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2014-02-01
Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani: Focus is on youth as they constitute the future
By: Staff Major Yousef Juma Al Haddad
Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, says that the council has resolved to take the required steps to implement the Decree to establish the Gulf Academy for Strategic, Defense and Security Studies in the UAE to train and prepare the future leaders in the GCC.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Nation Shield magazine, he says, “the GCC Leaders are constantly concerned with the subject of human development and keen that gulf citizens should be the object of development.” Pointing out that Egypt is an important partner for the GCC, Arab countries and the Middle East, he says that its stability and security are critical for the stability and security of this region and all Arab countries. The GCC countries are looking forward to its recovery so that Egypt can regain its recognized historic and natural role in the Arab world. Excerpts from the interview:
You visit all the GCC countries to discuss several important issues. What was the main reason for your visit to the United Arab Emirates?
My visit comes within the framework of follow-up of the implementation of the decisions of the GCC Supreme Council, especially those taken recently in the last Kuwait Summit, including the decision to set up a Gulf Academy for Strategic, Defense and Security Studies. The UAE has kindly agreed to host the academy. In this connection, I met the Staff Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces and discussed the setting up of the academy apart from deciding on the steps to be taken to implement this important decision for training future GCC leaders and preparing for the strategic and defense tasks lying ahead.
How much attention have you paid to human resources, especially the youth, considering that this is one of the top priorities of the GCC leaders?
The GCC leaders are constantly concerned with the subject of human development and are keen that the GCC citizens should be the target of the development. Human development is the most important of strategic objectives in the GCC, considering that over 66 per cent of the GCC citizens are young people. Focus on youth is now so significant as they are the most important section of any society. If they constitute half the Gulf community, tomorrow they will form the whole future. So they are the target of the process of change and progress and they are also subject of care for the GCC leaders.
In the Sakhir Summit in Bahrain, the GCC Supreme Council issued a decision calling for care for, and communication with, the youth so as to know the areas of their interests and expectations. The General Secretariat was authorized to organize a workshop or a conference for young citizens and prepare a questionnaire in order to determine how to support them in the joint GCC work and promote local and national efforts through the youth in the GCC countries. The conference was attended by more than 800 young people and personalities who are interested in the subject of human resources. Several topics were discussed in the fields of education, health, labor and security, and the questionnaire was distributed to participants. The Supreme Council lauded these efforts and ordered a fund to be established at the GCC level to enhance business for young citizens and complement the efforts of each country. It also ordered a program to encourage common action among the GCC youth and serve the region and social communication as well, and also to continue to hold workshops and conferences so that there will be a conference in each GCC country to take up one of the most important themes to young citizens.
The GCC Leaders have issued several directives and taken numerous steps to promote the youth participation in nation building. Can you elaborate on this?
The pleasant thing that makes me proud as a Secretary General of the GCC, a GCC citizen and a father, is that those youth aspire to upgrade their educational status to keep up with international standards. I have also found that they wish that the GCC countries are technologically advanced. Since we have such ambitious youth in the GCC countries, I am sure that an excellent future is waiting for them and the GCC countries, especially in view of the unlimited support they receive from Their Majesties and Highnesses of the GCC.
What are the most prominent features of the GCC Joint Defense Command? What does it consist of, and what are the mechanisms of its action?
In general, the GCC Leaders and the Joint Defense Council have emphasized the importance of the unified command. The unity of command is certainly one of the most important principles of warfare. Any common action requires a unified command, and forces need a joint command for common work. Any GCC common action would require joint plans, development of the common defense doctrine and study of the operations theater.
What do you think about the future of the initiative regarding the Gulf Union in the light of the diverse attitudes of the GCC countries toward this initiative?
The initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was, in fact, in line with the objective set out in the first paragraph of Article IV of the GCC Statute, which provides for “coordination, complementarity and coherence between the Member States in all fields in order to achieve unity.” The initiative aims to move from the stage of cooperation to one of union, transforming the Gulf Cooperation Council into a single entity that achieves integration in response to the aspirations of the GCC citizens. A committee has been set up to study the initiative and has been welcomed and blessed by the GCC leaders, their comments and visions have been presented to the Supreme Council, which in turn ordered the Council of Foreign Ministers, along with the Chairman of the Committee, to push forward consultation among countries which are still going on. The final recommendations will be submitted to the next Riyadh Summit to discuss the subject. Thus efforts are on to deepen integration through continuous consultations.
Do you believe that it is possible to overcome the current differences about Gulf Union, particularly in view of the attitudes of certain GCC countries?
We have always highlighted the strong ties and coherence between the GCC countries. During the past thirty years, there have been some differences in their views, yet the GCC leaders, as usual, take decisions that strengthen relations and boost solidarity and coherence among the GCC countries. I am highly optimistic about the strength of ties between these countries and believe that they will be better in future.
What is your opinion regarding the future of security and stability in the Arabian Gulf in the light of the recent agreement between Iran and the West about the Iranian nuclear issue?
We welcome any effort or agreement that leads to stability in the region and keeps dangers away. We hope this agreement will be put into action and yields the results spoken about.
How do you look at the developments in Egypt and Syria? How far do such conditions in these two countries reflect on the GCC countries?
Egypt is an important state for the GCC countries, the Arab countries and the Middle East. Its stability and security are important to the stability and security of the region and all Arab countries. We are looking forward to its recovery so that it can regain its natural historical role in the Arab world. It deserves every support from our side. As for Syria, we support a political solution, if any, and Geneva-2, provided it is based on Geneva-1. It is hoped that efforts will be exerted by the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to achieve appropriate atmosphere that enables the Syrian Alliance to attend Geneva-2 and take its right place in the conference. No doubt, the withdrawal of Hizbullah forces from Syria will send a positive message to support this process. We also hope that the solution to this issue will not be limited to chemical weapons, but our aim should be to stop killing and destruction in Syria. What is taking place in this country is most unfortunate.
How do you think about the likely changes in the US foreign policy toward the Middle East? Is the GCC prepared to contain any negative effects of any probable changes?
The US is a strategic friend. We have old relations and common interests with the US, and we think that this relationship will continue at the strategic level and in the achievement and maintenance of common interests.
What are the main challenges that face the GCC countries at present?
Challenges are numerous and varied. There are local, regional and international. Examples of local challenges, for example, include terrorism, organized crime, sectarianism and labor issues. Regional challenges include the interference by some states in our domestic affairs, and the tragedies that take place in some sisterly countries, especially Syria, and affect the GCC countries and their citizens. International challenges are environmental challenges and global terrorist threats. In general, however, we feel that these challenges allow us to see how they boost our strength and determination to provide a secure, stable and prosperous environment for the GCC nations which we are keen to sustain.
The challenges facing countries of the region include the environment and water. In your opinion, how can the GCC countries face such challenges? Have you taken any concrete steps to deal with them?
Many efforts are being exerted in this regard. The recent GCC statement demonstrates the keenness of the GCC leaders on security in general and water and food security in particular. They have instructed the General Secretariat to complete the study of water security in the GCC countries.
Several days before my visit to the UAE, I met Dr Abdulaziz Al-Turbag, head of the Scientific Team for the Preparation of the Unified Strategy for Water Security in GCC Countries, and discussed with him the GCC efforts to achieve water security, and reviewed the results of studies and research conducted by these countries in this regard. Such efforts and research done by the Gulf think tanks arise from the GCC countries’ extreme concern on water security, in view of the importance of water to the Gulf communities.
How did your military background help your role as a Secretary General of the GCC?
Any experience adds to one’s expertise and helps him in any new job he performs. The military service teaches man discipline, resolution mixed with flexibility, teamwork, consultation and patience, skills that have been useful to me during my service in the GCC General Secretariat. I hope to live up to the expectations of leaders and my colleagues in the military domain.
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