Brothers and Sisters,
Members of the National Conference on Social Development,
First, I would like to express my pleasure for the convening of this conference
at a critical stage where challenges at home are increasing and developments
on the world scene following in succession, thus imposing on humanity at
large new concepts in politics, economics, culture and science and social and
human behaviour in general. These are all matters that require to be
addressed through a new, creative line of thought and a piercing vision so as
to ensure that Egypt will maintain such standing that becomes the most
ancient civilization in the history of humanity.
The international changes that imposed themselves on every body were
not limited to the political scene. Even more, the world economic and trade
order has witnessed deep and radical changes involving innovative forms of
its components and outputs. This has placed all countries -with varying
degrees- in the face of extremely significant challenges in the economic and
social spheres.
Thank God, we took the right decision; responding to these challenges and
opening up on the world that is witnessing an array of fast-moving and
successive development.
We made up our minds to launch a comprehensive but gradual and
well-calculated economic reform process. In so doing, we avoided those
measures that would more or less affect the social dimension, or undermine
the interests of the largest portion of citizens.
Right from the beginning of reforms, our attention was focused on the fact
that the ultimate goal was a comprehensive socio-economic development.
Thus, the reform programme, that was approved and so far substantially
implemented, had emanated, in the first place, from our own social, economic
and cultural conditions. It was further based on a recognition that economic
progress will be futile should it lack a social vision that holds man as the pivot
as well as the target and maker of development. We have always taken into
consideration the current conditions of the Egyptian society in general and
the limited income brackets in particular.
We have also sought to be an integral partner to world reform movement.
By so doing, we had the chance to pursue harmoniously and consistently the
socio-economic development process on both national and international
levels.
We managed to compromise different requirements on both fields with the
least degrees of contradiction. Notably, this was accomplished in spite of
absence of consensus among different countries of the world and long
before such issues become the main items of different summit conferences
held by the UN over the past ten years.
Since the beginning of the reform process, we have realized the importance
of the international and regional dimensions in social development as they
reflect the national dimension of development.
On the international level, we took the initiative to host the United Nations
Conference on Population and Development in 1994 which adopted
ambitious plan to face the dramatic increase in population; especially in
developing countries.
This would ensure the distribution of the development returns among a
smaller number of people, thus ensuring a better standard of living and
welfare for all peoples.
We contributed effectively to the United Nations Conference on Woman in
Beijin in 1995 which set an international strategy to promote the status of
woman in all fields of health, science, culture, and employment in order to
accomplish a complete equality between man and woman without prejudice
to her principal role in the family. Moreover, we took part more effectively in
the special United Nations session in New York early this year in order to
review this strategy after five years of implementation; and to adjust it so as to
cope with current developments as well as the growing role played by woman
in development in all its dimensions.
Furthermore, we were one of the foremost countries that contributed to the
formulation of the United Nations Agreement on Child?s Rights. We, also,
ratified the agreement immediately upon being adopted in 1990. In order to
make sure that our own problems and those of the region will be taken into
consideration, we sought to join the committee formed by the United Nations
to propose various solutions for childhood problems.
Also, we had a clear fingerprint on the declaration and action plan issued by
the United Nations Conference on Social Development in Copenhagen in
1995. This conference concentrated, inter alia, on eradicating poverty and
unemployment, setting debt crisis for developing countries, achieving social
integration and solidarity, protecting human rights, realizing complete
equality between man and woman, pushing forward development drive in
Africa, increasing resources allocated to social development especially by
developed countries.
Moreover, we had a more visible presence in the special United Nations
session in June this year to review achievements already made. Notably we
were keen to highlight the negative social aspects of globalization that delay
the integration of social development into national development strategies.
Of these were the problems of marginalization that has afflicted some weak
economies and aggravated their social proplems. Salient of these are the
importance of commitment by the developed countries to give 7 per thousand
of their gross national income in official development aid as agreed upon in
Copenhagen, and the importance of giving the developing countries a larger
role in the decision-making process on issues related to international
economy. These included also alleviating trade terms imposed by the
developed countries, establishing a global net for employing youth and
encouraging them to involve in small and medium-size enterprises. All these
issues would eventually help reinforce overall social development based on
sustainable economic development.
Moreover, we asserted our strong commitment to democracy by signing
this June, together with more than hundred countries the, Warsow
Declaration on ?creating a democratic society?. This Declaration confirmed
that people?s will is the basis of governance, assuring the people?s right to
choose their representatives in free and fair elections multi-under a party
system, freedom of opinion and expression, and the rule of law under the
supervision of an equalitarian, independent and fair judiciary.
Measures recently taken after issuing the ruling of the Supreme
Constitutional Court on complete juridical supervision on elections, have
proved the extent of my commitment to entranch democracy so that elections
should be just and fair under full juridical supervision. Thus, the people will
have the primary and final say in selecting candidates of their choice from
among different parties.
On the regional level, Egypt has enhanced her initiatives for economic
development; with the object of opening new prospects for social
development. In collaboration with our brothers in the Organization of African
Unity, we contributed to establishing underpinnings for a common market.
Pending the materialization of such market, Egypt joined the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa ?COMESA?.
In February this year, we hosted the first economic forum to enhance trade
exchange among member-states in preparation for a free trade zone to be
established by 2001.
In addition, we sought to enhance relations between Africa and Europe
through our initiative to hold the first Africa-Europe conference in Cairo this
year. The conference yielded extremely significant results in the way of
relieving African countries from debts, aleviating poverty and providing more
job opportunities for workers from African continent as well as enhancing
socio-economic development. We are still keen on achieving our own dream
and that of all Arabs, of creating an Arab common market.
It is my hope that such dreams will gain appropriate grounds in the nearest
coming Arab summit. Moving to cooperation with developing countries, our
chairmanship of G-15 conference last year was a favourable opportunity to
take major steps to enhance social development.
The most recent was the G-15 conference in Cairo that adopted a number of
significant resolutions including drawing up a uniform global labour strategy
to be applied equally on both developing and developed countries. This
strategy should provide more social care for the toiling working classes and
consequently a better standard of living.
Brothers and Sisters,
In Egypt, we have been clearly determined to commit ourselves to elaborate
development plans to which we strictly adhered.
In such plans, we took into account all basic requirements for balanced
sustainable development necessary to enable the community to achieve great
leaps in reconstruction and progress.
Having adopted such comprehensive development concepts, we should
naturally seek to fulfil the basic needs for all categories of the society and
achieve relative justice in distributing the development returns.
In addition, more attention must be given to the development of human
resources because the manpower is not only the most important factor of
production but also the target aspired by any integrated development
process.
In Egypt, we are deeply proud of the specific nature of our development
experiment in general and social development in particular. In the light of our
own identity we had to adopt only those elements appropriate to our
circumstances, and at the same time avoid those extraneous elements alien
to our deep-rooted traditions, culture and beliefs.
We also take pride in the pioneering role played by our civil society and non
governmental organizations (NGOs) in supporting popular participation for
achieving targeted social development. In conducting their activities, these
organizations should abide by legitimacy, law and public national interest.
I have been and will continue to be committed to maintain strict balance
between reform requirements which we do not have the luxury to delay and
the common interest of both the motherland and citizen which our national
conscience can not disregard under any circumstances.
It has been my choice and so will it be, to remain aligned to the interests of
great majority of Egypt?s people. It is not only because this represents a part
of the rule?s legitimacy and responsibilities, but also because I have
unlimited belief in these categories? right to reap their share of the fruits of
development which we have embarked on with full efficiency and
determination.
I think you agree with me that the real return of our comprehensive
development exercise could tangibly be materialize only through a social
development enterprise basically underpinned by respect for the Egyptian
citizen?s right to lead a decent life in his homeland. There should be also a
firm commitment to maintain the unity and cohesion of the society, through
deepening solidarity among various categories in such a way as to deeply
entrench social peace.
