UNIPATH STAFF
Security and energy were not alone atop the agenda of the 42nd summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2021. The summit’s top priorities included climate change and emergency response management.
In his opening remarks, His Royal Highness Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed the attendees and stressed the need for the GCC member states to unite amid the daunting challenges the region faces.
“We must complete the outstanding steps in term of economic unity and shared defense and security systems in a way that strengthens our regional and international role, through the unity of our political stances and promotion of partnerships with the international community,” he said. “Iran’s nuclear and missile programs must be dealt with seriously.”
Underlining the importance of addressing global warming through the production of clean energy and reduction of emissions, the crown prince added: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Green Initiative and announced its goal to reach net-zero carbon through circular carbon approach in 2030.”
The kingdom launched the initiative in March 2021 to advance the fight against climate change. The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions, develop a clean energy sector, prevent desertification and increase recycling.
In the summit’s final communique, Secretary-General Nayef Mubarak Al-Hajraf said that the council leaders recognized “the importance of concerted efforts in terms of foreign policies of member states in order to crystallize a unified and effective foreign policy that serves the aspirations and ambitions of the peoples of the gulf states and preserves their interests.”
The Saudi-based GCC was established in 1981 after being proposed by then-His Royal Highness Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. His goal was economic and security integration and unifying political stances toward international issues among the six member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Sources: YouTube.com, alaraby.com, Aljazeera.net