YouSaid · the spoken record

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa

lines on the record: 70
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2004-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Past mistakes and current failures should not divert us from our ambitions for a better future — a future free from the scourge of war, a future of peace and justice, where human rights and the dignity of the individual are respected; a future where resources are developed and where society can progress, where greed has been eliminated and where countries cooperate within an advanced international order that promotes the rule of law and disseminates the values of human rights, generosity and justice, without prejudice, arrogance or discrimination.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We now have a deeper understanding of the need for a modernized and more advanced Organization that is capable of taking part in collective international action, of responding to the changes and challenges of the twenty-first century and of ensuring greater democracy in international relations, equal rights among the peoples of the world and equal sovereignty among States. It must also be able to arrive at solutions for problems that may occur in the future on the basis of international partnership, so that any as yet unforeseen challenges facing humanity in the coming decades can be dealt with.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Bahrain also expresses its support for the efforts of the African Union, which is working with the Sudanese Government with a view to resolving the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. We affirm the importance of respecting the Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. We call on the Security Council to give the Government of the Sudan sufficient time to deal with the crisis and offer the necessary financial assistance to bring it to an end. Mr. Khan (Bangladesh), Vice-President, took the Chair. Today more than ever we are committed to the principles and purposes of the Charter.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Given the Kingdom of Bahrain’s follow-up of efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation and to re- establish stability in important regions of the Arab world, we welcomed the Naivasha Agreement between the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. We are anxious to see an end to the civil war there, which has taken a great toll in terms of human life and material resources. Bahrain also welcomed the agreement between the Sudan and the United Nations aimed at ending the bloodshed in the Darfur region, as well as the steps taken by the Sudanese Government to implement its obligations in accordance with the agreement that it signed with the Secretary-General on 3 July.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The security and stability of the Arab Gulf region is a matter of great concern to the Government of Bahrain, which is constantly seeking peace and stability in a region that has suffered greatly during the past three decades. The Kingdom of Bahrain, which is a member of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council, calls upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to work to peacefully resolve the issue of the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which belong to the United Arab Emirates, either through serious bilateral negotiations aimed at an agreement between the two neighbouring countries or by arbitration.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The upcoming stage requires that a vital and effective role be played by the international community, represented by the United Nations, which will bear the heavy burden of supporting the interim Iraqi Government and helping it to fulfil the tasks required of it under Security Council resolution 1546 (2004). Bahrain has on more than one occasion expressed its support for efforts to maintain peace and security in Iraq, and to create the conditions for the reconstruction of the country and the maintenance of its unity. It also reaffirmed its willingness to participate in Arab and international efforts to rebuild Iraq and to maintain its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We call once again on the Quartet to resume its efforts to promote the peace process, and we demand that the Government of Israel fulfil its obligations under the peace plan, as set out in the road map. The situation in brotherly Iraq remains a continued source of concern for the countries and peoples of the region, in particular the violence and insecurity that threaten it, despite continued efforts to maintain peace, especially following the establishment of the Interim Government, which took office on 28 June 2004, and in spite of the transfer of sovereignty to Iraqi 26 authorities, the convening of the national conference and steps taken towards the creation of an interim National Legislative Council.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The international community must use that opinion to pressure Israel to end its occupation of all Palestinian and Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights and the Lebanese Shaba’a Farms. The Arab countries reaffirm their commitment to the Arab peace initiative agreed at the Beirut Summit in 2002, and reaffirmed by the most recent Arab Summit in Tunis in 2004, which calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab land and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the resolutions of international legality, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003).”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“It does not respect or comply with international law and international legality by taking areas of Palestinian land in its construction of the so- called barrier, which consolidates the occupation and the settlements, and extinguishes hopes for an independent Palestinian State — the legal and inalienable right of the Palestinian people. The international community today must take a courageous stand in the face of these actions, in particular following the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice delivered on 9 July 2004, and General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004, which represent a triumph for international legality and a clear condemnation of the building of the separation wall, which contradicts the principles of international law.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Among those causes, we find poverty, ignorance, backwardness, unemployment, a culture of extremism, fundamentalism, ethnic prejudice, feelings of national desperation and frustration, and violations of human rights. To address this terrorist phenomenon, and within the framework of regional and international cooperation to fight it, Bahrain and the other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) this year signed the GCC Anti-Terrorism Agreement, a further step in overcoming this scourge, which must be eradicated. Israel is increasing its oppressive measures and practices in the occupied territories against the Palestinian people.