Kuwait participates in the 118th session of the Arab Economic and Social Council

The 118th session of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council at the senior officials’ level began yesterday, presided over by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Kuwait participating in a delegation led by Saad Al-Alaati, Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Services Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, in preparation for the ministerial session of the Council scheduled to be held today.

In a speech during the opening of the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs at the Arab League, Ambassador Dr. Ali Al-Maliki, expressed confidence that Saudi Arabia would continue, during its presidency of the current session, to support the Council’s work and follow up on the implementation of its decisions, thereby contributing to the enhancement of joint Arab action in economic and social fields. He extended his gratitude to Algeria for its efforts and commitment to supporting the Council’s work during its presidency of the previous session.

Al-Maliki stated that the Arab League continued to hold meetings of the Implementation and Follow-up Committee, the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin, and the Arab Customs Union Committee, while monitoring the procedures for signing and acceding to the Agreement on Customs Cooperation and the Agreement on the Regulation of Transit Transport. Additionally, sectoral workshops were held in collaboration with chambers of commerce and industry, targeting the private sector to raise awareness of the benefits granted by Arab trade agreements and market access opportunities, thereby enhancing intra-Arab trade.

He clarified that the Arab League had received from the Permanent Delegation of Palestine a guiding document outlining Palestine’s priorities and needs in the fields of capacity building and technical assistance in trade and economics, in light of the Council’s mandate to submit periodic follow-up reports on the contours of the Palestinian economic situation and developments in the reconstruction and rebuilding process. The document also addressed the impact of arbitrary policies and practices by the Israeli occupation on Palestine’s economic and social development, emphasizing the importance of providing all forms of assistance to the Palestinian people to help them rebuild their country, restore their economy, and regain their organic integration with their Arab environment.

He confirmed that a draft of the issues proposed for inclusion in the unified Arab position for the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for 2026 was adopted during the meeting organized by the Arab Monetary Fund in the United Arab Emirates last July.

He noted that the Arab League had circulated the report of the sixth regular meeting of the Committee of Legal Experts concerned with the Arab Investment Agreement, which was held in May last year. He explained that the draft agreement was prepared in accordance with the procedures and pathways specified by the Council at its 117th ordinary session, and is currently being revised in preparation for presenting the agreement and countries’ comments on it to the preparatory meeting of the Council for the upcoming 35th Arab Summit, within the economic and social file.

He added that the Arab Charter on AI Ethics was adopted as a guiding framework to promote the responsible and fair use of this technology.

He further stated that the Arab League had also received reports on food security situations and the follow-up on the implementation of the Arab Program for Food Security Sustainability and the Arab Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural Development 2020-2030, as well as the Arab Strategy for Sustainable Management of Rangeland Resources and the implementation of the Arab Strategy for Aquaculture 2018-2037.

Regarding specialized Arab organizations and institutions of joint Arab action, Al-Maliki emphasized the Arab League’s commitment to participating in the meetings of the General Assemblies and Executive Boards of specialized Arab organizations during the period between Council sessions, as well as its dedication to clarifying the provisions of the unified statutes and decisions of the Economic and Social Council, in its capacity as the national reference for specialized Arab organizations.