Bahrain, 1992

Allow me,

Mr. President, at the outset, to express to you my sincere congratulations on

your election to the presidency of the forty-seventh session of the General

Assembly and to salute your friendly country, Bulgaria. In wishing you

success in conducting the proceedings of this session, it gives me pleasure to

assure you of our readiness to cooperate closely with you in furthering the

Organization's objectives and upholding its principles at a time of rapid

change in the world order marked by an increasingly important role for the

United Nations in addressing world problems is gaining new momentum.

I also seize the opportunity to extend our thanks and appreciation to

your predecessor, Ambassador Samir Shihabi, the Permanent Representative of

the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the able and judicious manner in

which he guided our work as president of the forty-sixth session of the

General Assembly.

It is also my pleasure to voice our appreciation of the efforts of

His Excellency Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the United

Nations during the short period since he took office, both in restructuring

the Organization and in strengthening its role in the maintenance of world

peace and security.

It is gratifying indeed to witness the emergence, this year, of a large

number of independent States and their accession to membership of the United

Nations. The emergence of those thirteen States, is telling proof of the

strength of their people's nationalist sentiments and aspirations, which have

surged with the end of the cold war. My country's delegation has the pleasure

to welcome the new Member States. We are convinced that they will contribute

constructively to the enhancement of the United Nations role and the

furtherance of its goals and objectives.

This session is convened at a time the likes of which the world

Organization has rarely witnessed throughout its history. The winds of change

have swept away the very foundations of an international system which, for

nearly half a century, was based on the foundation of the cold war's

precarious balance of power. The ideological barrier between East and West

has been brought down and, with it, the strategies of nuclear deterrence upon

which the leaders of the bipolar world political order depended throughout the

post-Second World War era.

Our world today is in a state of flux. It is emerging from a past that

is now collapsing under our eyes and is moving towards a future that has not

taken shape yet. Intimations of that future are being brought home to us on

the crests of mighty waves and the winds of heavy storms that have brought

down the Berlin wall, caused the collapse of the Eastern bloc and the

dismantling of the Soviet Union side by side with the many developments and

conflicts we now witness on the international arena.

Although the features of the new world order broke forth sharply in waves

of violent and profound transformations, the winds of change have not been

able to uproot the problems of the cold war. For in the wake of the fall of

certain States, there was the eruption of severe national and ethnic disputes

on which the lid had been kept by the bipolar balance of power. Scrutiny of

the changes witnessed by the world today clearly reveals that the threads of

past and present are interwoven even though developments are taking place so

fast towards the creation of a delicate and precarious balance between the

status quo and change as the new world order unfolds.

The gap between the realities of the present and forecasts of the future

is engulfed in ambiguity and uncertainty at this historic juncture which we

watch with apprehension and with hope and expectation, for it is our

aspiration that man will finally achieve on this planet what he failed to

achieve during the cold-war-era. It behooves us to watch out for developments

and be prepared for them in a manner conducive to the creation of a climate in

which the rights of States, both small and large, are safeguarded, their

security strengthened and a role ensured for each and every one of them in

determining the future course of humanity. Therefore, we should all endeavour

to come to grips with the world in this new stage and identify the role each

of us should play in the formulation of that world's features and the laying

of its foundations. Without such a collective partnership on the part of all

members of the international community, the world will continue to lack

equilibrium and stability and remain vulnerable to upheavals and setbacks that

could undermine the very foundations of the future.

In the context of those international changes, the United Nations has

been able to regain some of its vitality and effectiveness in the

international arena over the past few years. It has exerted commendable

efforts to end the Iraq/Iran war, bring about the liberation of Kuwait, solve

the problem of Afghanistan and bring about the independence of Namibia. Its

efforts continue in connection with the questions of Western Sahara, Cyprus,

Cambodia, El Salvador, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Somalia.

The future role of the United Nations should be one that rises to the

level of contemporary international challenges so that the Organization may be

able to influence the course of international politics and deal with

transformations that involve interaction of regional and international factors

and controversies. Consequently, it is our view that the role of the United

Nations should evolve to embrace the following three major tasks:

First, the creation of an advanced mechanism that would enable the United

Nations to carry out the tasks of achieving international peace and security

in a manner that would be compatible with transformations in the international

arena;

Secondly, the creation of a modus operandi for cooperation between the

United Nations and regional organizations in the maintenance of international

peace and security, the peaceful settlement of international disputes and

respect for States' sovereignty and territorial integrity;

Thirdly, adequate development of the role of the United Nations in

dealing with world problems that constitute a common concern for the

international community as a whole and are sources of anxiety to people

throughout the world, such as the problems of development, the environment,

refugees, famine, poverty and a host of other international questions.

The question of world peace and security with its economic and social

roots has given rise to a new multifaceted vision of international security.

