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Call For Reforms in MENA Region

ABU DHABI — Cooperation among non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector and governments is a must in the future to promote the process of reforms to lead the developing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to improve life, said an official of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Takahiro Kagawa, Deputy Director-General of MENA Affairs in the Japanese Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Saturday that cooperation among the three would lead the societies to better living conditions and actual reforms.

“We discussed during the senior officials’ meeting here on Saturday many important aspects focusing on participation to implement the required reforms in the field of education in addition to political and economic fields,” said Kagawa.

He pointed out that vocational training is one of the most important tools to recruit new generation and the private sector should undertake its role to promote reforms and development.

“The Forum for the Future has come to open the minds and allow the participants to interact and exchange knowledge. It will enable the governments to study the situation in the future and work to implement the reforms,” added Kagawa.

He said the forum would face challenges not only from the governments, but from the people as well. “Hence, providing the peoples in the MENA region with the needed services is the basis of the reforms, in addition to freedom of speech.”

On the sidelines of the forum, the Japanese Embassy in Abu Dhabi organised a tea ceremony, ‘Chaji’, at Emirates Palace on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in cooperation with the Japanese Embassy will organise a lecture on ‘Chaji’ at the Centre for Documentation and Research in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

ahmed@khaleejtimes.com