Bahrain will host a major United Nations (UN) conference on sustainable development next month featuring top government officials from across the Arab world.

The high-level Arab Forum on Sustainable Development, from May 5 to 7, is being organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the UN Environment Programme in co-operation with the Arab League, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel and Spa, where delegates will discuss issues such as youth unemployment, climate change, building resilient economies and promoting peaceful societies.

"Governments from across the world are engaged in a process of negotiating a new global post-2015 Development Agenda that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)," said Bahrain's UN resident co-ordinator and UN Development Programme resident representative Peter Grohmann.

"These sustainable development goals will help measure the quality of all future goals whether its related to health, education, society or other topics."

The UN official was speaking yesterday during a media briefing held at the Social Development Ministry's headquarters in Bahrain Financial Harbour.

He said top ministers from across the Arab world with portfolios spanning the economy, planning, social development and the environment will take part in next month's forum.

"We expect high-level participation from 22 Arab states as well as representation from the Arab League," he said, adding that ESCWA under-secretary-general and executive secretary Rima Khalaf and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) deputy executive director Ibrahim Thiaw would also be present, alongside top officials from other UN agencies.

Over the past year, more than 5,000 Bahrainis have expressed their views on future development priorities through the UN's "My World" survey, Mr Grohmann added.

This initiative gave ordinary people a chance to voice their opinions on what future government priorities should be.

"We are happy to note that the future international agenda on sustainable development has been taken into account in the elaboration of the Bahrain government programme which was recently approved by the parliament," he said.

"The UN stands ready to continue supporting the dialogue and understanding of the post-2015 agenda and, most importantly, its implementation in Bahrain."

Co-chairing the meeting yesterday was Social Development Minister Faeqa Al Saleh and UNEP regional director Dr Iyad Abumoghli.

Al Saleh said Bahrain had been selected to host this important forum because of its history of international achievements in sustainable development, most notably the UN MDG award presented to the Premier in 2010.

"There is a government working plan that will be implemented once the new package of sustainable development goals will be finalised and adopted during the UN Summit in New York," she said, adding that a "Manama Statement" would be issued at the forum's conclusion with a number of key recommendations for regional governments to discuss and act upon.

The UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda will be held from September 25 to 27 in New York, as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly.

It is billed to focus on eradicating poverty, tackling climate change, building resilient economies and promoting peaceful societies. - TradeArabia News Service