His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa today delivered a keynote speech marking the 13th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which falls on February14. Here is the full text of the Royal address. In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate Peace and blessings be upon our Messenger and Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions. Dear Citizens, Peae and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings Be Upon You We are pleased to address you today on the thirteenth anniversary of the ratification of the National Action Charter of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is a beloved occasion for all Bahrainis as it reminds us of our consensus on the national principles and interest which are our ultimate goals, and represents our agreement on our loyalty to our homeland, and our devotion to its defence. We inaugurate today our National Charter Day, which enjoyed the support of an overwhelming majority of Bahrainis. The National Action Charter led to the modernization of the Constitution that clearly stipulates political rights for women, two legislative chambers sharing the power of legislation as one Council as stated in the Fifth Chapter of the Charter. The Charter recognized the establishment of the Constitutional Court and strengthens the independence of the judiciary and all judicial bodies, as well as the rule of law, justice, equality, freedom and equal opportunities. These principles represent the most fundamental national principles that were accepted by popular consensus, which are emanating from a set basic components that are in line with the values of Arab and Islamic countries and which guarantee freedom of religion, foremost the religion of the state, its form, and the system of government. We shall exert every effort to consolidate these values and principles in the years ahead as they represent our life and the progress of the people of Bahrain in their triumphant march towards a bright future. We are committed to the comprehensive reform process that takes into account our circumstances and conditions, our national interest, identity, and values, as well as respecting the rights of all citizens, and the renunciation of violence, terrorism and extremism in all its forms. Further, Bahrain is and will remain steadfast to GCC membership and supportive to the just causes of Arab countries as a backbone of its national policies. Honourable Citizens, Together, we have attained many achievements and sustained our gains over many decades. We returned parliamentary and municipal elections, secured public freedoms, established political associations, activated civil society institutions, and we completed our constitutional institutions such as the judicial authority, the Constitutional Court, the National Audit Office, as well as the modernization of the Executive Power, and the empowerment of women in various sectors in which they reached the highest positions at home and abroad, particularly the unmistakable increase in representation from 4.9 % to 35.5 % of the total workforce of in Bahrain, and the surge of female workers in the government sector to almost 51%. We can be proud of all these achievements, and we are fully convinced that we have to continue the reform march we started together and bring it to its completion together. We are convinced and enthusiastic to exert every effort to achieve a better future for our country and all its citizens. Honourable Citizens, As we enumerate our achievements, it worth mentioning that the citizens have reaped the fruits of their ratification of the National Action Charter, both in increased employment opportunities, improved level of per capita income and a decrease in the unemployment rate. However, since housing is one of the challenges that facing our society, the government's efforts have accelerated the pace of construction and successfully attracted investments from the private sector to eradicate or alleviate its negative effects. The cost of housing services provided to citizens is approximately BD 3.1 billion over the past years, as the estimated value of the projects included in the plan to construct forty thousand housing units at a cost of around BD 2.6 billion in order to decrease the waiting period to5 years by the end of the year 2016. Nonetheless, even these achievements do not satisfy our ambition and expectations, although we haven’t mentioned all achievements, and there are many more on the way, with the help of God. We strongly believe in our ability to accomplish more in the coming period, thanks to the concerted efforts and diligent work with the national endeavours of our government. In conclusion, we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all Bahrainis, men and women, who participated in the referendum of the National Action Charter. Moreover, we are all partners in the homeland regardless of our differences of opinions. To this end, we call on everyone to actively participate in service of the nation and the preservation of national principles. We also appreciate the efforts of our armed forces, security personnel, and the National Guard in protecting our gains and achievements. We pray to Allah the Almighty to protect Bahrain, and to maintain the grace of security, stability and prosperity in it. We rely on Allah the Almighty Peace and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings Be Upon You.