‘Kuwait is keen on achieving sustainable development goals’ – Al-Sabeeh speaks at 50th anniversary of UNDP

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NEW YORK, Feb 26, (KUNA): Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind Al-Sabeeh has underscored Kuwait’s keenness to achieve continuous progress towards the implementation of sustainable development goals to stretch not only at the national level of development, but to include constructive cooperation with the countries of the south.

This came in a speech by the minister on the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which began its activities on Wednesday with the participation of more than 80 ministers from various countries.

The minister said the State of Kuwait attaches great importance and care for the implementation of the 17 sustainable development goals resulting from the global sustainable development summit meeting which saw the participation of world leaders.

She added that the meeting tackled ways of eradicating poverty in all its forms everywhere, elimination of hunger, ensuring food security, improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture, good health and well-being, ensuring good equitable education and enhancing educational opportunities for life.

Achievement

She pointed out that Kuwait also attached great significance to the achievement of gender equality, empowerment of all women and girls, ensuring water and sanitation availability, securing access to reliable energy services, promoting steady economic growth, establishment of infrastructure able to withstand, stimulating industrialization, reduction of inequality within countries, taking urgent actions to address the climate change and its effects and finally stimulating the global partnership for sustainable development.

She recalled in her speech the total Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by the State of Kuwait to developing countries and least developed states in 2014, representing 1.4 percent of its GDP.

The minister also affirmed that Kuwait plans to allocate an amount of USD 15 billion through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) to support development projects and help developing states to achieve the goals of sustainable development over the next 15 years.

On the other hand, Al-Sabeeh said Kuwait continues to support the regional and international developmental institutions as an implementation of policies aimed to eradicate poverty and hunger, stating that the State of Kuwait opens its doors to receive large numbers of workers for the sake of creating jobs and contribute to the elimination of unemployment.

“This stems from the keenness of our Humanitarian Leader His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who confirmed in his speech during a summit meeting last September on the importance of the sustainable development goals in promoting environmental sustainability through the development for the benefit of future generations of Kuwaitis.

Meanwhile, UN Development Program (UNDP) Ministerial Meeting wrapped up its one-day event suggesting a shred understanding of the road ahead for development and for UNDP as a “trusted and strategic” partner.

In her closing speech, the UNDP’s Administrator Helen Clark said “we are grateful for your presence, your leadership, and your generosity in thought, action, and commitment to our shared agenda, and for the confidence you have expressed in UNDP.” She assured states’ representatives that their inspiration and recommendations will help guide the programs future work.

She expressed “special” appreciation to all who have journeyed to New York to help shape the world’s future.

Ensuring UNDP can meet expectations, Clark offered the programs’ unconditional support to countries, and called for other states’ help too. “In particular, we benefit from a stable and predictable financial foundation to sustain our multilateral character and our partnerships, and to lead the UN development system,” she added.

That system, she said, relies on the backbone support of UNDP’s universal presence in developing countries and its scale.

Although, the one-day high level meeting has been a celebration of past progress, realism was present via addressing the major challenges which lie ahead. Many countries highlighted their concerns about sustaining the gains they have made over the last decade. Building the resilience of people, communities, and countries to be able to withstand and prosper amid shocks of all kinds is a priority for all.

The UNDP promised to work to integrate risk management into its country support and programming. The discussions held during the day have affirmed that many critical challenges must be tackled with urgency, even in the current constrained global economy.

Kuwait delegation was headed by Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning Affairs and Development Hind Al-Sabeeh.

Al-Sabeeh participated in the opening ceremony of the UN Development Program (UNDP)’s 50th Anniversary Ministerial Meeting, as well other discussions and bilateral meetings that took place on the sidelines of the event.

Minister Al-Sabeeh was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development Khaled A. Mahdi, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi and other officials both from the mission and the ministry.

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