By Mustafa El-Marini
RABAT, May 3 (KUNA) -- The Arab Forum on Sustainable Development kicked off here on Wednesday under the theme of "combating poverty and enhancing prosperity in Arab countries".
The event is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in collaboration with the Arab League and in the presence of representatives of some Arab countries.
In a keynote speech, ESCWA's representative Khawla Matar said this gathering constitutes a regional framework of common action and cooperation in order to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and overcome challenges impeding this agenda.
The Arab region is facing major challenges, which constitute an obstacle in achieving the goals of sustainable development, she added, referring to disputes and wars in the region that led to a rise in poverty rates, and flows of refugees and displaced people.
She stressed that the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development seeks to overcome such challenges and obstacles through implementing the UN recommendations for achieving sustainable human development in societies and countries enjoying peace, security, justice and equality.
In a similar speech, Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Aboul-Gheit said that unrests in the Arab region speed up challenges, and rates of poverty and unemployment.
Combating poverty constitutes a precondition for prosperity and development that will remain a major challenge in the region, he noted.
He called for concerted efforts and coordinating action and cooperation between Arab countries and the UN for goals of sustainable development.
The two-day event seeks to discuss the implementation in the Arab region of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit. (end) mry.hm