On 18 and 19 of December 2017, a conference for Secretaries General of the Arab Parliaments with the participation of Secretaries General of European countries Parliaments, was held in the national parliament of Lebanon, to discuss how to improve Parliamentary Administration, Sharing Knowledge and Experience, Best Practice, Challenges and Future Perspectives.
The conference of the Secretaries General took place in Beirut at 18 and 19 December 2017 and included in addition to the opening session, 3 main sessions which are:
1. The role of Parliamentary Administration for an effective legislative process.
2. Communications strategies, and outreach: Relationship between the Parliaments and Civil Society Organizations in the Arab Countries.
3. Role of ICT systems and technology in activating and supporting the work of the parliamentary administrations.
In the opening session, a number of speakers had opening words who are: MP Robert Ghannem representing H.E. Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, H.E. Mr. Adnan Daher - Secretary General of the Lebanese Parliament, Dr. Anja Schoeller-Schletter - Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, - H.E. Fayez al Shawabkeh - Secretary General of the Union of Arab Parliaments, Dr. Antoine Massara - President of the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace.
The first session of the conference was about: The role of Parliamentary Administration for an effective legislative process. A number of speakers contributed to this session who are: H.E. Mrs. Vassiliki ANASTASSIADOU - Secretary General of Cyprus Parliament, H.E. Mrs. Hajer Sahrawi - Secretary General of the Tunisian Parliament, H.E. Mouhammad Mubarak Mohieddine - Deputy Secretary General of Sudan Parliament.
The second session of the conference was about: Communications strategies, and outreach: Relationship between the Parliaments and Civil Society Organizations in the Arab Countries. Also a number of speakers had contributed to this session who are: H.E. Kostas ATHANASIOU - Secretary General of Hellenic Parliament, H.E. Salah el din Abdul Aziz - Secretary General of IRAQ Parliament.
The third session of the conference was about: Role of ICT systems and technology in activating and supporting the work of the parliamentary administrations. Here also a number of speakers had contributed to this session who are: H.E. Allam Ali Kindari - Secretary General of Kuwait Parliament, H.E. Mouhammad Nasir - Deputy Secretary General of Egypt Parliament, H.E. Bachir Suliamani - Secretary General of the Parliament of Algeria.
The conference was organized by the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil peace, and in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Lebanese Parliament, and Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The conference took place under the patronage of the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament H.E. Nabih Berri.
As result of the conference, the participants agreed to establish a network of Secretaries General of Arab and European Parliaments. They entrusted the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, in consultation with the Arab Union of Parliaments, to follow-up.