United Nations in Bahrain

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. With 21 United Nations Entities represented in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the work of the United Nations encompasses all 17 SDGs.

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13 December 2024

On Human Rights Day, a UN-facilitated Workshop Highlights Human Rights in Artificial Intelligence

"Human rights must be placed at the core of AI", Acting Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain Ahmed Ben Lassoued said during a symposium on "Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights" organised Thursday by Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark Human Rights Day (10 December), in cooperation with the United Nations International Telecommunication Union Middle East Office.Ben Lassoued affirmed that globally coordinated AI governance is the only way to harness AI for humanity's benefit while addressing the associated risks and challenges, stressing the role of the United Nations, including fostering digital collaboration, supporting the global exchange of best practices, building capacity in AI, and safeguarding human rights within and through AI."The United Nations Charter and international law serve as valuable foundations for the United Nations' work in promoting cooperation in artificial intelligence, including adjusting frameworks and leading global discussions on this vital issue."The new United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework between the United Nations and the Government of Bahrain for 2025-2029 highlights the country's advancements in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and financial inclusion as pivotal opportunities to drive progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).By strategically leveraging these key enablers, the framework will seek to accelerate SDG implementation, strongly emphasising integrating youth as active contributors to the development process.The symposium was organised in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union's Regional Office for the Arab States. It enabled a productive exchange with partners from the Government of Bahrain, the United Nations, and the Civil Society to develop frameworks and guidelines safeguarding human rights within and through AI.Mr Adel Darwish, ITU Regional Director for the Arab States, addressed opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence, highlighting the efforts of the ITU and the United Nations in increasing awareness of artificial intelligence and how to use it optimally, in addition to shedding light on the ethical and legal frameworks in this regard.

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02 December 2024

The UN in Bahrain Holds a Leadership Engagement Session on Disability Inclusion

On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on 3rd December, the United Nations Country Team in Bahrain conducted an internal leadership engagement session on Monday dedicated to streamlining disability inclusion in the work of the United Nations in Bahrain. "At the United Nations in Bahrain, we recognise the need for participation, representation and inclusion of persons with disabilities at all levels, and their right to shape the conditions of their lives actively," said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad. "The need to include persons with disabilities is more apparent now than ever. The complete realisation of the human rights of all persons with disabilities is an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms," he said, highlighting the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy.The strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations. The session underscored the importance of inclusion not only in policies affecting persons with disabilities but in all areas of the United Nations. Representatives from UN entities in Bahrain, attending virtually and in person, reflected on the various initiatives undertaken to strengthen the participation and leadership of persons with disabilities, including training programmes and forging partnerships to integrate and promote disability inclusion.The session also emphasized Bahrain's pioneering role in including persons with disabilities, underscoring that the Kingdom was one of the first countries to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 (acceded in 2011). The United Nations and Bahrain have a long-standing cooperation in disability inclusion, including designing and implementing the Action Plan of the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022-2026), launched by the Government in 2023.The theme of the 2024 celebration is Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. The leadership of persons with disabilities is epitomised by the global disability rights movement's slogan, "Nothing About Us Without Us". It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation, and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to shape their living conditions actively."Persons with disabilities already disproportionately bear the brunt of the crises scarring our world — from conflicts and climate disasters to poverty and inequalities — because of persistent discrimination, stigma, and barriers to basic rights and services. But they are also often denied their right to contribute to solutions to these crises," the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.He recalled that at the recently adopted Pact for the Future, held in September at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the world's countries committed to correcting this injustice for persons with disabilities of all ages, for present and future generations."On this important day, and every day, let's work with persons with disabilities to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future for all people," Mr Guterres said.

