Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of its Regional Bureau for Arab States

The Development Policy Forum (DPF) ‘Future World’ debate on 9 March examined the interplay between state and human security in the Arab World. The issue of human security is crucial to the development of stability in the region, the participants heard, but the change must come primarily from within. “If we truly aspire to investing in human capability and development, we must first ensure that human dignity is protected by the same institutions which safeguard state security”, asserted Introductory speaker Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Assistant Secretary-General of the UNDP and Director of its Regional Bureau for Arab States, Former Yemeni Minister for Human Rights.

Europe’s role was commented by Tomás Duplá del Moral, European Commission Director for Middle East and South Mediterranean at the Directorate General for External Relations, who underlined the importance of co-operation and support of the Arab world, especially given historical ties and the common borders shared as neighbours.

The Development Policy Forum (DPF) is a partnership between Friends of Europe, the World Bank, the United Nations, France’s AFD, UK’s DFID and Germany’s GTZ. DPF events are also organised in association with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the IMF and the European Commission. Please click here to read more about the DPF.