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Bahrain has condemned, and continues to condemn, terrorist acts against countries and peoples through which innocent lives are lost, and reaffirms its solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures it has taken to overcome these criminal actions, which contradict the principles and tenets of Islam, a religion of tolerance and mercy. Bahrain also condemns and denounces all terrorist acts around the world, including the events at the school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in Russia. In examining terrorism and its threats, it is necessary to review its causes in order to limit its destructive danger.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“This year, the President of the Group of Eight invited His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, to participate in its annual Summit held in Georgia, United States, from 8 to 10 June last, in recognition of His Majesty’s important role in the reform process and the building of democracy in Bahrain. The phenomenon of terrorism is a source of concern for the international community, because of its horrific spread to many different parts of the world. Indeed, no region or country is immune. In that regard, Bahrain reaffirms its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of its sources or motivation. We reassert that there can be no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and that terrorist acts are not condoned by any religion or belief.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As a result of that historic political awareness, the reform and democratization process has made great strides in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bahrain has moved rapidly in the building of democracy and the widening of popular participation since the adoption of the National Action Charter by the people of Bahrain on 14 February 2001, and municipal and parliamentary elections in 2002. It is clear that the call for reform and democratization, which has become an important contemporary element in international policy, has become a demand of both industrialized countries and of many developing countries as well.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We hope that these results and recommendations will not only meet the hopes of the peoples of the world but will also be sufficient to address the threats and problems that beset international relations on all sides. As reform and modernization of the United Nations have become a goal for the majority of its Members, by the same token, leaders and political experts in many parts of the world, including the Arab world, have become aware that reform and modernization are important issues in their societies in order to address the demands for change and the movement of history, and that these issues must be addressed with clear-sightedness and wisdom, to meet 25 the hopes and aspirations of the new generation for progress and democratization.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The international community must respond, through innovative thinking, practical methods and a collective determination, in order to achieve democracy in international relations, maintain the spirit of the Charter, and devise practical solutions to national and regional conflicts and mitigate their consequences for the development process in Member States. In that context, we would like to reiterate our support for the efforts made by the Secretary-General to reform the Organization and enhance its capacity to shoulder its responsibilities and carry out it missions. We look forward with great interest to the report that the Secretary-General will present in December on the outcome of the meetings of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“With newly developed understanding, they have a greater day-to-day need to keep up with the modern developments of the twenty-first century and the spirit of the age, led by multilateral diplomacy, which looks at both present and inherited problems from a new practical perspective and understanding. The idea of reforming the United Nations, including the collective security system, is indeed an ambitious one. However, we believe that its implementation is not an impossible dream but a necessity.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Since the signing of the Charter in 1945 in San Francisco, the United Nations has played a vital role in addressing many international political, economic, social and humanitarian issues. Our world today is witnessing the interlinking of different issues in politics and in regional and international security with other issues of development, the environment, culture, women and human rights. As a result, international interests have become interwoven and the distinction between local and international questions has almost vanished in light of the spread of globalization. People need the United Nations now more than they did a half a century ago.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Mr. President, at the outset, I have the pleasure to extend my most sincere congratulations and best wishes to you and your friendly country of Gabon on the occasion of your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session and to wish you every success in your work. May I take this opportunity to thank your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Julian Hunte, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the friendly country of Saint Lucia, for the intensive efforts he exerted during his presidency of the last session. I also would like to take this opportunity to express my country’s appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the great efforts he has made to enhance and strengthen the role of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Those policies are based on constitutional legality, democracy, transparency and good governance and guarantee the respect of individual rights and freedoms. Bahrain aspires to peace and security within the country, the region and the world as a whole.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Kingdom of Bahrain believes on the basis of conscientious and free national will that the world today urgently needs a strong and revitalized United Nations, as was the case in the wake of the Second World War, to maintain international peace and security and effectively contribute to enhancing the dignity and welfare of humanity. In its quest for peace, the Kingdom of Bahrain is pursuing national policies of development and democracy to raise hope for a better future that will free the individual from fear and despair, oppression, famine, poverty and ignorance, provide him with a dignified life and protect him from natural disasters. Our national and international policies are closely inspired by the work of the United Nations, particularly in the development, social, economic and 20 humanitarian fields.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In the same vein, the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted a meeting on Islamic-Christian dialogue in October 2002, at which a number of valuable recommendations were put forward that we hope will contribute to efforts made in this area. Bahrain also recently hosted an Islamic forum, in which a number of Islamic scholars and clerics took part, to promote harmony among various Islamic schools of thought. Bahrain will continue to play the role of a haven for brotherhood and dialogue and a meeting place where various religions and cultures live side by side in peace.