The Arab Economic Summit is a new opportunity to strengthen Lebanon's role in the region

by **claud39** Thu Jan 03, 2019 7:20 am

http://www.uabonline.org/en/news/arabicnews/15751604160216051577157516041593158515761610157715/59103/0

The Arab Economic Summit is a new opportunity to strengthen Lebanon's role in the region

03/01/2019

The Arab Economic Summit is a new opportunity to strengthen Lebanon's role in the region Rc_154650068014_23

Beirut will host the 4th Arab Economic and Social Development Summit on 20 January, under the title "Human Development Axis". This is the first time that Beirut has hosted this summit since it hosted the Arab summit in 2002. This summit is held five years after the third development summit held in Riyadh in 2013.

The convening of this summit is a new opportunity for Lebanon to regain the trust of the Arab countries after the Gulf embargo over the past period, and to re-enhance its role in the region and give its economy a dose of hope, especially at the level of heads of state to discuss issues of economic and social development among the member states of the League of Nations. Arabic.

The chance of Lebanon will be greater if the next government is formed under the chairmanship of President-designate Saad Hariri before the expected summit. Then Lebanon can formalize the next phase and start implementing reforms to benefit from conferences in support of its economy, especially the Cedar Conference.

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States began preparations for the departure of its delegations to Beirut to hold a series of preparatory meetings to conclude with the meeting of foreign ministers to draft the draft resolutions that will be submitted to the leaders for approval.

The summit is due to begin on January 17 with two meetings, the first of the committee to follow up and prepare for the summit at senior officials level, and the second is a joint meeting of permanent delegates and senior preparatory officials.

On the second day, on January 18, two meetings will be held, the first of which is the ministerial committee on follow-up and preparation for the summit, and the second is the joint meeting of foreign ministers and ministers concerned with the Economic and Social Council preparatory to the summit on the 20th of this month.

The summit agenda includes 24 items, foremost of which is the report of the Secretary-General of the Arab League on joint economic, social and development work and a report on the follow-up to the implementation of the decisions of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summits at its third session in Riyadh 2013 and a special annex to the Arab Development Summit Economic and social development.

The agenda also includes an item on Arab food security, the Arab Food Security Emergency Program, as well as integration and trade in agricultural and plant crops and livestock products in the Arab region.

In addition to an item on the developments of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area and the completion of the requirements of establishing the Arab Customs Union, the Arab Charter for the Development of SME Sector, the Arab Strategy for Sustainable Energy 2030, the Arab Common Market for Electricity, the Integration Initiative between Tourism and Cultural Heritage, Solid Waste in the Arab World.

The Palestinian economy will also be present at the summit through the Strategic Plan for Sectoral Development in Jerusalem (2018-2022) and the achievements of the Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Funds. The agenda item also contains an item on financing for development, an agenda item on Aid for Trade, an item on the economic and social burden of hosting Syrian refugees and its impact on host countries, and an item on the challenges faced by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees And its implications for the host countries of Palestinian refugees.

In addition, there is an item on the development of a common Arab vision in the field of digital economy, and another on the Arab strategic framework for the eradication of multidimensional poverty 2020-2030, and the Platform for Action for the Family in the Arab Region in the framework of the implementation of the goals of sustainable development 2030, A regional initiative on women's health.

The agenda also includes an Arab strategy to protect children in refugee status in the Arab region and an item on child labor in the Arab region. In addition to an item on the promotion of technical and vocational education in the Arab world, the program for the integration of women and girls in the development process in local communities, the 14th Arab Sports Games in 2021, and a progress report on the efforts of the Arab League to support the implementation of sustainable development goals 2030 in the Arab region, On the forums (Arab youth, civil society).