Manama: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The economic and social sustainability serve as a cornerstone in achieving Bahrain’s the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN.
HE Noor bint Ali Bin Khulaif, Minister for Sustainable Development, during a Press briefing said that the Economic Vision 2030 remains a benchmark for national efforts in achieving targets spelled out by the UN in the SDGs.
The Minister said that the Kingdom of Bahrain pursuing the right track in achieving the SDGs 2030 and the concerted efforts of all stakeholders in achieving the national plan on the SDGs have made it possible.
HE Noor bint Ali Bin Khulaif, Minister for Sustainable Development, was joined by Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Under Secretary for the Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Khalid Al Mekwad, UN Coordinator in Bahrain during a Press briefing held at the Gulf Convention Centre, Gulf Hotel Bahrain.
The Minister applauded the leadership of HRH Prince Salman Bin Hamad, the Prime Minister for leading the way in achieving national targets envisaged by the UN and said that during this phase the stakeholders will attend the workshops.
The Minister briefed on the indicators which had been achieved so far during the Kingdom of Bahrain’s 2nd Voluntary National Review on Achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Minister emphasized economic and social sustainability as the top priorities of the Kingdom while pursuing the SDGs in line with the Constitution of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 is based on Competitiveness and Economic Sustainability and the Government’s 2023-26 strategy based on achieving the SDGs and continuing pursuing towards achieving those goals,” the Minister said, adding the voluntary national reviews are mechanisms to look in the progress and achievements of these goals, indicators, and targets.
“The Kingdom has submitted it is first review report in 2018 and hopefully the second review to be submitted in 2023 which will cover the achievements since the first report and focusing on challenges to be submitted in High Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York.
“The Forum will highlight the main five goals include clean drinking water and sanitation; provision of an affordable clean energy; industry innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities and partnerships for the goals.”
“The second review 2019-23 will also include how the Kingdom dealt with the pandemic and navigating successfully through the economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 in which Bahrain had done tremendously well, thanks to inspiring leadership role of HRH the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“Among other highlights such as the Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts in fighting the pandemic COVID-19 has won accolades from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being one of the most successful models in the world and accomplishment of SDGs in line with the Government Action Programme,” the Minister said.
The first version of 2nd Review to be submitted, the Minister said, in June and that would be discussed in July this year that followed by the side events such workshops etc.
The Minister said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a strategic partner continued to be vital area to discuss the sustainability and the progress of the Kingdom of Bahrain and also the strategic partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator in Bahrain.
“The national efforts by the Sustainable Development Ministry are ongoing through the launch of a series of workshops and outcome of those workshops will be part of the national report,” Shaikh Abdulla, told the reporters on the sidelines of the briefing. The series of workshops will be attended by the relevant stakeholders and could contribute through their specialties and mandates on the implementation of the SDGs in their relevant areas. We certainly do believe that the Kingdom of Bahrain has done a lot since 2015, when Bahrain had achieved the Millennium Development Goals ahead of its deadline. But what is more important today is to reflect what has been achieved over the years through methodological mandate that has been given to the Minister of Sustainable Development to produce this report and reflecting on everything that has been done about implementation of the SDGs.
The workshops will address all of the 17 goals but every year the high-level political forum within the UN has specific goals that we focus on.
“So, this year there are five goals as indicated by the minister that will be the prime focus, but we will be covering the entirety of the 17 goals.
“All the deliberations of the workshops will feed into the report itself is built on both public and private sector, right. You have public sector, private sector, academia, civil society, youth and woman and the legislative branch or the two houses,” Shailh Abdulla, added.
Khalid Al Mekwad, UN Coordinator in Bahrain said that being the partner the UN would continue to support the Kingdom of Bahrain on all vital areas leading towards achieving SDGs 2030.
