Participation in Arab League's Sustainable Development Plan 2030
At the invitation of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Social Affairs Sector- Culture Department) and through the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon, the University of Al Maaref in Lebanon was represented at the conference held at the headquarters of the Secretariat in Cairo on 1-2 / 11/2017.
Key stakeholders in cultural affairs in Arab countries and regional and international organizations participated in the conference under the title the "Culture and Implementation Follow-up of the Sustainable Development Plan 2030: Challenges and Solutions".
The conference was a response to the Arab Declaration to “Implement the Sustainable Development Plan 2030: the Social Dimensions” that was launched in Cairo in April 2016.
The conference was held over four sessions, including the opening session. These sessions covered the following topics:
- Challenges and constraints facing a culture in the implementation of the sustainable development plan.
In this session, papers were presented on the impact of occupation and armed conflicts on development plans, and successful experiences in this area were reviewed.
- The role of culture in supporting the implementation of the goals of sustainable development 2030.
In this session, some papers were presented and focused on dealing with the cultural approach to sustainable development, the role of art in this approach, as well as the role of youth in a culture of tolerance, rejection of violence and acceptance of the other.
- The role of institutions in the implementation of the plan for sustainable development in the field of culture.
The session dealt with the role of media institutions, the role of museums and civil society organizations, and projects for developing and implementing the objectives of this plan.
At the end of the conference, a special session was held, in which representatives of participating countries, bodies, associations and organizations formulated practical suggestions for implementing the objectives of the development plan.
Al Maaref University made a set of recommendations that pivoted on the crucial and critical role of Arab universities in the sustainable development plans and the importance of cooperation among them in achieving the foreseen development goals.