Mrs. Mubarak asserts Arab women can effectively contribute to development

Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, who attended the Arab Women and Armed Conflict Forum in the Lebanese capital Beirut, asserted that Arab women are capable of effectively contributing to realizing the aspired development in Arab societies.

Taking part Tuesday in the Hariri Foundation' s 25th anniversary celebrations, Mrs. Mubarak said that the numerous violations befalling women as a result of wars and armed conflicts require joint action in order to bring about peace that alone can end this suffering.

She expressed hope that cooperation would be reached in this sphere between the Suzanne Mubarak International Peace Movement and the Hariri Foundation in order to spread the peace culture instead of that of violence, conflicts and wars.

Mrs. Mubarak also attended a press meeting at the end of her visit Tuesday to the permanent care center in Al-Hazmiyeh, in East Beirut, which was established in 1993 under Mrs. Mona Hrawi, spouse of former Lebanese President Elias Hrawi, to treat children suffering from Thalassemia and diabetes.

She stressed that the status of Arab women is in remarkable progress and success despite tough circumstances facing them and failure of the Arab media to give prominence to women's role so far.

The forum wrapped up proceeding with issuance of the Beirut Declaration which called for empowering women to fully participate in their societies. The declaration considered the use of violence against women, particularly in times of war and armed conflicts, as a war crime.

It also urged relentless efforts to eradicate women's illiteracy in the fields of information and communications technology to keep up with the spirit of the age, stressing support for the people in occupied Palestine in the face of war crimes perpetrated by the terrorist state of Israel and rejection of the racist wall of separation.

The declaration manifested support for the people in the Syrian Arab Golan Heights and condemnation of the Israeli threats against Syria as well as for Lebanon and its resistance to complete liberation of lands.

It backed as well the Iraqi people in their rejection of foreign occupation and expressed support for the Iraqis to maintain their unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty as well as their right to self-determination.