Baghdad: The fifth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit commenced in Baghdad, Iraq, under the chairmanship of Iraq. The session opened with an inaugural statement from Lebanon, the chair of the previous session, followed by a statement from Iraq, the current chairman for the four-year term. The Arab League Secretary General Ahmad Abulgheit also addressed the gathering, succeeded by statements from the participating delegations.
According to Kuwait News Agency, following the initial speeches, the session was closed to adopt the summit's agenda before approving its resolutions. The summit is set to discuss 33 topics, including a Mauritanian initiative on the "blue economy," an initiative by Abulgheit on artificial intelligence, and the Arab strategy for food security until 2035. Other significant agenda items include a project to shelter displaced families in Palestinian territories and efforts to counter schemes aiming to displace Palestinians from their land.
The summit will also cover issues such as investment in health human resources, submitted by Palestine, Egypt's hepatitis treatment experience, and an executive plan for the regional program for Arab women's empowerment. There are also plans to discuss the Arab strategy for youth, peace, and security, the Arab strategy for water security, and preparations for the second international summit for social development.
The economic summit will address several initiatives and proposals from Iraq to enhance joint Arab action and establish a council of Arab ministers for commerce and economic reforms. This summit on social and economic levels coincides for the first time with the broader Arab summit, a decision made during the Algiers summit in November 2022.