Geneva, 2 July 2010 (WAM) - Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation, a symposium on the launching of the book entitled "Women in the Concept and the Issues of Human Security: Arab & International Perspectives" was held today the International Conventions Centre in Geneva.
The symposium was attended by Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, UAE's Permanent Representative at the European Headquarters of the UN, Dr Nora Al Suwaidi, Director of the UAE General Women's Union, Dr Wadouda Badran, Director of the Arab Women Organisation, and Dr Bahjat Garni, Professor of International Relations at the American University in Cairo & the University of Montreal. In the welcoming speech, Al Zaabi said Sheikha Fatima's patronage of the event emanated from her aspiration to always enable Arab women to take a leading role in the various fields of development including political, economical and social fields, as well as her keenness to work hard to empower Arab women to face the different challenges by adopting initiatives to strengthen the role of Arab women at the Arab and international levels. Below is the full text of speech. The Honorable Ministers,Your Excellencies the Ambassadors,Ladies and Gentlemen,I would like to express my pleasure and happiness to welcome you in Geneva on the occasion of the opening of this symposium on the launching of the book "Women in the concept and Issues of Human Security: the Arab and International Perspective". This book provides a compendium of valuable efforts and constructive dialogues which took place at the conference convened by the Organization of Arab women in Abu Dhabi during the period from 11 to 13 November 2008 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, President of the General Women's Association of the United Arab Emirates, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation and Chairman of the Arab Women Organization at its second session during the period (2007- 2009). Such patronage comes to reaffirm anew the aspiration of Her Highness to always enable Arab women to take a leading role in the various fields of development including political, economical and social fields, as well as Her Highness's keenness to work hard to empower Arab women to face the different challenges by adopting initiatives to strengthen the role of Arab women at the Arab and international levels. Her Highness was the first in the United Arab Emirates to initiate a long process of establishing a number of national institutions concerned with women's and family issues of which we mention the General Women's Association and the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and the Family Development Foundation, with the aim to contribute effectively to the advancement of women in all areas and assist them to take advantage of their full potential. We, in the United Arab Emirates, are guided by our policy which is based on the international principles of human rights, since the UAE has adhered to many international conventions and it submits progress reports on a regular basis to several international bodies such as the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Owing to our awareness of the importance of women's contribution in the development of the society, we are working hard to strengthen women's role in all the fields including economical, social, information, and education, as well as in the fields of business, culture, judiciary and politics. We open the doors in front of women in order for them to excel at the national and the regional levels, as well as the Islamic and international levels, and we encourage women's active participation with their own efforts and capabilities in the development of concepts, strategies and systems dealing with the issues of women, especially on the Arab level. The Emirati woman, represented by the General Women's Association or through other national women's organizations, was proactive in contributing to the establishment of institutions in the context of joint Arab action with the cooperation of the Arab Women Organization, which was the result of combined efforts of women in the Arab world and which represents now the ideal regional framework for a positive dialogue between the different points of view in the Arab region and to develop strategies aimed at building the capacities of Arab women and their advancement in order to achieve a comprehensive development in the region on an equal basis with men. Honorable Ministers, Your Excellencies the Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen,This distinguished intellectual effort, which will be introduced to you today, comes in the context of the overall orientation of the organization, which draws the policies for the field work, on the basis of scientific and field studies that analyze complex situations and provide solutions by means of applying the latest approaches available in the international arena, as is the case of the concept of human security, which is taking form in the course of globalization, which despite some negative aspects, provides positive opportunities that we can exploit in all fields. There is an ongoing international debate in this sense in different parts of the world, and there are many regions contributing to this debate. This book which we are honored to launch today, with what it contains in terms of analyses and visions, is a contribution from our region in this international dialogue. We cared to hold this symposium in Geneva in order to provide a wider platform to further deepen the dialogue on the concept of human security in all its inter-related dimensions, and we sought as well to invite the experts working in the United Nations system and specialized agencies dealing with the areas of human rights and humanitarian issues, health, development, environment, peace-building, education and training centers, capacity building and research centers, and representatives of the civil society and the private sector and the media, with the hope and with the aim to enrich the dialogue and exchange of experiences and expertise during the symposium or during the lunch, which we hope to be an open exchange which facilitates the contact between various actors and leads to strengthening the network of coordination between them. Your response to our invitation is an evidence of the importance you attach to women and their issues in the Arab world in particular and the international level, in general. I thank you all for your presence and I wish you all the success you deserve. MORE....Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
