International Affairs Undersecretary receives UN delegation

Manama, May 9 (BNA): Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs, Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa today received in his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Office for Sustainable Development, led by Saras Jegnoath and UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Bahrain, Amin El-Sharkawi. The delegation's visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain falls within bilateral coordination and consultations ahead of the preparation of the Kingdom's First Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the sustainable development goals (STGs) 2030. The National report is to be presented to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in July in New York. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah affirmed during the meeting that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, accords great importance to SDGs 2030 implementation as being the cornerstone of the future and an important indicator that Bahrain represents an advanced development model in line with its Economic Vision 2030. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain has made great strides in implementing the comprehensive sustainable development goals and in providing the appropriate and stimulating environment to achieve these goals thanks to adopting in the government programme, the best standards of quality and performance, in addition to investing in human resources in terms of education and qualification, considering them the center and purpose of development. He added that the voluntary report will be an opportunity for the Kingdom to demonstrate the size of the great development achievements and qualitative initiatives it has achieved. The Undersecretary for International Affairs reviewed with his guests Bahrain’s efforts in preparing its first voluntary national report on implementation of the STGs including its formation of a National Information Committee, chaired by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Mutawa. Among other efforts, he cited the series of consultations the kingdom has conducted with Civil Society Organizations, the private sector, academics and parties interested in the process of preparing and presenting constructive views and recommendations, noting that the Kingdom of Bahrain has made tangible contributions to the formulation of sustainable development goals through active participation in consultative processes prior to the adoption of the objectives. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs praised the productive cooperation with the United Nations, as the Kingdom is considered one of the most committed countries to the noble goals for which the international organization was founded and represents a leading global reform, development and humanitarian model. The Undersecretary noted the important and productive initiatives between the two sides, such as the signing of the strategic partnership framework for the period 2018-2022, in order to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations organizations and specialized agencies, as well as the technical support of the international organization to contribute to the preparation of the first voluntary national report. Dr. Shaikh Abdulla said that the United Nations has in many areas circulated the model of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a pioneering variation in the world, expressing his optimism that the development aspect is a prosperous ground for mutual cooperation, capacity building and the transfer of expertise in the interest of humanitarian progress. Saras Jegnoath expressed her admiration for the keenness of the Kingdom of Bahrain in preparing the first voluntary national report, looking forward to working with the technical team to prepare the report and to present the experiences of the States that had submitted their national reports in previous years. The United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Amin Al-Sharqawi, praised the Kingdom's efforts in preparing its voluntary report, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to achieving sustainable development goals.