United Arab Emirates:

The governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bermuda have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on exchanging knowledge and experiences in the development and modernization of government models.

The agreement, signed at the United Nations (UN) High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, builds on the close bilateral relations between the UAE and Bermuda and aims to help the two agile, future-oriented governments drive economic, environmental and social development.

Under the MoU, the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Bermuda’s Ministry of Economy and Labour will create a framework for sharing information on initiatives for enhancing government services and policies. The framework will see the governments share best practises in human capacity building to help public sector employees gain critical skills in areas including technology and leadership.

Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister for Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, and Chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, signed the MoU on behalf of the UAE, while the Honorable Jason Hayward, Minister of Economy and Labour, signed for Bermuda.

Lootah said: “The UAE government has developed a leading model for developing human capacity and stimulating innovation within the public sector, which has led to better policies, smarter services and tangible benefits for our society and economy. This model has given rise to the world's first government accelerators, the One Million Arab Coders initiative and numerous leadership programs. We are committed to sharing our experiences in these initiatives with other agile nations that prioritize future-readiness, such as Bermuda. In doing so, we are supporting other governments to become more resilient and accelerate progress around SDGs in line with our role as a key member of the international community.”

"Bermuda's participation in the Government Experience Exchange Programme highlights the robust and deepening friendship between Bermuda and the UAE. " said the Honourable Minister Jason Hayward, Minister of Economy and Labour.

The UN HLPF on Sustainable Development is organized by the UN Economic and Social Affairs Department at its headquarters in New York and runs until 17 July.

The UAE delegation attending the forum is participating in a number of bilateral meetings with countries, governments, UN programs, and international organizations to support progress on SDGs in line with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is also forging strategic partnerships around several priorities relating to SDGs, including on eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring access to energy, and spurring climate action.