DUBAI: As part of the World Government Summit 2024, the XDGS Ministerial Roundtable was held on the first day of the summit to strengthen international cooperation and address growing global challenges.
Participating ministers from various fields met to set an ambitious agenda for global development and cross-border cooperation, under the theme ‘XDGs 2045: Navigating the Future of Our World,’ with the aim of stimulating concrete actions in line with global dialogue and the urgent need to strengthen sustainable development plans by following a comprehensive mechanism and a forward-looking approach to future global development.
This meeting came amid a constantly changing landscape in the twenty-first century and in light of challenges such as climate change, technological developments, and changing geopolitical dynamics, as world leaders face unprecedented challenges, which impose the need to intensify international efforts and coordinate action among countries to confront these challenges and shape the futu
re of international cooperation.
To effectively navigate this uncertain future, leaders must first address a critical question: How can we collaboratively design a strong and just post-2030 global agenda that reflects the changing needs and aspirations of our interconnected world?
The XDGs 2045 Ministerial Round Table aims to set a joint and ambitious agenda to promote sustainable development, and identify practical steps to achieve these common global goals, through the exchange of experiences and ideas between ministers and government leaders, as the Round Table contributed to developing innovative and effective strategies to achieve sustainable development goals in the short and long term.
The round table discussions cover the XDGs 2045 ‘Shaping The Future of Our World’ Report, which indicates the role and obligations that each country must have towards implementing the sustainable development system and standards, which were previously presented in February 2023. The United Arab Emirates activated the
concept of the XDGS 2045 Ministerial Round Table as a dedicated event at the World Governments Summit. For governments to develop radical solutions to the challenges of the unknown future the world may face and practical strategies to achieve specific goals.
The ministerial roundtable was chaired by Eng. Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Chairman of the Global Council on SDG 11, Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund and Special Envoy of the United Nations for Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Chairman of the Global Council on SDG 1.
Ulvi Ramiz oglu Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dr. Heika Harmgart, Managing Director Europan Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner f
or Operations, UNHCR, and Bora Muzhaqi, Minister of Youth and Children of the Republic of Albania, also participated.
Suhail Al Mazrouie said: ‘The United Arab Emirates, through the visionary leadership, is working to solidify the country’s position as an active participant in implementing sustainable development goals through collective action with all nations worldwide, benefiting peoples and communities to achieve development goals and create a better future for all.’
He added: ‘There isn’t much time left until the final deadline agreed upon by the international community in 2030. Promises, ideas, and visions alone are not sufficient today. Instead, the focus must be on action, implementation, and achievement. The challenges facing the world are increasing in size and complexity day by day, making it imperative to launch immediate solutions to enable governments and individuals to efficiently and effectively address the larger and more complex challenges.’
“The summit serves as a platform where governme
nts, international organizations, institutions, academia, and civil society convene to address the challenges and opportunities of the future,” His Excellency emphasized. He further highlighted that the Global Governments Summit offers governments a forum to facilitate and stimulate the sharing of ideas, foster collaboration, and forge partnerships aimed at advancing the global goals beyond 2030.
Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister for Cabinet Affairs on Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, stated that the ministerial roundtable presents a significant opportunity to expand upon the discussions held during last year’s World Governments Summit, which addressed the need to develop the global development agenda for 2030, review current commitments, and analyze future opportunities.
He further added: ‘The commitment of the United Arab Emirates to sustainable development is at the core of the visionary leadership’s vision for the
future of the country, aiming to be one of the best countries in the world. At a time when its experience in dealing with sustainable development goals has become a global benchmark to be guided by, and an inspiring practice from which many governments around the world benefit, aspiring to achieve their national sustainability agendas.’
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin said: ‘The global community must endeavor to make 2024 and the subsequent years a period of fast acceleration towards attaining the 2030 SDGs through effective public, private philanthropy partnerships, significant finance stimulus, knowledge and technology sharing and capacity development,’ he added.
A detailed outline of the renewed global commitment was developed as one of the most important points of discussion, as participants seek to identify effective mechanisms to ensure the commitment of countries and international organizations to achieving the set goals. Emphasis will be placed on developing specific action plans and defining responsibilities
and incentives to ensure that agreed commitments are implemented effectively and comprehensively.
Through these proposed points of discussion, the XDGs 2045 Ministerial Round Table demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation in multiple areas. Hopes are high that this meeting will contribute to developing specific and sustainable action plans to build a better and more sustainable future for all.
It is worth noting that the XDGs 2045 Ministerial Round Table aims to identify the practical steps that should be taken to achieve sustainable development and focus on cooperative efforts among ministers to overcome global challenges and promote sustainable development.
Source: Emirates News Agency