Jordan Times
Friday, March 16, 2007
Forum to assist Arab
cities in development of IT potential
By Hana Namrouqa
AMMAN — The Arab Forum for Information Systems,
designed to assist Arab Towns Organisation (ATO) members develop their IT
potential and human resource capabilities, officially opened this week.
“The forum, established by ATO and the Greater Amman Municipality, seeks to
coordinate regional efforts in the field of IT to meet the expanding growth that
Arab towns are witnessing,” ATO Secretary General Abdul Aziz Adsani said at the
opening ceremony.
The facility will implement programmes and projects with ATO’s financial
support, which will meet the demands of ATO member municipalities, including
training and technical consultancy to upgrade administration.
Working to preserve the identity and heritage of Arab towns, the ATO has
established several similar institutions to serve this goal, including the Arab
Towns Development Fund, the Arab Urban Development Institute, and the ATO Award.
“Since its inception in October last year, the forum implemented several
programmes and workshops targeting municipality cadres after carrying out a
survey to identify the needs of cities,” the forum’s director general Jamil
Amleh told The Jordan Times.
The forum will create a scientific and technical database, which will provide
Arab towns with important information and link them together through the
website, www.ArabCities.net, Amleh added.
Amman Mayor Omar Maani said the forum’s main objectives were improving
conditions of municipalities, rehabilitating human resources in the field of IT
through specialised training courses and exchanging experiences among Arab
countries in this regard.
The launch of the forum, which is considered the ATO’s technical arm, coincides
with its 40th anniversary celebrations.
The Kuwait-based organisation was established in 1967 with the aim of assisting
member towns in fulfilling their developmental projects through loans and grants
and cooperating with them in studying, planning and coordinating their various
activities to achieve development and progress in line with their economic,
social, cultural and environmental situations.
The non-governmental organisation, which specializes in city and municipality
affairs, has no political or ideological affiliation.