We are delighted to congratulate Your Excellency, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session. We wish you every success in managing its work. We also thank the former President, His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir, for his efforts and the efficient and effective manner in which he managed the work of the previous session.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the accession of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations. The leadership, the Government and the people are proud of our achievements in cooperation and partnership with this international Organization with a view to achieving the objectives and fulfilling the purposes of the United Nations in the service of all humankind. We also express the Kingdom of Bahrain’s appreciation for our close cooperation with the United Nations. We underscore our determination to continue contributing to the activities of the United Nations and to support its efforts and programmes for the benefit of the countries of the world, while protecting the rights of its people to security, peace, stability and prosperity.
Today we stand in this Hall and witness the first steps in our recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, following last year’s virtual session, which proved that international cooperation and global partnership are essential for addressing the risks arising from the pandemic. They are also essential for addressing the effects of the pandemic on human safety and public health. The Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership and the wise guidance of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa A1 Khalifa, was well- prepared to face the repercussions of the pandemic. We made every effort to protect citizens and residents alike and to provide the necessary health care for all, without ciscrimination.
National efforts spearheaded by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad A1 Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, played a vital role in the speed of the response and development of pre-emptive strategies and plans to address all scenarios. Before the announcement of the first case of infection in the Kingdom in February 2020, all measures were taken to protect society from the risks posed by the pandemic.
The Kingdom of Bahrain also followed a strategy of tracing, testing and treating and minimizing close contact so as to limit the spread of the virus in society, under the supervision of the national medical task force for combating the coronavirus, which was established to prepare plans and protocols to address the development of the virus. An integrated media strategy was also developed for optimized media engagement to meet the challenge of all possible scenarios pre-emptively and instantaneously. The COVID-19 alert level traffic light system, an advanced mechanism with clear criteria consisting of four levels, was adopted. Based on those levels, the various sectors of the Kingdom of Bahrain remain operational or closed, while maintaining the freedom of movement and keeping all air, land and seaports open as we work to combat the pandemic.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has provided more than 2.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine free of charge to its citizens and residents. Its national vaccination campaign has succeeded in vaccinating 74.8 per cent of the total population as of August, and 93 per cent of the total population are eligible to take the vaccine. Bahrain has also conducted more than 6 million polymerase chain reaction tests — one of the highest numbers of tests per capita in the world. In addition, the Kingdom of Bahrain was one of the first nations to implement several treatment protocols for the virus.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has adopted a series of measures to protect the health of citizens and residents and preserve the economy and the livelihoods of citizens. We launched a financial and economic stimulus package worth more than 4.5 billion Bahraini dinars, equivalent to approximately $12 billion, or one third of the gross domestic product of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The aim of the package was to support the economic sectors affected by the pandemic, the private sector and citizens, as well as to support wages and protect jobs.
The Kingdom has also strengthened its cooperation and coordination with the World Health Organization to address the repercussions of the pandemic. We are also proud of the fact that the World Health Organization has designated Manama as the first Healthy City in the Middle East region.
The Kingdom of Bahrain stresses the importance of the pivotal role of the United Nations in addressing vital international issues and strengthening the foundations of international peace and security for the good of humankind. We also underscore the Kingdom’s commitment to all international conventions and laws and to working to achieve the goals and fulfil the purposes of the United Nations. My country strives to strengthen its cooperation and partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in order to promote and protect human rights in the Kingdom. We fully support efforts in that area.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently signed a declaration of intent with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in preparations for the national human rights plan, which we hope will serve as a comprehensive framework for the initiatives, projects and goals my Government intends to implement in the area of human rights protection.
My country is keen to promote and protect human rights in compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To that end, we have worked to advance Bahraini women, integrate their needs into the development process and ensure implementation of the principles of equal opportunities and equality, including equality of salaries and wages, in order to achieve equal partnership in building a competitive and sustainable society.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has also maintained its tier one status in the annual United States State Department trafficking in persons report for the fourth consecutive year. My country’s Government also approved a law on alternative penalties, thereby providing a qualitative leap forward in reform and rehabilitation. The law is compatible with modern criminal justice policies for the protection and promotion of human rights.
My country’s Government seeks to ensure that its action plan and economic vision are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the main pillars, policies and initiatives that consider the delivery of benefits to human beings as the primary goal and the fundamental purpose of development.
We focus on three priorities — strengthening the basic pillars of the State and society, achieving financial sustainability and economic development and securing an environment conducive to sustainable development. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain signed a strategic and sustainable development cooperation framework agreement to enhance the growing cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Nations in various areas and at various levels.
The Kingdom of Bahrain shares the international community’s interest in climate change and its effects on human life and in the efforts being made to mitigate its impact on the environment. We therefore look forward to the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
My country’s Government has also developed an integrated plan to increase the share of renewable energy in the Kingdom’s energy mix, as part of our sustainable development strategy. The plan also seeks to reduce carbon emissions, as part of international efforts to counter climate change, under the directive of His Majesty the King, in order to improve the country’s environment and climate situation. In that regard, we reaffirm the support of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the pioneering Saudi initiatives — the Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives.