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The summits, conferences and United Nations special sessions that have been held over the years to deal with issues such as human rights, the environment, development, women's rights, habitat, motherhood, children, culture and civilization reflect the degree to which those issues are connected to humanitarian, cultural, social and peace and security issues. Bahrain's active role and contributions and effective participation in summits and General Assembly special sessions, and its involvement in the International Year of Dialogue among Civilizations in particular, clearly show that Bahrain's national policies and programmes dovetail with the priorities of the international community. An example of that was Bahrain's hosting of high-level dialogues among religions and cultures in autumn 2002.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Today, it is neither possible nor acceptable, within the globalization of international relations at various levels, for one region to have full prosperity and abundance while others suffer from poverty and want, drought and desertification, and from incurable diseases which science and medicines cannot yet tackle and to which countries and Governments are unable to effectively respond or provide medicine or care for millions of victims. Against the backdrop of globalization, the international community cannot ignore these trends.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We wish to commend Saudi Arabia for its tangible and important contribution to the global campaign against terrorism, to which it itself was exposed. Bahrain fully supports and endorses all the measures taken by Saudi Arabia in its attempts to eliminate terrorism and to consolidate regional security and stability. The challenges of today's world order, represented by the United Nations, are greater than any particular region or State, and encompass all areas of life and society: the economy, education, health, technology and information, particularly following the information and communications technology revolution, in the context of the comprehensive globalization of thought, trade, politics, war and peace.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Combating terrorism has become an international obligation, in keeping with the United Nations commitment to respect human rights, foremost of which are the rights to life and security. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Bahrain has backed all international and regional efforts to combat this dangerous scourge, which threatens us all and whose effects can be felt around the world. Most recently, we have witnessed the evil attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, in which Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and a number of other innocent people lost their lives while serving the cause of international legality. In that regard, Bahrain condemns the vicious orchestrated campaign waged against a sister State, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by some Western media.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Kingdom of Bahrain believes that the formation of a new national Government in Iraq is an important step for the brotherly Iraqi people towards 19 taking over their own affairs for a better life and for an increased regional and international role. With regard to the Islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa, which belong to the brotherly United Arab Emirates, we hope that the current important dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran will lead to a peaceful settlement of this issue and contribute to security and stability in the Gulf region. The international commitment to fighting terrorism, political violence and extremism has become both an international and a national responsibility, particularly since the events of 11 September 2001, which claimed the lives of many innocent people.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is a fundamental and vital request by Bahrain and the Arab world that steps be taken by the international community, the United Nations and influential parties, in particular the United States, to normalize political, economic and civilian life in Iraq, so that the country can regain its Arab, regional and international role. In order for the Iraqis to determine their destiny, within a constitutional framework that provides for the rule of law and guarantees political freedom, peace and security for all Iraq's citizens and ethnic groups a vital legal requirement the Iraqis themselves must be allowed to rebuild economic, political and social foundations, as well as civil society, within an Iraqi national Government.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Peace in the Middle East must be comprehensive; it requires the full implementation of resolutions of international legality, particularly Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which call for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories, including the Golan Heights, and Security Council resolution 425 (1978), regarding the Lebanese territories remaining under occupation. The Middle East today faces great challenges as well as unique opportunities and crucial moments that will determine the future of the region for generations to come. This peace must be a single and indivisible unit. That applies both to the Middle East and to the Gulf region.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The recent Israeli decision to remove in principle Chairman Yasser Arafat, the elected Palestinian President, and its threats to eliminate him, are very dangerous matters that contravenes the principles of democracy and the rules of international law. This was reaffirmed by the adoption of resolution 10/12 at the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly on 19 September 2003. Bahrain, which expresses its concern at this dangerous Israeli decision, calls upon the Quartet and the international community to pressure Israel to prevent the implementation of this decision, whose repercussions would weaken current peace opportunities.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The road map, which has gained consensus among the international community, supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian State living in peace and security, side by side with Israel, as envisaged by United States President George W. Bush in his peace initiative of June 2002, as reaffirmed by the international Quartet comprising United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation, and as agreed upon by the Palestinian Authority. This provides a unique, historic opportunity to achieve a balanced settlement that will restore the legitimate rights of the people and achieve a delicate balance between the obligations of the parties and their rights to security and peace.