First of its kind regional conference to showcase successful initiatives in green investments, improved regulations and increased capacity at national levels

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -  06 July  2019:    The ‘2019 Regional High-Level Forum on Green Economy’ concluded today (Thursday, July 4, 2019) its meetings in Manama, the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event is part of a series of regional conferences taking place across the globe, covering five key regions, which includes the Asia Pacific, Africa, Americas, Middle East and North Africa, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The three-day event highlighted evidence-based green economy solutions that have successfully been carried out in the MENA region while also highlighting the effective strategies that have been implemented to help achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), HE Sheikh Nawaf Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity and Water Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Dr. Mohammed Mubarak Bin Daina, Chief Executive, Supreme Council for Environment in Bahrain , HE Amin El Sharkawi, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ali Yousef Alnuaimi, Deputy Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of Bahrain  as well as a large number of representatives of United Nations organizations and the public and private sectors.

The ‘2019 Regional High-Level Forum on Green Economy’, was hosted by the Supreme Council for Environment of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is being organized as a collaborative effort between the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO), and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and in close partnership with the UN Resident Coordinator’s office in Bahrain, the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Bahrain (UNIDO ITPO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA), The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

During the event, participants included senior government officials and representatives from international financial institutions, and non-profit organizations, as well as the private sector converged to discuss timely issues and the ways for advancing green economy transition. The sessions touched on topics aimed at promoting green finance in order to meet SDG goals through public-private partnerships, creation of regulatory and policy standards and guidelines for a green economy and increasing capability to support holistic action on green economy at a international level.

“Firstly, please allow me to extend my sincerest acknowledgements to the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting this important forum. I would also like to thank everyone for your attendance and active participation in the 2019 Middle East and North Africa Regional Forum on Green Economy 2019. We value your contributions during the three days of the forum, as we addressed the most important issues facing by the green economy while sharing effective practices in the Middle East and North African region. The forum has introduced an economic agenda based on green practices and sustainable approaches and initiated new opportunities for the region, which is now looking towards building and enhancing a future based on green economy. The recent outcomes of the forum and other regional ministerial conferences, which have yielded promising initiatives, will undoubtedly provide the world with a new impetus to continue to pursue green practices to promote the transition to a sustainable green economy,” said HE Saeed  Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman, WGEO in his speech during the forum.

“Governments recognize the essential need to work hard to achieve green economy, by developing and implementing policies that support the creation of new methods to manage natural resources and ensuring its sustainability for future generations. We have seen growing participation of the private sector in new projects and initiatives, including the transformation of their operational systems using sustainable production tools and processes. We at the World Green Economy Organization are working to strengthen public-private partnerships and supporting the sector to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 key objectives across the region,” added Al Tayer.

“The success of our efforts to bring about the desired transformation depends on global fruitful cooperation and close coordination. In our ongoing efforts to make our planet sustainable, we must adopt an operational system of collaboration and partnership at a global level--where all stakeholders can benefit and contribute to common aspirations. The World Green Economy Organization sees tremendous potential in the MENA region to adopt and become a global leader in the green economy transition. Despite the challenges posed by climate change and the scarcity of resources, we will continue our efforts to find new solutions to meet our different needs. We are confident that raising our vision towards achieving higher goals from the production level to the rationalization of consumption and the mitigation of the environmental impact of our daily activities, will make a major difference to the way we live. This will eventually result in turning the challenges we face into opportunities to innovate and make a new reality in the region, founded on sustainability and prosperity. Thank you and I hope what you have taken from this forum will bring multifold benefits to your respective countries,” Al Tayer said. 

As a regional event, the 2019 Regional High-Level Forum on Green Economy is being presented as a strategic platform for knowledge sharing wherein participants at the event can improve and enhance their level of understanding across green trends and the benefits, advantages and opportunities to be gained. The event also serves as a networking opportunity for the region’s most active players in championing the green economy which will result in the forging of cooperation initiatives that address the needs of other countries as they expand their efforts in sustainable practices. 
 “The MENA region is seen as a key player in the move towards achieving a green economy. This event is being held to help set the tone as to how countries in this area can benefit from the opportunities in green investments and how standards and guidelines can complement green growth initiatives. The opportunities, including replicable projects showing sustainable results for both developed and developing countries are already in play and all we need to do now is to strengthen our commitment towards creating more opportunities for expansion in the region based on green economy principles and practices,” noted HE Dr. Mohammed Mubarak Bin Daina, Chief Executive, Supreme Council for Environment in Bahrain.

The forum also highlighted the evolution of the WGEO and its role in catalyzing the green economy agenda through an activity-filled agenda that included special thematic sessions on solar investment transition to a green economy, and a talk by the UNFCCC on the climate action. The WGEO executive training course on scaling up the transition to a green economy in line with the goals of the SDGs, will be provided within the framework of the conference.