UN Official: Bahrain set to achieve millennium goals

Manama, July 12 (BNA): The UN Resident Coordinator and Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Peter Grohmann said Bahrain is on the way to achieve the millennium development goals during the past fifteen years. He pointed out that the goals were set up according to the Economic Vision 2030. Speaking at a press conference held today at the UN house in Manama, he said the parliament had recently approved the government’s blueprint 2015-2018 which really handles many priorities that will help achieve the goals of sustainable development in many fields. He added when future goals are set up, it is indispensable to take into consideration the investments needed for those goals to be attained. Grohmann, Samir Emtir Al-Darabie, Director of the UN Media Office for the GCC Countries, and the official in charge of the development programmes Ali Salman shed light at the conference on the need to mobilise means to create a difference in people’s life. Grohmann emphasised that achieving the development goals is a joint responsibility between the government in Bahrain, the non-government organisations and the public sector. He praised Bahrain’s assistance to other countries, pointing out collaboration between the UN and the Bahraini government to broaden the scope of strategic cooperation on the basis of the kingdom’s priorities and according to the government’s plan so as to achieve the sustainable development goals for the post-2015 period. Concerning challenges facing Bahrain in achieving the goals, the UN Resident Coordinator said that Bahrain had achieved many goals over the past fifteen years but more efforts had to be made concerning mainly the environment and women. The press conference was held to announce the conference on financing for development which will convene in Addis Ababa on July 13-16. Al-Darabie said the conference would be the first in a series of international functions aimed at exploring investment opportunities to achieve the sustainable development goals. He added the conference, which will attract high profile politicians, is expected to yield ambitious results to support the development scheme for the post-2015 period by adopting a new approach in raising money.