Dr.Al Kuwari Calls for Establishing an Arab Coalition of Services Industries

Doha, April 19 (QNA) - HE Minister of Culture, Arts And Heritage Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari who is also chairman of the UNCTAD XIII, has called for establishing an arab coalition of services industries with a view to stepping up the production and export of services in the region. ''I strongly encourage the establishment of an Arab Coalition of Services Industries to increase production and exports of services in the region. As you may be aware, an effective and cooperative structure among services industries, firms, and national services associations in the region is yet to be fully developed, despite its vibrant services economy. Such a regional institutional framework will be useful not only in promoting our cooperation within and beyond the region but also in showcasing to the world the importance attached to services by the region'', he said in his opening statement before the Global service forum, held at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) . ''As a vibrant service sector represents a formidable opportunity for economic diversification, employment creation and greater competitiveness, the sector is a 'must' for any country wishing to attain incisive and sustained growth to build effective regulatory and institutional frameworks on services. ''Services also represent the future for youth and women in the Arab world. International and regional trade cooperation and integration also play a key role'', said HE Al Kuwari in his opening statement at the Global service forum. '' It is also significant that this Forum marks the very first major pre-conference event that will pave the way for the official opening of UNCTAD XIII the day after tomorrow , Saturday ,which Qatar has the honour to host next week'', he added in his statement before the forum, entitled ,'' services, trade and inclusive and sustainable development''. ''It is worth recalling that this Forum is unique in nature and the first of this sort in the history of international cooperation and partnership. There is no comparable intergovernmental forum on services on a global scale that brings together as wide a range of stakeholders as this Forum has done. It goes without saying that the services sector has gained increased importance over the last decade, especially in the aftermath of the global financial and economic crisis. The sector is essential to greater efficiency and competitiveness in any economy, as services essential inputs to many other products and economic components. Infrastructure and essential services, such as energy, education, health, water and housing are key enablers of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. While the services sector has matured in developed countries, it is a nascent sector for most developing countries. This is the case also with the Arab region where services account for just over 40% of GDP. For relatively larger oil-exporting Gulf economies, including Qatar, the sector represents still only 30-50 % of the economy'', DR. al -Kuwari told the participants. Several developing countries have been successfully in reaping sizable developmental benefits from services trade by exploiting areas such as the movement of natural persons, outsourcing of ICT-enabled business services, construction and tourism. Most Gulf countries, on account of their large oil exports, have a very low reliance on services exports (in the range of 3-10%), which represents a challenge for our economies. However, we are also witnessing the emergence of world class service industries and firms in the region, such as in the areas of marine terminal operations and development, logistics, communication and financial services. As a vibrant service sector represents a formidable opportunity for economic diversification, employment creation and greater competitiveness, the sector is a 'must' for any country wishing to attain incisive and sustained growth to build effective regulatory and institutional frameworks on services. Services also represent the future for youth and women in the Arab world. International and regional trade cooperation and integration also play a key role. We are here today in our capacities as governmental leaders, business leaders, regulators, practitioners, civil society and other stakeholders. We share a common stake in a healthy and prosperous services economy and trade. As such, we have the responsibility to promote economic regulatory conditions necessary to make services economies and trade effective instruments for inclusive development and poverty eradication. Therefore, it is my hope that this Forum will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on challenges and opportunities facing the services industries, to engage in an exchange of experiences and lessons learned in our search for best practices, and to consider options for future actions and partnership in order to respond to the challenges posed upon these industries in the 21st century. One of the concrete outcomes of the Forum will be to expand our networks and partnerships among our governments, organizations and businesses, and place our cooperation on a lasting foothold. Therefore, building on this success, I would suggest institutionalizing the Global Services Forum so that we can all meet regularly. ''I strongly encourage the establishment of an Arab Coalition of Services Industries to increase production and exports of services in the region. As you may be aware, an effective and cooperative structure among services industries, firms, and national services associations in the region is yet to be fully developed, despite its vibrant services economy. Such a regional institutional framework will be useful not only in promoting our cooperation within and beyond the region but also in showcasing to the world the importance attached to services by the region'', the Qatari Minister concluded. (QNA)