The World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 encouraged and promoted the development of a 10-year framework of programs to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production to promote social and economic development. Ten years later, the Rio +20 Conference reaffirmed that Sustainable Consumption and Production was a corner stone of sustainable development. The summit then approved the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10 YFP) in both developed and developing countries.
Although the 10 YFP seeks to enhance sustainable consumption and production patterns in both developed and developing countries, it supports capacity building, and facilitates access to technical and financial assistance for developing countries for this shift. The framework also encourages innovation and cooperation among all stakeholders.
The ten-year framework for sustainable consumption and production contains many programs of priority for the Arab countries. Those programs require intensive work in order to turn them into projects and action plans aimed at achieving the goals of the framework and following up on the implementation of the sustainable development initiative in the Arab region and the resolutions of the World Summit on Sustainable Development Conference.
It has been agreed that the priorities of the Arab world within the ten-year framework program are based on the following topics:
- Sustainable buildings and installations
- Sustainable government procurement
- Sustainable Tourism
The Kingdom of Bahrain has succeeded in integrating these priorities with in its national programs, as the Economic Vision for Bahrain, 2030 adopted the principles of sustainability, competitiveness and fairness. Also, the successive directives of the Cabinet and government departments to implement Vision have confirmed the need to focus on achieving sustainability in production and rationalizing consumption in all sectors of the state and its programs.
In this context, the Supreme Council for the Environment (SCE) has put a practical road map on how to apply the framework programs and take advantage of the opportunities offered in the 10 YFP. The SCE is currently working with the relevant sides in the kingdom to launch the first project of the framework.