UNSDCF Private Sector consultation

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Dear friends,

Good morning. I am pleased to welcome you today at this Private sector consultation workshop, which is being held as part of the process for developing the Cooperation Framework between the Government of Bahrain and the UN for 2025-2029. 

I would like to thank our UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion office for bringing us together and providing a platform for consultations. 

Also thank you all for your presence and your engagement. At the UN we think of the private sector as a key development actor – in creating jobs and income, in generating investments and in innovating and driving change. When the sustainable development goals were formulated in 2015, it was already clear that they cannot be achieved without a concerted effort by the private sector. 

The development of the new Cooperation Framework for Bahrain is taking place at a critical time for Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, which is in peril globally.

More than halfway to the deadline, the Sustainable Development Goals -the SDGs- are severely off-track worldwide. The COVID19 pandemic stalled and reversed global progress especially those in ending poverty and hunger, while millions of children lost out on schooling. Before the COVID recovery was complete, the war in Ukraine generate massive commodity and fuel price shocks. Alongside we are seeing escalating impacts of climate change. 

But against this backdrop, there are signs of hope. 

World leaders gathered at the SDG Summit at the UN Headquarters in NY in September last year. 

They adopted a political declaration that provides a road map for resetting the world's trajectory toward achieving the SDGs by 2030. 

In September this year, the Summit of the Future in New York will unite world leaders to forge a new international consensus on delivering a better present and safeguarding the future. 

The Summit will be pivotal to turbocharge the SDGs and reinvigorate multilateralism.

It is within this context that the United Nations Country Team in Bahrain is gearing up as part of its longstanding partnership with the Government of Bahrain to continue supporting the Kingdom in achieving the SDGs by the 2030 deadline. 

During this consultative process, we have been building on the important results achieved during the the current cooperation framework, as well as the strong coopeation mechanisms developed during the past years with the Governenent of Bahrain, Private sector, and Civil society.

Dear participants, 

The private sector is critical to achieving the SDGs – by creating employment, building skills, spurring innovation, providing essential infrastructure, and supplying affordable goods and services. 

The private sector is also crucial to SDG achievement as an investor of much-needed capital. Through its partnerships with private-sector actors, UN can influence the adoption of inclusive and sustainable business practices.

Just two weeks ago, on 23-26 April, there was the SDG Investment Fair in New York, where different companies from all over the world presented their innovative ideas and investment projects for the SDG achievement. I am glad that Bahrain was well presented at the Investment Fair, as well as other global events on that week. 

In the same spirit, today’s workshop is a golden opportunity for you to bring the private sector perspective and share your suggestions for the priorities and planned activities of the UN Country Team under the new UNSDCF. We will make sure your vision is captured and acted upon in the coming future. Your input will help us determine how we can best help Bahrain achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline.

Thank you again for your presence and your engagement!

We look forward to learning from you.