CONFERENCE PROGRAMME & GUEST SPEAKERS
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Thursday 7th April
09:30h – 10:45h Official Opening Session
Welcome Address & Introduction to the Conference
Mrs Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Chairman
Arab International Women's Forum
Special Address
Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of the European Parliament (Spain)
Keynote Address of His Excellency Mr Amre Moussa,
Secretary General, League of Arab States
Presented by Ambassador Abd El Rahman El Sehebani, Special Representative of the Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs, and Head of the Delegation from the League of Arab States, Cairo
Special Address by
Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, European Commission, Brussels
Special Address
Mrs Emma Bonino, MEP (Italy) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
10:45h – 11:00h Intermission
11:00h – 13:00h PLENARY SESSION 1:
THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS IN PROMOTING WOMEN IN THE EUROPEAN AND ARAB ECONOMIES
This session will examine instruments and mechanisms that currently exist and Euro-Arab co-operation initiatives. Panellists will highlight successful schemes and policies to be changed/modified and the future challenges for the Euro-Med Partnership.
Moderator/Speaker:
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP (United Kingdom), Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Panellists:
HE Dr Mongi Bousnina, Director General, Organisation Arabe pour l’Education, la Culture et les Sciences, Tunisia
Mr Edward McMillan-Scott, Vice-President of the European Parliament (United Kingdom), Group of the European People’s Party and European Democrats
H.E. Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, Minister of Expatriates, Syrian Arab Republic
Ms Laura Baeza, Head of Unit, Euro-Med and Regional Issues, DGRELEX, the European Commission, Brussels
Mrs Pasqualina Napoletano, MEP (Italy), Socialist Group in the European Parliament
Debate
13:00h - 15:00h Luncheon hosted by AIWF in the private salons of the MEPs Restaurant
15:00h - 17:00h PLENARY SESSION 2:
SUCCESS STORIES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
This session will look at SME’s operating in the region and if they help in empowering women. What obstacles have had to be overcome to offer women entrepreneurial opportunities? Panellists will look at best practice and examples of SME’s that have been successful in the region.
Moderator/Speaker:
Ms Niki Tzavella, Vice-President, INTRACOM SA Hellenic Telecommunications & Electronics Industry, Greece
Panellists:
HH Sheikha Hanadi Nasser Bin Khalid Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director, Amwal (Q.S.C.C.), Qatar
Dr Gavin Graham, New Business Director, Middle East, Shell EP International Ltd, United Arab Emirates
Ms Maria Eugenia Girón, CEO, Carrera y Carrera, Spain
Dr Nouha Al Hakim, Professor, University of Paris; HEC School of Management, France
Debate
17:00h - 18:30h PLENARY SESSION 3:
EDUCATION AND TRAINING -- PROVIDING WOMEN WITH MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
The session will profile educational programmes that offer business women additional opportunity for skills development Are educational and training programmes in line with the needs of women in the region and in Europe? What areas still need to be addressed?
Moderator/Speaker: Dr Santiago Iniguez, Dean of Instituto de Empresa Business School and President of EQUAL (European Quality Link), Spain
Panellists:
Dr Rawya Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of Higher Education, Sultanate of Oman
Mr Eric Cornuel, Director General and CEO, European Foundation for Management Development, Brussels
Dr Iman El Kaffass, Associate Dean, American University of Cairo, Egypt
Ms Amy Mina, Programme Manager, INJAZ - Save the Children, Jordan
Intervention by Ms Pani Jana Hybaskova, MEP, (Czech Republic), Group of the European People’s Party and European Democrats
Debate
20:15h Official Conference Dinner at the Conrad Hotel
Friday 8th April
09:30h-11:15h PLENARY SESSION 4:
THE CORPORATE WORLD ENVIRONMENT
What programmes are corporations offering women in the Arab region and Europe to foster leadership and general management skills? Are mentoring & coaching programmes available for women? Have the results of these programmes been favourable? What new training programmes are being considered?
Moderator/Speaker:
Mrs Lisa Pavan-Woolfe, Director, Horizontal & International Issues, European Commission, Brussels
Panellists
HE Ms Nadia Al Saeed, Minister of Information & Communications Technology, Jordan (invited)
HH Sheikha Hind Salman Al-Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain
Ms Robin Walker-Lee, General Counsel and Vice President Public Policy, GM Latin America, Africa & Mideast, United States
Intervention by Ms Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, MEP (Belgium), Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Debate
11:15h – 12:30h PLENARY SESSION 5:
PUBLIC POLICY STRATEGIES AND MECHANISMS AIMED AT EMPOWERING WOMEN IN THE ARAB REGION AND EUROPE
This session will explore what policies have worked and which have not as well as current policies address the needs of women in the region. Are policies implemented in an effective manner? What policy successes can we build on in the future?
Moderator/Speaker:
Ms Julie Mellor, Chair, Equal Opportunities Commission, UK
Panellists:
HE Ms Lulwa Al Awadi, Chair, Executive Board, Arab Woman Organisation, Egypt
Ms Nadereh Chamlou, Senior Advisor, Middle East and North Africa Region, the World Bank, Washington DC
Ms Hanaa Fathi Sorour, Director of Women’s Affair Unit, League of Arab States, Egypt
Debate
12:30- 13:00h Rapporteur’s Report
Dr Celia de Anca, Director, Centre for Diversity in Global Management, Instituto de Empresa Business School, Spain
Closing Remarks
Mrs Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, Chairman
Arab International Women’s Forum
13:00h Luncheon hosted by the Arab International Women’s Forum
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