Bahrain is commitment to achieving sustainability in a holistic manner that encompasses social, economic, and environmental development, Sustainable Development, Noor Al Khulaif said yesterday.

She was speaking at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023, titled ‘Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels’ in New York.

Bahrain presented its second Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The minister affirmed the kingdom’s commitment to achieving sustainability in line with the approach and vision of His Majesty King Hamad and with the support of His Royal HIghness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

She indicated that the kingdom’s approach is anchored on the principle of ‘Leaving No-one Behind’, which was visible in the inclusiveness and efficiency of the how the government and its institutions managed the Covid-19 pandemic and implications.

The kingdom’s approach also illustrated the importance of strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors and the efforts of more than 50,000 volunteers in combating the pandemic, Ms Al Khulaif said.

She added that Bahrain’s success was reflected in the World Health Organisation (WHO) case study, which documented the kingdom’s response to the pandemic and its success in overcoming an array of challenges through a combination of early preparedness and agile responses in providing free medical care, treatments, and vaccines to all citizens and residents alike.

This, in addition to launching a sizeable fiscal and economic stimulus package of more than $12 billion, to support economic recovery and sustained growth.

The minister stressed the commitment of the government of Bahrain to accelerate the pace of adoption and integration of the 2030 Agenda in its different development projects and policies through the launch of the Economic Recovery Plan, the commitment to achieving net carbon emissions, alongside the significant alignment of the Government Plan (2023-2026) with these objectives.

With regards to Goal 6 (Clean water and Sanitation), the minister highlighted the government’s efforts, including achieving 100 per cent coverage of safe drinking water supply and sanitation services. In two decades, Bahrain has also been able to reduce consumption of non-renewable natural resources by one-fifth, while improving water efficiency by 80pc.

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