The Steering Committee for Sustainable Development has held its second meeting under the chairmanship of Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim and the participation of the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed. The meeting focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Kingdom's performance during 2021, the governance of the goals and the future roadmap towards achieving them. The Minister of Economy and Planning praised the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations' efforts in supporting the achievement of the SDGs and her tireless pursuit regarding climate change and the protection of the natural environment. During the meeting, Minister Alibrahim said: "Saudi Arabia's ongoing work on its 2030 Vision as well as the SDGs will not only ensure a prosperous future for the country, but enable us to meaningfully contribute towards resolving global challenges that the SDGs are addressing". The UN Deputy Secretary-General stressed the importance of sustainable development and lauded the Kingdom's new Sustainable Development Steering Committee which demonstrates the country's commitment to the global goals. She also praised Saudi Arabia's support for UN development projects around the world, especially in terms of empowering women, which still requires a lot of work globally. The UN Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom, Natalie Fustier, expressed the UN's aspiration to strengthen the long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and support it in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Fustier said: "Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals will come from ambitious partnership across society. It is this spirit of partnership that will continue to drive our cooperation with Saudi Arabia. We are excited to proceed on this journey ahead". The Steering Committee for Sustainable Development was formed by a Royal Decree, headed by the Minister of Economy and Planning and includes the membership of 18 government agencies. Saudi Arabia has been an active participant in the SDGs since their inception, and has been committed to achieving these goals since they were approved in September 2015. The ministry is working to create national consistency with the SDGs through its role in supporting government agencies in strategic and executive planning, providing thoughtful analyses and evidence-based studies to relevant authorities and synchronizing sectoral and regional plans. The ministry is also strengthening the role of the private sector in achieving SDGs by developing methodologies and proposals to improve and enhance their role towards sustainability.
