The Minister of Labor and Social Development Sponsors the Forum "Reviewing the National Strategy for Elderly"

10-10-2020

Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development and Chairman of the National Committee for the Elderly, the National Committee for the Elderly, in partnership with Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa Centre for Parental Care, today (Saturday) organised via videoconference a forum entitled “Reviewing the National Strategy for Senior Citizens within the 2030 Vision for Sustainable Development.” The event brought together specialists from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Executive Office of the GCC Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs. The forum explored four core themes: the pillars of sustainable development in an ageing world; health and well‑being as a vital necessity for older persons; building an enabling environment for every age group; and investing in seniors’ energies to generate positive economic and social returns. Opening the session, Humaidan underlined the Kingdom of Bahrain’s determination to keep enhancing services for senior citizens through robust collaboration with the private sector and civil society organisations. He highlighted Bahrain’s legislative advances in this field under the prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country’s great King, may God protect and preserve him, notably the formation of the National Committee for the Elderly in 1984 and the Cabinet’s 2012 approval of the National Strategy for the Elderly. That strategy focuses on development, healthy ageing, a supportive environment, service enhancement and societal integration. Humaidan reviewed the Committee’s milestones, including aligning its work with global best practice to address the rising proportion of seniors worldwide and their integration into national development. He emphasised that comprehensive service upgrades can only be realised through effective public‑private partnerships. Speakers included Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Kamal, Vice‑Chairman of the National Committee for the Elderly; Dr. Faisal Abdul Latif Al Nasser, former Vice‑President of the Arabian Gulf University; and Dr. Saeed Abbas Al Samak, Executive Director of the Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa Centre for Parental Care, who set out recommendations to improve senior‑citizen services in recognition of their lifelong contributions to national progress.