Manama : The Ministry of Sustainable Development alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN Offices launched the preparatory process of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) today, the 5th of February, in the Capital Manama, with more than 100 representatives from government entities, the National Assembly, diplomatic missions, representatives from the United Nations and various other stakeholders attending the event. The VNR is set to be presented at this year’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July to be held under the theme of “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.
The event discussed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts and plans towards achieving sustainable development across various fields, which will be reflected in the second VNR. It also outlined the plan to have a wide consultative process that would reflect the spirit of Team Bahrain.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development, representing the Government of Bahrain, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office of the Kingdom of Bahrain commended the strategic partnership, the bilateral collaboration held between them, and the ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which aims to share Bahrain’s experience in achieving Sustainable Development goals with the international community.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development and the UN both affirmed the ongoing partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Nations which comes as an extension to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN. They also emphasized on the importance of having this launch event and holding consultative workshops in the coming weeks. The workshops will see representatives from the public sector, private sector, civil society, national assembly, academia, and organizations charged with the empowerment of women and youth discuss the Sustainable Development goals through the 5 P’s: People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnerships.
Participants in today’s event emphasized the importance of these combined efforts in offering support to the Kingdom of Bahrain and countless UN member states as they face mounting global challenges. These efforts are key in providing holistic policies and initiatives to achieve Sustainable Development through its economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
They also bolster the efforts of the Government of Bahrain in the environment and human development along with the protection of human rights and basic freedoms; a matter that was re-affirmed in the 4th session of the human rights council held in November 2022.
