The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States is convening a meeting of the Executive Office of the Arab Council for Population and Development on 24 November, followed by the sixth regular session of the Arab Council for Population and Development on 25 November. The Syrian Arab Republic will preside over the Executive Office's proceedings on 24 November.
The meeting will witness the election of a President and Vice President for the current Executive Office, which comprises seven member states: the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, and the State of Palestine.
Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Social Affairs Sector, stated that the meeting would address several significant and unprecedented items, reflecting the magnitude of the challenges currently facing the Arab region. These challenges include migration and internal displacement, rapid demographic growth, high youth unemployment rates, reproductive health issues, the repercussions of climate change, and disparities in countries' capacities and resources to meet the needs of their populations while ensuring that no one is left behind. Additional items proposed by member states will also be considered.
The meeting aims to deliberate on draft resolutions concerning the agenda items of the sixth regular session of the Arab Council for Population and Development. These resolutions are designed to align with the priorities of Arab countries and address pressing population and development issues in the region.
Furthermore, the discussions will highlight the implications of major global events on population policies and programmes in Arab countries. Key topics include exchanging population data on expatriates among Arab population councils and committees, integrating reproductive health into the framework of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in conflict and post-conflict settings, and addressing challenges related to the unequal population distribution between urban and rural areas. The discussions aim to foster a unified vision and actionable strategies for advancing population and development agendas in the Arab region.