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24 November 2024

Bahrain UN Country Team Gender Theme Group Strategises Advancing Gender Equality in 2025

Since its establishment in 2023, the Gender Theme Group (GTG) of the Bahrain UN Country Team (UNCT) has been driving efforts to enhance gender mainstreaming efforts across the UN’s work in Bahrain. With a commitment to achieving tangible results for women and girls, the GTG recently held a two-day strategic retreat to review achievements and set ambitious priorities for 2025.UN Women and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) as co-chairs of the GTG, led the retreat with the participation of UN-Habitat, OHCHR, IOM, UN Information Center (UNIC) and WHO and with the support of the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO).The retreat kicked off with a review of the GTG workplan 2024 implementation and progress on the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard (GES). The group assessed the annual workplan to identify advancements in integrating a gender perspective into the UNCT joint work. Based on this progress, the GTG drafted the Scorecard annual report, selecting five performance indicators to demonstrate improvements in the UNCT’s collective efforts on gender equality . During the retreat, UN Women introduced the GTG study conducted this year to calculate members’ staff time contribution to the GTG, and which offered key recommendations to strengthen GTG capacity to drive gender results for the UNCT’s joint work. Drawing on the results of the study and other insights, the GTG developed key actions to include in the team’s 2025 workplan.On the second day, UN Women facilitated capacity building sessions to support the GTG in implementing its workplan in line with the global standard and procedures for Gender Theme Groups. The training included a refresher on the Gender Equality Marker (GEM), a tool to assess resource allocation in activities in the UN Country Team Joint Workplan that promote gender equality. An introductory session on Gender Mainstreaming followed, providing guidance on how UN agencies can more effectively integrate gender equality perspectives in their programming. Additionally, a session on gender-based results monitoring and reporting was conducted to examine gender-responsive monitoring structure and explore practical methods for including measurement for gender-related changes to the indicators.The retreat reinforced the GTG’s role in driving accountability and building capacity for UN gender-responsive programming within the UNCT. As Bahrain continues to advance gender equality in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5, the GTG remains committed to achieving cohesive, transformative results for women and girls, contributing to the broader realization of the SDGs.“Building on this year’s achievements, the GTG will ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central to the UNCT’s joint work in Bahrain bolstered by the technical training conducted during the retreat. The GTG’s collective efforts will ensure that the UN Country Team is able to collaborate effectively with our national partners and contribute to the national development priorities of the Kingdom of Bahrain around women’s empowerment and the Beijing Platform for Action” said Josephine Moss, GTG co-chair and Regional Coordination Specialist from UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.With a clear roadmap for 2025, the GTG is poised to strengthen its impact on gender equality, ensuring that the UN’s work in Bahrain remains inclusive, effective, and aligned with global standards.

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18 November 2024

Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs Visits Bahrain

Dr Felipe Paullier, Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs and Head of the UN Youth Office, visited Bahrain from 3 to 8 November to participate in launching the “Hope Network”, a global youth support network initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain."My visit to Bahrain has been an incredible opportunity to connect with inspiring young leaders and support the launch of the Hope Network, a platform that brings together governments to exchange best practices and strengthen initiatives with and for youth," said Dr Paullier, highlighting Bahrain's crucial role in hosting this initiative.He also emphasised the role of such a platform during a time of global momentum in youth empowerment, which requires maximising cooperation and collective efforts. Dr Paulier explored with Bahraini officials, including His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, H.E Ms Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, and H.E. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al Noaimi, Minister of Information, impactful opportunities to empower youth."Every moment has been focused on amplifying youth voices and building impactful partnerships. We look forward to scaling up our collaboration to support young people in Bahrain and beyond," he said.Dr Paullier also met the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Bahrain, discussing how empowering young people by providing spaces for their meaningful engagement can deliver on the UN's Youth2030 strategy. "Mainstreaming youth issues is our best chance to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030", he told the UNCT.
"The UNCT will build on the outcomes of this visit to continue working with partners to engage and empower Bahraini youth," said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Mr Khaled El Mekwad. The Hope Network’s mission is to advance youth affairs through global policy exchange and strategic national planning to fully leverage the potential of youth as a vital human capital resource. The network also has initiatives to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), allowing youth to launch their own initiatives and creating a helpful environment to support such efforts.This aligns with the UN Youth Office, which leads system-wide collaboration, coordination and accountability on youth affairs, balancing how the United Nations works with and for young people in all their diversity. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN Youth Office was created “to advance efforts towards stronger advocacy, coordination, and accountability for and with young people.”