The Middle East region remains in a state of instability and insecurity. The people of several nations in the Middle East endure difficult conditions caused by wars, crises and conflicts that have resulted in loss of life and millions of refugees and displaced persons. They have also caused the destruction of cities, villages and infrastructure, turning the lives of those people into a painful tragedy of daily suffering that drives away opportunities for peace, security and stability. The Kingdom of Bahrain calls on the international community to focus its efforts on achieving security, stability, peace and prosperity in the Middle East by adhering to the purposes and principles of the Charter
of the United Nations, which include non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, the commitment to good-neighbourliness, mutual respect and the peaceful settlement of disputes, in addition to strengthening international cooperation.
The Kingdom of Bahrain is determined to preserve the unity of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, in the light of its important role in maintaining the security and stability of the region. The Kingdom therefore stresses the importance of the commitments included in the Declaration of the Al-Ula Summit, held in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Those commitments will promote interdependence and coordination and lead to greater cooperation and integration among member States.
The Kingdom of Bahrain chose the path of peace as an approach and a strategic option for establishing lasting and comprehensive peace in the region and consolidating a culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, for the benefit of the peoples of the region and the world and to combat extremism, intolerance and hatred. The signing by the Kingdom of Bahrain of the Declaration of Peace, Cooperation and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations with the State of Israel is in line with the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa A1 Khalifa to promote the principle of peaceful coexistence and consolidate a culture of peace, love, fraternity, dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect, the noble goals endorsed by all monotheistic religions and enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
In that context, my country stresses the need to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. As we adhere to basic Arab principles, primarily preserving the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people to live in a secure, stable and prosperous nation, we call on the international community to work for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question that meets the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish an independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principle of the two- State solution, as well as resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.
My country also supports the initiative of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish a ceasefire in Yemen in order to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis, in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2216 (2015), to end the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
My country condemns the Houthis’ continued targeting of civilians and civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by systematically and deliberately launching ballistic missiles and booby- trapped drones, in explicit violation of international humanitarian law.
The Kingdom of Bahrain calls for an urgent settlement of the issue of the Renaissance Dam and stresses the importance of reaching a fair and binding agreement on the issue of filling and operating the dam in a manner that preserves the water rights of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of the Sudan and that contributes to maintaining peace, security and stability in East Africa.
We call for respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Libyan State, as well as for supporting the efforts of the interim executive authority, ceasing interference in Libya’s internal affairs, withdrawing foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territories and holding elections that reflect the will of the brotherly Libyan people.
We also renew our support for the legitimate rights of the sisterly Kingdom of Morocco over its southern provinces, in accordance with the autonomy initiative, and we support its efforts to find a political solution to the Sahara issue within the framework of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco and its development initiatives in that region.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, under the directives of His Majesty the King and based on its belief in the principle of human solidarity, has taken the initiative to contribute to efforts to evacuate American citizens and Afghan nationals from Afghanistan and to send numerous humanitarian assistance and relief shipments to alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Afghan people.
The Kingdom of Bahrain stresses its support for the Afghan people and the choices they make themselves, without any foreign interference in their affairs. We also underline the need to reach a peaceful political solution among all parties and components of Afghan society in order to achieve peace and security in Afghanistan and to meet the aspirations of its brotherly Muslim people for a free, dignified, stable and prosperous life.
The Kingdom of Bahrain calls for the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East region. The Kingdom reaffirms its support for international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring the ability to develop a nuclear weapon. We stress the need for Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to ensure the maintenance of regional and international security and stability.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, in cooperation with allies and friendly countries, has made continuous efforts to pursue the sources of terrorist financing and money laundering. We have been able to make outstanding achievements in that regard, and our country has been ranked first in the Arab world on the Basel Anti-Money Laundering Index.
In that context, we renew the commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain to continue its efforts under the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and all other extremist terrorist organizations and to dry up their sources of financing. We stress the importance of partnership and international cooperation in combating terrorism and confronting extremist ideology.
The Kingdom of Bahrain underscores that overcoming the challenges and difficulties facing the international community, maintaining international peace and security and achieving sustainable development, with its noble humanitarian goals, require us to harness efforts and increase our capabilities to enhance cooperation and effective international partnership and to consolidate the values of peaceful coexistence, solidarity and fraternity for a brighter and more optimistic future for the peoples of the world.
In conclusion, I am pleased to express the Kingdom of Bahrain’s appreciation for what the President has set out in the programme of his presidency for the work of the of the General Assembly at the current session. May the seventy-sixth session be full of hope — hope for accomplishing work that benefits humankind and achieves prosperity and hope for realizing security and peace throughout the world.