H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, led the UAE delegation at the 18th Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Municipal Affairs Ministers that kicked off today (Thursday, September 18, 2014) in Kuwait.
Joining the Minister in the meeting are H.E. Sultan Abdullah Bin Alwan, Assistant Undersecretary of Regions, Ministery of Environment and Water; H.E. Khalid Ali Bin Zayed, Assistant Director General for International Affairs and Partnerships, Dubai Municipality; Eng. Abdullah Al Khadim, Director of Project Management Department, Fujairah Municipality; Ahmed Khamis Amer, Director of Corporate Support Service Department, Fujairah Municipality; and Fatima Hassan Ahli, Acting Director, Municipalities Affairs Coordination Department, Ministry of Environment and Water.
During the meeting, the participants discussed procedures in various areas of interest, including the approval of the GCC Municipal Work Award list, the appointment of a Secretariat to oversee the Awards list in coordination with member states, and the preparation of a review document concerning the re-organization of committees and teams overseeing common GCC municipal works. The discussions form part of efforts to promote the functions of the municipalities and enhance municipal services in accordance with a UAE proposal that was reviewed by member states in preparation for its approval in the coming meetings.
H.E. Bin Fahad said that the UAE is keen on unifying the efforts of GCC countries to promote mutual cooperation, emphasizing that their support is needed to harmonize work among the municipalities of the member states.
Participants further approved the adoption of a resolution with regard to the city beautification of GCC municipalities. The resolution will be referred to the higher council for approval. The delegates also approved the recommendations of the technical team regarding the implementation of the GCC municipal data base e-gate project in cooperation with the private sector. Further, the meeting served as a platform for the attendees to talk about the holding of workshops on municipal work and the possible establishment of municipal training centers and departments. They also agreed on recommendations to conduct joint regional workshops with the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN Habitat), targeting training professionals to promote the capabilities of municipal training centers and departments as well as support city development. They also asked the Secretariat to follow up with the implementation of the recommendations in cooperation with UN Habitat and maximize their implementation in coordination with specialized training centers.
The meeting also approved the recommendations made during the 8th GCC Municipal Conference held in April 2014 in Abu Dhabi, with member states extending their gratitude to the UAE for hosting the event.