Abdullatif Calls for Strengthening Arab cooperation in the confrontation of disasters

Tripoli (ST) – With the participation of Syria, the 40th session of the Council of Arab Ministers for Housing and construction and the 5th Arab Ministerial Forum for Housing and Urban Sustainable Development kicked off on Tuesday in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, under the title “Localizing Sustainable Development Goals for Construction and Confronting Disasters.”

Syria’s Minister of Public Works and Housing Suhail Abdullatif stressed that the natural disasters that many Arab countries were exposed to require strengthening joint cooperation to achieve an effective response to confront them, pointing to the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Morocco and the floods that struck the city of Derna in Libya.

He affirmed that this meeting is as emphasis on strengthening joint Arab efforts in prioritizing sustainable development goals and developing the industry and technology of building and construction.

Abdullatif indicated that in 2019, the “First National Housing Conference” was launched in Syria as an integrated participatory work, in which governmental, private and cooperative bodies participated, with the aim of formulating a national housing strategy capable of ‎simulating the new situation affected by the war launched against Syria.

He presented a set of items that focus on the Syrian government’s initiative to provide healthy and sustainable housing, through the housing programs of the General Housing Corporation and the National Housing Strategy in Syria, and on localizing the sustainable development goals for construction.

Abdullatif called for activating a comprehensive Arab policy, the “Guideline for Social Housing”, to adopt low-cost building materials to develop social housing projects in Arab countries for low-income people, by taking advantage of the infrastructure, resources, and building materials available in Arab countries that are environmentally appropriate.

It is noteworthy that the forum will last for three days, and the Syrian delegation includes the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Suhail Abdullatif, the Deputy Minister Marie-Claire Al-Tali, and the Assistant Director of the General Company for Engineering Studies, Nawras Watfa.

Najla Khoury