Yemeni FM partakes in launching Arab MDGs report, AL and OIC FMs meetings

Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi participated on Tuesday in a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York to launch the "Arab Millennium Development Goals Report: Facing Challenges and Looking Beyond 2015", prepared jointly by the UN and the Arab League (AL). The report deals with the great achievements made by the Group of Arab countries in enrollment rates in primary education and literacy, and in promoting gender equality in all education levels. It contains valuable data shows the Arab position on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through reviewing the region's achievements in order to realize the MDGs. It also indicates to the difficulties faced by the Arab countries and especially the least developed ones in carrying out the goals. Moreover, it shows the Arab vision made by the 2012 Arab economic and social development summit in Riyadh, which develop a number of important themes the Arab countries are looking forward to implement in cooperation with the UN specialized organizations. The report is the latest regional Arab one that will be submitted to the UN General Assembly within the regional reports. On the other hand, the Foreign Minister took part at the ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States held at the UN Headquarters in New York. It focused on some Arab issues, particularly the latest developments on Syria. The Arab Foreign Ministers agreed to refer a message to the presidents of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly demanding to oblige the Syrian government to stop to use all kinds of weapons against the Syrian citizens. The meeting also discussed the situation in Palestine. The Arab Ministers welcomed the decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to continue peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Furthermore, Al-Qirbi participated in the ministerial meeting organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in Somalia. It dealt with the current developments on Somalia and the efforts made by the Somali government to overcome the current challenges, as well as the role required to be played by the Islamic countries and the international community to support the Somali government's efforts.