Chancellor Zaki Nusseibeh Speech to the Conference “Law for a Better World: Strengthening the Values of Coexistence”

Expo Dubai 20-? 9th?March, 2022

Ladies and gentlemen, guests, and colleagues, I welcome you all today at the opening of your two-day event focused on coexistence and inclusion. The UAEU is proud to honour the patronage of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and to host experts from academia, international organisations, and international communities.?

It is my pleasure to offer some opening remarks at the beginnings of your discussions.?

Tolerance, coexistence, and social inclusion have long defined the strategy, ethos, and leadership values of the United Arab Emirates. I should like to offer a conceptual basis of what this involves, its role in national development, and the principles and actions that will continue to define the UAE into the future. In conclusion I shall offer some remarks of the significance of this agenda on global terms.

First, I will centre my remarks around ‘the inclusive society’.

What is an inclusive society?

In 1995, the World Summit for Social Development defined an inclusive society as a ‘society for all’. The US Department of Economic and Social Affairs defines social inclusion as ‘the process of taking measures to ensure everyone can achieve their full potential in life’.?

The World Bank defines social inclusion as the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society. The process focuses on protecting people from disadvantage or discrimination based on their identity, the amount of money they have, or because of the set up of social institutions, structures, and systems.

In an inclusive society every individual has an integral, active role to play, with protected rights and responsibilities. An inclusive society values non-discrimination, tolerance, respect for diversity, and the equality of opportunity for all its members. It has policies that give everyone equal access to services and allow them to participate in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.?

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals recognise that the inclusive society is key to societal sustainability. An inclusive society fosters solidarity, peace, justice, and security. Its institutions are effective and accountable. It contains diverse social groups that are recognised, legitimate, and have a strong sense of belonging and participation. The inclusive society is therefore resilient and cohesive, and therefore sustainable.?

I would now like to place social inclusion in the context of the UAE

In 2016, the UAE government launched the world’s first ‘Tolerance Charter’ and established a Minister for Tolerance and Coexistence. It made 2019 the Year of Tolerance. In the UAE the concept of ‘tolerance’ is in many respects a metaphor for social inclusion. The Minister of Tolerance says:?

We have derived the principles of tolerance from the first natural disposition and innateness on which we were created. The fact of life depends on solidarity and integration, including rights and duties. It assumes our unity as human beings in facing the requirements of life and the necessities of survival, not as individuals, groups, or communities, but as a united humanity.

This expansive concept of tolerance, or social inclusion, has been a longstanding principle within national development strategies.

Social inclusion is necessary to nation building. Nation building involves integration of all segments of society to form a cohesive, functional, and sustainable social fabric. A nation’s leadership derives its authority from participatory and consensus-based decision making, using dialogue to resolve conflict, and the fulfilment of a social contract. This contract offers citizens a shared identity, shared values, common goals, and a system of inclusion. And, as we have learnt, inclusion involves equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and justice. The empowerment and protection of the marginalised or weak are vital.

At the time of its foundation, the UAE faced numerous existential challenges. The British withdrawal from the region in 1968 resulted in great insecurity and uncertainty. The region’s population was highly fragmented and had little access to the resources that are vital to human development. In 1971, international observers thought our newly established nation lacked any of the governance and infrastructure necessary for statehood.

It is the great fortune of the UAE to have had Sheikh Zayed at the helm from the early beginnings. Essentially humanitarian, his worldview was based on sacrifice and service in the interest of others’ wellbeing. His vision for the country had love for humanity and people at its core. He said, ‘To treat every person as a special soul, no matter what his creed or race, is a mark of Islam’.?

Sheikh Zayed explained that our separate tribal, ethnic, or religious identities had the purpose of motivating our interactions and attempts to understand each other. The purpose of difference is to drive active attempts to achieve unity. He promoted the idea that it was only through unity and mutual goodwill that we could achieve collective prosperity.?

By instinct and through moral and religious belief, Sheikh Zayed’s transformational leadership was driven by the principles, priorities, and actions that we now understand are central to social inclusion. He pursued religious tolerance, investment in human development, female empowerment, and the provision of a safety net for the most vulnerable members of society.

It was by working together that Sheikh Zayed and his people overcame the formidable challenges of turbulent beginnings. They created the infrastructure necessary to maximise human potential. They made sure that the UAE became what it is today - a stable and peaceful nation that is a guiding light in a region riven by violence and conflict. The present-day success of the UAE validates Sheikh Zayed’s purpose and the ways he went about achieving it. It shows that a humanitarian mindset and methodology results in successful social inclusion and generates wellbeing.

Now I would like to consider the role of social inclusion in the UAE today.

Sheikh Zayed left a legacy of ambition and humanitarian values that is honoured by our present leadership, who teach us to seek global horizons, mindful of our responsible international role. They advocate the wellbeing and peaceful coexistence of all nations as means to achieve sustainable ecological, economic, and social prosperity.

