Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ALECSO) Meeting of the Task Force of National Commissions for

the Euro-Arab Strategy Learning to Live Together Cairo, 18 and 19 June 2003 Cairo Statement The members of the Euro-Arab Task Force of National Commissions Learning to Live Together, meeting in Cairo 18 to 19 June 2003 at the invitation of ALECSO, Recalling the results of their previous meetings in Geneva (7 September 2001), Paris (25 October 2001), Abu Dhabi (10-13 April 2002) and Strasbourg (28 and 29 October 2002); Emphasizing the need to enhance mutual knowledge of the diverse cultures in the Arab States and Europe Regions and to counteract prejudice and xenophobia through co-operative initiatives in the fields of education, science, culture and communication; Conscious of the importance of the mandate assigned to them by the National Commissions of the Arab Sates and the Europe Regions, at their meetings in Paris (October 2001), in Rabat (June 2002) and in Budapest (June 2002), in the framework of the Euro-Arab Interregional Strategy Learning to Live Together adopted by these meetings; Stressing the importance of direct co-operation between the various actors in the fields of education, culture, science and communication in the Arab States and Europe regions; Welcoming the accession of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) as an associated partner to the Euro-Arab Task Force of National Commissions; Invite UNESCO, ALECSO, ISESCO and the Council of Europe to further develop their cooperation through, among other things:

1) Enhancing their respective memoranda of co-operation, with updating and conclusion of new ones, as appropriate; 2) Identifying focal points and establishing a mechanism for reinforcing Euro-Arab cooperation in their secretariats; 3) Establishing an inter-agency consultative committee for promoting and consolidating Euro-Arab co-operation in education, science, culture and communication, and for assisting in the implementation of the strategy and in the follow-up to the whole set of relevant activities. The Consultative Committee should consist of up to twelve members and include the focal points assigned by the partner Organizations and experts proposed by the National Commissions of both regions; 4) Creating a common database for Euro-Arab co-operation and a Website for the exchange of relevant information; 5) Identifying possibilities for financing joint projects between partners of both regions; 6) Rendering to the extent possible - advisory services to those interested in Euro-Arab cooperation; 7) Developing further their co-operation with interested intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, with involving actively the National Commissions of both regions; 8) Proceeding in taking measures necessary for facilitating the implementation of certain activities that were considered priorities by previous meetings, such as comparative studies, creating a network of research centres and university chairs for Arabic and European languages and cultures, and mutual exchanges of experts in education, culture, science and communication between the two regions.