Kingdom of Bahrain

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT), in collaboration with the Government of Bahrain, marked the UN Day on 24 October 2007 at UN House, Manama, under the theme of Climate Change. The event was attended by ambassadors, government officials and heads of various UN agencies.
During the official function, Dr. Nezar Al Baharna, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, made a statement on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain reiterating Bahrain’s commitment to the principles of the United Nations. He noted that “Climate change is one of the most important and complex challenges facing humanity in the 21st century” and said that Bahrain had drawn up a strategy to combat the direct and indirect danger of the climate change.
“Unchecked climate change has profound implications for human development. The imminent risk of climate change will roll back human development for a large section of humanity, undermining international cooperation aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).” said Mr. Sayed Aqa, UN Resident Coordinator, speaking at the event.
He added that while climate change scenarios are based on predictions, it is inevitable that small state islands like Bahrain will be among the most affected areas of the world.
The UN Country Team was pleased to mark UN Day in the presence of Ms. Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for the Arab State, who hailed the developments of the Kingdom on the level of the national reform agenda, as well as the international level with the presidency of the UN General Assembly and the UNHabitat Award presented to HH Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
Fifty schoolchildren, who took part in a painting workshop for International Peace Day, under the directives of leading Bahraini artist Abbas Al Mousawi, exhibited their work at the event. Various UN documents and materials on the UN role and activities in the country, the region and the world at large were on display.

Mrs. Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is visiting the Kingdom of Bahrain during October 23-25, 2007. The purpose of the visit is to meet and consult with senior government officials on the current and future cooperation of the Kingdom of Bahrain with UNDP.
During her visit, which coincides with the celebration of “UN Day” observed on 24 October, Ms. Alsoswa will discuss UNDP’s efforts, in close partnership with the Government of Bahrain, which focus on common priorities, in view of meeting national needs and the Millennium Development Goals. UNDP is currently supporting Bahrain’s reform agenda through several capacity development and advisory measures with the aim of enhancing democratic and good governance principles by implementing a participatory approach to policy development
UNDP provides technical support in the areas of women empowerment, economic governance and trade negotiations, parliamentary development, social development initiatives including support to the needy population, e-training and a number of other human development and related national priorities.

STAND UP and SPEAK OUT:  October 16th & 17th, 2007:
Day of global mobilization against poverty and inequality:

On October 16th and 17th, millions all over the world will once again Stand Up and Speak Out against poverty and inequality and in support of the Millennium Development Goals. The Stand Up and Speak Out initiative is planned to coincide with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October. On this day last year, 23.5 million people stood up against poverty in a 24 hour period setting a new Guinness World Record. They stood up to remind their governments to keep their promises. The promises they made seven years ago with the Millennium Development Goals. The aim is to break the Guinness world Record set last year for the greatest number of people to physically and symbolically “Stand Up Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals” within 24 hours.
This year the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and the United Nations Millennium Campaign plan to mobilize people all over the world to break this record, urging millions more to join this growing global movement. They will demand that their governments keep their promises to achieve the Millennium Goals to end extreme poverty by 2015: The promise to end poverty inequality and hunger. The promise to stop children dying from preventable diseases. The promise to ensure basic education for all children, particularly girls. The promise to stop women dying during pregnancy and childbirth. The promise to provide water and sanitation and to protect the environment. The promise to provide more and better aid, fair trade and debt cancellation. The promise to achieve these goals by 2015. The promises that some of them have not kept. People all over the world will call on political leaders to deliver more and better aid to the poorest nations, implement fairer trade conditions, cancel debt, ensure gender equality as well as greater transparency and accountability from their governments.
We invite you and your esteemed organization to join us and support the goals of this initiative. Participating organizations will be asked to register for the Guinness challenge in the 24-hour period from 12am on October 16th to 12am on October 17th by accessing the following website: www.standagainstpoverty.org. You will then be asked to record the number of people in your organization who stood up and spoke out against poverty.
Stand Up and Speak Out is the growing movement of people no longer prepared to stay seated or silent in the face of poverty and inequality. On October 17th, Stand Up and Speak Out for the Millennium Development Goals. Help us break the world record. So we can break the record of broken promises.