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26 February 2025

The UNCT and the Government of Bahrain Kickstart the Implementation Phase of the Cooperation Framework

The United Nations Country Team and representatives of the Government of Bahrain came together today at a workshop in Manama to kickstart the implementation phase of Bahrain’s Cooperation Framework 2025-2029.“The Cooperation Framework is built on strategic engagement, ownership, and co-leadership. This new phase is an opportunity to translate our shared commitments into concrete actions. This requires structured coordination, clarity on roles and responsibilities, and a results-driven approach,” said Khaled El Mekwad, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain. “Alignment with national priorities, stakeholder collaboration and engagement, and effective and sustainable financing are the key elements of success in implementing the Cooperation Framework.” El Mekwad said. The workshop aimed to identify 3 to 5 strategic priorities per outcome set forward by the Cooperation framework, update the list of stakeholders—including United Nations entities, government ministries, and agencies—and explore the engagement of other relevant stakeholders to ensure an inclusive and impactful implementation process.Participants reflected together to determine the priority areas where the United Nations can provide strategic support and add value to the country’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The workshop’s outcomes will allow ministries, United Nations entities, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure coordinated implementation mechanisms, including Joint Results Groups. Signed in December 2024, the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework identifies four key Strategic Priorities: 1) Social Equity and Well-being, 2) Sustainable Economic Transformation, 3) Governance, Justice and Human Rights, and 4) Environmental Resilience & Sustainability.

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28 August 2025

UNCT 2024 Annual Report showcases a year of progress toward the SDGs

The United Nations in Bahrain 2024 Annual report, released today, showcases a year of impactful collaboration, innovation, and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was handed over to the Government during a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Through strategic partnerships with the Government of Bahrain, civil society, and the private sector, the UNCT has delivered results that reflect the country’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive development,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad. “This report is more than a reflection of our joint work with the Government of Bahrain—it’s a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around shared goals, and it demonstrates how the UN system continues to support Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and its national development priorities,” El Mekwad said.The report emphasises the collective achievements of the United Nations in Bahrain across key development areas. Main highlights include strengthened policy support for climate resilience, sustainable and healthy cities, and an inclusive green transition. Additionally, there has been enhanced youth engagement through education and innovation programs, expanded initiatives promoting women’s leadership and economic participation, as well as accelerated digital solutions for public service delivery and governance. As the closing year of a five-year Cooperation Framework cycle, 2024 was also a year of transition and looking forward, marked by the consolidation of achievements, high-level multilateral engagement between the United Nations and Bahrain, as well as multistakeholder consultations leading up to the signing, on 23 December 2024, of a new Cooperation Framework for Bahrain for 2025-2029.

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27 August 2025

UN Report: One in four still lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and children’s agency (UNICEF) issued Tuesday as World Water Week gets underway, highlights persistent gaps in access, with vulnerable communities facing the greatest disparities.Some 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water, while 106 million worldwide are forced to rely on untreated surface sources.“Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges, they are basic human rights,” said Ruediger Krech, Director of WHO’s Environment, Climate Change and Health Department.Clear disparitiesThe report finds that people in least developed countries are more than twice as likely as people in other countries to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services, and over three times as likely to go without basic hygiene.“These inequalities are especially stark for girls who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF’s head of water, sanitation and hygiene services.Data from 70 countries reveal that while most women and adolescent girls have menstrual materials and a private place to change, many still lack sufficient supplies to manage their needs safely and with dignity.We must act faster’Some 1.7 billion people still lack basic hygiene services at home, including 611 million with no facilities at all.“We must accelerate action, especially for the most marginalised communities, if we are to keep our promise to reach the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Mr. Krech.“At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach – reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most,” said Ms. Scharp.

