Manama: Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Member of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), represented the Kingdom of Bahrain at the first meeting of the Executive Board of UN Women during its inaugural regular session for 2026. Bahrain's involvement is part of its membership on the Executive Board for the 2026-2028 term, after obtaining one of the five seats designated for the Asia-Pacific Group, following an election by the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Her Highness Shaikha Hessa conveyed greetings from Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the SCW, and expressed gratitude for the crucial role played by UN Women in integrating national policies with international frameworks to enhance women's empowerment globally. She also expressed her pride in representing Bahrain on the Executive Board for the upcoming term.
Her Highness affirmed that Bahrain's renewed membership on the Executive Board, following its previous term from 2017 to 2019, demonstrates international trust in the Kingdom's progress and leadership in supporting women and enhancing their participation in development. She noted that Bahrain will back efforts to improve the organisation's policy and strategy development on women's empowerment and contribute to building more inclusive societies, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, and promoting empowerment in technology and modern sciences.
HH Shaikha Hessa also highlighted the importance of supporting women's progress in the workplace, in alignment with Bahrain's and the Supreme Council for Women's strategic efforts to promote equal opportunity values. She noted the Kingdom's interest in discussions on UN Women's strategic programmes to ensure efficient use of resources, strengthen transparency and accountability, and deliver tangible impact.
Her Highness emphasised the necessity of aligning UN Women's efforts with member states' priorities and local needs, as well as developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure impact and sustainability, particularly in economic empowerment and protection of women's rights within development and peace contexts. She also underscored the significance of multilateral partnerships, including cooperation with UN entities, governments, the private sector, and civil society, alongside leveraging innovation and digital solutions to enhance programme delivery and reach vulnerable groups.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa concluded by reaffirming Bahrain's commitment to continued cooperation with UN Women and contributing to directing its programmes towards tangible, sustainable outcomes that empower women and girls worldwide and reinforce their role as key partners in achieving comprehensive development.