Bahrain, 1997

I have the pleasure at the outset to extend to the

President and his friendly country, Ukraine, my sincere

congratulations on his election as President of the fifty-

second session of the General Assembly. In wishing him

success in conducting the proceedings of this session, I

would like to assure him of my delegation's readiness to

cooperate with him in making his task a success and in

achieving the desired objectives of the session.

It is also my pleasure to commend the dedicated

efforts of the President's predecessor, Mr. Razali Ismail, in

presiding over the fifty-first session of the General

Assembly, and to express the thanks and appreciation of the

State of Bahrain to him and to his friendly country,

Malaysia.

I would like to take this opportunity to express the

State of Bahrain's appreciation for the tireless and sincere

efforts that the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has

made since his appointment and of the great attention he

pays to international issues and, to the reform of the

Organization and strengthening its role in the maintenance

of international peace and security. By virtue of his

extensive experience in the United Nations, he has gained

expertise in both international politics and the management

of the Organization.

I would be remiss in this connection if I did not

express appreciation for the endeavours of the former

Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and for his

efforts and accomplishments with regard to reform of the

Organization.

We do not believe there has been in the history of our

modern world a period more harmonious with the spirit of

the United Nations or more expressive of its orientation

than the current period. Had the Organization not been

established half a century ago by a farsighted initiative of

the founding Member States, it would have been incumbent

upon the international community to proceed to create it

now, at this important juncture in history. This is because

current international developments relevant to various

aspects of human life require the existence of such an

Organization, which, by its composition and nature, and

guided by its Charter, is equipped to handle world affairs,

in the spirit of one great family. Not a single international

issue is now beyond the scope of the Organization.

The impression that the role of the United Nations

has become marginal or marginalized in the wake of the

cold war — true as it might be in certain isolated and

limited situations and cases of international action — does

not, in our conviction, reflect thoroughly and

comprehensively the current stage of our world's history

or the aspirations of all its States. Such aspirations require

the existence of a world organization that is active and

effective, not only in political and security affairs, but

also, and increasingly so, in civilizational, developmental,

economic, environmental, cultural and intellectual affairs.

For increasingly, now that they have become the focus of

attention of all nations, big and small, those non-political

matters influence world affairs and the life and direction

of peoples much more than political matters do.

We have followed with interest the work of the

General Assembly's Open-ended High-level Working

Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System

and carefully studied the Secretary-General's report

(A/51/950) to the General Assembly, “Renewing the

United Nations: A Programme for Reform”, which he

submitted on 14 July. We express our appreciation for the

Secretary-General's invaluable efforts regarding the

reform process, and the measures and recommendations

contained in his report, and we would also welcome any

General Assembly actions that would reflect the general

attitude of Member States vis-à-vis the reform process

that meets the current requirements and desires of

Member States. My country is both interested in, and

appreciative of, the work of the Open-ended Working

Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on

and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council

and Other Matters Related to the Security Council, in

view of the great increase in the United Nations

membership. It should also be pointed out that it is in the

interest of the reform process that the work of the

Security Council be transparent so that all other Member

States which are not members of the Council are aware

of the latter's proceedings with regard to the reform

process.

Bahrain has presented its candidacy for Security

Council membership for the period 1998-1999 in the

elections that will take place during this session, based on

the provisions of the Charter that allow participation for

all Member States. The history of civilization has shown

us that a number of smaller countries and peoples have,

not less than the larger nations, taken the lead in progress,

12

development and creativity. The independent policy which

the State of Bahrain has pursued throughout the 26 years

that it has been a Member of the United Nations, has

qualified its candidacy as meriting the support of the Group

of Asian States for the non-permanent seat allocated to that

Group.

Moreover, Bahrain has a long record of constructive

participation in support of United Nations activities and in

support of the rights of peoples to independence, freedom

and self-determination, in opposing apartheid and in

supporting decolonization. It has also been actively

involved in the work of the United Nations system and

organs dealing with the fields of disarmament and

economic and social development. In addition, Bahrain has

bolstered Security Council efforts in the field of

international peace and security, particularly in the Arab

Gulf region, which prompted the Secretary-General to pay

tribute to that role to which he referred in paragraph 816 of

his 1996 annual report on the work of the Organization. He

said:

“The Government of Bahrain's support for the

Commission's [the United Nations Special

Commission] Field Office has been outstanding and

remains essential to the continued logistics lifeline to

the activities of the Commission” (A/51/1, para. 816).

