The 1st Sustainability Forum: “Future of Sustainability Debate in the Arab Region: Voices from the South” at the BA
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Alexandria—
On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), West Asia Middle East (WAME) Regional Office in cooperation with the BA, organized the 1st Sustainability Forum entitled “Future of Sustainability Debate in the Arab Region: Voices from the South”, on Wednesday ,4 June 2008 at the BA, funded by Ford Foundation.
Dr. Mohamed Faham, Director of the BA Center for Special Studies and Programs (CSSP), stated that the Forum brought together Arab experts to discuss the future of sustainability and joint solutions for challenges facing sustainable development in the Arab world.
In a video recording, HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, Chairman, Arab Thought Forum (ATF), spoke about his vision for sustainability in the Arab world and highlighted pressing problems and challenges facing the Arab region.
Dr. Odeh AL-Jayyousi, Regional Director, International Union for Conservation of Nature, West Asia Middle East Region, stated that the idea of this forum on sustainable development was initiated in 2006, following IUCN global meeting for a group of intellectuals to develop a vision for the future of sustainability. He pointed out that this Forum aims at enriching the debate on the future of sustainable development in light of water, food and energy crises, and identifying roles and responsibilities of governments, institutions, private sector, youth, and local communities.
These efforts are foundations for formulating a common vision for governments, decision makers and private sectors on sustainable development in the world, where we all share challenges of poverty, climate change, HIV, and low capacity for innovation in the field of renewable energy.