GENEVA — Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila, Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva, warned against double standards and selectivity in applying international law and conventions, cautioning that such practices could have adverse effects on global security and peace. He led a Saudi delegation at the annual Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. In his address, Ambassador Bin Khothaila emphasized the convention's crucial role in international humanitarian law, maintaining a balance between military necessity and humanitarian concerns. He called on member states to uphold and respect international humanitarian law and the convention. Highlighting the escalation in Gaza and its surroundings, Bin Khothaila expressed concern over increased random attacks against civilians and infrastructure, using weapons prohibited under the convention. He urged the international community to intervene and take a decisive stance against violations targeting the Palestinian people, emphasizing that such actions contradict international law, humanitarian law, and UN conventions, including the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. Bin Khothaila stressed the significance of annual compliance reports as instruments to foster trust, integrity, and cooperation, noting that the Kingdom consistently submits its national reports. The ambassador denounced the recent statements by an Israeli minister suggesting the use of a nuclear bomb on Gaza, firmly stating the Kingdom's rejection of any targeting of civilians and the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.