Furthermore, the State of Bahrain hosts a number of

United Nations regional offices, including, in addition to the

United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) Field

Office, the offices of the United Nations Development

Programme, the United Nations Environmental Programme,

and the United Nations Information Centre.

The State of Bahrain welcomes the endorsement its

candidature for Council membership has received from the

Asian Group, the Group of Arab States and the member

States of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to which it belongs.

Bahrain, noting the overwhelming support of the Member

States, will have the pleasure to declare, when elected to

the membership of the Council, that it will do its utmost, in

cooperation with other Member States, to fulfil its duties

towards the achievement of international peace and security

and the upholding of the principles embodied in the Charter

of the United Nations.

Through its experience in its region and larger area,

my country has played, since the early years of the

twentieth century, a significant and leading role in the

development of civilization, culture and society, in

modernizing management and the economy, and in

consolidating the bases of an advanced civil society — a

pioneering role to which any objective historian of the

development of civilization in the Gulf region will attest.

The question of regional security remains of crucial

importance to the State of Bahrain, in view of the

dangerous ramifications and impacts it has on the

security, stability and safety of peoples and nations. The

situation in the Gulf region, which has witnessed in recent

years two devastating wars that have upset the region's

peace and stability and delayed the implementation of

numerous development and construction projects, requires

that all the States of the region and the world Powers

with vital interests in the region promote and strengthen

relations among the States of the region on the basis of

good neighbourliness, mutual respect, non-interference in

the internal affairs of others and recognition of every

State's national sovereignty.

The territorial and boundary claims currently

witnessed in the Gulf region, aim at changing the

established and traditionally accepted boundaries,

disturbing the security and stability of the region. We

believe that the optimum and most judicious course to

avoid that prospect is to respect the status quo; to refrain

from any claims, total or partial; and to settle any

consequential disagreements by peaceful means acceptable

to the parties to the dispute.

Insofar as the situation between Iraq and Kuwait is

concerned, the State of Bahrain, being keen on the

maintenance of security and stability in the Gulf region,

stresses that Iraq should fully comply with the

requirements of international legitimacy and uphold its

commitments under relevant Security Council resolutions,

including those relating to the release of prisoners and

detainees of Kuwaiti and other nationalities. Bahrain is

also keen on ensuring the unity and territorial integrity of

Iraq and opposes any interference in Iraqi internal affairs,

as any such interference is considered a violation of the

sovereignty of a Member State of the Organization.

The State of Bahrain also expresses its satisfaction

that the oil-for-food agreement between the United

Nations and Iraq is alleviating the suffering of the

brotherly Iraqi people.

In the same context, the continued occupation by the

Islamic Republic of Iran of the three islands, Greater

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

the United Arab Emirates, constitutes an important cause

for anxiety and concern to the State of Bahrain and the

13

other member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in

view of the occupation's serious consequences for the

security and stability of the region and the effect it has on

good-neighbourly relations among the States of the region.

Consequently, the State of Bahrain calls upon the

Islamic Republic of Iran to respond urgently to the calls of

the United Arab Emirates to resolve the question of the

islands through serious bilateral negotiations or through any

other available peaceful means for the settlement of

disputes through reconciliation among States.

The ominous setbacks and impediments that have

beset the Middle East peace process which threaten that

process and pose dangers to the entire region are but the

result of Israel's non-adherence to the basic premises

underlying the process since the Madrid Conference in 1991

and to the agreements which emerged from the negotiations

that followed between the parties concerned. Only through

compliance with those commitments, which are based on

Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and

425 (1978), the implementation of the land-for-peace

principle, and refraining from any actions that contravene

those commitments, can there be a viable basis for getting

the peace process back on its proper track and the

achievement of progress on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks

as well. A just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the

region is not conceivable without the return of the occupied

territories to their owners and the recognition of the

Palestinian people's right to have their own independent

state on their own national soil, with Jerusalem as its

capital.

For a just and comprehensive peace to be attained, it

is essential that Arab rights be restored, in accordance with

the relevant United Nations resolutions, which call for the

complete withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Syrian

Golan, southern Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian

territories, including, most importantly, Jerusalem.

