DUBAI: The UAE National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals organised the 8th edition of SDGs in Action forum, as part of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024, held in Dubai on 12-14 February. WGS brings together heads of states, ministers, UN officials, representatives of prestigious international organisations, and the world’s top thought leaders and decision-makers.
The forum, which was launched under the theme ‘XDGs 2045: Navigating the Future of Our World’ aims to exchange best practices for achieving the sustainable development goals by providing a platform for global dialogue on advancing the sustainable development goals. The forum is a unique opportunity for world leaders to provide radical solutions to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, facing challenges and reshaping the common future for the coming generations.
The forum also discussed global challenges by presenting innovative solutions, projects and initiatives to accelerate the creation of sustainable solutions to all major
challenges in the world, including technological development, climate change, natural disasters and other challenges.
The forum brought together global leaders, ministers, decision-makers, representatives from global organisations, experts, and advisors in various sectors from all around the world. Participants included Emine Erdogan, the First Lady of Turkiye; Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future; Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director-General of Dubai’s Community Development Authority; Levan Davitashvili, the First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development in Georgia; Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources for the Republic of Azerbaijan and COP29 President; Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency; Devika Vidot, Minister of Investment, Entrepreneurship And Industry of Seychelles; and Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation of Rwanda.
The forum included fruitful dialogue
sessions, aiming to shape a prosperous and equitable future for all by shedding light on key topics, including boosting the pace of growth and change for effective governments, achieving Net Zero, enhancing partnerships and data-driven strategies, modern perspectives on development and future economies, aspirations of future societies, new global transformations, and urban expansion towards new future horizons.
The move complies with the UAE’s persistent efforts to make the SDGs a global call to action in order to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, and ensure peace and prosperity. The UAE always emphasise that these goals are not just global aspirations, but an integral part of the UAE’s development agenda, and are in line with the broader vision for a sustainable and inclusive future.
Great UAE efforts are undertaken in the field of development and foreign humanitarian aid. There are the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, whose assistance exte
nds to more than 170 countries in combating poverty, hunger, and education. There is also a one-billion-meal endowment to help countries around the world fight hunger.
Amine Erdogan, the First Lady of Turkiye, stated, ‘We have supported and will continue to support all initiatives aimed at protecting the Earth entrusted to us, ensuring that we leave it as a habitable legacy for future generations. As the polluted sea washes up on all of our shores, as the polluted air poisons us all, and as the severity of global warming burns us all, we cannot continue to fight our battles separately. If there is any hope, it lies in people who step up, are courageous, and exercise common sense in the face of challenges.’
Abdulla Nasser Lootah, UAE Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee on SDGs, said, ‘The UAE, under the guidance of our wise leadership, continues to move forward towards accelerating the pace of achieving the United Nations
2030 Sustainable Development Goals locally and globally. There is no doubt that the country has become a global role model in this field.’
‘The UAE efforts transcend borders through global partnerships aiming to help countries and communities around the world, especially those who are less fortunate,’ Lootah added.
It is worth noting that in 2016, the WGS launched a platform for SDGs activation, focusing on implementing the 17 global sustainable development goals, which constitute a roadmap for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all people.
Two years later in 2018, the platform launched Partnerships for the Global Goals. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, they touched on preparing for a decade of work for SDGs, while in 2023 it focused on redesigning the future of our world, and defining the principles of 2030 and beyond.
Source: Emirates News Agency
