Princess Sumaya Bint Al-Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS) and Chairman of the ESCWA Technology Center (ETC), highlighted the crucial role of collaboration and integration among countries to identify their needs and to meet them through cooperation of scientists, researchers and decision-makers, which is the core pillar of improving life quality in our societies.

The princess, who chaired ESCWA's 8th Meeting in Beirut, stressed the need to focus on the issue of cooperation and integration in addressing the challenges facing the Arab countries and the world at large.

The princess noted the launch of the Arab Science Forum, which is held every two years in one of the Arab countries, is one of the most important outcomes of the World Science Forum 2017, and would be the scientific platform for Arab countries and the voice of science for Arab societies and the Arab platform for regional and international cooperation.

The princess also called on all members to cooperate and coordinate in preparation for holding this Arab gathering and to participate in identifying the topics that will be discussed, adding :" the forum will be the first of its kind in the region and Jordan will host its first edition in the next two years."

On future steps, she said preparations are under way to draft a special ethics charter of scientific research in the Arab world to establish ethical criteria for scientific research and technological applications, which provides a stimulating and safe environment for Arab researchers, and would protect their research rights and set their social responsibilities and duties.

In turn, Raleh Majdalani, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA Program Support, said for the past 45 years, the organization has been supporting its member states and backing regional Arab integration and has a long history of development effort at the economic, social and environmental levels.