Bahrain attends UN meeting

New York , (BNA) The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, Ambassador Jamal Fares Al-Ruwaie, participated in the meeting held by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. During the meeting, held to launch the United Nations Mental Health and Well-being Strategy in the workplace, the Permanent Representative stressed that mental health and well-being are at the center of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said the Kingdom of Bahrain has established with the Group of Friends the Mental Health and Well-Being alongside Canada and Belgium earlier this year to raise awareness of the issue at the United Nations and to ensure further action to address this global challenge. Ambassador Al Ruwaie pointed out that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s participation in organizing the high-level event on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly last September reflects its aspiration along the Group of Friends to build on the momentum that has been mobilized for at the United Nations to achieve the desired objectives of the strategy. The strategy aims, among other things, to create a workplace that promotes mental and physical health and well-being and to support the staff living with mental health challenges, he noted. It also aims to continuously develop, deliver and evaluate mental health services and well-being at all work places as well as to ensure sustainable financing of mental health and welfare services. The strategy, in its broader sense, includes several things, the most important of which are the issues that affect children and youth and their mental health and how societies can manage issues such as bullying and addiction and reduce the psychological diseases stigma. It also seeks concerted international efforts and cooperation of civil society organizations to mobilize support for the establishment of health centers and provide them with the necessary medical capabilities to be able to diagnose and treat diseases, especially in needy places.