COLOMBO : This year, the United Arab Emirates commemorates its Union Day, the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the nation. On the 2nd of December 1971, our journey started with the signing of the accord to unite the Seven Emirates. It marked the beginning of an ambitious and optimistic journey of progress and development.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has announced 2023 as the “Year of Sustainability”, under the theme “Today for Tomorrow”, to underscore UAE’s commitment to sustainable practices and to honour our shared responsibility to the present and future generations, who deserve to live in a world that is safe and prosperous.
The “Year of Sustainability” is centered on intensifying awareness of environmental issues, fostering positive lifestyle shifts, and engaging the public in three critical domains: endorsing mindful consumption, advancing environmental preservation endeavors, and driving collective efforts to counter climate change.
On this occasion, I would like to commend the outstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. UAE is one of Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners in the Middle East. Despite the challenging economic conditions during the last two years, bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded 3.9 billion dollars.
There has been progress in the people-to-people relations between the two nations. Cooperation in the field of tourism is also flourishing. The recently concluded MoU between the civil aviation authorities of both countries has contributed towards the increase of passenger flights and the promotion of Sri Lanka tourism and trade. The number of tourists arriving from UAE has increased by almost 150% year-on-year.
UAE is currently hosting the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) at Expo Dubai. The conference brings together world leaders, experts and activists in an effort to mitigate the risks facing our planet.
Through this global conference, the UAE prioritizes accelerating sustainable development goals and expanding the scope of energy transformations. The focus is on ensuring that the outcome of this global event consists of actionable mechanisms, not just promises, by translating agreements into tangible realities and achievements.
The action plan of the conference will focus on four main axes: accelerating an orderly and just transition in the energy sector, advancing climate financing mechanisms, and enhancing the livelihoods and protection of people according to a transparent and inclusive framework.
I applaud the enthusiasm and keen interest Sri Lanka has shown in preparing for its participation in COP28. I am happy to note that Sri Lanka’s President His Excellency Ranil Wickremesinghe is a strong advocate of climate justice and under his guidance Sri Lanka has proposed the establishment of a Climate Justice Forum to foster international collaboration to address various climate challenges.
I also welcome Sri Lanka’s ambitious initiative to create an International Climate Change University designed as a global platform for research and development focused on climate mitigation actions, and its proposal to introduce the Tropical Belt Climate Ambition Project, targeting the highly bio diverse tropical belt regions. Given that the regions closer to the equator are rich in biodiversity, this project will promote the harnessing of the diverse potentials and managing the resources responsibly.
The world needs to remain united and work together to develop collective solutions to achieve a substantial shift in confronting climate change. A shift that allows us to move our focus from negotiations to achieving tangible results in pursuit of an inclusive and sustainable future.
The UAE condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the Israeli bombings of schools and hospitals and the inhuman attacks on civilians in Palestine. UAE affirms its categorical rejection of targeting public institutions and civilian facilities, and stresses that the immediate priority is to preserve the life of civilians, provide full protection to public property, and ensure the immediate, safe, sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian relief and medical aid to the Palestinians.
UAE refuses to accept that conflicts in our region are inevitable. We believe that security, stability and prosperity can be restored in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon. We also strongly believe in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The promotion of the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence has an impact on people globally. Not only in words, but through their direct implementation. UAE played a prominent role in the historic resolution concerning tolerance, international peace and security adopted by the Security Council, in June this year, acknowledging the fact that hate speech and extremism are closely linked to the spread and escalation of conflicts.
In the humanitarian front, as part of the UAE efforts to alleviate the suffering of people affected by crises through all possible means, we plan to launch a digital platform that employs advanced technologies to enable affected states to better harness international support in the wake of natural disasters. This digital platform will help in providing urgent, effective and coordinated humanitarian responses.
In the UAE, peace is our choice, development is our path, and a stable future is our destination. In the return of Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, from the first long Arab mission in space, we see the potential of future leaders in our youth. A leadership that will bolster our achievements and usher in a promising future. UAE is determined to follow in the footsteps of its founders and to strive to achieve greater advancements in humanity and science for the people of the world.
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to convey my sincere heartfelt greetings to His Excellency Ranil Wickramasinghe, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to the government and people of Sri Lanka, wishing them progress and prosperity in the years ahead.