At the kind invitation of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, H.E. Dr. Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq, was, on April 13, 2021, a guest of ALECSO, via its virtual space, to talk about “The future of the Arab economy in light of global changes: risks and opportunities”.
Dr. Ould Amar conveyed his sincere thanks and gratitude to the Iraqi President for accepting the invitation. He also expressed his deep appreciation to the Government and people of Iraq, commending its noble positions with regard to joint Arab action and its specialized organizations, including ALECSO, as well as its demonstrated generosity, active engagement, and support in times of difficulty.
Dr. Ould Amar presented ALECSO’s future visions in its fields of action, and highlighted the challenges facing education in the Arab world. He attributed the slowing pace of Arab development to the ever-accelerating global changes, to the terrorism that has struck some Arab countries, as well as to the spread of poverty, hunger and illiteracy in various regions across the Arab world.
He then outlined some of the main milestones in ALECSO’s journey in the educational, scientific and cultural fields. He highlighted ALECSO’s efforts to consolidate knowledge, boost cultural development, strengthen scientific research, and promote a smart Arab school, through developing curricula, building plans and strategies, and benefiting from successful Arab and global experiences, with focus on training as a strategic choice to build life skills and basic competencies.
At the outset of his address, the great guest of ALECSO H.E. President Barham Salih expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Director-General and to the ALECSO family for the kind invitation, and highly commended ALECSO’s efforts to strengthen cultural and intellectual ties among Arab countries. He stressed that the Arab region occupies a geographical and strategic position and possesses significant human and natural resources that empower it to play strategic geographical, political and economic roles.
President Barham Salih indicated that poverty, unemployment and economic vulnerability are among the most complex problems whose deep effects are felt at all levels. He added that the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, including travel and air traffic disruptions, have engendered huge losses in all sectors, weakened national economies, caused declines in growth rates, and pushed developed countries to reconsider their economic and governance policies. He highlighted the need for Arab countries, amid these circumstances, to launch initiatives, show flexibility, and develop sustainable plans in order to further strengthen joint Arab action at the bilateral and multilateral levels.
President Barham Salih emphasized the role of education as a key pillar of economic development, and the need to promote quality education and the teaching of foreign languages. He stressed the important place of youth as the most powerful segment of society capable of bringing about real change in terms of community development, as well as the significant role of women as true partners in the building and advancement of society.
President Barham Salih concluded by stressing the importance of supporting ALECSO so that it can fulfill its role and mission as best as possible.