Thank God we have made long strides on the road to comprehensive
development and have already accomplished a rewarding return, ultimately
contributing to social transformation which serves the great majority of our
people.
Brothers and Sisters, I am looking forward to see your conference adopt
additional recommendations to support all social organizations especially in
the fields of the care of women, child, family, youths, elderly people and
handicapped in addition to expanding social insurance umbrella and avoiding
any deficiencies, thus making every citizen feel safe for his present and
future.
Hence, I strongly stress the importance of pursuing our efforts, already
started, for providing more care to women and childern. Thereby, they could
gain their fair share of learning enlightened culture, decent information,
health, social and economic care. This is the responsibility of all parties
concerned with family welfare, including parents, thinkers, creative artists,
religious advocates and media men. In this respect, the state also shoulders a
large responsibility in the framework of solidarity among all categories of the
society in order to realize this significant goal.
In addition, it would be pointless to talk about social development and its
vast horizons, without an objective view of the overpopulation problem and
our sustained endeavours to curb increase in population. Although we have
made great strides over the past decade, yet the latest population statistics
announced in August 2000, showed that Egypt?s population has exceeded
65 million.
As such, it is still my belief that we do need to redouble our effort, as the
current growth rate of population still constitutes an element of pressure on
our development-oriented ambitions, leading to a situation where we are
stuck to the limit of resisting and preventing the aggravation of conditions
instead of progressing forward to development and welfare.
Thus, I do not think that we can talk of a better future for the Egyptian
citizen under the banners of social development in a comprehensive concept,
without giving top priority to education and scientific research, so that any
targetted progress in education and scientific research would proceed in line
with the social development and the exigencies of the development map.
I do not only mean paying attention to the improvement and upgrading of
education in terms of quality and level. However, it is my belief that we are in
need of an on-going and periodical review of the educational map in Egypt.
Consideration should be given to achievements earlier made by several
countries that achieved the necessary balance between university education
with its various branches on one hand and technical education and
vocational training on the other. Our aspired goal should be to obtain new
generations of graduates capable of making effective contributions to
comprehensive development through concentrating on specializations
required by each stage of development.
Time has come for an objective outlook that places scientific research in the
right position. Instead of being merely a means of obtaining the scientific title,
scientific reasearch should be upgraded so as to properly utilize innovations
and researches of scientists in serving development goals and providing
scientific counsel to various production and service sectors.
Brothers and Sisters, I would like to point out that in addition to my interest
in education, I am equally interested in human development especially youth.
That is because they are the mainstay of the future, the heart of the nation and
the soul of its civilization. They are, furthermore, the live embodiment of
Egypt?s aspirations and ambitions. Therefore, all our efforts should
concentrate on how to prepare the coming generations to bear responsibility
through deepening their national sense of belonging and reviving moral
values which distinguish our people. This would make us more capable of
understanding, containing and sorting out all extraneous ideas and values
that may penetrate across the border through communication and
information revolution that abolished all borders and distances between
nations and peoples.
As long as we view democracy as the safety valve for this nation?s present
and future, we are required to deepen the democratic awareness among
youth and encourage them to participate and share responsibility. This
requires all parties and civil society organizations to apply earnest endeavour
to encourage youth participation. This is the way to pursue the march forward
and ensure ability of these generations to protect democracy against any
future dangers and to shoulder their responsibility under competitive
standards. This will eventually guarantee continuous regeneration of national
action.
I should also stress continuing commitment by the state to provide new job
opporunities and to encourage the private sector and business community to
positively contribute to alleviating unemployment which has substantially
declined over the previous years, in addition to easing the problem of
housing, especially for youth and limited-income people. It is our duty to do
our utmost to minimize these problems to the lowest possible levels, through
creative ideas and intiatives where all sectors of the society should
participate.
