Cairo, Oct. 13 (Petra) – Lebanon and Libya have ratified the statute of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, bringing the total number of ratifying Arab countries to seven and allowing the statute to enter into force.
Attended by Minister of Social Development and Chair of the 45th Session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs Wafaa Bani Mustafa, the ratification came during a meeting of the center's board of directors at the Arab League General Secretariat headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday.
The meeting addressed the center's operations and institutional development, as well as the remaining procedures required to activate its role in supporting Arab social and development policies. Jordan hosts the center's headquarters.
The meeting also noted the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs' approval of renaming the institution the "Arab Center for Social and Development Policy Studies." Bani Mustafa emphasized the center's role as a specialized Arab platform for monitoring, analyzing, and developing social policies in line with national development priorities and plans, while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She noted that the center forms part of the Arab League's efforts to address multidimensional poverty and mitigate its effects by improving social policies, enhancing their effectiveness, exchanging expertise and successful practices, and drawing on specialized technical knowledge.
Bani Mustafa added that the center would strengthen Arab coordination and integration and support partnerships aimed at developing social protection systems and improving the effectiveness of social programs and policies to address development challenges and advance inclusive, sustainable social development.
She expressed appreciation to the Arab countries that had ratified the center's statute and called for the remaining countries to complete their ratification procedures to facilitate the center's operations and strengthen regional cooperation on social development.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Bani Mustafa held talks with Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity and Chair of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs Maya Morsy.
The discussions covered social programs under the council's framework and key issues on the agenda of its upcoming meeting.
The two ministers also explored ways to strengthen Arab cooperation and coordination and exchange expertise and experiences in social affairs to support social development priorities across Arab countries.
//Petra// AO
