New York, Sept. 27 (BNA): The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has conferred the “Information and Communication Technology in Sustainable Development” on His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa during a ceremony held at the United Nations headquarters here, in the presence of countries’ leaders, heads of governments, senior UN officials, diplomatic corps and representatives of Press and media outlets.

HRH Premier is the first Arab Prime Minister to be honoured by ITU, being among leaders who strongly support the use of ICT in achieving sustainable development goals.

Addressing the audience, HRH the Prime Minister expressed sincere thanks and gratitude to ITU Secretary-General for bestowing the top ITU award on him, noting that it will be a catalyst for Bahrain and its people to carry on endeavours to attain more achievements in ICT and all fields related to development.

The award is a global appreciation for all Bahrain citizens who have every right to be proud of it, and are keen on continuing the achievement and dedication march under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Premier said in his televised speech to ITU.

HRH the Prime Minister asserted that ITU honoured him after assessing Bahrain’s giant strides and progress in the telecommunications sector and efforts to take advantage of ICT in boosting sustainable development, which, he explained, has entitled the kingdom to the best destination for telecommunications’ investors.

HRH Premier extended deepest congratulations to ITU officials on ITU’s 150th Anniversary, expressing delight that that the event coincides with the UN’s 70th Anniversary and the UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

HRH Prince Khalifa underscored the crucial role played by ITU in promoting technology and using it to find the best solutions and achieve sustainable development, which, he said, “deserves praise and appreciation.”

“The challenges currently facing the International Community in its quest to achieve sustainable development are inter-linked and require concerted national, regional and international efforts; otherwise the aspired for real and necessary change to ensure a better future for the human kind will not take place,” he added.

ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao delivered a statement in which he explained the reasons for conferring the ITU Award on HRH Premier, noting that the kingdom of Bahrain has for long been a pioneering role model of achievements and success in the fields of telecommunications and information and communication technology regionally and globally, and ranked high in ICT development index. He expressed appreciation to the kingdom for its outstanding efforts to support ITU’s work and functions.

Under the leadership of HRH Prince Khalifa, the Prime Minister, the Government of Bahrain, has continued its serious efforts to support ITU and highlight the importance of ICT in achieving sustainable development through hosting ITU’s conferences and participating in them effectively, he said.

ITU chief Houlin Zhao said that Bahrain had held a huge celebration in New York on the eve of the UN’s 70th and ITU’s 150th anniversaries, which, he affirmed, contributed to boosting ITU efforts and raised awareness on the importance of ICT in achieving sustainable development goals in the coming period.

Commenting on ITU Award, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa extended his deepest congratulations to HRH Premier, stressing that the honouring is a result of his decades-long march of development and good governance and a UN recognition of his crucial role in the progress boom enjoyed by modern Bahrain.

He expressed delight at attending the international ceremony in which HRH the Prime Minister, and the kingdom’s landmark development strides are globally lauded and appreciated.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani said the ITU award granted to HRH Premier was an honouring to all citizens of Bahrain, noting that the Prime Minister is a bright example for all and the prestigious awards conferred on him are a source of pride for all GCC citizens.

He asserted that the ICT award proved Bahrain’s leading role in this regard, and HRH Premier’s confidence in the ability of the Bahraini citizens to use advanced technology.

Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal Ahmed expressed delight at HRH Premier’s honouring by ITU, noting that the event is a compelling evidence of kingdom’s milestone achievements since HM King Hamad’s Accession to Throne.

He affirmed that Bahrain had made quantum leaps in ICT and its infrastructure, and enjoys leading positions in all international indices.

Social Development Minister Faeqa Al Saleh expressed pleasure at attending the historical event in which HRH Prime Minister is granted a top international award, stressing that all Bahraini citizens are proud of the honouring of HRH Premier for his unwavering keenness on achieving sustainable development goals.

She said that thanks to HRH Premier’s directives, Bahrain haa paid utmost attention to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and that the new sustainable development goals set by the UN are already achieved in Bahrain.

Shaikh Hussam bin Isa expressed delight at the international award bestowed on HRH Premier, noting that the award is a global appreciation of HRH the Prime Minister’s milestone achievements in sustainable development which, he said, contributed to improving the citizens’ living standards and enhanced the kingdom’s status.

He pointed out that the core of HRH Premier’s approach in sustainable development was ensuring decent life for the citizens, and therefore human resources development was the pillar of every government action, which, he said, led Bahrain to a regional and international leader in human development reports, and many countries are trying to emulate its experience.

ITU has issued a booklet in which it highlighted its achievements since its establishment in 1865, and stressed the role of countries’ leaders and government in supporting the use of ICT in sustainable development. The booklet lauded HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa’s role in advancing the telecommunications sector.
The Information and Communication Technology in sustainable development award was granted to HRH Premier in recognition of his leadership and outstanding initiatives, the booklet said.

It is to be noted that the ITU Award has been the fourth to be conferred on HRH the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa by the UN or its specialised agencies. He was granted the Scroll of Honour Award in Urban Development and Housing by UN-Habitat in 2006, the Unesco-Avicenna Gold Medal for efforts to support culture, human heritage and UNESCO activities and Millennium Development Goals Recognition Award in 2010.

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BNA 1700 GMT 2015/09/27