Saudi Arabia concludes its participation in the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals in Nations by presenting the Second Voluntary National Review Report
Ashraf AboArafe
Riyadh – Saudi Arabia concluded its participation in the high-level political forum on sustainable development in its current session for the year 2023, which is organized by the United Nations annually to assess the efforts made globally towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals, where the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headed by His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal bin Fadel Al-Ibrahim, presented the Second Voluntary National Review Report, which measures the progress made by the Kingdom in achieving the goals of sustainable development.
In his speech at the United Nations, the Minister of Economy and Planning said: “The sustainable development goals reflect our collective commitment to the process of growth and progress.
It constitutes practical evidence of our efforts to achieve development and protect our planet without leaving anyone behind.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we have employed sustainability in the Saudi Vision 2030, the ambitious transformation program in the Kingdom, as the vision set by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, adopts the principles specified in the sustainable development goals.
Through this vision, we are working to diversify our economy, develop clean technology in key sectors, protect and enhance the environment in the Kingdom, as well as improve the quality of life of our residents and raise living standards, and lead a rising wave of innovation.”
He added, “The framework of this vision leads us towards a future in which the sustainable development plan converges with our national priorities, and we are determined, under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030, to lead positive change – at the local and global levels.”
He continued, “Thanks to the SDGs, we have a clear framework together, and we have the right moral direction and compass to guide us.”
It is imperative for us as countries to continue to inspire and push each other to achieve more, faster.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proven its ability to persistence and steadfastness. We look back at the amazing progress we have made, as we have already accomplished things that some considered difficult or even impossible, but the journey continues and the road ahead is long and we will travel it without any hesitation.
We will firmly follow the path of sustainable development – the only path to preserving our planet.”
The second voluntary national review report submitted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning, monitored the Kingdom’s achievements towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations within its 2030 sustainability plan. It is worth noting that the Kingdom has monitored progress in more than 50% of sustainable development indicators, as the Ministry of Economy and Planning worked on monitoring the achievements and preparing the report, with the participation of nearly 100 entities, including 38 government agencies, 25 private sector companies, and 17 third sector organizations. in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and 16 international organizations of the United Nations.
Throughout the days of the forum, the Kingdom’s delegation participated in more than 33 key dialogue sessions on efforts made towards achieving the development goals within the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development for 2030. This year’s session focused on five of the sustainable development goals, namely: Goal Six: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal Seven: Clean and Affordable Energy, Goal Nine: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal Eleven: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Goal Seventeen: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals.
On the sidelines of the forum, the Kingdom’s delegation organized five side events, during which the Kingdom’s achievements and projects aimed at sustainable development were presented: “Using technology for progress to achieve the sustainable development goals”, “The National Water Strategy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, “The plan to save people and the planet at the heart of achieving the sustainable development goals”, “Circular carbon economy: a sustainable framework for managing carbon emissions”, and “Putting quality of life at the forefront of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts towards achieving Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals.” In addition to the “The Line” city exhibition, organized by NEOM, and a number of bilateral meetings held by His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Planning with a number of senior officials from several countries.
It is noteworthy that the Kingdom’s participation in the high-level political forum this year and the submission of its second voluntary national review report comes as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability through the projects and initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030, and the Kingdom’s commitment to forging partnerships at the national and international levels to enable peace and prosperity and chart a sustainable future for all, and the voluntary national review report submitted by countries during the forum is an important factor for enhancing cooperation at the national level by activating the role of multilateral partnerships in all sectors to monitor the achievements and progress made, in addition to What the report provides as a platform for sharing experiences between countries, between institutions at the national level, and between institutions as well at the local level in cities, villages and deserts, which reflects positively on the quality of development policy development projects.
