National visions aligning Gulf states with UN SDG targets: GCC chief

NEW YORK: National development visions across the Gulf states reflect a commitment to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council said on Monday.

A day after UN member states voted to adopt the “Pact for the Future,” Jasem Al-Budaiwi delivered an address outlining the position of the Gulf states toward the campaign, which aims to revive multilateralism and rally support for achieving the SDGs, which were launched in 2015.

“At this time, we’re facing an opportunity to reaffirm common principles and strengthen international cooperation to address challenges through effective multilateral action for peace, especially given that global challenges are having an impact on sustainable development at the global level,” he said.

“International indicators point to a slowdown in the implementation of the SDGs; more than 30 percent of them haven’t made progress.”

But the national visions of GCC member states mean that the union has prioritized sustainable development, Al-Budaiwi said.

GCC member states are “convinced of the importance of partnerships in the context of development,” he added.

“I’m proud, as a citizen of the Gulf, of the role that Gulf states play in the implementation of the SDGs in a number of countries across the world,” Al-Budaiwi said.

“The GCC reaffirms the importance of the principles of strengthening peace, as reflected in the ‘Pact for the Future.’”

He called for a global focus on international law and resolving disputes through peaceful means, with a priority being a solution to the Palestinian issue in line with the Arab Peace Initiative.

“As (UN Secretary-General) Antonio Guterres has said, ‘We can’t build our future based on a system built for our grandparents,’” Al-Budaiwi said.

“We must therefore pool efforts in order to ensure that needs of future generations are embedded in all areas. The GCC stands ready to make its contribution to this effort.”