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26 August 2025

Putting water management at the centre of the climate change fight

Currently underway in Stockholm from 24 to 28 August, the 35th World Water Week meeting highlights the crucial link between water and global warming, under the theme, Water For Climate Action.At the core of sustainable development and basic human survival, safe drinking water is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production – and healthy ecosystems.Meanwhile, reliable water supply is also at the heart of adaptation efforts in an increasingly warming world.Landlocked countriesImproved access to water is creating new opportunities for people in some of the world’s most remote communities, particularly in landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). On Wednesday, UN-Water – which coordinates the UN’s work on water and sanitation – will bring together LLDCs that have demonstrated substantial progress towards ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).This session will provide an opportunity for other LLDCs to draw lessons from the progress made by Bhutan, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia in ensuring safe drinking water and effective water management.Innovative financingThe lack of safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services, severely impacts human well-being, dignity and opportunities – especially for women and girls.Indeed, contaminated water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices are still undermining efforts to end extreme poverty and control disease outbreaks in the world’s poorest countries.On Thursday, UN-Water and partners will galvanise donors and other key collaborators to address financing gaps in water and sanitation provision.Discussions will focus on different models and building alliances to unlock innovative funding mechanisms for safer universal access.

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20 August 2025

World Humanitarian Day 2025: Aid workers mull record toll of their own

With the news on Tuesday that a record 383 aid workers were confirmed killed in the line of duty last year, one veteran UN aid worker based in Gaza reaffirmed the resolve of humanitarians everywhere to save lives and relieve suffering, no matter how challenging the situation. Speaking to UN News from the wartorn enclave to mark World Humanitarian Day, Olga Cherevko from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that exhausted aid workers continue to show up for work “day in and day out”.Approaching two years since the start of the war in Gaza, Ms. Cherevko emphasized the commitment of her Palestinian colleagues, “the doctors, the nurses, aid workers who many of them have, lost everything and several times over”.Red lines crossedIn comments in support of aid workers everywhere, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that humanitarian teams “are the last lifeline for over 300 million people” impacted by conflict or disaster.Despite their lifesaving role, funding cuts are having a serious and negative impact on the world’s most vulnerable people, Mr. Guterres warned, while those who provide aid are increasingly under attack as “red lines are crossed with impunity”.This is despite the fact that such attacks are prohibited under international law, the UN chief continued, noting that although governments have pledged action to protect them, “what is missing is political will – and moral courage…Humanitarians must be respected and protected. They can never be targeted.”Powerless to helpFrom her base in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, Ms. Cherevko reflected on the nature of humanitarian work today and the frustration that aid teams often face when their lifesaving missions are delayed, preventing them from delivering assistance at scale.“I think as a humanitarian, I feel powerless sometimes in Gaza because I know what it is that we can do as humanitarians when we're enabled to do so, both here in Gaza and in any other humanitarian crisis,” she explained.“The fact that we continue to face massive impediments for delivering aid at scale, when our missions are delayed, when our missions lasted 12, 14, 18 hours; the routes that we're given are dangerous, impassible or inaccessible.”Surge in killingsLatest data indicates a 31 per cent surge in aid worker deaths compared to 2023, driven by the relentless conflict in Gaza.The Strip saw 181 humanitarian workers killed in 2024, with 60 more fatalities in Sudan. More widely, violence against aid workers increased in 21 countries in 2024 compared to the previous year, with State actors the most common perpetrators.Worryingly, there is no sign that the trend is slowing this year, with 265 aid workers killed as of 14 August this year, according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database.Amid early reports that Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and ongoing uncertainty about the Israeli plan to pursue a complete military takeover of the enclave, OCHA’s Ms. Cherevko highlighted the need for a permanent end to the conflict.Aid teams are exhausted and “everyone's still showing up (to work), but courage alone and commitment alone isn't going to feed people, isn't going to save people”, she insisted. “What we need is, again, a permanent ceasefire. We need political solutions to this conflict and a resolution to this crisis.”According to OCHA, most of the aid workers killed last year were national staff serving their communities, attacked in the line of duty or in their homes.An additional 308 aid workers were wounded, with 125 kidnapped and 45 detained in 2024.“Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy...Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end.”Why do we mark World Humanitarian Day?On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.Each year, the international day brings together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.The theme of this year’s commemoration overseen by OCHA is an end to the attacks on humanitarians and civilians and impunity under International Humanitarian Law. “We urge those in power to #ActForHumanity,” the UN agency said.

