MANAMA: Dr. Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, the Representative of the League of Arab States, for his part, delivered a speech in which he said that the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of this forum is evidence to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s high interest in sustainable development.
He was speaking during the opening ceremony of the three-day Arab Forum on Sustainable Development which is being held in Manama.
Ibrahim Thiaw, UN Assistant-Secretary General and UNEP Deputy Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director to the Forum, for his part, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain for his patronage of the forum and to the Government of Bahrain for its hosting and active support to the organization of the event.
He emphasized that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace in terms of technology, living standards and in the aspirations of its people, saying that “the Arab region is no exception’. He said that 2015 is a crucial year for global, regional and national action on the environment and sustainable development.
“ A few months from now, when the world adopts its Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, our path will be defined for the next generation of development and influence the lives of future of generations to come, he said.
He said that the year 2015 also sees the convening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21, seeking to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate change, critical to the region.
“Along with our partners we are working in supporting a global partnership for sustainable development that is fit-for-purpose and in helping to elaborate the instruments that will guide capacity development, technology transfer, and new models of finance and resource mobilization towards implementation of the post-2015 development agenda,” he said.
He went on to stress that the Arab Region, one of the most vulnerable areas of the world due to its water scarcity, arid climate, coastal zone urbanization, conflicts and governance issues, is in dire need for innovative and inclusive sustainable development approaches.
“Pivotal to the success of our efforts to move forward on the new development agenda will be how principles translate into policy at the international, regional and national levels,” he said.
A short video was displayed at the beginning of the event on the implemented Millennium Development Goals in the Kingdom of Bahrain and regional and international awards obtained by Bahrain in the field of human and sustainable development.
Then the first sessions of the forum began under the title ” Shifting from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development: Voices from the Arab Region”. The session, moderated by Ms. Faeqa Al- Saleh, the Minister of Social Development, was focused on sustainable development status in the Arab region; security and stability in the Arab region as conditions for sustainable development; the price of conflicts, the right to development –and- dignity and the paradigmatic shift required.
Then the second session of the Forum was held under the theme “International tracks on development post 2015 plan “. Moderated by Taher Shakhshir, Minister of Environment and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Sustainable Development in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, it discussed several axes: A New Framework on Disaster Reduction 2015 – 2030; Sustainable Development and the United Nations Summit on post-2015 Development Plan; Climate Change Negotiations and the 20th session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Integration and Universality: Basic Requirements of the post-2015 Development Plan and The Post 2015 : Plan for the Rich.
About 200 participants are taking part in the forum including ministers, senior government officials involved in Arab Sustainable Development, Representatives of United Nations Organizations and agencies, Arab development banks, the League of Arab States, as well as civil society organizations concerned with sustainable development issues.
At the conclusion of the forum, the Bahrain Outcome Document will be issued enclosing the final recommendations, which will be submitted to the high-level political forum at its third session to be held in New York from on June 26 to July 8, 2015.