CAIRO – Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Sector of the Arab League (AL) ambassador Ali bin Ibrahim al-Maliki stressed the importance of confronting regional and international challenges in order to adhere to environmental agreements and achieve sustainable development in the Arab region.
In a statement by the pan-Arab body Wednesday – on the occasion of the celebration of “Arab Environment Day” – under the title “Rehabilitating Lands to Enhance Resilience,” that falls on October 14 each year the AL official said, October 14 of this year coincides with the preparatory meetings for the 35th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs, held in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, explaining that the theme of this year’s celebration comes under the title “Rehabilitation to Enhance Resilience.”
The slogan was approved at the previous session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs.
The Arab Environment Day corresponds to the date of issuance of decisions of the first meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs on October 14, 1987 – 37 years ago.
The statement stated that the Council approved, in its founding meeting, a number of programmes to bring into effect the Arab Declaration on Environment and Development covering areas of joint cooperation, including combating desertification and industrial pollution and spreading awareness, along with the Council’s interests during that period including topics of sustainable development, green economy, circular economy, climate change, and other topics that affect the quality of life of Arab citizens.
Arab countries, specialized Arab organisations and the Council’s partners are organising various seminars, activities and programs on this day (October 14) to spread environmental awareness and discuss the most important environmental issues and challenges in the Arab region, it said.
The AL Department of Environmental Affairs and Meteorology and the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs organised a celebration of this year’s Arab Environment Day at the headquarters of the League’s General Secretariat in Cairo.
Experts from Arab countries, organisations and civil society participated to shed light on the efforts made by Arab countries to enhance resilience in facing up to drought and combating desertification.