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Achieving economic integration and regional cooperation between the Gulf and Middle East regions and other major and free trading blocs depends upon the strong foundation of a political and strategic environment conducive to achieving peace and cooperation. In that context, the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East can be brought about only through a recognition of the inalienable legal rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State, a return of sovereignty over territory occupied since 1967 and control over their economic resources, in accordance with resolutions of international legality and the principles and aims of Middle East initiatives, and on the basis of agreements between the two sides, which must be fully respected and implemented.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Kingdom of Bahrain, a regional centre for trade, with well-established social and economic foundations based on a historic tradition of openness, is today a hub for trade in goods and capital, in a legislative and social environment in which Bahrainis, non-Bahrainis and visitors alike enjoy the stability required for investment and the movement of capital. These laws guarantee that the country remain an attractive and successful location for residence and movement for individuals and investors. Bahrain is also a fine example of successful economic liberalization, which has made it an attractive point in the Gulf area for regional projects and investment.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Reaffirming their status and role in society, women in Bahrain are constitutionally entitled to vote and to run as candidates in elections, and to hold important positions in both the public and private sectors. In addition to that, women participate in the 18 broad social activities of the Supreme Council for Women, part of a coordinated and integrated system of development efforts that include mother and child care, achieving equality between men and women in a society that believes in the unity of the family, values gender equality and respects the rights of the family.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“At the political level, Bahrain has moved quickly forward with the consolidation of constitutional democracy and the rule of law after the overwhelming popular approval of the National Action Charter, promulgating its Constitution of February 2002 and establishing the two Chambers of the National Assembly in October of that year. At the level of civil society and human rights and in order to increase the pace of reform and development, Bahrain took significant steps to enhance constitutional guarantees of civil and political freedoms and rights through a royal decree establishing the Constitutional Court in 2002 and through the Workers Trade Union law of the same year.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, has reaffirmed its strong belief in upholding the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and its confidence in the Organization's ability to shoulder its historic and legal responsibilities to build and maintain peace and to strengthen the foundations of peace. Bahrain's leading regional and international role in comprehensive human development both economic and political has over the years been consistently supported by United Nations statistics and reports. The latest of those reports the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report of 8 July 2003 demonstrates that fact.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Therefore, all of us leaders, peoples and Governments have the moral responsibility to reactivate and implement those resolutions. We must reflect on the reasons that they have not been implemented; we must objectively consider why that has taken place; and we must study the Organization's successes and failures in that regard. In order to overcome these shortcomings in the current world order, we must muster the necessary political will and mobilize the efforts of the States and peoples that the Organization has comprised since its inception. Only thus will we be able to bridge the chasm between hopes and realities and to correct the misalignment between texts and ambitions and between resolutions and their implementation.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Those responsibilities have included peacekeeping operations, development programmes, conferences on the environment, enhancing and expanding the role of women, protecting human rights, the resettlement of refugees, combating disease and epidemics, dealing with national disasters, spreading a culture of peace, and reaffirming international legality and the rule of law. However, those great achievements in people's lives and in Member States of the Organization will count for nothing in the face of regional conflicts, civil wars and ethnic strife in many parts of the world. Many resolutions crucial to the maintenance of peace and stability continue to be ignored and therefore fail to serve the will of the international community.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Today, the United Nations is nearing the end of the sixth decade since its establishment after the Second World War as part of a world order accepted by all humanity to avoid the catastrophic consequences of war. Also today, the world is witnessing unprecedented threats, conflicts and crises, and it faces challenges that threaten the noble purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the Organization, a body to which the world's peoples look to avoid the perils of war, to free themselves from the fear of force and oppression, and to seek justice, prosperity and stability. Since its inception, the United Nations has carried out the responsibilities set out in its Charter in a wide range of fields that are relevant both to people's daily lives and to the international community.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is my pleasure to express congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Julian Hunte on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session, and to express my confidence in his ability to ensure a productive and successful session as a representative of his friendly country, Saint Lucia. It is also my pleasure to express appreciation for the efforts of Mr. Jan Kavan, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, in presiding over the fifty-seventh session and for the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in reaffirming the contributions and the role of the United Nations in addressing regional and international issues to fulfil the will of the international community, particularly by carrying out its principal responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the world.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Bahrain regards these elements as essential for the survival of the planet and calls for strengthening the role of the United Nations system, as it is the trustworthy custodian of our accomplishments and aspirations, so that it can carry out its task to the fullest extent. We are confident that mankind can reach higher levels of advancement, development and growth through coordination and cooperation within the United Nations and other regional organizations. It is our hope that the new millennium will usher in a new era of abundance wherein the world will be endowed with security, peace and stability.