The CPI will participate in the organization of the conference: “Urban Children and Youth in the MNA Region: Addressing Priorities in Education”, scheduled during 16 - 18 May, 2005 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference will be organized jointly by The Middle East and North Africa (MNA) Region of the World Bank, The Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), the MNA Child Protection Initiative (CPI), the Dubai Municipality (DM), and UNICEF.

This conference is the third in a series of conferences on urban children and youth issues in the MENA region. The Conference Objectives are to:

1.        Highlight the problems that face children and youth in urban areas of the MENA region, especially in the field of education; raise the awareness of high ranking municipal officials to the needs of children and youth, and the importance of urgently addressing those needs through multi-sectoral strategies. 

2.        Assess urban planning guidelines and criteria for the development of educational facilities. 

3.        Share knowledge, expertise and best practices among relevant institutions and specialists in addressing the needs of children and youth in urban areas.

4.        Exchange ideas, receive feedback, and disseminate the World Bank’s Children and Youth Strategy for the MENA region.

5.        Foster partnership among relevant institutions concerned with children and youth issues (governmental, NGOs, private sector, regional or international) and coordinate efforts to tackle the priorities of education of children and youth in the MENA region. 

6.        Consolidate and assist in mobilizing technical and financial support for regional programs that aim at improving the status of children and youth; especially the MENA Child Protection Initiative (CPI).

Conference Website