ICC, UNDP team up for sustainable development

Manama : Bahrain is accelerating its efforts towards ensuring the sustainable development goals (SDG). Several events and initiatives will be hosted in Bahrain to achieve the goals set by the UN. 

In such an event, Isa Cultural Center (ICC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on SDG set by the UN.

SDG is a global initiative spearheaded by the UN. It urges its member nations to work towards sustainable development. 

SDGs are a list of 17 goals such as promoting gender equality, eliminating poverty and promoting peace. The MoU was signed by  Dr. Shaikh Khaled bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Vice-Chairman of Board of Trustees and Executive Director of Isa Cultural Centre and The United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Amin El Sharkawi at ICC premises yesterday.

“We will collaborate with the UN agencies in Bahrain and outside of Bahrain on the sustainable development of Bahrain,” Dr. Shaikh Khaled  told DT News.

“The SDGs are in line with the 2030 goals that the Kingdom has set for itself. The MoU signing also means that we will periodically organize productive and meaningful activities in collaboration with the UN agencies. So conferences, seminars, symposiums, workshops can be expected. We will have programmes specialized for the youth in addition to the programmes for the general public,” he said.

Development of youth will be given emphasis, Dr. Shaikh Khaled said.

 “Youth are always a priority, our point of view has always been to give a special importance to them. The youth are the society of the future so we are focusing on creating awareness about sustainable development among the youth and giving them hope for the future,”  Dr. Shaikh Khaled said, adding that  creating this sort of hope is essential to protect them from being influenced by outside parties who interference.

He said that Bahrain has made a huge progress in the recent years in sustainable development. 

“Because of the awareness of the people of Bahrain and efforts from the government, we were not affected by terrorism much, especially when compared to many countries in the region. So we are fighting terrorism and we are ending it. Through this method I am sure we can end all threats to our society,” Dr. Shaikh Khaled said.

“We are entering a new phase of the development of Bahrain, development that depends of the young people of the nation,” he added.