Forum to tackle how UAE 'leaves no one behind' in sustainable future

Dubai - In addition to a paper on 'inclusion and urban development relating to disability', the MBRSG will be presenting four more papers.

Five UAE-focused papers will be published during next week's third UAE Public Policy Forum, the content of which will tackle issues that are in need of more focus if the country is to meet the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030. 
"One of the discussions on the agenda, which also links to one of our papers, will be quite provocative. It will look at how people of determination are more alienated and excluded when smart technologies are applied in the development of smart cities," said Fadi Salem, director of research and advisory at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG). While assistive technology has paved the way for people of determination to thrive in the classroom setting, once translated into the public environment, it can actually be very isolating if not correctly implemented.
"For instance, if you have a physical impairment with your hands, you can't use touchscreens. A lot of technology eliminates the human element for these transactions, but if you can't talk or see, removing that communication channel can create issues for these people. Our paper looks at leaving no one behind," he said.
In addition to a paper on 'inclusion and urban development relating to disability', the MBRSG will be presenting four more papers. One of which focuses on "culture and identity and how these interact with smart city development; one on health and supporting the growing need for mental health services; the third looks at waste management in contributing to the SDGs relating to food security and sustainable production and consumption, and the fourth on digital governance".
During the two-day forum, the MBRSG's 'Leadership Club' will also hold a session to discuss the '10 recommendations' published in the new book My Story by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The purpose of the session is to come out with an outline for an advanced public administration ecosystem.
The Public Policy Forum will run from January 27 to 28 under the theme 'Accelerating SDGs Implementation: Future Policy Roadmap'.
It will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and in partnership with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA).
The papers due to be released by the MBRSG will explore the challenges facing future sustainable development in the UAE and solutions to tackle the issues.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai