UAE Minister of State Ahmed Al Sayegh, a G20 Sherpa, has said that the Saudi presidency for the Group of 20 major economies “set itself a very ambitious agenda before the start of the year.”
Saudi Arabia invited the United Arab Emirates in its capacity as chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council to engage in the 2020 G20 processes.
“I am very much looking forward to the G20 Leaders’ Statement, which will set a bold blueprint for future action on many of our common challenges, as well as for a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery. We must seize the opportunity presented by this crisis to build back better,” Al Sayegh told a virtual press conference on Thursday.
“We recognize that this year’s leaders’ declaration is a starting point. As such, we are eager to work with our G20 counterparts over the coming years. As host of Dubai Expo 2020, with its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ the UAE is especially well placed to support the global agenda and the critical work of the G20 moving forward.”
“I can only marvel at the expansion of the G20’s work between 2011 and today. Since then, we have seen the G20 evolve into the world’s major forum to discuss global economic and emerging issues. In 2011, there were, in effect, only three working groups under the Sherpa track. This year, there are about 14,” he added.
Al Sayegh said the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to coordinate a global response only lent more importance to the G20 forum as the year progressed.
He indicated the G20 is likely to emphasize the importance of improving global cooperation and multilateralism as a means to enhance the economic recovery.
