Manama: Khaled Yousef Al Jalahma, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, emphasised Bahrain's keenness to strengthen cooperation and partnership with the United Nations. This initiative falls under the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and is closely followed by the government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The commitment aligns with the Kingdom's dedication to international principles aimed at promoting global peace and security, protecting human rights, safeguarding the environment, and accelerating the achievement of sustainable development goals.
According to Bahrain News Agency, this commitment was reaffirmed during the meeting of the coordination and follow-up committee and the joint steering committee for cooperation between the Government of Bahrain and UN agencies. The meeting was co-chaired by the Undersecretary for Political Affairs and Khaled Abdul Salam Al Mekwad, UN Resident Coordinator in Bahrain. It saw participation from representatives of ministries, government bodies, national institutions, and UN agencies, both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and via videoconference.
The discussions during the meetings focused on the implementation of the Bahrain-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2025-2029, signed in December 2024. This framework is based on strategic priorities including promoting social justice and welfare, sustainable economic transformation, governance for human rights, and resilient environmental management.
The UN Resident Coordinator commended the level of cooperation between both sides and the progress achieved by Bahrain in sustainable development. He emphasised the importance of partnership in supporting national efforts and advancing UN principles.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the UN Resident Coordinator presented to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs the 2024 Annual Report of the UN Country Team.