UN Press Release

On 7 February 2007, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Under-Secretary General of
the United Nations and the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN HABITAT) announced that her
organization's highest award for human settlement was to be made to His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Bahrain-

In announcing the Award, Mrs. Tibaijuka said that
the honour was bestowed on Shaikh Khalifa ''for your impressive efforts
in lifting the living standards of all Bahrainis through an active focus on
poverty alleviation and modernization while preserving the cultural
heritage of your country. The role of the UN Habitat Program is to
promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with a
goal of providing shelter for all, especially the poor and disadvantaged.

During the recent UN Habitat meeting in Nairobi, the government of Bahrain held an Exhibition on the manner in which the UN's millennium
Goals, particularly in relation to housing and poverty alleviation
programs, are being addressed under the leadership of His Majesty King
Hamad and Their Highnesses the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince.

This exhibition has now been brought to ... . to enable people in other
countries to be made aware of the development strategies being employed by the government of Bahrain under a program of participatory and
consultative governance. The exhibition also provides an insight into why Bahrain is one of the most dynamic and progressive countries in the Gulf Region today. Shaikh Khalifa will be presented with the Special
Citation at a ceremony in Geneva in July.
The opening of the Exhibition at .. .. on ...- by His Excellency .... will be preceded by a short video on the role and leadership of Shaikh Khalifa in
the alleviation of poverty in Bahrain in the light of his recognition in
being awarded a special Citation to the Scroll of Honour by the UN Habitat.