Undoubtedly, the overlapping and intertwining of such issues require serious

action on our part to coordinate policies and develop programmes for United

Nations organs so that they may be able to meet changing world needs.

In response to the recommendation by the Security Council in its meeting

at the level of Heads of State and Government, held on 31 January 1992, the

Secretary-General of the United Nations presented his report "An Agenda for

Peace". It contains important recommendations and ideas that aim at

developing the international Organization's political performance through

preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping. The concept of

preventive diplomacy is a new strategy based on good forecasting and early

intervention by the United Nations to prevent the eruption of conflicts and to

prevent the escalation to the level of hostilities of existing conflicts.

In this context, we should like to commend the role played by United

Nations peace-keeping operations, a role that has proved to be effective in

containing conflicts, defusing tensions and maintaining peace in various

regions of the world. Since 1987, 13 peace-keeping operations have been

undertaken. It is incumbent upon the international community, especially now,

to bolster and enhance the United Nations financial and operational capability

in this field so that it may be able to maintain its leadership in

peace-keeping, bearing in mind that the cooperation of States Members of the

United Nations is the key factor that would enable those forces to achieve

their objectives and the only guarantee that they will be able to do so.

Peacemaking, peace-keeping, and preventive diplomacy are undoubtedly

interrelated and mutually complementary. We believe that the concept of

post-conflict peace-building introduced by the Secretary-General, together

with the preceding concepts, form an important stanchion of the Organization's

future role in the area of promoting peaceful solutions and preventing the

recurrence of conflicts. In this context, the United Nations can cooperate

with and benefit from the potential and abilities of regional organizations

and arrangements in the peaceful resolution of disputes among Member States,

bearing in mind that most of the disputes that threaten international peace

and security are of a regional nature.

The role of regional organizations in peace-keeping is consonant with the

objectives of the United Nations Charter. It is also called for by current

international developments. And yet, for four decades now, the United Nations

has not been able to benefit from the capabilities of regional organizations

because of the cold war. That cooperation is of singular importance. Its

importance is highlighted now by the aggravation of discord in parts of

Eastern Europe and other parts of the world under the influence of ethnic

sentiments, territorial claims and border disputes. It is in this area that

the United Nations, in cooperation with the appropriate regional

organizations, could use the tool of preventive diplomacy to prevent the

eruption of tragic ethnic conflicts, futile border hostilities, the occupation

by force of other peoples' territories, or the changing of existing boundaries.

In concert with the principles and objectives which we seek to

consolidate within the framework of the United Nations, our responsibility

lies in maintaining the momentum generated by the new international climate of

respect for international legality with a view to achieving stability in

sensitive regional situations, foremost among which is that in the Gulf area.

In this respect, the State of Bahrain reiterates its demand that United

Nations resolutions relating to the situation between Iraq and Kuwait be

complied with.

The State of Bahrain has been following with deep concern the recent

unfortunate developments in the Gulf area as a result of the actions by the

Islamic Republic of Iran on the island of Abu Mousa. While we emphasize the

sovereignty and territorial rights of the United Arab Emirates, our adherence

to the good-neighbourliness principle and our desire to avoid any further

tensions in the area, we call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to abide by

the memorandum of understanding it has signed with the United Arab Emirates.

For the past several years, international relations have undergone

enormous transformations in the political and economic fields that herald a

pattern of new economic cooperation among countries. There are expectations

that with the end of confrontation between the two super-Powers, the world

will enter an era of fruitful cooperation between States. Yet an escalation

of the confrontation in the economic arena, a widening of the gap between the

North and South, and the prevalence of extreme poverty in a number of

developing countries continue to endanger world security and stability.

Peace and development are the most important foundations of our

civilization at present. It is therefore incumbent upon the United Nations,

which has had about half a century of experience in international

organization, to undertake side by side with the task of peace-keeping, the

task of promoting development in the developing countries. The United Nations

is qualified to be the forum for the elaboration of international development

strategies and the provision of appropriate political impetus for a number of

such interrelated economic issues as the problems of debt, the transfer of

technology, trade, finance, commodities, and the environment. It is thus

essential to reactivate the role of the United Nations in the field of

economic development for the peoples of the world. Although the United

Nations designated the 1970s and the 1980s as the second and third Decades for

development, it has failed to achieve the objectives thereof due to lack of

funds to finance the plan.

If rich industrial countries are to fulfil their global responsibilities,

they ought to respond to the needs of developing countries in terms of

development assistance so that the cold war between the East and West may not

be replaced by another cold war between the North and South or, as the

Secretary-General put it, so as not to erect an iron curtain between the North

and South similar to the one that used to exist between the East and West.

