Bahrain attends UN meeting

York, Feb. 25 (BNA): Foreign Ministry Undersecretary of International Affairs, Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, took part in the ministerial meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday (24 February, 2016). The Undersecretary of International Affairs took part in the ministerial session held to mark the occasion, entitled "Protecting Planet, Sustaining Development", where he was one of the key speakers. He expressed his congratulations on the UNDP 50th anniversary, which he said has been keen since its establishment to assist members to upgrade their capabilities to achieve a prosperous future through an effective economy and dependence on the available capabilities and resources. The Kingdom of Bahrain, he added, fully backs UNDP’s work since it opened in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1978 through active partnership to implement various projects, programs and priorities that were set up by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Undersecretary of International Affairs said that the Kingdom of Bahrain has placed the issue of sustainable development as a top priority and integrated the economic, social and environmental aspects within its programs and projects. He said that the concept of sustainable development, which has gained an international dimension and interest, has a special importance to the Kingdom of Bahrain and was placed in government programs to ensure a prosperous future for Bahrain. The Kingdom of Bahrain, he said, depends on diversifying its economy and create new jobs and investment in the energy industry to push the country's economic growth, and it is among the group of small island states, which have a special status, adding that it is important to think in creative and new innovative ways to reduce the deterioration of the environment in these countries. He noted that the Kingdom of Bahrain has developed in this regard various programs and projects in accordance with the government's program 2015-2018 and economic vision 2030 in line with the new sustainable development goals for 2030 adopted by the General Assembly in September 2015. The Undersecretary of International Affairs also praised the firm cooperation ties between the UNDP and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The UNDP was established in 1966, comprising of 170 states, and it assists countries in the development of policies related to the revitalization of the economy and to create new opportunities and partnerships with members of the United Nations aimed at further prosperity for these countries.