Private sector to join Bahrain’s 2026 UN goals review

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain will bring private companies into the preparation of its third Voluntary National Review, due to be submitted in July 2026, as part of the Kingdom’s work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In a written reply to a question from Shura Council member Dr Mohammed Ali, the Ministry of Sustainable Development said delivering the 2030 Agenda was a shared task that required work across government, business and civil society, with plans shaped to each country’s needs.

The ministry said the Government Programme for 2022– 2026, titled “From Recovery to Sustainable Growth”, sets out a framework for cooperation between the government, the legislature and the private sector.

Responsibilities

It added that delivery bodies are assigned responsibilities within their areas and that progress is tracked through monitoring mechanisms linked to the goals.

It described its own role as a supporting and coordinating body that represents Bahrain in international settings, gathers material needed for that work by drawing on the efforts of delivery agencies, and monitors performance on sustainable development indicators through the National Information and Population Team.

It said it also raises recommendations to relevant ministerial committees based on the indicator results, to steer policy and programmes towards areas that need improvement, while keeping track of international developments connected to the goals.

The ministry said it is designed to complement bodies that run projects directly, and that it supports private sector involvement by sharing international practice in sustainability and by mapping challenges and opportunities.

As examples, it pointed to work in 2023 with the Central Bank of Bahrain during the drafting of environmental, social and corporate governance disclosure guidance, ahead of mandatory disclosures by financial institutions and listed companies by the end of 2024.

It said it also helped organise a closed discussion that brought together International Monetary Fund representatives and local banks to examine ways for the financial sector to speed progress towards the goals.