Ambassador Abdul Razzak Mahmoud Al-Razouki: A Legacy of Diplomacy
Article #120 to Celebrate the 120th Birthday of Ambassador Abdul Razzak Mahmoud Al-Razouki
Ambassador Abdul Razzak Mahmoud Al-Razouki was born in Kuwait City in the year 1318 AH corresponding to 1900 AD, 287 years after Kuwait was first settled and 61 years before the independence of Kuwait.
Early Life
The late Abdul Razzak Mahmoud Al-Razouki was an ambitious figure who enjoyed an innate intelligence. He became known for his integrity and experience in diplomacy, eventually earning him the honorific titles of Khan Shahib and Khan Bahadur by the British Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Early Education
Abdul Razzak was educated in Kuwait’s private schools by virtuous educators including Sheikh Abdul Wahab Al-Hunyan, Sheikh Yousef Bin Essa, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalid, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Rashid and Sayyid Omar Asim. These notable scholars instructed the young Abdul Razzak in the Holy Qur'an, Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), the Sunnah (Life of the Prophet PBUH), general literacy and arithmetic. Abdul Razzak later enrolled in the American Missionary School of Kuwait, where he learned the English language during his more formative years; between 1917 and 1919.
Entrepreneurial Career
After graduating from the American Missionary School, Al-Razouki worked as a commodities trader between the cities of the Gulf and India. Due to his lexical prowess, Al-Razouki was offered a job supervising residency procedures of ‘oriental workers’ in both Kuwait and Bahrain by the British Government in 1920. Al-Razouki was based in Kuwait and operated in an official capacity for two years.
Higher Education
Not satisfied with his studies under the Sheikhs and the American Missionary School, Al-Razouki enrolled in the College of Law in India to complete his studies. This was a difficult task since the local schools in Kuwait did not provide any written certifications at the time, Al-Razouki had to rely on the written recommendation of the British Resident Officer to Bahrain, achieving his Juris Doctorate in an accelerated two years (instead of the usual four).
Judiciary and British Civil Service Career
Al-Razouki graduated in 1931 and excelled in the practice of law and civil service, eventually taking over the judiciary in the city of Moradabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for a period of two years (from 1932 to 1934). Here, Al-Razouki was appointed as an assistant to the British Commissioner in Bahrain and was soon appointed as an official agent of the British Empire in the Emirate of Sharjah for a period of seven years.
It is important to note that the British Empire, in its quest to dominate the Arab Gulf region and maintain its influence and strategic interests, established delegations and residencies, in addition to many local networks to assimilate information, monitor local institutions and communicate with native rulers. Al-Razouki was one of these local luminaries who succeeded in serving the British Raj in Bahrain, Kuwait and Sharjah, having first worked as a translator and scribe in the delegation of Bahrain before being transferred to work as a resident officer in Sharjah
Diplomatic Career
Following the end of WWII in 1945, Al-Razouki returned to Kuwait and devoted himself to private ventures. After the country’s independence in 1962, Al-Razouki was appointed as the first-ever Ambassador of Kuwait’s Permanent delegation to the United Nations. Subsequently, Ambassador Al-Razouki was appointed as Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He eventually retired in 1968 and passed in 1989; close to the age of ninety.
Building on Al-Razouki’s legacy, the State of Kuwait’s exemplary leadership in global humanitarian action was recognized by the United Nations at a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters on the 9th of September 2014, whereby His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was presented with a certificate of appreciation by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in recognition of His Highness’ generous contributions, efforts, and continuous support as a “Humanitarian Leader” towards the United Nations humanitarian mission to save lives and alleviate suffering around the world.
Such humanitarian contributions have seen the State of Kuwait ranked by the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2015 as the top donor of international humanitarian assistance as a percentage of its gross national income in 2014 at 0.24%. The State of Kuwait was ranked by IRIN as the most generous humanitarian aid donor (humanitarian funding compared to gross national income) in 2015 at 0.184%. Furthermore, Oxfam reported that the State of Kuwait was the most generous in its funding committed to the Syrian crisis response appeals for 2015 as a percentage fair share contributed, standing at 554%.
Notable agencies and offices of the United Nations hosted by the State of Kuwait at the United Nations House in Kuwait include the:
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- International Organization for Migrants (IOM)
- International Labor Organization (ILO)
Furthermore, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a regional office in the State of Kuwait that covers the Arabian Gulf States and Kuwait was recently awarded with Permanent Residency.
Kuwait’s memberships in the United Nations bodies include:
- Security Council: 1978–1979
- Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC): 1967–1969 / 1992–1994 / 2013–2015
- Human Rights Council: 2011–2014
- Kuwait has also held the following positions: Vice President of the General Assembly, Chair of the General Assembly Third Committee (Social & Cultural), Vice-Chair of the General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament), Vice-Chair of the General Assembly Fourth Committee (Special Political & Decolonization Committee)
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