The State of Bahrain has endorsed the peace process

since its inception in Madrid in 1991. It has participated in

all the committees that have been established in connection

with the process and has hosted a meeting of the

environmental committee. This was in support of

endeavours to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in

the region, which should be the strategic option of all States

of that region. A just peace which can guarantee that

people's legitimate rights are restored is what will ensure

security, stability and prosperity for the region's peoples.

The continued strife in Somalia has brought

destruction and devastation to the Somali people. We

reiterate our appeal to all warring factions to implement

all agreements reached so far and to exert concerted

efforts with a view to reaching a genuine and durable

solution to the problem in order to preserve the unity,

sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence

of Somalia. With respect to the situation in Afghanistan,

we call for an immediate end to the fighting among the

sons who belong to the same homeland, for support of the

efforts being made to this end, and for the achievement of

national reconciliation with a view to preserving the

sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of

Afghanistan without any external interference.

The State of Bahrain reiterates its support for the

Dayton Agreement concerning peace in Bosnia and

Herzegovina. It calls for full and complete

implementation of that Agreement and for the creation of

conditions that allow for the voluntary return of refugees

and displaced persons in complete safety and security.

Such steps would enhance national reconciliation and help

preserve peace and stability in the region as a whole.

As we reiterate our support for the unity,

independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of

Cyprus, we welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General

aimed at the achievement of a just and practicable

settlement in accordance with relevant Security Council

resolutions.

The international arena has witnessed terrorist acts

whose repercussions have gone beyond the boundaries of

the countries concerned. Violence has become so rampant

and ferocious that it is possible to say that terrorist acts

constitute crimes against the world order, the vital

interests of nations, the peace and security of humanity

and the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals.

The spread of terrorism has caused the death of hundreds

of innocent people and the destruction of public and

private property, thus shaking internal stability and

impeding the normal development of relations between

States. Consequently, my country calls upon the

international community to seek the best possible ways

and means for the elimination of all serious crimes of a

terrorist nature.

In this connection, the State of Bahrain expresses its

support for the provisions adopted by the General

Assembly in its relevant resolutions 49/60 and 51/210,

and hopes that the international community will cooperate

in the elaboration of a strategy for cooperation between

14

States with a view to combating terrorism and not providing

havens to terrorist organizations. Furthermore, States should

allow neither their territories nor their media to be used, nor

their civil liberties systems to be exploited, to the detriment

of other States.

Bahrain, being a party to the Treaty on the Non-

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, is of the view that the

Treaty should achieve universality without any

considerations or exceptions restricting it. At the same time,

it would like to stress that the Treaty, as a vital pillar for

the maintenance of international peace and security, should

be upheld, its provisions respected and its purposes pursued

till fulfilment. It considers Security Council resolution

984 (1995), albeit limited in terms of safeguards, a first

positive step towards the achievement of comprehensive

security safeguards for all non-nuclear-weapon States.

Because it believes that international cooperation is

essential for ridding our world of all weapons of mass

destruction, the State of Bahrain ratified last April the

Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,

Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and

on Their Destruction. Convinced of the importance of

peace, stability and mutual confidence in the Middle East,

it has also endorsed the initiative aimed at establishing the

region as a zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of

mass destruction.

The world economy is currently experiencing a period

of growth which, according to the estimates of this year's

World Economic and Social Survey, is expected to reach

3 per cent this year. An observer of the economic

conditions in developing countries, however, can perceive

the extent of the difficulties faced by those countries in

their endeavours to raise their economic level to the bare

minimum and so enable their citizens to live with dignity.

The close link between economic development and social

development has become a cornerstone of the security and

stability of societies, both in developing and developed

countries. Yet the rising social tensions that we witness in

numerous societies in developing countries, emanating from

economic problems, underlines the need to address and deal

with that phenomenon at the international level.

When developed countries contribute to the

development of the economic systems in developing

countries they do not, in so doing, merely assist those

countries; they also enable the developing countries to

become an effective economic partner, which can assist the

developed countries in combating the scourge of

unemployment, inflation and economic stagnation.

The inability to strike a balance between social and

economic issues and the preservation and management of

the resources needed for development, coupled with an

increasing emphasis on environmental protection, has

undermined development, a cornerstone of Agenda 21,

which was adopted by the United Nations Conference on

Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in

1992. It is therefore imperative that international

agreements reached and commitments made during that

Conference be implemented, and that measures to speed

up the implementation of the Agenda be identified

without any need to reopen discussions on matters already

agreed upon. The issues addressed by the nineteenth

special session of the General Assembly last June, in

which Bahrain took part, for the purpose of an overall

review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21,

were more detailed and specific in so far as poverty

eradication and environmental protection are concerned,

although the desired results have not been attained.

