Mubarak charts new agenda for social development
Egypt, Politics, 9/18/2000

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak Sunday morning opened the national conference on social development, held at the Cairo International Conferences Center.

The president had previously called for holding the conference and assigned the government to make necessary arrangements in order to draw up a clear formula and common understanding on social development policies .

Mubarak also called for outlining priorities to achieve social development that copes with economic accomplishments. Addressing the opening session of the conference that will run for three days, Mubarak said that the forum is held during a crucial phase and amidst successive developments at the domestic and foreign levels.

These developments generate new concepts in various fields, the president said.

He urged new approach to the new political, economic and trade changes.

" Egypt has positively responded to those changes and adopted an openness to the world through application of the economic reforms programs, with emphasis on social dimensions and taking into account interests of the limited-income categories," he said.

President Hosni Mubarak Sunday said that Egypt has pursued a comprehensive economic reform in a gradual and well-calculated way that has heeded social considerations.

"Since the start of the reform we have realized that the ultimate aim is to effect all-out economic and social development." he told the opening session of the national social development conference.

"The (economic reform) program is primarily emanating from our social, economic and culture realities and from our realization that there is no point in economic progress that lacks a social vision.", the President added.

The Egyptian leader cited Egypt's major participation in world social development conferences.

"In 1994, Egypt hosted a key UN conference on population and development and effectively participated the following year in a conference on women's welfare in Beijing." "We also contributed effectively to the special session the UN held in New York earlier this year on reviewing an international strategy five years after its implementation."

Mubarak said that social development could not be handled without an objective approach to the population problem. He cited a recent census that put Egypt's population at 65 million, and urged redoubling efforts, cautioning that the present rate of population growth obstructs development ambitions.

Mubarak pointed to Egypt's regional economic initiatives to open up fresh vistas for social development.

"Egypt last year officially joined the common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and hosted in February the Group's first economic gathering to set the scene for creating a free trade zone by 2001".

"we have enhanced ties between Africa and Europe by taking the initiative of holding the first Africa-Europe conference in Cairo (in April)," said Mubarak.

He added that the conference had produced very important results on debt relief for Africa, easing poverty and giving a fresh momentum to enhancing socioeconomic development.

Mubarak reiterated Egypt's keenness on "fulfilling our dream and the dream of all Arabs" to set up a common market.

He hoped that the conference will come out with recommendations that will support social welfare systems for women, children, families, the youth, the elderly and the physically disabled.

President Mubarak renewed the state's commitment to create new jobs and encouraging the private sector to help ease the unemployment problem and provide housing, particularly for young people.

Taking up social development, he said that it should fulfill basic human needs, raise living standards, develop human resources, introduce a radical upgrade of education and social research and curb population growth.

He demanded that illiteracy be eliminated from Egypt within the next five years.

"In Egypt we have been keen on well-thought-out plans for development from which we do not deviate or belittle (its goals). In them, we have paid attention to all prerequisites of balanced and sustainable development that enable society to achieve a major leap on the road to building and progress," he said.

The Egyptian leader renewed a pledge to maintain "the delicate balance" between requirements of reform and the "common interests of the country and the citizen".

"My choice has been and is still to side with the vast majority of Egypt's people not only because this constitutes part of the legitimacy of the ruling system and its responsibilities but because I have unlimited belief in the right of these categories in getting their share of the development fruits."

Mubarak said that the "real gains" of a comprehensive development in Egypt would not be tangibly felt without a social development scheme "based on respecting the Egyptian citizen's right to a decent life in his homeland".

He explained that the key components of social development should envisage the provision of health care for all people, eliminating infectious and endemic diseases, according due attention to issues of childhood and maternity, expanding social insurance to cover all Egyptians, adopting a new approach to problems of housing and joblessness in a way that sees a bigger role for the private sector and the business community, and developing the mass media.

Mubarak urged that education and scientific research top the agenda of national priorities.

"I think we need to develop a new outlook on the educational map in Egypt that takes into account what several other countries have applied to achieve the required balance between university education on the one hand and technical education and vocational training on the other."

"The ultimate aim is to groom new generations qualified enough to give a hand in pushing forward the comprehensive development," Mubarak told the conference.

"It is high time, he added, scientific research becomes a means to "properly utilize" creativity of scientists and serve objectives of development.

Describing democracy as the safety valve of the present and the future, Mubarak called on all political parties and civil society institutions to encourage young people to be politically active and shoulder responsibility.

"This holds the key to the continuation of the march and inspires assurance about the capability of these generations to safeguard democracy against any future perils." Mubarak cited Egypt's endorsement in June, along with over 100 countries, of the Warsaw declaration on democratization.

The Egyptian leader highlighted the measures taken following a ruling by the constitutional court that demanded all polling stations be fully monitored by the judiciary.

Following the verdict, Mubarak introduced changes into the election law approved by the two houses of the parliament.

Egyptians go to polls next month to elect a new people's assembly (the lower house of parliament) for the coming five years.

"...This is meant to give people the first and final say to choose among candidates of different parties." The elections will be staged over three stages, starting October 18.

Mubarak sounded optimistic about prospects ahead for Egypt.

"I have unlimited optimism that tomorrow, God willing, will be better than today and that the coming years will be the years of reaping the fruits of our efforts made over the last two decades," he said.

He said that this sense of optimism is enhanced by interest in technology and science.

"The success made by our efforts over the past years, particularly with respect to different sides of social development, makes me increasingly assured about our ability to achieve more and more for the future." He reiterated his conviction that human resources are Egypt's most valued tools for forging ahead and making progress.

Previous Stories:
  National Council for Women supports women candidates in coming elections   (9/15/2000)
  Moussa, Albright probe peace process and Jerusalem   (9/13/2000)
  Mubarak reviews with Arafat results of his meetings in New York   (9/12/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search