Bahrain, 2006

I

am pleased to express my sincerest congratulations to

you, Madam President, upon your election to the

presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first

session. It reflects the international community’s trust

in your diplomatic abilities, which will help ensure the

success of this important session.

I want to take this opportunity to extend my

deepest appreciation to all the countries that endorsed

the nomination of Shaikha Haya Bint Rashed

Al-Khalifa. The election of Shaikha Haya as President

of the Assembly is an honour for the Kingdom of

Bahrain, she being the third woman in the history of

this Organization, as well as the first Arab and Muslim

woman, to hold this prominent position. This election

confirms the significant achievements and progress of

women in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

I take this opportunity to commend her

predecessor, Mr. Jan Eliasson of Sweden, for his

tireless efforts during the Assembly’s sixtieth session,

one that will be remembered for efforts to reform the

Organization.

I would also like to pay tribute to Secretary-

General Kofi Annan for his devotion in promoting the

United Nations and strengthening its leading role in

upholding peace and security throughout the world,

particularly in our Arab region during his recent trip to

the Middle East.

In addition, I wish to congratulate the Republic of

Montenegro upon its admission to the United Nations

as the l92nd Member State. Allow me to express the

hope that its joining this Organization will enhance

peace and stability in the world.

The central force behind progress in developing

countries and among their peoples lies in the inching of

political reforms, economic liberalization and social

modernization. This is the platform that the Kingdom

of Bahrain has implemented in its reform process, led

for several years by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa

Al-Khalifa, to strengthen democracy, human rights and

economic growth. National gains have multiplied and

popular participation in the political, economic and

social fields has increased. This is reflected in many

areas.

Democratic practices have been enhanced

through municipal and parliamentary elections, with

men and women participating as voters and candidates,

and by the establishment of the Institute for Political

Development to enhance democratic practices and a

culture of dialogue in the Kingdom. The Arab Charter

on Human Rights has been ratified and a counter-

terrorism law has been passed. We have acceeded to

the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been

elected to membership of the United Nations Human

Rights Council. We are working closely with other

members to promote and protect human rights in all

areas. We have enhanced the role of women in society

to assume leadership positions in the Kingdom,

including the judiciary. In addition, a programme to

empower women, overseen by the Supreme Council for

Women, has been approved.

We are forging a partnership with

non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as was

evident in the Forum for the Future hosted by the

Kingdom of Bahrain last November. At that Forum,

NGOs worked side by side with Governments in

discussing human rights, the fight against corruption,

the rule of law and the empowerment of women.

Indeed, Bahrain takes pride in having the largest

number of NGOs in proportion to its population, with

approximately 300 registered NGOs.

We are addressing negative phenomena in the

national economy, such as unemployment, by initiating

a national project to provide jobs for the unemployed.

Moreover, the Kingdom of Bahrain has consolidated its

pioneering economic role in the Gulf region through

laws to attract investment under the supervision of the

Economic Development Board.

A high committee to reform education has been

formed to develop and modernize the education

system. Its recommendations were adopted in June

2006. The Kingdom of Bahrain has continued to rank

high in human development, as confirmed in the latest

United Nations Human Development Report. Positive

integrated development on the political, social, cultural

and economic levels was further evidenced by the

recommendations of the National Conference for

Social Policies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, held in the

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spring of this year under the auspices of the United

Nations, which aimed to promote integration and

cohesion of all aspects and components of

development.

We in the Kingdom of Bahrain still view the

phenomenon of terrorism and terrorist acts in many

parts of the world as the most dangerous threat to

international peace and security. There must be greater

effort by the international community and more

coordination on all levels to confront and contain this

scourge. The Kingdom commends United Nations

efforts to fight terrorism. The Secretary-General’s

report issued last April entitled “Uniting against

terrorism: recommendations for a global counter-

terrorism strategy” (A/60/825) contains many

constructive elements that we embrace, along with

other points that need further examination and

discussion. It is important that any counter-terrorism

strategy not infringe on human rights or fundamental

freedoms, while complying with international law. One

of the positive aspects of that report is its call to

address issues that are exploited by terrorists and to

study the motives behind terrorism.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has continued its

tireless efforts in this field. In fact, it has already

signed 11 of the 12 international agreements on

terrorism and hosts the Middle East and North Africa

Financial Action Task Force established in November

2004 to combat money-laundering and terrorist

financing. In addition, Bahrain continuously

coordinates efforts with its brotherly neighbours of the

Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), pursuant to the

GCC Counter-Terrorism Agreement adopted in May

2004. Implementation of the strategy proposed in the

Secretary-General’s report is just a beginning, as the

report states. What is more important is its full

implementation.

The events in the Middle East in recent months,

especially in Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories

in the West Bank and then during the past few weeks in

Lebanon, have driven the entire region to the edge of

an abyss that could become even more dangerous. We

must all work more diligently to address the root

causes and repercussions of this struggle, which

frustrates hopes for peace and disappoints the

aspirations of the peoples of the region for peace,

stability and security.

Resolution of this catastrophic situation, with its

dire consequences, must not be delayed. The

international community has special and multiple

responsibilities in this regard. Therefore the Council of

Arab Foreign Ministers called upon the Security

Council to meet at the ministerial level. That meeting

was held yesterday to discuss all tracks in accordance

with the terms of reference of the peace process,

relevant Security Council resolutions, the principle of

land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative, which was

presented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

and adopted by the Arab summits. A settlement should

be pursued through a new and developed mechanism to

resume direct negotiations among the parties under the

Council’s supervision, within a specified time limit and

with international guarantees.

