Bahrain participates in the meetings of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs in Amman
19-12-2019
The Kingdom of Bahrain participated in the thirty‑ninth session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs, held in Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and concluded yesterday. The Kingdom’s delegation was headed by His Excellency Ahmed Yousef Al-Rowaie, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Jordan, in the presence of Mr Khalid Abdul Rahman Ishaq Al Kooheji, Assistant Undersecretary for Community Development at the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. The meeting addressed several substantive items, including two strategies for eliminating multidimensional poverty in Arab countries and matters concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, within the framework of follow‑up to the social dimensions of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. The ministers also considered the draft guiding law for older persons, which sets out basic principles for safeguarding the rights of individuals in older age and the obligations of States towards this group. The Council approved the new composition of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs for the 2019–2021 session, with the Kingdom of Bahrain confirmed as a member alongside seven other Arab States. During the session, the Kingdom’s delegation reviewed key developments and initiatives undertaken by Bahrain in the field of social protection and the development of legislation related to the protection of families and children, as well as the types of initiatives implemented in social protection, in addition to the development and updating of systems and legislation related to child protection in line with international standards. The Arab ministers also discussed the draft Arab Guide for Child‑Friendly Justice, which sets out guidelines for Arab countries in establishing and developing judicial bodies, investigative authorities, and police stations that take into account the best interests of the child and are equipped to deal with this group. They likewise discussed updating the Arab Family Strategy and preparing a modern strategy for family counselling.