Blitz Bureau
THE United Arab Emirates’ delegation participated in several key high-level meetings during the 79th UN General Assembly, according to WAM. UAE representatives attended the launch event for the ‘Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development (AI4SD)’ platform – a UAE-UN Development Programme partnership.
The innovative initiative will leverage the transformative power of AI and cross-sector collaboration to improve the data available to decision makers and key officials in the Arab region.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, participated in the event. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the UAE President, participated in a fireside chat entitled, ‘A new Middle East: War, diplomacy, and emerging technology in a transforming region’ with Fred Kempe, President of the Atlantic Council, organised by the Council.
Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, met with Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, to sign a MoU establishing mutual exemption of entry visa requirements between the two countries. Al Hashimy, along with Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Affairs and International Organisations, also met with Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced the UAE’s significant partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to support 20 countries in the Global South to advance their renewable energy and climate goals. By raising the ambition of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the UAE is supporting efforts to close gaps and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
In addition, Al Dahak attended the ‘Turning Methane Pledges into Action’ event, hosted by the International Energy Agency and the COP29 Presidency. She also attended the events: ‘Accelerating Solutions at the Intersection of Climate Change and Food Security’ and ‘Leveraging ambition for 30×30 and beyond: the road to CBD COP16’.
Al Dahak also participated in a Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships dialogue on ‘Delivering Climate Action through National-Subnational Collaboration’, along with the Global Renewable Summit 2024 HighLevel Plenary on Global Renewables.
Sheikh Shakhboot Al Nahyan, Minister of State, participated in the 6th Summit of the European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East (ECAM), as well side events on ‘Africa’s Natural Resources Shaping the Future’ and the ‘UAE-Africa Trade Corridor’. His participation in these events reflects the UAE’s commitment to promoting sustainable, long-term prosperity and development in Africa.
Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, and Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister of Medical Affairs and Life Sciences, participated in a meeting of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.
Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Foreign Minister, engaged in discussions with Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State; Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; as well as Martin Griffiths, former UN Under-SecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, participated in the event ‘Climate, Relief, Recovery, and Peace: Enabling Climate Action in the most Vulnerable and Fragile Settings’.
