Kingdom of Bahrain statement to the 80th UN General Assembly, 26 Sep 2025 (English translation of Arabic original) — first Bahraini UN row, under leadership of King Hamad

Madam President,

This 80th Session of the General Assembly is convened with the world facing accelerating transformations and complex challenges, including geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, climate change, and major political and economic crises.

The Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, reaffirms its commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation, upholding international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The work of this session coincides with my country's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the coming two years, with 99.5% of votes in the General Assembly.

From this standpoint, the Kingdom of Bahrain sets forth its vision, under the leadership of His Majesty the King, for regional and global peace, coexistence, and prosperity. We firmly believe in peace, and that any conflict can only find a lasting solution through direct negotiations, political will, and a spirit of compromise.

**Firstly, a commitment to peaceful solutions to conflicts, especially in the Middle East.** The Kingdom of Bahrain calls for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the protection of civilians, the release of hostages and detainees, expediting the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, the implementation of the Arab and Islamic plan for recovery and reconstruction in the strip, and the firm rejection of any forced displacement schemes, settlement expansion, or attempts to alter the historical and religious status quo of Jerusalem.

My country warns of the repercussions of the war in Gaza on regional stability and global interests, and **condemned the Israeli attack on the State of Qatar, which has long played a recognized role in mediation**, together with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America, to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages and detainees.

Accordingly, my country calls for negotiations and diplomatic solutions as the path to resolving the Palestinian issue in line with international law and the UN Charter, and urges the international community to respond to **the initiative of His Majesty the King — endorsed by the 33rd Arab Summit, the "Bahrain Summit" — calling for an international peace conference in the Middle East**, leading to a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through direct negotiations.

The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes the decision of the General Assembly to endorse the **"New York Declaration"** on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question and the implementation of the two-state solution, and we commend the growing international recognition of the State of Palestine, and the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic in this regard.

Bahrain further emphasizes the need for peaceful solutions to the crises in Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and beyond, in a manner that guarantees their sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

The Kingdom also affirms the importance of joint action to rid the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, spare it the risks of an arms race and military escalation, and **calls for the resumption of US-Iranian negotiations to resolve the Iranian nuclear file**, in a manner that promotes global peace and security.

**The second pillar is the promotion of a culture of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and dialogue between religions and cultures**, in line with the principles of the "Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration" on freedom of religion and belief, and calls for an international convention to combat hate speech, racism, and the misuse of digital platforms to incite extremism, radicalism and terrorism.

**The third pillar of the Kingdom of Bahrain's vision relates to strengthening international strategic partnerships for security, peace, and prosperity.** In this regard, we take pride in the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) signed with the United States of America, and the United Kingdom.

The fourth pillar reaffirms my country's commitment to strengthening international cooperation for sustainable development and humanitarian solidarity, including tackling poverty around the world.

From this standpoint, my country calls for the reform of the United Nations system, to enhance its effectiveness, transparency, and to ensure the representation of developing countries in decision-making. During its upcoming non-permanent membership of the Security Council, my country is committed to promoting dialogue, building bridges of peace, consolidating tolerance and coexistence, supporting the protection and promotion of human rights, advancing sustainable development.

Thank you. Peace be upon you.