Sunday, Mar 02, 2014
Kuwait has once again emerged as the state that is most opposed to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) security agreement. It rejected a similar proposal in 1994, and has stood in its way again. What is different this time is that the government has signed on to the revised version that allegedly addresses the country’s concerns, but parliament has moved to stall it. As with many issues that are often stalled in Kuwait’s parliament, the controversy over the agreement has been attributed to the internal political tug-of-war for power between the parties in the country. While this may just be the case, it is important to note that concerns about the agreement are not without basis. Contrary to perception, opposition to the pact has not been confined to Kuwait alone, but it has been the loudest and most effective because of the country’s vibrant political culture and relative freedom of expression. The secrecy with which the details of the agreement were handled was perhaps what sounded the alarm for those who voiced opposition to it.
It is therefore important for Gulf states to attempt to address some of these concerns. Governments need to remind the public that the Gulf states’ security is non-negotiable, but it is also their responsibility to dispel misgivings about the agreement.
Perhaps more importantly, governments need to ensure that the agreement is not abused by any member of the GCC as some may stand to benefit from it more than others. The agreement cannot be allowed to become a tool for any member state to exercise control over or extend its jurisdiction into another’s territory.
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