The Executive Committee of Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) held its bi-annual meeting in Dubai today, presided by Committee Chairman Dr. Abdelrahman Al Awadi. The meeting was open to all Board of Trustees members, of whom 11 joined from across the Arab region and Europe. The meeting was hosted by Board member Maroun Semaan, at the Headquarters of Alcazar Capital in Dubai Financial Center.

 

The agenda covered execution of the 2016 plan and enhancing the performance of AFED. The committee endorsed the proposal of Secretary General Najib Saab to hold the 9th annual conference at the American University of Beirut (AUB) on 10-11 November 2016. Moreover, the Committee welcomed the invitation of AUB President Dr. Fadlo Khuri to list AFED conference as one of the events of AUB's 150th Anniversary.

 

The Committee advised the Secretariat to attract more young people to the work of AFED, including Board membership, and enhance the Future Environment Leaders Forum (FELF) by appointing a full-time coordinator. It decided to modernize the form and content of AFED social media in view of appealing more to younger generations. It also endorsed collecting and posting texts of environmental laws in Arab countries in AFED online portal. At the educational level, the Committee decided to produce a model textbook on environment and development, based on AFED reports, directed to college and university students.

 

New institutional membership categories will be created, to attract wider spectrum of active members. The financial situation of AFED was also discussed, in view of the budget constraints in its region of operations, and emergency measures were agreed upon.

 

The meeting was attended by four new Board members: Dr. Ali Al-Tokhais, Ms. Rindala Beydoun, Dr. Abdulkarim Sadik and Mr. Mazen Masry. Also in attendance were Mr. Maroun Semaan, Mr. Majid Jafar, Mr. Samer Younes, Mr. Akram Miknas and Mr. Fadi Fawaz.