logo
Sharjah readies for APC with broad participation

Sharjah readies for APC with broad participation

Sharjah 2417-07-2025
The session is set to take place from 22nd to 26th July, under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and with the guidance and direct supervision of His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League.
A Unified Arab Spirit to Empower Children
The general session will be held at the Sharjah Consultative Council headquarters in Sharjah, amidst broad Arab participation and a united Arab spirit aimed at empowering children in parliamentary practice and instilling values of identity, belonging, and responsibility.
Organising Committee Holds Coordination Meeting
In this context, the organising committee of the APC held an extensive meeting at the Parliament's headquarters in Sharjah, attended by His Excellency Ayman Othman Al Barout, Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC), along with all members of the organisational, technical, and media committees. The meeting focused on reviewing final preparations and logistical and technical arrangements to welcome delegations from Arab countries, as well as the official delegation from the Women and Children Department of the Arab League. The goal is to ensure full readiness of sites and teams ahead of this special Arab parliamentary event for children.
Detailed Review of Logistics and Programme
The meeting featured a detailed review of reception plans at UAE airports, coordination of transportation and accommodation procedures, and inspection of residence and training facilities. It also included a briefing on the general programme, which features training workshops, parliamentary sessions, field visits, and accompanying activities designed to deepen parliamentary awareness and foster cultural and social cohesion among the participating Arab children.
Task Distribution and Volunteer Coordination
Discussions also covered the distribution of responsibilities among various working teams, the follow-up on committee progress, and coordination mechanisms with volunteers, who will play a pivotal role in organising the events and providing both logistical and administrative support.
Emphasis on Strong Media Presence
The meeting underlined the importance of media coordination and comprehensive coverage that reflects the high standard of preparations and performance, while conveying the message of the APC in building bridges of communication between generations. Media professionals and journalists will be welcomed to the event, with coordination underway with relevant institutions involved in the session to ensure extensive media coverage that matches the scale of the occasion.
Delegations Arriving from 22nd July
Delegations will begin arriving in Sharjah from 22nd July, where they will be received at the airport by the working teams and accompanied to their accommodation. The Parliament's General Secretariat has prepared a rich programme, including an intensive training workshop prior to the formal session. The workshop aims to equip the young members with parliamentary speaking skills, proposal drafting, and conscious engagement with the session's theme: 'The Cultural Identity of the Arab Child.'
Enriching Visits and Activities
The programme also includes distinctive visits, most notably to the 'Rubu' Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators,' where the children will take part in interactive activities in the 'Skills Lab.' In addition, the twelfth issue of the 'Young Parliamentarian' magazine will be launched—serving as a platform for children's free expression and documenting their parliamentary journey.
A Platform for Empowerment and Expression
His Excellency Ayman Othman Al Barout, Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC), praised the spirit of teamwork and the efforts of all committees and teams during the meeting. He noted that holding the second session in Sharjah is a continuation of a solid Arab journey in supporting childhood and a reflection of Sharjah's vision in preparing an Arab generation capable of dialogue, collaboration, and responsibility—aligned with the broader Arab direction of building the future of children on foundations of empowerment, identity, and knowledge.
Sharjah as a Beacon of Creative Empowerment
He affirmed that Sharjah—through the vision of its leadership and with the support of the Arab League—represents a vibrant platform for creativity and empowerment, and an institutional hub that embraces Arab children and provides them with an inspiring environment for thought and expression. This comes within a pioneering parliamentary experience that reflects the aspirations of the Arab nation towards building a conscious and promising generation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun visits Algeria in effort to bolster bilateral ties
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun visits Algeria in effort to bolster bilateral ties

The National

time4 hours ago

  • The National

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun visits Algeria in effort to bolster bilateral ties