We wish to express our deep concern at the

bloody events and huge destruction that took place in

brotherly Lebanon this year caused by Israeli military

operations. On the basis of our concern for the

sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, we support

resolution 1701 (2006) and the need for all parties to

comply with it. We also affirm the importance of the

international community’s support for the seven points

set out by His Excellency Mr. Fouad Siniora, Prime

Minister of Lebanon, to complement that resolution.

We reaffirm that the Kingdom of Bahrain stands with

the Republic of Lebanon against anything that

endangers its sovereignty and territorial integrity and

support it with a view to preventing any act outside

Lebanese State authority that endangers its stability.

We also express our appreciation for the efforts of the

Arab Tripartite Committee on Lebanon, the State of

Qatar — the Arab member of the Security Council —

and all other States that have supported the Arab

position.

The Kingdom of Bahrain realizes that Lebanon,

today, faces great challenges that require concerted

international efforts by the United Nations, the

European Union and all influential Powers. Such

efforts must be aimed not solely at keeping the peace

but also at rebuilding and reviving the economy with

the help of the Lebanese Government and people, so

that Lebanon can participate once again, as it has done

through the centuries, in the cultural and economic

development of the Middle East and the world at large.

In this regard, the recent Stockholm Conference was a

step in the right direction.

15 06-53323

We reiterate our position that a just, lasting and

comprehensive peace in the Middle East necessitates,

first and foremost, that Israel withdraw fully from all

Arab territories occupied since 1967, including the

Syrian Golan Heights and the remaining occupied

Lebanese territories. It also requires the return of

Palestinian refugees and the establishment of a

Palestinian State on all occupied Palestinian lands,

with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes the recent

positive developments in Iraq, including the election of

a national assembly and the formation of a permanent

Iraqi Government. The Kingdom of Bahrain also

welcomes the Iraqi Government’s steps to promote

genuine national reconciliation and accord and to

consolidate peace, stability, and dialogue among all

segments of society. Bahrain hopes that the

Government’s national reconciliation measures will put

an end to violence and the killing of innocent civilians,

restore stability and preserve Iraq’s unity and cohesion.

We also hope that these measures will lead to

renunciation of violence and to addressing the waves

of killing, sectarianism and extremism, so that a new

safe and unified Iraq can emerge and enjoy democracy

and the rule of law, an Iraq with close relations with its

Arab and Islamic brothers and one that adheres to its

international commitments and responsibilities. There

is no doubt that the Iraqi Government’s efforts in this

direction are supported by the pivotal role that Iraq’s

neighbouring countries have played in reinforcing their

good-neighbourly policies, through respect for Iraq’s

sovereignty, cooperation in controlling the borders and

non-interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.

The Kingdom of Bahrain, together with the other

members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, calls for a

peaceful settlement of the dispute between the United

Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran

concerning the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser

Tunb and Abu Musa, which belong to brotherly United

Arab Emirates. This dispute should be settled either

through negotiations or by referring it to the

International Court of Justice for adjudication.

Within the framework of maintaining regional

security in the Gulf region, we confirm that friendly

relations among Gulf countries should be based on

respect for the principles of sovereignty, independence,

territorial integrity, good-neighbourliness, non-interference

in internal affairs and peaceful settlement of disputes.

This would create a positive atmosphere that would

help address issues in a spirit of conciliation and in

accordance with international law, particularly on the

issue of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful

purposes, in order not to threaten the security,

economic and environmental concerns of the countries

of the region and help them avoid the dangers of

confrontation and tension. To support the creation of

such a positive environment, we should work together

to make the Middle East, including the Gulf region, a

zone free of weapons of mass destruction. At the same

time, we affirm the right of States to use nuclear

energy for peaceful purposes, in accordance with the

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

and under the International Atomic Energy Agency

safeguards regime.

Today, all of us need to join in efforts to achieve

the objective of a collective security system through

multilateral diplomacy, for which the United Nations is

the main arena. Through your presidency, Madam, we

hope that our efforts will yield new measures to reform

the Organization. In his report on the work of the

Organization (A/61/1), the Secretary-General states

that no reform of the United Nations will be complete

without the reform of the Security Council, which

should be more representative of today’s geopolitical

realities. This would make it more efficient and

transparent. Furthermore, we hail the establishment

this year of the Peacebuilding Commission and the

Human Rights Council.

The gap between developed and developing

countries remains wide in the areas of economic,

human, scientific and technological development.

Developing countries must redouble their efforts to

bridge this gap and mitigate its negative impact. They

need to promote good governance, uphold human

rights, expand democratic participation, enhance

transparency, empower women and enhance their role

on the international stage. However, they cannot

achieve this by themselves: developed countries must

continue their commitment to offer support and

assistance by cancelling debts and supplying

developing countries with the knowledge, up-to-date

technology and expertise they need to achieve

sustainable development.

The Millennium Development Goals are the best

road map towards sustainable development. Those

Goals can be reached only through an international

strategic partnership between developed and

developing countries, along with international

06-53323 16

organizations and agencies, in particular the United

Nations, and with the participation of civil society

institutions and the private sector, in view of the vital

national and international role they play.

It is true to say that changes in the world situation

and great progress achieved by the international

community have brought human civilization to wider

horizons in which there is no excuse for excluding or

marginalizing others. We believe that there is plenty of

room for dialogue and positive diversity. This is

because we, as nations, are linked in a single

international civilization, one that is rich in religions

and cultures and within which we can explore

everything that can bring peace and stability to the

whole world.

In conclusion, Madam, we hope that, under your

presidency, this session will be marked by the spirit of

reform that has pervaded the United Nations. We

confirm the need to unify our efforts and exercise

patience and flexibility in order to achieve reform and

development. The Kingdom of Bahrain is committed to

achieving those goals and will support efforts to

strengthen the United Nations and its position in the

world.