Manama: Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, recently conducted a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of her participation in the ministerial segment of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2026) in New York. This event coincided with the Kingdom of Bahrain's presentation of its Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) on progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meetings aimed to bolster international cooperation, exchange best practices and expertise in sustainable development, and explore collaboration opportunities with international organizations and regional countries. Minister Alkhulaif met with several ministers from the Arab Region, including Faisal bin Fadel Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia; Dr. Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Egypt; and Dr. Paul Morcos, Minister of Information of Lebanon.
These discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and allowed for the exchange of expertise to support sustainable development efforts. The Minister also congratulated Saudi Arabia and Egypt on their Voluntary National Reviews and commended their achievements and initiatives in advancing the 2030 Agenda.
Additionally, meetings with United Nations officials, such as Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Dr. Rania Al Mashat, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation with UN organizations. These discussions aimed to promote multilateral collaboration and leverage international expertise to support the implementation of sustainable development goals.
Ministers and senior officials praised Bahrain's development achievements and the progress demonstrated in the Kingdom's Third Voluntary National Review, underscoring its commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.