Cyber Gear UAE Today
Guest Posts
 

World-Renowned Officials to Attend ’SDGs In Action 2018’ Forum

The National Committee on the Sustainable Developmental Goals announced today that global high-profile participants will be attending this year’s ‘SDGs In Action event’, that will take place on February 10th, 2018 in a pre-summit gathering right before the World Government Summit 2018. 

The global experts will be joined by an anticipated 300 international, regional and local participants expected to attend this year’s sessions at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam hotel, and engage in high level talks, discussions and dialogues on topics related to the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). The topic ranging from eradicating poverty, gender equality, and affordable clean energy to economic growth, peace and social justice. 

World Bank Group Senior Vice President Mahmoud Mohieldin said "Ending poverty is essential for sustainable development. This goes beyond just a lack of income, since people who live in poverty also lack access to healthcare, education, water and many other essentials -- and are more vulnerable to discrimination and economic shocks. Current estimates suggest that more than 800 million people live on less than US$1.90 per day, the level of extreme poverty. We must help these people lift themselves out of poverty in order to achieve the sustainable development goals." 

Achieving the SDGs, Mohieldin said, will require collaboration between government, the private sector, aid agencies, multilateral institutions, civil society, and citizens. "We all have to work together at the local, regional, and global levels, using flexible approaches, sharing knowledge, measuring progress effectively, and recognising that the various SDG targets are interconnected. The ‘SDGs in Action’ discussions at the World Government Summit will serve as an excellent opportunity to engage leaders and policy makers from the around the world to help us reach these ambitious goals," added Mohieldin. 

"‘The SDGs in Action even is an important venue for peer to peer debate on the practical solutions needed to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. The OECD, as a key partner, looks forward to continuing to contribute to the SDGs in Action event this year’." noted OECD’s Mari Kiviniemi, who is returning to the ‘SDGs In Action’ for the second year. 

''We are witnessing an unprecedented expansion in renewable energy which is emerging as an important pillar of global efforts to address climate change and implement the sustainable development goals (SDGs),'' said Adnan Z Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. 

"Accelerated deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures can achieve 90 percent of the decarbonisation needed to keep the rise of global temperature well below 2. 

At the same time, scaling up decentralised renewable energy solutions has the potential to meet up to 60 percent of the universal energy access targeted by 2030. Doing so will transform health, education, create jobs and improve economic prospects for many countries and communities around the world," added Mr. Amin. 

For his part, Imad Fakhoury, Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, called for promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth in order to secure productive employment and decent work for everyone. 

"Creating jobs must be top priority for policymakers everywhere, as it helps individuals become more stable economically, and improves the overall prospects for sustainable development. Reforming the national human resources development value chain along with embracing technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and SMEs coupled with focusing on improving doing business environment and empowering economically women and youth represent critical prerequisites to reducing unemployment – particularly among the youth.'' He added that he looks forward to engage in conversations that can ultimately enhance economic growth by providing further support, in particular to innovative and entrepreneurial micro- small- and medium-sized businesses with a focus on both start-up and scale-up phases will boost job creation and contribute to the overall national economy." 

New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Helen Clark urged policymakers to focus on proposing and implementing legislation that directly support implementation of SDG 16, saying: "Peaceful and inclusive societies are fundamental ingredients for sustainable development. We must provide full access to justice for everyone. Robust and transparent institutions allow societies to uphold human rights and curb discrimination against and exploitation of vulnerable groups." She also tackled the role of youth in the successful delivery of the SDGs. "Around the world we see youth promoting poverty eradication and peace and justice; launching grassroots advocacy campaigns and youth-led data monitoring and accountability initiatives; and contributing to high-level consultations. I am delighted to know that in this year’s ‘SDGs in Action’, the youth will take a big part in the sustainability dialogue," added Clark. 

Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director General of Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority and Deputy Chairman of the National Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals in the UAE, said: "We are privileged to host some of the world’s most renowned experts and policy makers on sustainability in the upcoming ‘SDGs In Action 2018 session’. The participation of our global partners is a testimony to the strategic role the UAE is playing in the global effort to achieve the UN’s global sustainability agenda. We look forward to fruitful engagements and impactful collaboration and that can drive the world forward in achieving suitability and prosperity by 2030" 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations and covering a broad range of social and economic development issues. These include poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment and social justice. The SDGs are also known as "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" or Agenda 2030 in short. 

View News Headlines


We accept guest posts, contact us now  
Another Cyber Gear site