DUBAI, 25th July, 2023 (WAM) — A delegation from the UAE government has concluded its participation in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York City.
The delegation attended 24 seminars, held 31 bilateral meetings, and attended in six voluntary national reviews of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The forum was organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and drew more than 1,000 participants worldwide.
The UAE delegation hosted sessions with leaders from the UN's various programmes and organisations and government officials, experts, specialists, and representatives of international institutions concerned with the SDGs. The sessions highlighted the UAE's progress in achieving the SDGs and its commitment to sustainable development.
The UAE delegation also invited several international delegations to participate in global events hosted by the UAE, such as COP28 and the World Government Summit.
On the sidelines of the forum, the delegation met with several personalities from the public and private sectors to discuss opportunities for exchanging experiences and building partnerships to achieve the SDGs. These included Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City; and Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team.
During the forum, the UAE delegation accepted invitations from the delegations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to attend the voluntary national reviews of SDGs.
The UAE delegation highlighted national progress in achieving the SDGs, as well as its commitment to sustainable development. The delegation also discussed several new partnerships and strengthened existing ones.
During the forum, some of the UAE's main achievements and efforts around sustainable development were displayed on the giant Nasdaq screen in Time Square. These included the work of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the UAE Permanent Mission to IRENA, and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.
Abdulla Lootah, UAE Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Chairman of Emirates Competitiveness Council and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on SDGs, described how the UAE government had created a pioneering model for achieving sustainable development.
The UAE is keen to share this model with other countries through the Government Experience Exchange Program and other initiatives that aim to modernise government models and promote sustainable development through innovation, foresight, and the development of frameworks and legislation.
Lootah said, "The positive outcome achieved by the UAE delegation during its participation in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023 reflects the delegation's commitment to exploring collaboration opportunities to accelerate sustainable development, as well as its keenness to share the UAE's experience in creating a legislative framework and policies that support the objectives of UAE Centennial Plan 2071."
The UAE delegation used the HLPF as a platform to present the Government Experience Exchange Program, which was launched by the Prime Minister's Office in 2018 and has so far received participation from more than 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, impacting half a billion people.
The UAE delegation also highlighted the country's preparations to host more than 4,000 participants from more than 190 countries at COP28. The global climate conference is crucial, with the planet this year recording the hottest summer in history.
The UAE, in an effort to diversify its energy mix and facilitate access to clean energy in line with Goal 7 of the SDGs, has supported global renewable energy projects worth more than AED50 billion in more than 70 countries.
The UAE's delegation included representatives from the General Secretariat of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), COP28, SDG Young Leaders Programme, the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and the Government Experience Exchange Program.
This year's HLPF focused on 5 SDGs: Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and Goal 17 (partnerships for the goals).