The Secretariat General of the National Committee on SDGs launched its annual report titled “SDGs – Excellence in Implementation 2018” at the World Government Summit.
Emphasizing the strong connection between the UAE’s National Agenda and the SDGs, Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director General of Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) said that working towards achieving sustainable development goals is not new to the UAE and that it forms an integral part of the general framework of the UAE’s policies. The roadmap for the development of meeting the SDGs of 2030, he said, is embodied the UAE’s national 2021 vision and the UAE’s centennial 2071 vision.
The report included a special message from Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network who praised the UAE’s efforts and that of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority for issuing the report.
“I strongly welcome the report issued by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority – which is the entity acting as the secretariat general of National Committee on SDGs – on the development achieved by the UAE in achieving sustainable development goals.
“It is one of the few countries making a real effort towards a future of prosperous, coexisting and environmentally sustainable societies in the 21st century. The UAE is a pioneer in the Arab world and on an international level in this field,” said Sachs.
The annual report monitors the efforts and achievements of the UAE in its journey towards sustainable development. The report documents the programs, initiatives and policies of 17 entities that are contributing towards achieving the sustainable development goals such as entities from the public and private sectors as well as educational organizations.
The launch of the report was announced in the opening remarks of Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the Sustainable Development Goals in Action forum, which is running on the sidelines of the seventh World Government Summit in Dubai from February 10 to 12.
The report covers the strides taken by the UAE towards its 2030 Agenda through facts and figures. It highlights the UAE’s commitment towards achieving sustainable development goals on both a local and global level. It also touches upon the corporate initiatives and mechanisms which support SDGs in the UAE. A progress report and a detailed explanation of the challenges facing each one of the 17 goals. One or two indices for each goal was also included in the report.
The report includes an analysis for each one of the sustainable development goals and the most important facts and figures that are related to each goal. It also includes details for 17 success stories representing 17 federal, local and private entity to highlight the most important policies, initiatives and programs that are part of the national efforts towards achieving SDG.
The sustainable development goals agreed upon by 193 member nations of the UN and they include 17 global goals covering 169 targets and 232 approved indicators. The goals cover all the needs of both developed and developing nations and emphasize the importance of a global agreement to achieve a better future for humans.
The objective of this vision is to ensure high levels of social, economic and environmental developments at the global level and to address new challenges facing all countries.