GPSSA to participate in Arab Labour Organization Seminar in Damascus

The event will be held on September 23rd to 25th, 2003, in Damascus.

Commenting on the potential for youth development through the right kind of investments, Mr. Sultan Al Ghaith, General Manager GPSSA, said: 'Our aim in participating in this seminar is to understand the experiences of people and organizations that have invested social security funds in the past in the MENA region. We want to learn from best practices of investing Social Security funds in projects such as youth initiatives. This also is part of the GPSSA's efforts to strengthen its cooperation with other Arab countries in this field.'

Heading the team of experts in the field of pension and social security will be Deputy General Manager of the GPSSA, HE Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Baqer.

The seminar will be held over a period of three days and will discuss issues such as how best to manage social security and identifying ways to reduce unemployment. It will also look at the importance of efficient deployment of capital through innovative investments options. The primary issue of discussion, however, will be regional unemployment levels and its social and economic implications. The Arab world's high level of unemployment and insufficient capital investment for job creation for young people, will also be addressed. Other topics include the return on investment through conventional investment instruments in banks, the importance of risk analysis for investment, small-scale industrial development and strategically assessing youth projects in the long term.

Amongst the participants in the seminar will be Arab representatives of Government Authorities in the field of Pensions and Social Security, Labor Ministries, Trade Unions, Chambers of Commerce and Industry and experts in the field, in addition to senior officials of the International Labor Organisation.