Under the supervision of Mr. Lounès Magramane, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the signing ceremony for the headquarters agreement between the Algerian government and the Union of Arab Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions was held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at the ministry’s headquarters.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Abdelghani Amara, Director-General of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, representing the Algerian government, and Professor Sidi Mohamed Bouchenak Khelladi, President of the Union of Arab Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions and President of the Algerian National Economic, Social and Environmental Council (NESEC). The signing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Mohamed Lamine Djaafri, Secretary-General of the Union, alongside several senior officials from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NESEC.
This headquarters agreement implements the resolutions adopted during the Union's inaugural conference, which ratified Algeria as the host country for its headquarters. To this end, the President of the Union was mandated to sign the agreement with the representative of the Algerian government, in accordance with the provisions of Article 20 of the Union's Rules of Procedure.
This signing crowns the sustained efforts undertaken by the Algerian National Economic, Social and Environmental Council to relaunch and revitalize the Union. These efforts included Algeria's hosting of the Union's General Assembly on June 19–20, 2022, as well as the implementation of numerous organizational, administrative and technical measures within the Union’s structures.
This agreement will pave the way to achieve the objectives established during the Union's initial constitutive sessions, most notably :
- Coordinating efforts among Arab economic and social councils and similar institutions within regional and international fora.
- Conducting research and studies on key issues related to economic, social and environmental fields.
- Contributing to balanced economic and social development to promote social justice and strengthen social cohesion across the Arab world.
It’s worth noting that the Union of Arab Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions is a regional organization established at the initiative of Arab economic and social councils, under the auspices of the Arab Labour Organization (ALO). The Union comprises the economic and social councils of Algeria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco and Mauritania, alongside counterpart institutions from Sudan, Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia.