The Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka visited the Kingdom of Bahrain on 6-8 February 2007, at the invitation of H.E. Shaikh Khalid Bin Abdalla Al-Khalifa, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Court. During her visit the Executive Director was received by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin  |  | | Executive Director with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Prime Minister of Bahrain |
Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. His Highness reiterated to the Executive Director the strong support of the Kingdom of Bahrain to UN-HABITAT activities in the Arab region. This support was enhanced by a Government pledge of one million US dollars to boost UN-HABITAT activities in the Arab region, and particularly, in the Palestinian territories as follows:
US$ 500,000 for the Technical Cooperation Trust Fund of the Special Human Settlements Programme for the Palestinian People; US$ 200,000 for UN-HABITAT Flagship publications in Arabic, and US$ 300,000 for identification and implementation of municipal management, and municipal finance systems in Bahrain. During her visit Mrs. Tibaijuka also met with the Ministers of the Prime Minister’s Court, Municipalities and Agriculture, Works and Housing, State for Foreign Affairs, and the Advisor to the Prime Minister for Cultural Affairs. She visited the UN-HOUSE in Al Manama where she met the |  | | Executive Director with Minister of Works and Housing H.E. Hahmi Al Jouder |
Resident Representative and the regional representatives of UNEP, UNIDO and UNIC. The Executive Director also visited a number of ongoing urban development projects in the Capital City Al-Manama and potential development sites. Mrs. Tibaijuka commended the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the significant socio-economic strides achieved during the past decades under the dynamic leadership of His Majesty the King of Bahrain and His Highness the Prime Minister. The visit provided an opportunity to review ongoing and potential mutual cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and UN-HABITAT. At the end of her visit, the Executive Director addressed a Press Conference attended by representatives of local, regional, and international media in which she expressed deep appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for its continued support to UN-HABITAT and for the generous financial contribution and expressed hope that this will encourage countries in the region to do likewise. |
