FORUM FOR EXPERTS TO DISCUSS SOCIAL ISSUES

It is a platform for think tanks in the region to share strategies, says minister

FARHANA SYED NOKMAN

news@nst.com.my

THE Management of Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum, held in conjunction with the upcoming Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme, is a platform for experts and policymakers to share input and experience.

Themed “Building Inclusive Societies”, the forum focuses social innovation, ageing population and women. The event, which started at Sunway Putra Mall Hotel on Tuesday, will end on Thursday.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, who is also MOST Intergovernmental Council (IGC) president, said the forum was an opportunity for the world’s think tanks on social policies to study each other’s strategies in the field.

“The forum will be a space for regional dialogue at the ministerial level, with the participation of social scientists on regional social policy strategies.

“It will also act as a platform to enable the exchange of experience and successful practices in national policies.

“It is an opportunity to create cooperation in knowledge through presentations and discussions to identify research gaps in social policies and influence international debate and policy formulation,” Rohani said at a press conference.

She said she was eager to study the measures other countries used to address women’s and children’s issues.

“We can explore the possibilities of emulating some of their policies.”

MOST, a programme under the Commission of Social Sciences of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), aims to design, coordinate and implement Unesco programmes and activities related to social sciences, inclusivity and gender equality.

Malaysia has been appointed Unesco executive board member from 2015 to 2019 through the Education Ministry.

The MOST Programme was launched to strengthen the dissemination of knowledge to member states by encouraging evidence-informed approaches through a sustained dialogue between researchers and policymakers.