FANA's General Assembly Conference Kicks Off in Doha Next Monday

Doha, November 17 (QNA) - Activities of the 39th edition conference of the Federation of Arab News Agency (FANA) general assembly are due to kick off in Doha next Monday and runs for three days. Some 15 Arab news agencies namely Saudi Arabia (SPA), the Emirates WAM News Agency, Moroccan News Agency( MAP), Egypt ( Middle East News Agency-MENA) , Mauritania, Kuwait (KUNA), Bahrain (BNA), Lebanon, Oman(ONA) Syria (SANA), Jordan(Petra News Agency) ,Qatar(Qatar News Agency), Sudan(SUNA) and Yemen (SABA), will be attending the conference . During the conference, due to be also attended by prominent international media figures , the participants are to discuss several reports and studies worked out by Arab and foreign specialists on how best to upgrade news agencies and their future in the 21st century and the state of the art technological developments affecting their modus operandi. FANA's general activities of 2011 and progress made so far as related to the training courses, meetings and conferences will be also taken up in such a conference in addition to holding meetings of the international council of news agencies in Riyadh and London. The award to be given to the best report and the best photo and how best to upgrade the economic file will be also discussed by the conferees together with FANA's website, its financial and organisational affairs including the election of the chairman of the Federation of Arab News Agency (FANA) ,his deputy , the general secretariat staff and the FANA secretary general. The conferees will also take up the issue of the admission of the Cooperation Council for the Arab states of the gulf (GCC) as an observer in meetings of the FANA General Assembly as well as discussing a report dealing with media ethics and human dignity. The report is forwarded by the President of the Organization of Asia-pacific News Agencies (OANA). According to FANA regulations, the Director General of QNA Ahmed Saad A--Buainein , will be elected chairman of FANA's next two-year session. Al-Buainein will sign a cooperation agreement between FANA and the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) chaired by Kamal Ozturk, The General Director Turkey's Anatolian News Agency. Such a cooperation agreement includes items on stepping up coordination and coordination between the two agencies which both comprise about half of the world news agencies as members. Qatari journalist Mrs.Mona Al-Anbari , from Qatar News Agency (QNA) will be honoured on the sidelines of the conference for winning the best report award of 2011 . The report was entitled, '' Souq Waqif, a civilizational feature, the Qataris and the Arabs feel pride of ''. In a statement to QNA , Secretary General of Federation of Arab News Agency (FANA) Dr. Farid Ayar said the conference is a prominent turning in history of holding such conferences pointing out that it is the first time ,since 1975, a two-pronged conference is being held , the first theoretical including reports to be presented by Arab and international specialists on the latest communications technology developments and the other is a practical one relating to upgrading and revitalizing the role of the FANA in light of the newest circumstances on the Arab scene. Concluding his statement, Farid Ayar said that in such a conference we witness the beginning of a new launch in the course of convening such conferences, and we seize such an opportunity to convey thanks to the Director General of Qatar News Agency (QNA) and its staff who exerted utmost efforts and removed every obstacles to help convene such a conference. (QNA)