Delivered by: Fatema Yousuf, First Secretary

I thank you for convening today’s consultation. We thank the cofacilitators – The Netherlands and Jamaica – for providing the draft Issues Paper on the Intergovernmental Process for the Declaration on Future Generations as we continue discussing the guiding principles for the Declaration on Future Generations.

The United Arab Emirates takes this opportunity to reaffirm its support to the cofacilitators on the way forward and the elements in the Secretary-General’s brief “To Think and Act for Future Generations” which served as guidance for these discussions.

The United Arab Emirates aligns with the statement delivered by the G77 and China, and would like to offer some remarks in our national capacity.

First, we believe that the recommendations in the Secretary General’s brief, should be reflected in the outcome of this declaration, namely – (1) Appointing an envoy for future generations; (2) Leveraging better use of foresight, science, and data; (3) Producing a declaration for future generations as a strong commitment; and (4) Establishing a dedicated forum for future generations.

Second, the UAE would like to see some key messages reflected in the draft decision. We were glad to see that many of these ideas are part of the draft guiding principles. These include:

• A commitment to empowering the leaders of tomorrow and inclusivity.
• Strengthening multilateral efforts in the areas of addressing climate change.
• Promoting digital cooperation and information integrity.
• The holistic approach of involving all towards peaceful co-existence.
• Promoting concise, action oriented and future-forward solutions.

We look forward to working with partners and elaborating more on these themes as the consultations proceed.

I thank you.