UN General Assembly
1999

this achievement at the regional and international levels. It makes available equal opportunities to both men and women in the fields, inter alia, of education, health care and social welfare, as these are basic priorities of human rights for which Bahrain’s efforts have been applauded by United Nations human rights bodies and experts. In its new era under the leadership of its emir, His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain will continue on its course, which has allowed it to assume a prominent place economically and socially, thereby becoming an example of progressive development that takes into account both the global dimension and the preservation of its heritage and traditions. Over the last two decades, the Gulf region has witnessed serious and painful events, the ramifications of which continue to pose a threat to the security and stability of this vital region, which is an important hub for world trade and for mutual, beneficial exchange between various nations of the world. Those events have demonstrated that the maintenance and preservation of regional security can be