Bahrain, 1996

At the outset, I have the pleasure of extending to

Mr. Razali Ismail and to his friendly country, Malaysia,

my sincere congratulations on his election as President of

the General Assembly at its fifty-first session. I wish him

success in conducting the proceedings of the session and

assure him of my delegation’s readiness to cooperate fully

with him in achieving our Organization’s objectives and

purposes.

I also take this opportunity to express my thanks and

appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do

Amaral, for his sincere efforts in guiding the proceedings

of the previous session.

It is also my pleasure to express my country’s

gratitude and appreciation to the Secretary-General,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his tireless and dedicated

efforts to enhance the Organization’s role and standing

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and to further the Charter’s objectives, especially those

related to the maintenance of world peace and security. I

hope that he will continue to hold this important position

and to do this good work.

This session convenes a year after the fiftieth

anniversary of the United Nations, which was celebrated in

the middle of a decade that has, from the start, witnessed

rapid changes and diverse trends arising from the remnants

of the cooperation and cold-war conflict that have marked

half a century.

The international community has dealt with the

challenges this historic burden with a twofold response.

First, it has sought to reform and develop the United

Nations system so as to enable it to fulfil its role in the

light of these changes. Secondly, it has made concerted

efforts by convening world conferences to deal with critical

issues relating to the future of mankind, such as the

environment, development, population, trade, social

development, women and children. Despite these efforts,

which have continued for several years, this twofold

response has proved woefully inadequate to alleviate the ills

that have slowed the progress and political, economic and

social development of the human race.

Given the way the United Nations was established and

the manner in which the international system has evolved

since the 1940s, this phenomenon should not come as a

surprise. The international community has been unable to

absorb the intense impact of the major transformations of

the present decade, which have relied heavily on the

foundations and parameters of the current system of

international relations. This means that the international

community still needs some time — not necessarily a

little — in which to fathom the similarities and diversities

of national interests that influence the contemporary

international political system.

In order to be able to understand these political

ramifications in their historical context, we must consider

this phenomenon in the context of the flexibility and

inflexibility that characterize the structure of the

contemporary system of international relations. That is

because the crisis afflicting current international political

relations has been caused largely by the persistence of

complex political and historical dilemmas that have

continued to interact within a system of international

relations based on visions formulated by the allies before

the end of the Second World War.

The Powers that are influential in the international

arena presently appear to be reviewing the basis on which

the present international system was founded, with a view

to reconfiguring, rather than abolishing, current and future

global imperatives. The underlying purpose of the system

that emerged in the 1940s was fundamentally to address

regional and international security problems in all their

political and economic dimensions. It is a fact that the

Allied Powers formulated their vision in the 1940s on the

premise that security and stability in the regional context

were basically associated with the creation of a number of

international institutions, most notably the United Nations,

its specialized agencies and the financial institutions that

came into being as a result of agreements reached at a

number of historic conferences.

Despite this association and the new intellectual,

political and economic trends brought about by the

changes, the structural notions of the international system

have not developed in tandem with the requirements of

human development, as manifested by the

communications revolution, the exchange of ideas, the

flow of information and the technological applications

that have influenced international relations in various

ways.

The historical concept of the link between national

and regional security could serve as an appropriate

starting point for a comprehensive review and redefinition

of the question of security in all its aspects. In spite of

the importance of the administrative and financial reform

of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other

organs, the influential Powers have not given the question

of collective security adequate attention with a view to

developing ways and means to preserve international

peace and security.

The international community truly must expand the

scope of the principle of collective security if States are

to be free from the fear of strategic threats to their

national and regional security. It is my conviction that the

Security Council, as the sensory nerve-centre of the

United Nations, in addressing the questions of world

security, should be guided by certain collective security

principles that could be activated in the current

circumstances. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the

use of practical preventive diplomacy to prevent the

eruption of conflicts by containment and by speedily

eliminating their causes.

In view of the importance now being attached to the

question of collective security, thought should be given to

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the development of mechanisms for maintaining relations

between the Security Council and regional organizations, in

accordance with United Nations purposes and principles.

