6th Arab Civil Society Forum for Childhood at the BA

Under the patronage of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development and Chairman of the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND), H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, and Prof. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, in partnership with the Arab League, the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND), and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, is organizing the sixth Arab Civil Society Forum for Childhood, under the theme "Empowering Arab Children in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Beyond.” The event takes place from 13 – 14 February 2024, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

The Forum aims at raising awareness of the importance of empowering Arab children in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with its opportunities and risks, as part of an integrated and interconnected conceptual structure, and according to a new intellectual system that establishes an organic relationship between children and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It also attempts to discuss the reality of Arab civil society for childhood amidst the current developments.

The event will witness the launch of the first exploratory Arab study on "The Readiness of Arab Children in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution", and will discuss the reality of Arab civil society for childhood amidst the current changes. It will also include a dialogue session with children, in addition to presentations showcasing initiatives regarding civil society and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Around 250 participants, including experts and representatives of regional and international organizations and children institutions from various Arab countries, will take part in the event.

The Arab Civil Society Forum for Childhood is a periodic meeting, a means for building the capacity of civil society organizations working on child-related issues, and a space for learning, sharing experiences, and building partnerships. It adopts a rights-based and developmental approach, stemming from the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other Arab and international charters and conventions promoting the goals of sustainable development.