H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water honored 155 key strategic partners of the Ministry , and 49 entities participating in the Ministry Government Innovation Lab, in addition to the media institutions, during the 2014 " Partners’ Forum II" organized by the Ministry of Environment and Water, which was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai, in the presence of the Ministry’s undersecretaries, senior officials and representatives of governmental and semi-governmental organizations, representatives of corporate sector, media and partners.
In the opening speech, H.E. Dr. Rashid Bin Fahad stated: "I am pleased to meet you again today in this forum, through which we celebrate our partners from the public and private sectors, and emphasize the importance promoting partnerships in order to achieve our common goals, especially “UAE Vision 2021” which envisages the United Arab Emirates to be among the best countries in the world by 2021".
HE Dr. Rashid Bin Fahad pointed out that the partnership represents one of the core values that are emphasized upon by our government under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan - President of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President - Prime Minister - and Ruler of Dubai.
The Minister of Environment and Water, in his speech explained that the transition from the concept of coordination and cooperation to the concept of partnership and integration is of great importance, especially at a time when the UAE is seeking to implement an important set of strategies and initiatives within the framework of UAE Vision 2021, such as the national strategy for innovation, smart government, smart cities, the success of which depends to a large extent on the level and effectiveness of partnerships that will be established, especially that the achievement of the objectives set for those strategies and initiatives does not belong to a particular party or sector but it represents a common goal for all stakeholders in the government and private sectors.
His Excellency also stated that the Ministry of Environment and Water has achieved many of its strategic objectives over the past year 2013, and that the strategic partnerships, which the ministry was keen on developing through a variety of ways, played an important role in those achievements.
HE praised the success of the experiment of the first government innovation laboratory of the Ministry of Environment and Water, which was held last October in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, noting that this success confirms the central role of partnerships in the development of innovative and sustainable solutions to the issues of the community. The innovation laboratory witnessed active participation of many government agencies, private sector institutions and representatives of the local community, and resulted in many initiatives, including a partnership initiative between the public sector and the private sector in the field of waste management.
At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister of Environment and Water, said that the Partners’ Forum II celebrates the Ministry’s Partners under the slogan "an effective partnership for a sustainable environment for life," explaining that celebrating the success has been achieved thanks to the effective partnership, and hoping that the UAE will be one of the best countries in the world in 2021.
Prior to the conclusion of the Minister’s statement the floor was opened for discussion between the Minister and the partners, the session saw significant and transparent dialog and interaction between the minister and partners, where the partners were able to raise their suggestion and ask questions.
During the event Fatima Tawkul, Director of Organizational Development Department presented the vision, mission and strategic plan 2014-2016 of the Ministry of Environment and Water, in addition to the organizational structure of the Ministry, the structure of its plan, the strategic objectives and indicators, which affirm the keenness of the ministry to communicate with the partners and to consider their opinions and suggestions for the development of the next strategic plan according to their requirements and needs.
Tawakul pointed out that the strategy is based on five objectives: to promote sustainable integrated management of water resources, to promote environmental sustainability, the prevention of agricultural pests and communicable animal diseases, enhance food safety and sustainability of local production, in addition to ensuring that all administrative services are provided in accordance with the highest standards of quality, efficiency and transparency.
Then, Ahlam Al Fil, Director of Government Communication Department presented the Ministry's strategy for the three years 2014 - 2016, which included the priorities, strategic objectives and key media messages, where the government communication strategy is considered part of the ministry's strategy, and its activities fall under the fifth strategic goal of the ministry, which provides for ensuring that all administrative services are provided on time according to the highest standards of quality, efficiency and transparency.
The ceremony included an activity of drawing by using sand, which reflected the efforts of the ministry, its achievements, and services, aimed at preservation of a sustainable environment for life.