The Supreme Council for the Environment and the United Nations Development Programme organize a national workshop on biodiversity

Manama, Bahrain- The Supreme Council for the Environment, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), organized a national workshop entitled "From Targets to Action: Aligning National Biodiversity Monitoring and Policies with the Global Biodiversity Framework” on Thursday in Manama. The workshop was held in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, and included representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society. The workshop reviewed the outcomes of national efforts in aligning the National Biodiversity Strategy with the Global Biodiversity Framework, developing monitoring systems, strengthening policies and sustainable financing. 

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina emphasized that aligning national policies with the Global Biodiversity Framework is a fundamental step towards achieving environmental sustainability. He highlighted the importance of institutional and community partnerships to achieve all formulated national goals and to complete monitoring, follow-up, and planning processes to the fullest extent possible. He praised the prominent role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the importance of continuing cooperation with them to achieve joint efforts aimed at conserving all elements of biodiversity. 

Asma Shalabi, UNDP Resident Representative in Bahrain, affirmed the programme's commitment to supporting the Kingdom's efforts to conserve biodiversity. She added that the progress achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in this area reflects the importance of inter-institutional coordination and joint action, and that UNDP is proud of its partnership with the Supreme Council for the Environment in supporting this path toward a future more in harmony with nature.

The workshop concluded with the adoption of 23 national targets, which have been in development since November 2023 with a monitoring system to track progress in achieving them, and policy framework identified to fulfill this national commitment, which is scheduled to be completed between 2026 and 2031, and enhance readiness to move to more advanced stages, most notably the financing phase.