, condemned repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and stressed adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Turning to Lebanon, he reiterated the GCC's steadfast support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and stability and highlighted the need for political and economic reforms to meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people for stability, prosperity, and development. He also emphasized the importance of safeguarding maritime security and waterways in the region, countering activities that threaten regional and global stability, including attacks on commercial vessels, threats to shipping routes, and targeting of oil installations in GCC states. During the joint ministerial meeting, Albudaiwi affirmed that the GCC-US partnership is a strategic necessity to ensure security, stability, and prosperity for all. He noted that the meeting reflects a strong commitment to strengthening this longstanding partnership, which has evolved over decades of close cooperation. He added that this partnership has been reinforced through five joint summits, most recently the Riyadh Summit in 2025, which witnessed the signing of trade and investment agreements exceeding $2 trillion. On the economic front, Albudaiwi reported that bilateral trade between the GCC and the United States surpassed $120 billion in 2024, supported by significant Gulf investments in the US economy. He also pointed to the depth of educational and cultural ties, noting that tens of thousands of Gulf students currently study at US universities and that hundreds of thousands have graduated from American institutions over the past six decades. He expressed hope that Gulf students will continue to study in the United States without facing any consular or procedural obstacles.

Doctors Michele Ghielmini, Brenno Balestra, Alessandra Guaita and Marco Franzi sit outside the Swiss Parliament building (Bundeshaus) at the start of their hunger strike over Gaza, calling on their government to apply targeted sanctions on Israel over its alleged violations of international law and to recognise a Palestinian state, in Bern, Switzerland.

Aid flotillas like the one preparing to leave for Gaza would not be necessary if governments upheld international law, rights activist Greta Thunberg said Saturday."It should not have to be up to us," said the 22-year-old Swedish campaigner, who will join the flotilla when it sets off from Barcelona today."A mission like this should not have to exist," she added."It is the responsibility of countries, of our governments and elected officials to act to try to uphold international law, to prevent war crimes, to prevent genocide," she said."That is their legal duty to do. And they are failing to do so. And thereby betraying Palestinians but also all of humanity."The latest aid expedition towards Gaza is organised by a group called the Global Sumud Flotilla, which describes itself as an "independent" organisation. Sumud is the Arab word for perseverance."Our aim is to get to Gaza, to deliver the humanitarian aid, announce the opening of a humanitarian corridor and then bring more aid, and then thus also ending, breaking Israel's illegal and inhumane siege on Gaza," said Thunberg.Two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July, were blocked by Israel.Troops boarded their vessels and detained the activists, bringing them ashore in Israel before expelling them. Thunberg was among the 12 activists on board the June flotilla and was deported.The organisers of this latest flotilla have not said exactly when they are setting off, nor how many boats will leave from Barcelona.The UN on August 22 declared a famine in Gaza, blaming Israel's "systematic obstruction" of aid, sparking furious denials from the Israeli authorities.