New York, USA – The Government Knowledge Exchange Program, affiliated with the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, launched the “Global Ideas Lab Workshop” in cooperation with New York University in the United States of America.
The workshop was attended by a select group of experts, academics, UN officials, diplomats, policymakers, and university students to explore new horizons in government innovation and global cooperation. This came during the UAE delegation’s participation in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2025, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at its headquarters in New York City.
The workshop was attended by 26 ministers of state, experts, academics, and UN officials, including Anne-Marie Ho, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships; Patrick Paul Walsh Ho, Vice President for Education and Director of the SDG Academy at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network; and a number of sustainability officials and diplomats from Arab and foreign countries. Members of the UAE delegation to the High-Level Political Forum were also present, as were officials from the administrative and academic bodies of New York University, and 30 students from the University of New York, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Providing a shared open creative space
The workshop aimed to support the formation of a global ideas lab and provide an open, shared creative space. It also highlighted the developmental role of integrated initiatives that support global partnerships, such as the UAE Government Experience Exchange Program, which serves as an incubator for scalable cross-border partnerships and an effective knowledge transferer.
His Excellency Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange and Chairman of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, emphasized that the UAE’s knowledge-sharing approach is comprehensive, leveraging the contributions of all sectors, both locally and internationally, and providing a supportive environment for generating innovative ideas and impactful development solutions.
“The UAE has succeeded in establishing the foundations of a pioneering model for international cooperation based on knowledge exchange with other countries and governments, and the Government Knowledge Exchange Programme is an essential part of it,” Lootah said. “We are keen to engage various sectors, especially the academic sector, and cooperate with everyone to develop solutions to pressing global challenges, including developmental ones, and to expand the frameworks for sharing, transferring, and exchanging best government practices, in a way that supports the achievement of sustainable development.”
He added, “The joint workshop between the Government Knowledge Exchange Program and New York University is an example of the collaborative approach we adopt in the UAE to develop best practices that enhance readiness for present and future opportunities.”
Participatory approach
The Global Ideas Lab workshop adopted a collaborative approach between the Government Knowledge Exchange Program and New York University, posing challenges, linking academic insights to real-world governance, and engaging various stakeholders in designing scalable, partnership-based solutions.
The workshop outcomes contributed to linking knowledge data to policies, enabling various stakeholders to participate in designing innovative solutions to pressing governance challenges, thereby accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the United Nations’ primary platform for sustainable development issues. Since its establishment in 2012, it has played a pivotal role in monitoring and reviewing national implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Delegations participating in the forum will assess the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals, with in-depth reviews of five main goals: Goal 3, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; Goal 5, to achieve equality and empower women and girls; Goal 8, to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, enable productive employment and provide decent work for all; Goal 14, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources; and Goal 17, to strengthen and revitalize global partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
