Within the above framework, globalization is a dynamic and irreversible process; it is increasingly affecting the economic and social structures of developed and developing countries alike. Yet as a process, globalization is blamed, by many, for the perpetuation of poverty and the exacerbation of socio-economic inequity. It generates “inequity” within and across countries. For the countries of the region, this issue is a priority on the social agenda. In spite of the wealth created in the Arab region, too many countries and people are not sharing in the development opportunities and benefits. They also have little or no voice in shaping the process. Seen through the eyes of the vast majority of women and men, globalization has not met their simple and legitimate aspiration for decent jobs and a better quality of life for them and for their children. All this manifests itself in the rise of unemployment, a drop in wages and living standards, and decline in services. Meanwhile the revolution in global communications heightens awareness of these disparities.

Globalization has posed a challenge to social policy and social development. Arab societies are undergoing radical changes that present a serious challenge to existing structures and their equilibrium. Social polarizations coupled with wide inequalities socially and economically are affecting the fabric of societies, creating the bases of social exclusion and crisis. Parallel to this situation is the high level of violence, as in Iraq and Palestine, exasperating social problems in the region. Yet this seemingly chronic state of crisis is matched by social policies that lack of coherence, shifting the need to focus on how to achieve integrated social policies, addressing the dichotomy of high crises and low policies. Within this context, there is an emerging consensus that globalization requires a new thinking about social policy with responses at the national, regional and international levels.
This meeting builds on the outcome of the international and global conferences, and will therefore focus on action to promote a globalization with a social development content. In this context, the meeting will offer a multifaceted perspective on the impact of globalization on Arab societies. Within this framework, the meeting aims to:
1.         Provide a forum for experts to meet and exchange views on the impact of globalization on the social situation in the Arab region;
2.         Identify the major factors of globalization affecting the social situation in the Arab region, and the primary issues and challenges emanating from this process;
3.         Answer questions about how and in what way the Arab countries can maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of globalization;
4.         Recommend an approach which promotes equity and social inclusion enabling Arab countries and societies to cope with globalization and make use of its opportunities.