The United Arab Emirates’ delegation participated in several key, high-level meetings on the second day of the 79th UN General Assembly.
HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, hosted several high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings during an event attended by Heads of State and government, and senior officials from international organizations participating in UNGA79.
During the meetings, participants discussed opportunities for cooperation, in addition to several topics as part of UNGA79’s agenda, including the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, addressing climate change, reinforcing global health and prosperity, as well as preventing and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.
At a meeting of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a group of heads of state advocating for sustainable management of the ocean, the UAE announced it will be the first country in the MENA region to join the panel, having been invited to join on the basis of its climate and biodiversity leadership. HE Razan Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion from COP28, represented the UAE at the meeting.
HE Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE, met with Tim Lenderking, the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, and Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria.
HE Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, along with HE Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development Affairs and International Organizations, met with HE Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, to sign a MoU regarding a donation of a hospital to La Guajira, Colombia, which aims to reduce mortality due to malnutrition in children under five and mothers. Additionally, HE Al Hashimy participated in an event on “The Cost of Inaction: Urgent and Collective Support to Scale Up the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region”.
For her part, HE Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, participated in a Sea Level Rise Thematic Panel on adaptation, finance and resilience in relation to rising sea levels, as well as an event on “Galvanizing Momentum for the Global Plastic Pollution Instrument”.
HE Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, participated in the events: “United for Peace in Sudan” and “Unstoppable Africa: the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI)”, which were hosted by the UN Global Compact. His Excellency also met with representatives from various think tanks and the private sector.
HE Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State and HE Dr. Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister for Medical Affairs and Life Sciences, joined the Leaders’ Summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats hosted by Joe Biden, President of the United States. As a core member of the Coalition, the UAE reaffirmed its commitment to the Coalition Pledge and global efforts to combat this crisis, and announced a new joint initiative with Canada to expand public health interventions and increase access to life-saving medications. H.E. Al Sayegh also participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.
HE Khalifa Bin Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State, participated in a joint meeting between the U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Separately, HE attended the GCC joint meeting with the Benelux countries, in addition to the GCC joint meeting with the Nordic Co-operation. His Excellency also attended the 20th Anniversary of the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
HE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Foreign Minister, met with Martin Kimani, Executive Director of the New York University Center on International Cooperation; HE Kevin Rudd, Ambassador of Australia to the U.S.; and David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.
HE Al Shamsi participated in a meeting with senior officials from the Group of 77 and China. His Excellency also met with Feraye Ozfescioglu, CEO of the World Humanitarian Forum.
HE Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Advanced Science and Technology, delivered opening remarks at the Digital for Sustainable Development (D4SD) event. His Excellency also participated in the Paris Peace Forum event “Safeguarding the Physical Backbone of Digital Futures: A Path to Navigate Geo-economic Risks and Security Threats in Transnational Critical Infrastructure Development”.
HE Dr. Barakat participated in a breakfast dialogue on “A Healthier Future through Equitable Immunization”, as well as the Foreign Policy Health Forum.
HE Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, participated in a meeting to discuss the Climate Finance Reform Compass, an initiative aimed at establishing clear, actionable goals for advancing the Global Climate Finance Framework launched at the Conference of the Parties to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was hosted by the UAE in 2023, in Expo City Dubai.
For his part, HE Salem Al Jaberi, Assistant Minister for Security and Military Affairs, participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism.
Sheikha Shamma Bint Sultan al Nahyan, President and CEO of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, met with several CEOs and directors from international companies and institutions to enhance cooperation.
