New York, 26 September 2025 - On the sidelines of the eightieth United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-80), the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS), jointly with the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), convened a regional round table to discuss the Arab Vision 2045, which was endorsed by Arab Governments in the last Arab Summit held in Baghdad, Iraq, in May 2025.
The event gathered high level representatives of Arab member States, alongside UN officials, technical experts, thought leaders and relevant development partners who discussed strategic actions required to achieve the bold ambitions of the Arab Vision 2045. The Vision is the result of collective efforts, led by ESCWA and LAS, and addresses the urgent need for a road map for the region that balances ambition with realism and is driven by actionable regional initiatives.
"The Arab Vision 2045 embodies our collective hope for a bright future that fulfils the aspirations of all peoples in the Arab region, for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development," said Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary General of LAS. "It provides a guide to the future that is intended to inspire ambition, unblock potential, and foster joint action and regional cooperation."
Deliberations of the UNGA-80 high-level round table, titled "Pathways to Transformation: Advancing Implementation of the Arab Vision 2045", focused on critical priorities and potential actionable solutions to catalyze action to move the needle forward towards achieving the ambitious targets set by the Vision-considering the current development context and emerging challenges and opportunities within the region.
"The Arab Vision 2045 upholds enduring human values rooted in the Arab region's heritage, viewing them as foundations for inclusive, sustainable and human-centred development," said Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of ESCWA. "We are committed to supporting Arab countries in transforming this Vision into measurable progress, through innovative policies, regional cooperation, and a shared resolve to empower every individual in our societies."
The Arab Vision 2045 is anchored in six interlinked pillars for achieving a hopeful future: security and safety; justice and equity; innovation and creativity; prosperity and balanced development; diversity and dynamism; and cultural and intellectual renewal. The pillars reflect the most pressing priorities across the region while taking full account of profound global transformations that are reshaping the contemporary world-focusing on mitigating potential adverse impacts of these transformations and capitalizing on the opportunities they may provide for progress in the region over the coming decades.
"Our discussions today are practical and focused on actioning the Arab Vision, including requirements to realize measures proposed to attain results, monitoring systems required to track performance, and policy and technical support needed for effective implementation," emphasized Abdallah Al Dardari, Director of UNDP-RBAS. "We are ready to contribute to the implementation of the Vision, relying on our broad presence on the ground, and strong expertise in providing integrated development solutions that also leverage the UN System."
The round table discussed directions for action, to support national development plans and contribute towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while laying foundations for the future towards 2045, including promoting prosperity through diversified economies that foster inclusive and sustainable growth; strategies for enabling recovery from conflicts and crisis in parts of the region; and leveraging opportunities for innovation and technology to advance a knowledge economies that advance capabilities and well-being in Arab societies.