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“With the advent of the third millennium, it behoves us to consider and reflect upon the accomplishments of humanity, on the one hand, and the horrible human suffering that has beset thousands of individuals as a consequence of disputes, conflicts and poverty, on the other. We believe that the United Nations is the principal forum for such reflection and consideration so that solutions can be found for these disputes and conflicts. It is Bahrain’s conviction, in this connection, that the international community can enhance its standing and its values during the next millennium and ensure a better destiny for itself, through the achievement of peace, security, solidarity and cooperation within a framework of universal human partnership and pluralism.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“To what extent can globalization of capital flows and markets facilitate the flow of investments into developing countries and boost their export capacities in a manner that would enhance the development of their economies and their contributions to the world economy? To what extent can the potential of such advance and globalization be utilized to help prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, address ethnic conflicts, settle disputes and eliminate the threat of international terrorism? To what extent can this advance and globalization be utilized to enhance opportunities for improving the quality of education, culture and worldwide intercultural knowledge, with a view to upholding the ideals of peace, equality and brotherhood among the entire human race?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Yet, while we appreciate the positive aspects of such advance, we are duty-bound to warn against the dangers that accompany those positive aspects. Those dangers raise the following questions. To what extent can poor countries benefit from the technological revolution? If they cannot, then the revolution will serve only to widen the gap between the poor and the rich. To what extent can scientific advance 20 and globalization solve the various environmental problems that endanger the entire world, if such a solution is not linked to solving the problems of development in poor countries, on the one hand, and to curbing and rationalizing consumer and welfare trends in rich countries, on the other?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The State of Bahrain is pleased and willing to contribute to international efforts aimed at achieving increased international economic cooperation, due to its stability and strategic location, and the trade and investment environment it enjoys — elements that have helped it attract foreign capital and enhance its standing as an advanced financial and commercial centre. With the imminent approach of a new century, the world has witnessed major historical changes precipitated by technological and scientific advances, a telecommunications revolution, a rapid flow of information, a trend towards open global markets and a widening scope of interaction between nations, cultures and civilizations. All this serves as a harbinger signalling the advent of a better world for humanity as a whole.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Secondly, it is essential to create a favourable environment for the promotion of economic and trade cooperation between States on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and within a framework of transparency of capital markets, in addition to facilitating the transfer of technology and encouraging international investment, which would enhance development and growth for all, as well as facilitating the equitable integration of the economies of developing countries into the world economic system. This will enable the world economy to avoid any other shocks that are liable to have a universal impact.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Now, with the advent of the twenty-first century and the rise of economic globalization, the international community has to set ambitious goals, most notable of which are the eradication of poverty and the pursuit of economic and social development. Although the positive and constructive position taken recently by the Group of Eight regarding the settlement of the problems of indebtedness has created an atmosphere of confidence and satisfaction, two important points should be stressed. First, the burden of repaying the remaining balances and the servicing of debts should not interrupt the growth and integration of the national economies concerned into the world economy.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Since the end of the Second World War, the world economy has experienced tremendous changes on the international trade landscape, including the emergence of giant trade conglomerates and a revolution in the fields of technology, information and communications. About half a century after the establishment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the international community was able to establish the World Trade Organization (WTO) in order to undertake the responsibility of establishing frameworks for world trade in the forthcoming decades.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“These include the tense situation between Ethiopia and Eritrea and internal strife in Afghanistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor and other parts of the world. Other sources of concern are the phenomena of terrorism, violence, organized crime and related activities such as transnational drug and weapons trafficking that continue to pose a threat to all societies. To address these problems the State of Bahrain supports the call by the Arab Republic of Egypt for the convening of an international conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, with a view to drawing up a comprehensive strategy to combat and eliminate these phenomena.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“However, the whole world has seen shocking images of the crimes of ethnic cleansing and the terrorizing of innocent people and of the human suffering that has beset the people of Kosovo, including the displacement of about one million Kosovars, mass graves and the destruction of villages and homes. It is incumbent upon the international community to unfailingly guard against and to address the causes of the phenomenon of racism and all its manifestations. In view of its keen interest in the maintenance of international peace and security, the State of Bahrain calls upon the United Nations and the international community quickly to intensify their efforts, in cooperation with the competent regional organizations, to settle the ongoing conflicts in various regions and among a number of States.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We also welcome the suspension by the Security Council of sanctions against Libya and express our appreciation of 19 efforts exerted by the Governments of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Africa and by the Secretary-General, as well as the concerned regional organizations, which have led to agreement on the case. We hope that this will lead to the complete lifting of sanctions. The easing of the Kosovo crisis by virtue of the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes and villages has imbued the international community with hope and satisfaction.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)