2nd Edition of ‘Together We Progress’ Forum Held

Muscat: Activities of the second edition of the forum titled “Together We Progress” began today at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre. The forum is organized by the Secretariat General of the Council of Ministers under the auspices of HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth.

The event seeks to advance communication and interaction between the government and society and consolidate public confidence and partnership.

The forum, which brings together members of the public and government officials, also aims to review policies, development programmes and government initiatives. The interactive event provides citizens with an opportunity to express their opinions and views on public matters and share their concerns about common challenges.

Sheikh Al Fadhl Mohammed Al Harthy, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, said that the forum embodies the Royal vision of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik about the importance of strengthening communication between the government and society.He added that “Together We Progress” catalyzes the principle of community participation in the development process.

Al Harthy pointed out that the forum will address topics related to the sectors of education, health, social protection, labour and employment, youth, the media and national identity.

He added that, during the days of the forum, a special exhibition will be dedicated to Oman Vision 2040, as well as programmes on government digital transition, economic diversification, employment, investment and export development and carbon neutrality.

Meanwhile, Dr. Madeeha Ahmed Al Shaibani, Minister of Education, made a visual presentation featuring various aspects of education and the prospects for developing the sector in accordance with Oman Vision 2040.

Dr. Madeeha said that priorities focus on promoting high quality and community partnership, empowering human resources, establishing an integrated and independent system and grooming talents that compete locally and globally.

For her part, Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, said that her ministry seeks to upgrade the quality of university education, supply the labour market with highly-qualified resources and enhance the human capital.

Dr. Rahma added that the ministry’s strategy seeks to align academic programmes with the requirements of the labour market. The strategy also aims to achieve research excellence with the prime objective of generating the desired economic and social impacts. In addition, the ministry’s strategy focuses on sustained development of vocational education and training programmes and to comply with national and international standards in this domain.

For his part, Dr. Hilal Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health, said that the strategic approach of the health sector in Oman lays emphasis on sustainability and centralization of services, technical and medical systems, qualified human resources and the implementation of diversified and sustainable funding sources.

The health sector’s programmes during the 10th Five Year Plan include comprehensive health coverage, governance and restructuring of the health sector and the establishment of a more efficient planning and financing system, said Dr. Hilal.

Meanwhile, Social Development Minister Dr. Laila Ahmed Al Najjar said that the priorities of Oman Vision 2040 include social care, family and community development, services for people with disabilities, self-employment, civil society institutions and social responsibility programmes.

Dr. Laila added that the ministry is embarked on programmes to develop the services offered to people with disabilities, with the prime aim of facilitating their integration into society.

For her part, Dr. Jokha Abdullah Al Shukaili, CEO of Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Educational Quality Assurance, said that the Authority’s programmes focus on high quality and public partnership, as well as the continuous evaluation of school performance and educational efficiency.

Dr. Jokha pointed out that the Authority has endorsed a national system for academic programmes on accreditation, the application of standards of international bodies in the fields of external quality assurance and the assessment of basic programmes.

The forum saw the launch of an “Idea Makers” initiative, which aims to encourage citizens to develop homegrown innovative solutions that reflect the national identity and excellence in communication between the government and society.

The initiative aims at considering creative ideas of youth as measures to achieve the future aspirations of Oman Vision 2040. – ONA