The Arab league Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul-Gheit affirmed Sunday the importance of pushing forward sustainable development agenda for the year 2030 to regain the region's footing prior to pandemic. This came in a speech made by Aboul-Gheit, inaugurating fourth edition of Arab week for sustainable development titled "Together for Sustainable Recovery", co-organized by Egyptian Ministry of Planning, and Economic Development, the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union. Aboul-Gheit called for quick, coordinated and comprehensive response based on Arab solidarity to support more fragile economies and seizing opportunities presented by the ongoing health crisis. The Secretary-General affirmed the importance of raising awareness relating to environmental policies in development, reinstating sustainability at the forefront of national and international priorities, reinforcing national policies of dealing with emergent situations and catastrophes and supporting communities in facing such unexpected challenges. On the Arab front, Aboul-Gheit indicated that unified economic report of 2021 pointed out that total production in Arab States recorded a deflation of 11.5 percent compared to 2019, and loss in local production was estimated at more than USD 220 billion for the year 2020, first year into pandemic. He commented that these burdens further weighed down the region and contributed to deterioration of situations within countries suffering from conflicts including Tunisia, Lebanon and Sudan. Aboul-Gheit added that the decline of development indicators due to pandemic caused the expansion of differences among nations and therefore the increase of inequality, raising multidimensional poverty figures as well as unemployment creating a climate in which societal faults could thrive i.e. violence, gender inequality and child labor. He further stressed the importance of providing added financial resources to accelerate execution of sustainable development goals (SGDS), calling on international partners and financial institutions to increase allotments designated for the Arab region, so that it would be able to meet commitments in timely manner. Commenting on the environmental aspect, Aboul-Gheit stated it is one of the three pillars of sustainability. Aboul-Gheit said that investing in sustainable projects and encouraging environmental initiatives, supporting small and medium institutions working in field of technological innovation could significantly heal impact of climate change and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Aboul-Gheit stated that the Arab region would be hosting climate summits for the years 2022-2023 in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The summit will handle issues of climate change, nationalizing technology and providing financial resources to support climate adaptability projects. The Secretary-General expressed hope that this opportunity would be taken to support the interests of Arab nations as they are most affected by food security, water scarcity and other issues threatening societal stability and sustainability, and also hoped that this brings forth recommendations serving Arab efforts in resuming execution of SGDS. Arab week for sustainability, to be held over three days, will include brief presentations on report of financing sustainable development in Egypt, and others in relation to launching Arab network for science and technology, role of youth, societal initiatives in facing climate change. — KUNA
