Hundreds of people will gather for two days in Abu Dhabi Diplomacy Conference to discuss the challenges facing diplomacy and the current international issues amid rapid changes reshaping the future.
Held under the patronage of Foreign and International Cooperation Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash inaugurated the event hosted by the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA), UAE’s leading international relations and diplomatic institution.
Abu Dhabi Diplomacy Conference is attended by more than 300 high-profile personalities, thought leaders and practitioners from the fields of international politics, diplomacy and academia as well as the private sector.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Minister Gargash stated that UAE’s diplomacy strives to reflect its national character, one that is open, tolerant, moderate, and based on consensus-building, and at the same time forward-looking and innovative.
“Events such as the Abu Dhabi Diplomacy Conference help keep us on the path that the late Sheikh Zayed set out for us,” Gargash told the attendees.
He explained that the Diplomacy Conference will introduce new concepts to the field and make way for a more effective diplomacy, asserting his belief that it will contribute to “enhancing cooperation between our diplomats and their international counterparts."
"The founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was a strong believer in reaching out across borders and finding diplomatic solutions to problems. As he once said, ‘We extend a hand of friendship to the nations and peoples of the world,” recalled the minister.
The Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem al-Hashemi, noted that the Conference presents a superb opportunity to create a meaningful dialogue that will advance diplomacy and strengthen collaboration.
She added during her speech, "successful diplomacy is built on trust. You cannot have trust without first establishing a relationship that is based on mutual respect and understanding. It is our hope that the relationships built today at this conference will lead to understanding and cooperation between nations tomorrow."
Director-General of EDA, Bernardino Leon, stated that EDA is optimistic about the ability of such conferences to discover the solutions to today’s most pressing issues and find the ways to implement them to successful conclusions.
Leon asserted that Abu Dhabi Diplomacy Conference will provide a platform for high-profile figures to discuss the latest innovations, trends and challenges, as well as practical solutions in the field of diplomatic practice.
“With regard to gender, we will be presenting research showing how women are still far in the minority to men in the field of diplomacy,” noted Leon, adding that discussions on training will revolve around best practices in developing future diplomats, such as equipping them with global as well as diplomatic competencies.
It is worth mentioning that for the second year, Future Diplomats Peace Game will run on the sidelines of the Diplomacy Conference in collaboration with the Foreign Policy Group and Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and the support of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The program engages outstanding trainee diplomats and students of international affairs in resolving simulated international conflicts.
