With less than five years remaining until 2030, policymakers and experts from across the Arab region met in Cairo to examine whether sustainable development efforts are effectively responding to changing societies, using population ageing as a concrete test case.
The 14th workshop on voluntary national reviews (VNRs) in the Arab region, held on 4 and 5 November under the theme “Sustainable Development for an Ageing World,” brought together government officials, ageing focal points, experts, regional organizations and United Nations entities. Hosted by the League of Arab States, the workshop explored how effectively the 2030 Agenda has fostered long-term, inclusive, rights-based and evidence-informed development policies.
Despite the Arab region’s relatively youthful population, the number of older persons is expected to almost triple by 2050, exceeding 90 million, or 13% of the population. Participants examined how countries can better integrate ageing into development policies and the Sustainable Development Goals, promote healthy and active ageing, strengthen care systems, reduce inequalities and enhance the social and economic inclusion of older persons.
Discussions also addressed gaps in ageing data, lessons from reviews of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), and ways to strengthen the use of data and participation of older persons in VNRs.
Looking beyond ageing, participants assessed the successes and shortcomings of the 2030 Agenda and considered the future of sustainable development beyond 2030. Of the eight Arab countries that presented VNRs in 2026, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates explicitly reflected on the post-2030 global agenda.
Participants also discussed how VNRs can increasingly shift from reporting towards steering action, and how Arab perspectives can contribute to global deliberations. Key messages from the workshop will inform regional consultations on the post-2030 agenda and feed into the Regional MIPAA Review Conference in 2027.