The destructive effects on humanity of drug and

psychotropic substance abuse, production and illicit traffic

are among the most serious challenges we face. We

therefore welcome the convening of a special session of

the General Assembly in 1998 to be devoted to this

question and related crimes and to the achievement of

tangible results in relation to the objectives envisaged in

resolution 51/64 concerning the negative and destructive

implications of drug abuse, on the basis of the principle

of joint responsibility in confronting the illicit drug trade.

Collective measures should also be taken to solve this

problem, which constitutes a common threat to the

international community.

In the light of the new world realities, the United

Nations should play a more effective role in providing

organizational frameworks and appropriate forums to

enable various Member States to contribute within their

capacities and capabilities to the reshaping of our modern

world, tending towards increased closeness and interaction

on various planes of human activity.

The current period, characterized by cascading

changes, requires a joint intellectual vision on the part of

all Member States of the Organization and their peoples

with respect to what should be done for the common

good of mankind and to prepare for it. Such a vision

should transcend visions of conflicting ideologies, which

characterized the world of the cold war as well as the

predictions of future clashes of civilizations.

15

It is also vital that the United Nations create a

favourable climate and appropriate management whereby it

can provide, in addition to the basic functions it undertakes,

a veritable forum for world thought, into which will flow

a variety of opinions, emanating from various regions,

civilizations and experiences. Thus, the Organization may

help crystallize an overall human vision conducive to

understanding, peace and cooperation, rather than a

situation in which new adversaries and enemies are sought

for one side or another.

The current period also requires us to bring about

cohesion and integration among the various elements in the

flow of information and satellite transmissions from every

corner of the Earth. The volume of this information is

enormous, its sources diverse and its objectives conflicting;

it has deluged societies. It is difficult to absorb all this

information, and perceptions of it are often confused.

Unless a common, comprehensive and inclusive vision

is found to restore cohesion and compatibility to this great

mass of information, the world will be threatened with

intellectual chaos that could take it back to a time when

disorder and contradictions held sway in mankind's vision.

No global mechanism is better suited to be the proper

means and the appropriate international forum for this

universal intellectual task than the United Nations. It should

at this stage provide direction and guidance for all aspects

of international cooperation, both within the framework of

the Organization and at the regional and national levels.

While we look forward to such a comprehensive

vision for our modern world, we must stress that it would

be prudent not to let globalization — which is a natural and

acceptable phenomenon in the context of technology,

science, production, economic and information systems and

the related material components of our common human

civilization — be imposed, especially through coercion or

pressure, on special spiritual, religious, cultural and political

attributes. If it is, the world will fall into the abyss of futile

ethnic, cultural and religious feuds. Development of the

moral aspects of civilizations and systems can only occur

gradually, through inner conviction, and in tandem with the

logical internal development of each structure and system

rather than through technological development that spreads

rapidly from civilization to civilization. Coerced imposition

of globalization on any spiritual or moral facet of a society,

especially through external sources, would constitute a

wrongful revival of political and cultural colonialism,

whose cumbersome legacy and adverse effects the world

has barely eradicated. It is our hope that if it builds on the

remarkable role it played in the elimination of the old form

of colonialism, the United Nations will be able to play a

positive part in steering the process of globalization in the

right direction and in preventing the unilateral takeover of

a world of diverse spiritual cultures and civilizations.

In view of the Organization's contribution to the

preservation of world peace and security and the role it

continues to play in support of the causes of peace and

justice and in the implementation of the principles of

international legitimacy, its activities in the field of

preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping operations, and

its constructive role in resolving numerous questions and

crises, it is incumbent upon us to make available to the

United Nations all possible moral and material support

and to cooperate with it and with its specialized agencies.

Hence the importance, in our view, of formulating

within the framework of the United Nations a balanced

intellectual vision which, in addition to bringing out

elements which are common to all peoples, would be

based on respect for legitimate pluralism as it relates to

special spiritual, moral and political attributes. In the

absence of such a balanced vision, our world is apt to

continue to be threatened with imbalance, instability and

a lack of security.