Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT) held today a workshop, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on the statistical index of human development report in Bahrain. The event, organised at the centre’s premises in Awali, was attended by representatives of relevant ministries, government institutions and international organisations in Bahrain. International expert in gathering and analysing statistical indices Dr. Abdul Hamid Nawar also took part.

DERASAT Board of Trustees Chairman Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa stressed the importance of accurate and new statistical indices in mapping out sound development policies. He underlined Bahrain’s keenness, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, on achieving the sustainable development goals according to international standards. He pointed out the government’s success in achieving an advanced international status for Bahrain in human development and linking its work programme to the sustainable development goals. He noted that Bahrain had prepared in cooperation with UNDP the country action plan document for the period 2017-2020, pointing out the kingdom’s keenness to harmonise the document’s output with the implementation of the sustainable development goals 2030. He added that DERASAT had recently signed a document on joint cooperation with UNDP to prepare the kingdom’s report on human and economic development according to 2030 vision which is based on sustainability, justice and competitiveness.

Shaikh Abdullah emphasised the importance of boosting statistical partnerships to back economic policies and sustainable development in order to carry out the royal directives to further promote national growth and welfare. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah also praised cooperation between Bahrain and the United Nations and its agencies, stressing the kingdom’s unflinching support to the international organisation. DERASAT Board of Trustees member Dr. Ahmed Hashim Al Yusha said the workshop aims to define a roadmap on the statistical requirements needed in preparing the kingdom’s human development report while determining responsibilities for each index and analysing it. The workshop, he added, also aims to inform the participants about the core requirements needed for preparing reports on human development and its benchmark. He underlined the significance of the workshop as a main event in preparing Bahrain’s human development report which will be published by mid 2018. The report, he noted, will represent the dividend of joint efforts by DERASAT and UNDP. The information to be included in the report, he pointed out, will be obtained from data sources available at the national statistical institutions. He also highlighted the role of DERASAT in building a scientific base that depends on statistical indices in serving development.

Resident Coordinator of the UN activities and UNDP Resident Representative Amine Al Sharqawi said UNDP has produced 24 international reports on human development since 1990 and so many other reports on regional and national human development. Those reports, he noted, included an account on human development and provided solutions for key issues. He pointed out that the statistical analysis in Bahrain’s human development report will not only rely on unchanging data but will also take into consideration compared and dynamic statistics. He praised Bahrain’s keenness to issue its human development report which, he said, will constitute an important analysis and help provide solutions regarding sustainable economic development.

The kingdom’s report will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Economic Vision 2030 by HM the King in 2008 and will represent an opportunity to assess the government’s achievements in sustainable economic and human development. It will also constitute a helping tributary for Bahrain’s report on the implementation of the sustainable development goals which is set to be submitted in a high profile political forum at the UN Economic and Social Council in 2018.