Reading of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s statement to the United Nations General Assembly
His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the Kingdom of Bahrain’s address to the United Nations General Assembly at its 80th session, which was held amid rapid events and changes in the Middle East region, three months after the Kingdom began its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council. In view of the content of this speech, it can be said that it was consistent with the Kingdom’s usual prudent approach, including a statement of its positions on the most prominent issues and a summary of its achievements in the field of development, focusing on four areas related to commitment to peaceful solutions to conflicts, promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, and interfaith dialogue, the Kingdom’s vision for strengthening its strategic partnerships for security, peace, and prosperity, and its commitment to promoting international cooperation for sustainable development and human solidarity. It also expressed the Kingdom’s aspiration to reform the United Nations system through a series of measures aimed at improving its effectiveness and transparency in maintaining international peace and security and representing developing countries in decision-making.
The speech began by emphasizing the firm conviction that adherence to and recourse to international legitimacy, as embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, is the only way to achieve a balanced international reality free from conflict. This conviction was matched by widespread international confidence in the Kingdom of Bahrain’s balanced foreign policy, This was evident in the Kingdom’s winning 99.5% of the votes of member states to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the next two years, representing the culmination of active diplomatic efforts led and participated in by the Kingdom at the regional and international levels.
With regard to the Kingdom’s vision of the regional reality, the focus was on three main points. The first was to reiterate the firm position on the need to reach a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, based on the belief that the Palestinian issue is central to stability in the Middle East. The second was to emphasize the need to address regional crises, especially in light of the challenges facing the concepts of the nation state and national sovereignty in various parts of the region. The third was to renew the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position in support of the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction, based on the 1995 Review Conference resolution.
Building on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s leading role in promoting the values of tolerance and combating hate speech, the Kingdom’s address to the General Assembly devoted a special section to highlighting the importance of the “Bahrain Declaration” on freedom of religion and belief, and the accompanying implementation steps that the Kingdom has competently led through the King Hamad Global Center for Tolerance and Coexistence, in order to raise the voice of moderation and consolidate the values of tolerance and coexistence.
With regard to the Kingdom’s perspective on building international partnerships, the speech touched on the remarkable achievements made by the Kingdom in cooperation with its international partners, namely the signing of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) with the United States of America and the United Kingdom, which represented an attractive framework for multilateral action, reflecting an ambitious vision to create institutional and sustainable frameworks for joint action that reflect the public interest and enhance constructive cooperation and the exchange of experiences in vital areas related to security, economy, and technology.Turning to development, the Kingdom’s statement highlighted the qualitative achievements led by its national institutions locally and internationally, reflecting the need to focus on strengthening the internal front in order to preserve the rule of law and constitutional institutions, enrich the system of coexistence, empower women, and contributes to building the Kingdom’s national capabilities in vital areas, such as digital transformation and cybersecurity, and investment in clean energy and green technologies, without neglecting the relief aspect, in which the Kingdom has made significant contributions by extending a helping hand to countries suffering from conflicts and natural disasters.
In conclusion, the Kingdom’s speech to the UN General Assembly reflected an ambitious vision of a horizon for joint action among all countries of the world, through compliance with international legitimacy and law, the promotion of the values of coexistence and tolerance, and building close partnerships through engagement in effective regional and international blocs. In a parallel context, it also highlighted the Kingdom’s tireless efforts in the field of domestic development, which strengthen its international standing and create sustainable prosperity.
Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.
Abdulrahman Ebrahim Alfezea,
