Jihan Hassan Al Marzouqi
The term “sustainability” began in international literature since the eighties of the twentieth century, when it was initially used to refer to human sustainability on the planet, a concept that paved the way for the most prominent and most common definition of the terms “sustainability” and “sustainable development”. This definition came in the report of the United Nations Environment and Development Commission issued on March 20, 1987, “The Protend Report”.
This concept in international law has gradually crystallized through a number of international agreements, most notably the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development (1992), which laid the legal principles of principles such as “reserves”, “pollutants pushing”, and “justice between generations”, as international obligations of a directive nature of states in their development policies.
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change 2015 is a contemporary model of binding international legal mechanisms, as it obliges states parties to take effective measures to mitigate carbon emissions and enhance environmental adaptation, within an international legal framework based on the principle of “climate fairness” and taking into account the privacy of developing countries.
The United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 also represents a legal and ethical road map of a semi -binding nature, which includes 17 goals and 169 goals, calling on countries to align their internal legislation and national policies with these goals, in a manner that ensures respect for the right to development, and achieve environmental and social justice.
The alignment of national legislation with international agreements related to development and human rights has become a legislative and institutional necessity to achieve sustainable development. Most countries show their commitment by inserting the right to development within their national constitutions, enacting laws for environmental protection, achieving social justice, and developing health and social protection systems.
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a clear example of the pursuit of a sustainable, balanced development that corresponds to international obligations and national privacy. Bahrain has adopted a national economic vision for the year 2030 based on the principles of justice, competitiveness, and sustainability, as the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, was based on a firm commitment to international responsibility and achieving sustainable development through clear -cut national initiatives. The Kingdom of Bahrain represents a distinct regional model in harmonizing the paths of development with international standards, while preserving the national and constitutional identity. The Bahraini orientation highlights as a regional model in achieving a balance between economic development, social justice and environmental protection, with a clear commitment to the integration of efforts with international frameworks, by implementing a national strategy for digital transformation and innovation, which included developing electronic infrastructure and digital government services, in a way that contributes to reducing the environmental impact, increasing the efficiency of services, and launching renewable energy initiatives.
In a leading step at the global level, the Bahraini parliament embodied its commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals 2030, by obtaining the international accreditation of the ISO 14001 environmental management system as the first parliament in the world to be called the “Green Parliament”. This achievement comes in line with the thirteenth goal of the sustainable development goals, which is concerned with climate work and environmental protection. In this context, the House of Representatives continues to implement practical plans that support the trend towards environmental sustainability, including the expansion of green surfaces, the shift to the use of clean energy, and the increase in the number of environmental trees inside the council. The Council also organizes the green parliament week, and specialized workshops are held on sustainable environmental management, as well as organizing an internal exhibition to display environmentally friendly products.
The initiatives also include the launch of the “Towards Paper Board” campaign, the establishment of a day for afforestation in the vicinity of the council, the installation of energy and water -saving devices, in addition to installing electronic screens to display daily energy consumption indicators, which contributes to raising environmental awareness within the legislative institution, and reflects its practical commitment to applying sustainable development concepts.
In the context of the principle of justice between generations, which is the cornerstone of many international agreements, such as a declaration on the environment and development (1992), which emphasized the duty of states to protect the environment and preserve the natural resources of future generations. Although future generations are not effective parties at the present time, the international legal system urges the adoption of long -term perspectives in formulating policies and legislation. This means integrating the interests of future generations into decision -making. The role of future generations in sustainable development is located, as it is not limited to being future beneficiaries, but also the moral conscience and the legal goal that national and international policies are directed to.
