UN General Assembly
1998

His Highness the Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and under his instructions, vital pioneering steps are being taken to achieve more democracy and to consolidate participation by all segments of the population through the exercise of responsibility and freedom of choice, the guarantee of social and civil rights and civic duty, and respect for freedom of opinion, of speech and of the press within the framework of the laws and the ideals and values in which we believe and which we cherish. As we stand today at the threshold of a new century with its attendant rapid and continuous changes, transformations and surprises and face the growing number of tasks and the greater challenges they impose, we are firmly convinced of the need for readiness and preparedness to meet these challenges, undertake the tasks assigned to us and shoulder our responsibilities in a spirit of cooperation, coordination, friendship, mutual respect and commonality of interest for the benefit of our countries and peoples. Proceeding from our deep faith in God Almighty, this