The Thirteenth Arab Conference was held at the headquarters of the Union of Arab Chambers under the slogan "We work to establish peace, enhance security and develop growth in our Arab world", organized by the Lebanon Center for Voluntary Work and the Union of Arab Chambers and under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam, during the period from 28 to 29 April 2025 at the headquarters of the Union in Beirut.
The Secretary of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, delivered a speech at the conference's opening. He stressed the conference's importance and the Union's vision and described it as "a strategic platform for the exchange of experiences in the field of volunteer work, which is an investment in the future of the Arab nation."
He stressed, "Volunteer work represents a pillar to build a conscious generation capable of facing challenges." Pointing out that there is a link between the themes of the conference (peace, security, growth) and the sustainable development goals, noting, "Volunteering contributes to achieving social peace and consolidating stability."
Dr. Khaled Hanafy announced the Union’s commitment to supporting volunteer initiatives through organizing training workshops, providing support to volunteer organizations, and encouraging corporate social responsibility. He called on the private sector to "actively engage in supporting this culture."
During the conference sessions, the Economic Advisor at the Union, Dr. Najoua Zhar, presented an intervention entitled "Mechanisms for enhancing cooperation and exchanging experiences to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy in the Arab region", where she explained that the circular economy is an economic model that aims to enhance sustainability by redesigning economic systems to achieve higher efficiency in the use of resources and reduce waste. She stressed that the shift towards this model is one of the pillars of sustainable development in the Arab region, especially in light of environmental and economic challenges such as scarcity of water resources and high unemployment rates.
Dr. Zhar outlined mechanisms to enhance cooperation, including establishing strategic partnerships, financing green projects, promoting education and training, and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. She stressed the importance of exchanging information and best practices among Arab countries to achieve regional integration.
She discussed the pivotal role of technology in accelerating the transition towards a circular economy, noting that technological innovations can contribute to the transformation of waste into reusable resources. She also addressed the results of the Arab Private Sector Survey, which assesses sustainability and social responsibility practices, and called for strengthening these practices to achieve the goals of the circular economy.
This participation is an embodiment of the commitment of the Union of Arab Chambers to support efforts to promote sustainable development in the region.
The interventions made by the representatives of the Union contributed to enriching the discussion and developing a practical vision to achieve common goals, with the importance of cooperation between all parties to achieve these goals.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
