New york: The Government Experience Exchange Programme (GEEP), under the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, has launched a Global Ideation Lab in collaboration with New York University (NYU). This initiative was held alongside the UAE delegation’s participation at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2025, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the UN Headquarters in New York City.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Ideation Lab gathered leading experts, academics, UN officials, diplomats, policymakers, and university students to explore new prospects in government sector innovation and global cooperation. The session drew participation from 26 ministers, experts, academics, and UN officials, including Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office of Partnerships, and Patrick Paul Walsh, Vice President of Education and Director of the SDG Academy at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
Attendees also included sustainability officials and diplomats from countries such as Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland, Serbia, Paraguay, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Kingdom of Eswatini, and others. Members of the UAE delegation to the HLPF, officials from NYU’s administrative and academic bodies, and 30 students from NYU, Stanford, and the University of Pennsylvania also participated.
The Ideation Lab is designed to build a global ideas sandbox and provide a creative open space. It emphasized the developmental role of comprehensive initiatives supporting global partnerships, particularly the UAE’s GEEP, which serves as an incubator for scalable cross-border partnerships and an effective knowledge-sharing platform.
Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange and Chair of the National Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, emphasized that the UAE’s knowledge-sharing approach is comprehensive, leveraging contributions across sectors locally and globally. He highlighted the importance of creating innovative ideas and impactful development solutions.
Lootah stated, ‘In the UAE, we have successfully built a pioneering model for international cooperation based on knowledge exchange with countries and governments, and GEEP is a crucial part of this endeavor. We are committed to involving various sectors, particularly academia, and cooperating with everyone in developing solutions to urgent global challenges, including developmental challenges, and expanding frameworks for sharing, transferring, and exchanging best government practices to help achieve sustainable development.’
He further added, ‘The joint Global Ideation Lab between GEEP and NYU exemplifies the collaborative approach we adopt in the UAE to develop best practices that enhance readiness for present and future opportunities.’
The Global Ideation Lab focused on posing challenges, linking academic insights with practical governance, and involving various stakeholders in designing partnership-based and scalable solutions. The session outcomes contributed to aligning knowledge inputs with policy and empowering stakeholders to participate in developing innovative solutions to urgent governance challenges, thus accelerating progress towards the 2030 SDGs.
The HLPF on Sustainable Development serves as the UN’s central platform for reviewing and advancing SDGs. Established in 2012, the forum plays a critical role in monitoring national and international progress on the 2030 Agenda. Participating delegations assess progress toward the SDGs, with this year’s forum featuring in-depth reviews of five priority goals: SDG3, SDG5, SDG8, SDG14, and SDG17.
