2024 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development

With only six years left until 2030, tracking and reviewing progress in adopting the right policies for achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a crucial endeavour. It is more so in the Arab region, where the recent developments are undoubtedly posing great challenges and delaying the attainment of these ambitious Goals.

In response to this pressing need, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the League of Arab States (LAS), and United Nations agencies working in the Arab region today kicked off the 2024 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development (AFSD-2024), at the UN house in Beirut, gathering high-level delegations and representatives of Arab Governments, regional and international organizations, civil society and private sector, as well as parliamentarians, researchers and academics.

The Forum, themed “Delivering for sustainability and peace”, was inaugurated by Caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati, Minister of Economy of Oman (Chair of this year’s Forum) Said bin Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Saqri, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola Dashti, and LAS Assistant Secretary-General Haifa Abu Ghazeleh, representing Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

“Persistent and recurrent conflicts and fragility are directly impacting 182 million people in 9 countries in this region. It’s against this backdrop that there are signs of hope,” Mohammed underscored. “We need to ramp up action around policies and investments that can drive transformative change. Many Arab countries are already accelerating efforts around key transformations, from clean energy, food systems, and digitalization to social protection reforms and economic diversification,” she added.

AFSD-2024 provides a platform for Governments, the private sector, and other development stakeholders to discuss successful solutions at the policy, financing and technology levels to mobilize action on regional SDG priorities, and increase resilience in times of multiple crises

“We stand united today, not only to work on achieving sustainable development and growth, but also to commit to shaping a future in which children’s aspirations are not buried under the rubble of conflicts, and in which the 187 million people left behind in the Arab region are not a mere number, but rather an essential pillar of our journey towards prosperity, peace and sustainability,” Dashti affirmed. “The SDGs are a promise to the children of Gaza, and to millions like them, that their lives will not be determined by the circumstances in which they were born, and that we will create the opportunities they need to grow,” she stressed.

This year’s Forum will review progress made towards five SDGs: ending poverty and hunger; climate action; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnerships for the Goals. Participants will also discuss digital innovation, governance and cooperation in the Arab region, in preparation for the Summit of the Future to be held next September in New York, which is expected to issue a global digital compact.

Despite efforts exerted over the past years to reduce poverty in Arab countries, progress remains stalled due to the region's multifaceted challenges. Recurring conflicts have a devastating impact on food availability and access for a significant portion of the population. As a result, food insecurity is exacerbated, especially among displaced persons and refugees.

Innovation has seen fluctuating progress in the region: in 2023, only 3 Arab countries were among the top 50 on the Global Innovation Index. Although several Arab States have been striving to provide an enabling environment for innovation, financing, and sustainability remain obstacles to overcome.

The AFSD is the primary regional mechanism for the annual follow-up and review of progress towards the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Its findings and recommendations, conveying key messages from the Arab region and its countries, will be submitted to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, which will be held in July 2024.

For more information and to watch the remaining sessions live, click here.

For opening remarks and the media kit, click here.