On 24 October 2017, the Government of Bahrain signed a Strategic Partnership Framework (SPF) with the United Nations (UN). The SPF—Bahrain’s first ever—covers the period 2018-2022. Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and UN Resident Coordinator Amin El Sharkawi co-signed the framework document. Four UN system agencies resident in Bahrain and 12 non-resident UN system agencies, including the IAEA, have subscribed to the framework. Ms Najat Mokhtar, Director of the Division for Asia and the Pacific in the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation, signed on behalf of the Agency.
This framework builds on the successes of past cooperation between the Government of Bahrain and UN system agencies. It responds to specific national policy and program priorities laid out in the Government’s Economic Vision 2030 and the Government Programme of Action, 2015-2018, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other internationally agreed development goals and treaty obligations.
Planned partnership results from the SPF correspond to five of Bahrain’s strategic priorities, namely: (1) Promote security and stability, the democratic system and foreign relations; (2) Establish a strong and diversified economy and a stable financial system; (3) Empower Bahrainis to raise their contribution to the development process; (4) Sustainable management of strategic resources and ensuring sustainable urban development; and (5) Enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of government performance. UN system agencies will contribute policy advice and develop capacity at national and local levels to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of national policies and programmes and to prevent negative social, environmental, and economic impacts.
The IAEA will be able to contribute to the SPF by providing technical assistance according to the request of Bahrain in the following priority areas:
- Health and human development;
- Food security and nutrition;
- Water quality and sustainability; and
- Emergency preparedness.
This support will contribute to the achievement of SDGs 2, 3, 6, 13, 15 and 17.
In recent years, the IAEA has worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Supreme Council for Environment providing technical cooperation activities designed to strengthen national capacities and capabilities for preparedness and response to radiation emergencies, improve water and food quality, and support cancer management.