Today the UAE continues to use compassion, civilization, partnerships, and tolerance as the building blocks of social and economic development. We are pragmatic and solution oriented, seeking stability and security for all.

We believe it is in diversity that we find our greatest strength; the ability to come together and share different perspectives and ideas. We know that when we want to solve complex problems, we are more likely to find solutions if we build the most diverse teams – people from different disciplines, different parts of the world, different genders, different cultures, politics, and religions.

Last year the leadership set out 10 principles to guide national development for the next fifty years. These principles continue the legacy of Sheikh Zayed. The two primary principles are to strengthen the union of the UAE and to foster a vibrant, dynamic economy. Three further principles identify the tools we must use: we will develop human capital, we will expand the frontiers of our digital, technical, and scientific excellence, and we will continue a foreign policy based on multilateral cooperation.?

The remaining five principles present an ethical framework to guide the use of these tools. They ask us to practice the principles of good-neighbourliness, openness and tolerance, and humanitarian aid. They instruct us to advocate for peace and harmony, and to use negotiation and dialogue as the means to conflict resolution.

I want now to extend my thoughts to the role of social inclusion in addressing today’s global challenges.

Today we recognise that existential challenge is a global experience. In February 2020, the UN Commission for Social Development identified a set of risks and threats to social progress. These included persistent poverty, high and rising inequality, economic and social impacts arising from population change and migration, technological change and the future of work, and climate change and natural disasters.?

On a daily basis we hear how whole regions are unsettled by climate crises, geopolitical uncertainty, an eroding international order, the imbalance between population growth and resources, and the fear that digitization will decimate the workforce. Whole regions suffer conflict, violence, division, and distrust. Wherever we look we see poverty of some kind: lack of education, food, security, energy, health, governance, or infrastructure. We know we are losing our vibrant ecological ecosystems and we sense political, social, and economic disruption everywhere.

This global experience demonstrates the extent to which social inclusion strategies and policies are more vital and urgent than ever. This is because the above threats and risks are the result of non-inclusive societies.

Non-inclusive societies are vulnerable. They are unable to harness the potential of societal diversity in terms of ideas, opinions, and skills. They are more likely to slip into destructive patterns of tension and conflict when exposed to rapid change, extreme events, economic decline, or natural disasters. They are prone to social fragmentation and polarisation.?

A lack of social cohesion and resilience exposes individuals and groups to unequal impact under conditions of chance. People experience unequal access to resources and opportunities, and this gives rise to social unrest and violence. The non-inclusive society bears great costs of all kinds – economic, political, and moral.

Finally, I would like to place social inclusion in the context of one of the most recent extreme crisis.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has noted that the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of our societies, ‘revealing the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized members of society experience’. The World Economic Forum’s?Global Risks Report 2022forecasts that the real driver of future crises will be the global disparities and inequalities that have been exposed and made worse by the impact of COVID-19.

The World Bank is another international body to have noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on deep-rooted, systemic inequalities within societies and has intensified challenges faced by the most marginalised groups. Because of this, the Bank argues that inclusion should be a priority in the global recovery. It describes the crisis as an opportunity to rebuild with more inclusive systems that allow world society to be more resilient to future shocks, whether health, climate, natural disasters, or social unrest. In March 2021 the UK British Academy reported that the COVID-19 pandemic offered an opportunity to reshape society, but that this ‘requires vision and for key decisionmakers to work together’.?

The world must acknowledge these bleak forecasts and act on the advice to collaborate on solutions.?

The UAE has made significant efforts to enable such collaboration. For example, Abu Dhabi Sustainability week brings together the international community to consider technological, economic, political, social, and environmental solutions to advance the UN Sustainability Goals. In January this year, the UAE announced its "Stronger United" commitments for its term on the United Nations Security Council from 2022 to 2023. These commitments include securing peace, advancing inclusion, building resilience, and spurring innovation. The UAE also contributes significantly to global humanitarian aid efforts. Its program, ‘Beyond2020’ offers critical, life-transforming solutions and fostering development that is inclusive and sustainable. Beyond2020 will continue to honour the UAE founding father’s legacy of humanitarianism and sustainable development, and further the country’s role as a proactive global citizen.?

The Dubai Expo 2020 convenes global experts, policy makers, change makers, and citizens to develop practices and to encourage international cooperation. It has always been Expo’s purpose to connect minds to create a brighter future. This goal is based on the belief that innovative solutions and progress are the result of people and ideas coming together in inspiring new ways.

Ladies and gentlemen, It is my pleasure, therefore, that the Dubai Expo 2020 is the venue for your important event. Your coming together here to address the vital questions of tolerance, coexistence, and social inclusion is an example of the international collaboration that is needed to resolve today’s global challenges. It is also an example of the mutuality and dialogue that the UAE has always sought to promote.

I wish you every success in your discussions and debates. I look forward to learning about the outcomes of your work. I offer my thanks to all who have contributed to the organisation of the event, and I wish you all the very best of health.