Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 19 December 2023 - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) held a meeting on the sidelines of the Digital Government Forum in Riyadh to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration and drive the Sustainable Development Goals.

The meeting was attended by IsDB President and Group Chairman, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of UN DESA, Mr. Li Junhua. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which face challenges in their progress, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in achieving these goals, among other matters.

Reiterating the IsDB Group's commitment to the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, Dr. Al Jasser highlighted the Bank's pioneering initiatives, such as designating an envoy on SDGs and establishing an SDGs Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP focuses on raising awareness and enhancing the alignment of IsDB's activities with the SDGs.

During the meeting, Dr. Al Jasser expressed pride in the fruitful relationship with UN agencies, with over 20 MOUs signed, and thanked UN-DESA for the positive outcomes of a recent mission conducted by the Bank's team to UN-DESA.

On his part, Mr. Li Junhua called for more action to get the SDGs back on track and emphasized the need for a global rescue plan through the implementation of the SDGs stimulus. He further highlighted the importance of enhancing South-South cooperation and invited the president to participate in significant upcoming UN summits, including the Summit of the Future. The summit aims to bring world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future.