UAE's GEEP hosts global retreat to advance government collaboration at UN SDG forum - Middle East Business News and Information

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6 days ago

First-of-its-kind initiative convenes global leaders at UN Headquarters to scale partnerships and accelerate SDG implementation through shared government expertise
Dubai, New York, United Nations,July 2025: The Government Experience Exchange Programme GEEP, under the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, convened its first international retreat as part of the 2025 UN High-Level Political Forum HLPF on Sustainable Development, organised by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at its headquarters in New York City.
The first-of-its kind gathering reinforced the UAE's commitment to international partnerships, bringing together global stakeholders to expand strategic collaboration and share government best practices that drive progress on the 2030 Agenda.
Held at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to United Nations, the session showcased the UAE's advanced model in government knowledge sharing and its effectiveness in promoting institutional excellence globally.
It brought together senior representatives from governments, international organisations, and research institutions to explore multilateral and shared experiences that support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Participants exchanged ideas on expanding partnerships across sectors to achieve measurable development outcomes, aligned with this year's HLPF theme: 'Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.'
The session reflected the UAE's ongoing commitment to fostering government modernisation and using knowledge exchange to build more effective, sustainable, and resilient institutions.
Abdulla Lootah: UAE Strengthens Global Partnerships for a Sustainable Future
His Excellency Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange and Chair of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, emphasised the UAE's expanding international partnerships to accelerate SDG implementation worldwide. He noted that GEEP represents one of the nation's key platforms for sharing best practices, driven by proactivity, innovation, and future-readiness.
H.E Lootah highlighted that GEEP includes more than 100 work streams across key areas, including government excellence, services, accelerators, public policies, and competitiveness. He affirmed that hosting this inaugural international session reinforces the UAE's role in enabling international collaboration and directing knowledge exchange toward real impact on the 2030 UN Agenda, building a more sustainable future for all.
Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development:
The session facilitated robust dialogue between government representatives, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society, reinforcing collaboration to accelerate the implementation of 2030 SDGs and deliver tangible contributions to the outcomes of the 2025 HLPF.
Three roundtable discussions were conducted centred on: Global Partnerships SDG17, Safety and Security SDG16, and Sustainable Environment SDG14. Topics included the role of knowledge exchange in accelerating sustainable development, the importance of international cooperation for crisis resilience, and approaches to environmental protection and green transition.
The UAE delegation included leading experts, including Lt. Col.Dr. Ahmed Al Zarouni, Director of International Police from the Ministry of Interior, and Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General from the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi.
UN High-Level Political Forum:
The HLPF on Sustainable Development is the UN's central platform for reviewing and advancing SDGs. Established in 2012, the forum plays a pivotal role in monitoring national and international progress on the 2030 Agenda.
Participating delegations at HLPF conduct assessments of progress toward the SDGs, with this year's forum featuring in-depth reviews of five priority goals: SDG3 ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages; SDG5 (achieving equality and empowering all women and girls; SDG8 promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; SDG14 conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); and SDG17 strengthening and revitalizing the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).