The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are highly concerned with issues relevant to social work and are so keen on providing their peoples with due social care, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Sabeeh Al-Sabeeh said on Wednesday.
People are the major goal of sustainable development in the GCC, Al-Sabeeh, also Minister of State for Planning and Development, added in her address to the Fourth GCC Festival for Social Work that started in Doha today.
The Kuwaiti Minister is the head of the current 31st session of the GCC Council for Social Affairs and Labor.
She stressed the necessity of mustering social energies and integrating national efforts for the GCC social sustainable development to proceed and achieve aspired goals.
Al-Sabeeh underscored the importance of non-government and voluntary work for supporting official efforts within the framework of an "effective and positive partnership to carry out ambitious plans and promote our societies." The Fourth GCC Festival will honor pioneers of social work for their distinguished role serving their societies and caring for people's concerns and needs.
Al-Sabeeh thanked Qatar for hosting the Festival, and lauded efforts by Qatari Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Dr. Abdullah Saleh Al Khulaifi and the ministry officials to guarantee success for the GCC social event.
For his part, Al Khulaifi told the opening session that hosting the Festival has been prompted by Qatar's belief in the importance of joint GCC action, besides supporting all forms of cooperation and coordination among the member states to realize expectations of the people. He also stressed the significance of the role by the civil society organizations backing efforts to achieve comprehensive social development in the bloc.
According to the Qatari Minister, the Fourth Festival aims at discussing difficulties facing social work in the GCC, seeking a host of rules to regulate it in addition to enhancing the non-official and voluntary contribution in its activities.