The UAE will continue to promote peace

Members of Al Fursan aerobatics demonstration team of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) perform during Abu Dhabi Air Expo 2022 in Abu Dhabi. EPA

Following four days of dynamic activity, in-depth conversations, and compelling presentations, the 17th Forum of UAE Ambassadors and Representatives of Missions Abroad concluded last week after bringing together senior members of the country’s diplomatic corps and other notable experts and leaders. The majority of attendees were the dedicated men and women who are stationed worldwide across the UAE’s multitude of missions, tasked with forging invaluable strategic partnerships.

This year’s Forum was held under the title “The United Arab Emirates, a Bright Present and a Promising Future”, with ministers, senior officials, ambassadors, heads of UAE missions abroad, directors of departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, and government institutions and agencies in various fields in attendance. The Forum was a platform to exchange views, discuss developments on various regional and international issues, and co-ordinate efforts to better achieve the aspirations of the UAE’s leadership.

The Forum’s 25 sessions and its distinguished speakers consistently underscored the UAE’s commitment to pursuing a foreign policy that promotes peace, stability, prosperity, and the well-being of peoples in the region and beyond. The UAE firmly believes that the coming decades will require more communication, integration and co-operation in the political, economic, technological, health and food fields.

The Forum also reiterated that the UAE will continue to enhance its position and active regional and international role, building on its previous successes in building bridges with other countries based on mutual respect and a commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, as well as supporting international stability while promoting co-existence.

Another key takeaway was that our values will continue to be the main driver of our foreign policy: respecting international law and the sovereignty of states, supporting a policy of negotiation and dialogue, respecting the principles of openness and partnership, and working to reinforce peace and achieve common benefits in a way that contributes to stability and prosperity both regionally and internationally.

These principles have been part of the UAE’s path since its founding as a country more than 51 years ago and continue to be followed today under the leadership of President Sheikh Mohamed.

Our diplomatic corps is diligently co-ordinating efforts to achieve the aspirations of the UAE’s leadership

Over the next 50 years of our country’s trajectory, this focus on economic dynamism will underpin our pursuit of advanced development through technology, innovation and knowledge-based growth, with the UAE's focus on signing Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements helping to make the UAE a global capital for investment and economic innovation. The UAE’s youth are the country’s greatest asset, and they will serve as the torchbearers of the UAE’s legacy as a nation focused on prosperity, human welfare and global partnership.

During the panel I moderated on “Cop28: Women in Diplomacy – Champions of Climate Change Mitigation”, it was a pleasure to hear from Shamma Al Mazrui, the Minister of Community Development and UAE’s Youth Climate Champion, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan, President and CEO of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, and Nawal Al-Hosany, the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency. These inspiring officials discussed the importance of leveraging women’s expertise to strengthen climate action and international co-operation. Cop28 will be the most significant multilateral event the UAE has ever hosted, and the Ambassador’s Forum provided a key platform to bring senior leadership and UAE government officials together to co-ordinate efforts in the run-up to this momentous conference.

The Cop28 UAE logo on a globe, at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Abu Dhabi, on January 17. Reuters

Other panels and sessions were equally significant, with discussions and presentations focused on plans for the next 50 years up to the UAE’s Centennial in 2071; the UAE’s commitment to renewable energy projects, both at home and abroad; catalysing a phased energy transition and encouraging greater adoption of renewable technologies; bolstering international co-operation; and broadening and deepening economic partnerships with both current and potential international partners. Sessions included speeches on such subjects as “International Co-operation in Confronting Global Challenges”, “Upholding Human Rights in Support of Sustainable Development Goals”, and “Digital Transformation in Promoting Economic Development: Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence”.

As the fourth day concluded, and the Forum venue emptied for the final time this year, sending the Ambassadors and Representatives of Missions Abroad on their overseas assignments once more, those who call the UAE their home – citizens and residents alike – can be assured that our diplomatic corps is diligently co-ordinating efforts to achieve the aspirations of the UAE’s leadership and is building upon current success and ensuring continued growth, and we can be confident of significant achievements yet to come.