Conference 01: "A Future Vision for Education", Tripoli, State of Libya, December 1998,

Conference 01: "A Future Vision for Education", Tripoli, State of Libya, December 1998,

The First Conference (1) of Ministers of Education in the Arab world discussed the question of forecasting the state of education in the Arab countries by working to formulate a future vision. The discussion of the main document presented to the conference, prepared by ALECSO, revealed a keen interest in the issue and in the joint Arab educational project, whose strategic role is to deepen and strengthen the Arab conscience and to consolidate the meanings of the unity of the Arab nation and its destiny, its aspirations and its hopes for the advancement of the Arab individual, and for preparing that individual well so as to be able to face future challenges, win the required stakes and keep pace with changes and developments at the Arab, regional and international levels.

The conference called for the importance of being acquainted with the quantitative and qualitative Arab educational achievements, of publicising their creative programmes, and of considering their requirements within the framework of working to achieve comprehensive sustainable development at the level of the Arab world, as well as objectively diagnosing the reality of Arab education at all its levels of inputs, processes and outputs. Most of the interventions affirmed the importance of working to highlight the actual function of education as the pinnacle of national work in investing in human resources, and the importance of forming philosophical and value-based foundations that strengthen belonging to the nation, support its own and cultural identity and achieve its better future.

At the conclusion of its work, the conference issued the Tripoli Educational Statement, in which the Arab Ministers of Education affirmed the importance of education as the hope for shaping the future of the Arab nation as it strives to face the challenges of a new century, which they consider can be overcome only by continuing to develop the philosophy of Arab education, its institutions and its tools with a single national, future-oriented vision that takes into account renewal, improvement, freedom, creativity and pride in the nation's ancient past and heritage.