Bahraini Officials Meet UNESCO Director-General on Sidelines of UN Ocean Conference in Nice

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain’s Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, H.E. Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, and H.E. Hamad Yaqoub Al Mahmeed, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, met with H.E. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The meeting, held in the French city of Nice—host of this year’s pivotal ocean-focused summit from June 9–13—also saw the presence of Bahrain’s Ambassador to France, H.E. Essam Abdulaziz Al Jassim.

During the discussion, Minister Al Mubarak praised the longstanding and fruitful partnership between Bahrain and UNESCO. He emphasized the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting ongoing national strategies and initiatives that reinforce progress across multiple sectors.

Minister Al Mubarak underscored the critical need for intensified international cooperation to address pressing environmental challenges—chief among them, climate change and the preservation of natural resources, especially oceans and marine ecosystems.

He commended UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) for its instrumental role in building global capacity, promoting scientific knowledge-sharing, and advancing collaborative efforts to ensure ocean sustainability.

Reflecting on the importance of the third UN Ocean Conference, Minister Al Mubarak stated, “This gathering is a vital platform for reinforcing our shared responsibility to protect marine biodiversity and secure the future of our oceans for generations to come.”

The high-level exchange reaffirmed Bahrain’s proactive role on the global stage in championing environmental sustainability and preserving ecological balance, in alignment with UNESCO’s mission and the global 2030 Agenda.