Preparatory meetings for the Fifth Session of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, hosted by the Republic of Iraq and scheduled for 17 May have officially commenced in Baghdad. During the proceedings, the presidency of the summit will be transferred from the Lebanese Republic to the Republic of Iraq for a four-year term.
In his address at the ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council, convened under Iraq's chairmanship on 13 May, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, underscored the critical importance of forging a unified Arab vision to confront the profound disruptions affecting the global economic order. He said that, given the accelerating and complex global developments—particularly in the economic domain—Arab states would be better positioned to navigate these challenges through collective action and a forward-looking, inclusive approach that ensures no segment of society is left behind.
Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Social Affairs Sector of the League of Arab States, noted that the preparatory meetings of the Economic and Social Council were held at the senior officials' level on 12 May and at the ministerial level on 13 May. The sessions reviewed the draft agenda of the Fifth Development Summit, comprising 33 key items. Among them are the initiative of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on the blue economy as a strategic response to food and energy security challenges in the Arab world; and the initiative of Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit entitled "The Arab Artificial Intelligence Initiative: Towards Technological Leadership and Sustainable Development."
The agenda also includes the Arab Strategy for Food Security (2025–2035); a project to support and provide shelter for families displaced by war within Palestinian territories and to resist all attempts at displacing the Palestinian people; a Palestinian proposal on investing in human health resources; the Egyptian model for eliminating viral hepatitis C; and several frameworks and action plans related to social development. These include the Regional Programme for the Economic and Social Empowerment of Arab Women, the Arab Strategy for Youth, Peace, and Security (2023–2028), and the updated executive plan for the Arab Strategy for Water Security (2030), in addition to preparations for the Second World Summit for Social Development.
His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Maliki, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Sector, highlighted key Iraqi proposals included in the summit's draft agenda. Chief among them are the proposal to establish a Council of Arab Trade Ministers under the League's framework and the launch of the "Arab Economic Reform Era for the Next Decade."
Ambassador Dr. Abu Ghazaleh noted that the Fifth Development Summit in Baghdad marks the first such summit since the Fourth Session, held in Beirut in early 2019. Notably, it is also the first occasion on which ordinary and development summits will be convened concurrently, following the adoption of a new mechanism at the Algiers Summit in November 2022.
In conclusion, Her Excellency expressed her profound appreciation to the Republic of Iraq for its outstanding efforts in preparing and organising the summit meetings, and for its steadfast commitment to ensuring their success—particularly in light of the complex and rapidly evolving circumstances facing both the Arab region and the world.
