Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Adu Dhabi called for more effective integration among the world countries to address global issues including shortage in food, water scarcity and climate change.
"Our connectedness in an increasingly globalised world means that as responsible members of this world we must work together to tackle global issues and towards more effective integration," Shaikh Abdullah said in his opening speech at the conference on Prospects for Cooperation Between the Arab World and the Pacific Islands held in Abu Dhabi.
Big global responses are essential to meeting even seemingly local problems such as that which afflicts the UAE and the Arab world, just as it afflicts so many of the Pacific island countries: the challenge of increasing water shortages.
Shaikh Abdullah said climate change is one of the key global challenges facing us today.
"And alongside our own efforts towards reducing emissions and developing renewable energies at home, the UAE — despite being a hydrocarbon economy — has led internationally in its achievement in hosting the headquarters of Irena — in which the support of Pacific island nations was so important, as a particularly striking example of South-South cooperation demonstrating to the world that the functions of international organisations are more effective when equitably distributed globally."
In their final communiqué, the two parties agreed on establishing a forum for cooperation, the general secretariat of which will be in Abu Dhabi. The Arab League will send a delegation to the Pacific islands and will open its representative office on one of the islands.