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19 August 2025

The orange economy: Where creativity fuels prosperity

Up pops the vibrant world of an orange economy, also known as the creative economy.But, what exactly is it, and how does it foster peace, accelerate sustainable development and empower communities?UN News/Hisae KawamoriThe former Colombian culture minister Felipe Buitrago, co-coined the term orange economy with the former President Iván Duque Márquez.What is the orange economy?The term “orange economy” was first coined by former Colombian former President Iván Duque Márquez and former culture minister Felipe Buitrago, a colour which resonates across cultures in creative, religious and cultural spheres.In an exclusive interview with UN News during the fourth UN-backed World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF) held recently in Manama, Bahrain, Mr. Buitrago explained why.“When you think about activities such as audiovisual, filmmaking, television, video games, music in all its forms as well as crafts, visual arts, theater and also, activities like design, fashion, and increasingly other digital expressions of communication, you are talking about something that represents us, our identity in various forms,” he said.“Those creative expressions live together in a very rich ecosystem where you have creators, you have dreamers, but you also have doers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, and that’s a very powerful sector of the economy,” he addedThe power of creativity in BahrainUN News/Hisae KawamoriAmmar Bashir, a Sudanese interior designer who currently resides in Bahrain.In the heart of Bahrain, Ammar Basheir, a Sudanese interior designer, found himself at a crossroads after returning from his studies in the United Kingdom. Faced with a job market that demanded experience he didn’t have, he took a leap of faith, unknowingly pioneering a path in the burgeoning orange economy.“I was rejected from all the jobs I applied for because I had just graduated,” he recalled.The orange economy, as he puts it, is “the new kid on the block”, gaining recognition as a powerful engine for creativity, economic growth and cultural preservation, and a sector where collaboration and mutual support are key, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.“The beautiful thing about the orange economy is that the capital is the person’s idea,” said Mr. Bashir, whose company's capital exceeded $10 million in three years, a testament to the power of creativity in generating wealth and employment. “We discovered that creativity brings money and creates jobs for people,” he said.© UN-Habitat/Julius MweluComuna 13 is a hillside community in Medellín, Colombia.Promoting peace and understandingThe orange economy plays an important role in promoting peace and understanding between peoples, former culture minister Mr Buitrago said, spotlighting an example of feuding gangs in Comuna 13 in Medellín, Colombia.“We had two gangs that were actually brought together by a government and the mayor’s office, which created a joint festival of rap and reggaeton,” he explained.With one gang being pro-rap and the other pro-reggaeton, organisers erected a stage that alternated between music styles. By sharing the spotlight, the gangs realised their mutual passion for music, that reggaeton and rap were not so different and that they could co-exist, he said.“That actually reduced violence and helped them actually to start finding different ways to promote the development of the communities,” he added, “instead of trying to just control them by fear.”Connecting culture to commerce in MoroccoUN News/Hisae KawamoriFatima Zouhra and her family own Yatto, which specialises in making dolls dressed in traditional Moroccan clothing.Fatima Zouhra, a young artist from Morocco she and her family own a family business called Yatto, which specialises in making dolls dressed in traditional Moroccan clothing. The word yatto, as Fatima explained to UN News, is a Moroccan Berber name that is easy for everyone to pronounce.“During the lockdown, we just stayed at home, nothing to do,” she said. “My sister, my mother and I made a lot of dolls because my mom sells a lot of dolls. We found that we had a lot of dolls, so we dressed them up.”After the lockdown, they took part in an exhibition in Morocco and sold the dolls.“People really liked the dolls, being very Moroccan because the little children play with American Barbies,” she said. “We would like to give the idea to the children to play with Moroccan dolls, with Moroccan clothes.”Accelerating SDGsBut, how is the orange economy helping to accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is considered a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet? Mr. Buitrago explained.“If you examine the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), you’ll notice that none of them explicitly mention the words culture, arts or creativity,” he said. “However, if you delve deeper, you will find that creativity, culture and art serve both as means and ends of the SDGs. This is very powerful because culture is an excellent and important tool that brings people together to achieve many of the SDGs.”He said culture facilitates employment, inclusion, ecological sustainability of cities, better education and cooperation.“When we gather, when we converse, when we share our perspectives of the world, we are engaging in a cultural exchange,” he added. “This is crucial for achieving the SDGs."Empowering women in EthiopiaUN News/Hisae KawamoriSamrawit Mersiehazen, a visionary creative designer from Ethiopia.Samrawit Mersiehazen, a visionary creative designer from Ethiopia and the creative director of Samra Leathers, is using fashion to challenge economic imbalances and empower women in her country.“In the fashion industry, we give lots of job opportunities, especially for women, and we add value for women and society,” she told UN News, underlining the significance of the orange economy in addressing pressing issues in Ethiopia and across Africa.Highlighting a gap in educational support for creative industries, Ms. Mersiehazen that although the Ethiopian Government has established over 20 major universities in the last two decades, none focus on nurturing talents in creative fields.“We produce lots of doctors, engineers, which after they graduate, they’re looking for a job for lots of years,” she said. “These big facilities didn’t help with job creation. So, this kind of the orange economy with the creative industry people like me, provide lots of job opportunities, especially for women.”Ms. Mersiehazen’s enterprise demonstrates how the creative sector can lead to substantial employment opportunities. Samra Leather, known for its products ranging from bags to clothing for both men and women, stands as a beacon of what can be achieved when creativity is leveraged as an economic force.A call to cherish cultural artifactsWhen contemplating the dynamic world of the orange economy, the phrase’s co-founder Mr. Buitrago voiced a reminder to not overlook the cultural artifacts that shape people’s identity.“The message is sometimes we take for granted that there’s a craft or that there’s a painting or that there’s a melody from our heritage, and that’s dumb,” he said.“We need to take it seriously because that’s a message from the past that is being told to us by somebody that is alive today and that is willing to engage with us in dreaming about the future.”

