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INTERNATIONAL

get their information. So, without knowing, “Today you have options, and it’s up
we are ignorant of what’s happening on the
other side. Do you agree? to you. Now, people watch certain
In the Arab region, we know more about the TV channels because it speaks their
world than the world knows about us. We
are more open-minded and we learn more language, and they get what they
about others than others learn about us. I want to hear. They do not want to
call it selective ignorance nowadays because
people in the old days, they would have one hear something different.”
TV station, one newspaper, one radio station,
and all the information would come to them
through that. They had no other choice. Today
you have options, and it’s up to you. Now, General of the Union of Arab Chambers as
people watch certain TV channels because our partners and speakers as well.
it speaks their language, and they get what
they want to hear. They do not want to hear Speakers from UNCTAD and ITC also
something different. I watch three or four TV participated in our session. It was well attended
channels. Throughout the day or sometimes by some Arab ambassadors, members of the
on the weekend, I can watch the same news United Nations organizations as well as by
from different channels. some of our Chamber members. They found it
very informative and useful. I also participated
I go and check in another, any other, as a moderator in the Trade for Peace session
newspaper on what they are talking about, during the WTO public forum as well.
what they say about the same subject. And
usually, today with WhatsApp, a lot of people In December, we are planning to participate in
will just share with you the news even before the UNCTAD e-week. We will have a speaker
you know about it through the media. You will in one of the sessions on e-commerce and
hear the same thing from different sources. So, consumer protection. We are also planning
if people really want to learn about each other to organize a Zoom session in November for
today, they can. Arab and Swiss companies and our members.
It will discuss whether the Arab companies
Do you have any plans of organizing events or are ready for environmental and social
something in particular coming up? governance standards, because ESG is a big
Yes, actually, since I started working for the issue now for companies.
Chamber, we organized the Assembly, the
annual meeting in March this year. And we And we want to make sure that, in the Arab
also organized an event that was attended region, the small and medium enterprises –
by our members. We invited a speaker from especially these SMEs – are aware of this trend,
the Ministry of Economy of Switzerland the new trend, that will be an obligation on
(SECO), Ambassador Ivo German, who was them eventually. For the time being, it’s more
our speaker for the event. He spoke about the on companies that have IPOs, but eventually
Economic and Trade Relationships between environmental and social governance will
Arab countries and Switzerland. In June, we have to be implemented across the board.
participated in the WTO public forum. We And we want to make sure that companies are
organized a session on the role of the Arab prepared for that.
private sector on saving the planet.
Leaving Ms Al Hinai’s office, we wish her all the
That was within the context of the WTO best of success, knowing that she will definitely
public forum this year whose theme was, It is succeed in putting the Chamber back in the
time for action. We had a speaker from Dubai, limelight.
from UAE Environmental Group. We also had
the Ambassador of Oman and the Secretary

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