DOHA: The 10th ministerial meeting of the Committee of GCC Ministers of Social Affairs and Development was held on Wednesday in the Qatari capital, Doha, with the participation of the Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs, Family and Childhood Affairs, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah. The Qatari Minister of Social Development and Family, Maryam Al-Misnad, highlighted the importance of the meeting in a speech, saying it carries the aspirations and hopes of our people in social development in accordance with a comprehensive vision for a Gulf society united with its identity and sustainable morals and values.
She added that the adoption of the GCC social development strategy of 2021-2025 represents a major step within our joint efforts to bring about social development for our people and the implementation of the initiatives within them. She expressed her aspiration for the meeting to adopt policies that support cohesion and stability in Gulf society and strengthen the Arab and Islamic spirit, identity, and cooperation among the Gulf States.
The minister pointed out that Qatar puts great importance on supporting pioneering community projects that also empower productive families and enhance community awareness of family cohesion and building families based on the Islamic religion. She assured that Qatar will keep supporting these projects on a national and international level, welcoming recommendations on building development partnerships between sectors in which innovation is used to advance GCC society.
Al-Misnad added that her country is stressing more cooperation to implement the committee’s previous decision on the strategy of joint Gulf action for women’s affairs in the GCC countries 2024-2030 and follow up on what has been achieved to enhance the role of motherhood in society and achieve harmony between the roles of men and women. She welcomed the attendance of the International Conference on Family to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family, which will be hosted by Qatar from 29 to 31 October, 2024, looking forward to hosting the seventh Gulf Theater Festival for Persons with Disabilities from November 27 to December 3 in Qatar.
On his part, the GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi said that the continued joint work in social development has seen great achievements in the past years under the leadership of founding and current GCC leaders. He pointed out that one of the achievements is supporting and empowering Gulf women’s affairs and role in economic development programs in joint GCC work. He added that the rate of women’s economic participation in the GCC countries has increased, reaching 43.2 percent, and the percentage of senior positions in the government sector for women has reached 49 percent.
As for the percentage of senior management positions in the private sector, it has reached 30.9 percent, and the percentage of female workers in the government sector has reached 43.4 percent, while in the private sector it reached 38.2 percent. Al-Budaiwi added. These statistics embody the support given by leaders of the GCC countries to Gulf women to enhance their positions regionally and globally, pointing to the keenness of the leaders to support the process of joint charitable work and to improve the level of services provided in the field, he stated.
He pointed out that the GCC countries provide $210 billion annually for charitable works in all parts of the world, which is a source of pride for us as Gulf people, as we have helped and provided to everyone who needs it without favor or condition. He added that a number of topics in the fields of social affairs and development were presented on the agenda in the meeting to come up with recommendations for the topics on the agenda, foremost of which is the social development strategy of the GCC countries and the strategy of joint charitable and humanitarian work in the GCC countries (2025-2030).
On the agenda is the strategy of joint Gulf action for women’s affairs in the GCC (2025-2030) and the seventh Gulf theater festival for persons with disabilities, he mentioned. The Secretary-General welcomed the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah, in regards to her first participation in the meetings, wishing her success. The delegation of Kuwait was headed by the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah.
Kuwait signs MoUs
Meanwhile, Kuwait signed on Wednesday three memoranda of understanding (MoU) in fields of social affairs, charity, and humanitarian work with Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the Qatari capital Doha. Kuwait’s Minister of Social Affairs, Labor, Family Affairs, and Childhood, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah, Qatari Minister of Social Development and Family Mariam Al-Misnad, and the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development signed the MoUs.
Al-Huwailah expressed to KUNA her happiness on the signing of the three MoUs, which contributes to strengthening the relations of GCC countries in the social, charity, and humanitarian fields. She also thanked Qatar for hosting the 10th meeting of the GCC Ministries of Social Development Affairs Committee and the MoU signing.
Dr Amthal Al-Huwailah said on Wednesday that Kuwait will host the next meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Social Affairs and Development in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in September next year. Dr Al-Huwailah stressed the importance of participating in this meeting, explaining that it discussed a number of topics, including the social development strategy for the GCC countries. — KUNA