UAE: Hillary Clinton praises Abu Dhabi’s drive for innovation

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi and the UAE are capable of creating the future the world needs and could make some real progress towards real solutions to global problems and disputes, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in the capital on Monday.

The former US presidential candidate also praised the UAE’s progress since 2011, when she last visited the country as US secretary of state.

“Everything that has happened since 2012 has strongly demonstrated how well-positioned Abu Dhabi and the UAE are for the future we must create together. The last time I was here [the Abu Dhabi Global Market] does not exist, which is quite an astonishing achievement … some innovative and rather unique steps have been taken in terms of the common law court system, dispute resolution, and the commitment to try and move to clean energy,” Clinton said at a speech in Abu Dhabi. Fireside chat at the Resolve 2023 International Dispute Resolution Forum.

She was referring to the UAE’s progress towards a clean energy future, evident in its role as host of COP28 and shifts in women’s rights. In addition to the fact that the UAE has made it mandatory for women to sit on government agencies and company boards since her last visit, the American politician and lawyer said she was “proud and grateful” for the changes .

Clinton, however, urged the UAE to continue showing the world real-life action.

“[From] Those of you who have done a lot, there is still a lot to look forward to, because you have committed to a future that looks different than the past,” she said at Resolve 2023, the second annual forum focused on is to develop solutions to international disputes and global challenges.

Organized by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Abu Dhabi Financial Centre, the one-day event featured delegates and speakers addressing challenges and trends in sustainability, artificial intelligence and cyber, financial terrorism and sanctions, and infrastructure in the UAE .

ADGM Courts recently announced the first initiative to enforce commercial judgments globally through the use of blockchain technology. The unique solution publishes judgments on the blockchain, enabling executive commercial courts to verify the veracity of judgments, revolutionizing the enforcement process. In addition, the ADGM Arbitration Center is developing the first “Mediation in the Metaverse” service, which re-imagines mediation services on a global scale.

Clinton praised the moves, calling them “extraordinary” and called for more such practical actions to address other issues of international concern, such as climate change.

“I hope that more of what you are doing here with Resolve is happening at the climate level, not to impose sanctions or pay a price, but to come up with ideas. Maybe at COP28, this may be a thing that the UAE has done, this Will make a real difference: a problem-solving electronic platform where people can provide information about the problems they face and find solutions from people who have already done it or new regulations or laws to solve this problem,” she said.

According to the politician, who is also now a doting grandmother of three, the solutions enable people who want to make a difference but feel helpless in the absence of key elements like financing.

Clinton herself has worked closely with climate action, notably through the Clinton Climate Initiative, founded by her husband, former US President Bill Clinton. She discusses some of the solutions that have recently been implemented in the island nation, emphasizing that they have strengthened for her the power of personal contact and discussion to drive positive change.

Clinton, a lawyer by profession, further spoke about the opportunity for lawyers to legislate in a way that positively affects a world that is undergoing massive change in its institutions and environment. She urged lawyers to be aware of the important role they play and to help people understand how they, too, can take practical action, even on seemingly intractable issues like climate change.

“I want lawyers, especially those based here, to understand the role they can play in encouraging and protecting clients who want to do more on climate and other things that are ultimately good for business and other matters. Right It’s good for society,” she said.