6 April 2014: Participants called for developing an Arab strategy for sustainable development and a road map to invest in the green economy, at the Arab High Level Forum for Sustainable Development. The meeting served as the Arab regional preparation for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR).
The 2014 sessions of the HLPF and AMR will focus on lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda. At the AMR, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and Sudan will give National Voluntary Presentations on their MDG progress.
Forum participants considered discussion paper by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), titled ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): An Arab Perspective.’ The paper notes that progress on the MDGs has been unequal and uneven in the Arab region, which has failed to transform its wealth into improvements in human well-being for all Arab countries. Participants in the Forum recognized the region’s heterogeneity, noting that it includes some of the world’s poorest countries and countries with high per capita income. Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have achieved many MDG targets. In contrast, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) such as Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania and Yemen lag behind on most MDGs, while Iraq, Somalia and Sudan are even further behind as a result of conflict, weak infrastructure and lack of resources, among other factors.
Noting that “sustainable development can never be achieved without the prevalence of peace and stability,” the paper recommends mainstreaming institutional issues across the SDGs. It also recommends mainstreaming culture in different goals, recognizing culture as “an important dimension of development” that reinforces other dimensions. The Arab region has proposed ten SDGs addressing: extreme poverty and hunger; decent jobs; quality education and lifelong learning for all; women’s empowerment and gender equality; healthy lives; access to water, sanitation and energy and sustainable use and management of natural resources; sustainable food production; quality housing and infrastructure services in rural and urban areas; peaceful societies and effective institutions; and global partnerships for sustainable development. The region has also proposed targets that focus on Arab priorities.
The Forum, organized by ESCWA and partners, convened in Amman, Jordan, from 2-4 April 2014.
The Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) is expected to discuss the Forum’s outcomes during a session in May 2014, with the aim of adopting and submitting them to the 2015 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit. [Meeting Website] [Sustainable Development Goals … An Arab Regional Perspective] [Arab Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development (in Arabic)] [Framework for a Green Economy Investment Roadmap for the Arab Region (in Arabic)]