UAE: Investing in development reaps peace

Abu Dhabi (Etihad)

In a statement delivered by Her Excellency Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and Permanent Representative of the State to the United Nations, before the UN Security Council, a few days ago.
The UAE emphasized that sustainable development and peacebuilding go hand in hand, and that excluding women and youth from development delays the achievement of common goals of prosperity, peace and security.
She said: China’s leadership in sustainable development and its impact on peace and security have made a difference around the world, and pioneering global initiatives that have led to significant investments and enabled governments to overcome structural obstacles to development have promoted broad equality, stability and prosperity. Noting that poverty and inequality exacerbate the fragility and vulnerability of countries, can lead to instability and conflict, and that the erosion of the social fabric of societies can be exploited by actors with violent agendas.
“Without developing a UN response plan that takes into account economic livelihoods, social inclusion, and resilience strategies alongside strong political frameworks, we will always remain focused on core peace and security issues,” she said, noting that “investing in development pays dividends for peace.” .
She pointed out that the latest performance records for the sustainable development goals showed a distance from achieving the desired results, as only 15% of the goals are on track, and 48% of them went off track, either slightly or significantly.
Her Excellency Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh stressed that the relationship between vulnerability, climate change, and armed conflict can constitute a destructive cycle, and must be addressed. She said: “This is a reality we live daily in many conflict areas around the world: Of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change, the World Bank classifies 15 countries as fragile or affected by conflicts.”