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is on a two-day state visit to Algeria, in a move aimed at revitalising bilateral relations and reinforcing Lebanon's diplomatic engagement with the Arab world. He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and Information Minister Paul Morcos, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. It marks the first official visit by a Lebanese president to Algeria since Emile Lahoud travelled to the North African nation in 2002. In 2013, then-President Michel Sleiman made a brief technical stop in Algiers, where he was received at the airport by Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika. This week's visit is being framed as a strategic step intended to reinvigorate co-operation across sectors, particularly energy. Lebanese media have reported that several agreements are expected to be signed, including collaborations in oil and gas. The trip may also pave the way for establishing a direct flight route between Beirut and Algiers. Since taking office in January, Mr Aoun – a former commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces – has prioritised restoring Lebanon's ties with Arab nations as a cornerstone of his foreign policy. In his inaugural address, he underscored a commitment to strengthening alliances with Arab and Gulf partners, judicial and economic reform and consolidating the state's monopoly on arms. His diplomatic agenda has so far included high-level visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and most recently to Bahrain, where plans were finalised to establish a permanent Bahraini diplomatic mission in Beirut and expand bilateral co-operation. These successive visits reflect an effort to reset ties with the broader Arab world, re-establish confidence and secure crucial support as Lebanon grapples with a deep-rooted economic crisis that began in 2019 and the aftermath of a year-long war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The international community has tied major aid and investment to comprehensive reforms and the disarmament of non-state forces, chiefly Hezbollah and Palestinian factions. In February, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf visited Beirut, where met with Mr Aoun. Relations between Beirut and Algiers have experienced ups and downs. Algeria has offered Lebanon support in recent years. In 2024, it donated 30,000 tonnes of fuel oil – enough to generate 250 megawatts of electricity for about 20 days – after the country's only remaining operational power plant in Zahrani shut down because of fuel shortages. Lebanon's electricity sector has been crumbling for about three decades given a lack of investment and corruption, failing to provide round-the-clock electricity. The country has a complex history with Algeria's national state-owned oil company Sonatrach. In 2020, the company ended its fuel supply contract with Lebanon after a high-profile scandal exposed deep corruption and mismanagement within Lebanon's energy sector. The contract, signed in 2005 and renewed several times, had allowed Sonatrach's offshore unit to supply fuel oil for Lebanon's power plants. However, in early 2020, Lebanese authorities launched an investigation revealing that the supplied fuel was substandard and failed to meet required specifications. The scandal implicated several officials at Électricité du Liban (EDL), the Ministry of Energy and Customs, leading to a wave of arrests, including ministry staff and representatives from the local subcontractor. The deal, for which terms were kept secret for 15 years, was initially thought to be a state-to-state agreement. However, a Lebanese judicial investigation revealed that Sonatrach's subsidiary actually subcontracted the delivery to private companies, which were accused of falsifying laboratory results and bribery. Sonatrach denied any involvement in shipping tainted fuel. The Algerian presidency described the case as a 'Lebanese-Lebanese issue' in which Algeria was not involved.

GCC welcomes efforts for two-state solution amid Saudi-French conference
GCC welcomes efforts for two-state solution amid Saudi-French conference

Dubai Eye

time7 hours ago

  • Dubai Eye

GCC welcomes efforts for two-state solution amid Saudi-French conference

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim Al Budaiwi, has reaffirmed the regional body's support for the creation of an international coalition to implement efforts aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution. The comments were made during a high-level conference on the two-state solution, led by Saudi Arabia and France, at the UN headquarters in New York. Al Budaiwi said that GCC foreign ministers held a meeting on the sidelines of the conference, discussing the latest humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel's 'policy of starvation' in the enclave. Al-Badawi called for regional and international efforts to lift the siege on the Palestinian people and allow the urgent and unrestricted entry of all humanitarian and relief aid. The UAE had earlier issued a statement welcoming the conference and France's intended, landmark recognition of Palestinian statehood which is set to "reinforce efforts by the international community to advance the two-state solution." In his opening remarks, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning, stressing that the two-state solution - described as the only credible path to peace - has reached 'a breaking point' and is now 'further away than ever.' Guterres called for the conference to serve as 'a pivotal turning point' and a rare opportunity to make irreversible progress, rather than 'another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric.' Israel's ally the United States, however, called the UN conference a "publicity stunt" that would "embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace." The UN head added that the "creeping" annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal and must cease, describing the developments as part of a systematic erosion of the foundations of peace in the Middle East. The Israeli Knesset last week passed a non-binding resolution for the annexation of the occupied West Bank - a move described as a violation of several UN Security Council resolutions and considered invalid. Hours after the motion, the Israeli government allocated an additional $274 million for settlement projects in the West Bank. A joint statement by 12 Arab and Islamic countries, including the UAE, said that Israel has 'no sovereignty' over the occupied Palestinian territory and the vote has no legal effect on the status of the territory, adding such Israeli actions only fuel the growing tension in the region.

Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Palestinian solution
Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Palestinian solution

Gulf Today

timea day ago

  • Gulf Today

Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Palestinian solution

Dozens of ministers will gather at the United Nations on Monday for a delayed conference to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, but the US and Israel are boycotting the event. The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025. Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran. The conference aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told newspaper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that he will also use the conference this week to push other countries to join France in recognizing a Palestinian state. France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said last week. "We will launch an appeal in New York so that other countries join us to initiate an even more ambitious and demanding dynamic that will culminate on September 21," Barrot said, adding that he expected Arab countries by then to condemn Hamas and call for their disarmament. Women react during the funeral for victims killed by Israeli bombardment on the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis on Monday. Agence France-Presse The conference comes as a 22-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza still rages. The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. US to skip meet The US will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department spokesperson, describing it as "a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza." The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year calling for the conference and would "not support actions that jeopardize the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict." Israel is also not taking part in the conference, "which doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages," said Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson at Israel's UN mission. The UN has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighbouring Arab states. The UN General Assembly in May last year overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council "reconsider the matter favourably." The resolution garnered 143 votes in favour and nine against. The General Assembly vote was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member – a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state – after the US vetoed it in the U.N. Security Council several weeks earlier. Reuters

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store