Brothers and Sisters, I have no intention to talk longer on a topic that is the
core and essence of your conference. However, I would like to put forward
some conceptions concerning the vast prospects of comprehensive social
development and the objectives for which we should mobilize our efforts to
achieve over the coming years. To this end, I would like to point out a set of
remarks which, I hope, your conference will have the opportunity to discus d
be accompanied with a concomitant drive to enhance the spirit of work in the
society through a right and express understanding that every right
corresponds to a duty. It is now time to stress the positive value of work and
to face the negative aspects which detract from our capabilities and
potentials.
Third:
Despite all our achievements, over the past years, we are still required to
bring about a radical and comprehensive development in the educational and
scientific research system as to provide the necessary capability to cope with
the smashing scientific progress all over the world. This will be achieved not
only by importing modern technology, but also by producing national
technologies, based on the creative works of our scientists and researchers.
Fourth:
The following five years should witness the declaration of Egypt as a
country free of illiteracy. This should be immediately followed by a national
programme to promote the cultural level of the people in all specializations
and orientations. The proposed programme should be instrumental in
enriching dialogue, deepening democracy and raising intellectual standards
on all levels.
Fifth:
The population issue should remain at the forefront of our concerns. We
should seek to reduce population growth rates to levels necessary to avoid
our development achievement being swallowed by such formidable increase.
In parallel, we should intensify our efforts to rechart the population map and
put an end to the suffocating congestion around the narrow old valley moving
forward to the vast expanse of new urban communities. Sixth:
To provide health care for each and every citizen will remain both a target
and a commitment that we should seek, by all means, to maintain. To this end,
we should seek to build more public hospitals, reinforce preventive health
requirements, promote health awareness, fully eradicate epidemic and
endemic diseases and make available the latest in medical treatment
equipment.
Seventh:
We are in a pressing need to provide all support to childhood and
motherhood issues. These should be properly positioned on the list of
priorities of national action, given that children are tomorrow?s young men
and woman represents one half of the society that should take greater
responsibility for family care and upbringing coming generations.
Eighth:
For social justice to be entrenched, it is required to expand social insurance
umbrella to cover every citizen on the land of Egypt. Moreover, the dose of
welfare services provided by the society to the elderly, handicapped and
socially marginalized categories should be augmented to ensure their full
integration into the society.
Ninth:
The housing and unemployment problems should be addressed from a
new perspective where the private sector and business community will play a
larger role over the coming period in contributing to the provision of
necessary jobs and housing. This should go in parallel with the state role in
resolving both problems, particularly for youth and limited-income categories.
Tenth:
We should pursue our work to modernize Egyptian information media and
enhance media tools and contents. Thus media can become capable of
performing its expected national and pan-national role in a free and
democratic environment that allows freedom of opinion, freedom of thought,
freedom of creativity without any controls apart from one?s own sense of
national and pan-national responsibility.
Brothers and Sisters,
I am fully optimistic that tomorrow, God Willing, will be better and in the
coming years we will reap the fruits of our efforts over the past two decades.
What makes me more optimistic is that we are now on the right track, armed
with a futuristic outlook based on science and technology, taking into
account available potential and resources, as well as the huge base of the
nation intellectual and physical capabilities.
Our successful efforts over the past years, especially in relation to the
various aspects of social development, make us more confident and
reassured of our ability to accomplish more and more in future. In this respect
we depend on our constant and deeply-entrenched approach of exposing
straight forward facts to the masses and our trust in their ability to perform
their role as long as they are armed with the knowledge necessary to
stimulate their movement and participation.
It will be always my belief that Egypt?s most precious asset is its
manpower who can make progress, keep pace with progress and remove any
obstacles in the way of reconstruction and development. Therefore, our
greatest accomplishment is building the Egyptian character that is capable of
facing the future challenges under the umbrella of scientific knowledge,
political democracy, popular participation and enhanced sense of belonging.
I have and will have an unshakable belief that we are proceeding on the
right track, fully aware of our goals and objectives and taking care of the
interests of homeland. Fully aligned to the interests of the people, we are
honestly committed to the trust of responsibility so that Egypt will always
maintain its right position among nations.
May God bless and protect our march,
Peace be upon you |
