The Knowledge Summit 2019, which kicked off yesterday, kicked off its second day with a panel discussion that focused on the partnership that brought together UNDP, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, and methodologies for achieving sustainable development until 2030.

Speakers at the session, entitled 'The United Nations Development Program and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation: A Partnership for Sustainable Development', moderated by the media provider Nofer Ramool, were attended by the Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, Jamal Bin Huwaireb, and the Director of the Regional Center. Dr. Khaled Abdel-Shafi, UNDP's Arab Director of the UNDP Knowledge Project, Dr. Hani Turki, presented a number of challenges for governments to improve their knowledge in their countries.

The difficulty of obtaining and updating the data, and ensuring its accuracy, topped the list of challenges, and the discussions went to the most prominent future paths to improve the Arab knowledge situation, the mechanisms and controls for the preparation of the Global Knowledge Index, its results and its implications for the people in the future, and the extent to which the data and statistics relate to the actual reality of all the targeted countries.

He said the partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has produced a number of important results, especially during the period known as the “Arab Spring”, which showed the true knowledge situation in various countries, considering that the knowledge index is an effective tool in measuring the status of each country in the process of knowledge. Which relies on all fields to upgrade their sleeves and cadres.

He stressed that the UAE has harnessed all the potentials to elevate the Arab world in various fields, and focused on supporting and issuing the knowledge index, to enable governments to identify weaknesses and strengths in the field of knowledge. Today, the index has been able to achieve many of its objectives, and we see this is evident in the changes that have occurred in the levels of some knowledge countries, where the UAE jumped from the 25th to the 18th in the world, as well as the Arab Republic of Egypt, which rose its level, and jumped 17 levels within the results of the index 2019. Bin Huwaireb states to focus on updating data, taking advantage of the global knowledge index that diagnoses the knowledge situation in each country, shows strengths and weaknesses, and gives countries the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge level, which is reflected positively on various fields.

For his part, Khalid Abdul Shafi focused on the objectives of the partnership with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation over the next 10 years to achieve sustainable development based on accurate data and statistics on the knowledge situation of various countries of the world, especially since the index since its inception has achieved many achievements, It began to establish effective pathways to improve the knowledge situation in different countries.

He pointed out that the United Nations program focuses on presenting the results of the index annually to international organizations, which in turn submit it to each country, to benefit from the recommendations, and ways to improve in the coming stages, according to systematic and deliberate procedures, and we note through the results of the indicator, this year, many variables and amendments that Some countries have achieved this, a confirmation that the index charts the way for countries to improve their cognitive status.

Hani Turki highlighted the methodologies of preparing the index, which enhance the strategic role of knowledge in societies, and the importance of providing tools to measure and manage it, especially as the index focuses on measuring knowledge as a comprehensive concept relevant to the various dimensions of contemporary human life, and devoting it in the context of approaching its concepts.

Jamal Bin Huwaireb:

"The partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has produced important results, particularly during the period called the Arab Spring."

Khalid Abdul Shafi:

“The index has made many achievements, and has begun to establish effective pathways to improve the knowledge situation in different countries.”