This is relevant to some particularly important regions of

the world, such as the Arabian Gulf region, which is

afflicted by tensions that threaten the established

fundamentals of the region’s security.

To insure the region’s security and stability, it is

imperative that relations among all States of the region be

based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, mutual

respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of others and

recognition of every State’s national sovereignty. The

territorial and border claims that are currently being made

in the Arabian Gulf region, and are aimed at changing

established and traditionally accepted boundaries, upset the

security and stability of the region. We believe that the

optimal and most judicious course for avoiding that

prospect is to respect the status quo, refrain from any

claims — total or partial — and to settle any consequential

differences by peaceful means acceptable to the parties to

the dispute.

With regard to the situation between Iraq and Kuwait,

the State of Bahrain, being keen to maintain security and

stability in the Gulf region, stresses the need for Iraq to

meet fully the requirements of international legality and

fulfil its obligations under the relevant Security Council

resolutions, including the release of Kuwaiti and other

prisoners of war.

While it asserts that care should be given to ensuring

the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq,

Bahrain welcomes the signing of the memorandum of

understanding between Iraq and the United Nations and

calls for the accelerated implementation of Security Council

resolution 986 (1995) on the issue of “oil for food”, an

essential step towards alleviating the suffering of the

brotherly Iraqi people.

On another matter, the continued occupation by the

Islamic Republic of Iran of the three islands of Greater

Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa — all of which belong

to the United Arab Emirates — is a cause of concern for

Bahrain and other member States of the Gulf Cooperation

Council, in view of the serious ramifications for the

security and stability of the region and good-neighbourly

relations among its States.

The State of Bahrain therefore calls upon the Islamic

Republic of Iran to respond urgently to the appeals of the

United Arab Emirates to solve the question of these islands

through serious bilateral talks and other means available

for the peaceful settlement of disputes through

reconciliation among States.

Economic security is also fundamental to a world of

security and peace. In recent years, significant

developments have taken place in the sphere of

international economic relations as a result of the

interdependence that has come to characterize the world

economy, especially since the establishment of the World

Trade Organization. Over the past four decades, the

United Nations has addressed development problems,

issued a number of declarations and formulated a number

of strategies in this respect, but the desired results have

been elusive.

We believe that development challenges to any

country can be met only by taking into account the global

economic system as a solution that involves the

development of a comprehensive framework combining

international and local efforts, with a view to improving

the performance of the economy in a favourable

environment wherein local and regional circumstances and

the priorities and special conditions of each individual

State are taken into consideration.

The topic of the ninth session of the United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development, held this year in

South Africa, was the promotion of sustainable growth

and development in the context of the globalization and

liberalization of the world economy. This reflects a global

interest in addressing the shortcomings of the world

economy. In this connection, we would like to emphasize

the importance of the role of the Organization in the

enhancement of solidarity and interdependence for the

sake of promoting development in all countries.

With regard to the Second United Nations

Conference on Human Settlements, held at Istanbul this

year, it is our hope that the principles, commitments and

plan of action of the Conference will be implemented. It

is also our hope that the World Food Summit, to be held

in November in Rome, will make recommendations to

ensure and enhance world food security.

Environmental problems continue to be a cause of

concern for the human race in view of their potential

threat to our planet. Agenda 21, adopted at the United

Nations Conference of Environment and Development, is

a framework for the protection of the environment.

Persuaded that collective action is important for the

protection of the environment, the State of Bahrain has

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paid special attention to the issue of the environment.

Accordingly, an Emir’s decree approving Bahrain’s

accession to the Convention on Biological Diversity and

another on environmental law were issued. The latter

establishes an environmental body that can exercise all

authorities with respect to environmental planning and

policies and the supervision of their implementation.

The third element, in our view, is social security,

without which societies would be unable to sustain human

progress or protect national security. As far as the people

are concerned, it is an important precondition for the

achievement and preservation of peace and security within

and among States. This fact was stressed by the World

Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen last

year.

