Bahrain launches 2015 MDG Report

Manama, May 6 (BNA): The kingdom has today launched its national report on Millennium Development Goals (MDG), on the sidelines of the second Arab High Level Forum on Sustainable Development, currently organised by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the United Nations Development Prongramme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Arab League. President of the Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) Mohammed Al Amer presented the "2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) National Report for Bahrain", in the presence of the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Peter Grohmann. Al-Amer extended sincere thanks and gratitude to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa for his incessant support to the kingdom's efforts in the fields of human development, through building the capacities of the society members, improving the quality of education and training and good exploitation of economic resources. He said that HRH Premier was granted the 2006 Scroll of Honour Award in Urban Development and Housing by UN-Habitat, the 2010 UNESCO Avicenna Gold Medal, the Millennium Development Goals award in recognition of his crucial role in engineering Bahrain's development prowess, and the allocation of an international award carrying his name- the Khalifa bin Salman UN-Habitat Award. Al Amer affirmed that Bahrain had expressed its determination to achieve MDGs ever since they were announced in September 2000. He highlighted Bahrain's keenness to assess its progress in achieving MDGs through the issuance of periodical reports –three so far, adding that the Kingdom had incorporated MDGs within its strategic plans and the government's action plans. Concerning the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, CIO President said that Bahrain was not concerned with it, and therefore, it set other national goals, including the improvement of the citizens' living standards, development of housing , bridging social gap and upgrading work conditions. Regarding the second goal of achieving universal primary education, he affirmed that 100 pc of Bahraini children enjoy quality education, adding that Bahrain is among the first Arab countries in science and math. Regarding empowering gender equality and empowering women, he said the number of females in primary and secondary schools were equal to those of males, noting that females outnumber males in higher education, with a rate of 153 girls for every 100 boys. As far as child mortality reduction is concerned, he said that child mortality in Bahrain is lower than the world average and that immunisation has reached 100%. As for improving maternal health, he stated that 35 mothers die in every 100,000 births in Bahrain, compared to 210 in other countries, noting that maternity hospitals are equipped with cutting edge equipment and supervised by highly qualified specialists. Regarding the goal related to Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, he said that while three people in every 100 aged between 15 and 24 suffer from such diseases in developed countries, the rate is 0% in Bahrain, adding that Bahrain malaria-free since 1995. As far as the goal of ensuring environmental sustainability is concerned, Al Amer pointed out that Bahrain had been doing its utmost to achieve despite the significant challenges its facing due to geographical reasons. Concerning the goal of developing a global partnership for development, he asserted that Bahrain is among the leading countries in meeting the requirements of the global economy, which has ensured it top positions in many international economic and electronic indicators. He said Bahrain was ranked 13th in the Economic Freedom Index issued by Heritage Foundation, and the 8th according to a study conducted by the Fraser Institute Economic Freedom. It also ranked 46th in the world in the countries covered in the World Bank's ease of doing business index, and the 18th in the e-readiness index. He affirmed that Bahrain's economic openness, cooperation in ensuring livelihoods and positive investment atmosphere have attracted expatriates who are seeking to support their families, and investors. During the same session, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Peter Grohmann delivered the following speech: "Good morning and thank you all for joining us today for the launch of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDG) National Report for Bahrain. "Let me begin by congratulating the Government of Bahrain for this year’s national MDG Report 2015 which has beenprepared by the Central Informatics Organization and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and the United Nations Country Team in Bahrain. The report provides a clear picture of how the MDGs have been implemented in Bahrain, including achievements and lessons learned. "The MDGs have proved to be an unprecedented catalyst for global action. Bahrain serves not only as an excellent example of major progress towards the MDGs, but also highlights what can be achieved through strong and committed national leadership to improve the lives of citizens. "With only a few months remaining until the deadline of the MDGs, I am pleased to launch the 2015 National MDG Report for the Kingdom of Bahrain on the sidelines of the Arab High Level Forum on Sustainable Development The Forum brings together regional leaders that will take stock of past achievements, reflect on emerging challenges and prepare to adopt the succeeding Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015. "Over the last decade, the Government of Bahrain has made important strides to diversify its economy to help boost productivity, living standards, and create jobs opportunities for its citizens. Bahrain has also established a comprehensive social protection system to address social inequalities and support vulnerable segments of the population. With the establishment of the Supreme Council for Women, national efforts have been made to improve the economic and political participation of Bahraini women. The establishment of Bahrain’s Supreme Council for the Environment and the Ministry of Energy’s Sustainable Energy Unit is demonstrative of Bahrain’s commitment to address climate change challenges and promote sustainable development practices. "Indeed, the findings in the national MDG Report make a strong case for Bahrain to be a leading and credible actor in global and regional Post-2015 agenda consultations. Bahrain’s investment in economic diversification and education has translated into robust performance towards the MDGs and Bahrain has many lessons to share. Some of the critical success factors include integrating the MDG framework in national planning and interventions, with support extended by the United Nations development agencies. "While the Post-2015 agenda is a global framework, like the MDGs, its planning and implementation will primarily be the responsibility of the national government in cooperation with Bahrain’s society. In preparation for the future Post-2015 international development agenda the Government and the people of Bahrain have actively participated in the global discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the past year, more than 5,000 Bahraini citizens and residents have expressed their views on future development priorities through the MyWorld survey. Citizens and residents of Bahrain chose "A good education", "Better healthcare" and "Better job opportunities" as their top three priorities, in line with global respondents. Building on the MY World Survey, in October 2014, the UN in Bahrain, in partnership with the Government, organized a workshop to promote a national dialogue on the Post-2015 agenda and its integration in national development planning and implementation. As a result, we are very happy to note that the future international agenda on sustainable development has been carefully considered in the elaboration of the Parliament endorsed Government Programme 2015-18. "The United Nations in Bahrain would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bahrain for its extraordinary achievements over the past 15 years and its commitment to international development goals. Going forward, the United Nations in Bahrain will use the information in this report to support national development planning and the implementation of the Government Programme 2015-2018. "On behalf of the United Nations in Bahrain, let me reiterate our commitment to support the Government of Bahrain and national partners as the country prepares to implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda."