Arab govts urged to tackle poverty
BEIRUT: The Arab Forum for Sustainable Development has called on governments of regional states to employ available potentials and human resources to cut mounting poverty and ensure food security and tackle inequality. Organizer of the latest session that had come to an end, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), said in a statement that the conferees called for boosting partnerships between the public and private sectors to attain sustainable development.
They urged the international community to support developing states that suffer from high debts, the ESCWA statement said, adding that there was focus during the deliberations on revising progress that had been made in attaining goals related to clean and hygienic water and making water available at reasonable prices. They also touched on industry and innovation, infrastructures, cities and local sustainable communities and partnerships.
The participants in the latest session revised a host of innovative initiatives that back sustainable development in the Arab region, the statement said. ESCWA predicted that 75 percent of the Arab region population would settle in the cities by 2050 due to regional urban expansion, the largest globally, thus there would be much higher demand for energy.
Based on this forecast, it called for seeking fair and comprehensive availability of the energy resources, with consideration to the prospected goal of achieving zero emissions. The forum urged Arab governments to make water available for all, particularly for the vulnerable segments, considering the fact that 90 percent of the region’s population suffers from water scarcity.
Moreover, among the topics that were put on the table and examined were overhauling digitization, boosting industrial developments and creating jobs. Furthermore, the participants proposed various solutions to speed up attaining development goals and securing funds for facing current challenges. The Arab forum is a regional mechanism tasked with following up on implementation of the 2030 sustainable development plan and reviewing progress that has been made in the Arab region at this level.
It is expected to issue a report including main messages emanating from the regional dialogue on opportunities and challenges related to the implementation of the 2030 strategy; to be submitted to the senior-level political forum concerned with sustainable development, scheduled in New York in July. ESCWA, in coordination with the Arab League, organized the forum between March 14 and 16, with participation of high-ranking delegations, representatives of Arab governments, regional and international organizations, civil societies, the private sector, parliamentarians and academics.
Dr Khaled Mehdi, the Secretary General of Kuwait Supreme Council for Planning and Development, took part in the senior-level dialogue, themed “attaining objectives of the sustainable development in partnership with the private sector,” and in the high-rank round table on national voluntary works. The forum was also attended by Kuwait’s assistant foreign minister for economic affairs, Ambassador Sami Al-Hamad, and Kuwaiti legislators namely MPs Shuaib Shaaban and Usama Al-Zaid.
Crimes against Palestinians
In another development, the Arab Parliament on Friday called on the international community, mainly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and international and European parliaments, to move immediately to hold Zionist entity accountable for its nonstop crimes against Palestinians. In a press statement, the parliament underlined that it is necessary for the international community to provide the required protection for the defenseless Palestinian people, and to compel Zionist entity to stop its escalation in occupied Palestinian territories.
It cautioned that this serious escalation would only lead to further deterioration and violence, and would even undermine efforts to achieve tranquility. Four Palestinians, including a young boy, were reportedly killed and 23 others injured in attack on Jenin city and refugee camp. —KUNA