The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Chairman of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports, witnessed the conclusion of the Arab-African Forum to Enhance the Role of Volunteers in Addressing Climate Change on Saturday evening. The forum was organized by the Ministry through the Central Administration of Cultural and Volunteer Programs in cooperation with the Ministries of Environment and Water Resources and Irrigation during the period from March 21 to 27.
The Minister of Youth and Sports began his speech by expressing his gratitude to the Ministry of Environment, the Arab Voluntary Union, and all partners involved in organizing the forum, as well as all participants in the events, which witnessed fruitful dialogue and an exchange of views according to an active and objective agenda.
The Minister pointed out that the forum was a great opportunity to create a constructive dialogue on the issue of climate change, and that the genuine will of the participants at all levels was to transform the dialogue into recommendations and implementation mechanisms, noting that the forum's activities are practical proof that dialogue is the way to face challenges, overcome conflicts, and improve current conditions and build the future.
Dr. Ashraf Sobhy promised the participants to present the forum's recommendations to the Higher Committee responsible for organizing the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Closing ceremony was attended by Hassan Mohammed Buhazza, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Lydia Elewa, representing the Ministry of Environment, and from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Major General Ismail Al-Far, Executive Director, Dr. Abdullah Elbatesh, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports, Nagwa Salah, Head of the Central Administration of Cultural and Volunteer Programs, and Jihan Hanafi, Director General of Volunteer and Scouting Programs.
It is worth mentioning that the conference was attended by delegations from 38 countries, and was organized in cooperation with the Arab Voluntary Union, the Graduate School and Environmental Sciences at Ain Shams University, the Youth and Adolescence Unit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development, the Regional Training Center for Water Resources and Irrigation, the Policy and Business Development Unit at the Minister's Office, and the Climate Unit at the General Administration of Public and Foreign Relations.