Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC) and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, have attended a session commending the member states of the United Nations for keeping their ambition levels high towards the two globally transformative landmark agreements in 2015, namely the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, in which the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations called for a collaborative spirit among nations to usher in a life of dignity for all in what should be a fair and equitable world.
"Reform efforts will be crucial for us to successfully realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) laid out by the agreements," Jan Eliasson said.
He said four guiding principles - universality, integrating the UN agenda by comprehensive international planning, using the agenda in an interrelated way, and keeping careful track of the progress of each of the goals to forge global partnerships - will help bring about peaceful and inclusive societies the world over. "This shared vision offers hope to all countries, including the ones suffering from various forms of crises."
Eliasson commended the UAE government for shaping the country's national strategy based on the UN SDGs and called upon other countries to follow its lead. He particularly mentioned the 'smart majlis' in the UAE as an example of an excellent platform that enriches national decision making.
Pointing out that the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda contain 17 goals that are to be achieved by 2030, the UN Deputy Secretary General said, "It is about "ending the tyranny of poverty, tyranny of want [and] to heal and secure the planet. The thread of sustainability runs through the issues of education, health, technology and labor markets that need to be addressed. SDGs reflect the obligation to shape a better future for all. This includes all countries - big and small, rich and poor, peaceful countries and countries facing crisis. The goals are to give a horizon, a hope to all people, especially those on the margins."
Highlighting the role of technology in the pursuit of these goals, he observed, "Technology can help, not least in the areas of health, energy and communications."
On the integration of the agenda by international planning, he underscored the importance of governmental role. "Governments are key to setting the direction. Government leadership can help unleash the human capital, especially the youth, who are a critical component in realizing the goals. Government leadership can also shape the business environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Sustainable Development Goals should be seen as bridges between peace and security and human rights. SDGs are cross cutting and mutually reinforcing."
Pointing out that the UN Agenda calls for both development and humanitarian efforts, he reiterated, "For achieving success, coordination between national, regional and local governments is imperative. It's important for member states to realize how government and civil society can work together including recognising the role of the business community for improving the lot of the people and planet."
However, he pointed out that there is no "standard model for our work ahead" and every nation decides what is important. "What matters is effectiveness and transparency."
Keeping track of progress in the implementation of SDGs is crucially important for the end result, Eliasson told the gathering of government leaders and policy makers. "There is room to improve in areas of health, equality, and gender. More specifically, statistical capacity in development is an area that will require a lot of work in many countries."
The World Government Summit has attracted more than 3,000 personalities from over 125 countries, and 125 speakers in over 70 sessions. The attendees include VIPs and senior experts from the public and private sectors globally, ministers, decision makers, CEOs, innovators, officials, experts, entrepreneurs, academics, and university students. A number of initiatives, reports and studies are being launched during the summit and throughout the year. The summit runs from February 8 – 10, 2016 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.