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Press Release

28 August 2025

The United Nations in Bahrain Releases its 2024 Annual Report

The report emphasises the collective achievements of the United Nations in Bahrain across key development areas. Main highlights include strengthened policy support for climate resilience, sustainable and healthy cities, and an inclusive green transition. Additionally, there has been enhanced youth engagement through education and innovation programs, expanded initiatives promoting women’s leadership and economic participation, as well as accelerated digital solutions for public service delivery and governance. “Through strategic partnerships with the Government of Bahrain, civil society, and the private sector, the UNCT has delivered results that reflect the country’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive development,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad. “This report is more than a reflection of our joint work with the Government of Bahrain—it’s a testament to what can be achieved when we unite around shared goals, and it demonstrates how the UN system continues to support Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and its national development priorities,” El Mekwad said.As the closing year of a five-year Cooperation Framework cycle, 2024 was also a year of transition and looking forward, marked by the consolidation of achievements, high-level multilateral engagement between the United Nations and Bahrain, as well as multistakeholder consultations leading up to the signing, on 23 December 2024, of a new Cooperation Framework for Bahrain for 2025-2029.

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Press Release

12 March 2025

The Secretary-General Press Encounter on the UN80 Initiative

Our world is facing challenges on every front. Since the United Nations reflects that world in all its aspects, we feel it in all our work. These are times of intense uncertainty and unpredictability. And yet certain truths have [never] been more clear: The United Nations has never been more needed. Our values have never been more relevant. And the needs have never been greater. At the same time, we know the more the UN does together to address big challenges around the world, the less the burden on individual countries to do it alone. The United Nations stands out as the essential one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights. But resources are shrinking across the board – and they have been for a long time. For example, for at least the past seven years, the United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all Member States pay in full, and many also do not pay on time. From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious reform agenda to strengthen how we work and deliver. To be more effective and cost-effective. To simplify procedures and decentralize decisions. To enhance transparency and accountability. To shift capacities to areas such as data and digital. And, significantly, the Pact for the Future and UN 2.0 are exactly about updating the UN for the 21st century. These efforts are not ends in themselves. They are about better serving people whose very lives depend on us. They are about hardworking taxpayers around the world who underwrite everything we do. And they are about ensuring the right conditions for everyone serving under the UN flag as they undertake their critical work. For all these reasons, it is essential that an organizational system as complex and crucial as the United Nations – subjects itself to rigorous and regular scrutiny to assess its fitness for purpose in carrying out its goals efficiently. And this 80th anniversary year of the United Nations is a prime moment to expand all our efforts, recognizing the need for even greater urgency and ambition. That is why I have informed yesterday UN Member States that I am officially launching what we call the UN80 Initiative. I have appointed a dedicated internal Task Force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder – and composed of principals representing the entire UN system. The objective will be to present to Member States proposals in three areas: First, rapidly identifying efficiencies and improvements in the way we work. Second, thoroughly reviewing the implementation of all mandates given to us by Member States, which have significantly increased in recent years. Third, a strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and programme realignment in the UN System. Under the leadership of the President of the General Assembly, I will consult closely and regularly with all Member States on the progress made, seeking guidance on the way forward and presenting concrete decisions for discussion and decision-making when appropriate. My objective is to move as soon as possible in areas where I have the authority – and to urge Member States to consider the many decisions that rest with them. This goes far beyond the technical. Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet – they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world. We must ensure value for money while advancing shared values. The need is great and the goal is clear: an even stronger and more effective United Nations that delivers for people and is tuned to the 21st century. And I thank you. *** Q: Secretary-General, on Ukraine – Ukraine has agreed in principle to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. What’s your message to Russia at this time? And can we also get your reaction to the growing global trade war? SG: First of all, in relation to the ceasefire, we of course will welcome a ceasefire in Ukraine. Too many people have died. A ceasefire is indeed a positive thing, and we hope that it will materialize. And we hope that it will pave the way for peace, a just peace. And you know what are the parameters that we consider relevant for a just peace: the Charter, international law and the resolutions of the General Assembly. Q: And on the trade war? SG: I think we live in a global economy. Everything is interlinked. And obviously, one of the great advantages of having a situation of free trade is to create the conditions for all countries to benefit. When we enter into a trade war, I believe all will lose. Q: Secretary-General, good morning. Is this UN80 initiative a UN version of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency we are seeing in Washington? Do you anticipate significant UN staff cuts? SG: First of all, nothing to do with that kind of initiative. We are talking about completely different processes, methodologies and objectives. This is a continuation and an intensification of work that we have always been doing. I’ll give you just an example: We have been investing in Nairobi, creating the conditions for Nairobi to receive services that are now in more expensive locations. And UNICEF will be transferring soon some of the functions to Nairobi. And UNFPA will be essentially moving to Nairobi. And I can give you many other examples of things that are being done and correspond to the idea that we must be effective and cost-effective. Now, the recent cuts that were made in relation to humanitarian aid and development cooperation – and not only by the United States, there were other cuts by other countries, even if in a smaller dimension – naturally have led to the need by the agencies that deliver those services to reduce staff, to shrink their dimension and to eliminate many activities. But again, this is not a problem for the United Nations. I mean, agencies are resilient and so, when necessary, they adjust to the circumstances. And indeed, thousands of staff have been laid off by several agencies. But the problem is not for the UN; the UN is resilient. The UN can adapt itself to the circumstances. The problem is for the people – I mean, if more people will die with HIV/AIDS or malaria or with TB. If [the cutoff of] humanitarian aid to fragile communities will make their life even more difficult and will have dramatic consequences, not only from a life-saving perspective but from the perspective of the most basic forms of well-being, that is something we cannot correct. We can adapt the UN, consolidate the UN, make the UN more effective and more cost-effective. What we cannot do is solve the problems of the people that we no longer are able to assist, for lack of resources. Q: Secretary-General, to quote you: The United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all Member States pay in full and many do not also pay on time. What is your message to these bad offenders against the United Nations? And you’re welcome to name and shame a few. SG: Pay in full and pay on time. Thank you very much. *****

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