Responsibility for social development is based on two

pivotal factors: national responsibility and collective

commitment, as reflected in the combined efforts of the

international community. In this connection, it must be

mentioned that the ability of societies to effect social

development is fundamentally connected to the objectives

of economic progress and comprehensive development in

all their human dimensions. Any international commitment

to preserve the stability and security of societies within the

framework of economic and social development should take

into consideration the cultural content of social development

and the various national factors.

The State of Bahrain — in the light of its conviction

that peace in the region is a strategic alternative that must

inevitably be based on justice, the restoration of rights and

the prevalence of security — follows closely and with deep

concern the new developments in the Middle East peace

process. Peace is the only course that can lead to

reconstruction, prosperity and the well-being of the peoples

of the region. It can end the cycle of violence and war

which the region has suffered for so long.

The progress achieved in the context of the Madrid

Conference, whose underlying principles were the

achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in

accordance with international legality and the principle of

“land for peace”, should continue without regression. We

must build on it.

The State of Bahrain views with deep concern the

serious events that have taken place in the past few days as

a result of the policies of the present Israeli Government.

These are manifest in its perpetuation of the occupation and

its refusal to honour the agreements made and to withdraw

from occupied Arab territories in Palestine, the Syrian

Golan Heights and southern Lebanon, as provided for in

General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, in

particular resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425

(1978), as well as in the Madrid terms of reference,

whose underlying principle is “land for peace”.

We call upon the international community, in

particular the two sponsors of the peace process, and the

States of the European Community to persuade Israel to

end its repressive practices against the Palestinian people

and to resume negotiations on the final status of the

Palestinian territories in accordance with the agreements

concluded between the two parties. They should also

stress the necessity of resuming negotiations on the Syrian

and Lebanese tracks. These negotiations should aim at

achieving just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the

region and at insuring the attainment by the Palestinian

people of their legitimate rights. These include their right

to establish their own independent State, with Jerusalem

as its capital, and the complete withdrawal of Israel from

all Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan

Heights up to the boundaries of 4 June 1967 and occupied

southern Lebanon.

Without doubt, in violating the principles upon

which the peace process is based, reneging on the

agreements and commitments reached within the

framework of this process and procrastinating in the

implementation thereof, Israel will drastically set back the

peace process and lead the region back into a new cycle

of tension and violence.

It is regrettable that Israel continues periodically to

act repressively against the Palestinian people and

repeatedly to violate the sanctity of Islamic holy places.

We denounce the Israeli authorities’ opening of a tunnel

beneath Islamic archaeological sites. This is calculated to

judaize and efface the Islamic features of the occupied

Palestinian territories. This act has caused indignation and

anger in the occupied Palestinian territories in particular

and in the Islamic world in general. It is a hostile act

directed against the holy Islamic sites and a provocation

against the sentiments of Arabs and Muslims.

In condemning Israeli practices and repressive

actions, which have resulted in scores of deaths and

hundreds of injuries, we demand that Israel end these

practices and forswear its plans to change the Arab and

Islamic character of the city of Jerusalem or to violate the

sanctity of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. We call upon the

international community to urge and pressure the Israeli

0

Government to renounce political policies of expansion and

settlement in Arab territories and to comply with the

requirements of peace and security in the region.

We consider the conclusion of the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty to be one of the most important

issues in the field of disarmament. We look forward to the

day when we can feel secure because all nuclear tests have

been ended and all nuclear weapons eliminated. Bahrain

therefore signed the Treaty last week because it considers

it a step in the right direction of eliminating these weapons.

The elimination of all weapons of mass destruction is

bound to enhance confidence and security at both the

international and regional levels. We have supported the

initiatives seeking to make the Middle East, including the

Arabian Gulf region, a zone free of nuclear weapons and

weapons of mass destruction. Bahrain has done so in the

deep conviction that the security and stability of the region

should be maintained, that the region should be saved from

the calamity of these weapons of mass destruction and that

the States of the region should be able to implement

development projects and raise the standard of living of

their peoples. In this connection, I would like to applaud

the signing of the Pelindaba Treaty in Cairo on 11 April

1996, which established Africa as a Nuclear-Weapon-Free

Zone.