In the light of this situation, the State of Bahrain, as a member of the

Economic and Social Council, a major organ of the United Nations, believes

that the Council's role should be reinvigorated if it is to fulfil its mandate

as provided for in Article 65 of the Charter, and if it is to furnish the

Security Council with comprehensive reports on the economic situations in the

world's different countries. It is clear that if such situations were left to

fester and deteriorate, they may indirectly threaten international peace and

security.

A number of important international conferences have been held this year,

most significant of which »ere the Eighth United Nations Conference on Trade

and Development held in Colombia, and the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development which was held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and

which culminated in the issuance of the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, and other

international agreements relating to environment and development. The Rio

Declaration, with its 27 principles, recognizes the integral interrelated

character of the Earth and links sustainable development to environmental

protection. Agenda 21 reflects a global consensus on cooperation in the areas

of environment and development and aims at addressing urgent problems in that

respect and at equipping the world with the means to rise to the challenges of

the next century.

The fact that these two Conference were held in relatively quick

succession demonstrates the enormous capability of the United Nations to

conduct political dialogue in the areas of development and international

economic cooperation. In order for the United Nations role to be strengthened

in that respect. Member States should provide the Organization with the

wherewithal to enable it fully to perform its mandated tasks. For

wherewithal, read: the political will.

In the midst of international transformations, many peoples look forward

to a secure future for themselves and for their future generations. I must

voice here the hope of my delegation that peace may prevail in the Middle

East. We welcome the signs that may lead to a just settlement of the question

of Palestine in particular and of the Middle East conflict in general. The

rounds of talks, which started in Madrid late in October 1991, have vividly

demonstrated the earnest nature of Arab positions and the commitment of Arab

negotiators to achieving a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East on

the basis of the land-for-peace formula in accordance with Security Council

resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and other relevant United Nations

resolutions.

It is imperative to intensify international efforts to induce Israel to

forswear its policies of expansion and settlement-building in the occupied

Arab territories, to recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian

people, to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights, to withdraw from southern

Lebanon in accordance with Security Council resolution 425 (1978), and to

respond to all constructive disarmament proposals which, if implemented, could

bring about parity in military capabilities qualitatively and quantitatively

and ensure security through equal commitments applicable to all Middle East

States, including Israel.

In this connection, I would like to reiterate our support for freeing the

Middle East region from all weapons of mass destruction, and reaffirm our

readiness to deal with the proposed convention on the prohibition of chemical

weapons, to the extent that other States in the region are willing to respond

to international demands by acceding to that convention, to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to the international system of

safeguards and inspections on the basis of equity and equality, in the

interests of the security of all States of the region without discrimination.

The human tragedy that has befallen the Somali people, and the

degradation of their human dignity, call for immediate mobilization of the

concerted efforts of the international community to put an end to that

tragedy. Medical assistance and food supplies should be provided urgently to

save the Somali people from their painful plight. We welcome the United

Nations efforts in Somalia, and are of the opinion that an appropriate

political mechanism should be created to put an end to the bloodshed, to

effect national reconciliation, to eliminate the causes of strife between the

warring factions and to help achieve security and stability in Somalia.

We also wish to express our deep concern over the tragic situation in

Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose people are the targets of mass annihilation and

human-rights violations. At a time when the world looks forward to the

emergence of a new world order in which peace and security would prevail, we

believe the United Nations is duty-bound to act resolutely to put an end to

this tragic situation and to preserve the integrity of the Republic of Bosnia

and Herzegovina, a State Member of the United Nations.

South Africa, which is going through a delicate phase of its history,

requires special attention on the part of the international community.

Despite the positive reforms initiated last year by the Pretoria Government

with a view to drawing up a new constitution for South Africa, it is urgent

that apartheid be completely eradicated by means of constitutional reforms

guaranteeing the participation of the majority of the people of South Africa

in building a non-racial State. In that connection, we support United Nations

efforts to put an end to violence and to help create favourable conditions for

negotiations on transforming South Africa into a non-racial, unitary State.

The Cyprus problem has eluded solution for a long time. However, there

have been signs recently that may lead to a solution. We welcome the new

positive movements as well as the Secretary-General's efforts in that

direction.

The peoples of the world look forward with full confidence to a new world

in which security and prosperity prevail. Yet, despite our hopes for the

future, threats to the human race and the environment abound. Unless we all

work to overcome those threats and to address their causes, we will be opening

a Pandora's box, releasing all its evils while leaving hope locked inside.

The success of the United Nations in dealing with the new challenges will

depend on its ability to build confidence among nations and, with the help of

a broad creative vision, to mobilize efforts, resources and knowledge with a

view to bringing them to bear on the transformation of world society into a

society in which real security, peace, tranquility and equality may prevail.

If we may liken the desired world order to a ship, then peace, security

and economic development are the canvas of which its sails are made;

international legality is its pennant; and only through stability can it sail

to safety. It behoves us to work together in weaving the yarn to make the

canvas of the sails, and to steer our ship toward a secure future for all our

peoples.