Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, emphasised in his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that peace is the strategic choice towards achieving a world characterised by safety and stability. Al Zayani proudly pointed out Bahrain’s success in promoting its exemplary experiences in tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and human rights respect on the global stage.
In his speech, Al Zayani identified a set of priorities that Bahrain believes in. At the heart of these priorities is promoting dialogue and peaceful approaches to ending wars, settling disputes, and pushing forward peace processes. He particularly underscored the importance of supporting the Palestinian people’s rights to establish an independent state. He also highlighted Bahrain’s commitment to finding sustainable peace solutions to crises in Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, and Afghanistan, ensuring the unity and sovereignty of these nations.
The Bahraini minister reiterated his country’s stance on establishing international relations based on the principles of good neighborliness, respect for international law, state sovereignty, stability, and non-interference in internal affairs. Among Bahrain’s priorities in addressing various challenges, he accentuated the propagation of tolerance values, peace culture, inter-religious dialogue, and boosting values of international solidarity, humanitarian, and developmental efforts.
Al Zayani emphasised the importance of international collaboration in combating terrorism, drying up its funding sources, intensifying efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and ensuring the security of commercial navigation and energy supplies in the Arabian Gulf region. He also called upon the global community to respond to Bahrain’s appeal to establish an international treaty criminalising hate speech, sectarianism, and racism.
The minister highlighted Bahrain’s achievements in political development, establishing the rule of law, and bolstering institutions. He stressed Bahrain’s excellence in digital transformation, noting that the country has been recognised as a leader in digital government. Moreover, according to the World Bank, Bahrain tops globally in internet penetration rates. Furthermore, the country has adopted a national strategy supporting the transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the digital economy.
Concluding his address, the Bahraini Foreign Minister spoke about the participation of women in Bahrain, praising the country’s progress with women actively contributing to its comprehensive developmental achievements.
