Manama: Kuwait has announced plans to donate $1.7 million (Dh6.24 million) to the United Nations for aid relief in 2011.

"Despite the impact of the global financial crisis, the State of Kuwait has pursued its regular annual contributions to the UN agencies," Mansour Al Otaibi said.

"Kuwait's strong belief in the crucial importance of the UN agencies' vital roles has led the country to donate to new funds and double its regular donations to other ones several times," he was quoted by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) as saying, at the UN Pledging Conference for Development Activities.

Al Otaibi urged other countries at the conference to increase their donations to 0.7 per cent of their respective GDPs.

"If these donations are added to Kuwait's annual contributions to the humanitarian relief efforts for the countries hit by natural disasters, the total amount donated by the country would top $40 million," Al Otaibi said.

Kuwait's donations to the CERF rose from $50,000 in 2010, to $300,000 for next year, he added. "The donation to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has increased fivefold from $200,000 to $1million and to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from $500,000 to $3million in the same period."

Kuwait is also seeking to strengthen cooperation with the UN agencies, which, in particular, help victims of natural disasters, said the ambassador.

"In 2008, Kuwait decided to give such agencies 10 per cent of its total donations for relief efforts”.

According to the diplomat, developed countries are not giving enough aid and figures from UN agencies on donor pledges in 2009 show a decline from previous year's.

The global financial crisis, coupled with worsening climate change-related activities, has pushed food prices up, posing major challenges to the developing economies, he said.

"The crisis has taken its toll on the least developed countries and hindered progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015, particularly those relating to poverty alleviation.”

However, the Kuwaiti diplomat also expressed hope that the signs of revitalised world economic growth would lead to greater donations in the future.