Terrorism in all forms is a global phenomenon whose

threat today is not confined to a particular people or region,

but endangers security and peace in numerous countries.

Bahrain has repeatedly denounced and deplored this

dangerous phenomenon in more than one international

forum. Its eradication requires cooperation and the

coordination of efforts. Bahrain now calls for concerted

efforts for the implementation of the Declaration on

Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, adopted at

the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly. It also

calls for cooperation in the identification of terrorist

activities, their prosecution, the adoption of deterrent

measures and preventing terrorist organizations from using

the territories, information media and facilities available by

virtue of the respect given to civil liberties in certain

countries, in order to mount hostile activities against other

countries.

The State of Bahrain would like to express its

gratitude and appreciation to the sisterly and friendly States

that lent their support at a time when it was the target of

foreign-aided terrorist acts aimed at disturbing the security

and stability enjoyed by our State and other Arabian Gulf

States. The events witnessed in the State of Bahrain and

other States in the region and throughout the world

demonstrate the extent of the danger of terrorism and how

far the terrorist elements can go in manipulating laws and

international human-rights principles to serve their own

subversive and terrorist ends.

The fighting in Somalia and Afghanistan has brought

devastation and destruction to the peoples of the two

countries. With a view to sparing the lives of innocent

people, we appeal anew to all parties to the conflict in

each of the two Islamic countries to embark on a serious

dialogue to reach a political settlement of their

differences.

We welcome the outcome of the elections that took

place in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of

the Peace Agreement signed in Paris as a result of

negotiations held in Dayton in 1995.

We support all efforts to restore peace and stability

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, urge respect for the

independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of that

country and emphasize the necessity of economic

reconstruction and rehabilitation as a means to buttress

the peace process.

With regard to the question of Cyprus, we call upon

the United Nations to continue its contacts with the

parties concerned so that direct talks can be resumed with

a view to reaching a final settlement.

The question of the development and reform of the

United Nations is in the forefront of issues that have

captured the attention of Member States. Extensive

discussions on this matter have taken place over the past

few years, especially in relation to the question of

equitable representation on the Security Council. It is our

view that the reform of the Security Council is not only

a matter of institutional dimensions and ramifications, but

that it also constitutes a challenge that the international

community should address thoughtfully.

The State of Bahrain has consistently supported the

Security Council and its role in and contribution to the

maintenance of international peace and security. It has

also joined the international community in the

implementation of resolutions relevant to international

legality and related commitments. Bahrain is the host

country for the Field Office of the Special Commission

established under Security Council resolution 687 (1991)

and has provided the Office with all the facilities needed

for the successful performance of its duties. In this

1

respect, the State of Bahrain wishes to recall with

appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the

work of the Organization, submitted to the General

Assembly at its current session, in which he praises the

support given by the Government of Bahrain to the

activities and work of the Office.

Since it joined this Organization, the State of Bahrain

has always adhered to the principles and purposes of the

Charter of the United Nations and therefore looks forward

to playing a more active role in this regard. The nomination

of Bahrain to Security Council membership for the period

1998-1999 — which received the unanimous endorsement

of the Group of Asian States, the League of Arab States

and the Gulf Cooperation Council and the support of other

Member States — is a confirmation of its standing as a

peace-loving State and an indication that it wishes to play

a more active role in the maintenance of world peace and

security.

The characteristic distinction of the late twentieth

century is that relations among nations are based on

interrelated, mutual and diverse interests in various political,

economic and social fields. This interrelatedness of interests

has formed a sort of common culture among nations and

has created a favourable climate for the exchange of ideas

and the tools of knowledge, thus enabling cultural and

intellectual interaction among peoples of the world and

enhancing a deeper understanding of the bases of world

peace and security, an objective which the United Nations

has sought to achieve over the past five decades.

In view of this fact, it behooves us to lend the

Organization support and encouragement so that it may be

able to play its role in a civilized world and carry out its

noble tasks of ensuring the achievement of world security,

prosperity and peace.