Delivered By: Nora Alawadhi, Third Secretary
Mr. Chair,
I would like to congratulate you on assuming the chairmanship of the Second Committee during this 81st Session of the General Assembly. The United Arab Emirates aligns itself with the statement made by the G77 and China.
Distinguished colleagues,
With four years remaining of the 2030 Agenda, we must continue to drive progress and meet as many targets as possible. The UAE remains committed to advancing the SDGs both at home and abroad, as we laid out in our 3rd Voluntary National Review delivered at this year’s HLPF. As we take up new roles on the Executive Board of the World Food Programme and the Executive Board of UN Habitat, we look forward to renewed focus this year on food security and implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
Considering this year’s theme of financing sustainable development, we must recognize that we meet during a defining moment as geopolitical fragmentation, rising public debt, shrinking fiscal space, and declining development assistance are limiting financial flexibility, even as urgent work is needed to bring finance targets on track.
The UAE maintains its commitment to official development assistance, having distributed USD 12.6 billion from 2022 to 2025. Beyond ODA, this contribution is amplified through a partnership-driven model that showcases innovative financing mechanisms. UAE entities such as the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, Mubadala, Masdar, and G42 actively deliver investments and capacity building initiatives across diverse regions, especially in renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
However, there is a growing need to explore how more innovative financial mechanisms, stronger South-South and triangular cooperation, and reform of the international financial architecture can help continue progress. In particular, closing the financing gap means drawing on the full continuum of capital, including private investment that brings expertise and capacity in addition to financial flows. The Compromiso de Sevilla gave us a roadmap for achieving these goals, and our task now is to deliver on it.
The UAE has also long believed that the free flow of trade and investment are key drivers of development. Securing the safe flow of supply chains, trade, and energy, in accordance with international law, including the law of the sea, and the principle of state sovereignty, is a fundamental pillar of sustainable economic development.
As week seek to scale financing for development, we must consider funding and capacity building to develop emerging technologies, especially AI, in the Global South. The rapid advancement of AI necessitates the development of new safety protocols and common standards for the responsible use of AI, but equally we cannot miss its opportunities, which present perhaps the best hope to accelerate development progress: both issues that should be addressed within the Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
Climate change equally remains a critical long-term risk where we must not lose momentum. The UAE Consensus, adopted at COP28, laid out a clear pathway of action – the focus must now remain on implementation and finance, particularly for the most vulnerable, and we commend Brazil on its COP30 Presidency as well as Türkiye and Australia for their approach to COP31 in this regard.
Finally, we must recognize that some of the greatest risks to a changing global economy remain the most fundamental. SDG 6 is among the furthest off track, and water insecurity now threatens food systems, energy and economic stability. From 8 to 10 December, the UAE and Senegal will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. For the first time, the Conference will include a dedicated interactive dialogue on Investments for Water, which will look at financing, technology and innovation, and capacity building.” We aim for a conference that mobilizes investment, scales innovation and turns commitments into action, and we invite all Member States to participate at the highest level.
I am also pleased to inform that just last week the UAE and Senegal circulated a zero draft resolution for the UN Water Conference to be held on a regular basis following the Conference scheduled for 2028, to ensure that the water agenda continues to move forward. We consider this a critical step towards achieving availability of water and sanitation for all, and count on the support of Member States for this resolution.
Thank you.