In a Message on the Occasion of the United Nations Day: Bahrain’s Prime Minister Urges International Community to Continue to Support and Strengthen the United Nations

MANAMA, Bahrain, October 22, 2011 -

Bahrain is honored and proud to join in the shared progressive goals of the United Nations and urges its fellow nations to contribute positively to supporting and strengthening the United Nations and its specialized agencies, enabling the international organization to undertake the noble missions for which it was established: enhancing world security and stability, entrenching justice and equality and shaping a more shining future for humans around the world.

“The United Nations is an important and vital forum that needs to be perpetually developed so as to meet ambitions of humanity everywhere in the world,” Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s prime minister, said in a statement honoring United Nations Day. “This is especially key for promoting relations of friendliness and cooperation among nations and peoples, minimizing international social and economic tensions, disputes and problems that now threaten all countries of the world.”

The prime minister paid tribute to the active efforts exerted by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and all staff of the international organization and its specialized agencies towards entrenching underpinnings of cooperation and solidarity among nations and peoples.

“Bahrain strongly supports enhancing bonds of cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, out of a firm belief that the international organization represents the conscience of humanity and appreciation for its commendable efforts in achieving rapprochement and understanding among peoples of all races and religions,” the prime minister said.

“His Majesty’s vision was quite clear-cut in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly that reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s openness to the outside world and living its concerns, particularly under the accelerating developments experienced by the world,” the prime minister said.

When Bahrain was elected to head the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 it appointed lawyer and women’s rights activist Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa, President of the United Nations General Assembly, only the third woman in history to head the world body that let Bahrain contribute to the U.N. goals of equality and opportunity for all, the prime minister said.

Bahrain strongly embraces the United Nations Charter as a regulator for international legitimacy rules that govern relations among all states and  contribute to firmly establishing rules for common international action that would promote humanity and avert acute conflict. The universality of principles and goals envisaged by the United Nations Charter makes it the hub to which all nations and peoples turn to for support in times of distress and crises and “the international organization has proved efficient and successful and we look forward to further successes leading to the prevalence of tranquility and stability all over the world,” the prime minister said.

Among the key focus areas that Bahrain supports are U.N. efforts in pursuing sustainable development and addressing problems of disease, poverty and social indigence, in addition to its role in maintaining human rights, countering terrorism, responding to natural disasters and  environmental protection, among others. In order to enhance these efforts and define landmarks for its path towards saving human kind, innovative initiative are needed.

Those concerns are joined with the determination of U.S. members for the enhancement of economic growth and improvement of living conditions of the poor, through and international umbrella framework that can adopt a development model based on international partnership, the prime minister said.

The prime minister noted that current and new developments in several parts of the world will require new strategies and enhanced cooperation and coordination on the part of all countries. This will help to achieve sustainable development, reach common visions to balance the aspired benefits of development and modernization efforts, as well as combat the negative implications of growth for the lower-income brackets. He urged the international community to enhance international partnership, pursue sustained efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 towards a stable and safe world, where its population enjoy descent life and living.

“The Kingdom of Bahrain maintains good relations with the United Nations and its specialized agencies and hosts a number of its offices,” the prime minister said. “We also have joint action programs in several developmental and social sectors aimed to improve living conditions of citizens. This has helped create and vigorously reinforce cooperation with the object of realizing development and growth for our people.”

The prime minister said Bahrain is giving increased attention to sustainable development and has already made substantial strides on this road. To this end, Bahrain has adopted a package of development programs, including continuing increases in budget allocations earmarked for spending on education, health and housing services.

He also said that Bahrain has managed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals through policies and strategies that meet citizens’ ambitions and aspirations.

Muhannad Sulaiman, +973-39722296