Your Excellencies,

Thank you for convening this event and for the opportunity to add the United Arab Emirates’ support – as well as our condolences – to the countries and communities devastated by the recent hurricanes.

As announced during the UNGA, the UAE is honored to commit 10 million US dollars to recovery and prevention effort in the Caribbean.

Separately but closely related, the UAE is also honored to utilize the UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund, a $50 million grant fund, for further support. We had working with colleagues on Barbuda and Dominica for 7 months to design projects when the hurricanes landed, and we saw many of our friends and colleagues personally impacted.  With revised projects on Barbuda and Dominica, we commit to build back better.  We will also be mainstreaming a higher standard of resilience in all projects under the fund.

The hurricanes are furthermore a critical reminder that the intensity and frequency of weather-related disasters is increasing.  We must not only commit to act on climate change, but also to allocate more funding to prevention and adaptation. ODA eligibility may also need to be reassessed, perhaps creating a window for disaster risk reduction and recovery work.  The UAE hopes to partner with the UN and Member States on the mindset and institutional shift that will be required of us all.

Thank you again.