During her visit to Bahrain earlier this week, ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti discussed potential areas of collaboration in a series of bilateral meetings with ministers and high-level officials.
 
Dashti first met with Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Mutawa, Cabinet Affairs Minister and Chair of the National Committee for Information and Population.  She emphasized the keenness of ESCWA to support Bahrain in transforming its development vision into action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. For his part, Al Mutawa praised ESCWA endeavours to assist his country in developing its statistical system, so as to produce data and information that reflect development progress on the ground.
 
In a meeting with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani, Dashti shed the light on the efforts exerted by ESCWA to increase the effectiveness of its support to member States through the development of its work modalities and tools. In turn, Al Zayani expressed his country’s support for ESCWA and for efforts to boost its performance.

 
HRH Princess Sabeeka Al-Khalifa, President of the Supreme Council for Women, also received ESCWA Chief who hailed the efforts of Bahrain and the Council towards women’s advancement and increased participation in society. Dashti also met Hala Al-Ansari, the Supreme Council’s Secretary-General, and discussed cooperation opportunities between the two entities, including in highlighting success stories of women’s empowerment and establishing a center for women’s studies in Bahrain.


 
Dashti closed her visit with a meeting with H.E. Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy. The two officials discussed a number of successful economic reforms accomplished by the Kingdom and ways of cooperation with ESCWA to enhance their sustainability.