Country:
Bahrain
Implementing Entity:
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Partners:
National Committee for Information and Population, Information and eGovernment Authority
For more information:

Establishing a ministry for sustainable development

Objective

Promote a whole-of-government approach, and coordinate government efforts in the field of SDG data and statistics.

Overview

In 2015, the Prime Minister issued a decision to establish a national committee to follow up on the 2030 Agenda and link it to the Bahraini Government’s programme of work. Resolution No. 19 of 2019 established the National Committee for Information and Population with members consisting of 24 government agencies covering various economic, social and environmental sectors, and the field of statistics. The Committee was headed by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and had the following functions:

  • Organizing the exchange of information between government agencies.
  • Coordinating SDG data updates.
  • Improving data collection and review mechanisms.
  • Providing technical assistance to statistics groups.

In 2022, the Ministry of Sustainable Development was established by Royal Decree No. 25 as an institution inclusive of government policies on sustainability, and a catalyst for government efforts towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The Ministry led the 2023 VNR process by adopting the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The methodology consisted of:

  • Considering stakeholders an essential part of the VNR process. Bahrain was keen to strengthen inclusivity in data collection and to hold consultative workshops with representatives of all different segments of society, including the public and private sectors, civil society organizations, academic institutions, research centres, representatives of young people, women and persons with disabilities, in addition to representatives of the legislative authority, and in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, to ensure accurate measurement of progress.
  • Forming a working group on SDG data, in consultation with the National Committee for Information and Population. The work of this working group would continue post-VNR.
Implementation Phase
VNR process
Guiding Principles
Institutional framework/whole-of-government approach