Arab League backs civil society in facing regional challenges

CAIRO - 14 September 2017: Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit stressed the Arab League keenness on supporting the civil society and volunteer work to achieve societal development in the domains of health, education, eradicating poverty and enhancing political participation as well as other fields related to the main challenges facing the Arab region.

This remark came during Abul Gheit's speech on Thursday at the ceremony of Sheikh Isa bin Ali al Khalifa Award for Volunteer Work in its seventh edition.

The award honors the pioneers of volunteer work in the Arab world and casts light on their experience as a recognition to their contributions in serving the society.

Abul Gheit underlined that a department for the civil society organizations at the AL general secretariat was established to act as a connection point between these organizations and the AL mechanisms in light of the civil society's role as a partner for the government in the development process.

For his part, Sheikh Isa bin Ali al Khalifa stressed that volunteer work is one of the main aspects humanitarian work.