NEW YORK — Nations mourned the passing of the late Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during a United Nations General Assembly special session on Tuesday.

Global delegates stood for a minute of silence to mourn the loss of the virtuous ruler, once granted a 'Humanitarian Leader' award by former UN chief Ban Ki-moon, in memory of his legacy in humanitarianism, diplomacy, peace-making, and conflict resolution.

United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir praised the late Amir as a pioneer of preventive diplomacy, due to his commitment to peace and conflict resolution through dialogue.

For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the late Amir as a distinguished statesman, a distinguished human being, a builder of bridges, and a messenger of peace, saying he prioritized cooperation and pluralism.

Throughout his reign, His Highness gained everyone's appreciation and respect for his outstanding leadership and commitment to keeping the peace. He has always been ready to build bridges between religions, cultures, and countries in the neighborhood and beyond, and thanks to insight, political wisdom, and perseverance, His Highness formed the preventive diplomatic line of Kuwait in the region and at the international level, Guterres added.

Guterres indicated that Sheikh Sabah played a vital role in mediating, facilitating dialogue, and spreading messages of peace, tolerance, and coexistence, describing him as a close friend of the UN. — WAM