Manama, Feb. 23 (BNA): Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), affirmed that the remarkable steps achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in infrastructure and sustainable urban development paved the way for ambitious plans that deserve to be replicated in various Arab countries. . He attributed this success to the vision and wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the tireless efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
This came in a speech delivered by Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa during the launching ceremony of the “State of Arab Cities” report for the year 2022 entitled “Sustainable Financing for Urban Areas and Infrastructure” at the Sofitel Zallaq Hotel and Resort. The report was prepared in cooperation between Derasat and the Regional Office for Arab States of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), and the United Nations Development Program. The ceremony was attended by a number of senior local and regional officials, including the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimoona Mohammed Sharif, and representatives of national institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain and various media outlets.
dr sh. Abdullah said: “There are many challenges that threaten all countries at the local, regional and global levels, including that Arab cities have become increasingly attractive living destinations, which poses enormous challenges for decision-makers to develop their infrastructure, and prevent rapid successive waves of migration to them., Besides mitigating the effects of climate change.” He added, “We are here today to show successful examples to inspire others to find effective solutions to achieve the eleventh goal of sustainable development, which calls for making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” He also pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic and its dangerous repercussions revealed many gaps in the infrastructure of some Arab cities, which requires all countries to complete the missing areas and benefit from successful regional and global experiences in implementing development plans. He described the report as “the culmination of expanded partnerships between organizations concerned with these issues, in the United Nations and Derasat, which renews the confidence of international organizations in Derasat as a regional intellectual partner in high-level research, starting with “Human Rights”. The Bahrain Development Report 2018, along with a series of studies And joint reports and events between United Nations studies and programs to study the social and economic impacts of the Covid-19 virus on the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Dr. Fernanda Lonardoni, Head of the Country Program at the UN-Habitat office in Bahrain, praised the Kingdom’s efforts in supporting the United Nations program to issue informed reports that guide the future urban policies of Arab countries to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. She said: “The second regional report of the “State of Arab Cities 2022” reflects the role of the United Nations Human Settlements Program as a center of excellence and an intellectual pioneer in the field of sustainable urban development, which aspires to increase knowledge and contribute to understanding urban challenges in Arab cities and enhancing the role of urbanization in advancing the wheel sustainable development.”
The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Firas Gharaibeh, pointed out that “the report aims to empower the capacities of urban decision-makers to formulate policies, and contribute to progress towards achieving Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals, noting that progress is being made” in the areas that reviewed by the report will require multilevel improvement of urban infrastructures, effective regulation, and capacity building at the local level.”
During the launch ceremony, Maymouna Mohamed Sharif, in her interview with Dr. Irfan Ali, indicated that “the regional representatives of the UN-Habitat program work in nearly 90 countries, and the Arab region – the Middle East and North Africa – is considered one of the most important sites for its work on implementing projects Urban development: basic services such as water, sanitation, transportation, smart cities, municipal administration, and humanitarian projects related to conflict areas, including inputs for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure and public spaces.”
She emphasized that “some Arab countries showed positive trends in performance towards achieving some sustainable development goals, especially in education, clean energy and climate action, while some regions were affected by conflicts and their progress towards achieving these goals slowed.” She praised Bahrain’s great efforts and achievements to achieve the goals of sustainable development of the United Nations, and the Kingdom’s cooperation and support for the United Nations urban development programs in the region.
Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Obaidly, Director of the Studies and Research Department at Derasat Center, presented the highlights of the report, indicating its goal in presenting perceptions of urban conditions, trends and influences, and identifying obstacles that prevent the achievement of sustainable urban development. , by monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on current and emerging trends while explaining the full reality facing urban policy makers. He pointed out that “the report is in line with the eleventh goal of sustainable development goals, and local and regional perspectives must be adopted to address issues in the Arab region, taking into account the specificity of Arab cities in general, and the importance of partnerships in providing comprehensive visions for all urban challenges.”
AOQ